- Awards
- 20
Hard to precisely define what a musical is or should be. The term "musical comedy" was once common but seems to have fallen into disuse.
What was the last film you watched?
- Thread starter Mel O'Drama
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- Awards
- 20
Judy (2019)
Also in the "with songs but not really a musical category."
Also not really a biopic in the usual sense, focusing on the London concerts trip Judy Garland made just months before she died.
Knowing this inevitably overlays a sense of sadness even though they do try to give it a triumphant conclusion.
Also in the "with songs but not really a musical category."
Also not really a biopic in the usual sense, focusing on the London concerts trip Judy Garland made just months before she died.
Knowing this inevitably overlays a sense of sadness even though they do try to give it a triumphant conclusion.
- Awards
- 52
Black Adam (2022)
Not a bad film but not the greatest superhero film either. It tells the story of Teth-Adam, an ancient Egyptian man who received the powers of the Wizard Shazam. He is imprisoned in a tomb from which he is released five thousand years by a group of archaeologists searching for the Crown of Sabbac. However, they are not the only ones looking for the crown which sets up the conflict between those trying to get their hands on the ancient relic.
There is a touch of CGI overkill and many scenes look like they have been filmed in front of a green screen and the imagery was added afterwards. I know this happens for many modern films but here it seemed more obvious than normal to me. The acting was good, the action sequences were exciting and the story, as far as stories go for these types of film, was pretty good. Worth watching but I wouldn't want to see it a second time.
Not a bad film but not the greatest superhero film either. It tells the story of Teth-Adam, an ancient Egyptian man who received the powers of the Wizard Shazam. He is imprisoned in a tomb from which he is released five thousand years by a group of archaeologists searching for the Crown of Sabbac. However, they are not the only ones looking for the crown which sets up the conflict between those trying to get their hands on the ancient relic.
There is a touch of CGI overkill and many scenes look like they have been filmed in front of a green screen and the imagery was added afterwards. I know this happens for many modern films but here it seemed more obvious than normal to me. The acting was good, the action sequences were exciting and the story, as far as stories go for these types of film, was pretty good. Worth watching but I wouldn't want to see it a second time.
- Awards
- 7
i've seen Judy (2019) i thought the movie was shit it was terrible Renee Z. i'm not even going to try and spell her last name was damn good in it though the film was slow and forgettable. i loved the (2001) film about her life much better. i agree that film isn't a musical at all but she does sing in it. young man with a Horn (1950) i watched recently too well worth it and a MUST SEE if nobody's not seen it on here. that's also a huge drama with music in it as well with KIrk Douglass playing the horn
and Doris Day Singing but she's not in the entire film it's his film. and with Love me or Leave Me (1955) reading the trivia on IMDB if this is true Cagney took 2nd billing to Doris Day in the only time in his career after he made it big in the early 30s. he did it cause his Character wasn't the star the the story Day's was and she had more to do than he did i think too even though he did plenty in it and of course was brilliant in it.
i can respect someone who does that too, apparently he suggested her name when they were casting the role or Ruthie because he had worked with her a few years before in The West Point Story (1950) i have not watched that one yet but it is on my list to watch.
and Doris Day Singing but she's not in the entire film it's his film. and with Love me or Leave Me (1955) reading the trivia on IMDB if this is true Cagney took 2nd billing to Doris Day in the only time in his career after he made it big in the early 30s. he did it cause his Character wasn't the star the the story Day's was and she had more to do than he did i think too even though he did plenty in it and of course was brilliant in it.
i can respect someone who does that too, apparently he suggested her name when they were casting the role or Ruthie because he had worked with her a few years before in The West Point Story (1950) i have not watched that one yet but it is on my list to watch.
- Awards
- 52
Hustle (2022)
I used to play basketball when I was younger so I was looking forward to seeing this film. Adam Sandler plays a backetball scount who discovers a talented player while travelling in Spain and brings him back to the USA when he sees his potential to play in the NBA. The film is packed with cameos from basketball royalty including Dr J, Dirk Nowitzki and Doc Rivers.
Adam Sandler has come a long way since starring in films like the Waterboy and proves he is an accomplished dramatic actor too. I liked that the story was told in a straightforward manner without endless flashback and other mechanisms loved by Hollywood to create a more interesting narrative. Although this is primarily a basketball story, it's also about leadership, mentorship and never giving up on a dream, a sort of Rocky for basketball.
