[moose]

There were only two films of last year's Oscar nominees that actively decided I had to see at the cinema, rather than on TV / during a flight - Oppenheimer, as I wanted to 'feel' the Trinity test, and Zone of Interest, as I had heard about the sound design.  I'm really glad I saw Z.o.I at the cinema -  I thought being unable to half-watch while reading, not looking at my phone, not mooching away to fix a drink etc. (my usual bad habits at home) helped maintain the intensity - the building banality of evil.  I wouldn't have been disciplined enough at home for it to make as much impact (without a Clockwork Orange style therapy set-up anyway!).

[spidermonkey09]

All of Us Strangers - a time-shifting meditation on love and loss. Great acting (Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell, Claire Foy), great storytelling. I hadn't read much about the film and glad that I hadn't, as it made the story more poignant. The kind of film that stays with you.

Paul Mescal also starred in another kind of similar lyrical father-daughter memory piece, Aftersun.

Both highly recommended.

Thanks, added the first to my list. Aftersun is an absolute cracker. On iplayer if people haven't seen it. I watched it on a plane and was completely rapt. Really touching even for someone with no kids. I thought the child actress was absolutely superb as well.

[stone]

We enjoyed "Save Yourselves!".  It's billed as "a gentle apocalypse comedy" -which sums it up well.

[andy popp]

"The Promised Land" (Bastarden in its original Danish title, 2023). Set in the mid-eighteenth century, a retired Danish army officer (Mads Mikkelsen) attempts to settle and farm the bleak heath lands of Jutland, where he is met with harsh conditions and extreme hostility from an evil local landowner. Assembling a ragbag team of misfits he is undeterred. As one review pointed out, it's basically a Western set in early modern Scandinavia; dark, brooding, and surprisingly violent. I enjoyed it a lot. Mikkelsen is excellent, as ever.

[TobyD]

U-571: a very old school war movie which relies quite heavily on its submarine setting for dramatic tension. I enjoyed it despite the flaws however, the sense of claustrophobia and fear amongst the crew is palpable and makes up for a rather cheesy ending.

[Snoops]

U-571: a very old school war movie which relies quite heavily on its submarine setting for dramatic tension. I enjoyed it despite the flaws however, the sense of claustrophobia and fear amongst the crew is palpable and makes up for a rather cheesy ending.

It was controversial as it is not historically accurate....we (brits) found the enigma 

From the screenwriter....

'In 2006, screenwriter David Ayer admitted that U-571 had distorted history, and said that he would not do it again.[15] He told BBC Radio 4's The Film Programme that he "did not feel good" about suggesting that Americans, rather than the British, had captured the naval Enigma cipher: "It was a distortion...a mercenary decision...to create this parallel history in order to drive the film for an American audience. Both my grandparents were officers in the Second World War, and I would be personally offended if somebody distorted their achievements."[15]'

[SA Chris]

Next you will be telling me it wasn't actually an American crew who captured the Enigma machine like in U-571

Was watching it co-incidental to me mentioning it a week ago?

I always find submarine movies very claustrophobic and tense, Das Boot and ..Red October particularly.   

[TobyD]

Next you will be telling me it wasn't actually an American crew who captured the Enigma machine like in U-571

Was watching it co-incidental to me mentioning it a week ago?

I hadn't seen your post, sorry! I kind of knew that British forces did the Enigma stuff really but it's hardly the only war movie that you need to suspend a considerable amount of disbelief to enjoy.

[slab_happy]

"The Promised Land" (Bastarden in its original Danish title, 2023). Set in the mid-eighteenth century, a retired Danish army officer (Mads Mikkelsen) attempts to settle and farm the bleak heath lands of Jutland, where he is met with harsh conditions and extreme hostility from an evil local landowner. Assembling a ragbag team of misfits he is undeterred. As one review pointed out, it's basically a Western set in early modern Scandinavia; dark, brooding, and surprisingly violent. I enjoyed it a lot. Mikkelsen is excellent, as ever.

If anyone's interested, it's on iPlayer atm: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0022f75/the-promised-land

[Will Hunt]

Went to see The Count of Monte Cristo at the cinema and thought it was an excellent adaptation. Not seen any press for it in the UK as it's French with subtitles but well worth seeing if you can find it on nearby.

[Duma]

Must have been mentioned several times before, but the rather excellent Moon is on iPlayer ATM, in case anyone hasn't seen it

[steveri]

Moon is a great movie, wouldn’t mind a rewatch.

Highly recommend Sing Sing, a redemption story of sorts of long term inmates finding purpose putting on plays. Beautifully put together, with largely non actors (you can guess where they came from). Several points I was expecting it to turn in wrong directions, deftly avoided. Best thing I’ve seen in ages. Some good stuff coming from A24.

