#LIFF2017 Film 2: A tasty treat with more than enough charm to gloss over the more unbelievable parts. If I did have a problem it was that Thomas comes across far too creepy that I expected it was going to turn into a thriller and I don't think this was at all the intention.
November 02, 2017 at 11:54PM02 November 2017
01 November 2017
The Square, 2017 - ★★★½
#LIFF2017 Film 1: If Östlund's previous films were anything to go by then part of the delight of his work is never being entirely certain how a scene is going to unfold and on that front The Square didn't disapoint. In a different frame of mind I think I could have enjoyed this a lot more. Even without my real life worries (ironically trust related) distracting me this was too long with the ending in particular dragging on. The moments that really work manage to be surprising, funny, disturbing and absurd and sometimes a combination of all of those things and for that The Square is worth watching.
November 01, 2017 at 11:18PMMy #LIFF2017 Ranked
The films I saw at the Leeds International Film Festival 2017 in order of 'something positive'.
November 01, 2017 at 11:21PM29 October 2017
Hocus Pocus, 1993 - ★★★
Over the last few years I've noticed more and more people mentioning this film, especially around this time of year. I'd always dismissed it as an insignificant family-friendly film but thought it was worth checking out. It turns out my original opinion was correct, there isn't anything particular bad about the film but there's nothing special either. I suspect it is a film that means more to people who saw it at a certain point in their lives.
October 29, 2017 at 10:24PMArmy of Darkness, 1992 - ★★★
My first viewing of the third part and a little surprised to find it's a different kind of film. More of an action comedy than straight out horror but still lots of fun.
October 29, 2017 at 10:19PMEvil Dead II, 1987 - ★★★★
Last time I watched the Evil Dead films I preferred the first which is obviously the wrong opinion. I now realise that this is a much better film, building on the ideas of the first to realise them in a much better way.
October 29, 2017 at 10:17PMYoung Frankenstein, 1974 - ★★★★
A classic but a classic I wish was just a bit better.
October 29, 2017 at 10:13PMThe Evil Dead, 1981 - ★★★
I came to The Evil Dead late so it's never been anything special for me. It's still a film I admire and enjoy but it does feel like I've seen it all before now (which I literally have).
October 29, 2017 at 10:08PMThor: Ragnarok, 2017 - ★★★★½
The new Taika Waititi film doesn't disapoint, he handles the bigger budget and scale with aplomb to deliver a wonderfully entertaining fun cinematic experience. I'm not entirely sure how well this Thor fits into the rest of the MCU but that's perhaps because up until now he's been the least memorable Avenger and now he may be my favourite.
Was there anything wrong with this? It's incredibly funny, feels fresh and has a fantastic soundtrack. I did have a problem with the 3D which is a shame but not the fault of the film. There are hardly any 3D effects and the rest of the film suffered badly from ghosting beyond the point of distraction. I thought the 3D fad was dying out but unfortunately there were no 2D Imax showings.
But yeah, this was fun.
October 29, 2017 at 10:04PM23 October 2017
The Death of Stalin, 2017 - ★★★
The laughs were plentiful and infectious in a packed house but they were mostly amusing rather than hilarious. I suspect I don't know enough about the history to truly appreciate how clever this is. There's also something a bit odd about laughing at this kind of thing with everything else that's happening in the world. Somewhat disappointing then, considering how much I do like Iannucci's other work.
October 23, 2017 at 09:13PM22 October 2017
It, 2017 - ★★★
The main problem with It is that the non supernatural parts are so well realised and the horror elements end up just looking silly in comparison. Those horrors mostly come in the form of predictable jump scares and there's a LOT of them. I didn't find them that effective but the rest of the late night (liquored?) crowd certainly did. The effects aren't terrible but once again using so much CGI dates the film before it's even released so it will probably look terrible in 30 years time. Which is a shame because the rest of the film feels like it could have been made in the 80s (and I mean that in a good way). There are strong performances and relationships away from Pennywise, with the adults providing much more realistic and terrifying scares.
At 2hrs 15mins it's a long film but doesn't feel that way and it actually feels like there may have been many scenes cut. The story occasionally seems to jump around a bit too much. I did enjoy myself throughout and it would seem churlish to complain that the horror parts got in the way of a much better film. I'm looking forward to Chapter 2.
October 22, 2017 at 05:18PM18 October 2017
My #LIFF2017 Plan
My plan for Leeds International Film Festival 2017
- The Square
- The Cakemaker
- The Silence of the Lambs
- The Killing of a Sacred Deer
- Thelma
- Amélie
- The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales
- Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
- Happy End
- Call Me by Your Name
...plus 39 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
October 18, 2017 at 09:55PM17 October 2017
Dunkirk, 2017 - ★★★★½
Third viewing, this time in 70mm and definitely the best version. The colours were unlike anything else I've seen (including the 35mm and Imax version). This time I found that I followed the different timelines much better, noticing much more how they fed into and overlapped each other and there were some things I also noticed for the first time. I probably should up this to 5 stars but still feel like it's missing something.
