Let's Talk Movies #35 – Sparrows and Panthers and Dinosaurs…Oh My!

Which Movies Might You See? (Multiple Votes Allowed)

  • Feb. 16th - Black Panther – Action adventure with Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyo

    Votes: 32 60.4%
  • March 2nd - Red Sparrow – Mystery thriller with Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton and Mary-Louise Pa

    Votes: 15 28.3%
  • March 9th - A Wrinkle In Time – Adventure fantasy with Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Oprah Winfr

    Votes: 26 49.1%
  • March 16th - Tomb Raider – Action adventure with Alicia Vikander, Walton Goggins and Kristin Scott T

    Votes: 10 18.9%
  • March 30th – Ready Player One – Sci-fi adventure with Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke and Simon Pegg

    Votes: 10 18.9%
  • May 4th - Avengers: Infinity War – Adventure fantasy with nobody famous

    Votes: 27 50.9%
  • May 18th - Deadpool 2 – Adventure comedy with Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin and T. J. Miller

    Votes: 19 35.8%
  • May 25th - Solo: A Star Wars Story – Adventure fantsy with Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover and Woody

    Votes: 27 50.9%
  • June 8th - Ocean's 8 – Action thriller with Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway

    Votes: 24 45.3%
  • June 22nd - Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – Action sci-fi with Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and

    Votes: 22 41.5%

  • Total voters
    53

Vash01

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I saw the Italian movie ‘Perfect strangers’ today. It was very good. It was almost like a play, because the whole movie takes place in one evening, and most of it is in one house, with just seven main actors (and small roles for the children and a grandma). Based on a novel idea to share what’s on their cell phones - incoming calls and text messages. The story evolves and reaches a climax. Well written and acted.
 
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cocotaffy

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I saw the Italian movie ‘Perfect strangers’ today. It was very good. It was almost like a play, because the whole movie takes place in one evening, and most of it is in one house, with just seven main actors (and small roles for the children and a grandma). Based on a novel idea to share what’s on their cell phones - incoming calls and text messages. The story evolves and reaches a climax. Well written and acted.
And I kept thinking about days later so that's always a good sign. I loved the interaction between the dad and the teenage girl over the phone. I told myself I need to remember this if such a situation happens with my daughter at one point. Most of all the acting was great, so natural you felt like part of the friends.
 

watchthis!!

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Mongol is a very good movie about the childhood and early adult life of Genghis Khan. There are some battle scenes, but basically the movie is about Khan and his wife, who knew each other from childhood. And how no matter times they were separated, and how being reunited was close to impossible, they always found their way back to each other.

The movie is from 2007 and was nominated for an Oscar for best foreign language film (Kazakhstan). The movie is a success on all levels, great acting, direction, cinematography. Definitely recommended.

Trailer for Mongol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHaYiA6u3Co

P.S. The trailer does the movie a disservice and make it look more focussed on power and violence than it really is.
 

Vash01

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Saw the movie ‘The least of these - the Graham Staines story’. One of the best movies I have seen recently. Based on a true story but at the very beginning the movie says that names and dates of some events have been changed, and some characters were combinations of real life characters, for dramatic effects.

Graham Staines ( I had never heard of him) was an Australian missionary who lived in rural India with his wife and children, and helped the lepers who were rejected by the local community. A young journalist starts investigating rumors that Staines was forcibly and illegally converting lepers to Christianity. What he discovers is a revelation.

The movie is about compassion, faith, and forgiveness. It is inspiring. The acting is good throughout. Editing and screenplay are both good. Go see it but take plenty of tissues along. 9/10.
 
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Vash01

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I saw the trailer of ‘Hotel Mumbai’ for the second time today. It looks interesting. Based on true events. Starring Armie Hammer and Dev Patel. Will be released in March.
 

mrr50

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Saw They Shall Not Grow Old today. It was moving and horrifying. Just remember that it was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum, BBC and 14-18NOW which are ALL UK organizations. This documentary is focused on the British Army frontline infantry. What they go through is what any infantry unit went through no matter the nationality. I am mystified how anyone could think war is glorious after watching it.
 
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snoopy

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We saw the Oscar animated shorts tonight. Let’s see if I can remember them all

Bao - about a pork bun come to life. (Really about a mother letting go of her son but who doesn’t like a cute pork bun).

