Films you've seen recently and would unreservedly recommend:

lanugo

lanugo

von Verfall erzittern
"Un homme qui dort" by Bernard Queysanne from 1974 is one of the most powerful films I've seen in years. It follows a student suffering from a solipsistic psychosis on his endless wanderings through the empty streets of Paris. The beautiful impressions of the city are accompanied by stream-of-consciousness narration and a brilliant ambient-like soundtrack that seems singular even today. Highly recommended.

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IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
"Mum & Dad (2008): somewhat of 21st century version of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre set in the suburbs somewhere in Britain that's so disgusting and disturbing that, at times, I couldn't barely watch. Luckily, there's a very dark sense of comic relief throughout the film. A Well-made and outstandingly intense horror movie."
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Literally some of the worst acting I've ever seen in a film. Not too long ago I was watching some Al Pacino film that wasn't that good but I remember thinking how the camera just loves Pacino, when he was good he wasn't even doing anything but there was just something cool about him that demanded that you watch him. Watching Mum and Dad I thought about the young girl (Birdy?) and how it was the exact opposite effect, the camera hated her and every scene that she was in was powerfully unwatchable. The others were very slightly better but the cliched nature of the forced contrast between the banality of the characters and their actions was so strikingly unoriginal that the scenes without her in were really no more palatable.
 
W

wonk_vitesse

radio eros
grizzleb said:
I watched 'Of Time and The City' on the BBC iplayer last night and found it extraordinarily moving. I've never heard of Terence Davies before but his style left such an impression on me and exposes again how lacklustre 99% of the film/tv we're exposed to is. It had such a powerful sense of nostalgia and the way that all the different elements worked together was wonderful; his voice and narration; the images from archive footage; the soundtrack - all marvellous. If you get a chance to - watch it. It seems to be just about the best of what the BBC can offer.
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I thought this didn't quite work, he got a bit carried away with it all, the footage never quite lived to his imaginings. Yes the soundtrack is marvellous but then Mahler's 2nd Symphony is of course great but I'm not keen on it being regurgitated for some musings on Liverpool ?
 
grizzleb

grizzleb

Well-known member
wonk_vitesse said:
I thought this didn't quite work, he got a bit carried away with it all, the footage never quite lived to his imaginings. Yes the soundtrack is marvellous but then Mahler's 2nd Symphony is of course great but I'm not keen on it being regurgitated for some musings on Liverpool ?
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I know what you mean, a critique of it could be that it is too enthusiastic, too blunt, too much of an excess - I thought that gave it a wonderful character of abandon. I thought on the contrary that the music added to the emotionality of the piece, and juxtaposing pop with grandiose classical pieces I thought was a very nice device. His narration was never ashamed which I loved...too many filmmakers don't want to commit themselves - he commited himself in full. Also, I didn't think it was 'about' Liverpool per se, so much as about adolescence, post-war boom times, poverty, piety, architecture, sex...Like the best in art, looking at the particular and gaining knowledge of the universal. However, yours are valid criticisms.
 
bandshell

bandshell

Grand High Witch
baboon2004 said:
I thought this was a satire on uber-horror cinema initially from the title. but it's real? On the d/l...after this, enough is enough.
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It's an odd film. Supposedly, there's a political subtext but I think that's been overlooked. It's certainly a well made film.
 
M

michael

Bring out the vacuum
baboon2004 said:
I thought this was a satire on uber-horror cinema initially from the title. but it's real? On the d/l...after this, enough is enough.
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Hmm... not sure this exactly enticed me:

from that blog said:
This review is intentionally vague about the plot details. You deserve to be as innocent and virginal as possible entering the film – before it rapes you like a bearded, ogrish war criminal.
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B

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Not sure what to make of that. Goes so far overboard by the end that it's almost like torture porn high camp. Utterly grotesque for sure.
 
slim jenkins

slim jenkins

El Hombre Invisible
grizzleb said:
I watched 'Of Time and The City' on the BBC iplayer last night and found it extraordinarily moving. I've never heard of Terence Davies before but his style left such an impression on me and exposes again how lacklustre 99% of the film/tv we're exposed to is. It had such a powerful sense of nostalgia and the way that all the different elements worked together was wonderful; his voice and narration; the images from archive footage; the soundtrack - all marvellous. If you get a chance to - watch it. It seems to be just about the best of what the BBC can offer.
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Haven't watched it all but I didn't like his narration - it felt all wrong, that bitter and twisted tone. Struck me as odd when some of what he was reciting warranted a different approach....more Mr Kipling and less angry old queer. Must be my problem because the reviews I read loved it.
 
slim jenkins

slim jenkins

El Hombre Invisible
^
Some hype around this but when I first watched the trailer it reminded me too much of the Smack My Bitch Up video...so...
 
B

BSquires

Well-known member
I saw 'Enter the Void' last night - it really is a technical tour de force... it's also slightly overlong and some of the acting is a bit dodgy... it's not as harsh as his last two either but it will still annoy/upset lots of people I think... glad I saw it though...
 
Z

zhao

there are no accidents
looking forward to seeing that...

on the mindless entertainment tip, we rented Kick Ass last night and it was very entertaining!
 
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