Seen any good films lately?

We have an all time favourites movie thread but not somewhere to post if you've just watched something and want to comment or give a review. So here is such a place!


I finally got round to watching a film I have been wanting to see for a long time. Master and Commander.




If you like Hornblower and its ilk then don't bother. Its just not to that standard, it got quite a bit of critical buzz when it came out, but I've no idea why.
Its not a bad film, performances are fine, plot is ok. But it does nothing others haven't done before and much better.
Can't say I could recommend it.

Saw Wyatt Earp from 1994 the other day, loved it. Dennis Quaid was an excellent Doc Holliday, and I liked Costner's portrayal of Wyatt Earp too. No idea whether it's up to your standards or not, but I liked it

Not seen that one Ringdrotten- will have to keep an eye out. Hard to imagine them finding a new angle on that story though given how often its been used in film and tv- do they do something fresh with it?

My standards I don't think are hugely high. I like some explosions and thrills as much as the next, it just has to have something worthwhile going on around it! (Robocop is an old favourite of mine that fit that description well)

I'm not sure whether they add anything new, as I haven't seen any of the other films about Wyatt Earp ( ). The film spends quite a lot of time on character building, though, not sure if the other films do the same (to the same extent). For instance, you get to see quite a lot of the younger Wyatt Earp, from when he was living at the family ranch (Gene Hackman plays his father and gives a great performance) to his days as a wagon driver and fight referee. The film gives quite a good understanding of who Wyatt Earp was as a person, and not just a lawman. It's a long film, 3 hours or so, and quite a slow one, but very enjoyable

There's the trailer for it. I see from the comments that those who don't like it very much don't like the way Wyatt and Doc Holliday are portrayed. In other films (I'm judging by comments on the trailer and quick googling) it seems Wyatt and Doc are portrayed more likeable than they are in this film (Wyatt Earp). I loved this movie's portrayal of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, the real ones weren't exactly the finest gentlemen around, so why should they be in fi.lms

Well they've been done a lot on film but rarely with much heed paid to accuracy or history. I don't mind a bit of dislikiability if the characters are well drawn.
And be interesting to see Costner in something good- last thing I can think of, of his films that I enjoyed was Dances with Wolves and mainly then because in a cinema the scenery takes your breath- beautiful cinematography and lighting on that film.

To go back to master and comander for a while, this is something I watched fairly soon after it came to telly as it is based on the Patrick O'Brien Jack Aubrey series that I did enjoy. I think a lot of the buzz started from the films and I love Paul Bettany as an actor (his Chaucer in a knights tale particularly springs to mind). Have to say I agree though that the film wasn't great! Not bad, but not great either, mainly I think because from memory it focused on the sea monotony and failed to really get into the two very different characters, beyond the superficial.

In terms of recent films, my latest discovery as mentioned elsewhere was V for Vendetta. i hadn't seen it till recently and caught it on a late night showing, really enjoyed the premise and execution. I may have to find out more about cyberpunk and try to catch more as these seem to appeal to me!

V for Vendetta is a great movie, will have to buy it one of these days and watch it again

One of my all time favourite films. And far and away the best comic book to film out there, (despite a lot of changes from the original comic- which I would recommend Kafria it can be gotten as a graphic novel- written in and inspired by the Thatcher era).
The film does an excellent job in general of updating it- my main quibble over the original is that in the film V seems less an anti-hero. In the book he is an out and out anarchist. They played it a lot safer in the film with his character.

Saw Despicable Me on Box Office the other day. Very funny. 'It's so fluffy im gonna die!'

'Does this count as annoying? *Pop pop pop pop pop*'

Anyone seen this. I'm a big Shakespeare fan and a big Helen Mirren fan but I am suspicious always when they swap male roles for female ones.

ok...
looks a bit strange,
not really my type of film

No, anyone can learn to love Shakespeare! Though I wouldn't say The Tempest is my favourite of his plays though, in fact I don't even know much about it. Haven't been to the cinema for ages, might go to see Eagle at the weekend, I've read the book and it's pretty enjoyable.

Well, it's not that i don't like Shakespeare, my friends are doing Macbeth in their English class.
My fave fave fave fave would be Rom and Jul. (short for my benefit)
Last year in our Junior school, we did the play of it and i was Lady Capulet, but everyone said that I should have been Jul cos i was better!

I saw Rango this past weekend and was pleasantly surprised. It was actually a neat little story, in addition to being really funny. Plus it had some of the best animation I've ever seen.

I've only watched Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, and only because I had to (school ). Never again!

Then I would suggest Ringdrotten you find the Patrick Stewart Macbeth- superb.

Got a brilliant Lady Macbeth too

Well I want to see the tempest! Not a play I know although I always enjoy discovering new shakespeare! At school I had to do Julius Caeser and Macbeth, which could have been enough to put me off, but didn't. Love Romeo and Juliet - first saw it as ballet, but it is a very strange play to see 1st half is great, love and all that! 2nd half just one disaster after another!

I find Much Ado About Nothing weird- the first bit is a light fluffy comedy and then we she is exposed as having slept around in the evil set up by the villian it suddenly turns dark as night. Then of course, as its a fuss about nothing, it all goes light and frothy again at the end. Very strange.

Yes, only seen the Brannagh version, but have to agree it is very split personality!


Edit: really like twelfth night!

Agreed, 12th night is also odd that way- I guess it was the flavour of the times. For all Shakespeare is viewed as high art he was a bum on seats playwright trying to make a theatre a success in his own day.
Heres Kenneth Brannagh and Emma Thompson in Much Ado About Nothing proving if you do it right Shakespeare can still be as easy to follow and as enjoyable as the day it was written. (Although I'd skip the song and skip to 2:30)

* Spoilers on Source Code!*





Saw Source Code today, and I have to admit it was a great film. Best film I've seen all year, better than Inception, and sorry Colin Firth, better than The King's Speech. The actor who played Capitan Stevens was immense, and it's also quite an emotional roller-coaster. At first it's quite obvious he's going to die, so you're sad, but he does something really meaningful at the end, so I felt happy, and then it turns out he doesn't die, and then you're a little annoyed/happy that they're going to make a prequel! It has got be into the whole time loop genre though, I'm going to order Groundhog day on amazon right now!