I finally got around to watching Sound of Freedom. A really powerful movie. I highly recommend it.
Critics didn’t like it but audiences did. That’s all you need to know it’s worth a watch. Those are always movies I enjoy if the critics hated it but audiences enjoyed it.
Not all the negative critics, but I’m sure some didn’t like it due to biases and political agendas.
I used to be a real critic snob… only going to movies deemed “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes… but lately more and more, I’m looking at audience scores.
There’s a lot of wheeling and dealing with critics getting special access if they’re more favorable to certain films. When I kept seeing the most formulaic Disney/MCU garbage still get over 60% “fresh” on RT, I knew it was time to start looking at other metrics like audience scores and IMDB aggregate ratings.
Sounds pretty wacky tbh.
Some 2023 releases. I just realised that these are all LGBTQ+ themed.
I don’t even like the Spielberg 1985 version, but everything about that version is twice as good as this version. It’s a by-the-number remake of that version in terms of writing so there’s almost nothing original here, yet it also tries to levitate it by using upbeat musical and dance numbers. The stylistic choice completely strips off the brutality and terror Celie faces in the original Spielberg version, which is what makes that version impactful. The cast, the music, the overly sanitised set design - nothing really works here. No wonder it flopped at the box office.
What a nothing movie. With other mediocre biopics like Hidden Figures or Nyad there’s at least some pay-off in the final act, this doesn’t even have that. Just a super bland recount about the organisational effort of a protest. 106 mins of “so what”.
Never heard of the comic book. Fairly predictable plot, but the excellent animation, character design (esp. Ballister), and the organic, normal central gay relationship set it apart.
One of my most anticipated of the year and it didn’t disappoint. With such a subject matter (sad lonely gai man reconneting with parents … 's ghosts) it could have easily gone off the rail into exploitative and unwatchable territory, but Andrew Haigh and his actors managed to orchestrate a raw, honest, searing elegy with the right mixture of whimsy and artlessness. I do wish it had a happier ending, but ultimately everything - from the cast to the music to the cinematography to the writing - works beautifully here.
It would definitely resonate more with gay people who have parents … so basically all gay people, but you probably shouldn’t watch it with your parents because there are some pretty elaborate sex scenes in it where Paul Mescal licks the cum off Andrew Scott’s body. Yum.
And one not from 2023. …
It’s very American Beauty, except Jackie Earle Haley (the pedophile) raises the stakes much higher in this film. I generally like Kate Winslet and she’s also really good here, but her relationship with Patrick Wilson here is so bland that it really undercuts the impact of the film. Wilson’s bare ass is glorious though.
Watch the movie yourself. I find it weird that it’s being labeled a Christian movie because of 1 line of the main character saying Gods children are not for sale. He doesn’t reference god besides literally 1 line. There’s more references to god in other mainstream movies by characters that no one would label a Christian movie.
And there’s no conspiracies. It’s just a story about finding kids being trafficked in South America. It’s pretty apolitical for a movie in 2023.
I find it also weird that the article criticizes the movie for not being 100% accurate. I thought the average person understands based on a true story does not mean it’s going to be 100% accurate and it’s going to be dramatized for a movie. I find that a really silly thing to not like a movie for as it’s the same for any other based on a true story movie.
I think now I understand why critics didn’t like it if they went in with these wacky ideas.
It’s being labeled as a Christian movie because the distributor is a Christian studio, and the lead, Jim Caviezel, is a Catholic freak and a QAnon conspiracy theorist.
As I’ve said. There’s literally 1 line about god the entire movie and there’s no conspiracies.
If you want to criticize the people making it, fine. But the movie itself has nothing to do with it as I’ve said.
I figured I’d give it a go as the book was so good.
It is not any good at all. It’s stiff and two dimensional.
Di Nero is simply awful.
Damn. We want to watch it, but the rental fee on YouTube is nearly $400 for 47 hours. A price we just won’t enable. The story seems like a good one. Suppose will wait for normal rental fees to give it a go. A couple friends have mentioned it was OK. Not bad, not amazing.
DiCaprio is worse.
It’s available on some streaming site. Easy to find if that doesn’t bother you.
I gave it a 4/10.
Equalizer 3. Great to see Dakota Fanning with Dezel. Fun movie.
Is it too late to just have watched La La Land for the first time?
Couldn’t talk then girlfriend into watching it. Couldn’t get her to watch it on Netflix a couple years ago. Just decided it watch it while the kid is sleeping, in 30 minute chunks per day. Can’t get the movie out of my head now.
Any that don’t require a subscription?
Looking at the reviews more, I think I will wait for the taiwwnaese HBO edited version free on someone else’s TV haha. Sounds like a bombshell.
It’s fun
Having lived in the greater LA area for a couple of years, it was all very nostalgic for me. Went on dates to several locations in the movie. Although what I loved the most about the movie is Emma Stone’s acting.
She is a riot and good in nearly everything she does.
Watched about half an hour. I like it so far. But, my subtitles were hit and miss and with all the Injun going on I need to find better subtitles before I continue. The movie takes like 3 hours or so I think? It will be 5-6 sittings to finish it anyway.
I watched Rebel Moon on Netflix last night. Wasn’t very good and I like sci fi. The main antagonist carried the film with his acting thought. Everyone else sucked.
And I have an issue with movies that don’t know how to do fight choreography for females. Kill Bill is an example of it done at the highest level. But in Rebel moon the female protagonists had some ridiculously slow movements they didnt know how to train them or something
Dune II will open by February 26 in Taiwan. They are showing Dune I on IMAX in the local theater, to refresh out memories.