I used to play basketball when I was younger so I was looking forward to seeing this film. Adam Sandler plays a backetball scount who discovers a talented player while travelling in Spain and brings him back to the USA when he sees his potential to play in the NBA. The film is packed with cameos from basketball royalty including Dr J, Dirk Nowitzki and Doc Rivers.
Adam Sandler has come a long way since starring in films like the Waterboy and proves he is an accomplished dramatic actor too. I liked that the story was told in a straightforward manner without endless flashback and other mechanisms loved by Hollywood to create a more interesting narrative. Although this is primarily a basketball story, it's also about leadership, mentorship and never giving up on a dream, a sort of Rocky for basketball.
- Awards
- 52
She Said (2022)
There are some films that are so impactful that you can't stop thinking about it long after you've left the cinema, She Said is such a film. It's about how 2 investigative reporters on The New York Times uncovered the Harvey Weinstein sex abuse story. A film mostly about 2 journalists going around asking different people similar questions might sound a bit dry but the brilliance of the writing made this a gripping drama. It has a bit of a All The President's Men vibe. The film doesn't show any of the abuse and focuses on how the investigative journalists got the women to tell their stories which eventually brought down Weinstein.
There are some films that are so impactful that you can't stop thinking about it long after you've left the cinema, She Said is such a film. It's about how 2 investigative reporters on The New York Times uncovered the Harvey Weinstein sex abuse story. A film mostly about 2 journalists going around asking different people similar questions might sound a bit dry but the brilliance of the writing made this a gripping drama. It has a bit of a All The President's Men vibe. The film doesn't show any of the abuse and focuses on how the investigative journalists got the women to tell their stories which eventually brought down Weinstein.
- Awards
- 27
I think the best part is the War Room scenes with all its understatement and bickering over trivial stuff. The situation becomes much more clowny in the last part and I didn't find it very funny.
The fact that this is a comedy didn't stop me from worrying about its disaster scenario and in that regard it could be quite frustrating to watch.
Excellent performances by all the actors, but Captain Mandrake was the best.
- Awards
- 7
i tried to watch this years ago and i shut it off i was so bored, i do plan on trying to watch it again but i'm not expecting much.
- Awards
- 20
The Steam Engines of Oz (2018)
I had thought this must be a sequel to Dorothy's Return and in a sense it is, albeit being set much later at a time when Dorothy's adventures are history.
It's credited as being based on a graphic novel of the same name but it also owes more than a little to The Tin Woodman of Oz, one of Baum's original books. A less than subtle ecological message hangs rather heavily over proceedings but I liked the new steampunk heroine.
I had thought this must be a sequel to Dorothy's Return and in a sense it is, albeit being set much later at a time when Dorothy's adventures are history.
It's credited as being based on a graphic novel of the same name but it also owes more than a little to The Tin Woodman of Oz, one of Baum's original books. A less than subtle ecological message hangs rather heavily over proceedings but I liked the new steampunk heroine.
- Awards
- 7
early this morning i finally finished one called "My Blue Heaven (1950) with Betty Grable plays Kitty, that woman had some skinny legs. nice to but damn where they skinny, anyways Dan Dailey plays Jack and while the music was great other than one or 2 songs that were forgettable. the movie is ass it's a shame too cause it started off really strong course i had stopped it for a couple days and not gone back to it so that may have had something to do with it.
it was a bit different for a movie of it's day and i'm gonna give the film credit on that, it had the lead Character get a Miscarriage which is something you NEVER saw in movies in (1950) it also had a nurse tell her to have a mask on around a new born i've never seen any movie from than or now that told the mother to do this that didn't have anything to do with a virus or anything of the kind. i get the impression that in this world it was something you had to do but i've never heard of it unless you were sick or the baby was in other films and in real life too. David Wayne was in it and he was really good in it with a Military Cut i think he looked so young in it cause well he was. his character i thought was a prick and it was also Mitzy Gaynor's 1st film as well. the cast was good the music was really good as i said other than 1 or 2 songs it had everything going for it but it really did need more work in the script done.
