movies What's the last film you watched? And rate it!

The Marrying Kind directed by George Cukor - 8/10
This is the third film I've seen for my course on marriage films and so far it is the best I've seen, in fact I'd say its one of the more underrated films I've seen. I really like the use of flashback here, the fact that scenes are often done in one shot (or a few more), and the overall directing. There is also a nice surrealist nightmare in the film. Overall this is one of those films where it's just masterful directing but the script could've been better even though it does a good job at exploring marriage for the most part. Some stronger writing could've made this into a masterpiece though!

Amblin' directed by Steven Spielberg - 3/10
Fortunately I wasn't the guy that made the decision whether to hire Spielberg or not because this early work really disappointed me and I didn't see any real potential. It's not even so much that it's bad but that it's too long for its own good. The concept and execution itself is pretty good as a nice little psychedelic romance but five minutes or even ten would've sufficed for a decent film, but this drags on for twenty minutes without many interesting ideas. There is some pretty good cinematography and I like the music a bit but this movie just didn't engage me at all.

Chinatown directed by Roman Polanski - 10/10
Wow! This is one of the few films that completely changed my opinion throughout the course of the film. The beginning of the film, while good was just too confusing for me and I had trouble keeping up. I was slightly disappointed at first but as the film's events unfold and as the mysteries become clear both to us and the protagonist then I fell in love more and more with the film. In fact, what I once saw as a flaw turned out to be masterful storytelling because I really felt like I was in the shoes of the protagonist. The overall filmmaking here is masterful as well so no complaints from me. I really loved the ending (the whole third act really) and I think it's one of the greatest I've ever seen. Even though I love this movie, I have to say that I prefer the original film noirs such as The Maltese Falcon. Still this movie is a masterpiece and I hope to see it again sometime without the expectations I had coming in during this first viewing.
 
Lovable You directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien - 6/10
This early Hou Hsiao-hsien film is a nice light romance film that shows a bit of his artistry. I was surprised to see a lot of those long takes and stacking of faces in this film, but this film is mostly disposable apart from some nice charms. I like the catchy songs in the film and some of the moments in the film are funny and quirky, and some of the lines were memorable. There was also this strange surrealistic gun duel randomly thrown in, I actually liked it though. Still the plot is very thin, the characters are not very interesting, some of the stereotypes used were annoying too. Also the whole film's plot and conflict become inconsequential at the ending as well. Still the film has its charms and it shows some early signs of film talent, but I just feel that this film could've actually been really good as a musical. Overall, I can only recommend this to Hou Hsiao-hsien fans who want to see his work, though the film is mildly entertaining for the most part. Anyone who likes going through directors filmographies in order should still skip these early films and start by watching The Boys From Fengkuei which is Hou's first mature film (and a masterpiece in my opinion).
 
Adam's Rib directed by George Cukor - 9/10
This is the fourth marriage film I'm watching for the course and I'm a bit surprised because I don't find it to be a marriage film. It's a very good 'battle of the sexes' romantic comedy/court drama starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, and I'm actually surprised by how serious the film is. I have now accepted that George Cukor is a subtle master of cinema with his use of long take, his simple yet effective staging, and his mastery of storytelling through the medium. I love this film for the most part but it lacks something so I can't call it a masterpiece. The ending is surprisingly weak compared to the rest of the film unfortunately. This film is very interesting for the way it portrays females all the way back in 1949 with a strong feminist message (and a weaker reactionary one is hinted too!).
 
The Girl In The Rumor directed by Mikio Naruse - 7/10
I finally finished watching all of Naruse's films released in 1935! Wow that guy was super productive lol. This is not a proper evaluation since the subtitles stopped working like 20 minutes in so it was hard to follow the story. The visuals are surprisingly not as good as other Naruse films of the period, they're good but not great. While the subtitles were working I really got into the story, so I'm going to re-watch this one later on with better subtitle work (and video quality). I expect it to be an 8/10 movie for me, but hopefully it's even better.

