MEGA NEW YEAR/XMAS UPDATE PART 2!
The Big Short - based on the 2010 book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis about the financial crisis of 2007–2008 which was triggered by the United States housing bubble and starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling & Brad Pitt. Deals with a complicated subjects in detail but in an understandable, intelligent & acidly funny manner. It also manages to make heroes out of bankers betting against the house and earning vast sums of money as people have their houses is repossessed!
Dune - American epic science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch, based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan as young nobleman Paul Atreides, and includes an ensemble of well-known American and European actors in supporting roles. Box office failure, cult classic. it is all over the shop. Confusing, seems to have no structure, no coherent story or plot, odd characters without connection, unwieldy, visually massive and strange. Very strange.
Von Ryan's Express - Von Ryan's Express is a fast-paced, well-acted World War II drama, featuring a squadron of Allied soldiers trying to escape a prison camp in Italy staring Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard. A good old fashioned bank holiday war film.
Day of the Jackal - British-French political thriller film starring Edward Fox and Michel Lonsdale. Based on the 1971 novel The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth, the film is about a professional assassin known only as the "Jackal" who is hired to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle in the summer of 1963. Wonderfully shot and very well acted. A polished political thriller/ suspense classic.
The Exorcist -1973 American supernatural horror film adapted by William Peter Blatty from his 1971 novel of the same name, directed by William Friedkin, and starring Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, and Jason Miller. I don't like horror films but this is both horrifying, scary, graphic and superb with a mixtures of ideas and themes. it is very religious, darkly intense and centered around a battle between good and evil. it is very, very good and never ceases to be both scary and shocking and I don't like horror films at all.
Burn before reading - American black comedy film written, produced, edited and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen with an all star cast. However i think despite the bonafides it isnt very good. A satire of military secrecy coupled with idiocy and sexual infidelity should be superb but it simply isnt. It doesn't work and the characters don't seems to work.
Skyfall - Bondy saves the world from an evil/mad genius with a secret lair. A good modern bond: Cool, the correct humour, respectful of the genre but with a modern approach and strangely dark. I quite like the fact it shows Bond as aging, damaged and hurting and played well by Craig . I think Silva is good as the villain and the cameo from Albert Finney interacting with Dame Judy Dench is interesting. I like it. Anyway, James Bond will return...............
Hancock - It tells the story of a vigilante superhero, John Hancock (Will Smith) from LA whose reckless actions routinely cost the city millions of dollars. Eventually one person he saves, Ray Embrey (Bateman), makes it his mission to change Hancock's public image for the better. The idea is a good one but it just doesn't seem to work in this film with the second half of the film illogical. A shame.
Love actually - Christmas-themed romantic comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis with an ensemble cast. Cheerful, sweet, warm, harmless and uplifting. I quite like it.
Their finest - The film tells the story of a British Ministry of Information film team making a morale-boosting film about the Dunkirk evacuation during the Battle of Britain and the London Blitz with an ensemble British cast. Charming, thoughtful, sweet, Areteton & Nighy are good and the film is an amiable. It is a thoroughly nice British film about a very British film!
Kill List - British crime drama psychological horror film directed by Ben Wheatley. It is an odd one but good. It is visceral, violent ( VERY violent n places) and shocking. It swings from a run of the mill crime caper to a physiological/occult horror film. I cant really discuss the plot without spoiling it but it twists and is graphic. It is a good film.
Pretty much agree with you on all those reviews. Denzel is a guarantee of a good film in my book. He has played an alcoholic a few times, Flight, Man On Fire and Medal Of Honour. All good films. Man On Fire is a favourite. Hacksaw Ridge is brilliant. Green Street and Wimbledon are awful. Not seen the others but fancy High Rise.
It is on Amazon. I really like the book so found it hard not to pick at the film for not delivering in the way I saw the film being delivered in my minds eye.
Being serious though, Ive never found any of Sacha Baron Cohen's films funny
Borat?