it's about a couple who at the start of the film are doing radio it was (1950) after all or my guess filmed in (1949) around there and about. at the start of the film you had the lead find out she's preggers and she ends up getting a miscarriage than she finds out she can't have anymore kids which i cannot even begin to understand how that must feel at all. but all you can do is listen ya know? anyways, than they tried Adoption and meanwhile are now doing their own tv show. you had the leads be really believable in being love with each other i can see why they did 4 films together! but at one point you had Mitzi Gaynor who was clearly in love with Jack she was the understudy so when Kitty took time off she took over. the last thing i'll say cause i don't want to say everything in this movie is that you had Jack Kiss Mitzi's character
out of nowhere i think the idea was that he missed his wife and needed affection from a woman any woman will do. she shows up and calls him out on it cause he was wearing lipstick at the time. i will give this movie a lot of credit though it did NOT go through the midway halfway break up that a lot of films go through where the couple are happy in the first have than through a serious of events one does something or says something that they end up ending their relationships and let's use When Harry Met Sally (1989) one of my favorite films of all time where they sleep together and until the very end they stopped talking to each other and things were weird with them. that's what i mean My Blue Heaven (1950) did not have that and i'm the most grateful for it too. it may have sounded like a said the entire movie when the answer is no i have not. there is stuff i left out such as how it ended for one. i say watch it once and than report back here and tell me what you think.
my rating is 5/10. the music 9.5 out of 10
it was a bit different for a movie of it's day and i'm gonna give the film credit on that, it had the lead Character get a Miscarriage which is something you NEVER saw in movies in (1950) it also had a nurse tell her to have a mask on around a new born i've never seen any movie from than or now that told the mother to do this that didn't have anything to do with a virus or anything of the kind. i get the impression that in this world it was something you had to do but i've never heard of it unless you were sick or the baby was in other films and in real life too. David Wayne was in it and he was really good in it with a Military Cut i think he looked so young in it cause well he was. his character i thought was a prick and it was also Mitzy Gaynor's 1st film as well. the cast was good the music was really good as i said other than 1 or 2 songs it had everything going for it but it really did need more work in the script done.
it's about a couple who at the start of the film are doing radio it was (1950) after all or my guess filmed in (1949) around there and about. at the start of the film you had the lead find out she's preggers and she ends up getting a miscarriage than she finds out she can't have anymore kids which i cannot even begin to understand how that must feel at all. but all you can do is listen ya know? anyways, than they tried Adoption and meanwhile are now doing their own tv show. you had the leads be really believable in being love with each other i can see why they did 4 films together! but at one point you had Mitzi Gaynor who was clearly in love with Jack she was the understudy so when Kitty took time off she took over. the last thing i'll say cause i don't want to say everything in this movie is that you had Jack Kiss Mitzi's character
out of nowhere i think the idea was that he missed his wife and needed affection from a woman any woman will do. she shows up and calls him out on it cause he was wearing lipstick at the time. i will give this movie a lot of credit though it did NOT go through the midway halfway break up that a lot of films go through where the couple are happy in the first have than through a serious of events one does something or says something that they end up ending their relationships and let's use When Harry Met Sally (1989) one of my favorite films of all time where they sleep together and until the very end they stopped talking to each other and things were weird with them. that's what i mean My Blue Heaven (1950) did not have that and i'm the most grateful for it too. it may have sounded like a said the entire movie when the answer is no i have not. there is stuff i left out such as how it ended for one. i say watch it once and than report back here and tell me what you think.
my rating is 5/10. the music 9.5 out of 10
- Awards
- 27
It would be easier to describe what doesn't happen in this story, and perhaps the 90s decade was the perfect compromise for a film that needs sufficient technology in order to avoid looking "dated" and at the same time avoids being dominated by too much technology that kills the atmosphere stone-dead.
Scenes that involve a phone booth are inherently suspenseful because there's almost never a good reason to use them.
At first I thought it was an unfortunate decision to have Al Pacino play opposite Robert De Niro (or vice versa) because, well, I tend to confuse them. Similar features, equal Hollywood status.
But as the story progressed it kinda felt as if it was meant to be, because with a charismatic antagonist played by Robert De Niro the story becomes two stories.