Tochuken Kumoemon directed by Mikio Naruse - 7/10
This is a pretty good melodrama but it lacks the visual strength of some of Naruse's other films. I was very engaged in the story but I just felt like the protagonist had no redeemable qualities whatsoever, so the film loses some of its strength. One thing I really liked was the set designs (I love the house in the film) as well as the use of cross dissolves. The film is good but not great. The ending is wonderfully pessimistic though, its not one of the strongest endings I've seen but it's very good.

The Big Heat directed by Johnnie To, Tsui Hark, and Yeung Wah - 4/10
This was a pretty disappointing film because of the wonderful directing and acting talent involved. There are some nice visuals that are common to To's films but the storytelling here is too sloppy. Some of the action is very good, and there are a few memorable scenes but there are no characters I care about and the plot is very mediocre. This feels like a third-rate John Woo film, but even a film like that (Just Heroes) has some decent storytelling. This is one of the few films that I'd suggest just watching the action sequences because some of them have wonderfully over-the-top kills that are always fun to watch!
 
Her directed by Spike Jonze - 8/10
This was a very good film but it was somewhat underwhelming. The beginning of the film is just perfect but then it starts losing some of its power for me. I didn't like the ending. I loved the overall aesthetic of the film, the themes, and it was mostly executed well but I felt it lacked something.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 directed by Marc Webb - 6/10
I saw this in the theaters in 3D and I have to say it was enjoyable though it is a flawed film. I was surprised to find out this film is about 2 and a half hours because it never felt too long IMO so that's a plus. I feel like the villains were underdeveloped and the sub-plot about Peter's parents could've been handled better. In fact my favorite parts of the film were the melodrama between Peter and Gwen Stacy. I feel like the ending added some unnecessary parts such as
introducing Rhino after Gwen dies, it should've ended with Gwen's speech or her death!
. The acting was surprisingly pretty good, I loved the chemistry between Spidey and Gwen Stacy. The actor for Harry was laughably bad though, most of the time when he was on screen I was laughing (at things that I think were unintentionally funny). This is a blockbuster and the storytelling shows it, its very conventional filmmaking which has now gone into the form of hyper continuity editing (which many might know that I hate these fast cuts!). So stylistically the film is not for me, although I loved this one shot where everything froze and the camera moved in order to convey information before Spidey continued his action, that was pretty cool. This is fun cinema but it has some pretty major flaws that keep it from being one of my favorite blockbusters let alone one of my favorite movies. In fact I prefer the first two Spider-Man films from Raimi's series (the third was very annoying for me though).
 
The Machine. A good little sci fi. Could've had a larger budget. But they done good with what they had, looks like. B+

Good call casting Caity Lotz. I was tooting her horn after I saw The Pact. Good to see her again, and in a pretty cool little film, not to mention, I think, my favorite genre.
 
The Road I Travel With You directed by Mikio Naruse - 6/10
A weaker early Naruse film. Unfortunately it lacks great visuals or scenes. It does have some great characters (the brother relationship is great!) but there are also underdeveloped characters. I love Naruse's pessimistic expression in this film, but I find most of the film to be too dialogue-heavy, and the story is not very powerful. Worth watching for those interested in classic Japanese cinema, but start with another Naruse or another masterpiece by Ozu, Mizoguchi, or Kurosawa (he's the most accessible I think).
 
