Walton Goggins has played some interesting characters in the past, but The Ghoul is iconic.
Unlike the other review I actually watched it and understood it, and enjoyed it. Very different and something new, in a good way. Look forward to more.
Edit: After watching the whole season wow, just wow,. Haven't enjoyed a show so much in a long time. Hope to see a season 2.
[8.6/10] A movie to recoil from, and to bask in.
Poor Things is a movie to recoil from because it is a story of abuse. The mere creation of Bella Baxter -- the movie’s wondrous, improbable protagonist -- is an act of abuse. Her erstwhile father, Godwin (cheekily referred to as “God” by his creation) implants the mind of a fetus into the mind of the poor child’s own suicidal mother, in a monstrous act. Even as he cannot help but develop paternal affection for young Bella, he keeps her locked away, attempts to marries her off to his assistant despite her immature mind, and treats as much like an experiment as an offspring.
Bella’s treatment at the hands of her own creator and surrogate father is abhorrent, and not for nothing, he’s probably the person who loves and respects her the most, which really sets the tone for the film.
Because things don’t stop there. A cad named Duncan Wedderburn (played with maximalist lunacy by a scenery-chewing Mark Ruffalo) spirits her away, rapes her, and keeps her like a pet in a jag and jaunt across the continent not unlike that of Humbert Humbert. Her attempts to break free are met with more control, anger, and even violence. Even friends, intent on showing her the world, do so with an intent to break her spirit. The madame at the brothel where she seizes her own “means of production” gives her a lifeline, but exerts her own brand of manipulation and assault.
And the piece de resistance of the film’s unconscionable abusers is Bella’s quasi ex-husband, quasi-father, who takes joy in cruelly, threatens her with firearms, plans to surgically remove her ability to enjoy sex, and accounts for, in his own twisted way, why Bella’s mother would rather leave this cruel world than bring her abuser’s child into it.
It is no coincidence that these controlling trespassers are almost exclusively men. Even the kinder ones, like Godwin’s more availing and understanding assistant, Max McCandles, takes advantage of Bella when she’s in an immature state and unable to consent, desiring the physical and ignoring the mental.
And it’s no coincidence that those who empower Bella, who teach her philosophy and politics and self-possession, are women. From Martha, the aging European cruiser who shows Bella theory; to fellow french prostitute Toinette who helps Bella see the confluence of politics and economics that give her a context and identify the scars that clue her into the past; to even Swiney, the madame who takes her cut but gives Bella perspective, those who lift Bella up share her gender.
In that, Poor Things is a peculiar sibling of fellow 2023 release Barbie, and a raunchier cousin of 2013’s Under the Skin in its equally off-kilter examination of what it is to be a woman, the projections and invasions of their male counterparts, and the abuse that must be endured simply for existing in this state. For all its outsized grandeur, Poor Things is startlingly frank in its depiction of many of these things, and it’s easy to flinch in its barest moments.
It’s also easy to flinch because Poor Things is a thoroughly gross movie. Gross because, being a modern day Frankenstein tale of surgeons and their subjects, it is riddled with scars, blood, and scattered organs. Gross because time and again the viewer must watch a person with the body of an adult but the mind of a child be taken advantage of sexually. Gross because it doesn’t shy away from the awkwardness and multitudinal expressions of sex in a way that is both affirming and repulsive in its peculiar way. This is not a movie for the squeamish, either physically or emotionally.
And yet, despite all of that, there is more than enough to bask in here.For one thing, Poor Things is a beautiful film. The cinematography evolves as Bella does, starting with ornate stage play sets in black and white, blossoming into gorgeous impressionistic settings in technicolor splendor, and eventually reaching a still exaggerated but ultimately more realistic presentation as Bella’s more mature view of the world comes into focus. The way the aesthetic mirrors the main character’s growth and understanding is both visually stunning and a masterful blend of vision and theme.
And the imagery works on its own terms. Director Yorgos Lanthimos and cinematographer Robbie Ryan craft an iconography that is worth the price of admission on its own. The style of Poor Things blends the larger-than-life expressionism of Fritz Land, with the misfits in a toybox world sensibilities of Tim Burton, with the liminal oddity of Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and the twee dioramas populated with broken souls of Wes Anderson. The production design and makeup and costuming, for Bella in particular, invite you into this particular, peculiarly-crafted world with its characters who are no less distinctive in look than in personality. In terms of pure style, pure vibes, pure feel, Poor Things is an experience all its own.
