tonyGreen

I was entranced for the entire runtime. Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo anchor the narrative as fully developed characters with great performances. The alternate universe they occupy is insane, visceral, disturbing and totally coherent within itself.

A more conventional film in terms of pacing compared to Part One. Lots of action and plot development. Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha is fantastic, menacing, terrifying and just so very creepy.

Just don't know what to to make of this film. The performances are all really good, and if you can handle the cringey sitautions, it is engaging. A few bits made me laugh and some real deep pathos in the mix too. Theatre of the absurd is perhaps my best cheap analysis. The layers of irony are too deepy nested to unpack. Not terrible, maybe genius, I don't know, I am just mostly confused.

Funny, sad, charming. Very beautiful settings and cinematography. Great performances from all the cast. Would watch again.

An enjoyable ride. The anti-hero Mr D-Fens (Michael Douglas) has a few genuinely sharp funny lines. The film rides the line between satire and and melodrama, ending up in just a thriller. Robert Duvall is, of course, ever excellent.

This is just excellent. The iconic original is the base material, and not disrespected. But this is an even better film, very high action, lots of gore, and very well made. I loved the attention to detail with the bushcraft / survivalist aspects, which is also key to the plot. Really enjoyed this one.

Pretty weak overall. The comedic core is between Ted Knight's club president and Rodney Dangerfield's anarchic adversary. The rest is wasted, and its a shame.

Sombre, thought provoking, and emotional. Wonderful performances from all the cast. Scenes between Abraham and Mary were particularly moving, and seemed very emotionally authentic. The political machinations are what keep the pulse of this film, and the length never seemed to be a problem for me.

A small scale melodrama that has some beautiful cinematography. If you know East Anglia then you will recognise it was shot on location. A deep and sad film, with heart.

Incredibly romantic and smart. A distillation of the spirit of being young and negotiating the future, and the heartache of that process. Also Vienna, a beautiful city.

The plot and cast of characters is a almost a beat-for-beat remake of the first film in parts. There is completely superfluous romance, unlike in the first film where it was a key plot point. This film definitely caters to in a large part to the audience of the 1985 film 'Top Gun'. The score reuses a lot of the original film's score, definitely a lot of nostalgia smuggled in. Some of this comes across as slightly ludicrous. For example Iceman, sorry *Hangman*, is a big fan of Foghat and their 1975 hit "Slow Ride". But the film stands out for it's great aerial action sequences, they really are spectacular, and the conflict and pressure around those really lifts the sense of peril for the characters. The (unidentified) foreign nuclear program is destroyed, American Exceptionlism triumphs against the odds, A shining city on the hill etc. Good fun, especially the second reel.

A wonderful film for children and adults alike. Certainly a lot darker than a Disney film, so parental guidance advised. Beautiful animation, great voice acting, and made with much care and sensitivity. The pace is near perfect, an engaging yarn with a satisfying conclusion, and bittersweet denouement.

At face value this is a mass-appeal 1990s popcorn comedy-drama flick. And it is that to be sure. The comedy is more character driven than gag based, and for me the middle section was a bit flat in terms of laughs. However there are so many well done parts that add up to the whole. There is a great funny and moving court scene drama. The peril that the accused New Yorkers are in feels real and urgent throughout. Some of the comedy weaves directly into the plot (the alternate lwayer) so there is an eventual comedic payoff, but it also very cleverly becomes a plot point. For a "dumb" comedy it is all very artfully done. A lot of little things warm my heart to this movie. Much of the comedy derives from a clash of cultures shtick that plays on broad stereotypes but knows when to draw back and subvert expectations. There are also some really subtle jokes like Mona's (Marisa Tomei) constant wardrobe changes - she has a new dazzling outfit every day it seems. Overall there is a little bit of x-factor magic in the execution that raises it above so many other movies with this sort of fish-out-of-water premise. Recommended as a light but engaging fun movie.

Just about perfect. I don't usually like this kind of family friendly fare. A re-imagining of a dated classic, from another format? Sure to be a horrible mess. But no. This film is relevant (dare I say timeless), sure to hit you in the funny bone and also tickle the ol'tear ducts. Entertainment for young and old, and those in between as well.

A brave and unique film, albeit based on some pretty dubious / conjectural anthropology (Desmond Morris). If you can commit to see it through, it's actually a pretty solid story. I don't know if we can consider 'consent' as a concept understood by proto-humans. I would like to think the concept existed, if not as a word. So yeah, this film contains depictions of sexual violence.

Great cast, score, visual style and humour. A classic hilarious and bittersweet entry in Wes Anderson's body of work.

Delivers on its promise: fun, frothy, sexy, timely satire, and with some great comedic moments. Never really sags despite its long runtime. The plot weaves and wanders, backtracks and then plows on. The mystery is a happy medium lying between noir bafflement and over-simplicity. Great performances, Daniel Craig does well but for me Edward Norton stands out with a perfectly nuanced comedic performance.

The story veers into a long legal procedural taking up most of the film. It's not badly done, just a bit unoriginal. There is precious little sci-fi content. The abduction scenes are very well executed and terrifying. Overall it kinda works.

Lightweight but good fun. Richard Grant and Julian Sands give good performances. Elements of the movie have not aged well, from cheap effects to stereotyped minor characters.

A stylish noir-ish crime drama. Great performances from all the cast but especially Fishburne who has real glower power. The material is pretty dark, set in the LA drug world, against a backdrop of a Iran-Contra style geopolitical scandal. Some of the camera work and use of lighting is really very inventive and suits the tone of the scenes nicely. A feast for the eyes.

