Rate the last movie you watched out of 10

[Jaymii]

Avatar, I can't give a legitimate rating. It's either a 1/10 or a 10/10. 9/10 sounds good. (Saw it at the IMAX. It was awesome!)

The only flaw that shouted at me a few times throughout the film, so much so that it took me out of Pandora for a while is the fact that the stupid villain was such a damn cartoon. That said, I was literally shouting at the humans. I hated their guts and I loved the Na'vi so much. The other gripe I have with the film is that there is no real sense of continuity between the stories - it has around three to four pretty clearly defined arcs which I could probably write about once I've seen the film again. Arguably, the story (which is clearly cliché), was explained better than I expected, I did basically expect a visual feast with zero substance, but I got some nice substance and more character development (however forced) than I expected, which was nice.

Onto the real positives, it was a fantastic experience. I got absorbed and had my jaw-dropped throughout. I was in wonder of their world; the only way little kids are of our world. In my books, Jim Cameron definitely done good and I can't wait too see where the trilogy takes us. Considering how no-one dies in sci-fi, I hope he brings Sigourney back.

 

[Sy]

Yes I know the aliens are treated as outcasts and there is a strong political aspect to the film. But the flaws still hold true.

The movie undoubtedly has its flaws but what did you dislike about it in particular? My main complaints were some of the action elements towards the end of the film but the handling of the tension between the aliens and humans along with his transformation were right on key.

Rescue Dawn 9/10- An intensely realistic feel of a pilot crashing in veitnam and his imprisonment. Christian Bale is an amazing actor and really shows it here, he's funny, determined and fearless but feels real and human. The supporting cast is equally as talented. These performances are enhanced by the fact that it was actually filmed in the jungles. They ARE uncomfortable, dirty and tired and it makes for a credible and immersive experience that rarely rings false. I don't expect any less from a Werner Herzog film though.

 

[CitizenGeek]

Escape from New York, 8/10 - Really enjoyed this movie. It's got what I imagine is a B-movie feel to it and it all just works very well. It's never dull and Kurt Russell is very charismatic and a joy to watch :]

 

[Sy]

Escape from New York, 8/10 - Really enjoyed this movie. It's got what I imagine is a B-movie feel to it and it all just works very well. It's never dull and Kurt Russell is very charismatic and a joy to watch :]

I like how at one point his eye patch flips up and you can see there's nothing wrong with his eye.

 

[LukasROAR]

Kamikaze Girls 9/10 - I thoroughly enjoyed this film, didn't know what to expect and from the cover I didn't expect much but i was very suprised. Filmed in a way that captures the style of anime/manga with some great dialogue and truly loveable characters. I didn't want this film to end lol.

Cloverfield - 6/10 The cinema verite handheld look gave me headache for a while. I thought it was a great premise and had some awesome scenes but for me the questions I had weren't answered. I know that was the point, we're as much in the dark as the characters as we live the experience through them but I wanted to know more about the creature and it never really delivered that or even what happened in the end. In some ways probably in premise (unknown creature attacks etc) it's similar to The Mist which is a great film and delivers so much more. In more ways than one this is The Blair Witch over again. Pre release hype - handheld filmed - no real explanation or conclusion.

 

[Jaymii]

Oh I definitely think some revisions have to be made for my top films of 2009. I watched them in this order:

Moon, 8/10. Fantastic (and surprising) premise, good script and great aesthetic. Probably the best science fiction film of the year. Not the one I had the most fun with, but probably the best.

Inglorious Basterds, 9/10. I went in expecting a something like Kill Bill With Nazi's but it turned was better than that. Tarantino's best.

(500) Days of Summer, 9.8/10. Unconventional, romantic, heartbreaking, hilarious and downright brilliant are some of the things that cropped in my head whilst watching. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have great chemistry. Really, really, really good!

Up In The Air, 8/10. I love Jason Reitman, and he delivered pretty much what I expected. I wasn't particularly fond of certain aspects of the story, but the to and fro between Clooney and Anna Kendrick made the film for me. Kendrick's Natalie was superb character. I was expecting something more depressing, but I enjoyed it.

Where The Wild Things Are, 8.5/10. Such a captivating movie. The way the world developed, helped with the amazing soundtrack of Karen O (possibly my favourite part) made the world of Max so vivid. Childhood is so rough, as implied with the extensive use of shaky-cam, of course!

The Hurt Locker, 9/10. This didn't even seem like a film to me, it literally was a series of events; before, after and during the stopping of active bombs. Darkly comic, completely genuine and very intense. I'm going to keep an eye on where the people involved in this are heading, assuming their careers get interesting.

