It looks like the first thread has run it's course and I have a movie to rate so here it is.

I did not like the trailer of this so I waited to see it when I could stream it from home. For the first half of the movie, it unfortunately was much like the trailer in that I just couldn't relate to the campy Hitler as an imaginary friend theme. I even fell lightly asleep for a few minutes! When I woke up, I got more engaged with the story of the boy and his family's Jewish hideaway. The movie never completely worked for me, but it deserves credit for it's ambitiousness and originality. It could have easily been a complete bomb but it wasn't. 2.5 stars of 5.

gandorb said:

It looks like the first thread has run it's course and I have a movie to rate so here it is.

I did not like the trailer of this so I waited to see it when I could stream it from home. For the first half of the movie, it unfortunately was much like the trailer in that I just couldn't relate to the campy Hitler as an imaginary friend theme. I even fell lightly asleep for a few minutes! When I woke up, I got more engaged with the story of the boy and his family's Jewish hideaway. The movie never completely worked for me, but it deserves credit for it's ambitiousness and originality. It could have easily been a complete bomb but it wasn't. 2.5 stars of 5.

We are diametrically opposed here. I was very intrigued by the trailer and went out and saw Jojo Rabbit opening weekend. I LOVED THIS MOVIE. I am a big Waititi fan and thought his script was the perfect mix of satire, humor and social commentary. I laughed loudly and was moved to tears during the more touching moments, For me, it's always about the screenplay, and if it is well written and well executed by the actors and the director, something clicks and at the end I get a deep sense of satisfaction. The "campy" Hitler was Hitler as seen (and comprehended) through a 10 year old boy's eyes.

Although I saw all the nominated films, Jojo Rabbit was my favorite of the year. It was my cup of tea. I give it 4/5 stars

DiminutiveRocker said:

gandorb said:

It looks like the first thread has run it's course and I have a movie to rate so here it is.

I did not like the trailer of this so I waited to see it when I could stream it from home. For the first half of the movie, it unfortunately was much like the trailer in that I just couldn't relate to the campy Hitler as an imaginary friend theme. I even fell lightly asleep for a few minutes! When I woke up, I got more engaged with the story of the boy and his family's Jewish hideaway. The movie never completely worked for me, but it deserves credit for it's ambitiousness and originality. It could have easily been a complete bomb but it wasn't. 2.5 stars of 5.

We are diametrically opposed here. I was very intrigued by the trailer and went out and saw Jojo Rabbit opening weekend. I LOVED THIS MOVIE. I am a big Waititi fan and thought his script was the perfect mix of satire, humor and social commentary. I laughed loudly and was moved to tears during the more touching moments, For me, it's always about the screenplay, and if it is well written and well executed by the actors and the director, something clicks and at the end I get a deep sense of satisfaction. The "campy" Hitler was Hitler as seen (and comprehended) through a 10 year old boy's eyes.

Although I saw all the nominated films, Jojo Rabbit was my favorite of the year. It was my cup of tea. I give it 4/5 stars

A friend of mine saw all the nominees and loved Jojo Rabbit the most too, which is why I gave it a chance. I am glad when creative movies like this find a following even if I am not into it that much. I fear that almost all theatrical movies will be based on comic books and/or sequels if original movies aren't making money, which many don't.

This weekend I finally saw:

I didn't like it and had a hard time staying awake.
I thought it was useless movie with bad acting by almost everyone except Ana de Armas. Obviously this wasn';t a 'Whodunnit' movie but a 'Whydunnit' which made it an uninteresting and boring watch. Too bad I hoped Rian Johnson would have done another classic but to me this is his first bad movie. out of 5

---

Also saw:




And like all other Taika Waititi movies I didn't think it was funny and he was again trying too hard to be funny and fail.
The last half of the movie was decent but like with Knives Out it was just a boring movie overall.
out of 5

I don;t get the hype these 2 movies got when they were released.

