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Andy K (10823 KP) rated All About Eve (1950) in Movies
Mar 5, 2018
A classic
You see so many influences on other films in this 1950 classic tale of rising and falling stardom in Hollywood and the constant attention toward youth.
Maybe not as visually interesting as other films of the period like Citizen Kane or Sunset Boulevard. The screenplay, characters and acting are enough to carry this film through.
Maybe not as visually interesting as other films of the period like Citizen Kane or Sunset Boulevard. The screenplay, characters and acting are enough to carry this film through.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Favourite (2018) in Movies
May 6, 2019
An unusual period piece
This is a very unusual film and for the most part very good. Period dramas aren’t usually my thing, but The Favourite isn’t your average period drama. It’s a very subtle tongue in cheek, witty, humorous and sometimes bizarre tale that’s very clever and entertaining to watch. Whilst Olivia Colman May have won the Oscar, I think all 3 of the female leads in this are very strong and a delight to watch, especially when their characters are all together in the same scenes. Indeed the scenes with Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz sniping at each other are by far the best to watch. Even the rest of the supporting cast too are very good, although I do think Mark Gatiss was a little underused. Nobody does posh upper class toff like he does!
The film itself looks beautiful. The costume and set design, and music, are fantastic, and the whole thing looks stunning. I did however have a slight issue with the cinematography. I found some of the strange camera angles a little frustrating and irritating after a while, especially as some of them don’t really seem to fit in with the style and tone of the rest of the film. I also think the final act and especially the final scene were a bit of a letdown. Most of the film has a rather humorous or at least light hearted undertone, but the final act takes it a little too seriously and the final scene is just too ill fitting too. Despite this, it’s a very different period drama and definitely worth a watch for some stellar performances.
The film itself looks beautiful. The costume and set design, and music, are fantastic, and the whole thing looks stunning. I did however have a slight issue with the cinematography. I found some of the strange camera angles a little frustrating and irritating after a while, especially as some of them don’t really seem to fit in with the style and tone of the rest of the film. I also think the final act and especially the final scene were a bit of a letdown. Most of the film has a rather humorous or at least light hearted undertone, but the final act takes it a little too seriously and the final scene is just too ill fitting too. Despite this, it’s a very different period drama and definitely worth a watch for some stellar performances.
Andrew Koltuniuk (767 KP) rated Emma (2020) in Movies
Mar 28, 2020
What a rollercoaster! For any Jane Austen fan out there, this is one that you need to go watch. The filmmakers do a fantastic job of creating a lovely period comedy that is rarely seen nowadays. Beautifully crafted, well shot, Production Design was absolutely perfect. I have very high praise for this film! Probably my favorite of 2020 so far!
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated Blue Spring (2001) in Movies
Apr 21, 2020
The early naughties destructive Japan
There was a slew of angry rebellious nihilistic cinema in this period and Blue Spring may just be the most punk rock of them all. Its an artistic nasty little film full of violence and tension, as if art House got really pissed off and decided to say eff you. A seminal piece of cinema
Guy Maddin recommended I Vitelloni (1953) in Movies (curated)
Joe Dante recommended The Black Book (1929) in Movies (curated)
David McK (3562 KP) rated Excalibur (The Arthurian Chronicles, #1) in Books
Oct 26, 2024 (Updated Oct 26, 2024)
King Arthur.
There's no proof he ever existed, with the 'original' (for want of a better word) imagining of him being all Medieval style, Knights on horses, shining armour, lances etc (think the film 'Excalibur').
More recently, that's shifted to post-Roman Dark Ages, in the period between the Romans leaving Britain and the Saxon invasion.
Which is very much the time period in which this novel is set, (re)imagining Arthur to belong to this period (and all that entails), and with Merlin as a Druid rather than a Wizard.
This also 'brings in' several notable characters from the Arthur story alongside both Arthur and Merlin - Guinevere, Kai, Igrainne and Uther all make appearances here - but there is one notable absence (Lancelot) who, I presume, will appear in later books.
Well worth a read.
There's no proof he ever existed, with the 'original' (for want of a better word) imagining of him being all Medieval style, Knights on horses, shining armour, lances etc (think the film 'Excalibur').
More recently, that's shifted to post-Roman Dark Ages, in the period between the Romans leaving Britain and the Saxon invasion.
Which is very much the time period in which this novel is set, (re)imagining Arthur to belong to this period (and all that entails), and with Merlin as a Druid rather than a Wizard.
This also 'brings in' several notable characters from the Arthur story alongside both Arthur and Merlin - Guinevere, Kai, Igrainne and Uther all make appearances here - but there is one notable absence (Lancelot) who, I presume, will appear in later books.
Well worth a read.
Dean (6927 KP) rated Gosford Park (2001) in Movies
Oct 6, 2018
A pretty good period drama with a touch of Whodunit? about it similar to an Agatha Christie film. Great largely all English cast, location, costumes. A lot of effort went into the production of the movie, noticeable in the attention to every detail. Has a slight twist as you would expect but may be a bit too slow for some.
Nicholas Stoller recommended The Ice Storm (1997) in Movies (curated)
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Mary Queen of Scots (2018) in Movies
Dec 29, 2019
Dull
I've never been a big fan of period dramas aside from a few exceptions, and I'm afraid to say this definitely isn't one of the exceptions.
This has a great cast but aside from Saoirse Ronan, nobody really gets their chance to shine. Even Margot Robbie seems drastically underused which is a shame. This film looks great, the costumes are very well done and the landscapes and scenery are beautiful, but this is really the only thing this film has going for it. Despite being based on an interesting period in history, it is beyond dull yet plows along at a very quick pace. It lacks in any real detail and just comes across a little confusing and uninteresting. I struggled to get into this at all and by the end just found it irritating, which is a little sad considering the talent in this.
This has a great cast but aside from Saoirse Ronan, nobody really gets their chance to shine. Even Margot Robbie seems drastically underused which is a shame. This film looks great, the costumes are very well done and the landscapes and scenery are beautiful, but this is really the only thing this film has going for it. Despite being based on an interesting period in history, it is beyond dull yet plows along at a very quick pace. It lacks in any real detail and just comes across a little confusing and uninteresting. I struggled to get into this at all and by the end just found it irritating, which is a little sad considering the talent in this.
