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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Swallow (2019) in Movies
Jan 13, 2021 (Updated Jan 13, 2021)
To be fair, I'd rather swallow a screwdriver than hang out with rich white people too. Gorgeous, nasty, and mean - but never disrespectful. Medically accurate? Perhaps not, but these seldom ever are anyhow so what can you do? In fact I found this to be much more compelling and satisfying as a depiction of obnoxious old-money business whities having their perfect little synthetic image destroyed by people who refuse to shape themselves around it than a portrait of pica. As everyone has already pointed out, Austin Stowell and in particular Haley Bennett are just astounding - easily not only her best performance to date, but the type of galvanizing role that should propel her star-power vastly beyond just Jennifer Lawrence comparisons considering that this is way better work than anything J-Law has done in years anyhow (excluding đźđ°đ”đ©đŠđł! [I'm a simp for stupid, manic arthouse cinema I know you don't have to tell me]). Deeply, deeply, *deeply* unsettling - can pleasantly report that its reputation is as airtight as claimed. Super messy but I think that gives it more character tbh, and what an excellent use of music. A bit too on-the-nose at times but also the type of movie that's destined to be misinterpreted by morons everywhere.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Hating Game in Books
Feb 12, 2023
15 of 235
Book
The Hating Game
By Sally Thorne
âïž
Now a film starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell, globally bestselling author Sally Thorne's hilarious workplace comedy is all about the fine line between love and hate.
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman sit across from each other every day . . . and they hate each other.
Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. HATE. Lucy can't understand Joshua's joyless, uptight approach to his job and refusal to smile. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy's overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and desire to be liked.
Now they're up for the same promotion and Lucy, usually a determined people-pleaser, has had enough: it's time to take him down. But as the tension between Lucy and Joshua reaches its boiling point, it's clear that the real battle has only just begun . . .
I canât even try! The only reason I continued was because I had already DNFd 2 books this month. I donât trash books as we all like different things but my hod my brain was numb! It should not have taken me this long to read a basic book. Iâm so sorry to anyone who finds this not to their liking but Iâm glad itâs over!
Book
The Hating Game
By Sally Thorne
âïž
Now a film starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell, globally bestselling author Sally Thorne's hilarious workplace comedy is all about the fine line between love and hate.
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman sit across from each other every day . . . and they hate each other.
Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. HATE. Lucy can't understand Joshua's joyless, uptight approach to his job and refusal to smile. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy's overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and desire to be liked.
Now they're up for the same promotion and Lucy, usually a determined people-pleaser, has had enough: it's time to take him down. But as the tension between Lucy and Joshua reaches its boiling point, it's clear that the real battle has only just begun . . .
I canât even try! The only reason I continued was because I had already DNFd 2 books this month. I donât trash books as we all like different things but my hod my brain was numb! It should not have taken me this long to read a basic book. Iâm so sorry to anyone who finds this not to their liking but Iâm glad itâs over!
Gareth von Kallenbach (962 KP) rated Bridge of Spies (2015) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
In the 1950s the world was locked in the midst of the Cold War where paranoia, mutual distrust, and fear, combined with the threat of nuclear annihilation between the United States and Soviet Union. In âBridge of Spiesâ Director Steven Spielberg has once again used history as a basis for a compelling story filled with real characters and emotions.
When suspected spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), is arrested New York Tax Attorney James Donovan (Tom Hanks) is asked to provide Abel with a competent defense so the United States can show the world that Abel was given a fair trial and due process despite the charges against him.
Although hesitant what defending an accused spy will bring hatred to him and his family, Donovan takes up the task and despite a judge and process that wants to railroad this to a conviction in spite of possible illegal search and seizure, Donovan is able to avoid the death penalty for his client and even files an appeal before the Supreme Court as he is convinced his client was convicted on evidence that was illegally obtained.
At the same time, a young Air Force pilot named Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell), is shot down by the Russians in a U-2 spy plane and is paraded by the Russians on television before being convicted of being a Spy.
This situation increases and already tense situation and when the East German government starts to build the Berlin Wall and takes an American student prisoner for espionage, back channels contact Donovan to discuss a possible exchange of prisoners.
