The Five-Year Engagement, 2012 - ★★½

A really great cast let down by a disappointing film. I didn't actually know it was a Judd Apatow production but this became quickly apparent as the film drags on into self indulgence far too often. In this article it states that Apatow's films "always start with a strong script, no one is too precious about changes if they can lead to a better end result" the problem seems to be that nobody is realising that the changes aren't making things better. I watched This Is 40 last week and Five Years isn't as bad is suffers from many of the same problems. Everything starts off well with a good idea, interesting characters, good performances and funny moments but they all get lost along the way.

ps Is the poster a spoiler?

August 31, 2015 at 02:20PM

This Is 40, 2012 - ★★½

Judd Apatow really needs to make friends with some editors. Like many of his films This Is 40 is way too long but it's also badly put together. Related scenes often seem to contradict each other but most of the film feels like a collection of unrelated moments. It's a shame because whilst it would be hard to describe the characters as likable, they are relatable and often quite funny. Instead we're presented with what feels like a compilation of outtakes from a better TV show like Modern Family.

August 24, 2015 at 06:35PM

Mistress America, 2015 - ★★★½

My opinion on Baumbach (and Gerwig) seems to jump all over the place, often within the same film. I had hoped this might be the film that tied everything together in a more satisfying way but sadly it isn't. It feels like the films we've seen before: jumping between charming and irritating, amusing rather than funny, a forced plot forcing characters down unnecessary paths when we'd happily watch them just talking to each other.

But I did like it.

August 20, 2015 at 08:45PM

Man with a Movie Camera, 1929 - ★★★★

So the most interesting piece of filmmaking I've seen for quite some time is a 86 year old experimentation in the cinematic communication. That experimental nature means it's something which is easier to admire or study than enjoy but it's still a fascinating piece of work. This version was a soundtrack by Alloy Orchestra which added so much, especially to the invigorating finale which was just crying out for a round of applause.

August 20, 2015 at 08:31PM

Wet Hot American Summer, 2001 - ★★★★

Ridiculously brilliant.

August 16, 2015 at 01:00PM

ParaNorman, 2012 - ★★★½

It's interesting to glance at other Letterboxd reviews and see many people saying how much better this film is on repeated views. Even as I was watching there was feeling that the entire thing was a lot more impressive than it initially seemed. At the start it didn't have my full attention and came across as a stylish looking film with a fairly standard story and not on the same level as Coraline or Frankenweenie. However as it progresses it seems to find it's place and I now look forward to seeing it again, perhaps one Halloween.

August 12, 2015 at 01:38PM

Lava, 2015

Watched on Friday July 24, 2015.

August 07, 2015 at 02:02PM

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, 1989 - ★★★★

For a long time The Last Crusade was my favourite Indiana Jones adventure. This was mostly because I was 12 when it came out, not that I remember seeing it in the cinema. I do remember @boysmithers telling me all about it in the cloakrooms one breaktime. I also have fond memories of the 8-bit computer game and a tie-in book (which may have been the story or a making of - possibly both).

When I last saw the trilogy Last Crusade was a big relief after the disappointment of Temple Of Doom, this time around I skipped the middle film and perhaps that was part of the reason why it didn't feel as great. It's still good but never feels magically like the first film did. I've read a few things lately about the making of Jaws and Raiders that left me with the impression that Spielberg was a director who did go too far and needed to be reined in and that's something that didn't happen here. There are (far too) many ridiculous moments that just make no sense and in the past I'd happily overlook but on this viewing the just chipped away at the enjoyment. I was reminded of all the nit-picking reviews of Jurassic World, a film I really enjoyed and had no problem overlooking the flaws. Sometimes I feel you just need to be in the right mood to experience and enjoy a film and when that isn't happen it's too easy to be critical.

August 04, 2015 at 10:45PM

The Railway Children, 1970 - ★★★

I didn't expect to say this but The Railway Children is one of the weirdest films I've seen recently. I know it's loved by many and I have vague recollections of watching and enjoying it as a child but watching it today it's apparent how all over the place the film really is. Perhaps something is taken away by knowing how old Agutter and Thomsett were and the much repeated tale of them sneaking off to a night club during filming.

The story is just a collection of moments that jump around in an almost haphazard way. Things happen without reason and that beloved ending makes next to sense. A piece of the time it was filmed and also written, it's hard to imagine today's children appreciating it but there didn't seem to be any complaints from the largely family based audience.

