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Elli H Burton (1288 KP) rated Easy A (2010) in Movies
Jun 15, 2019
Promiscuous
Contains spoilers, click to show
So don't get me wrong I do enjoy this film, however it's something that I'll watch if it's on rather than seeking it out.
The story is okay, nothing particularly special especially theres so many films out there that have the whole 'rumour running away with you' plot lines. The plot progresses well but doesn't really have anything in it to want to keep watching, you're just coasting along with it as it were.
As a big Emma Stone fan, I'm gutted to say this doesn't do it for her unfortunately. Not saying her acting is bad, for the acting in the film as a whole is basic, no passion there. Emma is fab in films I've seen her in and this is no exception but with her talent she deserves a part with a bit more meat to it.
The good points is that it has it's funny moments, the story is alright to follow and can be relatable.
If you're having a chick flick'athon then this should be in there somewhere, I'd recommend a watch but it's not one I'd say go out and buy now.
The story is okay, nothing particularly special especially theres so many films out there that have the whole 'rumour running away with you' plot lines. The plot progresses well but doesn't really have anything in it to want to keep watching, you're just coasting along with it as it were.
As a big Emma Stone fan, I'm gutted to say this doesn't do it for her unfortunately. Not saying her acting is bad, for the acting in the film as a whole is basic, no passion there. Emma is fab in films I've seen her in and this is no exception but with her talent she deserves a part with a bit more meat to it.
The good points is that it has it's funny moments, the story is alright to follow and can be relatable.
If you're having a chick flick'athon then this should be in there somewhere, I'd recommend a watch but it's not one I'd say go out and buy now.
Barry Newman (204 KP) rated Superbad (2007) in Movies
Feb 9, 2020
First time I have seen this since it was released and I have to say it was a bit of a disappointment. It has some amusing moments but it wasn't nearly as funny as I remember , possibly due to me being 13 years older and my sense of humour not being quite so juvenile (maybe?). I found Jonah Hill's shouty and sweary character incredibly irritating and only laughed at him when he got hit by a car (as if Emma Stone would go anywhere near that). You can't help but like McLovin though and the best moments of the film involve his character and the crazy journey he takes. Plot wise it's pretty standard high school fare that has been done better a million times before in movies that better stand the test of time. Overall it's an easy watch but nothing to write home about.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) in Movies
Jan 22, 2021
I really enjoyed the original and far better Zombieland. It felt like a fun new take on a tired genre, it had a cast and director that cared and made it work, and it had that amazing Bill Murray section. Surprisingly, because it feels like yesterday, it took 10 years to make a sequel, by which time all the best ideas along these lines have been used up, everyone is older, wiser and less energetic (including the writers, who are also the same guys). It looks like they are trying to act like it’s fun, but no one has their heart in it, especially Emma Stone, who 100% phones in an uncharacteristically lacklustre performance. It is all just the same jokes, the same beats and the same ideas, only worse in every case. The character of Maddison, played by Zoey Deutch, attempts to create a new angle but is more annoying than funny. It is more or less watchable, I guess. But probably only once.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated La La Land (2016) in Movies
Nov 23, 2017
Don't understand the hype
I saw this first at the cinema and had such high hopes from all of the praise, and I really hated it. Having watched it again recently, I do appreciate it a little more now but it still doesn't deserve all the hype.
I love musicals, but this is not the right kind of musical. The songs and music are actually very good, but sadly there just isn't enough of them. Where's the people bursting into song every 5 minutes? I'm also not a fan of the old school musical, although i do appreciate why they've gone down this route.
Performance wise, I think Emma Stone does well and the dialogue between her and Ryan Gosling is quite funny and witty. Not too sure on Gosling, he seems to play the same character in everything and his singing voice isn't great. I also think JK Simmons is vastly underused, which is a shame as he's a fantastic actor.
Sadly not my kind of musical.
I love musicals, but this is not the right kind of musical. The songs and music are actually very good, but sadly there just isn't enough of them. Where's the people bursting into song every 5 minutes? I'm also not a fan of the old school musical, although i do appreciate why they've gone down this route.
Performance wise, I think Emma Stone does well and the dialogue between her and Ryan Gosling is quite funny and witty. Not too sure on Gosling, he seems to play the same character in everything and his singing voice isn't great. I also think JK Simmons is vastly underused, which is a shame as he's a fantastic actor.
Sadly not my kind of musical.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Ready or Not (2019) in Movies
Oct 3, 2019 (Updated Oct 3, 2019)
Knockabout horror comedy film probably deserves more credit for being reasonably successful at both genres. A young woman (Samara Weaving, who appears to be some kind of genetically-engineered hybrid of Emma Stone and Margot Robbie) marries into an extremely wealthy family and is told that, as part of a family tradition, she has to play hide and seek with them. Mildly amused by their funny little ways, she trips off to find a place to hide; unbeknownst to her, her new father-in-law starts handing out axes, crossbows and shotguns to the assembled brood.