It's not completely without emotional manipulation as the narrative acknowledges that the criminals in this story are very good (at being bad) and I guess that's when the villain becomes sort of an anti-hero.
Will they continue to be good or are they going to fail - and that question applies to both Pacino and De Niro.
All I'm going to say is that it takes some contrivance to wrap things up - but even that looks very, very good. I also loved the moody, neo-eighties soundtrack.
- Awards
- 27
I wasn't exactly blown away by the first GODFATHER film but at least it was watchable enough. Perhaps Part II - which is widely considered an equal if not better cinematic masterpiece - could redeem my somewhat dissapointing introduction to this famous Mafia Trilogy.
Sometimes I'm being so very naive and optimistic it's almost endearing. Because this film sucks big time, and a very long big time at that.
The prequel part doesn't bother me except that it adds little to the narrative of the present time part of the film. I'm sure everyone's going to laugh at me when I say that Jackie Collins did a much better job with her CHANCES story.
Micheal's story isn't very original, in fact it's as old as the stories of medieval kings and the paranoia about treachery in the king's court, but that shouldn't stop GODFATHER II from being an exciting and intense film.
None of the characters are interesting or colourful enough to make them memorable, and I fail to see how any of this was a challenge to these gifted actors.
I don't have to like the characters but I need to care, and the confusing storyline certainly didn't help.
I'm not a history buff so I didn't really understand what was going on in Cuba and - more importantly - how it influenced the story for the Corleone family.
Then, all of sudden, the Corleones are being investigated by a senate committee because...because. Gee, it's not like there wasn't enough time to build up to this plot twist.
Lots of other stuff happens, or to be more precisely: are being discussed, and it all looks very random to me.
It's a drag of epic proportions BUT it is one of the most beautiful looking drags I've ever seen, especially all the location sceneries. And as I've said before, in 1970s cinema all that beauty almost looks casually done, as opposed to the "see what we did here?" attitude in many modern films and series.
Nevertheless, I would only recommend TGPII to my worst enemies.
- Awards
- 7
Heat (1995) is a great film and i haven't seen it in years, The Godfather (1972) and Part 2 (1974) are among my favorite films of all time. part 2 being my favorite film but if you didn't like them you didn't like them. part 3 of the three is i think the weakest entry and yeah it's hard to describe "Heat" (1995) having said that the other film i watched last night was Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) that one though was worth a watch and a must see about in fact on Annette damn i forget her last name a swimmer that was famous long before any of us here were born. hell my grandparents weren't even born yet when she got famous back in the early 20th Century. the way that ended left it open for a Sequel and to me like Ray (2004) both films on the way they ended felt incomplete cause they both end at a certain point in the life of whom they are based on. Ray ended in (1966) if i recall when Ray gets clean and sober from drugs and just stops even though he lived many more years and could easily have a sequel to it. apparently there was talk about a sequel to The Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) but no sequel did happen for whatever reason it's quite sad cause if it was done by the right people it could have worked out. oh well i guess my rating 10/10
- Awards
- 52
As it's 2 weeks to Christmas, I thought I would watch Christmas films in the run up to the day itself, starting with one of my favourites:
Joyeux Noel (2005)
This isn't a typical Christmas film, it's a war film based on the 1914 First World War ceasefire so has none of the clichés associated with films based around the festive period. The story in told in French, German and English and depicts events from the point of view of each of those three nations.
In the film Wilhelm, German Crown Prince, sends Anna, the lead singer of the Berlin Imperial Opera company, on a visit to the front line to entertain the troops. She's having an affair with Nikolaus, a tenor, who insists on going as well to protect her. While there, she sings Silent Night and the British troops hear her and the chaplain takes out his bagpipes and plays along and the men from both sides listen in complete silence. It's a moving scene that gets me misty eyed even though I've seen the film once before. Both sides get together and decide on calling a truce until the next day. There are various subplots involving the characters from the different armies and when the ceasefire is over, the men don't see their enemies in the same way again.
Joyeux Noel (2005)
This isn't a typical Christmas film, it's a war film based on the 1914 First World War ceasefire so has none of the clichés associated with films based around the festive period. The story in told in French, German and English and depicts events from the point of view of each of those three nations.
