Amph What was the last movie you saw?

Creed. I cried.

 

Killing Them Softly

Killing Them Softly is essentially about necessary sacrifice more than it is crime. The crime story is pivotal to the premise of Andrew Dominik's directed film, but crime is used more as an analogy or conduit through which the movie is attempting to convey its message. From the beginning, it is clear that Dominik is responding to the unmet promises made by Barack Obama during his inaugeration. Dominik is particularly focused on Obama's claim that Americans are "one" and rebuts these ideologies through the motivations and actions of the protagonists, one of whom (played by Pitt) directly responds to a quote made by Obama. There is a great deal of mistrust between the characters as shown by the betrayal and backstabbing to which there are no true winners in Killing Them Softly - hence, the apt title. Every character, either literal or symbolic, is killed softly because it generally occurs without warning, from a distance, and from those you would least suspect. This is where the film's lecture on community falls flat because the criminals behave precisely as the audience expect.

The audience generally should understand that every politician has an underhanded agenda to which the elected politician has either lied about or completely concealed. While being well shot, brilliantly performed, generally well written, and well lit, Killing Them Softly all too often makes tenuous and thin analogies between politics and crime without saying very much at all. Virtually all of the movie focuses on the criminal story (as it should) while the political commentary is intermittent and brief since only selected passages of a particular speech is heard. This is why Killing Them Softly works best when viewed purely as a crime film rather than as a film which has something to say - because it doesn't. Nevertheless, it's absolutely an entertaining watch along with one of the final performances by the astounding James Gandolfini.

But, a major part of why I managed to enjoy this film, albeit the political criticisms, is that Dominik (a New Zealand born Australian director) manages to make the film look and feel Australian. As someone who knows local Australian cinema, the lighting and angles are superbly faithful to classic Australian crime films like Chopper and Two Hands. Dominik is not only respected for his work on local Australian films but is respected amongst our music industry having directed videos for bands including Crowded House, The Cruel Sea, and The Church. The typical Dominik-ian style is ever-present because the movie has a gritty, homegrown feel to it. Best of all, the A-list Hollywood talent does not steel from this for a moment when it very easily could have been a glossy, neat Scorsese or Tarantino type knock-off. So, despite the politics of the film lacking depth, Killing Them Softly exceeds as a crime film because its one of the dirtiest to come out of a hollywood studio in quite some time.

4 out of 5

 

Exactly. They can't move on it until he [*beeps*] or gets off the pot.

I like the original Logan's Run for some odd reason, but I'm dying for something a bit closer to the book, which is a favorite of mine. That means no plankton hawking robots, no crazy cat dudes and no carrousel. Most importantly, return the age to 21 and make the decision to pursue the runners Logan's choice initially. It makes all the difference in the world.

Looking at Cage on the movie's cover, he seems to be staring back at you and thinking "I don't know either.".

Knowing Cage, it's entirely possible he didn't read the script and just assumed that Left Behind was referring to a story about someone's portside butt cheek.



American Flyers (1985) - Saddled with major 80s melodrama and a serious mustache infraction by Kevin Costner, this one runs out of steam long before it crosses the finish line. - 5/10

 

You and me both. That novel is my favorite SF novel even after so many decades of rereads.

I will add two words to your synop, Juke: Pleasure Gypsies.

 

American Heist

 

just saw Taken 3 ( Longer Harder cut !!) man what a stinker . Neeson didn't even do a good threatening speech . there was a car chase with a load of police cars and it was so confusing 'cos Neeson's in one but you can't tell which so I'm constantly wondering if he's crashed or not , all action scenes done in 16 frame cuts , stop no more !!!

oh - I also saw Bone Tomahawk - dmog ! it's a very well made film , plenty of terrific actors , and its unusual , lots of character dialogue , and beautifully shot , serene almost , but my god the violence is really shocking , there isn't a lot of violence but when it comes it's eye watering !

 

Finally got around to seeing Avengers : Age of Ultron. Not the greatest, but I was entertained most of the time.

