Rate the Last Movie You've Seen #31

[Mr Trick]

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) 9/10

This French underrated gem is probably my favourite film of the year. The way it illustrates female relationships, art, desire, loss, memory, and the need to look back for one last time is poignant and beautifully bittersweet.

Its one I'm looking forward to when it gets released in the UK. You seen any of the directors other films like Waterlilies or Girlhood?

The Grudge (2020) 2/10

 

[Mr Trick]

@EffulgentBitca Yeah liked Tomboy too. Waterlilies was a great debut. Impressive performances. A nice twist on the coming of age tale.

 

[white avenger]

Dolittle 8 / 10

Okay, Robert Downy jr obviously wanted to do a change of pace piece after leaving (for now, at least) the MCU, and this is certainly that. Downy is certainly a talented actor, capable of playing a variety of roles, and he proves that here. His Dolittle is sa believable as the subject matter could possibly allow, the talking animals work within the context of the story, and my grandson loved it. "Dolittle" fulfills its mission. It entertains. Frankly, I would rather Downy's first venture outside the MCU had been the next Sherlock Holmes movie, but I know that's coming, and I can wait.

 

[Mr Trick]

Hannah Arendt (2014) 9/10

 

[EffulgentBitca]

Chance (2002) 4/10
There was some charm and latent potential there, but overall it was really cringey on all fronts, be it writing, acting, or editing. Seeing Amber Benson, James Marsters, and Andy Hallet interact with each other on screen in completely different circumstances from the Buffyverse was fun, though.

 

[EffulgentBitca]

@Puppet I really wish I did because I adore Amber Benson with all my heart and there were parts about it that I enjoyed. I may give it another try in the future.

 

[RachM]

Went and saw Little Women (2019) again, because I'd promised my best friend that I would take her. I did enjoy it more this time around, so I might bump my rating up to 7/10. But I also came away with a whole new set of nitpicks 🤣 My friend summed it up best with this sentence "I liked it but I could easily tear it to shreds".

Also rewatched the 1994 version (as I did the first time I saw the new version) and that one gets a 9.5/10 from me, because it's beautiful and warm and keeps the tone and characterisation of the book intact. Also, that score. Makes me cry every time.

I also came to the conclusion that I would like the new version a whole lot more if it was told in chronological order. I still feel that the flashback technique took away from the emotional impact of the scenes. I think when this comes out on Blu ray I'm going to rip it and re-edit it.

 

[HowiMetdaSlayer]

The Turning - kinda krazy, but mostly meh
Disappointing given the cast.

 

[Ghost Boy]

Plunkett And Macleane. 6/10.

 

[HowiMetdaSlayer]

The Lovely Bones - I so wanted to like this movie. Had great performances, beautiful cinematography & some great lines.
Saoirse Ronan is amazing per usual, but the story line in the 2nd half is a white hot mess. And the ending...

Yeah, that pretty much sums up my reaction.

Spoiler: in case you still want to see this

So Susie finally gets her first/only kiss instead of stopping Mr Harvey from disposing of the body? I was hoping (in vain) that somehow with this 'magical' kiss that by some kind of cosmic resonance would force open the safe thus exposing her body. Even though I would find that sort of cringe worthy corny, at least it would've been some kind of half way decent resolution to that particular part of the storyline. But then just nothing, but a line about 'letting go'? Bitca please! 😩

 

[Mr Trick]

Little Women (2019) 6/10
I liked some of the modern touches. This sort of film is going to live and die on how much you like the characters. I found a lot of them to be very annoying and heard to engage with. Amy was the worse offender. Also the jumping back and forth in time didn't add much for me. Felt like a bit of a gimmick. Timothy Chalamet has to find a new character too. In every film he's in he seems to play the roguish but sensitive type.

Amanda (2018) 8/10
A nicely understated drama. Its about a guy who loses his sister in a shooting and is force with the responsibility of looking after her daughter. Its a charming, and moving drama, which deals with dark themes very well. Strong performances too. Stacy Martin is appealing as the on-off girlfriend also caught up in the shooting.

 

[HowiMetdaSlayer]

Little Women (2019) 6/10
I liked some of the modern touches. This sort of film is going to live and die on how much you like the characters. I found a lot of them to be very annoying and heard to engage with. Amy was the worse offender. Also the jumping back and forth in time didn't add much for me. Felt like a bit of a gimmick. Timothy Chalamet has to find a new character too. In every film he's in he seems to play the roguish but sensitive type.

