This was fucking horrific. This scriptwriter should be forced to find a new career. The second that Rosamund Pike was kidnapped, I thought to myself, "He's either going to propose, or they're going to go into business together." The problem was in getting to the point, where this actually happened. These Russian mobsters must've been the most incompetent buffoons on the planet to not be able to finish off two individuals, who they'd already pretty much brought to w/in an inch of their life. This was such an incredible stretch that it made this movie absolutely ridiculous.
Aside from this, the fact that the writer tried to make these two women sympathetic characters screams that there's something really off w/ this writer. On what planet are people who take advantage of, and essentially murder, some of the most vulnerable members of society sympathetic?
On one last note, I've never been a fan of Rosamund Pike. I'd seen her in two previous films, where she was not good at all: Jack Reacher and Gone Girl. In the former, she's so melodramatic, it's difficult to watch, and it's even more difficult to take her character seriously. In the latter, although she's playing a character w/ Antisocial Personality Disorder, that doesn't necessarily mean someone devoid of affect, which is exactly how she played that role. She may as well have been a talking stump in that movie. I realize that she received industry-wide recognition for the latter role, but I prescribe this to the industries' complete and utter lack of understanding of psychological disorders and their accompanying attributes.
I wasn't going to watch this film b/c of my distaste for Ms. Pike's acting ability, but the movie, on its own, won such rave reviews, I figured that I'd give it a chance. However, something about her just wasn't right. She had this odd grin in a lot of scenes, where it either didn't fit, or it seemed like it would've been inappropriate, if it had been a real-life situation. I just find her acting to be really off-putting. Luckily, both Peter Dinklage and Dianne Wiest are always top-notch performers.
If the Terminator and Chucky met at a BDSM club and one of them got pregnant, M3gan would be the result. As cool as the doll is, the movie itself should've been better. Watch with low expectations and you won't be disappointed.
80% was decent but they Netflixed it for their Millenial audience and the ending was so aweful that it ruined the whole movie for me. That's why I prefer HBO shows - they are for adults and don't need ridiculous, unrealistic over-acting or over-writing to keep their audience edutained till the end.
There is only one redeeming factor about this movie, the fact that Trakt give rating of 1 heart the name 'Weak Sauce :(' as that describes this movie perfectly.
People may say that this is a more 'arty' film, let's be frank, it's not well enough executed to be one, I've seen better arty films elsewhere.
Not only that, but I just can't get over the plot holes, which includes some typical Hollywood style puffery, for instance, the girls hold up a cafe (I think) at gunpoint, steal money from the till without wearing gloves (so you'd think there are fingerprints at least), the girls later get arrested during Spring Break (so I'd imagine fingerprinted), so I'm either over-estimating police intelligence or information sharing, or that was a pretty big plot hole.
In addition, when they are outside the diner/superette(?) and they re-enact the hold up, how that scene would go completely unnoticed, boggles my mind, it just doesn't make sense to me.
Apart from what I feel like plot holes, the proportion of runtime spent on mindless dribble/fast cuts/etc (which is really the director trying to be artsy) bored me out of my mind like you'd never believe.
In summary, I want my hour and a half back!
Ever see a movie and you suddenly realize your IQ is dropping? That's this movie. I seriously cannot believe this movie got made, or that anyone in charge of the budget signed off on it. It's horribly dull, just scene after scene of people dancing and partying. These four "ladies" go on "spraang braaaake" and bad stuff happens. I kept waiting for the point, but really, the movie has nothing to say other than "look at these ladies in their bikinis." I guess the "moral" is that you shouldn't do bad things or bad things might happen to you? Maybe?
My least favorite part was the constant repetition of lines. I feel like the "writers" couldn't come up with good dialogue, so when they found something they liked, they repeated it. At one point, the girls get arrested, and they keep saying "it wasn't supposed to be like this" over and over. I'm not kidding, I think they said it six or seven times. The film is visually stunning, if I'm being positive. They spent a LOT of money on neon lights and fake guns...and swimsuits. SO MANY swimsuits, and so many closeups of women in swimsuits. I kinda feel like the director graduated from "Girls Gone Wild" to artsy films, but this need more plot, character arcs, and less of James Franco's teeth. If you want to hear people say "spraang braaaake forevvvvvahhh" many MANY times, go for it.