Now since this cannot be done by any official sanction of the U.S. or Russian governments, Donovan must in secret travel to Berlin and meet with figures to obtain a release. The U.S. wants Powers and considers the student an expendable throw in but Donovan is resolute to bring them both home in exchange for his client Abel.
The film is beautifully shot and masterfully acted with top performance by Hanks and the leads. The events are fairly close to the historical accounts I studied as a child and Spielberg is wise to let the story and the characters drive the film and not create over impassioned speeches or tacked on action sequences to build the drama.
The film is an early contender for several Oscar nominations as far as I am concerned as is one of the best movies of 2015.
http://sknr.net/2015/10/16/bridge-of-spies/
When suspected spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), is arrested New York Tax Attorney James Donovan (Tom Hanks) is asked to provide Abel with a competent defense so the United States can show the world that Abel was given a fair trial and due process despite the charges against him.
Although hesitant what defending an accused spy will bring hatred to him and his family, Donovan takes up the task and despite a judge and process that wants to railroad this to a conviction in spite of possible illegal search and seizure, Donovan is able to avoid the death penalty for his client and even files an appeal before the Supreme Court as he is convinced his client was convicted on evidence that was illegally obtained.
At the same time, a young Air Force pilot named Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell), is shot down by the Russians in a U-2 spy plane and is paraded by the Russians on television before being convicted of being a Spy.
This situation increases and already tense situation and when the East German government starts to build the Berlin Wall and takes an American student prisoner for espionage, back channels contact Donovan to discuss a possible exchange of prisoners.
Now since this cannot be done by any official sanction of the U.S. or Russian governments, Donovan must in secret travel to Berlin and meet with figures to obtain a release. The U.S. wants Powers and considers the student an expendable throw in but Donovan is resolute to bring them both home in exchange for his client Abel.
The film is beautifully shot and masterfully acted with top performance by Hanks and the leads. The events are fairly close to the historical accounts I studied as a child and Spielberg is wise to let the story and the characters drive the film and not create over impassioned speeches or tacked on action sequences to build the drama.
The film is an early contender for several Oscar nominations as far as I am concerned as is one of the best movies of 2015.
http://sknr.net/2015/10/16/bridge-of-spies/
Gareth von Kallenbach (962 KP) rated Colossal (2016) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is out all night drinking and comes home to her boyfriend Tim (Dan Stevens). Tim is headed to work and tired of Gloriaâs partying ways. Heâs packed her bags and tells her to not be there when he comes home from work. With no job, no place to live, and her life seemingly in at its low point she decided to go back to her home town. She is able to stay in her childhood home which is empty and she finds herself sleeping on the floor. Gloria heads out to get an air mattress to make her a little more comfortable. On her way back she runs into a childhood friend Oscar (Jason Sudeikis). He invites her to the bar he owns and despite the fact drinking ruined her relationship and is the reason she finds herself in this position she agrees.
Gloria winds up spending all night drinking with Oscar and his buddies. She stumbles home and passes out. She is awoken the next day by a phone call telling her about a giant monster that has appeared in Seoul. Gloria, Oscar and his two friends (Tim Blake and Austin Stowell) meet up again that night to talk about the Earth shaking event and wind up drinking all night, again. Gloria wakes up in the morning and again the monster appears in Seoul. It showed up at the exact time and the exact same spot in Seoul. As Gloria watches the footage of the newest sighting a strange thing occurs, the monster scratches its head in a very familiar way. Ever since Gloria was little she had a tick of scratching the top of her head in a particular way. Now on TV the monster is doing the same thing. She looks at the footage from the last sighting and notices that the monster looks to be carrying something, exactly like she was carrying the mattress she bought the morning before through the park. Is she the monster? If she is why is it only appearing in Seoul?
