Search
Search results
Andy K (10821 KP) rated L.A. Confidential (1997) in Movies
Mar 3, 2019
Modern film noir at its finest!
Los Angeles in the 1950s is the setting for this amazing film which probably should've won Best Picture in 1997 (although I love Titanic also).
When new cop Ed Exley comes comes to the force, he is immediately greeted with corruption and some hard choices which test his loyalty and willingness to stand to his principles. A murder investigation quickly ensues which potentially pit cop against cop and uncovers the seedy underbelly of Hollywood during that time and everyone looking out for themselves.
Another brazen cop, sticks up for battered women while another enjoys being the technical adviser for everyone's favorite television program at the time.
The 3 men have various run in with each other as their investigation seems to conclude with a resolution, but one or more of them are not convinced the solution is correct and that the real perpetrators are still at large.
The depth of this film as well as the smart, complex characters are really what makes this film work. The acting is all exceptional as is the screenplay.
Any aspiring screenwriter should watch this film as a class as to what to do and how to write.
Very highly recommended.
When new cop Ed Exley comes comes to the force, he is immediately greeted with corruption and some hard choices which test his loyalty and willingness to stand to his principles. A murder investigation quickly ensues which potentially pit cop against cop and uncovers the seedy underbelly of Hollywood during that time and everyone looking out for themselves.
Another brazen cop, sticks up for battered women while another enjoys being the technical adviser for everyone's favorite television program at the time.
The 3 men have various run in with each other as their investigation seems to conclude with a resolution, but one or more of them are not convinced the solution is correct and that the real perpetrators are still at large.
The depth of this film as well as the smart, complex characters are really what makes this film work. The acting is all exceptional as is the screenplay.
Any aspiring screenwriter should watch this film as a class as to what to do and how to write.
Very highly recommended.
AT (1676 KP) rated Ready Player One (2018) in Movies
Sep 30, 2018 (Updated Sep 30, 2018)
I liked the book better. (Haha, Andy Kubica). However, I really did like the movie, as well, for completely different reasons. I loved the book on its own, and always will. The movie, though, was such a fun treat to watch! I wasn't sure how it would go, but it definitely looked like a video game with all of the cool colors and graphics, and you can't beat the music! I wasn't sure that I'd like how they did Art3mis, but I really did. The movie character was cute and smart. The stacks were exactly as I'd pictured, so that was also fun to see. It's definitely worth watching in my opinion! It's a great 1.5 hr ride!
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Predestination (2015) in Movies
Nov 8, 2019
A story about a girl named Jane
It seems I've been watching a fair amount of Ethan Hawke lately, total coincidence. I have to say he is probably one of my favorite current actors as he always seems to select smart scripts. His recent film First Reformed was amazing as was another recent Hawke watch, Daybreakers. The directors of Daybreakers recast Hawke as a time traveling policeman of sorts trying to track down one last killer before hanging up his hat.
His current status as a lonely barkeep is interrupted when a stranger walks in, sits down and begins telling their story. Intrigued, Hawke sits down and listens to the tale of an unwanted orphan, a unique person misunderstood by society but maybe destined for great things. They try not to let the hardships of their life get them down, but disappointment lies around every turn. The interactions they have in their life may seem adrift and random, but maybe they have some deeper meaning about the meaning of life or at least their place in it.
Ok, this is kind of a vague description; however, if you take the time to watch this film (I sure wish you would) you will thank me for not saying too much
It is easy to get caught up in all the time paradox stuff when writing or watching a time travel film. What would happen if Marty McFly meets his future self or disrupts the meeting of his parents? Themes are a lot deeper here and the mystery continues to weave itself into a knot before slowly unraveling as the film reaches its end.
Hawke and Australian actress Sarah Snook are captivating together onscreen as their characters interact and their true feelings and motivations are revealed. Both are flawed in their own way, but also looking for redemption and validation that their time on Earth has meaning.
I was totally blown away by the smart, completely interesting story and hope I can convince others to view. Mesmerizing!
