noahpeterson
New Metal Member
- Feb 18, 2019
- 7
- 4
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The Official Movie Thread
- Thread starter Manic Ferocity
- Start date
noahpeterson
New Metal Member
- Feb 18, 2019
- 7
- 4
- 3
- 39
Thank you, just put it on my watch listMoving on, this was solid and well-written. Would rate it higher if not for the scares being rather goofy at times.
challenge_everything
Active Member
Yes. I don't know that website you linked to but I'm a little surprised to see it rated so high. I don't recall the critical reception being quite so enthusiastic elsewhere. I really like Rust and Bone but I'd still have A Prophet as the best Audiard film.
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
So I randomly decided to throw on Thoroughbreds @challenge_everything and what do you know I actually enjoyed it. At times it did feel like a poor man's Denis Villeneuve doing a superficial impression of Yorgos Lanthimos but in the end I thought it was pretty solid. Every scene featuring Paul Sparks was a standout, I wish they'd focused more on him and his interaction with the other characters.
challenge_everything
Active Member
I assume Paul Sparks is the stepdad... if so I agree. Not sure I really see the Villeneuve comparison though?
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
The tone just reminded me of Prisoners at times, it was a comparison I kept coming back to while I was watching it. The use of colours, the dichotomy of strong-willed women vs compromised men basically holds up in Thoroughbreds, the score at times was pretty atmospheric, twist ending...
Vegard Pompey
ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU
I loved the three-hour director's cut of Batman v Superman, so I expected to be on board with Snyder's supposed grand auterist vision in its complete and unmolested form. And I love that this exists; I love that Snyder got the chance to return and properly finish his film without studio interference, and I love some of the audacious creative decisions such as throwing any sense of economy completely out the window and presenting the whole thing in 4:3 format. I doubt it's gonna set a trend but I'll applaud a studio allowing a creator this kind of freedom on the rare occasions it happens.
Sadly I felt that this was paper fucking thin. I think Snyder is frequently misunderstood and people dismiss his previous films as hollow spectacle while missing out on the subtext, so maybe I'm guilty of the same mistake when I say I felt like there was fuck all going on here. It doesn't have the political subtext or zeitgeistiness of BvS, nor the exuberance and rich characterization of the (good) MCU films.
Steppenwolf is emblematic. The big bad of this film is a CGI monstrosity lacking anything resembling facial expressions, with a voice so modulated you can't even tell he's played by Ciarán Hinds. And he's basically just a henchman carrying out Darkseid's orders, without much of a guiding ideology to give his conflict with the Justice League some semblance of drama. He just feels like a bad video game villain, and this is the guy they spend the better part of 4 hours working to take down. For some reason I'm not invested.
On a spoilery note,
Superman's resurrection plays out very ominously. They keep hinting that there's a cost to it, or that he'll come back wrong, but it ends up being pretty much a freebie (after a brief battle with an amnesiac Superman.) Sure, the epilogue hints that there might be consequences in the future, in sequels that'll probably never see the light of day, but overall it feels like a cop-out given all the ominous buildup.
On a positive note, it is pretty gorgeous the whole way through. And I did dig the endless epilogue with its numerous sequel hooks - even if they never manifest in actual sequels, they suggest interesting directions for the story to head next that will surely play out in my head if not in theaters.
challenge_everything
Active Member
no country for old wainds
Active Member
- Nov 23, 2002
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I loved the three-hour director's cut of Batman v Superman, so I expected to be on board with Snyder's supposed grand auterist vision in its complete and unmolested form. And I love that this exists; I love that Snyder got the chance to return and properly finish his film without studio interference, and I love some of the audacious creative decisions such as throwing any sense of economy completely out the window and presenting the whole thing in 4:3 format. I doubt it's gonna set a trend but I'll applaud a studio allowing a creator this kind of freedom on the rare occasions it happens.
Sadly I felt that this was paper fucking thin. I think Snyder is frequently misunderstood and people dismiss his previous films as hollow spectacle while missing out on the subtext, so maybe I'm guilty of the same mistake when I say I felt like there was fuck all going on here. It doesn't have the political subtext or zeitgeistiness of BvS, nor the exuberance and rich characterization of the (good) MCU films.