Colossal is a very interesting and original take on the âmonsterâ movie. I hesitate to describe any more of the movie in the narrative because I really was surprised by the direction the movie took and think anyone why watches it should not have a preconceived idea of what is going to happen. Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis are real good. Sudeikis really surprised me in his role. It wasnât his typical character and I thought he played it really well. The supporting cast is okay but not particularly memorable. But the story really was focused on the two main characters. I thought the film was funny and dark. I definitely laughed throughout the film. There were times I questioned where the story was going. It didnât transition from one point to the next very well. But I thought it did a good job of bringing everything together in the end. The visuals were good but not great but that is to be expected with an independent film. Another thing I will remember from this film was the soundtrack. The music seem to really follow the tone of the movie well.
This is a movie I will definitely find myself watching again. The story was interesting and, minus some sloppy plot transitions, was really well done.
Gloria winds up spending all night drinking with Oscar and his buddies. She stumbles home and passes out. She is awoken the next day by a phone call telling her about a giant monster that has appeared in Seoul. Gloria, Oscar and his two friends (Tim Blake and Austin Stowell) meet up again that night to talk about the Earth shaking event and wind up drinking all night, again. Gloria wakes up in the morning and again the monster appears in Seoul. It showed up at the exact time and the exact same spot in Seoul. As Gloria watches the footage of the newest sighting a strange thing occurs, the monster scratches its head in a very familiar way. Ever since Gloria was little she had a tick of scratching the top of her head in a particular way. Now on TV the monster is doing the same thing. She looks at the footage from the last sighting and notices that the monster looks to be carrying something, exactly like she was carrying the mattress she bought the morning before through the park. Is she the monster? If she is why is it only appearing in Seoul?
Colossal is a very interesting and original take on the âmonsterâ movie. I hesitate to describe any more of the movie in the narrative because I really was surprised by the direction the movie took and think anyone why watches it should not have a preconceived idea of what is going to happen. Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis are real good. Sudeikis really surprised me in his role. It wasnât his typical character and I thought he played it really well. The supporting cast is okay but not particularly memorable. But the story really was focused on the two main characters. I thought the film was funny and dark. I definitely laughed throughout the film. There were times I questioned where the story was going. It didnât transition from one point to the next very well. But I thought it did a good job of bringing everything together in the end. The visuals were good but not great but that is to be expected with an independent film. Another thing I will remember from this film was the soundtrack. The music seem to really follow the tone of the movie well.
This is a movie I will definitely find myself watching again. The story was interesting and, minus some sloppy plot transitions, was really well done.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Battle of the Sexes (2016) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Tennis and sex, but without the grunting.
Hereâs a good test of someoneâs ageâŠ. ask the question âBillie-Jean?â. Millennials will probably come back with âHuh?â; those in their 30âs or 40âs might come back with âMichael Jackson!â; those older than that will probably reply âKing!â.
âBattle of the Sexesâ (which I just managed to catch before it left cinemas) tells the true-life story of US tennis star Billie-Jean King (Emma Stone, âLa La Landâ). The year is 1973 and Billie-Jean is riding high as the Number 1 female tennis player. She is a feminist; she is married (to hunk Larry â no not that one â King played by Austin Stowell (âWhiplashâ, âBridge of Spiesâ)); âŠ. and she is also attracted to women, not something she has yet acted on. That all changes when her path crosses with LA-hairdresser Marilyn (Andrea Riseborough, âBirdmanâ, âOblivionâ).
But this is a side story: the main event is a bet made by aging ex-star Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell, âFoxcatcherâ); that â even at his age â as a man he could beat the leading female tennis player of the day.
The film is gloriously retro, starting with the old-school 20th Century Fox production logo. And it contains breathtakingly sexist dialogue by writer Simon Beaufoy (âEverestâ, âThe Full Montyâ). Surely men couldnât have been so crass and outrageous in the 70âs? Sorry ladies, but the answer is yes, and the film is testament to how far womenâs rights have come in 50 years.
This is a tour de force in acting from both Emma Stone and Steve Carell, particularly the latter: a scene where Carell tries to re-engage with his estranged wife (Elisabeth Shue, âLeaving Las Vegasâ) is both nuanced and heart-breaking. Stoneâs performance is also praiseworthy, although it feels slightly less so as it is an impersonation of a (relatively) well-known figure: this is extremely well-studied though, right down to her strutting walk around the court which I had both forgotten and was immediately again reminded of.