His current status as a lonely barkeep is interrupted when a stranger walks in, sits down and begins telling their story. Intrigued, Hawke sits down and listens to the tale of an unwanted orphan, a unique person misunderstood by society but maybe destined for great things. They try not to let the hardships of their life get them down, but disappointment lies around every turn. The interactions they have in their life may seem adrift and random, but maybe they have some deeper meaning about the meaning of life or at least their place in it.
Ok, this is kind of a vague description; however, if you take the time to watch this film (I sure wish you would) you will thank me for not saying too much
It is easy to get caught up in all the time paradox stuff when writing or watching a time travel film. What would happen if Marty McFly meets his future self or disrupts the meeting of his parents? Themes are a lot deeper here and the mystery continues to weave itself into a knot before slowly unraveling as the film reaches its end.
Hawke and Australian actress Sarah Snook are captivating together onscreen as their characters interact and their true feelings and motivations are revealed. Both are flawed in their own way, but also looking for redemption and validation that their time on Earth has meaning.
I was totally blown away by the smart, completely interesting story and hope I can convince others to view. Mesmerizing!
Dork_knight74 (881 KP) rated Annihilation (2018) in Movies
Dec 9, 2018
Huh?
This movie-while having decent acting, cinematography and a few cool "creatures"- had a storyline that made no sense to me. The main theme of it seemed to be summed up in a line that was repeated frequently throughout the storytelling - "I don't know". Nothing was explained or seemed to have any point. Was it an alien movie? Was it something else? I don't know. I somehow made it through the movie, but only because I was expecting something to happen that would give it some kind of sense/ explanation - even if extremely far fetched or fantastic- only to be left with that phrase repeating in my head...I consider myself fairly smart, but I just didn't get this one. While visually interesting, this movie really is NOT worth a watch.
Kayla (19 KP) rated Fitbit Blaze in Tech
May 18, 2018
Sleek design (1 more)
Looks good on small wrists
Hard to find comfortable fit (1 more)
Poor battery life
Nice watch
I wear this watch almost constantly! I love being able to keep track of my heart rate and know how well or unwell I'm sleeping. It's especially useful as a first time mom, being able to make sure I get enough sleep when I can't keep my hours straight.
It's very easy to navigate and view your daily tracking, from steps to calories. You are also able to pick specific exercises to track your time, if you choose to do so. It'll pick up activity via heartbeat even if you choose not to do so- picking a category just makes the caloric burn a bit more accurate. There's a timer as well so you can time planks, wall holds, or even cooking if your heart desires!
The Blaze also features coached exercises and meditation, two features I will admit I've never even used. It's really nifty that they throw that in if you find yourselfin need of some guidance. If you don't, it in no way interferes with doing anything else on the watch and you forget it's even there.
The other feature the Blaze offers is a vibration alarm. I'm by no means a deep sleeper (again, first time mom- everything wakes me up) and this alarm does nothing for me. I could set 50 of them and still not wake up. The vibration is just not powerful enough to feel it in your sleep.
Overall, the watch is pretty awesome. You can also answer calls and read texts on it. I suggest never using the all day sync feature with your phone because you'll have to charge up every single day if you do. If you have small wrists it can be very hard to get a comfortable fit. It seems like it's either digging into the skin or flopping around annoyingly with just a single groove change. It offers some useful features, none the less, and I'd still recommend it for anyone looking for a smart watch.
It's very easy to navigate and view your daily tracking, from steps to calories. You are also able to pick specific exercises to track your time, if you choose to do so. It'll pick up activity via heartbeat even if you choose not to do so- picking a category just makes the caloric burn a bit more accurate. There's a timer as well so you can time planks, wall holds, or even cooking if your heart desires!
The Blaze also features coached exercises and meditation, two features I will admit I've never even used. It's really nifty that they throw that in if you find yourselfin need of some guidance. If you don't, it in no way interferes with doing anything else on the watch and you forget it's even there.
The other feature the Blaze offers is a vibration alarm. I'm by no means a deep sleeper (again, first time mom- everything wakes me up) and this alarm does nothing for me. I could set 50 of them and still not wake up. The vibration is just not powerful enough to feel it in your sleep.