It is also blackly funny. Part of what cuts the grimness of the film’s subject matter is that laughs abound, in the dark absurdity of Bella’s various predicaments, of her matter-of-fact ways over around and through them, and in the almost slapstick-y moments of physical comedy that blend the sublime and the ridiculous. Even in its bleakest stretches, Poor Things carries an arch tone that helps the medicine go down.
It doesn’t hurt that this is one of the most quotable films of the season. In the script penned by Tony McNamara, Bella has a Vonnegut-esque way of identifying the absurdity of human existence by simply stating it plainly. There is a “from the mouths of babes” quality to her comments, driving incisive critique though blithely stating the obvious in a way that upsets polite society. Her matter-of-fact comments are often uproarious, from her agahstness at a new friend’s coital interregnum, to the aforementioned affirmation of a sex worker’s yonic take on Marxism, to Bella’s simple declaration that she need not keep chewing something that revolts her.
But that is the cinch of the film, because as much as Poor Things centers on the abusive and revolting, as much as it offers treats in the form of splendorous images and witty lines, it is ultimately a story of self-actualization. Star Emma Stone sells Bella’s journey from a developmentally challenged child who is misdirected and taken advantage of by all those who wish to extract her gifts for their pleasures, to a questioning young soul finding themselves and discovering their wants, to a worldly and experienced operator who is blunt in her assessments but no less direct or effective at reaching her desires, finally subject and not object.
That is the true focus of the film: what it is to grow-up, what it is to come into your own, what it is to become a person, with all the dangers and messiness and reckonings that entails, but in the right hands and the right company, what joys and solace it may bring as well. (Again, making it a funhouse mirror version of fellow Best Picture nominee Barbie.) Swiney tells Bella that we must experience the good and the bad, to have a full sense of the world, to know, to grow, and become. And in the end, Bella does.
Through all of her adventures, she comes out a battered but fully-formed, self-possessed individual, marked by experiences but also fortified by them. She abandons one abuser in good faith and then rejects and repels him when he blames her for all his self-made problems. She neutralizes her original abuser of sorts and turns him into an erstwhile pet for good measure. She brings her friends close, and finds a partner who is more understanding and forgiving.
Most of all, she breaks the cycle. What makes a man capable of the unfathomable acts Godwin commits sympathetic is that, as he recounts his own childhood of cruel experiments done dispassionately, you see the way he is merely perpetuating his own abuse, albeit with genuine affection breaking through for Bella. When Bella comes into her power, she does not forgive Godwin exactly, but she makes peace with him on his slow road to death. He committed the original sin of violation, lied to her, kept her, but is also the one who recognized her as a being of free will, and perhaps even one who provoked love through his futile attempts at detachment.
Ultimately, she follows in his footsteps, becoming a surgeon herself and stepping into his shoes. She spends much of the film bristling against the shackles of a system, finding the words to question it, and then building her own little oasis apart from it. There is great horror in the core of Poor Things, in its frank depiction of cruelty and craven use of another body and soul. But it is also a story of an ungodly creation who, through experiencing life’s offerings both harsh and wondrous, eventually supplants the man who sewed her together, and becomes her own creator.
"I do worry sometimes I might just be entertaining myself while staving off the inevitable."
The Banshees of Inisherin is one of the saddest breakup movies since Marriage Story. Well...in the film, they are not a romantic couple, but Padraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson) were good friends, until one day their friendship ends abruptly, just because Colm decides that despite there being no bad blood between them, he does not like him anymore. The reason is: you are dull. In some ways, friendships are like relationships; it starts with the strong bonds you form with each other until that feeling towards them is not the same, and you no longer like/love them anymore.
I mean, everything was fine yesterday.
A strange occurrence that is not explainable but does happen. I believe it starts when one person changes while the other doesn’t. In the movie, Colm is a wise and articulated older man with an artistic ambition that he never acted on and never stopped to think about getting older. Living on a small remote island off the west coast of Ireland, where everybody is freaking boring and gossiping little bitches who love to stick their noses in other people's business and drama, because there is nothing else to do on the island. The movie does a fantastic job of giving you the impression that living on this rock slowly kills you on the inside. While being a supporting character, this is the dilemma with Colm. He does the same thing every day with his ex-friend, going to the pub at two pm and talking endlessly about meaningless crap and nonsense, and who knows what else happens the rest of the day, which is not that interesting, I assume.
The end of their friendship is hard to watch because it leaves the audience with everlasting pain. Brendan Gleeson is remarkable as the desperate and often cold Colm.