Solidly entertaining. Tonally a lot closer to the original films. It's reasonably witty, a little bit spooky and has a satisfying and emotional ending. Lightweight but good family viewing

I didn't *get* it, but I sure did enjoy it. Nick Cage, Laura Dern, and in particular Willem Dafoe captivate with over the top performances. The Wizard of Oz "framing" really didn't make any sense to me. However I can't put it down, it's a wild ride and thoroughly entertaining. The direction, score, imagery and stylistic choices work 'natch.

A solid comedy-drama that nicely balances gravity with levity. As a road movie it meanders though depression-era rural America with a yarn like plot within a main story arc. Serves as a nice companion piece to The Coens' "O Brother, where art thou". Great performances and always feels authentic to the 1930s.

Camp, kooky, and unique. A genuine black comedy mixed with moments of shock and horror. Great locations, direction and cast. Phallic symbolism anyone?

Well made and a lot of fun. The special effects and use of changing aspect ratios is particularly well done. Good performances. A little melodramatic in parts. Recommended.

A great thriller / chiller / horror that stands the test of time. Great cast and location, Mia Farrow gives a great nuanced performance.

Apart from a few slightly under-lit scenes, this is visually stunning and at times on a par visually with Kubrick's Barrie Lyndon. The plot is a simple and enjoyable yarn. There is some great subtlety in some of Keith Carradine's acting, especially where D'Hubert's loyalties to Bonaparte or to the King are questioned. Harvey Keitel is well cast and brings his trademark intensity,

This movie is a charming, fun and nostalgic companion piece to Dazed and Confused. Great music, solid comic acting and total immersion into a time and a place. A nice easy watch.

A decent thriller, nicely shot. Has a few twists and turns, uses the concept well.

Could have done better with the concept. Lena Heady does a good job with her her role.

Unique and dizzying, like a fever dream. The plot is fairly straightforward, but the atmosphere and visual style make for a special experience. Although that may depend on how receptive the viewer is. The film moves slowly, and I imagine could be boring for an audience not in the right mood.

A solid first third, a slow saggy second, and magnificent third reel. The cross-dressing comedy is a bit meh in the 21st century but the satire and heart is still relevant. Tony Curtis' comedy chops are great. Jack Lemmon hams it up as the role demands. Marilyn Monroe as "Sugar" is perfectly cast, and is a very likeable character.

For P.T.Anderson this is a relatively small, low-key film in comparison to some of his previous films, and a welcome return to comedy after several more serious psychological dramas. The casting is perfect, and the film is a totally immersive return to the San Fernando Valley, this time in the early 1970s amongst the start of the oil crisis. Not a demanding watch, but satisfying all the same.

As a fan of the books this feels like a really faithful adaptation. For the general audience the exposition is kept to a minimal - just enough to fill in the gaps. Loved the casting, acting, the sets, and the pacing. I particularly liked Bautista as Rabat Harkonnen "The Beast".

Quirky, bittersweet, and full of wry humor, Garden State is an engaging small drama. Some lovely composed shots and nice touches. Braff and Portman give great performances.

A riveting watch. There is clear cold detachment in the direction, which makes the film all the stronger. Despite being a simple and well known series of historical events, the inevitable end of the death-cult and its perverse ideology is still fascinating to watch.

It's sweet and soppy but done in a restrained way. There is enough unpredictability to maintain engagement. It's also very visually pretty.

Pretty good fun. A reminder that democracy requires vigilance, and vigilance requires not being lazy.

A surprisingly lighthearted tale overall, given the subject material - more of a yarn than a polemic. It is not at all disrespectful to victims - but has a surreal detached feeling. The protagonist's young age and the dizzying succession of moral quandaries sets it up as a cosmic farce. The film overall is let down by some technical sloppiness including a lot of dialogue added in post-production. Perhaps too big of a movie for it's budget. There are however many strong scenes, especially some of the battle scenes, and in the Łódź ghetto. Based on the incredible real wartime experiences of Solomon Perel, who as of 2021 is still alive at the age of 96.

A film that must surely be recognised as classic in years to come. Excellent action sequences. Perfect pacing, for all 2 1/2+ hours. Witty and Bold. Bravely and artfully breaks free from the franchise's old baggage, but respectful to its history. Thematically rich and really, genuinely packs an emotional punch. In its own right, it's a helluva good film. If this is the last good Bond film, it's a great last entry.

Just doesn't quite do enough with the source material. I appreciate the accuracy, but for me just too much earth bound melodrama, the actual moonshot seemed rushed.

Terrifying, yes. Annoying also. Really not enough character development to make me care about their individual fates. Almost an anti-feminist polemic here. I know it's a classic horror trope, but six (five not counting Juno) scream queens is a bit much. Set up as six strong female characters, it takes no time for them to become **** hysterical, and stupid (so stupid) ... victims. I guess that's the point? Passes the Bechdel test with flying colors, and yet totally fails at providing any realistic feeling female characters. Big themes to tick off: Death, Grief, Friendship / Frenemies, Patriarchy, and Menstrual Blood. Literal pools of blood.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

The tone and style is very stark and realistic, and the dialogue sparse but powerful. It has some real emotional weight and a great portrayal of the central father daughter relationship. Solid.

Well made insight into a group that have great courage, and an agenda a little more nuanced than mere provocation.

A teen comedy drama with a mostly likeable ensemble cast. A great soundtrack of lesser-known indie bands of the era. Good fun and easy to let wash over you.

Attractive and well made, Border really draws you in. Refreshingly, the film does not talk down to the audience but keeps engagement by hinting and nudging towards a series of conclusions. The ending however is a little disappointing and a bit distasteful.

This highly entertaining film covers a lot of bases. It has great music, a compelling story (based on real events) and real heart. Recommended.

All style, no substance. If you can handle the violence, it's pretty good fun with a great climactic ending.

Low key and low budget, but a real charmer. A very personal tale of relationships that dances around poetry, class and politics. Great acting and a beautiful setting.