Alex95 Posted June 30, 2023 Author Posted June 30, 2023 13. The Assistant 9.63/13 Directed by Kitty Green Starring Julia Garner, Matthew Macfadyen Drama United States 93% RT / 79 MC / 3.5 LB Watch Trailer @.Rei - 6/13 @Steven_ - 8/13 @NGM - 8/13 @Alex95 - 9/13 @#jeah - 10/13 @~Tom~ - 10/13 @totes4totes - 13/13 @Elliott - 13/13 Rei Quote I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did. Julia's portrayal was brilliant and she was able to hook me on the film from beginning to end, which is not that easy nowadays. Probably one of the films to directly tackle the MeToo movement and while it doesn't feel as fresh now as it probably did at 2019, it still does a perfect depiction into what it still happens. Steven Quote I knew of this movie before, but I didn't know the entire film took place in a single day until I watched it. Julia Garner's performance makes this movie work. It wasn't a fun watch and there were some moments that made you feel bad for her character. Her meeting with the HR guy was frustrating, as well as all the times her boss would berate her. And then she would have to send him an apology email afterwards. I think how realistic this movie is makes it even more unsettling. It's a timely commentary on what happens in workplaces, and overall I think the film was effective in its delivery. Nico Quote The HR complaint part is gonna haunt me for a while ngl Alex Quote MVP: Julia Garner Favorite Scene: Jane reports to HR. This certainly isn't an easy movie to watch, but it is very important and very well done. I think the making the movie so simplistic was the correct choice. Office monotony is boring and harassment usually doesn't lead to some giant screaming match even if that would've been more cinematic. The beauty and pain of this film is just how realistic it is. You could've told me it was a documentary and I would've believed you. The HR scene does add some tension to the film. Watching Jane just get railroaded there was painful to watch. Due to the simple nature of the film it's hard for me to say I was wow'd. But did the movie do its job and was it effective? Absolutely. I look forward to seeing what Kitty Green does next. Andy Quote A little nondescript, but a great performance from Julia Garner and I get what the filmmaker/writer etc was going for here. There just wasn't really any payoff and I kinda left the movie experience a bit...whelmed. Tom Quote Julia Garner slays but I liked the other films more. Megan Quote This movie's run time without credits was just about an 1hr20min. It felt like a three hour movie. And I'm guessing the director/writer/editor Kitty Green would be pleased to hear that. As a part of the conceit was the tedium and suffocation of an office job. Overall I thought the movie was incredibly successful at what it set out to do. And it was certainly timely which gives it greater weight. It made me excited to see more from Kitty Green and lead Julia Garner (though a cursory peak at her IMDB makes me more excited for future roles than really anything else she's been in), but this isn't a movie I think I'll be revisiting. Elliott Quote I found that I actually liked every film that got picked for this round, but this one unfortunately wound up last for me by default. (Well, I couldn't decide between it and the next one, but I own a limited edition Blu-Ray of my #12 so it gets there). Anyway, a film about office life doesn't sound like it'd be good, but the film excelled with its material.
totes4totes Posted June 30, 2023 Posted June 30, 2023 I agree with Elliott that every movie this round was good! I have a feeling we are like all only choosing good movies.