Weekend - I think I liked this one the best even though it is bitter sweet. Young boy swings from mom during the week to dad on weekend. It’s animated but takes place in Seattle and location scenes gave a gritty feel to this.

Late afternoon - My bf’s favorite was this one about the lady with dementia. It was very sweet as she remembers pieces of her life during tea time.

The animal therapy group - name is escaping me. This one has the most dialogue. It was well done but not one of my top picks.

One small step. Young girl inspired by her father becomes astronaut.

3 of the 5 had Asian influences though most are us films.

They also showed a runner up from Russia - tweet tweet. So creative with a woman walking a tightrope symbolizing her life passing with a bird by her side.

I am usually not a short girl but I was glad I saw these. There was a sense of naïveté to all of them despite some deeper subjects.
 

Vash01

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All three short film categories are running at the theater in Scottsdale. I plan to see at least one set of those. Animated films are always at the bottom for me, so I am likely to see the short documentaries next week.

ETA - Just discovered they are running until this Tuesday, so I can see just one. Don’t want to drive to Scottsdale more than once in a week.
 
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Japanfan

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I watched '45 Years' (2015) last night. It was good, as I expected it to be. Excellent acting from Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay.

But, I'm glad I did not see it in the theater.

Much as I like the big screen, I am quite selective about which films I see in the theater, given the expense ($13.00 per person versus $5.00 to view a film at home) and the logistics (having to drive and find/pay for parking, or take transit, versus just relaxing on the couch with a glass of wine and snacks.
 

annie720

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Watched Blackkklansman last night and enjoyed it more than expected. Really liked Adam Driver. The final scene was unexpected for me and was a bit of a jolt. Still have to see Roma and Black Panther.
 

Kasey

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After all the hype about it, Black Panther is a bit of a disappointment to me. I love Chadwick Boseman, Daniel Kalyuua and Forrest Whittaker as actors, and they were of course wonderful in this. Loved T'challa's little sister (can't remember her name, but I like sassy). But the movie feels "been there, done that" and is just too predictable and formulaic for me. Like, I could see what time we are at in the movie, and know, "oh this will happen now to set up the inevitable showdown 10 minutes before the end" and things like that. I get that it is deeper, and has a deeper message, and is not just some superhero movie. But still....a bit of a let down.
 

Aussie Willy

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I saw Glass on the weekend. Don't know what to think. I kind of had the same feelings that I did years ago when I saw Unbreakable which I hated but I can't say I hated Glass as much. However I think James Macavoy was brilliant and was the best thing about it so it got points there.

ETA - Today I saw "On the basis of sex" about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It was quite enjoyable with a very fascinating and culturally relevant subject matter.
 
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Vash01

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I saw 'Bohemian Rhapsody' today for the third time. I really enjoyed it. The theater was full and the audience was fully engaged. I find it ourageous that critics are calling this a bad movie and that terrible bore 'Roma' a great movie. These days a B&W movie guarantees an Oscar nomination. Too bad there were two B&W movies this year, so one of them cannot win but Coldwar is a better movie than Roma.
 

VGThuy

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I wish you would stop ragging on Roma. We get it as you wrote about it like 10 times. You didn't enjoy it, but obviously many people did and many outside of this forum have been analyzing the qualities of the movie so they see real merit in the film as a piece of art.
 

Vash01

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I wish you would stop ragging on Roma. We get it as you wrote about it like 10 times. You didn't enjoy it, but obviously many people did and many outside of this forum have been analyzing the qualities of the movie so they see real merit in the film as a piece of art.

Thats just your opinion. So explain what is so great about it. I have my opinion and I can compare movies when I want to.
 
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Aussie Willy

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Not sure if anyone else has seen At Eternity's Gate. I saw it last night.

I kind of felt like it was a student film, there seemed to be so many close ups and held hand camera stuff in it. I will say Willem Dafoe's performance is very good as Van Gogh and I really liked how they talked about his need to paint and also showed him creating the works. I did find myself nodding off a bit and someone else in the cinema was snoring quite loudly which you could hear people snickering about. So okay. Not a groundbreaker and some might find it a bit boring.
 

Japanfan

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Thats just your opinion. So explain what is so great about it. I have my opinion and I can compare movies when I want to.

I would like to hear your opinion also, @VIETgrlTerifa.