One of my favourite movie awards are the Screen Actorâs Guild (SAG) âcastâ awards that celebrate ensemble performances, and here is a film that should have been nominated (it unfortunately wasnât). Andrea Riseborough; Natalie Morales (as fellow tennis player Rosie Casals); comedian Sarah Silverman (âA Million Ways to Die in the Westâ), almost unrecognisable as the brash publicist Gladys Heldman; Bill Pullman as LTA head Jack Kramer; the great Alan Cumming (âThe Good Wifeâ) as the teamâs flamboyant, gay, costume designer; Lewis Pullman as Riggsâs son Larry; Jessica McNamee (magnetic eyes!) as Kingâs Australian tennis nemesis Margaret Court. All bounce off the leads, and each other, just beautifully.
Cinematography by Linus Sandgren (âLa La Landâ) and editing by Pamela Martin (âLittle Miss Sunshineâ) unite to deliver one of the most sexually charged haircuts you are ever likely to see on the screen. For those put off by this aspect of the storyline, the âgirl-on-girl actionâ is pretty tastefully done and not overly graphic: itâs mostly âfirst-baseâ stuff rather than âthird-baseâ!
âWhat a waste of a lovely nightâ. Marilyn (Andrea Riseborough) and Billie-Jean (Emma Stone) get serious.
Directed with panache by the co-directors of the 2006 smash âLittle Miss Sunshineâ â Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris â all in all itâs a delight, especially for older audiences who will get a blast of nostalgia from days when sports were still played at a slightly more leisurely pace⊠and definitely without the grunting.
âBattle of the Sexesâ (which I just managed to catch before it left cinemas) tells the true-life story of US tennis star Billie-Jean King (Emma Stone, âLa La Landâ). The year is 1973 and Billie-Jean is riding high as the Number 1 female tennis player. She is a feminist; she is married (to hunk Larry â no not that one â King played by Austin Stowell (âWhiplashâ, âBridge of Spiesâ)); âŠ. and she is also attracted to women, not something she has yet acted on. That all changes when her path crosses with LA-hairdresser Marilyn (Andrea Riseborough, âBirdmanâ, âOblivionâ).
But this is a side story: the main event is a bet made by aging ex-star Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell, âFoxcatcherâ); that â even at his age â as a man he could beat the leading female tennis player of the day.
The film is gloriously retro, starting with the old-school 20th Century Fox production logo. And it contains breathtakingly sexist dialogue by writer Simon Beaufoy (âEverestâ, âThe Full Montyâ). Surely men couldnât have been so crass and outrageous in the 70âs? Sorry ladies, but the answer is yes, and the film is testament to how far womenâs rights have come in 50 years.
This is a tour de force in acting from both Emma Stone and Steve Carell, particularly the latter: a scene where Carell tries to re-engage with his estranged wife (Elisabeth Shue, âLeaving Las Vegasâ) is both nuanced and heart-breaking. Stoneâs performance is also praiseworthy, although it feels slightly less so as it is an impersonation of a (relatively) well-known figure: this is extremely well-studied though, right down to her strutting walk around the court which I had both forgotten and was immediately again reminded of.
One of my favourite movie awards are the Screen Actorâs Guild (SAG) âcastâ awards that celebrate ensemble performances, and here is a film that should have been nominated (it unfortunately wasnât). Andrea Riseborough; Natalie Morales (as fellow tennis player Rosie Casals); comedian Sarah Silverman (âA Million Ways to Die in the Westâ), almost unrecognisable as the brash publicist Gladys Heldman; Bill Pullman as LTA head Jack Kramer; the great Alan Cumming (âThe Good Wifeâ) as the teamâs flamboyant, gay, costume designer; Lewis Pullman as Riggsâs son Larry; Jessica McNamee (magnetic eyes!) as Kingâs Australian tennis nemesis Margaret Court. All bounce off the leads, and each other, just beautifully.