In the film Wilhelm, German Crown Prince, sends Anna, the lead singer of the Berlin Imperial Opera company, on a visit to the front line to entertain the troops. She's having an affair with Nikolaus, a tenor, who insists on going as well to protect her. While there, she sings Silent Night and the British troops hear her and the chaplain takes out his bagpipes and plays along and the men from both sides listen in complete silence. It's a moving scene that gets me misty eyed even though I've seen the film once before. Both sides get together and decide on calling a truce until the next day. There are various subplots involving the characters from the different armies and when the ceasefire is over, the men don't see their enemies in the same way again.
- Awards
- 27
ALIEN is even more frightening when you know what's going to happen, and the time it takes to build up to that Very Shocking Scene is almost nauseating.
But it isn't only suspenseful sci-fi horror, it's also a very beautiful space movie.
This was my second or maybe third re-watch but somehow I keep forgetting that Ash is a robot.
57 years later Ripley wakes up in an eighties movie: irritating characters, juvenile dialogue, ugly and sterile sets and props - and of course there's a kid in it. Is it Drew Barrymore? No, but it could have been.
Gone is the warm and organic atmosphere, this is "let's rock!" and showing more in flat lightening. I think even STARSHIP TROOPERS was more fun than this ALIEN sequel.
I had planned on watching the other sequels too but I think I'll pass.
- Awards
- 44
Spot on, Willie. You've summed up what makes this such a great film. I love the leisurely pacing; the naturalism of the exchanges and the dark, foreboding atmosphere.
As you said, it is very beautiful and even more so when you consider (as I'm sure you had) that it's entirely practical. There's no sweetening it up with CGI. Even the titular character is a skinny man in a suit, filmed very judiciously.
I appreciate this film more each time I watch.
Oh, thank God. Aliens seems to be so revered that it's incredibly refreshing to read your opinion. My view on this film is very similar to yours. I find it loud, busy and quite showy at times. Many of the supporting characters are dull, and the little girl persistently making that whistle-like scream does my head in.
Despite being made at Pinewood it feels far less British to me and has a really unattractive brash Hollywood thing going on, which I suppose is down to the voices of the very different directors.
I must confess that I've come to appreciate some of the virtues of the film as I've rewatched it. The Queen in particular is really well done as a terrific and memorable film monster (notwithstanding the fact that it also typifies the film's "bigger and better" approach in attempting to outdo the original). It's also impressive for a film franchise to change genres like this. Still, I do think it's hugely overrated.
For what it's worth, I'm quite fond of Alien 3. It was the first film in the franchise I watched, and I saw it at a time when it was still the "final" film in the series and so it made quite an impact on me.
I know it had a troubled production and never quite lived up to its full potential, but like the first film it takes its time, is thick with atmosphere and - being a David Fincher film - looks great (most of the time).
- Awards
- 27
Yes, I had a feeling I was watching a model spaceship on a string, but sometimes the most basic trickery is also the most convincing. Or perhaps I should say enticingly convincing.
The awakening scene (which was real) looks like the most beautiful Disney animation.
As always, the funny moments is in the detail, not the joke.
Near the end of the film, when Ripley is both exhausted and completely fired up by her survival instincts, she shouts "goddammit". The panic and frustration is very real and there's nothing badass or lighthearted about the exclamation, but it made me chuckle anyway.
Then there's the name of the spaceship "Nostromo" that sounds like a 1960s Italian vampire film - and it's almost an anagram for "Monster".
I'm sure I wasn't disappointed when I watched it for the first time so I guess it was good for the time it was made. Heck, I probably wanted to see more & bigger.
But now, watching them back to back, it's easy to see that one ALIEN film still looks remarkably fresh while the other ALIEN movie looks painfully dated.
Instead of "Disney", the 1986 film gives us "Transformers" the TV series.
Is that the one where she throws herself (and an alien egg?) into a vulcano or something like that?
I'm not sure if I've watched the third sequel, and I have ignored the two prequel movies altogether, but for no particular reason (though I shudder to think what the ALIEN vs. PREDATOR films look like).
In essence, ALIENS does what a sequel needs to do: return to place where it all went wrong, like they always return to Haddonfield and Camp Crystal Lake (and even Peyton Place). It would not have been possible to make it mysterious again, we know what we're dealing with but that also means it's nothing more than waiting for the kill count to begin. Even if everything about ALIENS was top-notch it would still be the cheaper kind of entertainment.
