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Films watched in 2020


Raylenth
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9 minutes ago, natedammit said:

I watched that years ago, for reasons*. I remember really liking it, except for the annoying ending.

 

 

* Reasons

tumblr_na2cwk2A1U1r4gya9o2_500.gifv

 

Yeah, the ending was.......curious.  They could have easily left it without what happened happening and I think it would have flowed better and you'd still have the same did it/didn't it scenario.

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The_Farewell_poster.jpg
 
THE FAREWELL (2019)
2.5/5 (No Spoilers)
This film is about a dying grandma whose family hides the truth about her condition from her and then arranges a fake wedding as an excuse to get the family together with her one last time. That's literally the full plot and ALL that happens in this film. You now don't need to see it.
 
There's a beginning and a middle. But what about an end? I won't spoil it but the ending is as flat as a pancake. You'll ask yourself, 'what was the point of all that?!' The story has this massive build-up and you're anxious to see how it resolves but then... GOTCHA! The plot literally goes nowhere fast...well in 100 mins at least.
 
The premise has potential and that's its main selling point (like any screenplay) but the film relies heavily on this premise alone to do ALL the work. The script fails to take advantage of the glaringly obvious and expandable sub-plots and rich characters to make a deeper story eg. Billi's (Awkafina) singledom. Ultimately, what you get is a VERY simple and direct story that can literally be told in just its logline. And I really mean that.
To its credit there are some nice characters but did anyone stop to wonder how, just HOW, the family roped the Japanese girlfriend to come to China to pretend to be the grandson's bride despite only dating him a couple months?! I was quite unsure what the genre was too but later read it was actually supposed to be a comedy. Don't you need humor to be a comedy? Or can it just be "light-hearted"? Its not a crap film nor is it boring, its just ruined by an anti-climatic ending that leaves you feeling "is that it?!" and a frustrating lack of a return of investment. I actually felt duped.
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Bad Boys For Life- Let me start this by saying that I haven't seen either of the other Bad Boys films. That being said, I did really enjoy this one. 

This movie's biggest strength is the chemistry between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. They are both a joy to watch, and I liked their characters. Lawrence especially got a nice arc. This film was surprisingly funny, and the action sequences were well shot. 

There were moments of violence in this film that I wasn't expecting, which helped add some tension, but overall I wasn't interested in the villains. The film tries to add a twist which should make them more compelling, but I still found myself uninterested in them. There were multiple dramatic moments which I don't feel landed with the intended weight, but this may be down to the fact that I haven't followed this story or these characters before. 

The supporting characters are a mixed bag. Joe Pantoliano was the stand out in my eyes, I loved his character. Unfortunately, everyone else was serviceable, but no one stood out. 

Overall, I had a good time with this one. The leads had great chemistry, and the action was exciting. The directing was solid, the film looked great, and it was well paced. It is sadly weakened by flat supporting characters and weak villains. I went into this film expecting a fun action movie, and that's exactly what I got, so I left the theatre happy.

Overall- 7/10. 

 

Edited by The Friendly Dalek
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Endings are a funny thing. I haven't seen The Farewell (but I want to), and I can't exactly remember the end of Martha Marcy etc (except that it was ambiguous), but I've just watched a film that didn't have a conclusive ending but it was perfect. It broke my tiny heart.

'Shoplifters' - a film about an unconventional family. I can't recommend this highly enough. I've seen three of Hirokazu Kore-eda's in the last couple of years and I've loved them all. According to the BFI: "His films are intimate domestic dramas, languid in pace and muted in overt sentiment, but rich in quotidian detail and imbued with unexpectedly deep emotional resonance." I couldn't have put it better myself.

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Green Butchers.  A macabre film where a lot of people die for ultimately no reason.  Mads has played a few characters now who have less than a complete grip on reality and he does it so well each time.  The character he plays in Green is ultimately very similar to the one he plays in Men and Chicken but given both films are written and directed by the same person it's not really surprising, but they are both amusing to watch and I'd definitely say people should watch it, especially if you want to see him with a silly short tie and receding hairline

Image result for mads mikkelsen green butchers

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Hellboy (2019).  I had no issue with David Harbour in the role, I thought he made a reasonable Hellboy, the rest of the film though was very 'meh' for me.  I cared nothing for most of the characters.  A forgettable film that didn't add much at all to the franchise.

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Paddington 2.  I don't think this film portrays the British legal and penal system very accurately at all.  It's very misrepresentative.

The worst thing about this film though, hands down is Peter Capaldi.  He's terrible and totally ruined it, he'll never get any more work in TV.

 

Lol, nahh, it's OK, it's a kids film so I wasn't expecting a huge amount from it.  Mildly amusing and a nice inoffensive film.

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3 hours ago, Raylenth said:

Paddington 2.  I don't think this film portrays the British legal and penal system very accurately at all.  It's very misrepresentative.

The worst thing about this film though, hands down is Peter Capaldi.  He's terrible and totally ruined it, he'll never get any more work in TV.

 

Lol, nahh, it's OK, it's a kids film so I wasn't expecting a huge amount from it.  Mildly amusing and a nice inoffensive film.

LOVE this film!

images

:whistling:

Edited by Peter Capaldi Fan
Typo
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Having also recently watched Paddington 2, please allow me to settle this fierce dispute.

Roy is WRONG.

Paddington 2 is not a 'kid's film' it is a 'family film'. There is a big difference. It's also an excellent one - much better than "mildly amusing". It's not quite as good as the first one, but still a very fine effort.

However.

Roy is RIGHT.

Peter Capaldi is the worst thing about the film. 

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3 hours ago, natedammit said:

Having also recently watched Paddington 2, please allow me to settle this fierce dispute.

Roy is WRONG.

Paddington 2 is not a 'kid's film' it is a 'family film'. There is a big difference. It's also an excellent one - much better than "mildly amusing". It's not quite as good as the first one, but still a very fine effort.

However.

Roy is RIGHT.

Peter Capaldi is the worst thing about the film. 

Image result for chameleon from tangled gif

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Speaking of Peter Capaldi......

The Personal History of David Copperfield  - This film is as far removed from Iannucci's sweary political satires as it's possible to be. For me this film has everything. Peter Capaldi. An excellent production. It's fast paced, the whole book adapted into 2 hours but it doesn't feel rushed. Lots of laughs. Stellar performances from all the main cast (including Peter Capaldi). It's a real feel good film for the middle of winter. One I could happily watch again. 

Overall 10/10

 

........ And did I mention Peter Capaldi is in it? :D

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The Grudge (3) was alright. It certainly wasn't as good as the first (or even the second) but it was passable. It some creepy moments and quite good effects. Not the worst horror I've seen but also not one of the best.

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