 

The Heroin Busters (1977) My favorite bit of late 70s Italian cop mayhem. This one follows undercover narc Fabio (Fabio Testi) as he tries to bring down a world-wide heroin ring while all the bigwigs are in Rome. David Hemmings splendidly cranky Interpol agent has fantastic chemistry with Testi and after you get through a couple of rough scenes dealing with the ugliness of heroin, you are rewarded. The last 30 minutes is nothing but one ridonkulously fun long chase as Testi reveals himself to the drug lords. Almost 13 years after I first saw this, I still love it.

 

Havac, Hackman is definitely where Poseidon Adventure works. That climax when he's just raging at the heavens . . . it's like he's in Shakespeare or something. Great performance.

Hogarth Wrightson, I had the exact same reaction to The Gift. I hadn't really cared so much for Edgerton until that movie. But now I'm totally sold. He wrote and directed The Gift of course, which makes it special, but I think just as far as performances go, he's even better in Black Mass as despicable FBI agent Connolly. Have you seen that one yet? He's really nothing short of brilliant. Depp is good, as are most of the actors, and it's easy to see why Depp actually being good in a good movie is a big news story. But Edgerton gave the performance of the movie for me.


The Hidden Fortress (1958) – Akira Kurosawa



You’re wrong . . . I have enjoyed the journey. The happiness of these days I would have never known living in the castle. I’ve seen people as they are, without pretense. I’ve seen their beauty and their ugliness with my own eyes . . . I thank you.

So, prior to finally catching up with this film, I’d seen seven Kurosawa films (Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, The Lower Depths, Yojimbo, High & Low and Kagemusha) and I had rated them all four stars, which has got to be the best average of any film director I’ve seen more than a couple by. Hitchcock, Scorsese, Spielberg, Hawks . . . well, they’ve all had films rated below four stars, sometimes substantially. But my track record on Kurosawa was flawless, really; the director hadn’t put a foot wrong. There will, of course, be great weeping and wailing when I eventually get to a Kurosawa film that breaks the streak, even if it’s just a half-star downgrade. But that time has not come yet; spoilers: The Hidden Fortress is a masterpiece.

It’s a straight-forward action-adventure tale; a samurai must transport a fugitive princess through enemy territory. But it’s the flourishes Kurosawa puts on the story that make it really sing. For one thing, the main characters are actually a couple of luckless beggars that get sucked into this adventure by pure greed. Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara are brilliant in these roles. Every time the story starts to get too thick, one or the other of them will take the piss right out of it, by mugging hilariously at the camera. Also really excellent is Toshiro Mifune, doing a fairly shallow but still incredibly entertaining and compelling riff on his usual character in these films, as the stalwart general. Misa Uehara is equally good as the headstrong princess; again, a stock character, but she makes it her own and the film ultimately becomes about her journey to maturity as much as it’s about anything, her encounters with real life and the way she’s able to ultimately come to peace with both life and death, whichever may come her way. It’s a layered performance and Uehara is flawless.

The film is brilliant, no question. The exploration of the characters, the drive of the story, the comparatively subtle social commentary . . . all of these things blend together to create a great action adventure. Kurosawa knows how to knock you out with his visuals too; this was his first film in widescreen, but he has the assurance of a master. There’s a knock-out sequence when Mifune’s samurai general encounters another general, an old friend who just happens to be working for the other side. Their duel with lances is a real cinematic masterpiece, going for several minutes, shot very creatively and never losing the edge of your seat tension and the pure joy of watching three masters wield their weapons; the samurais wield their lances – Kurosawa wields the camera. The climax of the film is an exhilarating action sequence. And a scene at a wild fire ceremony is pure joy and exuberance, our adventurers being forced to join in a Bacchanalian scene of wild, abandoned dancing. I guess enough is enough. Kurosawa continues to unfold wondrously; luckily, I have many films left I need to see (Sanshiro Sugata Parts 1 & 2, Ikiru, Stray Dog, Ran, Red Beard, Dersu Uzala . . . at the VERY LEAST, I need to see those). For now, the streak continues. 4 stars.

tl;dr – bracing action adventure features sharp writing, great characters/performances and, of course, a propulsive, thrilling energy with several brilliant adventure sequences. 4 stars.

More Movie Reviews!