It's still charming in a quaint way but for me it was an odd experience this time around.

August 03, 2015 at 09:41PM

Extract, 2009 - ★★★

This isn't a great film, at times it's quite remarkable but it's also harmlessly enjoyable. Had it been Judge's first film it would be a writer/director to keep an eye on to see what they did next. I had to double check it was Ben Affleck, it may be his best role so far.

July 26, 2015 at 06:06PM

Inside Out, 2015 - ★★★★½

Inside Out is really quite remarkable and it's amazing how deeply touching it manages to be on several different occasions. It may well be Pixar's and 2015's most important film so it's a shame that I found it lacking something to bring all the wonderful small and thoughtful moments together in a more satisfying conclusion.

July 26, 2015 at 06:05PM

Ant-Man, 2015 - ★★★

For many people, me included, it will be impossible to watch Ant-Man and not wonder what could've been under Edgar Wright's direction. How it's turned out is a conventional but highly enjoyable comic book film. It does feels different from the rest of the franchise so much so that the MCU references often feel forced. One scene in particular feels like it could have just been in the script as

FIGHTS/TALKS WITH AVAILABLE ACTOR FROM THE FRANCHISE

I've read a few things about the weak story and plot holes but to be honest I didn't notice and was just glad there wasn't the usual Marvel climax.

July 26, 2015 at 05:59PM

Dear White People, 2014 - ★★★½

I'd been looking forward to this since it's US release late last year so it was perhaps inevitable that it would be a little disappointing. The biggest problem is there is so much going on (important messages, humour, stylish visual touches) that the end result is quite muddled. However it is enjoyable and funny (although not as funny as it should be) and offers up endless talking points that would make it a great starting point for any discussion on race.

July 26, 2015 at 05:55PM

Amy, 2015 - ★★★★

As a follow up to Senna and already knowing the briefest details of Winehouse's tragic life, it came as no surprise that Amy was an incredibly effective and sad film.

Her story is told simply and chronologically with few surprises but it's so well put together. Early conversations about Tony Bennett initially feel like standard documentary fare but take on more significance later on. Perhaps the most beautiful parts of the film are the moments when the lyrics of the songs come to life to reveal their devastating depth and meaning; it's these lyrics that are the real story of Amy.

The thing that stuck with me the most though feels a little strange. The film starts with a strobe warning, which for a music documentary doesn't feel unusual. It didn't occur to me that Winehouse's live shows were probably not huge light shows. The strobing effects are used in the paparazzi scenes and literally shine a blinding light on just how terrible this behaviour is. Somebody in the film mentions the "british press" and it's really sickening to know that this is something your home country is known for (although I'm sure the US tabloid press is pretty bad as well). I found myself thinking how can this be allowed, in a way I usually only feel whenever the gun control argument frequently crops up in the US - can you not just see it's fundamentally wrong.

However a horrible inevitable truth is that without all the press coverage of Amy's life it feels like it would be impossible to make most of the film.

The film raises other serious issues about addiction, depression, substance abuse, the desire for fame from those with no talent and how those with the talent are forced down the paths of fame. It also shows how these issues are often misunderstood and simply overlooked when it should be obvious they need to be talked about more.

July 13, 2015 at 09:53PM

Beware of Mr. Baker, 2012 - ★★★½

Point a camera at somebody as interesting as Ginger Baker and you're likely to get a good film but this is more than just that. Great use of interviews, archive footage and animation add a lot to make this another great music documentary.

July 11, 2015 at 10:24AM

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, 2015 - ★★★★

This felt like a much better made film that The Ecstasy Of Wilko Johnson which I saw earlier in the day. Although I'm not a big fan I feel like I've heard Cobain's story many times before, this offers up a new take on things and is surprisingly intimate at times.

I did struggle to get through so perhaps it is too long but it was also at the end (3:30am) of a long, drunken day in the Sun.

July 02, 2015 at 10:29PM

The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson, 2015 - ★★★

A really wonderful story and insight but unsure how well it works as a film. The inclusion of other films is often distracting and there are some odd choice such as a shot of heaven in A Matter Of Life Of Death after Johnson declares he doesn't believe in God.