As Tears Go By directed by Wong Kar Wai - 7/10
This was a very underwhelming film by one of my favorite directors. I like Andy Lau and Maggie Cheung, but this film doesn't have the incredible romanticism and impeccable filmmaking of Wong's other work. The film is essentially a more artistic version of the typical Hong Kong film (I think comparing this film to another film starring Andy Lau, A Moment Of Romance is particularly revealing). The film is also more melodramatic than Wong's other films, and in this case I feel like the melodrama isn't done particularly well. Still the overall film is enjoyable, and there are at least two brilliant sequences (the Take My Breath Away sequence and Maggie Cheung's letter sequence). There are also some more brilliant images. I also like the way Wong films tight apartment spaces and the way he uses color as well. The music is good too though not as amazing as in other Wong films. Also as a Wong Kar Wai film it is still romantically made and I love that feeling even though it's less present here than in his other films. It is also interesting to note the influence of John Woo on the violence in this film, while superficially they are similar in the way they use slow motion and graphic violence, in Woo's films it is used to become beautiful like a dance sequence, while in this film the same techniques are used to show the ugly brutality of the violence. The beginning is a great set-up as well, and the cinematography is very good too. I think the major flaw in the film is the lack of strongly developed characters that I care for. The melodrama in the film is also not handled very well. This is an interesting film to watch for Wong Kar Wai fans, Maggie Cheung fans, Andy Lau fans, or Hong Kong cinema fans in general but anyone else should start elsewhere (In The Mood For Love is my favorite of Wong's films, Happy Together is also a masterpiece.)
 
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He Was a Quiet Man 8/10

One of the better films I've seen in a while. Fantastic story, with a lot of surreal/subtle details that make for an incredibly dreamy and off-kilter mood. I loved the oddness of the overall film, and it's decision to never pick a genre. It's a drama, a thriller, a horror, a romance, a comedy, a romantic comedy, etc. It's all over the place, with some unique VFX and interesting visuals. The acting in the film is fantastic, especially from Slater. Not to mention the bizarre and abrupt yet skillfully done ending, making it one of the only true mind-benders I've seen in a while. It's heartbreaking, suspenseful, funny, and difficult to quite describe and put your finger on.
 
The Flower Girl directed by Choe Ik-kyu and Pak Hak; written by "Kim Il-sung" - 1/10
This is simply one of the worst cinematic experiences I've had in my life. Not because it is propaganda (give me Chinese 30's & 40's propaganda, World War II propaganda, and Soviet propaganda any day!) but because it has some of the most unimaginative filmmaking and storytelling I have ever witnessed. The entire film is simply a girl's family going through more and more tragic events. In this film God cannot be trusted, family cannot be trusted, the bourgeois cannot be trusted, the government cannot be trusted, and nothing can be accomplished until Kim Il-sung's revolution. Not only is this message unbelievably stupid and idiotic, but I don't usually judge films by their message but by their filmmaking. The film has the bad side of longer takes, while I always admire films that use longer takes, this one does not do anything unique with the staging, set design, visual composition, or even acting so it's just boring in this case. Also once again, there is no real story, nor is there any interesting characters whatsoever. Even the good things in this film are underwhelming such as some pretty images (but nowadays anybody can take a few pretty meaningless images) and the song sequences (well I only really liked one of them). This is such a disappointment as I had hoped to enjoy North Korean cinema, I won't give up on it just yet, I'll try watching different works. This film though, only has historical value and it has value so that we can understand part of how North Korea brainwashes its population.
 
The Mission directed by Johnnie To - 10/10
Wow, this is a true gangster film masterpiece! The filmmaking in this film is impeccable and the cinematography is truly amazing. Although the story was difficult to follow at first (I guess cause I kind of assumed there would be a story) the film reveals itself to be a masterpiece in creating memorable scenes, and simple yet interesting characters. A lot of people hate the music To uses in his films, but I think they're just plain wrong. The music in this film is badass especially the theme song. Every character in this film is just badass, especially Anthony Wong's character. The action scenes are also amazing, they are so different from John Woo's action scenes but they are equally brilliant. I'd place this film as one of my favorite Hong Kong films and one of my favorite action films, it is just very artistically and thoughtfully made. I'd describe this film as kinetic, and no it's not always moving at a fast pace but it always feels like its moving due to its pacing, the moving camera, even the creative use of wipes adds to the kinetic feeling, this is just pure cinema with awesome rhythm to it. I think this is one of cinema's truly underrated gems.
 
