AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
This is a black comedy crime-thriller starring Simon Pegg as a hitman hired to kill a businessman's cheating wife with the story being told from three different points of view. Pegg is great as the movie's main villain; and it's nice to see him playing against type for a change. The supporting cast is all adequate as well, and the directing is decent. The script is somewhat clever, and it also has a few nice twists, but it's nothing too memorable. It's still worth taking a look.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
This is a cool documentary on how the two original Ghostbusters movies have a positive impact on people's lives (the super fans) - and more than that, how they can use it to promote goodness in their community. It's not a documentary that sets out to poke fun at those who strap on proton packs in public. They're just normal people who found something incredible in these movies that enriched their lives. For some, watching the movies changed their lives for the better. It explores the fandom, friendships and personal stories of these devotees. It's likely that there will be people who are going to hate on this documentary, thinking the fans in it are losers but each to their own. If it makes them happy then so be it. I enjoyed this a lot and anyone that is slightly curious about what sort of person would throw on a proton pack and dedicate their life to Ghostbusters will like it too.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
One of the Farrelly Brothers' best movies. It's laugh out loud funny, and yet has a very well delivered message about internal and external beauty without being preachy. Gwyneth Paltrow as Rosemary manages to convey emotion through the fat suit and that is no mean feat. Jack Black as Hal is just right for the role that deservedly made him a star. The supporting cast is excellent from Jason Alexander to all those who play all the various characters. This is just an over-all great comedy movie.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
Based on the 1874 novel by Thomas Hardy, this is the story of one woman's determination to be strong in a man's world. She is pursued by 3 different types of men who are smitten with her. The beautiful settings, the rich costumes and the acting are all first rate. This timeless story of Bathsheba's choices and passions explores the nature of relationships and love - as well as the human ability to overcome hardships through resilience and perseverance. Carey Mulligan who always brings depth and elegance to each role she does is simply exquisite as Bathsheba. The supporting cast which includes Michael Sheen are also fantastic. A wonderful adaptation of Hardy's novel and not to be missed if you enjoy period dramas.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
This is yet another wire-fu movie by Tsui Hark with a complicated plot about a congregation of martial arts schools during which two rivals emerge for a battle to the death. A sub-plot involves 2 women who each have a super-powered musical instrument fighting each other due to bad blood stemming from childhood.
Although this movie does have a lot of martial arts fighting scenes, there's only so much of wire-fu I can take and there's just too much of it here. It's not genuine fighting. It's more about people flying and making objects fly, be they bolts of fabric, tables, doors, bamboo curtains, spears, swords, a giant bell and just about anything that isn't nailed down that the combatants can kick or simply point at to direct it at their opponents. Anita Mui rides a giant crane (which looks ridiculously fake) and the special effects are rather cheap. The acting is good with a decent cast in Tony Leung and Rosamund Kwan amongst others. Fans of wire-fu will enjoy this movie but for martial arts purists like myself I just wasn't keen.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
A tour bus full of tourists breaks down on a lonely road somewhere in Holland. A nearby windmill offers shelter but there's a deadly killer who is picking off the tourists one by one.
There's nothing new to see in this slasher movie about a grim reaper demon who is preying on tourists. Each character is being judged due to their sins of the past which unfold in a flashback type way. The story itself is played out quite well albeit completely full of holes. The acting is average. There are plenty of interesting gory deaths. The movie did enough to hold my attention.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
As enjoyable as a movie can get, especially if you like food! Nora Ephron deftly weaves the contemporary story of Julie Powell who spends a year recreating Julia Child's recipes for her blog with a biography of Julia and her husband Paul in France from 1948 on. Based on Julia's book and a collection of letters we learn how she took up cooking as a way to fill the time while he husband was stationed in Paris and later Marseille. After taking classes she was asked to co-author a book on French cooking for American women. It took 8 years and all sorts of setbacks but it finally succeeded. In contrast, Julie Powell's blog on Salon.com brought her to the attention of the NY Times and the publishing world very quickly. Meryl Streep outdoes herself with that Julia Child accent. To be perfectly honest I had no idea who Julia Childs was but then again here in the UK we had our own eccentric TV chef during the 60's and 70's in Fanny Craddock. Overall, the movie is beautifully shot, well written and a joy to watch.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
Keeping Up with the Joneses is a good movie with a reasonably well developed plot and a great comedic cast. The highlight of the movie is certainly the connection and chemistry between the four main cast members, all of the individual relationships between Zach Galifanakis, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot is what makes this movie watchable. They all have great comedic timing with one another. I did feel the plot did not go as far as a viewer would expect a movie about spies to go. The final third is very underwhelming. I was expecting something big to happen but it actually ends up being very straight forward and predictable, nothing shocking or truly exciting really occurs. There are some good laughs to be had. All in all, it's a fun movie, worth the watch if you are looking for a good comedy, but do not go out of your way to see it.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
A young woman Una confronts a man, a grown neighbour who seduced her when she was but 13 years old. They even planned to run away together when things fell apart and he was sent to prison. Now he has changed his name and put his life back together. But she is a mess, understandably and cannot move on with her life. Fifteen years may have passed but both of them are scarred and emotionally damaged by the affair.
