DVDs and Films You Have Watched Recently #2

[Dai]

The Grey

 

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After Seven's review, I made it a priority to watch. Excellent film. Some genuinely shocking moments, too, which I wasnt expecting (eg, the big shock I got when hes laying on the bed, then the plane starts to crash). Not that its the be-all and end-all, but Im suprised its only got a 6.9 IMDB rating. I assume a load of people were pissed off at the lack of final battle. I personally dont think it needs it. Would it really have been better if we had got to see him kill a few wolves before eventually getting killed? Not really, in my opinion.

 

Neeson is excellent, the location is fantastic (and shot very well(, and the sound effects are great. If you look closely, I assume there are quite a few flaws in the logic (why didnt they make weapons/spears from the wreckage or trees was one I thought during the film), but nothing too silly. Top film.

 

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Fast Five - Was skeptical about it being over 2 hours, but was pleasantly suprised how good it was. Plenty of action, and they didnt go crazy with a complicated story/scenes with loads of dialogue, which could have happened with a two hour film. The last car chase scene was also tremendous.

Edited August 12, 2012 by Dai

[Retro Red]

Spoiler tag your post please you giant spanner. Guess I don't need to watch The Grey now.

[Dai]

Sorry, thought I did do it, as I always try to do it with new(ish) films.

[niff]

I watched Carnage the other day. Christoph Waltz and Kate Winslet's son hits John C Reily and Jodie Foster's son in the face with a stick. The couples meet up to decide how to best handle this. Slowly, they irk each other into increasingly petty, childish and cringe-worthy behaviour. It's something you almost feel bad for watching, but it is really funny and all the performances are great. John C Reily's perfectly cast, Christoph Waltz is note-perfect and you still end up feeling sorry for Jodie Foster.

 

I don't think it's a film that begs for repeat viewings, but the performances and how unedifying the situation becomes definitely make it a worthwhile watch.

 

Watched this the other day and it was much better than expected. Incredibly well acted and original. Worth a look.

[patiirc]

Watched A Prophet on Saturday Night. Absolutely superb French prison drama. Really loved it to bits

 

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There was a nice range of stuff in their, including the Trainspotting-esque titles whenever someone new came on screen, Coffee/Spoon in the Eye Cam, Reyeb's ghost, some stunning scenery like the trip to Marseille to see Brittoche (sp?) and the actual prophecy regarding deer

 

The set peices were superb, from the practice through to the execution of Reyeb's murder. The hit on Marcaggi that doesnt go the way you would expect, leaving Luciani fucked and completing Malik's rise from nobody who gets his trainers stolen at the start of the film to top dog with an entourage, by the time he was released from Prison

 

Malik's mate Ryad, who sets up the drug run after Malik and The Gypsy had conspired inside was great as well

 

 

 

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I went in expecting a violent Shawshank dealio, going from what others had said about it to me. What I actually got was a brilliant Prison/Gangster thriller which is well worth seeking out.

 

Fantastic

[Mr. Seven]

Maybe it was the hype, but I was somewhat let down by A Prophet. Good film, but not a great one.

 

Has anyone seen The Bourne Legacy yet? I was quite disappointed, but I'd still put it in the three-star range. It's taking a partcularly vicious kicking in some quarters and I think some of the vitriol is unwarranted. The chief problem is the story. It's simply the wrong choice on the part of Tony Gilroy and no amount of strong work from Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Ed Norton, Oscar Isaac, Zeljko Ivanek and others can mask the problems with the script. It's a shame because there are some great moments in the film but, on the whole, it is something of a stitched-together mess. Evidently, Gilroy needs someone over him to fine-tune his work.

 

I think it's fair to label it a failure, but a noble one. The series could have wound up with someone like Taylor Lautner in the lead role. In keeping with character actors, they at least retain gravitas. Renner has a very difficult job simply because he isn't Matt Damon. His Aaron Cross isn't as compelling (thanks again to the ill-conceived story) and there are constant mentions of Bourne in the film, so it's an uphill battle, one that Renner ultimately wins, even if he deserves a much better plot. I do hope it makes enough money to continue though, because there's definitely more to be done here.

[Steve Justice]

Is it filmed in the same 'shakey camera' manner as the 2nd & 3rd film?

[GalaxyV.2]

I think you hit the nail on the head Seven, Cross just isn't Bourne and that's the main problem.

[Mr. Seven]

Is it filmed in the same 'shakey camera' manner as the 2nd & 3rd film?

 

Not as excessively, no. The finale goes there but for the most part it's fairly static. At least, that's how I remember it. I certainly didn't notice it as much as Greengrass' entries into the franchise.

[Up Chuck]

There's some interesting stuff on The Bourne Legacy and sequels in general in this article.

[Mr. Seven]

I think you hit the nail on the head Seven, Cross just isn't Bourne and that's the main problem.

 

It's more that Cross is, when you weigh it up, little more than a junkie in need of a fix. The entire "chems" plot, which drives the film and everyone in it, should have been ditched. It kills the film before it has a chance to take off.

[Harvey Dent]

It just didn't really go anywhere. I do like Jeremy Renner, and he did well with what he had to work with, but it just plodded along and then a load of action shoehorned in at the end. It's jarring. The slightly frustrating thing is there's probably a good film in there somewhere, just not in the 2 hours or so you actually watch.

Edited August 16, 2012 by Harvey Dent

[iamtheman]

More or less on the same lines with Bourne Myself. I was ok and i ilke Renner a lot and there is some great actors in it just not given enough to do. Even though it probably wont happen i would want greengrass and damon back if they are doing another one.

 

Just got back from The expendables 2 and it somehow manages to be both awful and absolutely brilliant at the same time. The brilliant fan pleasing moments is what I'll take from it though. It's great fun

[Harvey Dent]

Just got back from The expendables 2 and it somehow manages to be both awful and absolutely brilliant at the same time. The brilliant fan pleasing moments is what I'll take from it though. It's great fun

 

That about sums it up. Pulp Fiction it ain't, but who's really going in to see this expecting anything other than explosions and cheesy one liners? It's unapologetic in its ridiculousness and although it could've still been better, it's still fun to watch. A lot of it is so unintentionally hilarious as well, but in a good way. There's a certain charm to it that was lacking from the first outing. There's some sort of loose plot and JCVD's bad guy has no depth whatsoever, but because it's JCVD it works. Better than I thought it'd be by some distance.

[iamtheman]

Poor Nan Yu (who is a bit crap admittedly) looks so bored at times bless her. Its impossible to dislike a film that starts and ends the way this one does though