The Assistant (2020)

Julia Garner carries the weight of the film well, as an overqualified, overworked, underpaid personal assistant at a production company. It's a dreary tale of ambition and disparity. Matthew McFayden is also great in a small role as in house counsel. Not as gripping as I would have liked but worth a Sunday matinee. For the performances, I'd give it . . .

J'ai perdu mon corps / I Lost My Body (2019) - A story of Naoufel, a young man who is in love with Gabrielle. In another part of town, a severed hand escapes from a dissection lab, determined to find its body again.

This French film was nominated for an Academy Award this year. The animation style is very good and the dark subject matter is thought-provoking, however, I questioned the basic premise. 3.5/5

sexton said:

J'ai perdu mon corps / I Lost My Body (2019) - A story of Naoufel, a young man who is in love with Gabrielle. In another part of town, a severed hand escapes from a dissection lab, determined to find its body again.

This French film was nominated for an Academy Award this year. The animation style is very good and the dark subject matter is thought-provoking, however, I questioned the basic premise. 3.5/5

I didn't like it that much really, a little bit uninteresting.

Corpus Christi (2019) - Daniel experiences a spiritual transformation in a detention center. Although his criminal record prevents him from applying to the seminary, he has no intention of giving up his dream and decides to minister a small-town parish.

No way did this have any chance of winning an Oscar competing against Parasite, but it's a great, well-acted film--inspired by true events apparently. 4/5

Rebecca (1940) - A self-conscious woman juggles adjusting to her new role as an aristocrat's wife and avoiding being intimidated by his first wife's spectral presence.

I couldn't help but view this 1941 Oscar-winner through a 2020 lens so that hampered my enjoyment a bit. It was filmed very well though with Hitchcock's signature creepy vibe. 3.5/5

Return To Paradise (1998)

Imagine the following scenario: You and two friends go to Malaysia, you're having fun, the time of your life. You're all young and naive. You three buy a brick of hash for some extra fun. A couple days go by and only two of you travel back home. The other one stays a little longer. Two years pass and all of a sudden a lawyer tells you this: Your friend who stayed in Malaysia is currently in jail, sentenced to death by hanging because of the hashish you three bought two years ago. The only way to save his life is you travel back and spent three years in prison. After all, it's your hash too. Would you do it?

When I bought this movie on Prime yesterday, I expected it to be a feel good movie. After all, it's called Return to Paradise. Yeah, who wouldn't travel back to a fun place? You've nothing but great memories associated with it, go for it. But the good mood turned dark real quick. It turned out to be one of the darkest movies I've ever seen, it's right up there with Schindler's list, The Green Mile and the boy in the striped Pajama.

I was surprised by Vincent Vaughn's acting, I've probably seen one movie with him and that was a comedy. But Joaquin Phoenix blew him out of the water, you don't see him much, but he stole the last 40 Minutes of the movie. His acting felt so real that it was almost too painful to watch. I feel like this is his best performance to date. And I've seen The Master. Anne Heche was really close to his perfomance.

4,7/5

sexton said:

Rebecca (1940) - A self-conscious woman juggles adjusting to her new role as an aristocrat's wife and avoiding being intimidated by his first wife's spectral presence.

I couldn't help but view this 1941 Oscar-winner through a 2020 lens so that hampered my enjoyment a bit. It was filmed very well though with Hitchcock's signature creepy vibe. 3.5/5

Side note rumor: Olivier wanted then wife Vivien Leigh to olay this role so his resentment of Joan Fontaine in the role was not such a stretch

Unable to sleep recently, I woke up and found this on:

Plot: Kostner was fine in the role of a hot-headed teacher/coach who starts a high school cross country team in a town comprised mostly of migrant farm workers in Central Cal. True story.

3.75 / 5

Kostner has gotten better with age and chooses more interesting roles post his leadng man era. This film ranks up there with Breaking Away and most especially Stand and Deliver - feel good true stories about underdogs who make good despite the odds against them.

[Edited 3/9/20 14:07pm]

THE WAY BACK

.

Excellent. Very engrossing. Not the formulaic "uplifting sports drama" that I expected.