A tough, psychological drama about the trauma caused by pedophilia and the repercussions because of it. The movie shows their tense meeting years later and regularly flashes back to the moments of their taboo liaison. The wonderful performances keep it interesting. Rooney Mara is fascinating at playing characters like this and it's no wonder that she is great here. We get to feel the longing, pain, and echo of her memories in her glances throughout the movie. It's a performance that relies on someone who is naturally gifted in conveying emotions under the surface and Mara is up to the task. Ruby Stokes playing the precocious, teenaged Una delivers also a vivid, mature performance. I found this movie to be a little uncomfortable as it tries to romanticise pedophilia. I don't think this movie will appeal to a lot of viewers due to the subject matter but it's still watchable enough.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
Matt is a 28 year old waster who has to run all over London to deliver a mysterious package after his girlfriend Anna is kidnapped by unknown people and he is assaulted inside his own home by men in balaclavas. If he tries to raise the alarm, she'll be killed.
I'm not sure what to make of this low budget British movie. It tries to be something similar to a real life video game but doesn't really succeed. Even the name of the movie implies that it's like a video game! Some of the tasks that Matt has to do is stupid (the karaoke scene in particular). Characters come and go with no explanation where they've come from and the ending is a bit of a let down. The acting isn't that good either. Josh Bowman doesn't make for a good lead. The only positive thing about this movie is the location filming around London and it moves along at a fast pace. In the end, I don't think this movie is that great as there's far too many plotholes.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
A fur trapper nicknamed La Bete or The Beast arrives in a Canadian village after three winters in the snow and takes a mute girl as his unwilling wife to live with him in his remote cabin in the woods of British Columbia.
A very underrated movie with beautiful Canadian scenery that stretches as far as can be imagined. Oliver Reed and Rita Tushingham play off each other very well and whilst Tushingham's character Eve never says a word during the entire movie she shows powerful emotions in her facial expressions and body language. Reed as La Bete gives one of his best performance as a brute trying to show his underdeveloped tender side. The plot is tight, the cinematography excellent, and the acting first-rate. The main music score in the movie will be familiar to British viewers as it is used every year by the BBC for their coverage of the London Marathon. What a shame that this movie seems to have been forgotten these days. It's well worth taking a look and you definitely won't be disappointed.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
The movie is set in the early 1200's in Ireland where superstition and the struggle for Christian domination of the country are rife. An envoy from Rome is sent to collect a supposedly sacred relic from some rural monks so that it may help them in the upcoming Crusades.
This movie offers a glimpse of the burgeoning Christian faith, ancient and mysterious pagan traditions, and military upheaval. It's also grim, and conveys the horrible conditions people existed/lived in back then. The movie captures the bleak Irish landscape perfectly and as such makes it quite atmospheric. The violent action scenes are brutal and gory. The acting is fine with Tom Holland as a young monk on his very first trip outside the monastery where he lives and works. Richard Armitage is the villain who plays a French soldier. Overall it's not too bad a historical movie considering the low budget of the production. Give it a go.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
This is an enjoyable documentary about the genius footballer and cheeky chappie that is Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne, one of the most gifted players to ever wear the England shirt. You are not going to hear or see anything you haven't before and he doesn't get into the personal side of his life too much but if you want a historical account of his life, with some great footage, from the man who knows best (himself!) - this is it. Gazza speaks joyfully, fondly, happily and at times emotionally about his career. There are some contributions from people that he played with and inspired them such as Gary Lineker and Wayne Rooney. Those who love football and especially Newcastle, Spurs and England fans will enjoy this movie.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
Cowardly Peter Reynolds, the driver of the getaway vehicle of a bank raid drives off when he sees that the robbery has gone wrong. He ends up at his uncle's remote Devon farm and abuses the hospitality given to him. Getting a new job at the local garage, things turn for the worse for him when his wife Linda turns up.
Beautifully shot on location in rural Devon, this British drama is a pleasure to watch. The lead character is such an obnoxious and annoying man whom the viewer will despise due to the way he is and how he behaves towards his wife. I didn't like having to sit through scenes and scenes of him treating everybody like dirt whilst the warm and sympathetic characters don't get half as much screen time. This is quite a slow paced story but it does pick up with a murderous twist later on. The acting is generally of a strong standard with the lovely Elizabeth Sellars standing out as Peter's wife. Even Q himself, Desmond Llewelyn has a small part. The plot does fall apart quite quickly during the final 15 mins but on the whole it's a great movie to watch and very enjoyable.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
A village in rural England has it's inhabitants dropping dead with only a handful of survivors left alive. Nobody knows what has happened until the arrival of white suited robots whose deadly touch kills their victims and then revives them as white eyed mindless zombies.
A low budget British alien invasion movie with a rather silly title. Veteran Hammer horror director Terence Fisher relates the absorbing story in a taut and efficient manner; he maintains a steady pace throughout and does an expert job of creating a supremely eerie atmosphere. The cast may not be filled with A-list British horror stars, but everyone involved gives a good account of themselves. Dennis Price gives a particularly good performance as the selfish, self-centered character out for only himself. Those wanting a harmless little British chiller will find this a nice effort.
7 years, 2 months ago
AKB48Fan added 1 item to The Good & The Bad - Movies Watched In 2017 list
Spanish cinema delivers once again with yet another thriller/mystery spectacular. The movie is superb! The way that every thriller should be: it leaves you lost, but arrives somewhere. And this place is beyond the obvious. The unwinding of the movie is fantastic, amazing and high quality. It does not disappoint at any time. I was surprised as the quality of the excellent climate of suspense. The final part is amazing, leaving the viewer with an open mouth. Do not pass up this movie, it really is that damn good.
7 years, 2 months ago