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Miller's Crossing (1990)
Miller's Crossing (1990)
1990 | Drama, Mystery
9
8.2 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Gabriel byrne (1 more)
Marica gave harden
One I watched last night Brilliant gangster movie from the Cohen brothers I've seen this numerous times now I've watched it in HD and it looks as good as it did originally its beautiful to watch violent yes but still a good watch
  
Hereditary (2018)
Hereditary (2018)
2018 | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Not even gabriel byrne can save this movie
Hereditary- at first looked good from the trailers, but the trailers mislead sometimes. The trailers really mislead this movie. Overall some parts were good, others were bad. It seem like the first half was slow and the second part really jumped over 10.

One of my favorite actors gabriel byrne who by the way is a fair underrated actor couldnt even save this movie.

Im not sure, who this movie is for?

Is it for people who like these films....
1. The lobster
2. The killing of a sacred deer
3. Mother!
4. The cell

If so this movie is for you. Its weird, creepy to watch and overall disappointed.
  
40x40

Andy K (10821 KP) Jul 19, 2019

I LOVE all the films you have listed above! 😊

Stigmata (1999)
Stigmata (1999)
1999 | Drama, Horror
10
6.8 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I was mesmerised by this film. I have watched it and rewatched it and am always engrossed. Patricia Arquette is amazing and I personally find her captivating. Gabriel Byrne is also incredible. The story line is interesting and the way it is written makes it believable. This film is in my all time Top Five.
  
Stigmata (1999)
Stigmata (1999)
1999 | Drama, Horror
4
6.8 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The Cross
So i watched this movie once, and i wasnt sure what to think about it, im not sure it was to be horrorfying or scary or terrorfying, cause it wasnt. Like i said in my "End of Days" review i fell bad for Gabriel Bryne, cause he is a great actor but he is so underrated.

The plot: A young woman with no strong religious beliefs, Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette) begins having strange and violent experiences, showing signs of the wounds that Jesus received when crucified. When the Vatican gets word of Frankie's situation, a high-ranking cardinal (Jonathan Pryce) requests that the Rev. Andrew Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne) investigate her case. Soon Kiernan realizes that very sinister forces are at work, and tries to rescue Frankie from the entity that is plaguing her.

Its a okay movie, not the greatest.
  
The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
1998 | Action, Drama
Late 90's drama, apparently based on the final of Alexandre Dumas's D'Artagnan Romances "Ten Years Later", and purporting to answer the mystery behind who was the real Man in the Iron Mask.

Yes, there was such a figure.

No, there's no historical evidence that he wore the mask 24/7, or that he was locked up in squalor.

This has an impressive cast list, including the likes of John Malkovich (Athos), Gérard Depardieu (Porthos), Jeremy Irons (Aramis), Gabriel Byrne (D'Artagnan) and a still-very-young Leonardo Di Caprio (Philippe/Louis) - who was then very much still in his 'pretty boy' phase - but the film just never really seems to 'take off' at all.
  
Dead Man (1995)
Dead Man (1995)
1995 | Drama, Western
Johnny Depp (3 more)
Gay Farmer
Black and white beauty
Cool guitar soundtrack by Neil Young
Indie Western Wizardry
Seemingly meek & mild William Blake (Depp) travels from Cleveland to the town of Machine, with all his hopes pinned to taking up a a promised position as an accountant. Soon after arriving he finds the job already taken and his path taking an unexpected and deadly turn, that leads him into the spirit world of Nobody, his new and strange Indian friend.
This film is a little dark, alot violent, pretty mysterious and atmospheric. As well as the amazing work of Depp and Farmer, there is a star studded cost including, Robert Mitchum, John Hurt, Gabriel Byrne, Billy Bob Thornton & Iggy Pop to name a few. Depp is nothing less than brilliant as he evades those hunting him down and as he follows Nobody deeper and deeper into his unusual world.
  
Hereditary (2018)
Hereditary (2018)
2018 | Drama, Horror, Mystery
it made no sense and went from one thing to another (0 more)
What Genre was this supposed to be
Contains spoilers, click to show
We had seen this on Netflix and as it was down as a supernatural film we thought we would give it a go. It is over 2 hours and to be honest the first 75 minutes literally dragged, so much that we had to stop half way through to make a drink to stay awake. Gabriel Byrne is wasted in this as he is a very talented actor with such credits as Stigmata and End of Days but this failed to come close to any of those. Its a basic cult, resurrection film that doesn't even begin to look like it is until about twenty minutes to go. Its convoluted and has more plots that most Bruce Willis films. All in all i would not watch this if you are looking for a scary supernatural film. Its mre a toned down rosemary's baby type of thing.
  
Hereditary (2018)
Hereditary (2018)
2018 | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Toni. Toni. Toni. (0 more)
The unexplored and unexplained (0 more)
Irving Did it Better
Contains spoilers, click to show
Couldn’t write a proper heading without mentioning the headless. I enjoy all incarnations of Sleepy Hollow and Alice in Wonderland better than this half-developed plot. Like Gabriel Byrne, the movie had so much potential, but what exactly is it doing there? They could have gotten a bargain actor for all the lack of dialogue Byrne’s character had. And the creepy little girl could have been used so much more as a jump scare and plot device, she was decapitated so early on that it seemed pointless. It was a long movie but it didn’t focus on one horrific vision, it was really kind of all over the place. There was a heavy creepiness factor in certain scenes that could have been explored more, like during the fun and funky family seance. Toni Collette’s performance was very compelling, however. It finally unified a bit at the end but I found it anticlimactic. And a bit less focused on the hereditary and more about bringing back some rando hell lord.
  