 

[LukasROAR]

Oh I definitely think some revisions have to be made for my top films of 2009. I watched them in this order:

Moon, 8/10. Fantastic (and surprising) premise, good script and great aesthetic. Probably the best science fiction film of the year. Not the one I had the most fun with, but probably the best.

Inglorious Basterds, 9/10. I went in expecting a something like Kill Bill With Nazi's but it turned was better than that. Tarantino's best.

(500) Days of Summer, 9.8/10. Unconventional, romantic, heartbreaking, hilarious and downright brilliant are some of the things that cropped in my head whilst watching. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have great chemistry. Really, really, really good!

Up In The Air, 8/10. I love Jason Reitman, and he delivered pretty much what I expected. I wasn't particularly fond of certain aspects of the story, but the to and fro between Clooney and Anna Kendrick made the film for me. Kendrick's Natalie was superb character. I was expecting something more depressing, but I enjoyed it.

Where The Wild Things Are, 8.5/10. Such a captivating movie. The way the world developed, helped with the amazing soundtrack of Karen O (possibly my favourite part) made the world of Max so vivid. Childhood is so rough, as implied with the extensive use of shaky-cam, of course!

The Hurt Locker, 9/10. This didn't even seem like a film to me, it literally was a series of events; before, after and during the stopping of active bombs. Darkly comic, completely genuine and very intense. I'm going to keep an eye on where the people involved in this are heading, assuming their careers get interesting.

Nice to see another Karen O fan! I not seen the film yet but everyone said the soundtrack is great. I managed to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs a few weeks back in Sheffield right at the front on the barrier and they were great. She seemed so happy just to be there and genuinly enjoying herself which is a rareity these days. I saw Babyshambles a few days later and unfortunately it wasn't the case there...

I really enjoyed (500) Days of Summer but it was a little too close to home for me, and i was shocked any film could make me hate Zooey Deschanel lol. I also enjoyed Inglorious Basterds but wish he'd go back to writing films in the vain of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.

Watched G-Force the other night and was rather disapointed due to the recent standard of CG animated pictures i've seen. I know it's a kid movie but it just seemed rather rushed and low budget and didn't have enough charm to it. It Had some good moments but nothing special.

 

[LukasROAR]

The Hangover - I really enjoyed it, wasn't as funny as people made it out to be but still pretty funny.

Watching Matchstick Men tonight.

 

[Voddas]

Been tempted to see The Hangover but the mixed reviews I get have been putting me off (Funniest film ever to the most diabolical comedy since Ace Ventura Jnr). I'll have to make my own mind up about it evetually like.

I watched Dan in Real Life the night before last. Quite light hearted with seriouse undertones. Steve Carell is widower with three kids who ends up falling for his playboy brothers girlfriend. You can fill in the gaps... or watch the movie. Whatever. =P I rate it at 7/10 (which means it's worth the watch if there's nothing else on).

 

[LukasROAR]

Been tempted to see The Hangover but the mixed reviews I get have been putting me off (Funniest film ever to the most diabolical comedy since Ace Ventura Jnr). I'll have to make my own mind up about it evetually like.

I watched Dan in Real Life the night before last. Quite light hearted with seriouse undertones. Steve Carell is widower with three kids who ends up falling for his playboy brothers girlfriend. You can fill in the gaps... or watch the movie. Whatever. =P I rate it at 7/10 (which means it's worth the watch if there's nothing else on).

I watched Dan in Real Life last weekend and completely agree, real good light hearted film. I really enjoyed it. He's a really great actor and can pull off being daft just as well as being serious.

 

[Genkina Hito]

Saw The Book of Eli today.

The best post-apocalyptic (is there anything post an apocalypse?) film I've seen. Denzel powers the film with a brilliantly confident performance while Gary Oldman is brilliant as the antagonist. The action is a thrilling comic-book/western style.


Also important is the directorial vision of the film and the coherence in which it's held together. The world is brought to life.

8/10

 

[Genkina Hito]

Sherlock Holmes

Having read a few of the books Guy Ritchie seemed an odd fit for director. Actually, it works. It's refreshing and fun.

The fights are awesome and the gothic look is convincing. The puzzles are good and the cast are brilliant.

Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law have surpassed every Holmes/Watson double-act I've seen thus far. The squabbling couple mechanic was enjoyable and was the basis of a humorous and dynamic relationship between the principles. Mark Strong is great as the villain and Rachel McAdams didn’t irritate me as much as I feared she would. Hats off to Eddie Marsan’s Detective Lestrade.