July 02, 2015 at 10:23PM

Kingsman: The Secret Service, 2015 - ★★★★

A huge amount of fun, mostly predictable but always enjoyable and perhaps a perfect choice of film to watch in a field with alcohol.

Shame about that moment at the end which really doesn't feel right and it's inclusion completely unnecessary.

July 02, 2015 at 10:18PM

The Red Balloon, 1956 - ★★★★

Always nice when a film turns out to be as good as you expect it to be. Actually forgot I'd already seen it.

June 22, 2015 at 10:16PM

Anna Karenina, 2012 - ★★½

The staging is always fascinating but the story failed to engage.

June 22, 2015 at 11:03AM

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 2011 - ★★★

I wasn't a fan of the original film, I thought it was an uninteresting story told in a very televisual way with nothing apart from graphic scenes giving it reason to be on the big screen. I kept forgetting that David Fincher directed this remake and put off watching it for quite some time. Fincher can't do much to improve the story but at least this version is interesting to look at.

June 22, 2015 at 11:00AM

Jurassic World, 2015 - ★★★★

It's often (correctly) claimed that Jaws isn't about a shark and it follows that Jurassic Park probably isn't about dinosaurs. Jurassic World is about the dinosaurs and the theme park created to contain them. In fact, the film itself is more like a theme park ride than anything else and whilst it's an incredibly fun and exciting ride it never feels like it's going to stand the test of time like Spielberg's classics. Despite that, Colin Trevorrow deserves a huge amount of credit for directing something this big and enjoyable as only his second feature length film (after the excellent Safety Not Guaranteed).

Early on we learn that dinosaurs are now considered passé and although they are kept off screen for while there is no fanfare when they are revealed. However the new Indominus rex is kept in the shadows and slowly revealed just like any good monster should be. It may be CGI but for a lot of the film it is treated as a physical creation. It was a relief to see that the CGI had significantly improved from the early trailers and throughout the film it's mostly handled well. There is one sequence that doesn't really work, let down by poor CGI and trying to show too much; it could be playing homage to a Hitchcock film but a similar sequence was far scarier in the 1960s.

There's no denying that the film becomes increasingly ridiculous throughout but this never took anything away from my enjoyment. It's hard to defend the many things wrong with the film and I really wish that either the script or characters were a lot smarter. The biggest problem however, is that there was one moment that really stood out and I thought this is definitely going on my scenes of the year list, but the next day I couldn't think what it was. Perhaps I am just getting old but it's more likely that this is just mostly forgettable fun.

June 17, 2015 at 11:42PM

True Romance, 1993 - ★★★★½

With the video release of Reservoir Dogs held up by the BBFC it was True Romance that was my first introduction to Tarantino. At a time when I was really getting into film it felt important to me and feels familiar although that is probably more to do with the screenplay which was given away with a film magazine at the time.

More than 20 years later this still feels like Tarantino's film but it looks like a Tony Scott one. That's not necessarily a bad thing but the 80s style direction does frequently hold back the forward thinking vision of Tarantino's voice that would go on to redefine cinema.

Great performances, great actors, funny, action packed, wonderful costumes and music. I can't help but wonder how the non-linear script would have turned out but to quote Marty McFly "I guess you guys aren't ready for that yet. But your kids are gonna love it."

June 07, 2015 at 09:43AM

8½, 1963 - ★★★

Another one to admire rather than actually enjoy. It was a relief to overhear people and see other reviewers who didn't "get" it and claim it was a "hard" film. Individual moments are great but as a whole it doesn't hang together. Often it feels self indulgent and lacks any control, this should be a good thing but sometimes artists need to be told what isn't working.

Earlier this week after seeing A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence I wondered if that material would be better suited to a series of short films rather than a feature. Despite that, Pigeon held my interest throughout in a way 8½ just couldn't.

Perhaps seeing it in a fresher state rather than at the end of a difficult week (or even just a second time) my thoughts would be different but on this viewing was a disappointment.

June 07, 2015 at 09:28AM

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence, 2014 - ★★★★

Finally I watch a Roy Andersson film in the right mood and it all clicks into place. As with the other films in the trilogy there are moments that work better than others. This time I felt there was more of a connecting path through the vignettes which helped maintain interest. I'm still not sure if a feature length film is the best way to present this material but individual components are surreal, funny, strange and sad and quite often wonderful.

June 02, 2015 at 11:34PM