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colin... (64 KP) rated Uncut Gems (2019) in Movies
Sep 30, 2020
The fact that the Safdie's landed Christmas is still absolutely wild to me. There were so many people in our theater that looked like they just DIDN'T belong there.
First things first, I'd like to get my negatives out of the way really quickly. My issue with this film, and why I view it as lesser than Good Time is one simple reason, and that is heart. I felt every moment of Good Time pulsating through my bones and truly felt for the ride that Connie went through. I saw the pain and remorse and emotion in his eyes grow with every passing moment. In Uncut Gems, I don't get the same gravitas and power of the emotion that is provided in Good Time. I never truly saw any remorse in Howard, nor that he really cared about anything else but himself, so when the emotional beats come when we are supposed to feel bad for him, I have a rather hard time doing that. He's not necessarily an unlikable guy, he just doesn't have that anti-hero vibe that Connie supplied. That is the main facet that significantly detracted from my appreciation for this film.
That being said, everything else is stellar. The grittiness of the cinematography works so well with the world we are being immersed in, with even the long shots being very unsteady and dirty looking in the way that the characters are framed. As everyone else is saying, Sandler puts on a magnificent performance (although if he gets nominated and Robert Pattinson didn't for Good Time, I'll be pretty frustrated) that reminds the public of why he demands the level of respect her does. However, the standout here for me is Julia Fox, who makes this film funnier than it has any right to be. She really carries herself in a way that I felt like I had met her before, or at least someone exactly like her. Going off of that, the humor really really works, so much so that I could argue that this is a black comedy instead of the crime thriller it is listed as. Everything from the situational comedy to the witty lines of dialogue just hits you in the chest.
Overall, a wonderful film that I hope will push the Safdie's into the mainstream like Hereditary did to Aster.
First things first, I'd like to get my negatives out of the way really quickly. My issue with this film, and why I view it as lesser than Good Time is one simple reason, and that is heart. I felt every moment of Good Time pulsating through my bones and truly felt for the ride that Connie went through. I saw the pain and remorse and emotion in his eyes grow with every passing moment. In Uncut Gems, I don't get the same gravitas and power of the emotion that is provided in Good Time. I never truly saw any remorse in Howard, nor that he really cared about anything else but himself, so when the emotional beats come when we are supposed to feel bad for him, I have a rather hard time doing that. He's not necessarily an unlikable guy, he just doesn't have that anti-hero vibe that Connie supplied. That is the main facet that significantly detracted from my appreciation for this film.
That being said, everything else is stellar. The grittiness of the cinematography works so well with the world we are being immersed in, with even the long shots being very unsteady and dirty looking in the way that the characters are framed. As everyone else is saying, Sandler puts on a magnificent performance (although if he gets nominated and Robert Pattinson didn't for Good Time, I'll be pretty frustrated) that reminds the public of why he demands the level of respect her does. However, the standout here for me is Julia Fox, who makes this film funnier than it has any right to be. She really carries herself in a way that I felt like I had met her before, or at least someone exactly like her. Going off of that, the humor really really works, so much so that I could argue that this is a black comedy instead of the crime thriller it is listed as. Everything from the situational comedy to the witty lines of dialogue just hits you in the chest.
Overall, a wonderful film that I hope will push the Safdie's into the mainstream like Hereditary did to Aster.
Rose (201 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) in Movies
Dec 18, 2017
Beautiful visuals (1 more)
Good story
This is the current movie I've been gushing about to my friends, it had a little bit of everything and did not fail to impress me.
Of course it helped that I was with a great packed-out theatre crowd. I live for moments when the whole theatre is applauding at a scene.
The pacing was great, I didn't feel as if I had been sitting at the theatre for an extended amount of time.
Great action moments, especially at the end, good high stakes drama, and comedy sprinkled throughout.
The visuals were beautiful
Now, all this being said, there were a few moments that kind of threw me. I don't want to explore these too much, as they are spoilers, but there was a time here and there that I felt myself mentally step back and question what was going on or if a scene or an action was really necessary.
All in all, I highly recommend this movie to all, Star Wars fans or not. This was a great bridge between the new trilogy and has me super excited for what's to come.
Of course it helped that I was with a great packed-out theatre crowd. I live for moments when the whole theatre is applauding at a scene.
The pacing was great, I didn't feel as if I had been sitting at the theatre for an extended amount of time.
Great action moments, especially at the end, good high stakes drama, and comedy sprinkled throughout.
The visuals were beautiful
Now, all this being said, there were a few moments that kind of threw me. I don't want to explore these too much, as they are spoilers, but there was a time here and there that I felt myself mentally step back and question what was going on or if a scene or an action was really necessary.