I'm not saying that ALIENS is a complete failure, I'm sure it's got plenty of "popcorn" value. The seriously bad sequels belong to Poseidon, The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby.
- Awards
- 44
Especially when the model spaceship on a string is lit so enticingly.
Oh yes - that about sums it up.
That's the one.
I have and I thought it was terrible. It's easily the worst of the original four films and takes the sci-fi stuff too far.
But then, as I painfully discovered when watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I'm really not a fan of Joss Whedon's style.
Same here. I've just never got round to watching them, though I feel hopeful that they're decent enough.
Oh God, yes. Just the idea of a big film crossover like this seems really juvenile and lowest common denominator. I always feel the writers should stick to playing Top Trumps in their playtime.
Absolutely. I also think it's well enough made and looks really good. It's just not my kind of thing.
- Awards
- 44
Christmas With The Kranks (2004)
This was a spontaneous watch, chosen on the fact that Jamie Lee Curtis and Dan Ackroyd both appear. I felt I knew what to expect from the unsubtly wacky poster, and that's pretty much it.
As much as anything, this film feels like an ode to the insanity of Christmas preparations and rituals and all the expectation and pressure that comes along with those. And it does so by inverting the whole dynamic so that the people who opt out of "doing" Christmas end up appearing insane and unreasonable.
Every street has one of those homes with Christmas lights, decorations and garden displays that are so OTT and bright they need to begin setting them up in August. This film presents a kind of Stepford world where this is the rule rather than the exception, and the Kranks' home stands out because it's the only one not covered in lights, with their concession to Christmas being a tasteful wreath on the door.
I'm really not clear if the filmmakers fully understand that the Kranks are the healthy ones, especially since it ultimately equates conforming to Christmas rituals with community (and non-conformity in choosing not to erect a twelve foot snowman on the roof is shown to be a sticky middle finger up at the neighbours). All the same, it does capture the insanity of pre-Christmas perfectly, perhaps best represented by the epic supermarket struggle to obtain the last Hickory Honey Ham (I'd thought this was going to be an actual ham, but the film take the insanity one step further by making this an epic battle for nasty tinned "meat").
The comedy is as broad as one would expect, but the performances make it fly and it got a few genuine laughs from me. JLC and Ackroyd are both great, with the latter representing the push to "do" Christmas. I particularly like that JLC's character is quite unsympathetic, chewing her husband's ear off so that he does her bidding for a quiet life (established well early on when she pushes him to get a soaking in order to obtain her special chocolate chips while she sits in the car and sends him back repeatedly until he gets it spot on). She's also quick to allow him to take the blame when things go tits up, which felt quite truthful. I don't know what I know Tim Allen from. I feel I must have seen him in something, but darned if I know what. On first glance I thought he was Kevin Spacey, but as the film progressed I was struck by how much he looks like William Shatner.
The film is schmaltzy at times, particularly as it gets towards the rather hollow "Christmas good" message and Allen's character finds his "redemption" by doing something nice. Still, it's warm enough and irreverent enough to pull off these moments well. The ailing neighbour's trembling lip on being met with an unexpected kindness was perfectly played.
I'm glad I didn't know this was based on a John Grisham novel or I would probably have expected more and been disappointed. But watching this with no other information beyond the colourful, one-dimensional poster and a couple of cast members it really hit the spot.
This was a spontaneous watch, chosen on the fact that Jamie Lee Curtis and Dan Ackroyd both appear. I felt I knew what to expect from the unsubtly wacky poster, and that's pretty much it.
As much as anything, this film feels like an ode to the insanity of Christmas preparations and rituals and all the expectation and pressure that comes along with those. And it does so by inverting the whole dynamic so that the people who opt out of "doing" Christmas end up appearing insane and unreasonable.
Every street has one of those homes with Christmas lights, decorations and garden displays that are so OTT and bright they need to begin setting them up in August. This film presents a kind of Stepford world where this is the rule rather than the exception, and the Kranks' home stands out because it's the only one not covered in lights, with their concession to Christmas being a tasteful wreath on the door.