Paul Feig tries his hand directing a movie sans Melissa McCarthy, that honestly, on first viewing, had me hitting fast forward on the remote. Fortunately, where I stopped was the point that the movie got truly interesting, and, after watching the third act, I was intrigued enough to go back and take a second look. I'm very glad I did. It's not the typical Paul Feig, movie, neither raucous comedy, nor comedy thriller, but kind of a dark, comedish, Urban Neo-Noir, dramedy but not exactly. The female leads drive the story, but, you really don't know who to root for, as BOTH are a bit damaged and twisted, and, you have to get to the end to find out which one is MORE screwed up. A third of the way in Anna Kendrick's character makes some choices that (although they had set it up in a previous scene) were sooo aggravating and clichéd that I ALMOST called it a wrap, then, they telegraphed the "plot twist" so ham handedly that one can easily guess the rest of the movie.
THANKFULLY, Feig's deft direction, and the casts thespianship, combined with several ..but wait, but wait....., but wait, curveballs (is it a plot twist if you see it coming?) at the end made this worth the watch.
If you rent the DVD, in the extras there is a cute "flash mob" scene that was supposed to be the happy ending, to run during the title credits, but, it didn't track well to test audiences, so they cut it. Its a fun Bollywood tribute, but, IMO they were right to cut it, as it would have seemed trite and forced. Still, they tacked on some happily ever after title cards in the credits, because that's just how Paul rolls.
The first 3/4s of Mother! impressed me for its visual aspect but frustrated me as regards the story... but then came the final 10 minutes. At the end of the film things fall into place and a lot of the symbolism is explained. I'm not saying I understood everything, but I got the main points, which was more than satisfying for a first time viewing.
As for the haters out there... Why is it when David Lynch makes an artsy film that's difficult to follow everyone applauds his audacity, yet when Darren Aronofsky does it, then it's suddenly pretentious shite? Seriously, who goes to a Darren Aronofsky film expecting "House at the End of the Street"? Have they not seen Black Swan? Aronofsky is known for his think pieces, and here we are made to think to the background of stunning imagery and thoughtful filmmaking. If you want to hate a film for not being accessible, take it out on Enemy or Under the Skin, but leave my Mother! alone.
As someone that isn't a huge "whodunnit?" fan (except Scream), this movie is awesome. The cast spares not expense at a great cast, clever/funny writing, and an overall super engaging mystery. People who like these types of movies will surely LOVE this one.
Rating: 3.5/5 - 8/10 - Would Recommend
The satire is almost pitch black with how accurate and blunt it is. I wanted to laugh and enjoy this movie for the satirical comedy that it's so clearly trying to be, but it's secretly a depressive mockumentary on the current state of discourse in the US and across the world. Very well done, almost too accurate for humourous purposes, and left me feeling a little hollow when the credits rolled. If that was the intent, kudos Adam McKay. I'm going to go hug my dog and tell my parents I love them.
Ok wow that was good. Like really good.
Man just a lot of fun.
So plot wise this is a movie about two people both of whom are bad people. They meet happenstance and find out they're both going to the same destination wedding. Lindsay is the former fiance of the groom (he left her) and Frank is his half-brother. They both hate the groom Keith but it barely unites them as they both just hate everything.
This plotline sounds familiar because it's basically all you need to know to watch FX's absolutely excellent You're the Worst. But this is just a movie version of that pilot. So what you really look for in this movie is not so much the plot which we all know (Boy meets girl, ... , They get together), but the chemistry and how they get together. Ryder and Reeves have EXCELLENT chemistry and the writing was top notch. Which it had to be because this movie is 90% Lindsay and Frank riffing off one another. It doesn't feel improvy or forced. But the sheer endurance of the back and forth between them is impressive. They should be together based on that alone. But Keanu plays a character that in other people's hands would feel lazy and dull. I love Bruce Willis movies but ever since I learned he has a rider that says he films his parts in like 2 days and then collects his money and they film the rest of the movie. It suddenly clicks what is wrong with his performances lately. It's that he's not performing. Reeves does the oppsite here. He takes a character that is written as lifeless and stiff and he performs that stiffness. Ryder's Lindsay on paper is pathetic. Keith broke off their engnagement like a dick but she sues him and is still coming to this Destination Wedding performatively instead of saying no and sparing herself the pain. Ryder infuses her with pain and anger and spite. Yet she's develops a hesitant but honest and open affection for Frank that keeps her interesting.
This is exactly the sort of movie I would buy just to have on tap when I need something to watch that's entertaining but not stupid.
Hilarious! How can you not get it. It's hilarious! I cackled.
The whole sequence when they crept away from the wedding, the mountain lion and the sex scene, was hilarious!
Also, his character, despite his dour protestations, is INCREDIBLY SWEET. From his first word to her to that annoying noise he was making just before she opened the door.
Just very funny... I liked it a lot.