All in all, I highly recommend this movie to all, Star Wars fans or not. This was a great bridge between the new trilogy and has me super excited for what's to come.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Trouble with J. J. in Books
May 10, 2018
Genna Hastings, had returned home early from her vacation since she had sprained her ankle. Shortly after getting out of the car, she is hit in the head by the kids in the neighborhood who were playing football. They had been using her yard while she was gone and playing with J.J. Hennessey, the Hawks quarterback. Genna, had no idea who he was, but was definitely taken aback when she saw his yard full of pink flamingos. As if that wasn't bad enough, his whole bad boy exterior was enough to scare anyone away.
When J.J. Hennessey first meets Genna, he is taken aback. Most women swoon over him, she was having none of that.
After losing her job for the summer(Genna's a teacher), J.J. presents her with an opportunity she really can't turn down. Throughout the summer, Genna and J.J. will learn things about each other that will surprise them both.
Will this summer job lead to a summer romance? What will happen when the summer is over?
This was a cute, romantic comedy by Tami Hoag. This is the first book that I have read by her, and I'm interested to read more.
When J.J. Hennessey first meets Genna, he is taken aback. Most women swoon over him, she was having none of that.
After losing her job for the summer(Genna's a teacher), J.J. presents her with an opportunity she really can't turn down. Throughout the summer, Genna and J.J. will learn things about each other that will surprise them both.
Will this summer job lead to a summer romance? What will happen when the summer is over?
This was a cute, romantic comedy by Tami Hoag. This is the first book that I have read by her, and I'm interested to read more.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Rough Night (2017) in Movies
May 9, 2018
Not my kind of film
I’ll be frankly honest, I have a very particular sense of humour and mainstream comedies like this really aren’t my thing. So I’d potentially take what I say with a pinch of salt, as I knew I wouldn’t like this before I even watched it.
For me, the humour just wasn’t my thing and apart from a few odd remarks, I didn’t find the film particularly funny. The story itself is very predictable and it’s obviously trying to repeat the success of Bridesmaids, with a pretty poor result. I really don’t like Scarlett Johansson in this, it’s not really her usual type of film and this shows as her acting comes across as pretty poor. And I also absolutely despised the character of Alice (the best friend), she was that irritating I almost wanted to turn the film off. The only shining light in this film really is Kate McKinnon. She’s the only one who is actually any good and you can tell comedy is her thing. She was the best thing about this film (same as Ghostbusters too imo), and I dread to think how dire it would have been without her.
For me, the humour just wasn’t my thing and apart from a few odd remarks, I didn’t find the film particularly funny. The story itself is very predictable and it’s obviously trying to repeat the success of Bridesmaids, with a pretty poor result. I really don’t like Scarlett Johansson in this, it’s not really her usual type of film and this shows as her acting comes across as pretty poor. And I also absolutely despised the character of Alice (the best friend), she was that irritating I almost wanted to turn the film off. The only shining light in this film really is Kate McKinnon. She’s the only one who is actually any good and you can tell comedy is her thing. She was the best thing about this film (same as Ghostbusters too imo), and I dread to think how dire it would have been without her.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Queen Kong (1976) in Movies
Feb 8, 2019
Low-budget cash-in spoof of de Laurentiis's King Kong remake; there's a lot of uneven comedy and some dreadful monster suits, so you can see why Dino felt impinged upon. Tough female film-maker (Lenska) despairs of finding a man with the guts to star in her new movie; she kidnaps petty thief Ray Fay (Asquith) and takes him off to a remote African country with a large gorilla population (only one gorilla, but it is very large). You can probably guess the rest.
You turn up to a film like Queen Kong with subterraneanly low expectations, but there are actually some not-bad jokes here, along with other bits which are so weird they are actually entertaining (title song includes the lyric 'When I'm feeling kinda spunky I want to do it with my funky monkey', which I didn't anticipate). There's also a rather peculiar feminist subtext and it's not entirely clear whether the movie is taking the mick out of Woman's Lib or if it's sincerely intended. A definite oddity; the production is primitive, but it has just enough ideas to be interesting.
You turn up to a film like Queen Kong with subterraneanly low expectations, but there are actually some not-bad jokes here, along with other bits which are so weird they are actually entertaining (title song includes the lyric 'When I'm feeling kinda spunky I want to do it with my funky monkey', which I didn't anticipate). There's also a rather peculiar feminist subtext and it's not entirely clear whether the movie is taking the mick out of Woman's Lib or if it's sincerely intended. A definite oddity; the production is primitive, but it has just enough ideas to be interesting.
Erika (17789 KP) rated Cold Pursuit (2019) in Movies
Feb 23, 2019
I am so torn on how to review/rate this film. This film is a remake of a Norwegian film, and the setting is moved to Colorado. The director of this film is also Norwegian, and it is apparent that this is the case from the beautiful shots of scenery.
