A wild descent into drugs and murder, played through the unearned arrogance of private schoolboys. Strong performances across the board ground what could have otherwise been an overcrowded story. Thankfully, it always lingers just this side of far-fetched. Brutal viewing.
At last, a movie about the gilded trappings of fame!
The final word on the monkey:
- For the most part, the monkey is surprisingly functional, and I quite like it, even if just because it's a monkey.
- At times, the monkey is unnecessarily disturbing and distracting, like when he's a kid, or when the monkey has a curly li'l perm.
- This monkey gambit is completely ridiculous, and I can't believe they did it, even if I do…
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
So wonderfully creative, and the jokes-per-minute rate is out of control. Still gets tears out of me at numerous occasions, and this time, a new one: I had never properly ed Mike's splintered and battered hands after he has rebuilt Boo's door. What a perfect movie.
I have wasted so many years of my life without ever having seen this movie. Probably my only regret so far.
A gorgeous film, visually, emotionally and in its characterisation. It has a spiritual, natural flow that taps right in to that sleepy 1950s Anywhereville, USA energy which makes it probably the best version of that semi-nostalgic viewpoint that I've ever seen - reverent and true without the cynical cheesiness that often comes on the side. The whip-smart humour also…
Pretty average; not very funny, and doesn't follow a lot of its own established logic from the first movie. I liked when one of their mums sat in the car listening to death metal waiting to pick the boys up from some illegal nocturnal mission. My mum has done the exact same thing.
Biggest achievement for this movie: it made me watch Monsters Inc. again.
A real gritty, grotty vampire movie that doesn't go where you'd expect it to go. Flicks between dark drama, tense thriller and gory horror with ease, and leans well on strong performances from its tight-knit cast. Special shout-out to director Andrew Bell, World's Nicest Guy three years running, for his chilling turn as the big bad.
Probably watched it in its entirety over the two Fantaspoa screenings through April.
I think this is a nuanced exploration of, amongst other things, the Italian immigrant experience in Australia. This week, I also saw this film's director do a little dance dressed as Super Mario. Less nuanced, but essential to our understanding all the same.
A surprisingly sweet, hilarious improv dramedy on rewatch. Is the songwriting in this better than Spinal Tap? I'm not sure, but it's pretty impressive that it's this close. I could watch Fred Willard read the phone book. For now though, I'll have to settle for his iconic comedy roles.
A fun little Argentinian crime flick I got to catch at Fantaspoa in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The construction of the film is sound, but it hinges on a fantastic turn from lead actress Rebeca Rossato, whose calculating stillness gives an anchor point for the frenetic action around her. A very smart performance.
This is a movie that throws so fucking much at the wall, and pretty much all of it sticks. For that alone, and that it could have been much more disted as a result, it should be applauded. It's also very funny, and while the hysterical cast are all good, I am deep down a Johnny Vegas lover. What a guy.
I haven't seen a recent film this achingly human in a long time. Everyone in this film reminded me of someone I love. Kieran Culkin's Benji reminded me of about six of them, and then myself. Such a simple tale told through devastating contextual snippets, and the overarching terror of one of humanity's greatest shames, while paying tribute to life's small routine miracles. It's a coin toss between Culkin and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn for my Best ing Actor…
Starts off so unbelievably strong. WALL-E's unrequited longing and EVE's commitment to their directive makes for a very cute burgeoning romance. It may peak as WALL-E goes flying through the stars, and then gets quite boring and unfocused from there. I could have easily watched the two robots just wander quietly around Earth and slowly fall in love for two hours.