spitfire2356 Reviews

1BR (2019)

Enjoyable creepy thrill

[8/10 · 27 January 2024]

This movie confirms that IMDB ratings or other movie site ratings are not a reliable guide to how enjoyable movies actually are. Although my expectations were lowered, and seemingly confirmed by the humdrum setting and premise, the superb level of acting kept me watching and starting to care about Sarah. For me this is what breaks or makes a movie. We caught on to her vibes that something somehow was amiss even though she could not put a finger on it - the creep factor.

When things escalate wildly the horror was within believable limits - making it more horrifying.

The processes that the cult uses to domesticate the new conscript are said to be actually followed by various cults. Worth your while. Disregard the low rating.

Violent Night (2022)

Niche audience

[5/10 · 27 December 2023]

We watched this on Boxing day when we had had our overfill of Christmas. I think we chose well.

It has a disjointed mix of Christmas gooey soppiness with one liners, goofed John Wick fights and up-gored Home Alone style booby traps. Having a cute girl saying and doing nasty things begs the question - what audience is it aimed at? It is gag inducing for gore fans but too full of crotch-ety violence traditional holiday family viewing.

The niche target are tired parents who have just put their small kids to sleep after a stressful chaotic Christmas with difficult relatives ... but their post-pubertal kids would definitely enjoy it.

David Harbour strikes a Goldilocks balance for a Santa which is tired of it all but still loves his mission of goodwill - unlike the nasty Billy Bob Thornton's in Bad Santa. The plot is forgivably predictably full of holes and the rest of the characters are only so marginally developed that we are not made to care for what happens to them one way or the other.

It is a fun movie to end the Christmas season.

Uncut Gems (2019)

Feel bad movie

[1/10 · 30 January 2021]

Only Joe Pesci could ever play a more irritating character than Adam Sandler in this movie. He plays a good for nothing scumbag with no redeeming qualities. His face, voice, dress code and glasses cry out for a double punch to the jaw. He has no feelings for anyone else but him and his urge to bet. He devalues everything around him. His wife, family, mistress, co-workers, clients, religion, sport. We actually pray for him to get beaten up, but the guys who are after him are way too soft on him for too long. The plot is a hectic rush in a rut which just gets deeper and deeper. We get less and less interested in where its heading, even as we realise that there is only one possible destination. The musical score is often out of line and superimposed on an already loud constant shouting which passes for dialogue. This movie gets you down. Way down.

The Last Czars (2019)

Very absorbing

[9/10 · 22 September 2019]

I learnt a lot from this series. The sumptuous costumes and palaces are made to clash with the constant vibe of decay of the Russian state. The detachment of the rulers from the people was underlined to be as extreme as it can possibly get. The rise of communism did not arise out of nowhere. The tsar is depicted as inept and prone to manipulation from everyone around him. It intrigued me so much that I also bought the book by Robert Massie: Nicholas and Alexandra for even more detail.

Always Be My Maybe (2019)

Keanu Reeves as life support

[2/10 · 4 June 2019]

I often feel like a laid back romcom. But this one did not satisfy. This genre depends on likable characters, the plot is not important as the ending is set in traditional granite. I am sorry but Ali Wong is way too plastic for me. The type of unrecyclabe plastic that is poisoning sea life even as we speak - from her over sized plastic glasses to her clumsy plastic boots. On the other hand you could smell Randall Park's sweat and farts in his weed incensed room - but as a rapper? He does not even qualify as a wannabe. He is used as a pawn to satisfy the current feminist movement. I mean who can be so submissive in real life. One does not need to be Trump to call him 'stoned-out cold loser'. What the 'couple' had in common was just that they are Asian and lived next door to each other when kids. That's it. They hated each others neighborhood, jobs, clothes and even food for goodness sake. Don't get me started on the Keanu Reeves sketch - the longest cameo-use-as-life-support-system in B movie for TV history. In your face name-dropping sexploitation.