It was nice to see both Winona and Keanu aging well and in display of their fine acting skills. Loved the movie, I found it hilarious !! Great ending too..
incredibly pretentious script full of cynicism. I loved it. its a great black comedy about the possibility of hope.
This was very good at some points, but it's mainly one hour and forty minutes of resisting the urge to book a plane ticket to America to track down and punch James Corden in his insufferable, irritating face.
And no Paul Rudd? They got irrelevant guests like Lady Gaga, BTS and Justin Bieber but not Paul Rudd? Aisha Tyler? Cole Sprouse?
(my original comment was deleted for some reason?)
The acting performances of Brendan Fletcher and Eliana Jones is what I will remember from this movie. Daddario does one of her worst performances so far and I'm not sure if Cavill still knows that he was in this movie, looked like he just got out of bed throughout the entire thing and just read stuff from a sign.
Why did I decide to watch it? I liked the premise. And I like some of Soderbergh's movies (but not all).
Baseline score: 6
Watchability. Will I ever watch it again?
-1 I seriously doubt it
Emotions. What did I feel?
0 Nothing special. It definitely was not scary.
Characters. Was there someone I was rooting for?
0 No
Story. Did I like it?
0 As I've said I liked the premise. But the premise was "is she crasy or not". And that question was answered almost immediately. And then there was no mistery. Instead we got a psycho and a rotten system.
Picture. Was it beautiful?
0 Nothing special
Music. Do I remember it? Do I want to buy the soundtrack?
0 No
Final score: 5
Sibyl is not a film about multiple personalities, it's a film with multiple personalities where the edges between fact, fiction and flashback are very clearly blurred.
Adèle Exarchopoulos absolutely nails her performance here, not just hitting the emotional highs and lows of her character but deftly managing the subtle art of playing an actress who is acting badly and then acting well. The Blue is the Warmest Color actress demonstrates a degree of talent that promises a long and impressive career.
Sibyl itself is an interesting watch, though the story is hard to pin down. Although it can be hard to like a film with multiple personalities because you don't know which one is the real one, the solid directing and the marvelous performances by the entire cast make each of the film's personalities worth getting to know.
Some plots might not make sense but the script for the father is perfect lol
Moral of the story
- use an iPhone instead of android phone
- ‘jailbreak’ is a term used for ios. For android we say ‘root’
- using drugs properly can trick the demon
SPOILERS AHEAD…. I don’t even know if I can put into words how much I fucking love this film!!! American History X is such an underrated masterpiece—literally, from start to end. This is not an easy film to watch, but damn is it worthy of every second.
A 1998 film directed by Tony Kaye presents to us the story about a neo-Nazi skinhead named Derek Vinyard—marked with a life of cruelty, violence, racism—who is sent to prison after brutally murdering two black men who attempt larceny. Once released, he desires a change and understands his mistakes. Derek sets off to change and fix the things he did wrong, specifically that his younger brother Danny doesn’t follow in his footsteps.
American History X obtains beautiful cinematography. There is an extremely distinct and intelligent representation of hatred in the movie’s photography. The past is shot in black and white to portray how Derek viewed the world as plain as black v.s. white; and the present is shot in colour to represent Derek’s change and comprehension of what social hatred has done to better his life, which is simply nothing but pain.
Sadly, 20 years later, American History X is still relevant to this day. Recently, many problematic hate groups have been exposed and often include neo-Nazis. Never had I thought I would live in a world filled with this atrocity but disappointingly, they have always been there. Deep inside, I have this raging gut to show this film to all people that commit hate crimes or simply hate. Hell, how could that ever happen, right?
Why is it that I love American History X so much? It is because the message that this film sends out is astonishing. The script is in every single way a lesson, and it all concludes perfectly at the end. This movie in no way sets out to present white people being victimized by different races and ethnicities. It simply speaks to the world about not only racism, but how hatred can affect individuals and tear loved ones apart. Technically, this entire movie should be the definition of hate. That “Hate is baggage. Life’s too short to be pissed off all the time. It’s just not worth it.”
The movie accomplishes to teach us how individuals are never born hating. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, then they can be taught to love. There are numerous amounts of scenarios where this is shown through the film’s very memorable moments. From the curb stomp scene, which presents HATE, sending Derek to prison (presenting: hate does not mean better), where he soon experiences BETRAYAL from a group of neo-Nazis when they rape him, to unexpectedly befriending a black man, displaying LOVE.
Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D’Angelo, and Jennifer Lien did amazing jobs portraying their characters—each and every single one of them with so much pain. The most difficult scene to watch was the brutal dinner table scene where Norton gives a fucking powerful performance. He really demonstrated how deep the character’s hatred can go once he sends endless insults to the Jewish man whom during that scene was in a relationship with his mother. Not to mention the part where he begins to suffocate his own sister!!