It's a brilliant moment, and it's just a shame the publicity for the film spoils it; certainly most of the rest of the script is concerned with coming up with a back-story to justify it and a pay-off that isn't totally overshadowed by it. It just about manages it, though the film is more successful when it comes to delivering laughs than actual scares (it is pretty gory though). Good fun, anyway.
It's a brilliant moment, and it's just a shame the publicity for the film spoils it; certainly most of the rest of the script is concerned with coming up with a back-story to justify it and a pay-off that isn't totally overshadowed by it. It just about manages it, though the film is more successful when it comes to delivering laughs than actual scares (it is pretty gory though). Good fun, anyway.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Battle of the Sexes (2016) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Tennis and sex, but without the grunting.
Here’s a good test of someone’s age…. ask the question “Billie-Jean?”. Millennials will probably come back with “Huh?”; those in their 30’s or 40’s might come back with “Michael Jackson!”; those older than that will probably reply “King!”.
“Battle of the Sexes” (which I just managed to catch before it left cinemas) tells the true-life story of US tennis star Billie-Jean King (Emma Stone, “La La Land“). 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 – no not that one – King played by Austin Stowell (“Whiplash“, “Bridge of Spies“)); …. 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, “Birdman“, “Oblivion”).
But this is a side story: the main event is a bet made by aging ex-star Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher“); that – even at his age – 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 (“Everest“, “The Full Monty”). Surely men couldn’t have been so crass and outrageous in the 70’s? Sorry ladies, but the answer is yes, and the film is testament to how far women’s 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, “Leaving Las Vegas”) is both nuanced and heart-breaking. Stone’s 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 Actor’s Guild (SAG) “cast” awards that celebrate ensemble performances, and here is a film that should have been nominated (it unfortunately wasn’t). Andrea Riseborough; Natalie Morales (as fellow tennis player Rosie Casals); comedian Sarah Silverman (“A Million Ways to Die in the West“), almost unrecognisable as the brash publicist Gladys Heldman; Bill Pullman as LTA head Jack Kramer; the great Alan Cumming (“The Good Wife”) as the team’s flamboyant, gay, costume designer; Lewis Pullman as Riggs’s son Larry; Jessica McNamee (magnetic eyes!) as King’s Australian tennis nemesis Margaret Court. All bounce off the leads, and each other, just beautifully.
Cinematography by Linus Sandgren (“La La Land“) and editing by Pamela Martin (“Little Miss Sunshine”) 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 “girl-on-girl action” is pretty tastefully done and not overly graphic: it’s mostly “first-base” stuff rather than “third-base”!
“What a waste of a lovely night”. Marilyn (Andrea Riseborough) and Billie-Jean (Emma Stone) get serious.
Directed with panache by the co-directors of the 2006 smash “Little Miss Sunshine” – Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris – all in all it’s 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.
“Battle of the Sexes” (which I just managed to catch before it left cinemas) tells the true-life story of US tennis star Billie-Jean King (Emma Stone, “La La Land“). 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 – no not that one – King played by Austin Stowell (“Whiplash“, “Bridge of Spies“)); …. 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, “Birdman“, “Oblivion”).
But this is a side story: the main event is a bet made by aging ex-star Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher“); that – even at his age – 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 (“Everest“, “The Full Monty”). Surely men couldn’t have been so crass and outrageous in the 70’s? Sorry ladies, but the answer is yes, and the film is testament to how far women’s 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, “Leaving Las Vegas”) is both nuanced and heart-breaking. Stone’s 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 Actor’s Guild (SAG) “cast” awards that celebrate ensemble performances, and here is a film that should have been nominated (it unfortunately wasn’t). Andrea Riseborough; Natalie Morales (as fellow tennis player Rosie Casals); comedian Sarah Silverman (“A Million Ways to Die in the West“), almost unrecognisable as the brash publicist Gladys Heldman; Bill Pullman as LTA head Jack Kramer; the great Alan Cumming (“The Good Wife”) as the team’s flamboyant, gay, costume designer; Lewis Pullman as Riggs’s son Larry; Jessica McNamee (magnetic eyes!) as King’s Australian tennis nemesis Margaret Court. All bounce off the leads, and each other, just beautifully.
Cinematography by Linus Sandgren (“La La Land“) and editing by Pamela Martin (“Little Miss Sunshine”) 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 “girl-on-girl action” is pretty tastefully done and not overly graphic: it’s mostly “first-base” stuff rather than “third-base”!
“What a waste of a lovely night”. Marilyn (Andrea Riseborough) and Billie-Jean (Emma Stone) get serious.
Directed with panache by the co-directors of the 2006 smash “Little Miss Sunshine” – Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris – all in all it’s 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.
