29 February 2016

#52FilmsByWomen

Inspired by http://ift.tt/1RkiU1v

This is a list of all the films directed by women that I watched in 2016. I don't plan on watching one film per week, I don't even intend to change my viewing habits. So we'll see how many films I end up seeing.

  1. The Yes Men Are Revolting
  2. The Second Mother
  3. The Violators
  4. The Closer We Get
  5. Lapse Of Honour
  6. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
  7. Dukhtar
  8. The Wolfpack
  9. A.K.A Nadia
February 29, 2016 at 03:59PM

21 February 2016

Run Lola Run, 1998 - ★★★★½

Run Lola Run with The Bays Live at Ilkley Film Festival

I was slightly apprehensive about seeing a band I didn't know perform a live soundtrack to not only one of my favourite films but one of my favourite soundtracks. I was also curious how well the film would stand up after nine years since I last saw it. I needn't have worried about the film because it still feels incredibly fresh and current (much like La Haine, shown at Ilkley Film Festival last year). It's a film bursting with energy, ideas and style. The live music worked really well but it was also odd not hearing the original especially the lack of any vocals.

I've already listened to the soundtrack again and now I want to watch the film again.

February 21, 2016 at 10:55PM

The Ides of March, 2011 - ★★★

Fine but fairly unremarkable really.

February 21, 2016 at 10:42PM

WolfCop, 2014 - ★★

Not funny enough to be truly entertaining or good enough to have cult appeal.

February 21, 2016 at 12:31PM

20 February 2016

A Bigger Splash, 2015 - ★★★½

Feels like a broken vase super glued together and placed precariously on the edge of a shelf. It's always obvious that the vase will eventually fall (and it's shattered pieces are shown in the trailer) but it perhaps takes too long to eventually tumble.

February 20, 2016 at 08:30AM

19 February 2016

Stick Man, 2015 - ★★★½

Watched on Tuesday February 16, 2016.

February 19, 2016 at 08:31AM

14 February 2016

Come As You Are, 2011 - ★★★

Another perfectly fine film. Surprised it won the Audience Award at Keswick FIlm Festival last year but it's also charming enough to understand how it could win people over.

February 14, 2016 at 08:49PM

The Inbetweeners 2, 2014 - ★★

This one really does just feel like a TV special and whilst it isn't exactly bad there also doesn't appear to be any reason to justify watching it.

February 14, 2016 at 08:46PM

Natural Born Killers, 1994 - ★★★★

Completely insane and unlike anything else but also highly influenced and influential.

February 14, 2016 at 08:44PM

Papadopoulos & Sons, 2012 - ★★★

A charming, but predictable, little film with lots of heart.

February 14, 2016 at 08:42PM

American Reunion, 2012 - ★★½

Like an actual reunion it felt like this should be watched out of curiosity rather than enjoyment. Purposely nostalgic is passes the time but is largely forgettable.

February 14, 2016 at 08:41PM

Grease Live, 2016

I thought it was ambitious to start this with a Birdman-esque backstage Jessie J rendition of Grease but the rest of the production was even more spectacular.

I only had it on in the background but I was surprised about how well this was staged.

February 14, 2016 at 08:36PM

11 February 2016

Spotlight, 2015 - ★★★½

Of all the award films this was the one I was looking forward to the most. A great cast, an investigative journalism story and a director I like. Perhaps that level of anticipation was part of the reason why I was left slightly underwhelmed. Spotlight is a good film, full of engaging performances but for me it lacked any sense of urgency to make it really great. I thought I'd like the deliberately understated nature of the film but compared to the razzmatazz of The Big Short it left me a little disappointed.

February 11, 2016 at 10:00PM

09 February 2016

We're Doomed! The Dad's Army Story, 2015 - ★★★

Watched on Tuesday February 9, 2016.

February 09, 2016 at 11:29PM

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, 2016 - ★★½

As a fan of Austen and zombies I quite enjoyed the book and was interested in the film adaptation. Unfortunately most of the interesting people attached to the project left and it feels like the film has been passed around a few times too many. It isn't as bad as many reviews would lead you to believe but it's also not especially good either. It feels like two different stories rather than a mash-up of the two. The Austen parts feel forced and the zombie bits are just not especially interesting. I don't remember any of the Lazarus plot in the book but it is a while since I read it.

It is fun though and Matt Smith is fantastic as Parson Collins, it's almost worth seeing the film just for his performance.

February 09, 2016 at 11:26PM

07 February 2016

Now You See Me, 2013 - ★★½

Magic should be bewildering and so is this film but for all the wrong reasons. It starts off a great concept but gradually falls apart as illusions are replaced by unbelievable effects. When the final reveal is made it trips up the entire film having exactly the opposite effect a twist ending usually provides.

February 07, 2016 at 05:04PM

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 2015 - ★★★★½

Away from any anticipation, hype and distractions of 3D and Imax this second viewing was a much better experience. There are still flaws but they didn't seem as prominent. Bizarrely knowing what's going to happen somehow made things seem less obvious. It's clear that this is a film that is going to be watched multiple times for years to come (although perhaps not by me).

February 07, 2016 at 04:52PM

03 February 2016

The Big Short, 2015 - ★★★★

The Big Short is a huge amount of fun until you remember it's a true story and then it's depressingly horrific. The biggest problem is not that everybody in the film is a bad person but they are presented as some kind of do-gooder hero which (spoilers) just isn't the case.

I've heard a lot about how this and Spotlight could be considered televisual rather than cinematic and I have to disagree. There's something special about the deliberately sloppy shooting and touches such as breaking the fourth wall that really stand out on the big screen.

February 03, 2016 at 10:57PM