The Act of Killing (2012)

Film as Confessional

[10/10 · 10 March 2019]

A devastatingly original confessional use of film. A number of high profile local Indonesian gangsters are invited to relate murders they committed way back in 1965, as thir legacy for posterity. They are given free rein to devise plot, scenery, costume, actors, acting and dialogue. A number of active key political figures spew their fascist slogans at youth rallies. They exhibit continual utter contempt for women. They are actually filmed carrying out live racist extorsion. They flaunt the fact that no-one can stand up to them, while brazenly defending themslves with throwaway relativistic morality arguments. The gangsters often stop their activity to pose at prayerat the appropriate time; only to continue where they left off. The whole filming process from production to reviewing, forces some of the actors to reflect on the horrors they have done. The relatives of the victims who have to hangout with the gangsters to survive, breakdown on screen as they re-live long suppressed heartbreak. Extras and children who act out the remake scenes end up crying and sobbing uncontrollably. The gangsters live as heroes. They are rich and enjoy golf, fishing, collecting expensive artefacts,and taking care of forests. Paradoxically, a gangster tenderly teaches his grand children how to tend to injured animals. What at first looks as an ill-advised opportunity in macho bragging and sadistic strutting by self professed 'free men', soon gives way to revelations of increasing night time terrors, remorse and finally sickening self disgust.

The Florida Project (2017)

A subdued masterpiece

[10/10 · 25 February 2018]

This movie relates the conflicts facing people forced by circumstances to be the best mothers and fathers to kids which are not their own, while living with the regrets for failing parenthood first time around with their real kids. It is a sublime character and behavioural study with fantastically credible acting. It juxtaposes kids and adults building and destroying love and friendship among and across generations. It is enables adults to touch base with their childhood. It focuses on poor broken down families rebuilt in mix & match fashion by force of circumstances making do as best they can. They constantly come up against unsympathetic strict community moral straitjackets. It uncovers how living day to day on the fringe of capitalist 'progressive' America takes its toll. Everyday small events drop into place to play out the story in a realistic 'just so' style. The end is both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. A fallen tree which defiantly continues to grow and a helicopter which annoyingly repeatedly takes off only make sense at the end. I am sure I missed a lot of subtle symbols which I hope to recognize second time around. A masterpiece of our time.

Next of Kin (2018)

Utter Disappointment

[1/10 · 8 February 2018]

It is a real pity that such a topical subject matter that holds such promise for highlighting modern global realities as viewed from the family angle disappointed me so much. I looked forward to Archie Panjabi's acting making this series work ( I was very frustrated when she was dropped from the Good Wife series) but the story line was unimaginative, full of plot holes and unbelievable develpoments. I only continued watching because my OCD prevented me from abandoning it. I cannot believe such incompetence from the creators of Vera. The story assumes that we viewers cannot seperate fiction from nonsense. I also hoped with ever decreasing fervour that some twist would save it from oblivion. Jack Davenport gave off the vibe of chagrin as he realised too late that he had been sold a flop but plodded on to honour his contract. Shabana Azmi was quite convincing in her acting but her role in the story was not. Viveik Kalra did what any teenager does naturally - just laze about and sulk. Claire Skinner could not control her family in Outnumbered and was just as incompetent in her control of underlings here. Simply not worthy of the BBC.

Lion (2016)

Predictable bore

[6/10 · 1 May 2017]

I have lately enjoyed a number of Indian movies. They are getting better all the time. Most foreign films are getting way more interesting than the often formulaic US blockbusters. I looked forward to this, after all the hype. Nicole Kidman could only be expected to add to the mix. She has rarely disappointed me. However after the tantalizing start, the director just played out a limo stretch of a glossed over photo shop job with an dishearteningly predictable and pathetic attempt at pulling on heart strings. It may have possibly worked in the black and white silent era on my doting aunties. The director seems to have got bored and just carried on lamely to fulfill his contractual obligations. I had given up on a twist or flourish way before the end. Very disappointing indeed.