totes4totes Posted June 30, 2023 Posted June 30, 2023 5 hours ago, Elliott said: Everything Everywhere All At Once thank goodness a movie i watched like 5 times in theaters and one more time on my couch so i don't have to rewatch. LOL JK I WILL BE REWATCHING IT
Alex95 Posted June 30, 2023 Author Posted June 30, 2023 (edited) 12. To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar 8.75/13 Directed by Beeban Kidron Starring Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, John Leguizamo, Stockard Channing, Blythe Danner Comedy United States 44% RT / 60 MC / 3.7 LB Watch Trailer @#jeah - 3/13 @Alex95 - 6/13 @Elliott - 7/13 @NGM - 9/13 @.Rei - 10/13 @~Tom~ - 11/13 @totes4totes - 12/13 @Steven_ - 12/13 Andy Quote Lol definitely a more random selection on my part, but I love this movie. I had never even heard of it until a few months ago when my boyfriend showed it to me. Honestly I live, this is camp mixed with heart in the BEST way possible. I never knew I needed a drag version of Patrick Swayze in my life but I am NOT complaining. This movie was clever and campy and honestly had a really beautiful message and delivered it well. Is it cheesy in some ways? Oh absolutely but that is part of the charm! RuPaul playing Rachel Tensions and descending from the ceiling in a Confederate Flag is...well I'm not sure how that scene holds up today lol. I think it's kind of funny though. I don't know if anyone would dare make that joke today, in a political climate much different from the 90s lmaoooo. But it's kind of iconic in the worst and best way! I do kinda wish the drag queens weren't in drag the whole time as it would have given us better insight to their characters but it was still so fun and cute and has a lot of iconic characters in it. Alex Quote MVP: John Leguizamo Favorite Scene: Noxeema confronts the roughnecks in town. My comments from the films per year game are pretty much the same here. Parts of this are groundbreaking and age well. Parts of it...not so much. However, it's a lowstakes fun and enjoyable comedy. I get to turn my brain off and enjoy it. The cast really sells it. They're all fully committed and really elevate a rather basic and predictable story. Elliott Quote Definitely a groundbreaking film when it came out, even if it doesn't quite hold up by today's standards. (Not that I really think that's a fair criticism, but it is what it is.) Anyway, I watched this quite a few times as a child, and while I don't have the same affection for it nowadays, I still find it holds up well enough. Nico Quote This sticks out so much due to being so outrightly a comedy among so many drama films, had a lot of fun watching it! Rei Quote Does it fall a bit on gay stereotypes and cliches? Sure! Has everything from this film aged well?? Not at all. I did however enjoyed the film a lot and was surprised that this came out on 1994. Despite having three super straight men as the leads, I did like how they played their roles and think that they carried the whole film successfuly. I’ve also decided to believe that this is when RuPaul started to create Drag Race Tom Quote I was looking forward to watching this movie but it had its fair share of issues. I realize this film was the first one to feature drag queens, but I wish they had been portrayed more as real gay men, not drag queen parodies who don't even undress from drag to sleep. Chi Chi did the best at coming across as three-dimensional but the other two were not. I also have a hard time believing that an entire small town would come to the drag queen's defense against an officer, but maybe I'm pessimistic because of the political climate today. Megan Quote A movie that both ages well and it doesn't. I think it certainly ages better than its original 1995 reception, but is still VERY 1995. The film is very uneven. It removes the sexuality of the three leading gay characters and the terminology (and some of the ideology) is very dated. However the leads and Stockard Channing all elevate the material. And it was directed by a BARONESS. So this film is iconic and also is very high on the list of movies I'd like to see remade. Steven Quote I thought this movie was boring, to be honest. I thought it would've been a funny road trip movie, but then they arrived at that middle-of-nowhere town and stayed there for the rest of the film. It just wasn't very interesting after that. Edited June 30, 2023 by Alex95
#jeah Posted June 30, 2023 Posted June 30, 2023 (edited) I will play the second round as well! Just need time to settle on a movie Edited June 30, 2023 by #jeah
.Rei Posted June 30, 2023 Posted June 30, 2023 (edited) This was such a strong group.. I liked/loved all the films except one Edited June 30, 2023 by .Rei
totes4totes Posted June 30, 2023 Posted June 30, 2023 can't decide if i'm surprised if To Wong Foo isn't higher
Steven_ Posted June 30, 2023 Posted June 30, 2023 I didn’t expect The Assistant to rank last, but then again there wasn’t an obvious last placer.