Despite what film Twitter tries to tell you, Martin McDonagh has yet to make a bad movie. In the same vein as Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, whenever McDonagh makes a new movie, I am 100% there. Every movie this guy has made has been brilliant, and Banshees is no different. A dark comedy at its finest cause you know when things go so wrong to the point it gets funny. Well, Martin McDonagh's movies are like that.
The writing is superb and has plenty of dry humour. The film-making is not anything grand or flashy; some comment on how stagy it is, but I do not feel it needs to be a technical marvel. With that said, there are some beautiful shots of the landscape of Ireland.
Comparing his work in The Batman early this year and this movie proves that Colin Farrell is one of the finest working actors. His character Pádraic Súilleabháin is a dim-minded, polite man who, unlike Colm, has found peace and happiness in his daily life. Farrell brings a child-like vulnerability to the character, where everything he does or says can be funny and depressing. His character arc is incredibly heart-rending.
Pádraic sister, played by Kerry Cordon, another standout performance, and some of her line delivery has implanted itself in my head. Her character Siobhan is trying to find the ultimate purpose in her life, echoing the problems that Colm is facing, which the two get along like a house on fire.
Barry Keoghan plays Dominic, and out of all the characters in the story, he lives the worst life under his abusive father. Keoghan continues to be an excellent actor who is on a winning streak. The character of Dominic is a playful and childish man, but the tragedy of the character is that he is lost in this life and has nowhere to call home, often appearing at the most random of places during odd times.
The score from Carter Burwell immerses you in this story and contributes to the stunning visuals.
Overall rating: On paper, a simple concept of a friendship breaking up, but its approach to mental illness, kindness, art, masculinity, and our inevitable death was strikingly profound. At times, it felt like Shakespeare mixed with the Brothers Grim tale.
It is one of the best movies of 2022.
Justin Long using the rape dungeon as an opportunity to boost his listing square footage is the most realistic portrayal of an AirBnB host I’ve ever seen.
The acting. I need to start at the acting before anything. Every single person on that screen was every inch of believable. Even that dog, the dog, amazed me with its acting skills.
Next up is the cinematography, it was filmed almost like a documentary and I think that's what makes this different from most movies for sure. I loved feeling like these characters were real.
The story and the dialogue are both top-notch, and the ending is very controversial, I'd say. Also, the soundtrack is both soothing and chaotic. I love it.
The only reason I'm not giving it a higher level is because I didn't feel connected enough to any of the characters to care enough. The case itself is interesting, but the answers are too thin.
Definitely an interesting production. It feels like I am watching a noir film, but in a modern setting. Timeless story and personalities. Self-described addict to movies, which we see glimpses of from time to time, as if to show he imagines his life to be like one, with Bogart. The protagonist is a bit like a relict from the past. Lone gentleman in a suit, driving a vintage car, caring for the vulnerable, dealing with his own demons, longing for a mysterious woman, and who can see right through your deceit. Obvious allusions to the Golden age of Hollywood, but I also sense some inspiration by the French new-wave (inspired by the former). It also simply looks beautiful. I eagerly await new episodes.
EDIT after the finale - I love the topic of trying to understand what it means to be a human, the pensiveness and sensitivity of Sugar, the eerie quietness of every character, even the ones who are supposed to be aggressive.
It's okay. Probably more towards the 2.5 territory but I'm feeling generous. CGI gets a bit ropey and it becomes a bit too "girl-bossy" towards the end. Still easy enough fare.
I really enjoyed this season 1. I'd be surprised as well as pissed off if this doesn't get a second season.
Some noticeable continuity issues here and there where they need to focus on. Maximus is a rather annoyingly simple character, I am glad they split Lucy and him at the end up (for now). They do not belong together and I am not invested in their romance, there's just too much other amazing/cool stuff happening where they should focus more on.
Lucy's father escaping the way he did was stupid, though. But keeps the story running, I guess. Her mother appearing like that was unexpected, quite a bleak but nice twist.
A lot of references in pretty much each episode. To fully appreciate this I think you need to be familiar with the Fallout games. Otherwise you will probably not fully understand some of the weird stuff (Vault 4 for example) happening in this world as it does not get explained (well, indirectly perhaps).
Still has its flaws here and there but I'd classify this as a from fans for fans type of series overall. In other words Jackpot.
Sidenote: Schockingly, any random guy in a Power Armor knows how to / is able to show more emotion than a seasoned actor like Pablo Schreiber.