 

Rogue1-and-a-half - thank you for reminding me about The Hidden Fortress. It's been a very, very long time since I've seen that film. When finances settle down I'll have to pick it up.

I cannot argue with your assessment of Kurosawa. His work is amazing, beautiful, powerful and fun. He produces some of the best black and white cinema I've ever seen.

 

The Good Dinosaur

Not an enduring offering from Pixar but not terrible either.
The landscape visuals were obviously slaved over. The story could have really used some of that attention.
Then, strangely enough, the character design seemed mailed in especially compared to the rocks and trees.
It's scary for small kids in multiple places; that was really the only surprise.

A definite drop in quality but it's Pixar so I'm sure the overrating factor is in effect with most critics.

 

Creed. I'm really proud of myself; I only cried three times.

 

Charade. Has there ever been a woman more beautiful and elegant than Audrey Hepburn? Has there ever been a man more handsome and debonair than Cary Grant? They make a fantastic pair and the movie rides effortlessly on their charming back-and-forth. The age gap has been criticized, but I think it works in the movie's favor -- because the gap made Grant so wary of doing it that it took a last-minute rewrite to convince him, which moved all the romantic pursuit from Grant to Hepburn. And having Hepburn relentlessly pursuing Grant as he keeps dodging her affections is inspired -- it's hilarious, endearing, disarms the gap, and increases Hepburn's agency. The combination of screwball comedy with the semi-farcical take on suspense is a great fit. Grant's constantly changing identity is both a great punchline and a continual twist that keeps upping the suspense. Walter Matthau makes for great support as a bureaucrat (that completely random shot of the camera following him as he does squats for no reason while on the telephone had me in stitches), and James Coburn and George Kennedy are perfectly cast as heavies menacing Hepburn. Perfect cast, fun and witty script, clever direction -- it's pure entertainment.

 

Charade. Has there ever been a woman more beautiful and elegant than Audrey Hepburn? Has there ever been a man more handsome and debonair than Cary Grant? They make a fantastic pair and the movie rides effortlessly on their charming back-and-forth. The age gap has been criticized, but I think it works in the movie's favor -- because the gap made Grant so wary of doing it that it took a last-minute rewrite to convince him, which moved all the romantic pursuit from Grant to Hepburn. And having Hepburn relentlessly pursuing Grant as he keeps dodging her affections is inspired -- it's hilarious, endearing, disarms the gap, and increases Hepburn's agency. The combination of screwball comedy with the semi-farcical take on suspense is a great fit. Grant's constantly changing identity is both a great punchline and a continual twist that keeps upping the suspense. Walter Matthau makes for great support as a bureaucrat (that completely random shot of the camera following him as he does squats for no reason while on the telephone had me in stitches), and James Coburn and George Kennedy are perfectly cast as heavies menacing Hepburn. Perfect cast, fun and witty script, clever direction -- it's pure entertainment.

 

I'm back on my long-flight moviepalooza...

So I saw Terminator: Genisys (it was shockingly not bad, except Jai Courtney is still not a thing), Jurassic World (I totally understand now why this made a ton of money), Minions (fun but harmless, nowhere near as good or with heart as Despicable Me or Despicable Me 2), and Spy (hilarious; way, way, way better than the trailers made it appear).

 

X-Men 2 (2003).

 

Wow, talk about timing, eh?

The last time an iconic 80s franchise tried this approach (Beverly Hills Cop) it failed. I can't see Sly doing a weekly TV gig, so the focus here will be the son. But what will the angle be? With a film it would likely have been a father trying to connect with his estranged adult son, but if Sly isn't in it what then? I could see them sort of doing a "Highway To Rambo", with the son drifting from town to town and in and out of people's personal drama each week.

 

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Great music, performances, and design- 5/5

 

Quantum Rambo.

 

Furious 7

 

The Good Dinosaur

 

The best Hitchcock film that Hitchcock never made.

 

It would be an interesting angle if Sly decided to do a regular series. There have been some 'name' movie actors who have done regular TV series in the last several years, with varying degrees of success (Kevin Bacon, Keifer Sutherland, etc.,)

 

"Oh boy... I'm gonna have to kill this guy."

Yeah, TV doesn't carry the same stigma it used to.