Alex95 Posted June 30, 2023 Author Posted June 30, 2023 11. Weathering with You 8.13/13 Directed by Makoto Shinkai Starring Kotaro Daigo, Nana Mori, Shun Oguri, Tsubasa Honda, Sakura Kiryu Romance / Fantasy / Animation / Drama Japan 92% RT / 72 MC / 3.6 LB Watch Trailer @Steven_ - 1/13 @~Tom~ - 3/13 @Elliott - 6/13 @totes4totes - 10/13 @Alex95 - 10/13 @#jeah - 11/13 @NGM - 11/13 @.Rei - 13/13 Steven Quote I've enjoyed what I've seen of Makoto Shinkai's films so far. Your Name. is one of my all-time favorite films, so I was looking forward to his follow-up Weathering With You. I admit I didn't love this film as much as Your Name. when I first watched it. I still liked it a lot, but I wasn't blown away by it like I was with Your Name. However, Weathering With You is a film I ended up liking more and more after each rewatch. I watched it again for these rankings (even though I didn't really have to), so I've seen Weathering With You at least four times now. It was unfair of me to compare the two films, and I appreciate Weathering With You for what it is. And speaking of Your Name., did any of you notice that Taki and Mitsuha made cameos in the film? If I remember correctly, Makoto Shinkai said Your Name. and Weathering With You are not exactly in the same universe, so Taki and Mitsuha from Your Name. aren't necessarily living in a flooded Tokyo now, but I digress. Makoto Shinkai's films stand out with the brilliant detail put into each frame of his films. The animation here is top-notch with stunning visuals; everything is fully realized. The effort put into the animation is exceptional: It's not often you see this much detail in an animated film, but Makoto Shinkai really goes above and beyond for his films. Plus, I like the soundtrack too. The music helps elevate the scenes and capture the emotion of his films. I also like the story of Weathering With You. I was invested in these characters, and I found the main characters to be likable too. The dynamic between Hodaka and Hina was sweet, and their relationship was rootworthy too. The supporting characters were great too. I thought the overall plot was intriguing too. Hodaka is a runaway who escapes to Tokyo before meeting HIna, a girl who has the power to control the weather. However, everything comes with a price, and Hina eventually disappears. Hodaka is determined to get Hina back whatever the cost may be. The ending took me by surprise though. I thought either the weather would've returned to normal and Hina would have to remain a sacrifice, or everything would somehow end up being fixed with both Hina and the normal weather returning (as long as Hina never used her powers again). However, after Hodaka got Hina back, the rain returned and Tokyo ended up getting flooded. Choosing your loved one over anyone else (even the world) is an expression used before, but this film actually followed through with that idea. I was kind of thrown by the film ending that way when I first watched it, but I don't mind it now (but it’s still too bad Tokyo ended up underwater). Even though Tokyo ended up getting flooded, I'm glad that at least Hina and Hodaka reunited at the end of the film. Hodaka made his decision to choose Hina over the world, and he stood by it (even though the adults told him the weather has always been crazy and he shouldn't blame himself for it). Makoto Shinkai has also explained in interviews that he wanted to include a message about climate change in the film without being too political and still allowing it to be an entertaining "boy meets girl" love story. Overall, I think Weathering With You is a very enjoyable movie, and I consider it one of my favorite animated films too. I watch anime both dubbed and subbed, but I prefer Weathering With You with the original Japanese audio. This is especially the case in the scene when Hodaka goes back for Hina and they're falling through the sky. Hodaka says "I don't care about blue skies!" in the English dub. They should've kept the translation the same as the original. That English version doesn't have the same effect as the subtitled "I want you more than any blue sky." That's my one complaint about the dub, but the film is still enjoyable in both versions. Anyway, I