Steppenwolf is emblematic. The big bad of this film is a CGI monstrosity lacking anything resembling facial expressions, with a voice so modulated you can't even tell he's played by Ciarán Hinds. And he's basically just a henchman carrying out Darkseid's orders, without much of a guiding ideology to give his conflict with the Justice League some semblance of drama. He just feels like a bad video game villain, and this is the guy they spend the better part of 4 hours working to take down. For some reason I'm not invested.
On a spoilery note,
Superman's resurrection plays out very ominously. They keep hinting that there's a cost to it, or that he'll come back wrong, but it ends up being pretty much a freebie (after a brief battle with an amnesiac Superman.) Sure, the epilogue hints that there might be consequences in the future, in sequels that'll probably never see the light of day, but overall it feels like a cop-out given all the ominous buildup.
On a positive note, it is pretty gorgeous the whole way through. And I did dig the endless epilogue with its numerous sequel hooks - even if they never manifest in actual sequels, they suggest interesting directions for the story to head next that will surely play out in my head if not in theaters.
see the chaw 4 star review?
Vegard Pompey
ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU
I have and I'm a little perplexed by it. Feels like he's just having a strong emotional reaction to common superhero tropes and choosing this movie in particular to laud to the heavens for it. Oh well, I've found Chaw increasingly unrelateable for a long time now (the guy loved Dark Fate for fuck's sake.)
Matt Zoller Seitz' review was a lot better.
no country for old wainds
Active Member
- Nov 23, 2002
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he’s been declining in consistency for the last decade to my mind—his being an emotional wreck is his biggest strength or weakness depending on the film—but he does still write my favourite review of a movie more often than any other writer. what you describe sounds like what he’s always done to a point though, p sure i recall people saying exactly the same about his superman returns review back in the days when FFC had a blog people discussed the reviews on.
zoller seitz is pretty good on the whole.
zoller seitz is pretty good on the whole.
Vegard Pompey
ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU
I love Superman Returns and I'd say I broadly agree with Chaw's review of it, but I didn't get at all that kind of reflective arthouse superhero film vibe from ZSJL. It honestly felt to me like a fairly traditional superhero film stretched to 4 hours with all the space for tangents that affords. But idk, maybe it's as simple as Chaw was attuned to the film and I wasn't.
For what it's worth I don't dislike the film, I watched the half in the bag video review and it reminded me how many scenes in that film are just absolutely badass in a vacuum, but I need a bit more than spectacle to keep me interested for 4 hours and if I had shared Chaw's investment in the characters that would've gone a long way.
For what it's worth I don't dislike the film, I watched the half in the bag video review and it reminded me how many scenes in that film are just absolutely badass in a vacuum, but I need a bit more than spectacle to keep me interested for 4 hours and if I had shared Chaw's investment in the characters that would've gone a long way.
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
rms
Active Member
these fucking peopleanyway, I don't know how the fuck you people really enjoyed that Batman vs Superman movie. Jesus christ that entire premise already existed in The Dark Knight, what the hell are people enjoying in this Snyder asshole? Whiny Superman? Not jew-y enough Lex Luthor and slow & old Afflecky-Batman? And that fucking final hour was some of the worst shit i've ever seen. You comic book movie fans are the worst
Fucking Lois Lane popping up outta nowhere and fucking MARTHAAAAAAA anyway, Holy Motors is on tubi (free!) and I saw the Judas director talk about how he wishes he could ever make a film as good as that. And that reminded me I gotta re-watch that, hope you all do to
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
no country for old wainds
Active Member
- Nov 23, 2002
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RadicalThrasher
Active Member
challenge_everything
Active Member
Karyn Kusama normally makes shit movies; maybe I'll have to revise my opinion after this. Still don't understand how this has less than 3 on RYM.
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
Einherjar86
Active Member
Karyn Kusama normally makes shit movies; maybe I'll have to revise my opinion after this. Still don't understand how this has less than 3 on RYM.
I enjoyed this. Didn't see the narrative twist coming either.