Cinematography by Linus Sandgren (âLa La Landâ) and editing by Pamela Martin (âLittle Miss Sunshineâ) unite to deliver one of the most sexually charged haircuts you are ever likely to see on the screen. For those put off by this aspect of the storyline, the âgirl-on-girl actionâ is pretty tastefully done and not overly graphic: itâs mostly âfirst-baseâ stuff rather than âthird-baseâ!
âWhat a waste of a lovely nightâ. Marilyn (Andrea Riseborough) and Billie-Jean (Emma Stone) get serious.
Directed with panache by the co-directors of the 2006 smash âLittle Miss Sunshineâ â Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris â all in all itâs a delight, especially for older audiences who will get a blast of nostalgia from days when sports were still played at a slightly more leisurely pace⊠and definitely without the grunting.
Gareth von Kallenbach (962 KP) rated Whiplash (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Well, I mustâve done something to incur this kind of karma recently ⊠My editors have been assigning me some excellent films this past month and this one is another on that string âŠ
intensity, drive, and jazz combine to form the synopsis of this latest film. âWhiplashâ is a dramatic âjazz thrillerâ which premiered at 2014 Sundance film festival back in January and instantly received several awards and critical acclaim before hit the theaters earlier this October.
Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, âWhiplashâ stars Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist, Paul Reiser, Jayson Blair, Austin Stowell, and Kavita Patil.
At a music conservatory where the competition could be compared to a âdog-eat-dogâ philosophy, Andrew Neyman (Teller) is a promising young drummer, willing to sacrifice his personal life and nearly everything else with his ultimate goal of becoming one of the great jazz drummers in memory. Having fallen under the eye of Terence Fletcher (Simmons), an almost insane and ruthless music conductor who notices the young music prodigyâs talent and becomes the drummerâs mentor.
Assigning Neyman as 2nd then 1st chair, Fletcher at first calmly nurtures the drummer prodigy but then pulls a complete 180 berating Neyman and very nearly assaulting him with a drum cymbal and reassigns him to 2nd chair. Later, at a jazz competition where the 1st chairs music was lost and Neyman âsaves the dayâ by playing the entire music set from memory Fletcher assigns him to 1st chair as a reward only to reassign him a few days later and replace him with another âsupposedâ drummer prodigy. All the while, Neyman is devoting all his energies and thought to his drumming to the point of boarding on a nervous breakdown and injury âŠ. even ending his relationship with his girlfriend. Throughout all these events Fletcher continues his villainous and tyrannical treatment of Neyman all in an effort to inspire him to realize his true potential âŠ. the potential that Fletcher believes Neyman possess.
I mentioned âintensityâ and âdriveâ at the beginning of this review âŠ. Those two key words âŠ.
are what this film created. The drive of Neyman and the intensity of his mentor Fletcher âŠ.
Perhaps itâs the other way around? When the movie ends, you left with the same feeling you might imagine if you tried a 5 shot espresso. This film shows how much music (in this case jazz) can affect an individual. How anyoneâs true passion can push someone beyond what is would be described as normal.
Teller and Simmons had the rare good fortunes as far as the casting in which they could both be the lead actors in this film where the intensity is magnified by the reaction of the otherâs volatile attitude from one minute to the next. It was like watching a violent chemical reaction unfold in a science lab. You almost found yourself wanting to duck for cover when Neyman and Fletcher started fuming at each other. At the apex of this volatile relationship was the goal of realizing Neymanâs potential again, it was all about the drive and the intensity.
Despite the films praise, it has not been without criticism âŠ. In recent edition of Slate, an internet culture and current affairs magazine, Forrest Wickman accused the film of distorting and misinterpreting an anecdote regarding legendary jazz composer and saxophonist Charlie Parker. Both main characters Fletcher and Neyman mention that drummer Jo Jones threw a cymbal at the teenaged Parkerâs head as retaliation for Parkerâs supposedly losing the beat of the composition they were performing in Count Basieâs band during a 1930s performance. According to Wickman, âJones didnât throw the cymbal at Parkerâs head. He threw it at the floor near his feet, âgongingâ him off. It wasnât an episode of physical abuse.â Jones was upset at Parkerâs failure to change key with the rest of the band NOT losing the beat.