I'm really not clear if the filmmakers fully understand that the Kranks are the healthy ones, especially since it ultimately equates conforming to Christmas rituals with community (and non-conformity in choosing not to erect a twelve foot snowman on the roof is shown to be a sticky middle finger up at the neighbours). All the same, it does capture the insanity of pre-Christmas perfectly, perhaps best represented by the epic supermarket struggle to obtain the last Hickory Honey Ham (I'd thought this was going to be an actual ham, but the film take the insanity one step further by making this an epic battle for nasty tinned "meat").
The comedy is as broad as one would expect, but the performances make it fly and it got a few genuine laughs from me. JLC and Ackroyd are both great, with the latter representing the push to "do" Christmas. I particularly like that JLC's character is quite unsympathetic, chewing her husband's ear off so that he does her bidding for a quiet life (established well early on when she pushes him to get a soaking in order to obtain her special chocolate chips while she sits in the car and sends him back repeatedly until he gets it spot on). She's also quick to allow him to take the blame when things go tits up, which felt quite truthful. I don't know what I know Tim Allen from. I feel I must have seen him in something, but darned if I know what. On first glance I thought he was Kevin Spacey, but as the film progressed I was struck by how much he looks like William Shatner.
The film is schmaltzy at times, particularly as it gets towards the rather hollow "Christmas good" message and Allen's character finds his "redemption" by doing something nice. Still, it's warm enough and irreverent enough to pull off these moments well. The ailing neighbour's trembling lip on being met with an unexpected kindness was perfectly played.
I'm glad I didn't know this was based on a John Grisham novel or I would probably have expected more and been disappointed. But watching this with no other information beyond the colourful, one-dimensional poster and a couple of cast members it really hit the spot.
- Awards
- 44
Nativity! (2009)
I'm not sure what's come over me this year. Other than a biennial screening of the original Black Christmas or The Polar Express and, once in a blue moon, Gremlins, I'm not usually one for festive films at all. I've never watched Love Actually, Die Hard or National Lampoon's Christmas Thingy. Yet here I am watching two overtly Christmassy films in as many nights.
It's a little curious that the film relies on almost identical imagery to that shown in Christmas With The Kranks: a pan across a street of homes all lit up for Christmas, with the protagonist's home in gloomy normality, sans any kind of Christmas glow-up. Again, there's a rather unpleasant implicit message that someone choosing not to go gaudy means that they're a sad creature, worthy of pity and ultimately abnormal, with the film's happy ending all hinging on whether or not he finds Christmas in his heart. Of course, it's an archetype that both Nativity! and Kranks have no doubt lifted from earlier works which may or may not include It's A Wonderful Life and How The Grinch Stole Christmas! to probably the main influence: Charles Dickens.
Any of these works that are "inspired" by A Christmas Carol must hit certain beats: great loss leading to bitterness; someone showing them the error of their ways and what love and Christmas are really all about; being met with forgiveness by those affected by said bitterness, etc. etc. All are present and correct here, and worked into a story that's complex and original enough to make it feel fresh.
The cast - like the film itself - is a Curate's egg. Martin Freeman gives a great performance (if you can overlook the abundance of throat-clearing-to-convey-awkwardness, which I chose to do). Pam Ferris is terrific as the school's slightly pushy headmistress. Ashley Jensen and Alan Carr had just enough screen time (for me less is always more with these two) which meant I enjoyed their performances. Even Ricky Tomlinson has a couple of little scenes as the Mayor.
Here's the bad news, though: this is a film which relies heavily on its characters being endearing and for me there were two key elements where I wasn't on board with this. First up are the kids: Precocious kids with missing front teeth may be adorable with a scene-stealing line here or there, or doing funny things in the background or whatever but I really didn't care for them taking so much screen time in the last act. I realise it's in the title, but I really didn't realise a good portion of the latter part of the film was going to show so much of the actual performance in what felt like real time. I haven't attended a school nativity since I was in one at the age of seven or eight, and watching this I realise that's with good reason.
The other big fail for me was the teacher's aid character. Rather like the kids, his goofing round was endearing at first and could have remained so in small doses, but his stupidity was taken to ridiculous extremes that pushed him into one-dimensional American sitcom territory (think Joey from Friends at his most annoyingly pea-brained and you're on the right lines). I didn't find him particularly likeable and as his acts became more reckless he began to appear genuinely ill-intentioned.