Burnt (I) (2015)

Badly Burnt

[3/10 · 21 September 2016]

The movie revolves around the Chef (Bradley Cooper). Unfortunately his fast and furious one sided character is so toxic that he ruins every relationship. Let me rephrase that - he has no idea what a relationship is. We get to know that he had it all - by clobbering so many of his peers to get there. Unfortunately I know a number of types who are such bloody-minded bullies that they do no care what lives they ruin - including their own. Calling someone an 'enfant terrible' does not make him any more acceptable. He was the baddie in the movie and we are forced to try and feel for him. Shouting, smashing places up and assaulting one's work mates for the littlest irritation, may enliven boring kitchen scenes, but should make any person to be thrown out (or killed with one of his knives). Anger management in his case is doomed to failure. Types like him, gives us men, a bad name. This is beyond compulsive perfectionism. He had no sympathy for Helene when she wanted to take a day off for her girl's birthday. When he made her a cake, he did it on order and grudgingly - and expected the little girl to tell him how heavenly it was. Her reply was worth the whole film. The most cold blooded comeuppance I have seen lately, came later and almost salvaged the movie. The predictable deliverance at the end was unearned and left me feel cheated. For all the 'haute cuisine' waved tantalisingly in our faces, it left a really bad taste in the mouth.

Before Midnight (2013)

Wonderful play

[8/10 · 5 July 2016]

This dialogue-athon, at first tempted me to find something else. However the script and acting was so good, that thankfully, I held on. The play meandered languidly but inexorably towards a classic male chauvinist - feminist civilized if painful skirmish. There is a backdrop of parental guilt and angst as well as an interweaving of different philosophical points of view to make it really captivating. Just when you think that the script is fizzling out, the elephant in the room suddenly accelerates into a head on argument. The male point of view was presented consistently and credibly true to life. The frustration from continual rebuttal of honest love was exquisitely bitter sweet both when dealing with his son and as well with his partner. The woman questions why she is continually sacrificing her career by hanging on to a traditional ambitious paternalistic man and the different push and pull of duty and love for her and step kids. This is brought to a head with the sudden looming possibility of being forced to throw away a tantalizing job. This flips a resentful defensive feminist bitchiness switch. However the switch keeps wavering and turns out to be a heartfelt cry for help. Wonderful.

About Time (I) (2013)

Great feeling

[9/10 · 22 June 2016]

If you don't fall for this movie - there is something terribly wrong with you. OK there are many 'fantastical dreamy' elements - so what! If I wanted real life I would look in the garbage bags under the kerb. It is done with just enough humour and without any soppy drivel. The warm intelligent script, editing and filming, developing characterization, unpredictable story, - and yes accents - are just so right. OK there shades of Groundhog day - but what story doesn't beg steal or borrow? It aims to address all the various roles that a man hopes to go through in life; being a son, falling in love, being a husband, dad, brother, work mate, friend... without being overtly sentimental. It was 'about time' that somebody made a romcom for men! The interacting of Bill Nighy & Domhnall Gleeson is a joy. Richard Curtis is the king of this genre, and I really feel that he will be very hard pressed to top this.

Tale of Tales (2015)

Glorious failure

[4/10 · 10 June 2016]

We were looking forward to this widely acclaimed movie. The fantastic costumes, gorgeous make-up and fabulous stage sets are awesome. Successive introductions of real-life grotesque characters continually perk our our interest. Unfortunately, however,the story- lines dawdles and shrivel prematurely. Large doses of European cultural Viagral subsidies never really get the movie going. The 3 unconnected surreal 17th century fables by the famed Giambatista Basile (the first European to write down Cindirella and Rapunzel) were sliced and spliced haphazardly by a stoned rookie's so-called attempt at editing. A mini-trilogy sequence would perhaps have been a better choice to address the many facets of the interplay between what men and women desire and how fate thwarts their best plans. This would have spared us the confusion of Kings and Queens ruling over the same kingdom. It would have spared us the expectation that the stories would somehow come together with a clever twist at the end. The fables superficially seem as pointless as a toddler's box of crayons. But they are not moral plays - they just illustrate out human foibles with cartoon like exaggeration. Only one story ends happily ever after. One other ends badly, the other just stops. With professional editing this glorious failure could have been a classic.

