My Opinions Every Sometimes

So what I am going to do is as I see 2019 films I'm just gonna categorise them and see how I get on. Keeping in mind that it'll start slowly because until mid February (to maybe even March) most films are still "2018" films. I am going to try to see less garbage this year so it might be seen that the number of films on this list is pretty low. I may move films around as I see more by the way. New entry How to train your dragon the hidden world: It is more or less what you expect it to be... Which is very high praise given the expectations for this movie! The trilogy ends on a high note as the beautiful visuals merge together with a heartwarming story to bookend this masterpiece of a story perfectly. With only one entry so far this goes straight into the best of the year pile! The best How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. To come soonish (I may not catch all of these I'm cinemas but will get any I don't on DVD/streaming). Glass, The Boy Who Woul...

I have seen 123 films this year by my count so far, there are a bunch more "2018 films" I have yet to see but I have put the, into preliminary catagories (16 because I couldn't decide on one to remove), honourable mentions for favourite films, movies that I like but don't think of as awards worthy, movies that didn't really work for me or that have some sort of issues or whatever, and I also have a list of films I need to watch before finalizing my list/ making a ranked top 5, 10, 20, whatever. Movies in each category are listed in no particular order, I was going to alphabetize but its fluid and there are too many and I didn't have time - read nothing into the ordering! Also I hate bottom of the year lists so this allows me to just make a list called the rest without totally shitting on the hardwork it took to make them. Top 20 (3.5-4/4 movies) First Man, First Reformed, Shoplifters, Roma, The Favourite, Eighth Grade, Happy as Lazzaro, Burning, BlackKKlan...

There were many beautiful films this year and with everything going on in the world this year I would like to discuss some of them. I feel like I need to to do something positive and what better way than to honour those films that I loved. 5. The Big Sick This is a film that we really needed this year. With so many large, important figures in the world attacking diversity and the idea that Western cultures can live hand in hand with Muslim culture this little gem feels so important. We see Muslim culture not as a terrifying anti-west movement but as a silly harmless way of life that is evolving with newer generations. Kumail Nanjiani is such a phenomenal talent that everyone will be talking about in several years and Zoe Kazan is just so sweet and perfectly cast in this. That is without saying anything about the phenomenal supporting cast. I just loved the big sick. 4. War for the Planet of the Apes The previous 2 films in the reboot series of the planet of the apes films w...

So. It's been a long time since I have last been here. It has been a really good year for movies so far. I am still to see most of the year end "awards" type movies but what I have seen has been pretty phenomenal. The Favourites There are four films so far that have left something special with me. The first two of these are surreal horror-thriller films called mother! and Get Out. These are probably my second and third favourite films of the year so far respectively. Both are incredibly unique films tackling important issues in strange ways. Without giving away too much (to my non-existent readership) Get Out is a surreal film that tackles race relations in America and how they are a problem not only in obviously racist people but also in well to do white liberals. It plays brilliantly on the paranoia that African-American people likely feel every day when they walk out of their houses and have strange interactions with innocent white people. It is also a really gripping...

Okay so it has been like aaaaaaages since I wrote one of these but when I see a movie this good (or a string of movies this good)) it always gets me inspired to write down my thoughts, you know it is nice to put how I feel into words. But now that I have said that I will not talk about any of those movies in this post and will instead try to think back to last year and finish off the "American film year" which to be honest finishes in like March. So without further ado, here's the ones I can remember that I hadn't already talked about (after that I will try to dig out a list of my favorite films of the year then finally I can talk about what I have written recently). I will keep these brief as there are a lot to get through Moonlight (2016) And of course I start with the true masterpiece of 2016. Blending three periods of such a person's life in such a beautiful way. Packed with great performances, absolutely gorgeous cinematography, excellent score, I don't...

Each post has one big review with a series of smaller ones. Normally just a selection of films I have seen recently (I don't have the time to talk about everything I see because I see a lot of films). I will also discuss other stuff from time to time if I feel so inclined. Sometimes I will make posts everyday and sometimes I will wait a month to post, it just depends on how much free time I have. Older posts may have rankings but I have done away with that.

La la land  I absolutely loved whiplash back in 2014 so when I heard Damien Chazelle was making a musical in the style of the 70s I was unbelievably excited. Despite this, I did not anticipate just how much I would be blown away by this film. The first two acts of the film beautifully plays homage to the beautiful musicals of the 70s. The music could not have captured this era more perfectly, though as a general rule, they are not as upbeat as one may expect (there is really only one number that I would describe at "catchy" because that is not what the film is aiming for). More often than not the early parts of the story are told through slow ballads or jazz instrumentals, which were extremely captivating but won't leave you coming out of the theatre singing the songs. As a musical style jazz (a dying art in and of itself) is an inspired choice of music for a film playing homage to a dying art. The beautiful music is complimented by the film's beautiful look...

