Movie Night (Official Movie Discussion Thread)

Anatomy of a Fall




Anatomy Acclaim

PRAISE: Director and writer Justine Triet and writer Arthur Harari have not only presented a very watchable and involving court room drama but also the story of a breakdown of a marriage and a family. The story about a woman being suspected of her husband's murder, and their blind son being the only witness is an entertaining one and then some. Great performances from the entire cast including Sandra Hüller as Sandra Voyter Swann Arlaud as Maître Vincent Renzi , Milo Machado Graner as Daniel and Samuel Theis as Samuel. The layers are pulled back on the couples dysfunction and resentment which leads to where it all started and the foundation of guilt and frustration it was built on . I thought all of the aforementioned was so well done displaying a lot of raw emotion and realistic themes of a couple that slowly but surely had reached their breaking points with each other. There are perfectly directed scenes one standout being an argument that keeps slowly boiling to the point of boiling over but Triet chooses to pull back on the visuals of the boil over making the scene even more powerful. I liked that certain things were nodded to but not fully told because it made the movie and the characters even more interesting. Sometimes marriages and relationships reach that annoying to obnoxious level of just knowing how to get under each other's skin and I thought that was amazingly displayed. The film is beautifully shot I always love looking at distant snow capped mountains.
This is definitely one of the best films of 2023.


PROBLEMS : I thought that some of the court room scenes felt drawn out. So much so I started to pick them apart and question if some of it was truly necessary.

Scale of 1 to 10 an 8
 
Let’s see what’s the hype all about
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Infamous114 said:
The dreaded month of January



The Book of Clarence probably has the best shot to get me to the theater
Click to expand...

None of these gonna make me go outside. I'll say book of Clarence. But I hope I.S.S hits gang quickly as well i'm a sucker for some science fiction.
 
American Fiction





Fiction & Facts

PRAISE : A couple of months ago my sister and I were talking about how bad the writing was on a sitcom that I barely watched and that her boyfriend was into so she watched along with him. We came up with the conclusion that some of the writers were just biding their time and putting up with the other writers because it was a stepping stone to something better or they just needed the money so they just made up anything to cater to a certain audience.
That's partially what American Fiction is about,the story about A novelist Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright)
who's fed up with the establishment profiting from "Black" entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that will show up anyone that publishes it.
The movie definitely reflects what many have gone weary of as of late the profit off of black pain in cinema. Black people being put into a box and the aggravation of it. As Monk states in the film books and entertainment like this say ok this is all there is of the African American experience.
I think the film does a fine job with all of the aforementioned. But I was happy that's not all this film is about. It's also about family and familial dysfunction.
Sterling K. Brown gives a good performance as Monk’s younger, reckless, and gay brother. As Lisa Tracee Ellis Ross, her screen time, is shockingly brief but she provides a heartfelt and fun performance. As Coraline, Erika Alexander Monks girlfriend is that nice loving and supportive surprise in someone's life and I think she handles the role beautifully. As his mom, Agnes (Leslie Uggams gives a quiet but believable performance as a person in decline. There are also good turns from John Ortiz as Monks agent and as Lorraine the families live in home caretaker Myra Lucretia Taylor provides a sweet performance. Th moments between the family felt genuine and real.
The message of stereotyping is strong as it plays out in dramatic and humorous ways. The question of selling out because that's what is selling is always and interesting one,which takes me back to the beginning of my review. Can someone profit from the stereotypes,and black trauma to provide for family and themselves and not feel guilty about it?

PROBLEMS: Some predictable moments.
I wish the conversation between Monk and Sintara Golden (Issa Rae), a Black author with a middle-class upbringing whose novel centers on inner city Black women because their conflicting views were interesting. Although I found some of the closing moments humorous it did have that feel of well we don't really know how to end this. Plus there was that there and back again feeling with Monk that can either be chalked up to "catering to or selling out" and not really having a voice of your own.

Scale of 1 to 10 a 7½
 
Eileen





Friendship Follies

PRAISE: Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie)is leading a sad life in which she is mentally abused by her alcoholic father,overcome by loneliness and works for a boys prison. Then a blonde bright spot enters her life a new prison psychologist Dr. Rebecca St. John (Anne Hathaway) .
Eileen's antics in the film are odd as well as her sexual fantasies but I found all of it to be interesting visually especially with the chances she takes. As Eileen Mckenzie does a great job of displaying her loneliness and longing for something more than the dreadful life that she has.
Hathaway who seemingly seems like the perfect and friendly fix can handle roles like Rebecca in her sleep by now. When the two team up I immediately started thinking about what kind of trouble they were going to get into.
There's a ton of dark humor in this film and some moments that are stomach turning especially how another character responds to rape.
When the film enters its third act I started to question everything that came before but in a good way. Have I been duped? Has a person's mind created something to act out in a way that they feel is justified?