Overall, the watch is pretty awesome. You can also answer calls and read texts on it. I suggest never using the all day sync feature with your phone because you'll have to charge up every single day if you do. If you have small wrists it can be very hard to get a comfortable fit. It seems like it's either digging into the skin or flopping around annoyingly with just a single groove change. It offers some useful features, none the less, and I'd still recommend it for anyone looking for a smart watch.
Olivia Munn recommended Forrest Gump (1994) in Movies (curated)
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Molly's Game (2017) in Movies
Jan 6, 2018 (Updated Jan 6, 2018)
A bit of a disappointment
Considering all of the other things Aaron Sorkin has been involved in, I was expecting big things from this and sadly it was a bit of a disappointment.
Jessica Chastain is great as expected, and Idris Elba and Kevin Costner do well too despite limited screentime. Costner even gets some of the funniest lines. The story itself is interesting, it just isn't well executed. It's far too long and gets very boring at times. I was expecting something very smart, stylish and witty but it isn't really any of those things. It tries hard with the wit and humour but really falls flat and doesn't live up to Sorkin's usual standard.
Also I have to say it, but was all the cleavage really necessary? That is the only reason my other half came to watch it with me, and he's openly admitted he'd have found it very dull otherwise...
Jessica Chastain is great as expected, and Idris Elba and Kevin Costner do well too despite limited screentime. Costner even gets some of the funniest lines. The story itself is interesting, it just isn't well executed. It's far too long and gets very boring at times. I was expecting something very smart, stylish and witty but it isn't really any of those things. It tries hard with the wit and humour but really falls flat and doesn't live up to Sorkin's usual standard.
Also I have to say it, but was all the cleavage really necessary? That is the only reason my other half came to watch it with me, and he's openly admitted he'd have found it very dull otherwise...
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Love Wedding Repeat (2020) in Movies
Jul 10, 2020
Disappointing
Whilst the trailer for this didn't wow me, it made me think this film had enough promise to warrant watching. However the end result was rather disappointing.
Cast wise this wasn't bad. Sam Claflin, Eleanor Tomlinson and Olivia Munn are always watchable, although i really can't stand Aisling Bea. The setting and scenery in this are absolutely beautiful, but then you can't really go wrong with Rome. The main problem with this film is the premise of the concept doesn't meet expectations, and the whole thing just isn't particularly funny. It sounds like it should be something similar to Groundhog Day or Edge of Tomorrow, but without spoiling it, it's a bit of letdown. And the laughs are sadly lacking. There are few smart witty quips that raised a smile, but not the full on romcom the trailer promised. Even the romance was rather dull and predictable.
Not one I'd bother to watch again and almost instantly forgettable. There are much better romcoms out there.
Cast wise this wasn't bad. Sam Claflin, Eleanor Tomlinson and Olivia Munn are always watchable, although i really can't stand Aisling Bea. The setting and scenery in this are absolutely beautiful, but then you can't really go wrong with Rome. The main problem with this film is the premise of the concept doesn't meet expectations, and the whole thing just isn't particularly funny. It sounds like it should be something similar to Groundhog Day or Edge of Tomorrow, but without spoiling it, it's a bit of letdown. And the laughs are sadly lacking. There are few smart witty quips that raised a smile, but not the full on romcom the trailer promised. Even the romance was rather dull and predictable.
Not one I'd bother to watch again and almost instantly forgettable. There are much better romcoms out there.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Brexit: The Uncivil War (2019) in Movies
Jan 11, 2019
A painful watch
I have to admit, I’m a little undecided about this. On one hand I found it informative and amusing, but on the other I found it such a difficult and painful thing to watch.
The performances in this were great, especially Benedict Cumberbatch and Rory Kinnear. There were some hilarious takes on some of the politicians, it didn’t shy away from allowing them to come across as conceited a-holes, and the impression of Boris Johnson wasmost notable. Yes it was probably verging on parody, but it brought some much needed humour to the film. It’s well shot and scripted, and it is undoubtedly very smart and has obviously picked up a few pointers from the likes of House of Cards. It was interesting to see the story of someone I’ve never even heard of (politics isn’t my strong point I’ll admit) and to see what happened in the background of Brexit - or at least this film’s version of events... I am concerned that this has tried to summarise Brexit in the space over 2 hours and doesn’t seem to include as much detail as it should.