John Garrett (27 KP) rated La La Land (2016) in Movies
Jul 11, 2017
Cinematography (1 more)
The leads
The ending (1 more)
Pacing
A musical love letter for hollywood
this charming movie is an unashamedly nostalgic love letter to years of cinema gone. The musical numbers to the impromptu dance routines make this a throughly enjoyable film for lovers of film old and new.
the 2 leads in this film Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are superb. They both manage beautiful nuanced performances. They have fantastic chemistry as shown in previous films (crazy stupid love & gangster squad) but it really comes alive in this film.
the direction and cinematography of this movie is sometimes visually breathtaking. Damen Chiselle has proven what a versatile director he is with this movie and is willing to take a real risk.
where this movie does fall flat unfortunately is the pacing. At times the movie feels like it drags and could do with slimming out. At just over 2 hours this film is fairly long for a musical of modern standards. Also I felt the ending to be rather disjointed and jarring.
That being said I still found this movie to be absolutely charming and has a brilliant musical score you will be humming and whistling for days to come.
the 2 leads in this film Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are superb. They both manage beautiful nuanced performances. They have fantastic chemistry as shown in previous films (crazy stupid love & gangster squad) but it really comes alive in this film.
the direction and cinematography of this movie is sometimes visually breathtaking. Damen Chiselle has proven what a versatile director he is with this movie and is willing to take a real risk.
where this movie does fall flat unfortunately is the pacing. At times the movie feels like it drags and could do with slimming out. At just over 2 hours this film is fairly long for a musical of modern standards. Also I felt the ending to be rather disjointed and jarring.
That being said I still found this movie to be absolutely charming and has a brilliant musical score you will be humming and whistling for days to come.
Kieran Harvey (51 KP) rated La La Land (2016) in Movies
Jul 16, 2017
Acting is phenomenal (7 more)
Music is amazing
Deserved the award wins
Re watchable again and again
Ryan Gosling
The opening scene
One of the best dance scenes ever
Soundtrack
Didn't win best Picture at Oscars (1 more)
Ryan Gosling didn't win best actor
A fantastic movie that has very little faults
This movie was a weird one for me because I hate musicals so the thought of liking this movie had never crossed my mind. However I went in to see it and just by the opening I was hooked. Everything that happens is flawless and executed to perfection. I went back to see it the next day and again and again for a total of 10 times its that good. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are electric together and the levels of preparation they did for the roles is outstanding. Some of the finest acting and finest directing seen in a long time so it thoroughly deserved it's credit at the Oscars however it really should've been winner of Best Picture over Moonlight, A.K.A biggest fix in the history of Oscars ever.
If you haven't already, watch this movie and you won't be disappointed at all !
If you haven't already, watch this movie and you won't be disappointed at all !
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Battle of the Sexes (2016) in Movies
Oct 2, 2018
Interesting with some great acting
It's worrying to think that the events in this film happened in the 70s, and whilst a lot of things have changed, these sort of opinions towards women still haven't been completely eradicated. That said, this film does a great job with this particular story and as it's not one i knew much about, I found it really interesting.
Both Emma Stone and Steve Carell are fantastic in this. Carell especially is hilariously bonkers and engaging to watch. The story itself is fairly motivating, if not slightly depressing and disturbing regarding women's rights and treatment. I have no issue with any of the romantic side of this film, and I think knowing the motivations and backstory of the characters helps, however I felt some of the romance side was a little forced and could've been dealt with a little better. This could've been due to the excessive amount of close up camera shots that got a little unnerving after a while.
This is a good interesting film and definitely one to watch, although it's not one you'd ever need a repeat viewing of.
Both Emma Stone and Steve Carell are fantastic in this. Carell especially is hilariously bonkers and engaging to watch. The story itself is fairly motivating, if not slightly depressing and disturbing regarding women's rights and treatment. I have no issue with any of the romantic side of this film, and I think knowing the motivations and backstory of the characters helps, however I felt some of the romance side was a little forced and could've been dealt with a little better. This could've been due to the excessive amount of close up camera shots that got a little unnerving after a while.
This is a good interesting film and definitely one to watch, although it's not one you'd ever need a repeat viewing of.
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) in Movies
Apr 30, 2020
I am surprised at how much I liked this film. I think there is just as much to love as there is to hate - just like the first one - but I think the love outweighs a bit more! I think Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are what make this film. Their chemistry and their acting are incredible and one that can't be beaten by any other characters in this film.
The action scenes were fun to watch - Times Square, the power grid, the clock tower - but I do agree with some other reviewers in that it does start slow. Despite everything, I am really bummed that they didn't finish out the trilogy. My biggest pet peeve when it comes to film is when a studio starts a series and then doesn't finish it. I'd almost be happier to see it be done and be bad, than have it not be done at all. But what do I know?
I can't say I'll ever watch this film again unless I find myself weirdly craving Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man (which seems unlikely), but I am glad I watched it.
The action scenes were fun to watch - Times Square, the power grid, the clock tower - but I do agree with some other reviewers in that it does start slow. Despite everything, I am really bummed that they didn't finish out the trilogy. My biggest pet peeve when it comes to film is when a studio starts a series and then doesn't finish it. I'd almost be happier to see it be done and be bad, than have it not be done at all. But what do I know?
I can't say I'll ever watch this film again unless I find myself weirdly craving Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man (which seems unlikely), but I am glad I watched it.