Alas, there is a an occurrence of the dreaded âartistic licenseâ in the film. And although itâs disappointing to see such an excellent film âalter historyâ in order to better meld with the filmâs script/premise the movie was so well done that I kind of let that slip by. If the performances by Teller and Simmons arenât enough to convince you ⊠At least go for the music! If youâre into ârealâ jazz and not the âStarbucks Coffeehouse Crapâ that J.K. Simmons refers to in the film, then âWhiplashâ is definitely a film worth checking out. Definitely NOT one for the kids as there is A LOT of foul adult language in the film. Once again, Iâm going to give this film 4 out of 5 stars.
intensity, drive, and jazz combine to form the synopsis of this latest film. âWhiplashâ is a dramatic âjazz thrillerâ which premiered at 2014 Sundance film festival back in January and instantly received several awards and critical acclaim before hit the theaters earlier this October.
Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, âWhiplashâ stars Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist, Paul Reiser, Jayson Blair, Austin Stowell, and Kavita Patil.
At a music conservatory where the competition could be compared to a âdog-eat-dogâ philosophy, Andrew Neyman (Teller) is a promising young drummer, willing to sacrifice his personal life and nearly everything else with his ultimate goal of becoming one of the great jazz drummers in memory. Having fallen under the eye of Terence Fletcher (Simmons), an almost insane and ruthless music conductor who notices the young music prodigyâs talent and becomes the drummerâs mentor.
Assigning Neyman as 2nd then 1st chair, Fletcher at first calmly nurtures the drummer prodigy but then pulls a complete 180 berating Neyman and very nearly assaulting him with a drum cymbal and reassigns him to 2nd chair. Later, at a jazz competition where the 1st chairs music was lost and Neyman âsaves the dayâ by playing the entire music set from memory Fletcher assigns him to 1st chair as a reward only to reassign him a few days later and replace him with another âsupposedâ drummer prodigy. All the while, Neyman is devoting all his energies and thought to his drumming to the point of boarding on a nervous breakdown and injury âŠ. even ending his relationship with his girlfriend. Throughout all these events Fletcher continues his villainous and tyrannical treatment of Neyman all in an effort to inspire him to realize his true potential âŠ. the potential that Fletcher believes Neyman possess.
I mentioned âintensityâ and âdriveâ at the beginning of this review âŠ. Those two key words âŠ.
are what this film created. The drive of Neyman and the intensity of his mentor Fletcher âŠ.
Perhaps itâs the other way around? When the movie ends, you left with the same feeling you might imagine if you tried a 5 shot espresso. This film shows how much music (in this case jazz) can affect an individual. How anyoneâs true passion can push someone beyond what is would be described as normal.
Teller and Simmons had the rare good fortunes as far as the casting in which they could both be the lead actors in this film where the intensity is magnified by the reaction of the otherâs volatile attitude from one minute to the next. It was like watching a violent chemical reaction unfold in a science lab. You almost found yourself wanting to duck for cover when Neyman and Fletcher started fuming at each other. At the apex of this volatile relationship was the goal of realizing Neymanâs potential again, it was all about the drive and the intensity.
Despite the films praise, it has not been without criticism âŠ. In recent edition of Slate, an internet culture and current affairs magazine, Forrest Wickman accused the film of distorting and misinterpreting an anecdote regarding legendary jazz composer and saxophonist Charlie Parker. Both main characters Fletcher and Neyman mention that drummer Jo Jones threw a cymbal at the teenaged Parkerâs head as retaliation for Parkerâs supposedly losing the beat of the composition they were performing in Count Basieâs band during a 1930s performance. According to Wickman, âJones didnât throw the cymbal at Parkerâs head. He threw it at the floor near his feet, âgongingâ him off. It wasnât an episode of physical abuse.â Jones was upset at Parkerâs failure to change key with the rest of the band NOT losing the beat.