The ending of the film was the most unexpected and completely heartbreaking. Although this is a film that revolves around white supremacy, I cannot be the only one who was hoping for a happy ending. Watching a family go through such horrendous events and then watching this former neo-Nazi noticing his mistakes and profoundly attempting to fix them, only to see them end on the murder of his young brother is truly fucking tragic.
In a way, during that last scene American History X presents the cycle of social hatred. One loses, and the other wins, continuing to pass on the hate. That kid was probably put up to a test, and as soon as Danny’s blood splatters over his face, the kid’s eyes open wide, and we know he regrets it.
I have read the original script of American History X and I seriously wish this film could’ve been longer. I really believe it still would’ve been successful if they included a few scenes from the original screenplay. AMAZING MOVIE!
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I love seeing Octavia Spencer doing something different. Diana Silvers was great. Some ok teen drama stuff and the third act is good with a few ridiculous moments.
He'd rather have Kristin Stewart than Blake Lively? Give me a break!
I am disappointed with this movie. I had such high expectations. There were many gaps in portraying the story. I am very familiar with the British history so I was able to fill in the gaps. But I was with my teenage daughter and she got lost in the story. First of all, there was no explanation as to why the religion mattered. Second, many stories were rushed, no detail provided while some other stories/parts dragged. And as I watched the scene when Elizabeth and Mary met for the first time I realized that this whole movie is about women empowerment. The way the story was told, the focus was on the strength and power of the women (mostly Mary). I don't like how Elizabeth was portrayed as a weak and insecure woman. Actually, the truth was quite the opposite - she was strong and smart woman. She knew what she wanted. She never married because she knew that she would lose power the moment she tied the knot. This is what ultimately brought Mary's demise.
If the focus of the movie was telling the story rather than making a point, the result would have been much better movie. Right now the movie lacks a seamless story telling. What a waste of good actors. And btw, I think they overdid it with Elizabeth's make up.
I don't mind its abstract nature and the parabolic script BUT the 3/4 of the movie is actively trying to NOT make any sense. I'm all for mysteries and decoding but that was just self-indulgent mental masturbation. So 6.5/10 cuz the writer tried to make himself seem smarter than he is.
Wow, so much going on in this movie that many people will find much of it confusing and boring. I think this movie portrays the idea of anxiety very well while some parts of this movie make absolutely no sense, but I did find it entertaining.
"I'm not asking you to leave, I'm asking you to fucking drink this fucking paint with me."
There was some stuff in here that I really liked, but considering it was a 3-hour movie, there simply wasn't enough stuff that I liked for me to rate this highly. I spent most of the runtime uninterested and bored with what was going on.
The odyssey of a spineless middle-aged loser who must traverse oceans and mountains to visit his overbearing mother. The journey is embellished with reimagined childhood traumas and moments of surreal comedy that could only be described as grotesque. Initially, it feels like plunging into a world seen through the eyes of someone plagued by pathological anxiety. However, as the narrative unfolds, there’s a progressive shift towards pure psychoanalytic delirium rich in symbolic elements.
While the formula succeeds in entertaining and captivating for the majority of its duration, the overall result leaves an impression of having been assembled in a somewhat disorderly and redundant manner. This approach seems to prioritize the director's self-indulgence and pretentiousness over the coherence of the storytelling.
In brief, it's an incredibly amusing and thought-provoking auteur spectacle, displaying remarkable audacity within contemporary cinema. Yet, its potential could have been elevated further with a better sense of restraint and cohesiveness.
a movie so soaked in metaphors that it loses its main idea
Narratively, this is a bit of a slog and overindulgent. Good acting and a few deliriously weird moments elevate this to something that can still be considered worthwhile.
I'll echo another reviewer here - we need proper grown up films and I don't want to criticise one that is just that.
But for me, as a whole entity. Meh.
Murphy's acting was fine, not outstanding. Emily Blunt didn't hit the mark. RDJ was solid. The rest did well with what they had I suppose.
I didn't like the pacing and I wasn't a fan of how it sought to tell us it knew more than the viewer does.
Let me paraphrase that... Nolan works best when he nods at perhaps knowing more about characters than we do (does Bruce Wayne survive? Does the spinning top keep spinning?) and fails when he underestimates the viewer and preaches that he is superior (tenet, oppenheimer).
3 hours for all this. Not worth it.
The scene where he had to give the speech after the Hiroshima bombings was a masterpiece. The whole movie ngl