I actually liked the non-linear story telling in this. In fact, I think a linear telling of this tale wouldn't appeal to me at all.

 

[EffulgentBitca]

Finding Forrester (2000) 7/10

My dad loves this film and we haven't watched it in a while so, when we saw it was on TV we had to rectify that. It's got heart, some good lines about writing, and an engaging, wonderfully-acted dynamic at its core, though it could have approached the characters and the themes it discusses in a less stereotypical, more authentic manner. The script also borrows from various similar films, most notably the director's superior Good Will Hunting, and as result there are plenty of holes, loose ends, obvious contrivances, and clichés. The sentimental manipulation is obviously a force tugging at the viewer, particularly in the last minutes. But, despite all of its faults, I still enjoy this film.

 

[Mr Trick]

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) 2/10

Well they did it. They topped themselves! Now onto I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer. Followed by "I Still Don't Care what I know you did 3 films ago"!

 

[EffulgentBitca]

Parasite (2019) 9/10

Comedy, suspense, family dynamics, and class critique, all masterfully done. It's been a while since I've experienced so many conflicting and intense emotions in a movie theater.

 

[Mylie]

Midsommar (2019) 8.5/10

This is not typically my kind of movie, but I was very impressed. It’s beautifully shot and the atmosphere is so luminous and horrifying, it’s just really bizarre and I can’t think of another movie like this. I find the psychological and anthropological aspects of it really fascinating. And Florence Pugh is amazing. All in all, not my usual kind of movie, but one I won’t forget... in a good but disturbing way.

 

[Puppet]

Kill Bill: Both Volumes - 7.5/10
I have favorite parts more than a favorite volume, so I tend to clump them together, even though I watched them two days apart. There is only one thing that keeps this from being one of QT's best works, imo: Uma Thurman. I get it; she helped come up with the character, she was the only person that QT wanted for the role, yadda yadda - she sucks in this role. She's monotone and when she isn't, she sounds like a bad villain from an old movie. And I get that QT may have purposely shaped this film around his love of exactly those types of old movies, but since none of the other actors do this, Uma just stands out in a glaringly bad way. But other than that, good movie(s).

(Daryl Hannah would have been a better Bride, imo)

 

[The Bronze]

The Rhythm Section - 3/10

A revenge film where you don't care about the hero, villain or victims. Sound and camera work that's supposed to build the tension but is just irritating. A Rocky style training camp which should be wrapped up in a 3 minute montage but drags on for an hour so.

 

[RachM]

Little Women (2019) 6/10
I liked some of the modern touches. This sort of film is going to live and die on how much you like the characters. I found a lot of them to be very annoying and heard to engage with. Amy was the worse offender. Also the jumping back and forth in time didn't add much for me. Felt like a bit of a gimmick. Timothy Chalamet has to find a new character too. In every film he's in he seems to play the roguish but sensitive type.

It's interesting that you disliked Amy, she is often the least-liked sister, but everyone seems to be of the general opinion that this film makes her character more likable. I personally found Older Amy much better than in any other incarnation, but Younger Amy came across as really bratty and annoying because she wasn't played by a younger actress (which she really needs to be).

Have you seen the 1994 film? I would highly recommend it over this one, especially when it comes to characterisation as, although this film's casting was pretty solid, they missed the mark when it came to a lot of the characterisation.

 

[Mr Trick]

It's interesting that you disliked Amy, she is often the least-liked sister, but everyone seems to be of the general opinion that this film makes her character more likable. I personally found Older Amy much better than in any other incarnation, but Younger Amy came across as really bratty and annoying because she wasn't played by a younger actress (which she really needs to be).

Have you seen the 1994 film? I would highly recommend it over this one, especially when it comes to characterisation as, although this film's casting was pretty solid, they missed the mark when it came to a lot of the characterisation.

And by the way I love Pugh. So its not a knock on her. Yeah I can see that. I think there's a bit of a screwball feel to this version. So some of Amy's shallowness is played as comedy. I just thought it was a bit OTT and forced down our throat. I agree that the older version of the character was better. I thought Eliza Scanlen was a stand out from the main cast. She has a real future. Yeah seen the 94 film. I liked it. Its played a bit too straight and is maybe a bit too dry. But I did like it.