8/10

Next week... Un prophète

 

[Lupus]

Saw The Book of Eli today.

The best post-apocalyptic (is there anything post an apocalypse?) film I've seen. Denzel powers the film with a brilliantly confident performance while Gary Oldman is brilliant as the antagonist. The action is a thrilling comic-book/western style.


Also important is the directorial vision of the film and the coherence in which it's held together. The world is brought to life.

8/10

Came to post this, in some ways it was kind of lacking, but the plot twist at the end definitely made up for it, never saw it coming at all.

 

[Will-O'-The-Wisp]

Saw The Book of Eli today.

The best post-apocalyptic (is there anything post an apocalypse?) film I've seen. Denzel powers the film with a brilliantly confident performance while Gary Oldman is brilliant as the antagonist. The action is a thrilling comic-book/western style.


Also important is the directorial vision of the film and the coherence in which it's held together. The world is brought to life.

8/10

Came to post this, in some ways it was kind of lacking, but the plot twist at the end definitely made up for it, never saw it coming at all.

Ah damn it, I hate it when people reveal there's a twist. Even if they aren't actually spoiling anything, my mind will be making up possible scenarios through the whole film when I go see this >_>

 

[ayase]

Slumdog Millionaire: 8.4/10

It's a good film. It is not however, the great film it has been made out to be. Loved the way the quiz questions / police questioning / flashbacks all tied together to tell the story of his life, disliked the over-simplistic romance.

"I'm that kid you saw years ago when we ran away from the gangsters, and then as a teenager when we ran away from the gangsters, remember? Now I'm an adult. Wanna run away from gangsters again?" "Yes of course, I love you for the short, intermittent periods of time we spent together over the past 20 years in crippling poverty and in fear for our lives!"

 

[chaos]

Up in the air - 8/10
I was expecting a romcom, what I've got was an above the average dramedy, with som seriously fun moments and a ending that connected to me in a personal level, as I could see a lot of myself reflected in the main character.

Great acting from George Clooney, I don't believe I've seen him acting like this before.

 

[Genkina Hito]

I'm feeling a little on edge because I've just seen something great...



A Prophet - 10/10 - Film of the Year - Everybody else go home (especially you Mel Gibson's dumbed down Edge of Darkness)


If you haven't seen Jacques Audiard's The Beat That My Heart Skipped then go away and rent it on DVD or die. Seriously. The Beat that My Heart Skipped is one of the all time greats of the last decade so you have no excuse. Watch it or die. You are excused from reading the rest of this post until you have seen it...


For those of you with taste, Audiard has followed The Beat That My Heart Skipped with A Prophet. When Sight and Sound and numerous other magazines and critics named it as one of the best films at Cannes 2009, you have to sit up and listen.

I've just watched it. It's 2 hours 30 minutes of sheer gripping drama. Let me just sum it up as the maturing of the central character, Malik, as he swims amongst the different gangs in prison. It is a drama, a view of the racial lines of modern France and an insight into the prison system and so much more. I don't usually like prison dramas (Shawshank excepted) but I was with this from start to finish.

Character interaction and development is gripping and it's a testament to the acting that I really cared about the relationships and characters. Directing is superb and the script is well written by the same guy who did Mesrine films. You really want Malik to become a better criminal so he can survive the various encounters.

I won't ruin it anymore. And I'll calm down now...

 

[chaos]

Genkina - I was planning to see this movie this Saturday.
Shawshank is my all time favourite, is it related anyway? Just asking becasue you've mentioned it...

 

[Genkina Hito]

Genkina - I was planning to see this movie this Saturday.
Shawshank is my all time favourite, is it related anyway? Just asking becasue you've mentioned it...

The films are totally different. They are both prison movies where you root for the main character but the themes and the narrative delivery and level of realism are worlds apart.

Shawshank (to me) is a gentle/restrained film about hope, perseverance and is like a redemptive fairy-tale. Freeman's narration adds to that sense of a fairy-tale being spun.

A Prophet is different. It's like a coming of age drama/education on how prison and crime operate - make no mistake, this film is all about realism - it's detailed, gritty and nasty in places, the violence and humiliation were keenly felt by myself and the audience. You'll be on the edge of your seat on many occasions.

My recommendation is to go and see it because this will get the Best Foreign Language BAFTA and Oscar. After that, get The Beat That My Heart Skipped. It has similar themes and style but has a much more positive ending (if you ask me).

 

[chaos]

I'm not really a great fan of realistic depictions of certain things. Violence against women/children in particular can get me involved in a personal level, which can lead me to hate a movie because of it. I guess I'll see it anyway, then I'll let you know what I think.