Emma. (2020) - In 1800s England, a well meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.

I haven't read the book or seen any of the previous adaptations (including Clueless). If you can keep track of all the characters, it's very satisfying--and funny. I also found the pastel palette quite comforting--a great film to watch in bed on a rainy day. 4/5

sexton said:

Emma. (2020) - In 1800s England, a well meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.

I haven't read the book or seen any of the previous adaptations (including Clueless). If you can keep track of all the characters, it's very satisfying--and funny. I also found the pastel palette quite comforting--a great film to watch in bed on a rainy day. 4/5

Oh, I want to see this! I hear it is much snarkier than the other versions, should be fun!

Invisible Man ........nothing like the remake with Kevin Bacon....original 4/5 stars

Spellbound (1945) - A psychiatrist protects the identity of an amnesia patient accused of murder while attempting to recover his memory.

I liked this more than Hitchcock's Rebecca which I also watched recently--most likely due to being swept up in the star power of Ingrid Bergman. 4/5

La religieuse / The Nun (1966) - Suzanne is forced against her will to take vows as a nun and three mothers superior treat her in radically different ways. Suzanne's virtue brings disaster to everyone in this faithful adaptation of a bitter attack on religious abuses.

I love Anna Karina, but I thought this movie dragged. Saucy convent films are usually my thing. Maybe I was just too tired at the time to put up with it. 2.5/5

Breakthrough (2019) - When her 14-year-old son drowns in a lake, a faithful mother prays for him to come back from the brink of death and be healed.

There wasn't anything really bad about this movie, but nothing particularly remarkable either. It felt like a Sunday morning Hallmark or Lifetime channel film. 2.5/5

DiminutiveRocker said:

sexton said:

Emma. (2020) - In 1800s England, a well meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.

I haven't read the book or seen any of the previous adaptations (including Clueless). If you can keep track of all the characters, it's very satisfying--and funny. I also found the pastel palette quite comforting--a great film to watch in bed on a rainy day. 4/5

Oh, I want to see this! I hear it is much snarkier than the other versions, should be fun!

If you didn't get a chance to see it in theaters before they closed because of the pandemic, it will be moving to on-demand early: https://variety.com/2020/...203535541/

sexton said:

DiminutiveRocker said:

Oh, I want to see this! I hear it is much snarkier than the other versions, should be fun!

If you didn't get a chance to see it in theaters before they closed because of the pandemic, it will be moving to on-demand early: https://variety.com/2020/...203535541/

Thanks for this! Yeah, I was planing on gong this last weekend but as circumstances would have it...

Since we are practicing socially distancing ourselves,

I am tempted to stream Rise Of Skywalker now that it's available on most platforms

.

It's gotten terrible reviews, and I am not fan of the director JJ Abrams. Is it worth the $20 bucks to buy and watch?

v10letblues said:

Since we are practicing socially distancing ourselves,

I am tempted to stream Rise Of Skywalker now that it's available on most platforms

.

It's gotten terrible reviews, and I am not fan of the director JJ Abrams. Is it worth the $20 bucks to buy and watch?

if you are not a fan of the director and think it's rubbish from the point of reviews, then just pirate the slab and make up your own mind afterwards to dish out the 20!

v10letblues said:

v10letblues said:

Since we are practicing socially distancing ourselves,

I am tempted to stream Rise Of Skywalker now that it's available on most platforms

.

It's gotten terrible reviews, and I am not fan of the director JJ Abrams. Is it worth the $20 bucks to buy and watch?

Just watch with the idea that it's just some non-canon fan-fiction.
Instead of building (whatever you may think of the movie aside) on The Last Jedi he just retconned everything and despite Disney's attempt to pretend and label the 9 movies The Skywalker Saga evrybody knows it's The Palpatine Saga and completely hopeless and joyless.

[Edited 3/18/20 5:03am]

JorisE73 said:

v10letblues said:

Since we are practicing socially distancing ourselves,

I am tempted to stream Rise Of Skywalker now that it's available on most platforms

.

