[GCW]

Watched the Awakening at the weekend.  Good and suspenseful and promising, then a twist that I felt was a little far fetched to hold the whole thing together.  an OK watch, but could have been a lot more.

Just bought SnowTown, but not watched it yet.  Wanted to see it at the flicks but it wasn't really on for long here.

[Muenchener]

We watched Midnight in Paris last night and really enjoyed it.

I watched it a few weeks back with mixed expectations but absolutely loved it.

Watched it with Frau M last night. She enjoyed it. I found the single continuously repeated name drop/double take joke rather irritating and juvenile after the first half dozen repetitions. Times & perceptions change: I suppose one could say similar things about The Sleeper, which I absolutely loved in my (and Woody's) dim & distant youth.

It did make Paris look pretty, I suppose. My previous recollections of Paris basically consist of battling through crowds of pickpockets and muggers in the Metro en route to & from 'bleau (as it was called in my pre-car days) so I never really got the whole romantic bit.

And those twenties cars really do have do be the coolest-looking machinery ever built.

[slackline]

Already mentioned in the music thread, but the Chemical Brothers "Don't Think" is well worth a watch...

[Paul B]

After watching the Group B documentary the other day, and with a reminder from "The Spherical Cow", I watched TT: Closer to the edge last night and was duly impressed.

Some of the high speed, slow-motion footage is absolutely amazing to watch and the acceptance of (high) risk by the competitors is totally mind-boggling.

[moose]

A few recent DVD viewings   

Win Win - a low key, shambling comedy-drama that combines the plotlines of legal, wrestling, and curmugdeon-finds-purpose--looking-after-moppet films.  Pleasant enough and worth a look for anyone stuck for options who enjoys the likes of Sideways.

Hugo - I enjoyed this more than I expected: it trod the right side of the mawkish/feel-good divide and exuded a love of its craft.  A true family film in that its charms should appeal to all ages; rather than the usual juvenile tat with a few jarring adult jokes thrown in.  Still, I can't help but selfishly regret that Scorsese devoted so much of himself to a mash-up of Oliver Twist and Amelia: get back to the gangsters NOW! 

Take Shelter - Man has visions of impending meteological apocalypse: is he a prophet or having a breakdown.  A worthy effort that's played dead straight.  For me though, it lacked a little something -  I never really invested in the characters .

Snowtown - Aussie crime drama where a teenage kid gets drawn into the orbit of a disturbingly commonplace serial killer.   This has had great reviews but I was left a little non-plussed.  For some reason it didn't grab me.  It was just a little too low key, uncinematic and "domestic". Realism is all very well but if I wanted to watch uncharismatic people being unpleasant I'd hang around a town-centre after last-orders.  Animal Factory was a far better film in the same mileu.

My Week With Marilyn - Pleasant fluff, well acted by a cast who look like they're enjoying themselves.  Very pleasant if you're feeling benign.... probably best avoided if feeling embittered as it could be construed as an unbearably smug luvie-fest
 
Rum Diary, The - Hugely disappointing.  Not having read the book, I was hoping for a Fear and Loathing style orgy of Depp-ian dissipation.  Instead, its few promisingly unhinged aspects were used to garnish a dull story about hotel development. I wanted ether-snorting, adrenocrome-fuelled fun.  Instead, I got a worthy exposition on inequality (it's bad, who knew!) and the ecological burden of tourism... just with a few cocktails thrown in.

[mark s]

After watching the Group B documentary the other day, and with a reminder from "The Spherical Cow", I watched TT: Closer to the edge last night and was duly impressed.

Some of the high speed, slow-motion footage is absolutely amazing to watch and the acceptance of (high) risk by the competitors is totally mind-boggling.

just had the father in law around.we lent the tt film to him last week.
said he knows guys dad and the engineer who does all the engines.it was 75/76 when he raced there.
was on about a time joey dunlop came to cadwell park and he beat him in both races,he did say he knew cadwell park well and it was in the wet though.

[Yossarian]

Snowtown - Aussie crime drama where a teenage kid gets drawn into the orbit of a disturbingly commonplace serial killer.   This has had great reviews but I was left a little non-plussed.  For some reason it didn't grab me.  It was just a little too low key, uncinematic and "domestic". Realism is all very well but if I wanted to watch uncharismatic people being unpleasant I'd hang around a town-centre after last-orders.  Animal Factory was a far better film in the same mileu.

I agree - had heard great things, but found it bordering on nihilistic boring/awful/miserable, etc. 

I wish Australian cinema would move on from domestic serial killer cinema and start making films about nice, happy stuff, like artisan cheese maker / surfer buddy movies, things with space ships, amusing fly-on-the-wall at a Perth-based rental car firm, etc...

[tomtom]

I loved the oyster farmer (if we're talking about Oz cinema..). Really good and funny film..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster_Farmer

And 'one for the pool room' has to be 'the castle'. Nearly pissed myself

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Castle_(film)

[Jaspersharpe]

Snowtown - Aussie crime drama where a teenage kid gets drawn into the orbit of a disturbingly commonplace serial killer.   This has had great reviews but I was left a little non-plussed.  For some reason it didn't grab me.  It was just a little too low key, uncinematic and "domestic". Realism is all very well but if I wanted to watch uncharismatic people being unpleasant I'd hang around a town-centre after last-orders.  Animal Factory was a far better film in the same mileu.

I agree - had heard great things, but found it bordering on nihilistic boring/awful/miserable, etc. 