Alas, there is a an occurrence of the dreaded âartistic licenseâ in the film. And although itâs disappointing to see such an excellent film âalter historyâ in order to better meld with the filmâs script/premise the movie was so well done that I kind of let that slip by. If the performances by Teller and Simmons arenât enough to convince you ⊠At least go for the music! If youâre into ârealâ jazz and not the âStarbucks Coffeehouse Crapâ that J.K. Simmons refers to in the film, then âWhiplashâ is definitely a film worth checking out. Definitely NOT one for the kids as there is A LOT of foul adult language in the film. Once again, Iâm going to give this film 4 out of 5 stars.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Colossal (2016) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
A Marvel-ous Indie Movie
Well!! Iâve been really surprised (in a good way) by two films this year, and both have involved monsters (the first being âA Monster Callsâ back in January).
Itâs really difficult to categorise âColossalâ â imdb classes it as a âComedy, Action, Dramaâ. Comedy? Yes, but itâs a very dark comedy indeed. Action? Hmm, not really⊠if you go to this expecting âGodzilla 2â or some polished Marvel-style film (not that I was!) you will be sorely disappointed. Drama? This is probably the nearest match, since at its heart this is a clever study on the people and relationships at the heart of a bizarre Sci-Fi event.
Anne Hathaway (âLes Miserablesâ) stars as Gloria, a borderline alcoholic-waster sponging off the good-natured but controlling Tim (Dan Stevens, âBeauty and the Beastâ) in his New York apartment. When Timâs patience finally runs out, Gloria returns to her hometown to an empty house and the attentions of a former school friend, bar owner Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), who clearly holds an unhealthy fascination with her. Borrowing an idea from âA Monster Callsâ, at a specific time in the US morning a huge monster appears from thin air in Seoul, South Korea, killing people and smashing buildings in a seemingly uncoordinated and random way. Bizarrely, this only happens when Gloria is standing at a particular spot in a particular kidâs playground. Could the two events possibly be related?
I always like to categorize films in my head as being âlikeâ others, but this oneâs really difficult to pin down. It borrows its main premise from a famous scene in âE.T.â (indeed one also involving alcohol) but the filmâs fantasy elements and dark undertones have more similarities in style to âJumanjiâ. Then again, there are elements of the Kaufman about it in that it is as weird in some places as âBeing John Malkovichâ.
The film stays on âWhimsical Streetâ for the first half of the film, but then takes a sharp left turn into âDark Avenueâ (and for âdarkâ read âextremely black and sinisterâ). It then becomes a far more uncomfortable watch for the viewer. The metaphor of the monster for Gloriaâs growing addiction is clear, but emerging themes of control, jealousy, violent bullying and small-town social entrapment also emerge.
Here the acting talents of Hathaway and Sudeikis really come to the fore: heavyweight Hollywood talent adding some significant âoomphâ to what is a fairly modest indie project. Hathaway is in kooky mode here, gurning to great comic effect, and this adds warmth to a not particularly likeable character. And Sudeikis (more commonly seen in lighter and frothier comedies like âWeâre the Millersâ and âHorrible Bossesâ) is a surprise in the role delivering some real acting grit.
The writer and director is Spaniard Nacho Vigalondo. No, me neither. But he seems to have come from nowhere to deliver this high profile cinema release, and it would not be a surprise for me to see this nominated as an original screenplay come the awards season. His quirky style is refreshing. (Hell, delivering ANY novel new summer movie that is not part of a franchise or TV re-boot is refreshing!)
The filmâs not perfect, and its disjointed style can be unsettling. While the lead characters are quite well defined, others are less so. Joel in particular, played by Austin Stowell (âWhiplashâ, âBridge of Spiesâ), is such an irritating doormat of a character that you just want to thump him yelling âDo Something you wimpâ to his face!
I am normally the first to pick scientific holes in a story, but here the story is so âout thereâ that the details become irrelevant, and â like âGuardians of the Galaxy Vol 2â â the film revels in its absurdity. (There is however a jumbo jet sized hole in the plot if you think about it!) But some of the moments of revelation (particularly one set in a wood) are brilliantly done and you are never quite sure where the film is going to go next. I was concerned that the ending would not live up to the promise of the film, but I was not disappointed.
