The Films You Watched Thread VI: The Undiscovered Movie

[fallenangle]

I've appreciated Olga Kurlenko for some time time - she was good too in Centurion, Momentum, Oblivion and whilst the film disappointed, Hitman as well.

Like Eva Green she reminds me in the way she acts of the French actress Isabelle Adjani, capable of doing convincing action stuff but still remaining feminine. Slightly bitchy in an attractive way only actresses of French extraction seem to be able to do (Juliet Binoche, Sophie Marceau) and like the best of them the eyes have it; capable of looks that say more than words.

In short: usually very watchable performances, not just a pretty face.

[Golgo]

My lad made me watch A Silent Voice and I was expecting a soppy high-school romance drama and it totally killed me. The bit where Shoko is hysterically fighting and saying she's "doing her best" with her deaf person's vocal intonations - I find it hard even to think about that. As a study of bullying and the grey areas of moral culpability and regret, well...I'm always amazed at the emotional range and ambiguity that Japanese animators put into their work. I was shocked later to read that the animation studio was the one hit by that deadly arson attack a couple of years later, although the director herself survived.

[Neon Ignition]

It's a shame Olga was given so little to work with in Black Widow. Hopefully they let her have a second turn at the role and more to work with. Eva is just... something else when let loose. Her possession scene in Penny Dreadful was next level.

[QualityChimp]

Watching Skyfall after Quantum of Solace was like a breath of fresh air.

I'd forgotten how bloody good it looks, with exotic casinos, neon skylines, blue oceans, raging fires at night and abandoned cities.

The action is also silky smooth, using the camera to track the action, rather than obfuscate the viewer.
The silhouetted fight in the Hong Kong skyscraper and the opener with the Caterpillar on a train being great, along with the climactic battle (although I feel Ep.5 of Gangs of London trumps it).

Kinda looking forward to Spectre the most, as it looks great and there are some huge action scenes, but already eye-rolling at the rubbish retcon that trivialises how terrifying Spectre were starting to be.

[Cassius_Smoke]

My Terminator film idea is:

A T800 is sent back to the 90s to steal and kill the theory of Time Travel from a team of scientists. He succeeds, and then waits in a safe location until the nuclear war starts, at which point he would pass on his knowledge. However, the humans catch wind, send two humans back (after the point the terminator succeeds, because plot) and then hunt him down. The terminators job is to stay alive so it becomes a reverse terminator film, with humans hunting a terminator.

[wakka]

My Terminator film idea is:

A T800 is sent back to the 90s to steal and kill the theory of Time Travel from a team of scientists. He succeeds, and then waits in a safe location until the nuclear war starts, at which point he would pass on his knowledge. However, the humans catch wind, send two humans back (after the point the terminator succeeds, because plot) and then hunt him down. The terminators job is to stay alive so it becomes a reverse terminator film, with humans hunting a terminator.

I like it. I think there are a couple of issues that would need to be resolved though. Firstly the Terminator is meant to be pretty unkillable, so you would need to handicap him or make him vulnerable in some way to ensure that there is sufficient tension regarding the humans finding him.

Or, alternatively, perhaps they could be more advanced Terminators rather than humans. This leads into the second problem though, of having a Terminator protagonist. He would really need a human collaborator who the audience could build a relationship with, or as the audience we might struggle to really care about him.

Finally, if he steals and destroys the concept of time travel, this would need to play a bigger role in the story. It might for example mean that the people/Terminators sent back to get him can’t return to their time - perhaps they don’t know that, and their finding that out becomes a turning point for their characters which changes their plans.

I like the concept, I think there’s lots to play with there.

[Dogg Thang]

We’ve got a regular Harvey Weinstein over here.

Wait, we don’t say that any more, do we?

[QualityChimp]

I watched Spectre last night, getting me up-to-speed with Bond, ready for NTTD this week.
(I watch Skyfall the other night)

The retconning of everything didn't quite bother me as much as it did upon first viewing.
I think that's a lesser crime than Quantum's awful action and lame-o mastermind.

That opening in the Mexican Day of the Dead carnival is great and I love how after a minute, you realise it's all in one take - so well done. I watched a special features documentary about it afterwards and they had about 1500 extras in this conveyor belt of costumes and makeup. Amazing to think how much effort goes into these things!