The Revenant (I) (2015)

Tragically spoiled opportunity

[6/10 · 13 April 2016]

I was really looking forward to this movie after reading the well researched historically based novel. I saw the movie after the Oscars. No quibbling the Oscar for Cinematography for Lubezki. Mc Bride should have landed his nomination for visual effects too. Breath taking realistic action and panoramic landscape with underplayed natural sound effects. However, the grizzly itself was pitifully underwhelming. One cannot ever believe surviving two lengthy maulings, no matter how difficult it is to discard expensive left-over footage. I cannot however understand why Iñárritu had to deviate from the story with needless ornate sentimental flotsam, Inventing and predictably killing a son unforgivably destroyed the whole theme of the story. I really appreciated Tom Hardy's role as a hard boiled opportunist brute - without becoming just another stereotyped Western baddie. What I could not really fathom is how Leonardo even got nominated for leading role Oscar. His early lines were mostly in some remote N.American Indian tongue. His voice was then reduced to groaning for most of the rest of the film. With a face hidden with hoods,full facial body hair, grime and ice - what acting can possibly peep through? No amount of extreme survival tour de force stunts can ever be classified as acting. Perhaps Leonardo wanted us to know that he has graduated from dying within a few minutes of calm ice cold sea to surviving hours of freezing white water rivers. Oscar for effort at best.

Spectre (I) (2015)

Embarrassing and sad.

[1/10 · 3 January 2016]

From the outset I own up to a strongly held opinion that Daniel Craig is miscast as James Bond. I grew up to love the Bond franchise with the double punch icons of suavity and cool, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan, following on the ground breaking Sean Connery, who was, however, before my time. Craig is anything but 007. He is wooden, brutal and unconvincing with women. His forte is his physique and pure action thrillers which this Spectre is not. The protracted and underwhelming opening scene is followed by a reasonable title sequence but with a deadbeat song. The main course is a mouse riddled Swiss cheese historical reenactment with appropriate ham-fisted acting to go with it. I was actually repelled by the inflatable Teflon coated mannequins regurgitating prerecorded answering machine messages. I was itching to push the button to finish off the Bond impostor with that generic recycled dental drill. The brutal boardroom scene by Mr Hinx was uncalled for and is well beyond the 12A rating this franchise usually aims for. The non-story dragged on, with no quick one liners to keep me from jabbing at my popcorn for entertainment. The phallic car did make me sit up, but instead of running out of ammo, actually had none. The sexually dysfunctional strap-on frustratingly fizzling out of sight in the river is a symbolic sad end to the Bond franchise.

The Blob (1958)

Classic Diversion

[6/10 · 23 October 2015]

Today, this movie is still entertaining enough to watch during a cardio session in the gym. One watches classic B horror movies movie knowing that one can't possibly be scared - not after the gore we have been fed over the years. The only tingle down my spine was just sweat from the exercise. What really spoiled this movie for me was that Steve Mc Queen looked way too old to play a 17 year old ( I checked he was 28). He looked utterly ridiculous saying 'Yes Pa' when he was grounded (!) and needing a window to go out of the house. The 3 policemen in the station must the friendliest bunch in the history of American movie making. If policemen were that friendly in those days - we must have taken a wrong turning somewhere. The blob itself looked as menacing as a frisky puppy bobbing up and down - all it was missing was a tail to wag. When extruding through vents and under doors it was more creepy - I think that would have definitely have scared me if I was younger.I suspect some people did get injured during the crowd stampede scene, which seemed to escalate out of hand into reality. Watch it for historical reasons: the 50's cars, teens and suburbia, Polio posters, proper girls, crooked teeth, chess games, black & white movie theaters . . . different planet!

Nightcrawler (2014)

Study of a sociopath

[8/10 · 18 October 2015]

Jake Gyllenhaal is the man. He is growing in stature with each offering. An Oscar winning portrayal of a psychotic praying mantis deftly and coldly manipulating people and events to his ever growing obsession of making it big in the video news business. The direction of events are inexorably predictable; giving a new way of dealing horror by extrapolation and anticipation. We keep trying to reassure ourselves that surely somebody will - no must - stop him. But the people around him are easily taken in and manipulated by his geekily well informed articulated marketing sales spiel. A satirical and morbidly comic side permeates the movie but evil distills over and overwhelms. Brilliant classic. An easy choice for Halloween viewing.