believe Weathering With You is beautifully animated and a very enjoyable and satisfying anime, and I'm glad I got to share this film with the rankers here who haven't seen it before now. Tom Quote Fantasy films with beautiful animation are right up my alley. I loved every moment of this. Elliott Quote A Studio Ghibli film. As far as that studio's output goes, this is towards the bottom of my rankings, but that doesn't mean I don't still love it. I just like their other films more, lol. This is one of the films I didn't get around to rewatching properly, but I'd love to go back and watch it again if I had the time. Megan Quote I had actually seen this really recently so I didn't need to do a rewatch. I think it's known that I'm a pretty big anime fan. And I've seen every Makoto Shinkai feature film from The Place Promised in Our Early Days to Suzume. And this probably falls squarely in the middle of his filmography for me. I like the concept and the animation is absolutely gorgeous. The ending of the movie really makes the rest of the movie for me. Yes! Let Tokyo fall underwater! I think my biggest problem with this movie compared to like Your Name is that the character of Hodaka isn't really all that necessary to tell what is Hina's story. (I feel in Suzume the male "lead" is even more unnecessary but at least he becomes a chair and then the story takes off when it does really just center on Suzume). Anyway, I like these weirdo magical realism stories that Shinkai is telling and I'll always be up for watching them. But I feel that Weathering With You just doesn't reach the same heights as some of his other work. It's a solid like 4/5 for me. Alex Quote MVP: Shun Ogun Favorite Scene: All the characters meet as Kei plays with his daughter at the park. I ended up having mixed feelings about this, but leaned towards liking this as opposed to disliking this. The romance was probably the weakest aspect of this film for me. Hina is given such a lack of autonomy and I don't really know who she is outside of her ability to control the weather. What I enjoyed about this movie was the "found family" aspect of it. That's one of my favorite kinds of movies and at first, that's where I thought it was going when Hodaka met Suga & Natsumi and started to go on adventures with them. Unfortunately that wasn't this movie and I enjoyed it less the further we got in. Overall, the animation was stunning and kept me hooked the entire time. And when the whole crew was together I was really liking this! But yeah...the romance and ending lost me. It did give me a new appreciation for Your Name. though which I greatly preferred to this. Andy Quote Not usually my style of movie and this was no exception, but it was very well done and I see the appeal for sure. Nico Quote Loved the visual aspect of the movie (its animated beautifully), the story was solid, but not something I would revisit? Rei Quote This was definitely a disappointment for me. I know this was Steven's pick so I was expecting something as amazing as Your Name but this was nowhere near that level despite being from the same director. I know this was supposed to portray a love story between two teenagers but Hodaka gave me major psychopath traits who is ready to shot someone when he doesn't get what he wants. The movie only saves itself because of how beautiful it was.
totes4totes Posted June 30, 2023 Posted June 30, 2023 31 minutes ago, Alex95 said: A Studio Ghibli film. @Elliott Actually a CoMix Wave film (as all of Shinkai's releases are)
totes4totes Posted June 30, 2023 Posted June 30, 2023 makoto shinkai rankings (only "feature length"): 1. Your Name 2. Suzume 3. Five Centimeters Per Second 4. Weathering With You 5. Children Who Chase Lost Voices 6. The Place Promised in Our Early Days 7. Garden of Words HOWEVER my dear friend who I watched ALL these movies with would flip Five Centimeters Per Second and Garden of Words.
Steven_ Posted June 30, 2023 Posted June 30, 2023 I kind of expected a low ranking for Weathering With You, but I’m just glad I got to introduce this film to those that haven’t seen it before. 1
Steven_ Posted June 30, 2023 Posted June 30, 2023 1 hour ago, Alex95 said: It did give me a new appreciation for Your Name.