[SA Chris]

Not new, but noticed Four Lions is now on Prime.

[Mike Highbury]

Anora, it's good, really good.

An oligarch's son marries a whore, his mum is disappointed.

Everyone is horrid. The dancer is super angry and I'm in love, natch.

An absolute romp.

[andy popp]

Anora, it's good, really good.

An oligarch's son marries a whore, his mum is disappointed.

Everyone is horrid. The dancer is super angry and I'm in love, natch.

An absolute romp.

I'm seeing it on Saturday, with a Q&A with the director. Super excited! Loved The Florida Project.

[moose]

Saw "Small Things Like These" last night.  Mixed feelings - it was affecting in the moment, but in retrospect possibly a bit 'Call the Midwife'?  Set in the 80's, but aside from the Rubik's cubes and Dangermouse in the background, it could have been anytime from the 50s onwards (do they still do the Angelus there?!).  Whatever, it was well acted and beautifully shot (and made me nostalgic for the loss of my old donkey jacket). Cillian Murphy looking soulful and anguished while lambent light plays over his cheekbones is truly one of the most striking sights in modern cinema (whether it's the flicker from an Irish hearth or a nuclear test).  Also, a reminder that the Magdalene laundries operated until 1998 (I had forgotten after Peter Mullan' s reminder in 2003). What the fuck?!  Nuns have now overtaken clowns in my rank of creepy / evil  people (although I have not yet seen, nor intend to see, The Terrifier 3!).

[Fiend]

Read the book (decent story, kept me going, but prose and descriptions quite annoying), watched the film. Was good - sticks to the book pretty well apart from a few acceptable deviations (except the very ending isn't nearly as good). Requires some suspension of disbelief but it's done well overall, progresses nicely and should keep people interested.

[stone]

We've just seen "The Children Act" and thought it was ace.

Best film I've seen in a while. I'm somewhat mystified as to why I've never heard of it. But I'm pretty ignorant.

[Teaboy]

Leave the World Behind Netflix, actually pretty good and for a 2:20 film where not a lot happens kept my interest.

NSFW  :

Hopefully not a portent of what’s to come as I coincidentally watched it waiting for the US election results to come in!

[SA Chris]

I watched it last week as well. Enjoyed it, and the sustained feeling of doom, but found it a bit slow and would have liked a slightly more decisive ending personally.

Also watched Nocturnal Creatures which I thought was a good film, but a bit hard to watch in places, some disturbing scenes, but again it felt a bit inconclusive.

[andy popp]

Anora, it's good, really good.

Saw this last night and left with mixed feelings. A lot of the time it's tremendous fun, almost a madcap screwball comedy (we were a bit hampered - in the middle and end sections there's quite a lot of dialogue in Russian and we saw it subtitled in Danish, which I can't really read well/quick enough). But at the risk of sounding old, there's a lot of sex and nudity. It is about sex work so some is inevitable/necessary but I thought it got to be gratuitous, there for the male gaze and no other good reason. I was uncertain what to make of the ending as well. There was a Q&A with the director after the showing and he made it clear the ambiguity was deliberate.

In the summer I saw a superb documentary on life in the West Bank entitled No Other Land, made in a collaboration between Palestinian and Israeli film makers and journalists, and have just noticed it is now showing in cinemas in the UK. Recommended.

[remus]

We've just seen "The Children Act" and thought it was ace.

Best film I've seen in a while. I'm somewhat mystified as to why I've never heard of it. But I'm pretty ignorant.

Good recommendation, thanks Stone. Watched this last night and really enjoyed it. A rare film where they don't give the game away in the trailer!

[stone]

Loved The Florida Project.

We also loved that. Yet another example where child actors can be awesome.

Have you seen Tangerine which is also directed by Sean Baker? It was similarly memorable but I guess for me less delightful . I'd recommend it nevertheless. It has the same theme of empathetic human interest set in "underclass" USA. 

[Fiend]

I really enjoyed this. Sure the point it's making is an easy one, but it's smartly done and well-filmed (albeit in a trendy sort of way), and tends to linger a bit in the mind. I did think the ending should have been more subtle and more menacing, but other than that it's cool.

[moose]

I rather liked the Substance too and agree re the ending.  The whole film was far broader than I thought it would be though.  I was expecting a black satire on ageing and objectification with a tinge of Cronenberg.  Instead, it was gleefully grotesque and deranged (and definitely a film only a woman director could have made, without being accused of extreme lechery).  Glad I saw it, but I don't think it really 'stuck the landing' - while the end section was fun, I could have done without that last 40 minutes and think something more downbeat / meditative would have been better.  For all the gore and chaos, the one scene that really stuck was simply Demi in front of the mirror, repeatedly applying make-up.