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Damien Chazelle is coming off a hot run of films. Whiplash is a masterpiece along with Oscar winning one, La La Land a Oscar Winner and First Man which was received well. Add in Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, set in Hollywood in 20's and 30's along been a 3 hour epic, it can't miss.
I loved the film, I think it's better then the critics and audience scores give it. But it's not a film for the masses, it's a cult film really. It's amazing that Chazelle even got this made to be honest even with Pitt and Robbie as leads. It will have it's fans and many in years to come will have it as one of the best films of the last few years, even now you see a lot of defenders for the film coming out. But it also will have detractors who think it's a piece of crap.
I'm surprised Robbie's performance, the score and Cinematography didn't get at least some award buzz. It was never going to be a multi award nominated film, it's way too flawed (especially in it's last 1 hour 30 mins) and just not a film that feels like a Academy Award winner. It was never going to be a big box office hit, as I said I loved it but looking it at it especially with it's debauch side (again how Chazelle got this made is amazing) and downbeat second half it just wasn't ever going to do big numbers.
I think it's a film that will have it's fans and supporters and will probably end up on Criterion Collection in a decade's time.
It's more a producer/Studio exec who has his fingers in all different pies then director. A bit like Nellie (Margot Robbie), Manny is in the right place at the right time. He definitely works his ass off as you see for the first hour of the film. Especially helping get the camera for the last shot of the film Brad Pitt's character was filming. He also hit it big thanks to teaming up with Sidney Palmer the black trumpet player and making successful short films with him (something the film definitely struck out on was not building up that relationship/friendship a lot more when it eventually breaks down, doesn't have the impact it should)
Definitely a better film that it's RT critic and audience score will have you believe. It's not perfect and as you said it's not for everyone, it's basically a cult film shot on a big budget. Amazing that Chazelle even got this made.
The first 90 minutes of this film are excellent and some of the best filmmaking of 2022. Once it kicks into sound era of Hollywood and it get's a little darker, the flaws start to show more and the film could have done with some editing during that part of the film. But any film that in it's first 20 minutes has a elephant shit on a man, a golden shower and a midget jerking off a massive fake cock deserves praise just for having the balls to do it.
Margot Robbie is excellent in it, and should have got some award buzz for it. She's heartbreaking but also you see the ending for her character coming a mile away. Brad Pitt is great too. Everyone is pretty great in the film. The acting, cinematography, soundtrack and editing are all great. As I said the first 90 minutes are fantastic, if the second half of the film kept to that level it be one of best films of the last 23 years imo.
But you can see why this film died a death at box office. This film isn't for the masses, it's a cult film and flaws and all I loved it.
Great film, I love these type of films where nothing major really happens and just likeable but flawed small group of characters hang out and talk and make each other better (or in this film walk).
I think the film really picks up once Martin Sheen's character picks up his little crew of Sarah, Jack and Joost. Then for me the film really gets to great levels. Martin Sheen is excellent in this as are the other actors in it. It's a film that really just slip by the radar when released in 2010, it's picked up a cult following since (7.3 rating on IMDB is impressive) and it's Emilio Estevez's best film as a director/writer. Got a nice soundtrack too. Some of the cinematography is stunning too.
Apart form the pretentious fourth wall breaking stuff with Niamh Algar, the film is a solid watch probably elevated by Pugh's great performance and young Kila Lord Cassidy delivering a great debut performance. It's not a great film by any standards but it's worth a watch for those two performances.
I wasn't a fan of the fourth wall breaking with Niamh Alger playing herself (she was wasted in the film too). It came off really pretentious to me. The film didn't need it and it took me out of it. Shame really as Florence Pugh is great in it, and young Kila Lord Cassidy (must be cool to act with her own mum Elaine Cassidy in the film) held her own with Pugh. Has a bright career for herself.
She studied in a English speaking school in Sweden when she was younger and her mum is English. Plus she's lived in England since marrying her husband since the mid 10's. So that probably is the reason why she doesn't sound very Swedish.
I don't know, I think she'll probably end up a strong supporting actress like she's done in M:I Franchise and Dune. In terms of a leading actress maybe on TV shows like she's doing with Silo but I don't see her been a leading actress in big Hollywood films maybe in indie or art house films, if it was going to happen it would have done after her first Mission Impossible film. That should have been a star making turn for her.
She's not got the star looks like most actresses but I think for someone like her it will come in handy that she's not overly depended on her beauty.
Agreed, a big step up from the first film which was great. Andy Serkis's Caesar Trilogy are all great and Serkis's Caesar is iconic good guy. You can see why many were calling for him to get a Best Actor nod for his performance. Second one is really The Dark Knight/Empire Strikes Back of the series. Great Villain in Koba and the final fight scene atop of the building is epic.
War for the Planet of the Apes is also fantastic and great ending for Caesar. Looking forward to Cornelius era films coming up, going to be hard to top Andy Serkis in his role though.
You could understand why he didn't trust humans but once he started to kill his fellow apes you knew he went to far. Toby Kebbell went all 80's and early 90's Gary Oldman with his performance. Excellent Villain.
The film is awesome up until the ending, it felt so out of place really. I rather have had Raphina just leaving Connor at the end and going off to live her dream in London while Connor and the lads continuing on with the band. Then skip a few years with Connor and the band now a successful act, and he meets up with Raphina again.
The whole sailing during a storm just felt so out of place.
