Rate The Last Movie You Saw.

[fernandito]

Jean - how does Visitor Q compare on a gore level against something like.. Ichi The Killer?

[Jean]

you know I haven't gotten to watching that one yet! You would have been the first to know if I had.

(it is currently unavailable where I usually take them; have been looking forward to watching it with your guidelines ever since we last talked about it)

Nonetheless, I know that you'll love Cold Fish!! it's just impossible not to love, it is, all other stuff (like meaning and the like) aside, immensely enjoyable.

[divemaster]

the last movie bears saw was Cold Fish by Shion Sono. It is brilliant.

if you have seen Visitor Q by Miike, you have some idea of this particular type of films. It's crazy, oveboard, dark, hysterically funny and deeply disturbing not on the "yuck, what a shitload of gore!" level (although gore is in ample supply there), but on the "what the fuck is wrong with life" level. Will definitely make my personal top 100.

"Cold Fish has been added to your Netflix Queue at position #187"

"Move to position #1? Click here."

Click

[Jean]

[Heather19]

Jean, is it like torture gore/horror? Will I like it? I was intrigued, but then you compared it to a Takashi Miike film (although I haven't seen Visitor Q) I'm worried it'll be too much for me.

[Jean]

no, no! there's a lot of dismembering and blood, but nothing like those needle scenes; the murders are so exaggerated that they don't even look real

and you must see Visitor Q

[Heather19]

Oh ok, that sounds so much better. I can handle that

As for Visitor Q, I fear that I've been scarred too much by Takashi Miike that I'm really worried to check it out

[fernandito]

After watching Ichi The Killer I fear no evil.

[mae]

I watched Miike's Audition completely blind at 2 AM alone in the house in headphones.

Worst. Decision. Ever.

[Jean]

Visitor Q is not like any other Miike I've seen so far. It's a comedy, and once you can accept the grotesqueness of it, it's hilarious.

[Ricky]

Divergent

On the tail of successful film franchises (Twilight and The Hunger Games) and some not-so-successful ones (The Moral Instruments and Vampire Academy) comes Divergent, the newest addition to the young adult book-turned-movie sub-genre, based on the best seller by Veronica Roth.

Despite their differences, a comparison to The Hunger Games is inevitable. Both feature young female heroines in a dystopic future, rebelling against some kind of government control. Though, Divergent avoids beings a mere carbon copy of The Hunger Games; it offers enough originality for it to stand on its own.

In the world of Divergent, a future Chicago is divided into five factions—Candor, Amity, Dauntless, Erudite, and Abnegation—and, on their sixteenth birthday, each resident gets to choose which faction they will enter for the rest of their lives. Will they remain in the faction they’ve been in since birth and, by extension, remain with their families? Or will they instead pick a new faction, one that they feel better suits their personality, and risk never seeing their families again?

But it’s not that easy for Beatrice ‘Tris’ Prior (Shailene Woodley) who is ‘Divergent’; rather than fitting into one particular faction, she fits into many—she has the selflessness of Abnegation, the bravery of Dauntless, and the knowledge of Erudite. The film revolves around her faction choice and the repercussions and discoveries that result from it, in addition to a relationship with Four (Theo James), an enigmatic Dauntless leader.

While some fans of the book will no-doubt be upset at the changes from page to screen, Divergent takes the occasionally episodic nature of the book and makes it more fluid. Some scenes are added, spliced, or omitted altogether to effectively streamline and cover the book’s 400+ page count in just under a two and a half hour runtime. But for all the good things from the book that the film is faithful to, it’s also faithful to the bad as well. At times, there’s too much exposition, too much downtime in between pivotal scenes, and not enough supporting character development.

Much like Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games (see, it’s inevitable), Divergent is Shailene Woodley’s film. She plays Tris with a cautious bravery and inner strength that really allows you to get inside her head. And it’s telling that in a pivotal scene, Woodley injects it with such raw emotion that it blows its source material out of the water. It’s also a plus that director Neil Burger allows Tris to narrate the film’s opening minutes. It’s a short time, but the addition of the first person narration gives us a deeper connection to Tris in an addition that The Hunger Games (unfortunately) decided to omit.