Like âA Monster Callsâ the film will probably suffer at the box office by its marketing confusing the audience. People will assume itâs possibly a âmonster movieâ or maybe a piece of comedy fluff (particularly with Sudeikis in the cast), but in reality itâs neither of these. It wonât be to everyoneâs tastes for sure, but in the bland desert of mainstream movie releases, here is an oasis of something interesting and novel and in my book definitely worthy of your movie dollar. Recommended.
Itâs really difficult to categorise âColossalâ â imdb classes it as a âComedy, Action, Dramaâ. Comedy? Yes, but itâs a very dark comedy indeed. Action? Hmm, not really⊠if you go to this expecting âGodzilla 2â or some polished Marvel-style film (not that I was!) you will be sorely disappointed. Drama? This is probably the nearest match, since at its heart this is a clever study on the people and relationships at the heart of a bizarre Sci-Fi event.
Anne Hathaway (âLes Miserablesâ) stars as Gloria, a borderline alcoholic-waster sponging off the good-natured but controlling Tim (Dan Stevens, âBeauty and the Beastâ) in his New York apartment. When Timâs patience finally runs out, Gloria returns to her hometown to an empty house and the attentions of a former school friend, bar owner Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), who clearly holds an unhealthy fascination with her. Borrowing an idea from âA Monster Callsâ, at a specific time in the US morning a huge monster appears from thin air in Seoul, South Korea, killing people and smashing buildings in a seemingly uncoordinated and random way. Bizarrely, this only happens when Gloria is standing at a particular spot in a particular kidâs playground. Could the two events possibly be related?
I always like to categorize films in my head as being âlikeâ others, but this oneâs really difficult to pin down. It borrows its main premise from a famous scene in âE.T.â (indeed one also involving alcohol) but the filmâs fantasy elements and dark undertones have more similarities in style to âJumanjiâ. Then again, there are elements of the Kaufman about it in that it is as weird in some places as âBeing John Malkovichâ.
The film stays on âWhimsical Streetâ for the first half of the film, but then takes a sharp left turn into âDark Avenueâ (and for âdarkâ read âextremely black and sinisterâ). It then becomes a far more uncomfortable watch for the viewer. The metaphor of the monster for Gloriaâs growing addiction is clear, but emerging themes of control, jealousy, violent bullying and small-town social entrapment also emerge.
Here the acting talents of Hathaway and Sudeikis really come to the fore: heavyweight Hollywood talent adding some significant âoomphâ to what is a fairly modest indie project. Hathaway is in kooky mode here, gurning to great comic effect, and this adds warmth to a not particularly likeable character. And Sudeikis (more commonly seen in lighter and frothier comedies like âWeâre the Millersâ and âHorrible Bossesâ) is a surprise in the role delivering some real acting grit.
The writer and director is Spaniard Nacho Vigalondo. No, me neither. But he seems to have come from nowhere to deliver this high profile cinema release, and it would not be a surprise for me to see this nominated as an original screenplay come the awards season. His quirky style is refreshing. (Hell, delivering ANY novel new summer movie that is not part of a franchise or TV re-boot is refreshing!)
The filmâs not perfect, and its disjointed style can be unsettling. While the lead characters are quite well defined, others are less so. Joel in particular, played by Austin Stowell (âWhiplashâ, âBridge of Spiesâ), is such an irritating doormat of a character that you just want to thump him yelling âDo Something you wimpâ to his face!
I am normally the first to pick scientific holes in a story, but here the story is so âout thereâ that the details become irrelevant, and â like âGuardians of the Galaxy Vol 2â â the film revels in its absurdity. (There is however a jumbo jet sized hole in the plot if you think about it!) But some of the moments of revelation (particularly one set in a wood) are brilliantly done and you are never quite sure where the film is going to go next. I was concerned that the ending would not live up to the promise of the film, but I was not disappointed.
Like âA Monster Callsâ the film will probably suffer at the box office by its marketing confusing the audience. People will assume itâs possibly a âmonster movieâ or maybe a piece of comedy fluff (particularly with Sudeikis in the cast), but in reality itâs neither of these. It wonât be to everyoneâs tastes for sure, but in the bland desert of mainstream movie releases, here is an oasis of something interesting and novel and in my book definitely worthy of your movie dollar. Recommended.