Friends who saw it said it was wonderful. I didn't get to see because it was sold out the day I went, which the last day it was being shown here. I am so disappointed and hope it may be available On Demand on TV. But it may not be, as it was shown on Nexflix, and Netflix may have the rights to it.
 

Vash01

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Not sure if anyone else has seen At Eternity's Gate. I saw it last night.

I kind of felt like it was a student film, there seemed to be so many close ups and held hand camera stuff in it. I will say Willem Dafoe's performance is very good as Van Gogh and I really liked how they talked about his need to paint and also showed him creating the works. I did find myself nodding off a bit and someone else in the cinema was snoring quite loudly which you could hear people snickering about. So okay. Not a groundbreaker and some might find it a bit boring.

It is on my ‘to see’ list, but after reading this, may be not. I was hopin* to at least see a lot of his paintings in it.
 

snoopy

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Kirk Douglas played Van Gogh in an old 50s film. I’d recommend that one if you ever see it flipping around AMC. Plus the director went for a color scheme similar to his sunflower paintings.
 

Aussie Willy

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cocotaffy

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Yesterday, I watched Life itself with Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde. Oh my .... I didn't know what to expect at all, maybe it would have helped. Maybe I needed to be in a certain mood, like a very over melodramatic one bordering cheesy/pretentious :shuffle: (And I am a lover of really cheesy romantic stuff too so...) Still, out of this mess, I discovered a great Antonio Banderas who saved this overwrought disaster for me. When he appeared, I took notice and started to be more into it but then the movie keeps on hammering you with the truth of life as subtly as a Candeloro on ice.
I was actually going to watch Roma but there has been so much talks about it being boring on this forum, I keep postponing but now after watching this, it can only be an upgrade.
 

VALuvsMKwan

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Kirk Douglas played Van Gogh in an old 50s film. I’d recommend that one if you ever see it flipping around AMC. Plus the director went for a color scheme similar to his sunflower paintings.
Depending on where you live and your channel availability, you would be more likely to find Lust for Life, the Vincente Minnelli-directed film starring Kirk Douglas, on Turner Classic Movies/TCM.
 

Vash01

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I watched ‘Unbreakable’ last night. Interesting start and ending, but the inbetweens were not great, or maybe I was too tired to see the details. I liked the relationships between David (Bruce Willis), his wife, and his son. Samuel L. Jackson was appropriately weird and scary.

I think M. Nightshyamalan may have appeared in one scene, where David suspects a man in a jacket (M.Night) and asks to search him. He does not find a gun on him and lets him leave.

I am getting ‘Split’ tomorrow from Netflix. After watching it I will be ready to see Glass. I don’t always like his movies (Loved Sixth Sense though) but I always appreciate the creativity.
 
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Vash01

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Yesterday, I watched Life itself with Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde. Oh my .... I didn't know what to expect at all, maybe it would have helped. Maybe I needed to be in a certain mood, like a very over melodramatic one bordering cheesy/pretentious :shuffle: (And I am a lover of really cheesy romantic stuff too so...) Still, out of this mess, I discovered a great Antonio Banderas who saved this overwrought disaster for me. When he appeared, I took notice and started to be more into it but then the movie keeps on hammering you with the truth of life as subtly as a Candeloro on ice.
I was actually going to watch Roma but there has been so much talks about it being boring on this forum, I keep postponing but now after watching this, it can only be an upgrade.

I love Antonio Banderas. I wish he appeared in more movies.

A certain poster has told me not to post about Roma. Since she is not an admin, I am going to defy her order.

Before I saw Roma, I had read several reviews of it on imdb. There were many 10’s (gushing) and many 1’s (boring). So I was prepared for the slow pace. Normally I would have had a much stronger reaction to it. It ‘exceeded my expectations’ in slow pace - it was practically static. I was less bothered by boredom (I was prepared for it, and now you are too) than by its technical flaws (e.g. screenplay- half the movie is just an intro to the characters and their surroundings, the naked man practicing martial arts, which seemed like an unnecessary thing- trying to create a sensation- the unrealistic entry into the ocean by someone who does not know swimming)

The second half (after about one hour of static/slow pace) was much better and interesting, and the ending was good, but nothing close to gushing. That’s how it went for me. You could find it anywhere from 1 to 10 ( I actually gave it 7 or 8 I think, but only because the story picked up later, and because of the beautiful cinematography). We all see things differently.
 
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