Despite the inevitable changes from book to film, Divergent ends up being an otherwise faithful adaptation. It may be too heavy on exposition at times, but its unique twist on dystopia drew me into its unique world enough for me to anticipate the next one.

8/10

[Melike]

Ricky; I have ran out of good movies, I thought so at least. I think Divergent sounds good enough to watch.

I am not good at writing at reviews; also I feel way too tired to give it a try.
I just wanted to say; I totally agree with James. Filth is one of the best movies I have seen this year. 10/10 from me.

Filth

Ever since seeing the initial red-band trailer, this film had my attention, for several reasons. For one thing, it seemed to be aiming for an excess of crudeness and disgust that wasn’t done purely for comedic or stupid reasons. For another, it was a chance to see James McAvoy in a role that was very different to the usual upper class pretty boy English characters he played – oh don’t get me wrong, he usually played them well, but the role of Bruce Robertson seemed a far cry from everything he’d done before. And lastly, the fact that it was based on a book by Irvine Welsh, who wrote Trainspotting, suggested that, as long as it was done right, there might be more to it than what the trailers were showing. But, having just seen this film, even I was surprised by how much I loved it....

Also Mike's and Ricky's reviews about Gravity are also well written, I nodded thinking "definitely" - of course in Turkish - while reading every sentence.
Gravity is 9 out of 10 to me.

Gravity - 9.0/10

(Randall, totally agree with about that one shot. It was perfect.)

Gravity is an intense, pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat cinematic experience. Am I forgetting any movie review clichés? Regardless, they all apply to this instant classic that redefines the rules for every film about space exploration that has been put to celluloid over the past 50 years.

Gravity is directed by Alfonso Cuaron whose previous film, Children of Men, stands among the very best films of the past decade. Much like Hitchcock’s Rope, Cuaron’s signature is the use of lengthy single-shot sequences. The climactic scene from Children of Men is one of the reasons the film is so memorable. Cuaron once again expertly uses this technique...

[Ricky]

I think you'd like Divergent, Melike. I'd also recommend the book.

And I'm glad you enjoyed Gravity as much as I did. I haven't talked to many people that feel the same way.

[alkanto]

I have absolutely no ambition to pen a review, but I saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier yesterday. It was freaking amazing. I liked it a lot better than Thor 2. Overall, it might be my favorite sequel in the Marvel universe so far (except Iron Man 3. That was brilliant)

[Merlin1958]

"Captain America, The Winter Soldier". Go forth and view!! Awesome film in the "Marvel" universe!!!

[Melike]

I think you'd like Divergent, Melike. I'd also recommend the book.

And I'm glad you enjoyed Gravity as much as I did. I haven't talked to many people that feel the same way.

Really? They didn't like? Oh.

I have absolutely no ambition to pen a review, but I saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier yesterday. It was freaking amazing. I liked it a lot better than Thor 2. Overall, it might be my favorite sequel in the Marvel universe so far (except Iron Man 3. That was brilliant)

It must be really good. I recently saw Thor Dark World; and it was awesome.

[DoctorDodge]

Yeah, I'm really itching to see Winter Soldier after how much I really enjoyed Captain America (probably my favourite Marvel film apart from The Avengers), so I'm really looking forward to checking it out after hearing so many great things about it.

Oh, and thanks for posting your thoughts on Filth, Melike. It's coming out in the US later this month, so I'm hoping a few members will be able to check it out soon and join us in the discussion of such an insane film.

[fernandito]

Captain America : The Winter Soldier -

Marvel extends it's impressive track record with another solid entry it's ever expanding universe. The film plays out like a political-conspiracy-espionage thriller where high powered individuals are used as pawns in a game of shadows.

