Then you missed the point of Dunkirk. It's not about interesting characters, but people attempting to survive or help people survive. If you can't connect with people going through hell just to survive annihilation from certain doom because they're not interesting, that's not the movies fault. Hell to me would be being a soldier trying to escape the entire Nazi army who has me trapped on a beach and I have to be interesting while doing it.
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Inception is an extremely flawed film that distracts with obscene ideas and cool visuals. Narratively it's a dumpster fire. If you push how smart and super cool the movie is trying to be, it's enjoyable. Problem for me is that it wants to be so super cool and super smart it's impossible to ignore the flaws because it's so self-indulgent and self-serious.
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Speaking of Dunkirk
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Inception is a visual masterpiece but yeah, narratively speaking the film is convoluted and at times hokey. It keeps moving the goal posts and circumventing its own logic that you stop paying attention to the rules and just enjoy it for the ride.
Having said that though that film is a testament to the creative genius that is the Nolan brothers. It might not be a perfect film, but that's because we hold them to the highest of standards. I applaud their efforts to give us cerebral blockbusters that don't rely on the horsepower of existing IPs, they always start from scratch, always pushing the envelope of high scale storytelling.
Nolan is a fantastic filmmaker from a production sense and he creates some stellar visuals with inventive camerawork. And I endlessly appreciate his dedication to using CGI as a last resort. But the biggest issues with his films is the human element, at least recently. He just has trouble writing characters that feel like real people. Most of the characters in Inception have very clear roles and purposes without any significant wrinkles. Dunkirk was great because so much of it was free of dialogue and the images do the talking. Interstellar looked fantastic and the performances were mostly solid. But the story was a mess. I was hard on Inception before mostly because it was considered a 'smart' movie when it's actually really dumb but so convoluted it and cleverly edited it gives the illusion of being a smart movie...but Interstellar is a far bigger narrative misfire and far, far dumber. I'll never forget leaving the theatre for Interstellar. Me and my two friends walked out in silence, stepped out the back doors, looked at each other, and started cackling at the same time.
I think the Nolan's come up with great concepts and ideas but have some trouble fleshing them out. They kind of remind me of George Lucas that way where he can make the core solidly, but he needs real writers and filmmakers out of it, except Nolan can direct really fucking well.
I'm certainly not rushing out to see Tenet considering me finding Inception fine but vastly overrated and I thought Interstellar was just bad. I kind of wish he was doing something simple and down to earth with like Dunkirk again. Hell, make another low-key drama again Nolan! Go back to your roots!
But I do have to say that while they make original movies and you're right, that is something to be respected in 2020, Feev...I do believe your beloved Batman is an IP with tons of horsepower :p
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ALL this talk about Nolan... has anyone gotten the chance to the 15 min preview for Tenet?????????????? I did before Star Wars and TOTALLY forgot to talk about how FUCKING AMAZING it was. IT had that music score like Dunkirk and my heart was pounding. It was unreal GOOD. That movie is going to be something to see next summer!
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Insomnia #459
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1917 was pretty great, but I found it hard to really pay attention to the second half of the movie because my friend had a seizure of some kind at the midpoint. Once it was over and I got him back to being conscious I was keeping an eye on him and making sure he was fine, but I was checking on him constantly out of the corner of my eye and I definitely missed stuff and all the flow went out of it for me then.
The lack of a traditional narrative is the main strength of the film. You don't really learn about any of characters because it's not really important and I think that won't sit well with people...so if you couldn't get into Dunkirk because of how Nolan handled those characters, you will find 1917 even more frustrating in that regard. It's a gorgeous film though and Deakins knocks it out of the park. This couldn't have been an easy film to shoot with such long takes and large areas of land with the majority of the film taking place outside where a lack of control over lighting must make the timing of shots absolutely crucial. The scene with the town on the fire and the blackness, the flares casting shadows...just wow. Might have been the most gorgeous photography I have ever seen in a film. It was a marvel of using light and shadow, which Deakins does like no one else.
I'm looking forward to sitting down and watching it again when I can just enjoy the film without being so anxious and worried. But it is an excellent film.
5/5
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Underwater:
A terrific throwback to classic B movie thrillers. Grabs you at the start and stays tense until the very end. You care about every person, and it hurts when one is lost.
5/6 beers on the RFSRS.