I'm not good at this noting down movies thing but here we go, let's try to carry on. I've watched dozens and dozens of films since last post so these will be really short. Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (2016) This was a really fun movie. I love the idea of continuing the Harry Potter universe without any connection to the original story as the universe is vast and interesting but any attempt at revisiting the original characters would likely feel forced and unnecessary. I really hope they keep it that way as the Harry Potter easter eggs were one of the more disappointing parts of the movie. There were several really obvious moments where you could just feel the characters nudging you as they mention a person or situation mentioned in the earlier movies (luckily they could not do this too badly as most of the Harry Potter characters are not alive at this point - although they do try their hardest). The main cast create a bunch of very fun characters. ...

Its been a while since my last post. I have watched a fair few films. I will probably have forgotten a bunch here so I will catch up on those later. Because there are so many I will make my blurbs smaller than usual (if I can I will try to keep some of them as small as a single sentence). 99 Homes (2015) 99 Homes is timely, deep, engaging and very well shot. This is a perfect companion piece to watch after the big short (which I should revisit one of these days). It is very well acted with Michael Shannon putting in a particularly strong performance. At times, however, it is not an easy watch. It really saddens me how people can be so driven by greed. Regardless it is well worth the watch. 4.5/5 Midnight Special What happens when Spielberg meets King? You get an engaging drama with plenty of heart. The suspense in this film is great, I simply love the feeling of watching a movie and wondering what is going to happen next. Additionally, the whole cast give great performance...

Lately most of the films I have seen have been at the film festival. Here are my opinions listed from worst to best, I haven't included the animated shorts, which will get a post of their own. Heart of a Dog  I hate to say it but this film is lunacy at its finest. It comes across as if the director wants to put us through philosophy 101 without having ever taken a philosophy class. The whole movie consists of the camera zooming onto something and putting an ugly filter on it while Laurie Anderson gives narrative that is supposed to make you ask deep questions about life. Instead it simply left me wondering where she got her education. I hate to shit on someone for doing something different but I cannot give a pass to something this stupid, ignorant and pandery. I am sure plenty of people will give it good reviews but that is only because most people watching it will not be academic so may not realize how dumb the whole thing is. Of particular annoyance is when she decided to...

Okay so I haven't posted anything in a while but I have still been seeing films so here is a big dump. I am certainly missing heaps but I can add more later. Also I have been at the film festival lately. Will add those in later. Good will Hunting (1997) So, for the first time since I made this blog I have re-watched my favorite film. This movie is about as close to perfect as you can get. The film has a wonderful script from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and a great ensemble lead by Matt Damon in a role that kick started his career. The standout of the ensemble is Robin Williams in a career best performance that blends humor and heart with believablity and realness (yes its a word). This film is smart, funny, heartfelt and real. Its characters are whole, real and deeply moving. The casting is perfect, the music is perfect, it is paced perfectly and it is shot in a simple, non-invasive fashion, which makes it easy and pleasant to watch.Would thoroughly recommend to anyone...

Plane Movies So I recently took a trip so was on a plane for a few hours. The following were some films I saw on the plane. Therefore I may not have seen them at their best. Frozen (2013) - Repeat viewing Frozen is an excellent movie. To start with, the animation is stunning. From the character models to the scenery everything is gorgeously made. The voices are impeccably well cast. I would put emphasis on actors who are particularly good in this, however I would be mentioning the whole cast. Additionally the music is nearly perfect, the story line is constantly engaging and the comedy is brilliantly timed. What makes this movie truly special, however is that it is daring enough to take elements of the princess movie sub-genre that have been cemented for years and completely transcends them. In doing this it also has a lot to say about sisterhood and love. For this reason it has become one of the biggest animated films of all time. 5/5 Tangled (2010) It is unfortunate ...

This is a tough one for me to write about. Simply put it is about subject matter that should absolutely be talked about and is made with the best of intentions, but, unfortunately, is not very good. The film takes place less than ten years ago, making the ideas presented timely and all the more worth discussing. The film follows a Nigerian pathologist, living in America, named Dr Bennet Omalu. He is a hard working Christian who performs autopsies for a living. One day, upon performing an autopsy on an NFL player who had gone crazy later in life, he discovers a brain disease caused by repeated head traumas. The movie follows his attempt to get this discovery noticed, while the NFL attempts to cover it up and get him discredited. The problems this movie has are of the nature that it teeters on the edge of being a good movie. Therefore many of my criticisms would not necessarily be problems would it not be for how they fit together as a whole. The most obvious example of this, and...