PROBLEMS: The middle portion of the film started to drag a bit. It felt like something was missing or there wasn't enough there to connect to what happens in the final act. I'm all for ambiguous endings but as I said before it needed something more.

Scale of 1 to 10 a 7½




Night Swim



Panic Pool

PRAISE : There have been haunted mansions,caves,hotels and even sewers but what about the good old swimming pool?
Night Swim takes old folklore of enchanted waters and mixes them up with modern day horror. I thought the mixing of the two worked well in the first hour of the movie.The movie is about a former baseball player Ray Waller moving into a new house with his wife and two children. But there's something off about the pool everyone seems to enjoy.The family dynamic was pretty good.
The movie does provide several jump scares coupled with some good visuals. I enjoyed how sinister the backstory was.

PROBLEMS: The story goes down a couple of predictable paths. I questioned a couple of things the characters did because there's no way in the world a rational person would have entertained such actions. A few of the decisions the family makes were unintentionally funny.
Wouldn't a tragic story that happened in a town be well known without having to Google search it?
I started losing interest as the last twenty minutes played out,except for one good moment that happens.

Scale of 1 to 10 a 5
 
The Bricklayer






Multi Layered

PRAISE: I have to admit I thought this was going to be the usual straight to DVD or Download flick but I had a lot of fun watching this movie about Steve Vail, a seasoned ex-CIA operative, is drawn back into the shadows to confront a formidable extortionist threatening the agency's very existence.
As Vail Aaron Eckhart does a great job of displaying a disillusioned ex CIA op who now just enjoys brick laying. I think it's very cool that he did most of his own stunts for the movie. As Kate Bannon Nina Dobrev is exactly what she's supposed to be an Intel operative who's a novice to actually being part of the action. Clifton Collins Jr is really good as a rogue agent and as CIA Director O’Malley Tim Blake Nelson gives his usual I don't know if I can trust you vibe. Renny Harlin still has the goods as a director.
The action sequences are pretty good for the most part they are coupled with some pretty cool and intense kills. Some are so impressive I wondered how they pulled them off. I really enjoyed what they did with the second half of the film and how twisty,cold and sinister it was. I really enjoyed how Vail carries around his brick laying tools as if it's a superhero utility belt that often comes in handy.

PROBLEMS: There are some things so obvious in the movie that it waters down some of the suspense. There's some very clichéd moments coupled with been there done that story paths.

Scale of 1 to 10 a 7½



Breakwater





Water Logged

PRAISE: The performances from the cast including Dermot Mulroney,Darren Mann,Alyssa Goss ,Sonja Sohn and J.D Evermore uplift the movie from its basic plot in a story about
Dovey ( Mann), a young, impressionable ex-con breaking his parole to do a solid for his prison mentor.As I was drawn in trying to figure out what one character was trying to do
there's another character who definitely had me fooled and I liked how much of a chameleon the character was. I admire the movie for trying to infuse some of the classic movie twists that are in films like Double Indemnity or Black Widow.
There's almost a Hitchcockian vibe running through the movie. I was about to question the actions of one character but then I started to think about not being able to experience things for a few years and said yeah I would likely have done the same thing.

PROBLEMS: There are a couple of things that happen in the movie I couldn't get on board with because they were just to blatantly obvious. The movie never reaches the huge levels of suspense its aiming for even though it really tries.

Scale of 1 to 10 a 7
 
The Beekeper





Hard Hitting Hive

PRAISE : This is the type of action flick I will always love,even if the script isn't that great,the one liners are bad and the story about A professional assassin setting aside his peaceful honey-making activities to avenge an exploited friend's death is over the top.
Who wouldn't want to go after the cyber phishing,criminal ,and corny lames that go after the bank accounts and retirement funds of unknowing people. That part of the film definitely appealed to me as the boiler rooms in this movie filled with conceited scammers get whats coming to them as Jason Statham literally wipes the floor with them. The action is intense ,with great fist fights and kills. Praise to the cast including: Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Jeremy Irons, David Witts, Phylicia Rashad, Jemma Redgrave, and Minnie Driver who are able to maintain straight faces throughout all of the mayhem that occurs. There is a standout action sequence that literally almost made me roll out of my seat because of how wonderfully over the top it was. When Irons says his lines so casually with grimness it was a joy to my ears. The movie has that rhythm in its script that I love in movies like this. He's just a beekeeper but he's killed...uhhh how many? He was part of an elite force,hope your life insurance forms are filled out. He's not so tough send in this group.....uhhm well how about this group of killers and so on....

PROBLEMS: Does the movie hit some preposterous levels that made me shake my head ...yes. I wish the movie had maintained the level of crazy entertainment that was offered in the movies fourty two minute mark because after that it becomes the basic video game, I'm going to shoot and kill until I get to the last boss.