My main issue with this though is that as a Remainer, this is a painful thing to watch. Considering Brexit is still very much ongoing and fresh for anyone in the UK, it raises the question of whether we really needed to see this film right now. It’s not exactly putting our minds at ease, and instead seems to be raising more questions and causing more ructions. But then conversely, I can see the reasons why it would be the perfect time to release this, because we haven’t even left yet. It’s very divisive, and I honestly can’t quite decide exactly how I feel about this. It’s definitely informative and well made, just very difficult to swallow.
The performances in this were great, especially Benedict Cumberbatch and Rory Kinnear. There were some hilarious takes on some of the politicians, it didn’t shy away from allowing them to come across as conceited a-holes, and the impression of Boris Johnson wasmost notable. Yes it was probably verging on parody, but it brought some much needed humour to the film. It’s well shot and scripted, and it is undoubtedly very smart and has obviously picked up a few pointers from the likes of House of Cards. It was interesting to see the story of someone I’ve never even heard of (politics isn’t my strong point I’ll admit) and to see what happened in the background of Brexit - or at least this film’s version of events... I am concerned that this has tried to summarise Brexit in the space over 2 hours and doesn’t seem to include as much detail as it should.
My main issue with this though is that as a Remainer, this is a painful thing to watch. Considering Brexit is still very much ongoing and fresh for anyone in the UK, it raises the question of whether we really needed to see this film right now. It’s not exactly putting our minds at ease, and instead seems to be raising more questions and causing more ructions. But then conversely, I can see the reasons why it would be the perfect time to release this, because we haven’t even left yet. It’s very divisive, and I honestly can’t quite decide exactly how I feel about this. It’s definitely informative and well made, just very difficult to swallow.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The BFG (2016) in Movies
Oct 13, 2018
Fun Family Film
An orphan girl is in for the surprise of her life when she stumbles upon a world of giants and, in the process, makes a best friend.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 8
Characters: 10
You quickly learn in The BFG that all giants are not created equal. You have your bullies, your overeaters, your dumb giants. The Big Friendly Giant is in a class of his own, a character you quickly come to appreciate. He’s smart but humble and is the type of being that would give you the shirt off his back…even if that shirt is eight sizes too large. He makes you care about what ultimately happens to him and his intriguing home world.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 2
Genre: 7
Entertaining and worthy of a watch, but falls just short of other upper echelon kids films I’ve seen.
Memorability: 6
Pace: 7
Plot: 2
Resolution: 8
Satisfies with a warm, feel-good ending anyone can get behind. Slightly far-fetched, but definitely a good payoff.
Overall: 70
The BFG gives you a lot to entertain you, namely it’s crisp visuals and the beautiful detail amongst the giants and their world. There is a dream world scene that I highly recommend watching in 4K as it’s colors are brilliant and pop off the screen. The pace, and the film as a whole, is far from perfect but it’s worth at least a single watch.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 8
Characters: 10
You quickly learn in The BFG that all giants are not created equal. You have your bullies, your overeaters, your dumb giants. The Big Friendly Giant is in a class of his own, a character you quickly come to appreciate. He’s smart but humble and is the type of being that would give you the shirt off his back…even if that shirt is eight sizes too large. He makes you care about what ultimately happens to him and his intriguing home world.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 2
Genre: 7
Entertaining and worthy of a watch, but falls just short of other upper echelon kids films I’ve seen.
Memorability: 6
Pace: 7
Plot: 2
Resolution: 8
Satisfies with a warm, feel-good ending anyone can get behind. Slightly far-fetched, but definitely a good payoff.
Overall: 70
The BFG gives you a lot to entertain you, namely it’s crisp visuals and the beautiful detail amongst the giants and their world. There is a dream world scene that I highly recommend watching in 4K as it’s colors are brilliant and pop off the screen. The pace, and the film as a whole, is far from perfect but it’s worth at least a single watch.