It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010)

Bland emptiness

[2/10 · 17 October 2015]

Keir Gilchrist is really good actor. His eyes have the mesmerizing ability to look deep and delude us into hanging on as an interesting story is about to develop very soon. The bland emptiness of this formulaic 'teen American movie' with a flotsam of black sink holes is exasperating. There is a phobic aversion from delving anywhere within the orbit of the characters troubled past. With no inkling into how they got committed to a mental hospital - never mind why - how can we ever care what happens to them. For example the Emma Roberts character is just flashed to have self harm issues and we are supposed to be satisfied with that. When the two main characters play a question game, it is just to tease; as no answers are provided. All the movie characters end up as a collection of discarded transparent balloon people going limp as soon as they are half halfheartedly inflated into shape. I never expect a romantic comedy to ask heavy questions about adolescent angst or mental hospitals. But the offhand way the problems and inmates were dismissed is pretty offensive. Yes it is a kind of funny story - 'funny' as in 'ludicrously absurd'.

Cold in July (2014)

Nicely done

[8/10 · 5 September 2015]

So once upon a time, in the middle of the night, this 80's average Joe is woken up by his wife, and finds himself confronting the age old responsibility of protecting his young family. He dreads it, does the job but suffers emotional backlash. Sure enough, we learn that the father of the killed intruder is just out on parole. But just as we glumly resign ourselves to pigeon hole this flick and reach out for a swig of beer, the plot veers imperceptibly at first, then swerves ever deeper into the dark backwoods of human depravity. The movie develops in a naturally rambling true to life way, with psychological tension and a mystery element palpable throughout. The threesome hero / anti-hero combination act, interact and bond to elevate this movie several cuts above the usual throwaway pulp western. Yes, there are some plot lines that are not pursued, but life is full of loose ends. This is not a superhero story. It is puerile to expect an everyman to confront the Mafia and twisted police and survive unscathed. We root for this common man who is morally impelled to do the right thing as best he can in the circumstances and grows with the 2 seasoned characters he meets in the process.

Maleficent (2014)

What audience?

[2/10 · 5 September 2015]

First; I would like to complement the photography and CGI effects. Simply stunning - even if I only saw it in flat format. I am sure 3D was magical. Second; Angelina is superb as the betrayed angst ridden revengeful elf-witch which redeems herself. Her body and face are 'naturally' made up to be other-worldly looking. Bravo. The superlatives earn the 'deux points'. It is all downhill from here. Aurora is portrayed as a plain village idiot with an age of 6 though approaching her 16th birthday. She is soppy as cold soup and zaps away any magic from the movie . I understand nobody wanted to play second fiddle to Angelina - but there seems to have been a stampede. The king is just plain incompetent at being a father, king, warrior, and at destroying spindles and wings. He is incompetent at being evil - just contemptibly irritating. His choice of baby sitters proves the point. The fairies are beyond dumb, dumber and dumbest to be funny. The sidekick raven-man is a non-starter as a character. The prince Charming fizzled as a footnote to the story. Without character interaction, no story holds any interest whatsoever - ask my grandma. A timeless tale was savagely pruned to the trunk. Finally; just who was this movie aimed at?? It is too violent for kids.(PG my foot) It is too boring for adults. The 'twist' on the story could be seen a mile off. I was left with a bad feeling that this movie was a poorly disguised feminist vehicle.

Role Models (2008)

Disgusting.

[1/10 · 28 July 2015]

Well. I was in a very good mood. I had had a hard but satisfying workday, a good gym session and a nice dinner. I thought that a good comedy would round up the evening. IMDb ratings are supposed to guide people to steer away from bad movies.People have no time to waste. I simply just cannot understand how this stodgy stuff gets such a high rating. Even Metacritic is also favorable. Some nominations as well. Well there is one win I definitely agree with - the most offensive Male character award. Hands down, show of hands or count of rotten tomatoes. I honestly can't get my head around how there are so many morons to actually like such a dull excuse for a plot, such repellent characters, really offensive speech - especially when kids are involved. The movie was supposed to end with a feel good take home message. I definitely did not stay up for that. It lost all credibility to do that, with the 'drunken lecture at school' scene. A later scene sums up all that's bad in this movie. An 8 year old (does he really have to be black) slaps his would be carer in the face. Are we supposed to laugh at this? I felt this slap as symbolic of what the whole movie did to me. It made me switch off immediately. This is ultimate sewage 'humor' for moronic psychopaths. It ruined our evening.This was the worst movie experience in our life.