Scale of 1 to 10 a 7½



Lift






Lacking !!

PRAISE: In LIFT Kevin Hart sidelines his usual comedic antics for a not entirely dramatic role as criminal boss Cyrus.
His team of specialized thieves Camila (Úrsula Corberó) is the pilot, Mi-Sun (Yun Jee Kim) is the hacker, Denton (Vincent D’Onofrio) is the master of disguise, Billy Magnussen as the safecracker, Magnus,who “lift” internationally renowned goods well I can say I liked their methods and motivations. Hart plays cute with with ex lover Abby (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), an Interpol agent who recruits him to take on international criminal who funds terrorism (Jean Reno) from getting his hands on $500 million in gold. I did enjoy Harts and Raws scenes together. There are some fun moments and I did laugh a few times. Some of the action sequences are fun,some truly standout towards the end of the film. There's some charm around the edges of the movie.
I do admire Hart for trying to be the straight man for the most part in this movie.

PROBLEMS: Characters are very undeveloped and basic. The team just says a quip or a line here and there and fist bump. A photograph is supposed to explain how loving a character is. I actually felt bad for the actors in the roles they had.One action sequence is beyond ridiculous and it's not because of how it looks its where it's placed. I mean who in their right mind would set up something that could endanger everything and everyone around them.
As soon as some characters sat down to talk I immediately knew how at least three story threads would play out. The CGI was way off in several scenes. Just to generic for me.

Scale of 1 to 10 a 6
 
I.S.S




Friend or Foe

PRAISE: Giving this film a great foundation to work with and build on in a story about Tensions flaring in the near future aboard the International Space Station as a worldwide conflict breaks out on Earth was one of the great ideas the movie comes up with. The cast including Chris Messina, Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, and Tony winner John Gallagher, Jr. as the American crew, and Masha Mashkova (“For All Mankind”), Costa Ronin (“The Americans”), and Pilou Asbæk (“Game of Thrones”) as the Russian crew all do well in their roles,displaying tension,anger and frustration. Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite does so well blending tension,panic and suspense, it's not only in the characters faces but the remote setting itself with the quiet coldness of space,and the confined spaces within the space station. The film plays with the word trust that sets things off balance just enough to keep the suspense alive. With a backdrop of an ever changing Earth it adds to the films tension and suspense. There is a haunting feel to the whole film especially when things really get going.

PROBLEMS: Due to its ninety minute run time there is not much character development and this definitely would have made me feel more for the characters. I did question something that happens in the films last thirty minutes. I sat there trying to make sense of it but in the end I concluded it just didn't fit into what a character did.

Scale of 1 to 10 a 7½




The Kitchen






Societal Sins

PRAISE: Actor Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares,directorial debut The Kitchen paints a picture of a bleak dystopian future but also reflects what is happening presently in small portions around the world. The story about Izi close to escaping The Kitchen, one of London's last remaining housing estates. But when young Benji enters his life,things change. One of the best things about the story is about the bond that grows between Izi and Benji,it has its highs and lows and wavers at times. As Izi (Kane Robinson) and Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman) display plenty of raw emotion as they not only try to figure out where they stand with each other while battling and literally running from being pushed out of where they live. Another great thing is how reflective it is. I think of neighborhoods slowly fading away and are bogged down by towering condominiums and places of business and forcing the hands of those who live in the aforementioned neighborhoods as it is well displayed in a couple of the movies action sequences. Benji is pulled in different ways in the film, remain with a father figure he's not sure of or with someone going down a dangerous path who is overcome with anger. Kaluuya and Tavares do well displaying how people just want to live and do better for themselves. Even as Izi hustles at a new wave mausoleum I rooted for him because he is yearning for something better.

PROBLEMS: The pacing definitely could have been better as I felt the movie was to dwelling at times. Some portions of the movie are spelled out to a T and predictable. I think there were a couple of gaps in the story that needed to be filled especially when it came to a characters future,survival and path in life.

Scale of 1 to 10 a 7½
 
Cult Killer



Boring to Bloody

PRAISE: I have to praise the movie for having that 90s find the Killer vibe
This story about Cassie Holt (Alice Eve) an alcoholic survivor of abuse who meets private eye Mikeal Tallini (Antonio Banderas) trained by him she then takes on case of her own has a better second half. Shelley Hennig and Olwen Fouéré have the most watchable and standout performances in the movie. They both breathe much needed life into the movie.In it's second half when sinister and sadistic characters are included, nice one liners and some gore are all blended in its really a fun and insane time. Eve and Banderas have a couple of good moments but I thought they were sidelined by the aforementioned actors.

