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    Enter the Comix Zone, in SEGA's classic arcade-style beat 'em up, now available on mobile for the...

Green Book (2018)
Green Book (2018)
2018 | Drama
It's always nice getting advanced screenings, but two months in advance has to be some sort of record. By the fact that the entire audience went "what?!" when the title card came up it was a very well kept secret screening.

I'm so pleased that this played to a packed screen. We lost maybe a dozen people within the first five minutes, which I think just goes to show how much of an unknown it was because normally people will leave immediately. I had seen it on the app, but not read the synopsis or seen a trailer so it was brilliant to be able to go into the film without any prejudgment.

Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen make a wonderful duo. They bounce of each other really well throughout the whole film.

One of the things I was dying to know was who was playing the piano. I'm reliably informed by IMDb's trivia that Kris Bowers who is the film's composer is Ali's piano double. I have no idea how they do that considering that a fair amount of the shots show Ali playing. It was certainly well done.

The film shows yet another important story in a well thought out and sensitive way. Hidden Figures, Marshall and now Green Book. We're seeing sides of history that we hardly knew of before. The Green Book was a complete shock of a discovery to me and this certainly made me want to research more on the topic.

Ultimately this story is about friendship and acceptance in the face of adversity. It's good to see the circle of change in Tony, and the ending paints the hopeful picture of what would unfold in the future.

I feel a little bit harsh only giving this four and a half stars. While Mortensen and Cardellini were spot on, Ali left me a little disappointed. I have loved him ever since The 4400 and it's been great seeing him in so many shows and films since then. This role obviously has some very powerful moments, and while he delivered them with grace I couldn't help noticing that something was missing. There was one point where he delivers a poignant speech to Tony and I realised that is was lacking the emotional kicker. It felt detached. Whether it was script, acting or just the natural way of the character I'm not sure, it had the potential to bring me to tears and yet... dry eyes.

That is honestly the only glitch in this wonderful film. I got home and I couldn't sleep because I was still buzzing from the screening. (I'm paying for that now.) I read the comments on Twitter and I was really struck by how many people loved it. This deserves to win awards on a lot of counts, I just hope that it gets the recognition it deserves.

When I got my Unlimited card I wasn't convinced that I'd go and see a lot of films (yes I know, what a joke!), and certainly without the card I would never have seen this. At home I never used to pick films that I'd have to "think about". Unlimited has changed the way I watch movies and given me the opportunity to see incredible productions like this. That to me is well worth the money.

What you should do

You should absolutely see this. Not quite a child friendly as Hidden Figures was but it offers another great insight into the past.

Movie thing you wish you could take home

Just a fraction of that musical talent would be incredible.
  
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Darren (1599 KP) rated 8MM 2 (2005) in Movies

Jun 20, 2019  
8MM 2 (2005)
8MM 2 (2005)
2005 | Drama, Mystery
3
3.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: 8MM 2 starts as we meet young lawyer David (Schaech and his future wife Tish (Heuring) in Budapest. While on their trip away the couple end up having a steamy threesome with Risa (Gorog) helping both of their needs in the bedroom. David finds himself having to impress Tish’s father Ambassador Harrington (Davison) while his other daughter Lynn (Benz) has already settled down.

When the couple receive photos of their threesome they try to figure out who took them leading them into the sexual underworld in Hungry. While trying to clean up the blackmailing the two find themselves being approached from all angles as they try to keep any political career undercover.

8MM 2 is a film with one of the most miss-leading titles in film history, it is advertised as a sequel to 8MM starring Nicolas Cage which is about going into the underworld of sex. This is a boring political drama cover up after a daughter and her fiancée end up in a sex tape and get blackmailed. Nothing about this makes any sense for it to be a sequel but only uses the name because of the standard below average story. to make matters worse this might as well just be a softcore film because you can pretty much guarantee there is more time when the women are naked more than actually clothed.

 

Actor Review

 

Johnathon Schaech: David is the young lawyer entering into a powerful family as he tries to rise up the ranks in the Hungarian Embassy. When he has a steamy threesome with his wife to be and a strange woman he finds himself having to go into the world of pornography to uncover the people trying to blackmail him. Johnathon is solid but basic in this role.

Lori Heuring: Tish is the wife to be for David, her father is the Ambassador making her have a high profile name in social circles. She ends up having to follow David into the underworld of the sex industry to find the tape from their night. Lori is solid in this role without being special.

Bruce Davison: Ambassador Harrington is the father of Tish he is highly respected and the night the two have together could find themselves being responsible for a problem in his career. Bruce gives us a very basic supporting performance that we just don’t see enough.