Basically, Liam Neeson's character is taking out a drug network after they OD his son. It is amusing when he's committing the crimes, which is a very weird thing to say.
I don't know if it's funny enough to be considered a black comedy, but there are amusing/awkwardly funny parts. Midway through the movie, another drug network is brought into the picture, and I'm not sure it was strictly necessary.
I have to give a shout out to Tom Bateman, who plays Viking. After I got over the weird/pretentious American accent he was rocking, he reminded me of a lot of the people I know with his... interesting... viewpoints and parenting habits. I can't figure out if I liked this film or not. I think the further removed I get from seeing it, the more I like it.
Basically, Liam Neeson's character is taking out a drug network after they OD his son. It is amusing when he's committing the crimes, which is a very weird thing to say.
I don't know if it's funny enough to be considered a black comedy, but there are amusing/awkwardly funny parts. Midway through the movie, another drug network is brought into the picture, and I'm not sure it was strictly necessary.
I have to give a shout out to Tom Bateman, who plays Viking. After I got over the weird/pretentious American accent he was rocking, he reminded me of a lot of the people I know with his... interesting... viewpoints and parenting habits. I can't figure out if I liked this film or not. I think the further removed I get from seeing it, the more I like it.
John Woodward (6 KP) rated Last Podcast On The Left in Podcasts
Mar 20, 2019
Incredibly well researched (1 more)
Pretty Funny
This is truly an amazing podcast. If you're in to things that are a little weird, such as Area 51, or skinwalker ranch, or if you have an interest in anything to do with serial killers both well known, or slightly more obscure, then this is something you will love. Marcus Parks, Ben Kissel, and Henry Zebrowski have the kind of chemistry you find when actual friends work together. The amount of research that goes in to all of their episodes, makes each one incredibly informative. Despite this technically being a comedy podcast, it can get really chilling at times. Their recent episodes surrounding the Auschwitz doctor Joseph Mengele, is one prime example. The occasional injection of a silly joke works to break the tension of some episodes, although sometimes, not often though, it can take you a bit too far away from the subject matter. Overall, this is easily my favourite podcast. I will happily sit for hours listening to the three guys talk. I can't recommend it any more highly.
Madbatdan82 (341 KP) rated Brawl In Cell Block 99 (2017) in Movies
Apr 1, 2019
Is this really Vince Vaughan?!
I'm reviewing this as S. Craig Zahler's newest film is out soon and I'm very much looking forward to it so I thought I'd review one of his previous films. Where as I really enjoyed his debut 'Bone Tomahawk' it's this film that is undoubtedly one of the best films of the last 10 years. Theres so much that blows me away in this film. The characters are portrayed so well that you are glued to the screen for each word of dialogue. The fight scenes, whilst being some of the most realistic I've ever scene, are also the most gory and visceral I've scene in a long time. The star of the show is Vince Vaughan in one of the most surprising & unexpected performances ever. Gone is his typicsl comedy and wise cracking and he is terrifying but you're also sympathetic to his situation. Just a brilliant piece of acting in a truly brilliant film by one of the best film makers around at the moment. I cannot wait for 'dragged across concrete'.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Sightseers (2012) in Movies
Mar 8, 2018
Extremely offbeat study in British eccentricity works better as a very black comedy than a horror movie, but the level of gore suggests it really wants to be the latter; animal lovers may want to look away at some points, too. New-minted couple embark on caravan tour/erotic odyssey around northern England and manage to find time for a little light serial killing, too.
Attention to detail and atmosphere mean that this is a consistently funny film, with great performances from the two leads - it's really much more about their relationship than the campaign of bloody slaughter which ends up becoming a significant element of their holiday. This is excruciatingly well-observed and in some ways rather more disturbing than watching various characters get their heads smashed in. Micro-budget nature of the film is never in doubt, but also never really a problem. The ending is a bit arbitrary and abrupt, but not to the point where it's a major flaw in the film. By anyone's standards but Ben Wheatley's, this would be a fairly extraordinary little film, but for this director the extraordinary is actually fairly ordinary.
Attention to detail and atmosphere mean that this is a consistently funny film, with great performances from the two leads - it's really much more about their relationship than the campaign of bloody slaughter which ends up becoming a significant element of their holiday. This is excruciatingly well-observed and in some ways rather more disturbing than watching various characters get their heads smashed in. Micro-budget nature of the film is never in doubt, but also never really a problem. The ending is a bit arbitrary and abrupt, but not to the point where it's a major flaw in the film. By anyone's standards but Ben Wheatley's, this would be a fairly extraordinary little film, but for this director the extraordinary is actually fairly ordinary.