PROBLEMS: The constant flashbacks just make the dull moments in the film even more boring. I think if the movie had been structured in a different way and taken a couple of characters on a more linear path the story would have been more interesting. When you take a movie that's supposed to be a thriller and you find the right mode it's better if you stay in that mode but this movie decides to keep halting the action and insane moments to drift back to parts of the story that are sleep inducing and then some. Part of the plot of this movie has been told better in T.V shows most recently in the series Crime on Britbox.

Scale of 1 to 10 a 4½
 
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I'm late but this just showed up on Netflix. Thought it was really good. Surprised as hell about that ended. Vince Vaughn did a great job
 
Should I give Big Lebowski another shot?

Tried to watch it years ago but had bought into all the hype from white people calling it the GOAT comedy, so when I was bored 30 mins in I cut it off.

Is it worth another shot?
 
The Book of Clarence





Farce & Faith

PRAISE: TBOC is part comedy and satire. The story about Clarence living in A.D. 33 Jerusalem who looks to capitalize on the rise of Jesus Christ, by claiming to be a new Messiah sent by God, in an attempt to free himself of debt and start a life of glory for himself borrows a bit from the movies Barabbas and History of the World. The cast that was assembled for this movie is impressive LaKeith Stanfield, Omar Sy, RJ Cyler, Anna Diop, David Oyelowo, Micheal Ward, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, and Eric Kofi-Abrefa and there are good performances from the cast.
I started to quickly recall the classic sword and sandal epics the movie nicely nods to. Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) is a con man and a gambler but I'm glad they didn't make his character a coward. I thought his personal problems connected to his brother and his romance with Varinia all tied to trying to reach his goals in life were well played.
The infusion of modern day themes and terminology works here and there in the movie and it's also very funny at times.
I did appreciate the films messages about unwarranted hate and having strong faith.The dramatic moments in the film worked well for me and for the most part were actually moving.

PROBLEMS: The fact that Clarence is such a well known con man and his friends are also well known waters down a certain turning point in the movie. As the movie entered its last thirty minutes I could start to see how the movie just had to many ingredients in its pot making it boil over and what remained loses its flavor. The shift in tones became more obvious and jarring. Some things that occur in the latter part of the film should have been placed in the middle to give the movie more impact.

Side note:
Did I think the movie was blasphemous?
Not at all. There is no actual narrative from the Bible in the movie.The focus is on a man who lacks FAITH but seeks to find purpose. It's nothing that I have not seen before and done in animation,graphic novels and other satirical media.

Scale of 1 to 10 a 7½





Past Lives




Common Connections

PRAISE: I think a lot of people have been down the paths the characters in this movie go down and that's one of the reasons it's so good. The story is about Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Decades later, they are reunited. I thought the three leads were great.Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and Arthur John Magaro perfectly capture the emotions of a what could have been couple and a married couple. Director Celine Song knows how to capture the awkwardness of everything that happens in this movie. It's in the uncomfortable silences,the meet ups and a true third wheel moment. The connection of calling talking everyday but it's still not enough which leads to the long distance longing and the long distance why bother. Also well brought out is how life moves forward even though the love and care is there the realism of a person evolving and becoming a part of another country and even another person happens !!

PROBLEMS: The movie is dry and meanders here and there definitely should have better pacing

Scale of 1 to 10 an 8½
 
Rubato said:
Should I give Big Lebowski another shot?

Tried to watch it years ago but had bought into all the hype from white people calling it the GOAT comedy, so when I was bored 30 mins in I cut it off.

Is it worth another shot?
Click to expand...
I don't remember laughing much but I did like the movie
 
Argylle



Junk Pile

PRAISE: This story within a story about
author Elly Conway who writes best-selling espionage novels about a secret agent named Argylle but ends up in spy plot herself has a few good moments. I love Bryce Dallas Howard and she plays it cute as a writer suddenly thrown into a world of espionage. Sam Rockwell and Howard have some good moments together. I did laugh several times especially during one action sequence that was visually fun. I actually wanted to see more of Alfie the Cat in action. I mean if you are going to go where this movie goes why not include Alfie some more !! There was some charm around the edges of this movie.

PROBLEMS: The predictable moments outweigh any surprises. The pacing is pretty bad as characters sit around saying : Well this happened because of this ,and I did this because this happened. So many easy paychecks were written for this cast as characters vanish for long periods of time.
Once one action sequence started I kept hoping how it was done visually wouldn't happen throughout the whole movie but unfortunately it does. The climax in this film is unbelievable and not in a good way. The CGI during it is beyond awful. What happens during it I didn't find funny or charming. None of it worked for me,it was just cheesier than a six cheese grilled cheese sandwich. Some wooden acting throughout then some. The only way I think this movie will work for people if they go in looking for a live action cartoon.

Scale of 1 to 10 a 3½
 
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