With Captain America, Fury's, and Black Widow's background already established, the Russo brothers were free to take these characters in a path of their choosing. Because of the intrinsic nature of the source material, Marvel films have traditionally favored high octane spectacle over character development, but in WS the creators decided to give equal focus to Caps moral conundrums. Finding himself in a world where the line between right and wrong is blurry, and where his superiors often have hidden agendas, he wonders if the world he's woken to is the same he left behind prior to his cryogenic sleep, and whether or not his endless fighting is doing any good.

The action sequences are some of the best the MU has to offer. Since Cap is limited in what he can do in comparison to his superhuman companions, the fighting here focuses instead on Caps Olympic like capabilities and uses close quarter combat to underscore his superior physical prowess. There is a particularly exhilarating car chase sequence early into the film that will have you at the edge of your seat during it's duration.

By way of complaints, very little. Perhaps the one that sticks out the most in my mind is Marvel's penchant for an 'everything and the kitchen sink' approach to each of the MU films climaxes. I know it's kinda erroneous to complain about too much action in a film of this ilk, but at times it feels like too much is happening on the screen at once and it offsets the beauty of the more 'intimate' fight sequences earlier in the film. There's also a plot device revealed halfway through the film which seems a bit outlandish, but in a series where synthetic aliens enter our realm via a blackhole, I suppose I can't dwell too much on it.

One of the things that impressed me most about this film is how much of a game changer CA:WS is in relation to it's extended universe. Make no mistake, the events of this film will have serious ramifications for the MU as a whole and it will be interesting to see the ripples across the rest of the franchises. Frankly, I'm excited as hell.

In closing, if you're a fan of Marvel's films, or just a fan of action films in general, you'll end up loving this.

8/10

[Still Servant]

Nice review, Feev! I'm looking forward to seeing Captain America. I really enjoyed the first film.

I enjoyed Divergent, but no where near as much as Hunger Games. I agree with much of Ricky's review, except I liked it a little less. I too thought the film lagged at times and the supporting characters could have been fleshed out more. I also thought the film seemed kind of blah at times.

Melike, thanks for the kind words on my Gravity review. It was one of my favorite films of the year. I too have run into a lot of people that didn't like Gravity. Most of the people I talked to that didn't like it are what I would classify as "average movie goers", so take from that what you will.

I saw Noah this weekend with a few other people. They hated it, I didn't mind it so much. It's also kind of a blah film with lots of earth tones. The film suffers from the fact that the audience pretty much knows how the story is going to turn out.

I haven't watched anything recently that I felt compelled to write a real review about. Except maybe for Sound of My Voice, but I was just too busy to sit down.

[Jean]

have just watched Chasing Sleep (2000, by Michael Walker). Loved it. Predictable, yes, for those accustomed to this type of film; but very good nevertheless. Also loved what one imdb commentor said, giving it 1 star:

"This movie was horrible because I had no clue what was going on at any given moment."

I understand that the director had watched Repulsion, The Tenant, Barton Fink and a lot of Lynch. No, Chasing Sleep is not as good, but it is wonderful anyway. (and, talking about Lynch, it is much better than Lost Highway to which it has been compared by some)

[Mattrick]

From what I've heard the new Captain America is better than The Avengers which I thought was average. It seems they did a comic book film right from the reviews I've read so I'm hoping I won't be disappointed. Hasn't been a solid comic book movie outside of Nolan for almost a decade. It seems Jackson and Johannson actually had something to work with, which is good..she felt like such an afterthought in The Avengers.

[Heather19]

have just watched Chasing Sleep (2000, by Michael Walker). Loved it. Predictable, yes, for those accustomed to this type of film; but very good nevertheless. Also loved what one imdb commentor said, giving it 1 star:

"This movie was horrible because I had no clue what was going on at any given moment."