On the subject of extremes, the trip to Hollywood - racing past the security guard at the gate and running round the lot to escape them - feels like it's been done a million times. It took this film out of its own reality and ultimately felt there was little point to it besides giving the actors and crew a holiday to entice them to sign on. These scenes would have been at least as effective if done over the phone.
And here we are. When I added Nativity! to the queue, I also added the second and third films in the series. But now I see that the key character to appear in all three is the teacher's aid. Freeman - the lead character here - doesn't appear in any more, so I wonder if there's any point in continuing. Certainly I feel like I've seen more than enough of the kids and the man-child. I am curious enough to watch on to see how it's re-framed but, given the rule of diminishing returns, I can't help but wonder if continuing would be an act of pure masochism.
I'm not sure what's come over me this year. Other than a biennial screening of the original Black Christmas or The Polar Express and, once in a blue moon, Gremlins, I'm not usually one for festive films at all. I've never watched Love Actually, Die Hard or National Lampoon's Christmas Thingy. Yet here I am watching two overtly Christmassy films in as many nights.
It's a little curious that the film relies on almost identical imagery to that shown in Christmas With The Kranks: a pan across a street of homes all lit up for Christmas, with the protagonist's home in gloomy normality, sans any kind of Christmas glow-up. Again, there's a rather unpleasant implicit message that someone choosing not to go gaudy means that they're a sad creature, worthy of pity and ultimately abnormal, with the film's happy ending all hinging on whether or not he finds Christmas in his heart. Of course, it's an archetype that both Nativity! and Kranks have no doubt lifted from earlier works which may or may not include It's A Wonderful Life and How The Grinch Stole Christmas! to probably the main influence: Charles Dickens.
Any of these works that are "inspired" by A Christmas Carol must hit certain beats: great loss leading to bitterness; someone showing them the error of their ways and what love and Christmas are really all about; being met with forgiveness by those affected by said bitterness, etc. etc. All are present and correct here, and worked into a story that's complex and original enough to make it feel fresh.
The cast - like the film itself - is a Curate's egg. Martin Freeman gives a great performance (if you can overlook the abundance of throat-clearing-to-convey-awkwardness, which I chose to do). Pam Ferris is terrific as the school's slightly pushy headmistress. Ashley Jensen and Alan Carr had just enough screen time (for me less is always more with these two) which meant I enjoyed their performances. Even Ricky Tomlinson has a couple of little scenes as the Mayor.
Here's the bad news, though: this is a film which relies heavily on its characters being endearing and for me there were two key elements where I wasn't on board with this. First up are the kids: Precocious kids with missing front teeth may be adorable with a scene-stealing line here or there, or doing funny things in the background or whatever but I really didn't care for them taking so much screen time in the last act. I realise it's in the title, but I really didn't realise a good portion of the latter part of the film was going to show so much of the actual performance in what felt like real time. I haven't attended a school nativity since I was in one at the age of seven or eight, and watching this I realise that's with good reason.
The other big fail for me was the teacher's aid character. Rather like the kids, his goofing round was endearing at first and could have remained so in small doses, but his stupidity was taken to ridiculous extremes that pushed him into one-dimensional American sitcom territory (think Joey from Friends at his most annoyingly pea-brained and you're on the right lines). I didn't find him particularly likeable and as his acts became more reckless he began to appear genuinely ill-intentioned.
On the subject of extremes, the trip to Hollywood - racing past the security guard at the gate and running round the lot to escape them - feels like it's been done a million times. It took this film out of its own reality and ultimately felt there was little point to it besides giving the actors and crew a holiday to entice them to sign on. These scenes would have been at least as effective if done over the phone.
And here we are. When I added Nativity! to the queue, I also added the second and third films in the series. But now I see that the key character to appear in all three is the teacher's aid. Freeman - the lead character here - doesn't appear in any more, so I wonder if there's any point in continuing. Certainly I feel like I've seen more than enough of the kids and the man-child. I am curious enough to watch on to see how it's re-framed but, given the rule of diminishing returns, I can't help but wonder if continuing would be an act of pure masochism.