October 17, 2017 at 09:47PM14 October 2017
#LIFF2017: Leeds International Film Festival 2017
A list of most of the films showing at the 31st Leeds International Film Festival.
- 5 October
- 69 Minutes of 86 Days
- A Cambodian Spring
- A Distant Echo
- A Prayer Before Dawn
- A Report on the Party and the Guests
- A River Below
- Adult Babies
- Amélie
- Animals
...plus 121 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
October 13, 2017 at 11:05PM08 October 2017
Blade Runner 2049, 2017 - ★★★★
There really isn't much wrong here (although it's hard to disagree with < a href='http://ift.tt/2g1B25m'>Imagine a future. Where women are *still* treated as sex objects) but I also found there wasn't anything truly spectacular or delivering any real emotional weight. That could just be a result of all the positive reviews creating an unreasonable level of expectations. For me, it feels more like this is just what I expect good mainstream films to be (is this even mainstream?) and everything else is so bad our acceptance levels have declined.
I do think this is better than the original and will stand the test of time just as well. It's perhaps too long and there was a whole fourth act I wasn't expecting. It wouldn't have been possible but I do think it would have been better if Ford hadn't been included in any of the publicity, the inevitably of his late appearance is distracting. It also feels like Jared Leto has wandered in from another film (again) and his first scenes seem to add very little. But it's good (better than good really) and it could have been terrible and destroyed the legacy and for that we should be grateful.
October 08, 2017 at 01:19PM02 October 2017
Lion, 2016 - ★★★
The first part. and Sunny Pawar in particular, is really great so it's a shame that the later parts feel under developed and lacking something. It still manages to get to the emotional punch though albeit in a predictable way.
October 02, 2017 at 07:29PMBlade Runner, 1982 - ★★★★
The Final Cut
When I last watched Blade Runner, 4 years ago on DVD, I was surprised how well it had stood the test of time. Apart from the video screens and graphics it all still looks fantastic. This time I found myself struggling with the structure and story a little. With Alien Covenant still relatively fresh in my mind I started to wonder how good a storyteller Ridley Scott actually is or if the style in which the story unfolds here now just feels dated (it's also possible that I was too tired even though I do already know the story). It still all comes together in the end but I'm already starting to think this may end up being a quite good prequel to Villeneuve's better film
October 02, 2017 at 07:21PM25 September 2017
mother!, 2017 - ★★★★½
A breathtaking experience which, even though I can't begin to fully understand, had more than enough to hook me and keep me completely engrossed throughout. Arguably it does go too far in some of it's final moments and one (unnecessary?) part is likely to be a problem for many but overall I just found it a mesmerising, terrifying and wonderful thing.
September 25, 2017 at 08:48PM14 September 2017
Oxide Ghosts: The Brass Eye Tapes, 1997 - ★★★★
Watched on Tuesday September 12, 2017.
September 14, 2017 at 10:10PM10 September 2017
Big Game, 2014 - ★★★
A strange one because it looks and often feels as good as Rare Exports but it doesn't come anywhere close. It should be aimed at a family audience but has swearing and violence, the plot just fizzles out and doesn't really amount to anything and yet it does end up being enjoyable in a dumb kind of way.
September 10, 2017 at 04:33PMWhitney: Can I Be Me, 2017 - ★★★
An interesting look into a life I didn't know much about but not necessarily a great documentary.
September 10, 2017 at 04:27PM05 September 2017
Berlin: Symphony of a Great City, 1927 - ★★★★
A fascinating look at a city and everyday life made great by some wonderful editing.
September 05, 2017 at 06:25PM28 August 2017
Bedknobs and Broomsticks, 1971 - ★★½
This seemed like a suitable way to spend a Bank Holiday, especially as it was Mark Kermode's TV Film Of The Week and I was fairly sure I hadn't ever seen it all the way through (at least as an adult).
I know people have said it's not just a Mary Poppins knock off but that's pretty much all I took away. The animation isn't as good, the songs aren't as good, the children are pretty terrible, the story is weak and now I'm thinking I may have seen it (fairly recently) and it's just that forgettable.
August 28, 2017 at 08:35PMDetroit, 2017 - ★★★★
Timely, intense and scary, often feeling like a forewarning rather than a historical film. For me things came apart in the third act which lacked something and I struggled to follow exactly what was happening which seemed off considering how well the rest of the film was constructed.
August 28, 2017 at 08:28PM
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