If you read this comment, it means you liked the series too. It ended leaving many questions in my mind. I'm glad the cowboy and the girl got together and her dad was a jerk. As always, as every good thing has an end, we have come to the end of this beautiful thing. Who will wait for the second season now? It's an excellent series, I've played and watched more or less the game. The acting, the environment, the effects, everything was good. Your efforts are like health and medicine.:blush:
This movie is already good on its own, but it becomes 10x better when you know what Patel went through to get it made.
The movie has already cemented itself as a classic of the vengeance subgenre, with echoes of Woo and Park Chan-wook, while bursting with enough originality for it to avoid feeling like a carbon copy.
It's a primal yell of a directorial debut from Dev Patel, already an underrated actor, who uses his unique experiences with religion and his own Indian heritage to bring the story of the film to life.
You can smell the blood and sweat wafting through the screen
7 hours of Guy Ritchie and a bunch of crazy british gangsters. What more could you want?
Potential is what people see when what's in front of them isn't good enough.
"It is an absolute blast. Not only is it a cleverly written dark satire, but it also delves into emotional themes of self-discovery and acceptance that complement the satire in a satisfying manner.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the scene where they are picking the winner and what one group of voters says to the other... It was the perfect way to get the point of the whole movie.
I like the story but the camera work, especially the zooming, is annoying and poorly done.
For a movie about writers, this sure does have a great script! Made me laugh many times and the acting across the board was really good. Well definitely rewatch when it becomes avalible digitally.
That was a lot, i mean a lot of talking! Dialogues never ending, people always speaking. for two hours and 30 minutes. Interesting drama, mystery very low key. Too much of a story telling but acting was goog. A mediocre movie.Not for everyone.
Thrilling historical war drama about an enslaved man who escapes from his captors only to be chased and hunted through the forest and swamp. He must survive in order to return to his family. Will Smith gives a superb performance. My biggest praise is it's cinematography it looks excellent from the unique coloring, the set, costumes and the way it was filmed. It's around 70% black & white and 30% colors it just depends on the scenes and some characters are colored and others aren't. It felt weird in the beginning but I got used to it quickly and it gives a unique style to the film. The runtime felt overlong a lot could of been cut out but I was captivated the whole time and was never bored. I wish it got more emotional overall. The alligator scene was so cool and the war sequences in the third act looked gorgeous.
This is one of those movies that absolutely requires you to watch until the last shot with intent, because it colors everything before it. However, hanging in to get there can be somewhat of a challenge.
The premise is interesting - in the not-too-far future, the earth is becoming uninhabitable, so the government is conscripting random citizens as test subjects for off-world habitats. They are, in some situations, replaced with AI bots of themselves. As a married couple are approached, they find only the husband has been selected. Their relationship is not a happy one, and the tests and questions involved in properly preparing the AI crack those marital problems wide open.
I do think that this movie loses focus and coherence in favor of some self-indulgence here (the same can be said about Paul Mescal's performance - it's awkward when you catch actors acting) but a reveal in the third act pulled my interest back in, and the ending sticks the landing. In what I assume is an intentional misdirect and attempt at mirroring the characters' confusion, the audience is sort of left wondering what the hell is going on and why this character is acting this way for a solid chunk of the movie; there's a way to do this, but Garth Davis didn't really nail it. What he did nail is a satisfying ending in spite of the clutter just previous to it.
Like inhaling helium: funny and left me feeling unexpectedly buoyant.
Nothing like a cutting satire that's this sharp.
(And I'm not saying that just because the central character reminded me a lot of myself :sweat_smile:)
will poulter's character is probably the best mentor marcus could have. he's so calm, patient and open. I'm curious to see the growth that the Copenhagen trip will bring to Marcus (in his culinary skills and in general).
will poulter, the man you are
Unexpectedly theatrical and with substance - like gothic thrilling vice laden modern Shakespeare. This is a film about consumption, the weakness and naivety of arrogance, and a complex first love emotion rolling obsession/jealousy/narcissism into one driving force.
There are three acts for me: Oxford, Saltburn, & madness.
The first act didn't work for me till the second act kicked in. I was worried about a overly-parody-fied and caricatured script. Whilst I recognised the feelings and experiences of Oliver at Oxford, the people were too larger than life and the early laughs didn't land properly for me. Laughing at silly posh young people or uber geeks just wasn't my thing. Some of the cruelty and snobbery played out well though.