I thought she was fine, Knightley is a weird one to me she's not got the depth to her like her fellow British actresses like Florence Pugh or Carey Mulligan (both I would have loved to see in this part if they made it now as both are great singers). She's a little too cold for this. I think you can feel the tension on screen between her and director Carney that went on behind the scenes.
But it wasn't a romantic film to begin with, even after watching it the first time in the cinema I never got the idea it was ever going to end up been a romance. They could have done it that way and got a actor slightly younger then Ruffalo (younger women do fall in love with older men, I know some don't like hearing that) and not giving him a wife or kid or at least had a younger kid and his wife wasn't on the scene. But it wouldn't have been as good if they did that though.
Ruffalo's character is still very much in love with his wife, and I liked that it was her who cheated on him and not the other way around. Knightley character still has feelings for her ex. I can see why some see this as a double for Once as it's about two broken characters redeem the other person with their love of music. They are good friends and like been around one another.
I like the ending it felt right for this film and I like the little credit scene with them selling the music online.
No I think it's weakest of Carney's Music films, although that doesn't mean it's bad. I just don't think it packs punch or the heart of the two films either side of it. Once and Sing Street are just stronger films imo. There's a reason those two films have Broadway musicals done for them and still talked about today for a reason.
I like Begin Again, I like Gregg Alexander's music and it has one of Knightley few good performances since Atonement and Mark Ruffalo is likeable. It just doesn't have that bit of magic to it that Carney's Irish based music films have, maybe it's star studded cast doesn't help it in a way. Having a more unknown cast might have helped it.
It's still a very good film though.
It's not a romantic relationship though, he's still in love with his wife and her with her ex. It's a friendship thing, they help get each other out of the rut their lives are in.
Also remember a lot of older people and younger people do fall in love, you need to get out of this mindset Hollywood set of it just been pretty young people getting together. Life ain't like that.
She's best thing in Women Talking, and that's saying something as everyone was great in that.
She was great in BBC version of War and Peace, if you haven't seen that. Along with Paul Dano, she's best thing in it. She's amazing in Wild Rose and can sing her heart out (her album with ex Suede Guitarist Bernard Butler is great too). Also the best thing in her debut film Beast. Even in so-so films like Misbehaviour she is great and films that will split opinion like I'm thinking of ending Things and Men, her performances are best thing in them. She's best thing in The Lost Daughter too and got a Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nod for it.
I love to see a top director give her a leading role in a great film, as I think she's just missing that break out role and film that she carries by herself. She's one of best actors out there no matter the gender is always great.
Channing Tatum and Downey Jr were the strongest performances. I liked Martin Compston to he struggled for a while after his excellent debut in Sweet Sixteen but recently found his way in TV as a strong TV actor. I thought LeBeouf was good too.
This is the first film to show Tatum was more then just a pretty boy actor. He's the best thing in it. Downey Jr elevates any film he's in.
I have issues with the film (the pacing is a little all over the place and Rosario Dawson is way too young for her role). Dito Montiel's best effort as a director especially seen as it's a film that's based on his life. Not the best of these type of films really about growing up in New York but solid effort.
I also say Cillian is the Mads Mikkelsen of Irish Cinema. I would have said recently that the best films to see his acting at his very best would be his non Hollywood films but Oppenheimer at last gave him a role to show his top notch acting ability on a bigger stage.
I do a top 3 best roles and top 3 underrated ones for people to go out and check his work out
1. Peaky Blinders (yep it's a TV show. But there's a reason why it's so popular, and it's Cillian's performance)
2. Oppenheimer (should be getting a Best Actor Oscar Nod for this performance. Even winning it)
3. The Wind that Shakes the Barley (great film and great performance from Cillian)
Underrated
1. Breakfast on Pluto (great performance as a transgender Woman Kitty, in Neil Jordan's underrated gem of a film)
2. Disco Pigs (the role that put him on the map, excellent performance from Cillian and a must watch for any fan of his)
3. On The Edge (another early Irish film role, I love this film but barely anyone has seen it. Cillian is great in it)
Many supposedly did during the Irish Civil War (although I hear it was mostly close friends who fought shoulder to shoulder during the War of Independence and) even if it hurt them do so and probably haunted them for the rest of their lives. I can't imagine how it wouldn't.
I think that's what makes the film so tragic is, Damien in his letter tells Sinead to take care of Teddy as he's died a little inside and he still worries and loves his brother. But you can't blame Sinead either for her reaction to Teddy, and not wanting to see him ever again even if we saw Teddy tried everything he could not to do what he did and that he's a broken man himself from watching his own brother been shot. It's a terribly sad ending as Damien's death has lead to two people's lives been broken probably forever.
The ending scene to me. It was a perfect ending to this film, one of the saddest I've seen. Teddy is forever going to be haunted by what he did, he didn't pull the trigger and sure he was upset at what he had to do but that's not going to really matter. He'll be known as the man who killed his own brother. Anyone who didn't join Free State Army with him, will disown him even the ones who fought side by side with him agaisnt the British. Especially as Damien was a respected man within the IRA and by people in the town as a doctor. Sinead will never forgive him, he can't be surprised by her reaction and that she never wanted to see him again. To think this probably happened quite a bit during Irish Civil War, with family fighting agaisnt one another and probably killing each other.
Damien consoling Sinead after the Black and Tans attack. Most scenes with Damien/Sinead are quite moving making the ending more powerful for it.