Julie Benz: Lynn is the sister of Tish that is the older one of the two who always wants to protect her younger sister. Julie is wasted in this supporting role.

Support Cast: 8MM 2 has a basic supporting cast where nearly all the female cast are naked with most not really having much going on.

Director Review: J.S. Cardone – J.S. really doesn’t give us a worthy sequel that lacks any of the important parts needed.

 

Mystery: 8MM 2 doesn’t really offer us a mystery because we don’t see what the big mystery is.

Thriller: 8MM 2 doesn’t keep us on edge at all.

Settings: 8MM 2 is set in Hungary without being anything special.
Special Effects: 8MM 2 has basic effects when needed but nothing fancy.

Suggestion: 8MM 2 is one just to avoid really because it is terrible. (Avoid)

 

Best Part: Final Twist.

Worst Part: Pointless amount of nudity.

 

Believability: No

Chances of Tears: No

Chances of Sequel: No

Post Credits Scene: No

 

Oscar Chances: No

Runtime: 1 Hour 46 Minutes

Tagline: From The Last Kiss To The Last Breath… From The First Kiss To The Last Breath.

Trivia: Much of the sex depicted is actual not simulated.

 

Overall: Dreadful sequel that really doesn’t work.

https://moviesreview101.com/2016/06/12/franchise-weekend-8mm-2-2005/
  
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Darren (1599 KP) rated 71 (2015) in Movies

Jun 20, 2019  
71 (2015)
71 (2015)
2015 | Action, Drama
7
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: 71 starts as we see Gary Hook (O’Connell) going through his training with his regiment before they get deployed to Belfast to deal with the riot situation. In Ireland the regiment receive their instructions and onto the Catholic side of the war. When the riots get out of hand Gary finds himself on the wrong side of the barrier alone and unarmed in the Irish territory.

With tensions rising Gary finds himself in the middle of the battle not knowing which side to trust as both side are preparing to attack each other as Gary learns the harsh reality of what these riots are causing.

71 puts us into the middle of the Irish riots showing just one soldier’s experience behind enemy lines, this works well. My issue with the story is unless you know the history which I only know the basics you are left kind of wondering why the riots are happening in the first place. Another problem I found was telling what was going on with the supporting characters like who was on whose side which I do understand adds to the mystery but in this situation we should be able to identify them easily. As a film about survival in an urban setting this is great though.

 

Actor Review

 

Jack O’Connell: Gary Hook is the young soldier who is on his first mission on the streets on Belfast during the riots of 71, trying to receive a lost weapon he gets separated by his unit and stranded alone behind enemy lines never sure who to trust. Jack is great in this leading role in what was an outstanding year for the young actor.gary

Sam Reid: Lt. Armitage is one of the men that wants to start searching for Gary but constantly gets put down Captain Browning. Sam is solid in this role but doesn’t get enough screen time.

Sean Harris: Captain Sandy Browning is the man running the situation he knows that Gary is alive but really is playing both sides of the battle. Sean is also solid but only in a supporting role.

Killian Scott: Quinn is one of the leaders out trying to kill Gary, he takes his men and boys out on the streets on the hunt for him and will hurt anyone who gets in his way. Killian is good in what seems like one of the primary villains.

Support Cast: 71 has a large supporting cast but working out which side they are on gets confusing at times.

Director Review: Yann Demange – Yann gives us wonderfully shot sequences throughout but not enough back story to the events on the film.

 

Action: 71 has intensely shot action sequences involved.

Thriller: 71 keeps us on edge as we watch Gary trying to survive the warzone.

War: 71 puts us into a warzone as we see Gary trying to avoid conflict seemingly around every single corner.

Settings: 71 puts us in the warzone of the Belfast streets which really works to pull us into the story.
Special Effects: 71 has great effects when needed without having to just go overboard with them.

Suggestion: 71 is one for fans of the genre but otherwise people might find it slightly hard to keep up with. (War Film Fans Watch)

 

Best Part: Bomb shock.

Worst Part: Not enough history of the events.

 

Believability: The riots were real but story is fictional.

Chances of Tears: No

Chances of Sequel: No

Post Credits Scene: No

Similar Too: Behind Enemy Lines

 

Awards: Nominated for One BAFTA.

Oscar Chances: No

Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes

Trivia: Most scenes within the film were shot in Northern England, not in the film’s setting of Belfast.

 

Overall: Good history war thriller that is intense but never fully drags you into believing everything.

https://moviesreview101.com/2016/11/08/71-2014/