Weathering With You was a fine follow up to Your Name. In some aspects it was a better film, in other aspects it wasn't. The central premise to Weathering With You is not as strong as the narrative in Your Name, but the overall cast of characters were strong in Weathering With You. As much I love Your Name, after the two central characters, the supporting characters are just okay. In Weathering With You, the supporting cast brings the film to life and each have their own stories that are nicely managed. It's the sort of film full of tiny details and it uses those details to tell stories rather than through exposition.
The animation of course is incredible and the main attraction with a Shinkai film. The way they managed to capture all that rain and water, and the snow at one scene just looked so authentic, is incredible. It has certain similarities to Your Name and I'm sure a lot of people will find the very end too similar to Your Name (though I do like Shinkai's usage of codas), the big climax of the film ended up being quite surprising. It's a risky choice, but that's what really stuck out for me and made me think about the entire film a little differently. It's rare that a happy ending comes at such a cost.
5/5
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Unfortunately, I didn't care for everyone. In fact, some scenes were hard to tell who was being killed. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I thought Stewart was about as bland as a lead character could be. T.J. Miller was doing his T.J. Miller thing, but it kind of gets old really quickly. I do like John Gallagher, but I thought he could have been given more to do. Vincent Cassel was the highlight of the film for me.
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Richard Jewel... I loved it. Great acting and too bad it didn’t do better at the box office. It was a powerful story and Bates definitely earned that Oscar nom. 8-5/10
Little Women.... Passssss on this snooze fest. I couldn’t even finish it and my wife hated it to but I am
NOT a fan of period pieces. Can’t really rate it cause I didn’t finish it.
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Insomnia #459
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Why would you walk out on a movie? Seems pretty wasteful. You’ve already paid for the ticket, might as well finish it. Maybe it’s just me but I’ve never had the urge to walk out, even if the movie wasn’t great.
I walked out on each of the new Star Trek movies. And I watched those at home too. I just left the room and let it play while I did something else. They weren't even worth hitting stop.
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I enjoyed Little Women. The dialogue is snappy and fresh. It held my interest. I was able to appreciate the direction and the acting, even though it's not one of my favorite films of the year. I don't have any of the other films to compare it to and I can understand why someone like Heather who is a fan of the source material would be underwhelmed. Gerwig decides to tell the story in a non-linear way, which might turn off purists.
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Bad Boys For Life:
Entertaining and (IMO) better than the original and far better than BBII. Quite a few good chuckles, some tense moments, and of course wonderful Miami scenery.
4.4/6 Beers on the RFSRS. A scene in the credits hints at a sequel which would seem to be distasteful.
Mike I'm super curious, since you have no knowledge of the book or movies, was the non-linear storytelling an issue for you?
That doesnt normally bother me with a film, except in this case it basically spelled out everything that was going to happen from the get go, instead of letting there be some surprises.Spoiler:
Also how did you feel about the casting of Amy? I know you're a fan of hers, but it was such a miscast for me here, I'm shocked she was nominated for an Oscar.
Only the gentle are ever really strong.
I didn't have a problem with the choice to use flashbacks. Yes, it does spoil some things.Spoiler:
As for Beth,Spoiler:
You're right, I'm a huge Florence Pugh fan, so I'm a bit biased, but I also have nothing to compare her to. I thought she did a great job of playing the bratty, difficult one.
The best way I could sum up my feelings towards the film is when Amy says to Laurie, "I would be respected if I couldn't be loved." I didn't love the film, but really respected what Gerwig was able to do. It's a story that has been told so many times and it's not easy for her to come in and make it fresh.Check out my website: PopCulturedwithMovieMike
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Has anybody seen Under the Silver Lake? I remember the film landing on my radar a few years ago because it was directed by David Robert Mitchell, who directed It Follows. Then it got pushed to 2019 and then got completely buried. A24 essentially sent it straight to streaming.
I'd love to get more thoughts from those who have seen it. It's one of those odd films that is destined to divide people. I quite enjoyed it, but I can see why it gets so much hate. Andrew Garfield was really good in it and the film kind of has a Big Lebowski vibe in the sense that it kind of meanders. It also has a noir feel to it. The film has a lot to say about Hollywood, pop culture and the affect it has on the people we become.
Just in case it's not clear this one is NSFW (Not Safe for Webstar)
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1917
Great film. Top ten war movie. Go see it and enjoy the cinematography as well as the story. Ranks in my top three on cinematography. Wow.
5/6
Wish List:
Any of the following flatsigned or inscribed-
It, Shining, Salem’s Lot, Mr. Mercedes, The Stand
Brother ARC, Seed ARC