I understand that the director had watched Repulsion, The Tenant, Barton Fink and a lot of Lynch. No, Chasing Sleep is not as good, but it is wonderful anyway. (and, talking about Lynch, it is much better than Lost Highway to which it has been compared by some)

Well you have me intrigued. I just looked it up on Netflix, and it looks somewhat familiar. I think I might have had it in my queue awhile back. Just added it again.

[Jean]

[mae]

I watched At Middleton this weekend. Love Vera Farmiga, so beautiful. Very fun movie, but I'm a sucker for chick flicks

[DoctorDodge]

First off, I just gotta get this out of the way first: whatever you're expecting from Berandal, do not expect The Raid. Despite the title (where in the UK, it has the even simpler title of just "The Raid 2"), it's an incredibly different film altogether. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is an important thing to keep in mind for fans of the first film.

For those that didn't see the first film, it was one of the most beautifully simple yet intense action films I had seen in years. The story of a police raid on a drug lord's building gone horribly wrong, what it lacked in originality plotwise, it more than made up for with an incredible mix of amazingly choreographed martial arts fights, gunfighting and exploding fridges, some beautiful cinematography, and a hint of some nice claustrophobic survival horror to boot. Virtually non-stop, by the time you finished the Raid, you didn't feel like you had watched it or even enjoyed it - you survived it. And trust me, that's an incredible achievement in storytelling that I'm finding it increasingly difficult to find these days, not just in action movies but in general.

The sequel, on the other hand, is something else. While it still has a decent amount of stylishly violent action and martial arts, it's also a much slower paced and larger scale affair, focusing on the main character going deep undercover to infiltrate one of the main gangs ruling the city in the hopes of bringing down the numerous dirty cops that the first film barely hinted at. I must admit, when I first heard that the story of the sequel was going to be more complex and with a wider scale (and a noticeably larger budget, of course), I must admit, I was more than a little bit worried. What made the original film so, so great was just how refreshingly simple it was - it allowed a tighter focus on the amazing wall-to-wall action that grabbed action fan's attention in the first place. Was aiming for a more epic scale the right approach?

Honestly, I needn't have worried. While the plot of Berandal is hardly the most original (think the Raid crossed with the Godfather and the Departed and you're pretty much there), the story it does tell is a pretty engrossing one at times. What helps is that, unlike a lot of action movies I see being made by Hollywood these days, a number of criminals and villains have a lot depth, especially Uco, the son of a powerful crime boss who has a great deal of ambition that leads him to making some terrible decisions, but isn't entirely unsympathetic, especially in his friendship with our hero Rama. Prakoso is another great character, especially as he's played by the actor who played the truly fucking psychotic "Mad Dog" in the first film, leading you to expect one thing from this new character but in actual fact, you're given something else entirely, and it works.

But there are even characters in this film who aren't given much depth (or rather, exploration on screen, so to speak) that you can't help but love. This is especially true of the fucking ruthless assassin's that are simply credited as "Baseball bat man" and "Hammer Girl". Trust me, they more than live up to their names, and fuck me, do they do it in style.

Speaking of which, the violence and action in this film, while not as high ratio wise as what we got in The Raid, still remains exceptional to watch in this film. This is due to a combination of being beautifully shot, amazingly choreographed, and of course JUST BEING SO DAMN FUCKING AWESOME TO WATCH!!! Seriously, this is a film that will make you and a great deal of people you're watching it with at the cinema go, "FUCK!", "SHIT!", and other common reactions to seeing something that's both ridiculously painful and ridiculously fucking awesome to watch, including laughter.

As you can probably tell, I really loved this film. However, at the moment, I'm really reluctant to rate it just yet. Like I said, it's a very different beast to The Raid, and I'll expect that, for some, that may affect the level of enjoyment of the film for fans of the first installment. However, for those who still love truly great action movies as well as for those looking for something more than a little remiscent of the classic gangster epics, a film full of greed, ambition, betrayal and a lot of shades of gray, you can't go far wrong with Berandal.