50/50 (2011)

Lame

[3/10 · 13 July 2015]

I usually like Seth Rogan but in this movie he fails. He tried to be a person simply being innocently incompetent at showing empathy by being superficial and hiding real concern. But he just ends up being unbelievably irritating. This is mostly the fault of Gordon-Levitt who is so lame he gathers no empathy from anyone. He is the proverbial limp dick who destroys the whole atmosphere. His heart was not in it. His mother tries to make up for previous remote motherhood - and we end up understanding why she was aloof from him in the first place. His laughably rude doctor would normally be sued for his blunt treatment but we end up almost siding with him. His incompetent support psychologist is beyond cute and useless. She was almost driving him to suicide - but Gordon-Levitt has simply no energy to even contemplate such a decision. In the end he gathers the least empathy from the people viewing this movie. The ending is as cheesy as it can possibly get. Don't waste your time. You only live once. This is not 50/50 but 100% useless.

The Age of Adaline (2015)

Purely for Romantics

[7/10 · 13 July 2015]

This is a classic tearjerker reminiscent of Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid - countering immortality against love. It starts very slow. So slow that I was wavering between sleeping and finding something else. But on the whole I am happy I stuck with it. The explanation of how the 'gift' of immortality came to pass was inexplicably ridiculous. But once the premise and characters get established and Adaline is introduced to the boyfriend's family the real story gets underway and gets really interesting. The settlement of the immortality question is another dollop of pseudo-scientific mambo jumbo but it does not spoil the story. The acting is not cheesy at all and all the actors carry this off very well. We all know it is going to end happily ever after but sometimes we do need such stories to balance out the tragedies around us.

The Pawnbroker (1964)

Bleak Black Study in Darkness

[8/10 · 1 July 2015]

Rod Steiger is under the lens in this classic study of a man zombified by life events. Adjusting to losing family, country and way of life proves impossible even after 25 years. He grudgingly supports his brother's family to expiate the gnawing acid guilt of survival. The black and white stark cinematography, weather and drudgery of pawnbroking work combine to infuse a suffocating dead- end atmosphere. The bleak city neighborhood and down at luck faces of the crowded inhabitants are a continuation of the concentration camp. The walk- in wounded seeping into the shop with hard-life stories, are dealt summarily by the walking dead Scrooge shop-owner. Despite this they still try again - they have not been beaten by the system. Yet. We build up some hope that his over enthusiastic Latino assistant stands a chance of scratching the surface but we get suddenly disappointed when his modest dreams get cruelly rebuffed. A lonely woman reaches out but is repeatedly and very coldly spurned. His second wife suffers and hopes but is left clutching at empty air. The pimp (an excellent Brock Peters) reads him too well. He expertly carries on where the Nazi's left off. There is no let up for him. He is condemned to suffer all his life in a concentration camp. How much of it is self- imposed? He asks for a release in death, and even that is denied him. The death of his assistant takes time to jolt feelings of excruciating agony from him. He does open his mouth but no sounds come out. We are not sure what the emotion actually is however. The shocking realization that he had cruelly let down a person that had looked up to him - and that person has just given up his life for him. He suddenly and desperately wants to start feeling something, anything again. Even pain is better than nothingness. Another explanation is that he wants to kill himself, but only manages to hurt himself. It feels too little, too late. Open to interpretations like all the best endings. Definitely not a feel good film

St. Vincent (2014)

Bill Murray special

[8/10 · 25 June 2015]

This movie is worth seeing simply for the one and only Bill Murray. If he did not exist someone would have to invent him. This man naturally gets better by simply getting older and just being himself. He grows with you and as an icon for a world weary cynic with a deeply buried heart of gold. Groundhog day hooked me and countless others. OK, maybe the script has stagnant bits and some clichéd and cheesy situations but it more than makes up for them with realistically fleeting, poignant moments. The believable characters skip along nicely together. The movie reminds me a lot of brother-in-arms Jack Nicholson's "As good as it gets". The end scene as the credits go up may look senseless at first but it truly encapsulates the philosophy that the movie tries to convey. Do good to the people that float by in your life. Do not expect better. Do it now.