I wish Australian cinema would move on from domestic serial killer cinema and start making films about nice, happy stuff, like artisan cheese maker / surfer buddy movies, things with space ships, amusing fly-on-the-wall at a Perth-based rental car firm, etc...

Interesting. I considered this a few weeks ago and decided it sounded that bit too grim. Sounds like a good decision. Did you mean Animal Kingdom btw Moose? That's a brilliant film (as mentioned several times on the thread).

[moose]

Aye, I meant "Animal Kingdom".  Great film.  Though no discussion of Aussie cinema is complete without Razorback: beautiful, disturbing, horrifying and about a giant pig.  One of the few quality works of art that makes you crave a bacon sandwich!

[SA Chris]

The first film I recommended in this thread is one of the better Aussie films I've seen.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382806/

Shame Tim Winton's Novels haven't made it onto the big screen. I think Breath and Dirt Music would both make excellent films .

[Falling Down]

I think Breath is currently in production.... Sure I read it somewhere....

[Yossarian]

Snowtown - Aussie crime drama where a teenage kid gets drawn into the orbit of a disturbingly commonplace serial killer.   This has had great reviews but I was left a little non-plussed.  For some reason it didn't grab me.  It was just a little too low key, uncinematic and "domestic". Realism is all very well but if I wanted to watch uncharismatic people being unpleasant I'd hang around a town-centre after last-orders.  Animal Factory was a far better film in the same mileu.

I agree - had heard great things, but found it bordering on nihilistic boring/awful/miserable, etc. 

I wish Australian cinema would move on from domestic serial killer cinema and start making films about nice, happy stuff, like artisan cheese maker / surfer buddy movies, things with space ships, amusing fly-on-the-wall at a Perth-based rental car firm, etc...

Interesting. I considered this a few weeks ago and decided it sounded that bit too grim. Sounds like a good decision. Did you mean Animal Kingdom btw Moose? That's a brilliant film (as mentioned several times on the thread).

Yes -  rather like Kill List - I am increasingly discovering that my stomach for pointy, "We're setting out to fuck with your frame of mind for, oooh, say a good few days" kind of films is declining at a rate.  Animal Kingdom is more animated. This one was pretty much a cinematic summing up of the Snowtown murders Wikipedia entry.

[moose]

I rather liked Kill-list myself but I am a sucker for  any hint of Wicker man. That said, I far preferred the director's earlier Down Terrace as it  had an slightly absurd , humour that leavened the kitchen sink sensibility.

In general though I am now far less willing to sit through relentless unpleasantness. When I was younger, I could convince myself of the merit of the most  gratuitously nasty films - decent acting or artful cinematography would see me through.  These days I seem to need jokes or sympathetic characters. Not sure whether that's a bad thing. Has  my mind become sentimental and less aesthetically rigorous? Maybe it's just that my job involves a fair amount of hard work and exposure to unpleasantness and there's only so much reality I can take.

[Jaspersharpe]

I don't think that's a bad thing moose. I watch films to enjoy myself not to be "challenged" to the point of depression! There's enough of that shit in the real world without going looking for more. A bit of nastiness here and there is all good but as you say, it needs balancing with something (humour, characters you can relate to) for me.

[SA Chris]

I think Breath is currently in production.... Sure I read it somewhere....

Seems like Dirt Music is and The Riders are in development, but not Breath.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Winton

Unless wiki is out of date?

[Fiend]

The Cabin In The Woods - not quite worth the mega-rating it gets on Rotten Tomatoes, but a good fun sort of sci-fi thriller with escalating excitement and plenty of LOL moments. The main thing worth knowing is that despite the ominious poster, the catch/hook of this initially-horror-orientated film is nothing weird, freaky, or downright surreal - it's a straight up different rationale for the horror scenario that pans out to be a jolly good romp (albeit with an abrupt ending and an underdeveloped backstory which is a pity as the premise has lots of potential), rather than a horror headfuck. Favourite moments: the entrance of Marty (proper lol if you've seen Dollhouse), and the lift doors moment.

[magpie]

We watched Gone Baby Gone over the weekend, it was very good but really quite dark.  Well worth a watch provided you're not looking for laughs or anything too uplifting.

[johnx2]

Quick shout whilst it's still about for Headhunters  (Hodejegerne, but subtitled from the original Geordie, it sounds like anyway though I didn't realise they had fjords round Gateshead.)

Took my teenage lads to see it and the 17yrold is going back with his mates. I know of no higher recommendation.

Might even dig out the book ...

[Jaspersharpe]

Saw The Ides of March the other week. Thought it was very good although the lasting impression was that in real life, you'd never get a presidential candidate with such sound policies (however dodgy he was).

[magpie]

Shame - I didn't really like it, it reminded me of Drive so loads of people will probably think it was amazing, I thought it was a bit dull and weird and had a shit ending.  It was full of filth though, if you like that sort of thing.

Chronicle - excellent, a different kind of take on super powers and alternative superheros, what Hancock could have been like had the ending not been so massively lame.

[tomtom]

Prometheus trailer (long) was the whole first ad break in homeland tonight.  Looked really really good

[slackline]

Prometheus trailer (long) was the whole first ad break in homeland tonight.  Looked really really good

 

[slackline]

Alan Partridge film announced by Armando Iannucci

[SA Chris]

"You've replaced the lifeguards with strippers?

"This looks like a seriously intellectual movie;

Hoff, Ving Rhames, Christopher Lloyd, Strippers, what's not to like?