Brief Encounter directed by David Lean; written by Noel Coward - 10/10
This entire film is brilliant because it is just great subtle storytelling. The film is about an affair yet it is never moralistic nor does it ever get too sentimental. The film seems like a precursor to two of my favorite films: China's Spring In A Small Town and Hong Kong's In The Mood For Love which also dealt with marital affairs. I love the great cinematography in this film, the dialogue which is just perfect, the unsentimental (but emotional) realistic relationship, and the wonderful voiceover work which elevates the film to masterpiece status. This is a masterpiece, but I do prefer the films that followed it (the two I mentioned previously).
 
Shanghai Blues directed by Tsui Hark - 9/10
This was a surprisingly awesome film. What makes this film stand out is that it feels just like a classic 30's Shanghai film with its strange mix of comedy, romance, and drama. And the film does this in unique ways, for example this film is a masterpiece at using staging to intensify drama, create comedy, build suspense, and move the story forward at the same time. Some of the scenes in the film are poetic as well. Surprisingly I loved Kenny Bee and Sally Yeh in this film (I don't really like them as actors), I think they are more suited to these exaggerated roles. The film does have its flaws but I think the film brings its colorful story to life really well. I think low-budget filmmakers should watch these Hong Kong films to see how to tell entertaining stories through subtle filmmaking techniques.
 
Wee Willie Winkie directed by John Ford; starring Shirley Temple - 7/10
This is definitely a minor John Ford film but it has some very good scenes and Shirley Temple is so charming that I'll give it a 7 instead of a 6. The film kind of lacks focuses with so many different little sub-plots going on, but the best parts are with Shirley trying to become a soldier thanks to her friend Sgt. McDuff (whose friendship provides the most emotional scenes of the film). This is a must-watch for Shirley Temple fans and for those who want to see Ford's entire filmography but it is pretty unessential for others.
 
Saw this two days ago I forgot to post about it.

Hana And Alice directed by Shunji Iwai - a weak 8/10
Eh I'm starting to have more and more mixed feelings about Shunji Iwai. This is a very sweet film and it's a nice film about being a teenager and love triangles and the fleeting nature of romantic feelings, but the film's plot is too absurd. Iwai's feature debut Love Letter was similar with a very unrealistic plot but it didn't try to hide its heart with experimental film techniques. Iwai has always been half sentimentalism and half experimentation for me but he rarely mixed them as much as he has with Hana And Alice. The result is interesting but some flat characterization (of the male character), overly sentimental music, and the length of the film harm this film a lot. So far this is my least favorite Shunji Iwai film but it's still very good, it's very charming, it has the magnificent Yu Aoi, and its heart is in the right place (the best scenes hit all the right emotional notes for this teenager).
 
The Big Lebowski directed by The Coen Brothers - 8/10
I really like aspects of this film, and it really is a strange unique experience. I found a lot of the film to be funny, I thought that the Dude and his friends were fascinating characters. I love the laidback tone of the film which feels a lot like just chilling, even with the crazy plot. This is just a very absurd film. However, I don't find the film to be a masterpiece at all, it's just a fun film to watch with interesting characters. Sometimes the film can be a little bit too quirky for me, and to be honest I don't see how this can be seen as a masterpiece when Takeshi Kitano's early work is pretty much just as absurd and also well-made. Still awesome dialogue and characters made this a really fun film to watch :)
 
A Town Of Love And Hope directed by Nagisa Ōshima - 7/10
I was kind of disappointed by this early Japanese New Wave film. The film's social realism and message is mostly good but I never felt too connected with any of the characters nor were there any really good scenes. There is some good artistry here but I just feel like the overall film could've been a lot better. I very much prefer Ōshima's short film debut Tomorrow's Sun. I'll keep going through Ōshima's filmography though because he seems like a really talented director.
 
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