Hereditary (2018)
Hereditary (2018)
2018 | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Laughable
For me, the hardest genre of film to get right is horror. In short order the filmmaker needs to set up the premise and "rules of engagement" of the world that is being presented and then execute incredulous situations and predicaments in such a way that are plausible and tense.

Only a small amount (let's say 10% to be generous) gets this balance right. 80% of the time, they fall short and either the film is boring or (more often) turns into a "gore-fest". And...in the bottom 10% are the films where they miss so spectacularly that you are entertained by how ridiculous and over-the-top things are.

Such is the case with Ari Aster's HEREDITARY, a film that was billed as a "tense, thriller with unthinkable family tragedy that veers into the realm of the Supernatural".

I would bill it as "stupid".

Starring the usually reliable Toni Collette as Annie, a miniature-model artist (people in these types of films usually have occupations that make no sense) who's relationship with her mother is strained - at best. She is married to Steve (Gabriel Byrne - far removed from his USUAL SUSPECTS days), and has 2 children, Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro). They had another child who has passed away. When Annie's mother dies, Annie starts to discover disturbing secrets about her mother and her family's heritage.

I won't say more - for I would spoil things - but the film starts promisingly enough - and there's an unexpected, tragic death that I thought was handled interestingly enough and I had positive hopes for the rest of the film - but the scenarios and escalating events of this film build on each other from there, one more ridiculous than the other. I kept wanting to scream to the screen - "call the authorities", which would have ended things right there, but this being a film, no one ever does.

As I stated, Toni Collette is, usually, a sign of quality in a movie...but not here. She (and Byrne) are listed as Executive Producers of this film (which means, I think, they gave up parts of their salaries for % points in this film - good luck getting any money out of that). Her Annie is melodramatic and over-the-top - and CRAZY - almost from the start, so when she starts getting REALLY melodramatic and C-R-A-Z-Y, it is laughable. Gabriel Byrne walks through this film looking like he is wondering where the Craft Services truck is, giving a "minimalist" performance (read: he mailed it in). And the two kids are haunting...in their blankness and blandness.

But...it is the ever increasing bizarre events that had me howling with laughter in my seat (as opposed to squirming in terror). I would spoil things if I mentioned them, but I didn't buy any of it. Writer/Director Aster just kept throwing one event even more "weird" and bizarre than preceding one. I actually said to my buddy sitting next to me at one point, "who is that old, fat, naked guy, and where did he come from"?

I think that says it all.

I'm sure there was probably a good movie in here someplace, this wasn't it.

Letter Grade: C (for the opening 1/2 hour or so and the "unexpected death" that was executed well).

4 stars (out of 10) and you can take it - or leave it - to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
Mad To Be Normal (2018)
Mad To Be Normal (2018)
2018 |
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Mental Health in the 60s
I’ll admit, whenever I see David Tennant’s name on a cast list I get excited. As a long time fan, I’ve watched him play a variety of roles brilliantly. So when I was given the opportunity to review Mad To Be Normal and I learned what the plot was, how could I refuse? Set in the 60s, the film follows Scottish psychiatrist R.D. Laing and his unconventional approach to mental health treatment, causing controversy within the psychiatry field.

Although I don’t know much about Laing, Tennant really shone in the central role and delivered a truly captivating character who was riddled with his own underlying issues. He’s a tricky one because sometimes you really sympathise and agree with him, but other times he’s so utterly frustrating. The film showed us many different sides to him, and created a well-rounded exploration of the man in question. He’s compassionate but also terribly naive, and that’s a dangerous combination indeed. Tennant is joined by Elisabeth Moss, Michael Gambon and Gabriel Byrne which is an excellent line up.

One of the best things about this film is the characters, because everyone does such an amazing job of portraying complex characters with equally as complex relationships. Moss plays student Angie who quickly becomes a love interest of Laing’s, and joins him in his work. Much like Laing, she is also well-rounded and has good traits and bad ones, the latter resulting in rather turbulent moments throughout the film.

I especially enjoyed the way mental health was portrayed by characters, as you could tell they were struggling and trying so hard to deal with their illnesses. It was dealt with respectfully and honestly, whilst still showing the risks of untreated mental health conditions. Gabriel Byrne in particular stands out in his portrayal of Jim, going from someone friendly and sentimental to someone violent and dangerous very quickly. It would have been good to learn more about each character and their individual backgrounds for context’s sake, replacing the unnecessary scenes with this. Nevertheless, the insight into mental health in this era was fascinating, particularly scenes involving the inhumane treatment known as electroshock therapy. It shows we have come a long way since then, but we still have a long way to go.

The stellar performances are accompanied with some great set design, which I imagine would provide some welcome nostalgia for those familiar with the era. I loved Laing’s quirky style both in his interior design, behaviour and clothing choices, making him stand out even more. He’s flamboyant in every sense of the word, but not always for the right reasons. For his time, Laing was clearly very open minded, caring and in favour of self-expression, further conflicting with the beliefs of wider society. Although open mindedness is a good thing, his goes too far which ultimately would lead to his eventual downfall.

Robert Mullan has done a great job bringing this important figure to life on screen, putting together a cast that perfectly delivered this story. Whilst I would have liked more context around both the patients and Laing himself, the film still delivered a powerful message in its 1 hour 45 minute run time. It’s definitely worth a watch.

https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2018/08/04/mental-health-in-the-60s-mad-to-be-normal-review/