It's gotten terrible reviews, and I am not fan of the director JJ Abrams. Is it worth the $20 bucks to buy and watch?

Just watch with the idea that it's just some non-canon fan-fiction.
Instead of building (whatever you may think of the movie aside) on The Last Jedi he just retconned everything and despite Disney's attempt to pretend and label the 9 movies The Skywalker Saga evrybody knows it's The Palpatine Saga and completely hopeless and joyless.

[Edited 3/18/20 5:03am]

I've been circling around it because I wanted to see something mindless. Especially since I do love Star Wars, but a part of me feels gross just thinking about it,

.

I still haven't seen a lot of other movies because I was really busy the last few months, and the ones i want to see are too serious. Parasite and 1917 for example. I hear Jojo Rabbit is funny but Nazis and anti semitism still sounds like a downer right now.

.

Ugh, who am I kidding, I know I will end up watching it just to finish watching the saga. I mean I saw Solo. Can't be any worse can it?

v10letblues said:

JorisE73 said:

Just watch with the idea that it's just some non-canon fan-fiction.
Instead of building (whatever you may think of the movie aside) on The Last Jedi he just retconned everything and despite Disney's attempt to pretend and label the 9 movies The Skywalker Saga evrybody knows it's The Palpatine Saga and completely hopeless and joyless.

[Edited 3/18/20 5:03am]

I've been circling around it because I wanted to see something mindless. Especially since I do love Star Wars, but a part of me feels gross just thinking about it,

.

I still haven't seen a lot of other movies because I was really busy the last few months, and the ones i want to see are too serious. Parasite and 1917 for example. I hear Jojo Rabbit is funny but Nazis and anti semitism still sounds like a downer right now.

.

Ugh, who am I kidding, I know I will end up watching it just to finish watching the saga. I mean I saw Solo. Can't be any worse can it?

it's actually alot like Solo. Like that movie TROS also crams way to many unneeded answers into 1 movie, that was in my opinion the problem with Solo every little thing known about the charcter 'Han Solo' is explained and is because of just 1 adventure instead of a complete serie.
TROS is like JJ Abrams version of Episode 8 and 9 into 1 movie.
I'll just stick with teh non special editions of Episode IV, V and VI the rest isn't for me.

JorisE73 said:

v10letblues said:

I've been circling around it because I wanted to see something mindless. Especially since I do love Star Wars, but a part of me feels gross just thinking about it,

.

I still haven't seen a lot of other movies because I was really busy the last few months, and the ones i want to see are too serious. Parasite and 1917 for example. I hear Jojo Rabbit is funny but Nazis and anti semitism still sounds like a downer right now.

.

Ugh, who am I kidding, I know I will end up watching it just to finish watching the saga. I mean I saw Solo. Can't be any worse can it?

it's actually alot like Solo. Like that movie TROS also crams way to many unneeded answers into 1 movie, that was in my opinion the problem with Solo every little thing known about the charcter 'Han Solo' is explained and is because of just 1 adventure instead of a complete serie.
TROS is like JJ Abrams version of Episode 8 and 9 into 1 movie.
I'll just stick with teh non special editions of Episode IV, V and VI the rest isn't for me.

Other than an animated movie I recently saw, Solo is the only other movie I've ever fallen asleep watching.

Then when it was streaming on Netflix, I couldn't get past the first few minutes.
I mean it's just as a "movie" it's pretty lame. The gloss of Star Wars couldn't save it for me.
.

But I know tend to be very critical. Overly critical.

Parasite. (of 5),

Yes, I rated it here before when I saw it the first time, but I thought perhaps I wouldn't like it as much the second go around given all the surprise twists would be expected. Surprisingly, I liked it better the second time as knowing how it ended somehow enriched what led up to the ending. It was also fun seeing it with some newbies and watch their reactions. Finally, a best picture Oscar winning movie that deserved it.

I was hoping to like it better than I did, as the word of mouth and the reviews were both so positive. Not bad and it grew on me, but I am glad I waited to stream it rather than see it in a theatre.

of 5.