Seven Psychopaths... it was really, really funny, well acted & interesting throughout. Sam Rockwell & Christopher Walken stood out in their roles, and given the nature of the title, the film didn't hold back on the violence. And the dialogue/situations seen throughout were greatly done in their quirkyness.
Crazy Stupid Love Charming, but highly clichéd rom-com that follows a set of characters as they struggle with their romances. We've seen many like this before, but the slightly unique aspect of this one is that all the characters it follows happen to be members of the same family, or in some way connected to said family. There's the parents going through a divorce after admissions of cheating, there's the son who has a crush on the babysitter, the babysitter who has a crush on the dad and so on and so forth. In the end, it irrevocably remains one of those feel-good flicks, but one needs them once in a while, doesn't one? It's allowed. In its defence, not everyone got what they wanted in the end, so there is that. It doesn't have any hilarious moments, in my opinion, but there are some nice laughs to be sure. Probably the funniest moment in the film is the clichéd "all of the players of the different stories coincidentally meet up for a big brawl in the garden" - moment. You'll spot the moment coming from miles away. Overall, a very average film in my opinion, but as mentioned, it does have charm. And Ryan Gosling. 3 out of 5.
Gone With the Wind This was actually my first time watching this. I was surprised to find that, contrary to my experience with classic movies, this film was well edited and paced. Not once did I feel that a scene was superfluous or needless, or that the narrative was too slow. And this picture was produced in 1939! With a runtime close to four hours, no less. It is quite an achievement to produce a four hour long film that doesn't feel slow. Even more so when considering its age. Compare with Ben Hur, for instance, which could use plenty of trimming down in my opinion. Apart from that, I think the only thing that needs to be said about this flick is that it is a classic for good reason. 5 out of 5.
The Invisible War. It was good, though I already knew a fair bit about the subject it tackles. It is a documentary about sexual harassment and (mostly) rape in the U.S. military. 20% of women in the military get raped and 1% of men, and the culture of masculinity and fraternity and keeping things in-house make it even harder for victims to pursue their cases than it would be in civilian life. Yay.
"True Friends" It was a Mix of "A Bronx Tale," "The Body," and some type of semi-depressing movie. I'd give it 3/5 stars.
The Artist A silent film about the end of silent films. How is that for meta? It was fun. One would think watching a silent movie would be boring, but it wasn't. Cheerful, funny and charming. It was well made, and I had a good time watching it. 4 out of 5.
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) A great little drama with some very fine acting. Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller are both great, as is the kid who plays younger Kevin, and it's not often I give praise to child actors. Swinton totally got snubbed, IMO. This film was put together very well, with some great choices in imagery and general cinematography. It's really different for its subject, but I guess it has the original book to thank for that.
The Man with the Iron Fists. Fun popcorn flick and great soundtrack. Before that, Seven Psychopaths. Liked it, and definitely not what I suspected.
LITTLE NEMO ADVENTURES IN SLUMBERLAND was released on blu ray today so I bought it. Those original comics are still the high water mark of the artform 100 years later.
Started watching all Bond movies in chronological order, because I'm all Skyfalled up. Currently up to Live And Let Die.
If you let us regulars in the Bond thread know when you reach Moonraker, we will endeavour to be there for you to help you through this bleak period.
I have the Connery box-set, but the only other Bond I have on DVD is Casino Royale. Of course, living in England, the Bond movies are shown very regularly, so I've seen them all at least a half dozen times (excepting the later films). I will definitely be adding Skyfall to my DVD collection when it comes out.
I had the VHS collection up to The Living Daylights when I was a kid, so I've seen my share of Bond too.