#ff23 — Public Fediverse posts

#FF23 Film Fight 2023: Finale.

Just what was the best film in 2023? Lots of great options.

https://solitude.vkps.co.uk/2024/01/film-fight-2023-finale/

#FF23 Film Fight 2023: December - a solid bunch of films mostly watched in the last week of the month

https://solitude.vkps.co.uk/2024/01/film-fight-2023-december/

#FF23 Ferrari doesn't show us the passion that film tells us it has.

Adam Driver has moments where you see it, too infrequently. Mann's grounded and motivated camera work brings excitement and involvement but it's not enough to raise the film. One scene will stick with you

Okay

#FF23 Saltburn is self-assured and pointed in all the right places.

It has some great shots, with Keoghan excellent as always. Feels a little long, but the biggest issue is that the "surprises" are always what you assumed was happening (and some moments just don't add up).

Okay

#FF23 Maestro is a stunning biopic.

It features performances both powerful and subtle (Cooper and Mulligan), shot after shot that is beautifully composed, and camera moves that give life to the action, all backed by joyful music. Cooper's directing is incredible.

Excellent.

#FF23 Silent Night is a surprisingly solid action film.

I didn't know going in that it was a John Woo film, or that it was essentially dialogue free: both are delightful. Don't get me wrong, it's very much silly action, but it does that very well. Kinnaman is solid too.

Good.

#FF23 Napoleon is a pretty straightforward biopic of the man himself.

The leads are solid, the battles epic, and the visuals are fine, but it lacks any real arc; doesn't really go anywhere. Entertaining enough, but the extended runtime is straining.

Fine.

#FF23 Godzilla Minus One is an excellent take on the original material.

A metaphor for the horrors of nuclear war, backed by a story about post-war Japan's place in the world, with a redemptive hero arc? It's a busy two hours. Cheesey moments are forgiven. Solid action.

Good!

#FF23 Killers of the Flower Moon is slow story about creeping violence and cultural erasure.

Gladstone is strong and quiet, while DiCaprio plays a man far out of his depth. The languid pacing is forgivable, given the beautiful cinematography and pervading darkness.

Good.

#FF23 Blog post: Film Fight 2023: November is now up https://solitude.vkps.co.uk/2023/12/film-fight-2023-november/

#FF23 The Marvels shows that, while Marvel fatigue is very real, they can still do something fun.

The trio of lead characters work well together, bringing levity in certain places, and the weight of consequences elsewhere. The central mechanic allows for solid action.

Good.

#FF23 Anatomy Of A Fall is a stunning drama that begins small and personal, and spans into a courtroom.

It plays in the dynamics of a relationship that has suffered tragedy, and the lies people tell themselves to cope. The lead is cold, but is she a killer?

Excellent.

#FF23 The Royal Hotel sees two broke American women take a job in the middle of the Australian Outback.

The threat of harm looms over every scene, making for some very uncomfortable moments; and memorable characters. Garner is as great as always.

Very good.

#FF23 Dream Scenario is delightfully bizarre: a boring man starts to appear in everyone's dreams, making him an overnight celebrity.

Cage is relatively subdued, but let's the petty jealousy and resentment bubble to the surface. It's fun, weird, and takes some turns.

Good.

#FF23 The Killer sees David Finch take on the hitman genre, with good results.

Fassbender is the titular character, whose bored, clinical monologue we're stuck in - through a botched operation and its consequences. Well-paced but dry, with some nice smaller roles.

Good.

#FF23 Quiz Lady is a surprisingly solid , easy going comedy about a quiz fanatic out of her depth.

The premise works well, the setups deliver, and both Awkwafina and Sandra Oh are excellent. With a great supporting cast, this works.

Worth seeing.

#FF23 Fingernails has an interesting premise (a test that claims to find perfect couple matches) but doesn't really deliver on it.

Riz Ahmed and Jesse Buckley are strong as always but the story doesn't go anywhere, with a flat and predictable conclusion.

Disappointing.

#FF23 Film Fight 2023: October is now up https://solitude.vkps.co.uk/2023/11/film-fight-2023-october/

#FF23 Pain Hustlers is the story of the disastrous sales culture in US pharmaceuticals.

You can see where it's going from the outset, but it's a decent ride getting there. Blunt and Evans are both very good in their roles, bringing empathy and sleaze in the right amounts.

Good.

#FF23 Totally Killer is a fun horror comedy that plays with sci-fi and horror tropes gleefully.

The blasé attitudes of the 80s are played for laughs, which works well. The plot is a little predictable, but fun enough. Shipka makes the whole thing come together.

Good.

#FF23 You're Killing Me is a decent horror thriller about a young woman trying to escape a bad situation.

The middle section of the film is strung out a little long, and the ending is a little ridiculous, but it builds tension reasonably well. People largely do smart stuff

Okay

#FF23 The Creator is a composite of a bunch of stuff you've seen before.

It's not bad, maybe a little long, but there's nothing fresh here. Some of the action works well enough, and it's enjoyable as mindless fodder but you'll likely forget it pretty quickly.

Fine.

#FF23 The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is a tight, performance and plot focussed courtroom drama.

You expect a flashback that isn't coming: Friedkin's final film is about the truth as the witnesses see it, not what happened. Deftly paced and unveiled.

Excellent.

#FF23 Talk To Me is an excellent modern horror.

The rules are laid out clearly, and the messiness of breaking them is clear. That one scene (you'll know which) was absolutely gruesome, but not gratuitous. Just well-handled the whole way through.

Very good.

#FF23 Reptile is a difficult film to watch, about a murder and its investigation.

It's meanderingly paced and far too long, but there's something hypnotic about the tone. You'll see many of the twists coming but it's really more about the feel of the thing.

Okay.

#FF23 Bottoms is about two friends who create a fight club to try and hook up with their crushes.

It's funny, original, stylish, keeps moving fast, and hits an interesting tone. Everything is a little off in a way that just kinda makes sense. Solid performances too.

Excellent.

#FF23 Dumb Money is a look at the Game Stop short squeeze.

It tries to manufacture tension by bringing in lots of perspectives, but fails to do anything interesting or examine the subject particularly deeply.

Fine but forgettable.

#FF23 No-One Will Save you is a bit of a mixed bag.

As a near-silent alien invasion film, it's damn near jaw-dropping, full of tension and excellent set pieces. When it tries to be a vague metaphor for trauma, it falls flat.

Worth seeing, but expect to roll you eyes.

#FF23 Past Lives is a melancholy look at missed opportunity and what could have been.

While the end drags a little, the pacing is otherwise great; lots of slow, deliberate steps. It's a pensive film, that doesn't try to take an easy route.

Very good.