I think Skyfall is a better film, generally, possibly nudged ahead by the better story and better looks - I love the saturated vibrancy in Skyfall (apart from when they get to Scotland ), but the sequence in Spectre where he infiltrates the meeting and they all know he's there is really creepy. Bautista makes a great henchman too - up there with Oddjob and Jaws for intimidation.

Andrew Scott ("Moriarty" in Sherlock) is brilliantly maggoty. You need someone to boo in these things!

Loved the sequence as they escape the base and Bond pops the stock on his rifle so he can take out the distant targets, then they trigger the Record Breaking explosion.

[Neon Ignition]

Quantum of Solace
Like QC, with the new film looming we've stepped up a gear to rewatch them. Solace is just so bizarre and you realise how quickly into Craig's tenure the collapse of his Bond occurs thanks to this film. He dumps an unconscious Olga on a random stranger, looks like a wuss as Dominic Green smacks the hell out him too. All I could think at the end as well was two things:

-Bond is clearly seeking revenge and is gung-ho on Greene from the outset though the line between the two always feels tenuous at best. Greene is just terrible as a villain, a grand plan to... own some water.

-The Hotel. I mean, it's literally where no-one would build a Hotel and its Hydrogen design is very clearly deeply flawed. One car crashes into a wall and the entire complex explodes. It's also incredibly poorly designed functionally as well. It's appears to have no amenities and is only staffed by one single waitress who we have to assume is responsible for drinks, food, check ins, turn down service, maintenance, cleaning, security etc and then on top of that has to assaulted by a general (who seems to be the only person there with a room booked) and then runs out of the room when Olga shoots her way only to be blown up we assume. The film never says what happens to her amidst the explosions, Bond never bothers to check the collateral damage either.

It's daft but it speaks to how poorly constructed the film is. The film is also at pains to continue the image of Bond being a cold operative but in doing so makes him just so utterly un-heroic.

Just a terrible, terrible entry.

[QualityChimp]

I really want to like QoS. It does some cool things.
The continuation of Casino Royale was a great idea with Mr. White in the car boot during the chase and Bond's search for forgiveness for Vesper beyond his anger at betrayal.
I liked how Greene wasn't disfigured, one of the Bond clichés.
Controlling the water wasn't that insane, especially when you look at how quickly things have gone to hell here when people thought petrol would run out, but water is a bit easier to get hold of.
Olga Kurylenko is convincing as the revenge-thirsty Bond girl, rather than just swooning into his arms.
The Tosca sequence is really great as it's a really lavish production, perfectly luxurious as a Bond location and his infiltration and getting the upper hand feels suitably Bondy.

However, the whole thing just falls flat as Bond grumps around in his Ford Mondeo all leading to a pointless finale.

Oh and the BLOODY SHAKEYCAM!

[Neon Ignition]

Yep, the shakey cam was insane. I liked the simplicity of the opera scene, it worked because it was low key and was a set up that played well into human behaviour. People reacted how you'd expect they would in real life and through a very simple means Bond identifies multiple Quantum operatives. Having multiple agencies hunting Bond though is a laugh after 'you pushed an agent off the roof and shot him' Or Bond could just say 'well, I didn't shoot him' and save himself the hassle

[QualityChimp]

Imagine if the videogame had that crazy shakeycam?! You'd have a migraine before finishing the level!

Marc Forster is set to direct a new Thomas & Friends movie, which has me tittering at the thought of Thomas rolling into the Tidmouth sheds, but with 1037 edits to make it look edgy.

Screen Rant covers most of the issues here (including the guy pretending to sweep), but I think it's important to look at what works and what doesn't and why, rather than just poke fun.

[Neon Ignition]

Apocalypse Now
Never seen the film but we reached it as part of our long rolling passage through notable films and being in 1979 now this was up. Very quickly the missus ducked out, not liking it one bit. I carried on a little later and considering it's a such a slow and long film (we watched the Final Cut version) I really enjoyed it. It's not one I'd rewatch in a hurry but it never felt like a slog and the way that it's shot is well beyond the vast majority of films from its era.

Skyfall
Better than I recall. Still not one of the greats in the franchise but it's solid. There's still some frustration at the stupidity of the tube train crash scene and the flashlights at the moors. Also, this rears how utterly dislikeable this incarnation of Bond can be during the creepy awkward scene where he sneaks in an beds a women he only a scene before identified as a slave used for sex since childhood age. The action is a big step up on Quantum though and the core plot is solid enough to entertain.

[kryss]

Free Guy (on D+)
Loved it! Watching it in Japanese tomorrow.

[QualityChimp]

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