The second act puts the first into perspective. The first act which shows an alienated and floundering Oliver gain acceptance from a dislikeable group through the actually sane, kind-ish and likeable Felix sets up for the second act. More unlikeable rich people consuming each other and tossing people away like toys. But Oliver has Felix now and has picked up skills in getting things his way, seduction and sweet talking. But the acting from everyone at Saltburn estate is spot on - I properly laughed at Rosamund pikes and Richard e grants moments. Even though they are all spoilt, sheltered, unwittingly arrogant and judgemental - these characters you like, you see their vulnerabilities and insecurities - you have fun when they have fun.
Things start looking beautiful in the second act. Sometimes distractingly so. The light play, framing, and camera work are stunning. You feel you are in the throws of first love in the best summer of your life. Sometimes this was at odds with the drama or tension in the story.
Final act madness. The sympathy built up for the family now leads into the thrilling dramatic unwinding. The consumers become the consumed. Arrogance and haughty ideas of invincibility led to weakness and fractures.
This isn't an overly cohesive film for me, but I think that's intentional as mis direction. Clues for the real story are laid throughout and I had guessed the ending about two thirds of the way in. I really enjoyed the moments of summer headiness, where everyone is enjoying each other's company. Sometimes the inter-character drama and tensions were too much for me - almost descending into reality tv pettiness. I think thats intentional to show the unsympathetic side of the upper class and olivers push back - I just don't think it needed so much.
The pacing and focus was a little off for me at times. The film was full of symbolism and clever lines but it almost felt too full sometimes. Like vacillating rapidly between moods. There was a moment where I was full of tears at portrayal of grief when others were laughing - very interesting but it left me feeling a bit all Over the place. But excited!
The score and the setting and sterling acting efforts lift the film up into a grand feeling vision. I was a little disappointed that the tone of the trailers wasn't present in the film at all (bloc party song teaser trailer was amazing) . But the score takes this to a different place - British, establishment, old money, young love, hubris and longing - great score.
The film is exciting and there are unexpected moments and some brave choices too. I enjoyed watching this a lot and am excited for more films. There's a lot to enjoy here. Barry keoghans metamorphosis through the film is really really thrilling. Reliving 2006 is fun too - wish just a bit more was done with the music and feeling of that time. Some duff moments for me too so a 7.
Recommend
I seem to be one of the few that actually really enjoyed it. Some people are saying that it's too vague and messy with different SFF tropes being mashed together, but for me, it gave the exact kind of vibe that I get from the 40k Universe, which is wildly popular. I don't really get the hate, but maybe it's from a wider crowd that isn't a fan of 40k. shrugs
By squashing together two thematically juxtaposed storylines, American Fiction drives home its point about America's derivative, stereotypical and one dimensional take on race. Traditional media likes to pander, simplify and stereotype black lives, instead of just telling the breadth of variety to the black experience from each unique viewpoint. By showing both a satire of this oversimplification through Monks success, and giving us a window into Monks personal life full of family issues, relationship struggles and financial woes, we're given a running dialogue that equally critiques the current status quo while also showing the truth of a unique, valid black experience. For something with such a lofty message, American Fiction is very easy viewing; equal parts emotional, humourous and punctuated with a buttery smooth soundtrack, you'll be hard pressed to not finish this one if you start. Does its inclusion in the Oscar race play right into the very problem it's satirising though? That's another debate for another time.
It’s a good movie!!!
No Oscar’s will be won and no body will rave about it….
Don’t wait until you have watched all the movies that you want to see, to get around to this one.
Put it on your list for you that movie you want to see soon…..
But give it a watch and your guaranteed to cry at least once, it will become a different movie to the one you thought you were going to watch, but that’s not a bad thing!
You will figure out where it’s going and what you believe the ending will be, it will then give you a curveball and say “ no we aren’t going there”
But then it will immediately start going there, but once again it will look you straight in the face and say “we are fooling with you, we aren’t going to really do that” then it will…..
The last ten minutes you will see all those lined up penny’s fall into place and your finish this film feeling how you should……
SAD, HAPPY, TEARFUL but best of all……
COMPLETE
man does he ever get to eat the pie? I guess we'll find out.
I´m a gamer and never played Halo more than 5 minutes. I dont care if it doesnt follow the source material or if he took his helmet off. This is an incredibly awesome action sci-fi show! Just enjoy it!
I love the actress playing roscoe, plus the ending of the episode was perfect.
I get that Reacher is basically a superhero, and sure, suspension of disbelief. But come on, repeated head shots with a crow bar?
Somebody, please! Get this man a gun!