Steven_ Posted June 30, 2023 Posted June 30, 2023 58 minutes ago, totes4totes said: makoto shinkai rankings (only "feature length"): 1. Your Name 2. Suzume 3. Five Centimeters Per Second 4. Weathering With You 5. Children Who Chase Lost Voices 6. The Place Promised in Our Early Days 7. Garden of Words HOWEVER my dear friend who I watched ALL these movies with would flip Five Centimeters Per Second and Garden of Words. From the ones I’ve seen: 1. Your Name. 2. Weathering With You 3. Suzume 4. 5 Centimeters Per Second 5. The Garden of Words 1
Alex95 Posted July 1, 2023 Author Posted July 1, 2023 10. BPM (Beats per Minute) 7.75/13 Directed by Robin Campillo Starring Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Arnaud Valois, Adèle Haenel,Antoine Reinartz Drama France 99% RT / 84 MC / 3.9 LB Watch Trailer @.Rei - 4/13 @Alex95 - 5/13 @totes4totes - 6/13 @NGM - 6/13 @~Tom~ - 7/13 @Steven_ - 9/13 @Elliott - 12/13 @#jeah - 13/13 Rei Quote Definitely one of the best, if not the best, portrays of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on cinema. The movie focus on the ACT UP activism against the epidemic, the censoring of the government and the games the pharmaceuticals were playing with HIV trials. While the subject on hand is obviously heartbreaking, it doesn't jump into the melodrama for the sake of an emotion, instead it just shows a pretty perfect portray on how the gay community was really like during that time. I just watched it for a second time after 6 years and I can say that the love hasn't fade away. Alex Quote MVP: Nahuel Pérez Biscayart Favorite Scene: ACT UP invades Melton Pharm So there's two movies within this movie. One is about the thrilling political activism of ACT UP and how they fought for justice for AIDS & HIV victims. The way the government f*cked so many people throughout the years angers me so much and I feel like the activism is rarely portrayed on film to this degree. It was raw, honest, scathing, and just thrilling. I particularly enjoyed the debates between the opposing viewpoints and how best to protest etc. The love story on the other hand. I've seen it a million times. Melancholic love story between two gay men where one of them tragically dies of AIDS. Not to be a hater of love between my dislike of the love stories of the past two entries but yeah...really did nothing for me. If we cut like half an hour from the movie by chopping the last act down a bit it could've been a near perfect film for me. Megan Quote You know after watching Weekend and God's Own Country back-to-back, I was NOT looking forward to watching this. Then I was like WAIT A MINUTE. My QUEEN Adèle Haenel is in this movie and was finally roused to watch this. I'd talk more about her but the next time Portrait of a Lady on Fire fits a theme I am making you all watch that and I'll talk more about how she's PERFECT and also how much I hate French Cinema for choosing R*man P*lanski over her. Anyway, I am ranking this higher than the other two gay male movies not just because of Adèle but also because I think that this is a more encompassing queer film. While the other two movies centering on being gay were a lot about isolation and coming out, this was a movie about community. It was about the lives lead before dying and how we have to persist. It's an important movie but it never feels like it falls in to the melodramatic of its importance and being about a movement, and it still feels very personal. And that's due not to just the astounding performances by the actors but also the personal experiences of the director and writer who were very involved in ACT UP. My only complaint is that it was like 30 minutes too long. Nico Quote Rose a lot on rewatch. The political/protest element here is probably the biggest draw for me, I'm a sucker for this type of shit. Tom Quote Had high expectations for BPM, and it delivered! Moving story regarding the AIDS crisis and two main actors deliver! Steven Quote Before watching this film, I thought it was just a movie that centered on a romance during this time period of the AIDS crisis. I didn't know the activism was the central focus of the film, so it ended up being an eye-opening docudrama. I admit I was uninformed about a lot of the history showcased here. This was a very bleak movie, but kudos to the filmmakers for shedding a light on ACT UP. I thought all the characters here were fully realized too, and everything seemed authentic here. It was a well-made movie, but not something I'd want to watch again since it was such a sad movie. Elliott Quote I find that films about the AIDs epidemic are just depressing nowadays. Well, they were always depressing, but you know what I mean. Anyway, like I said, I really liked this movie, but unfortunately it just landed here for me by default. Andy Quote Amazing, important message. Just super uninteresting in execution. Not a bad movie by any means!
*Wallace Posted July 1, 2023 Posted July 1, 2023 Wow Steven went all out on that Weathering With You write-up. Amazing write-up there, @Steven_ Also yayy Yi Yi still being in. 1
Alex95 Posted July 1, 2023 Author Posted July 1, 2023 9. Mulholland Drive 7.75/13 Directed by David Lynch Starring Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux Thriller / Mystery / Drama United States 85% RT / 86 MC / 4.3 LB Watch Trailer @totes4totes - 2/13 @Elliott - 3/13 @.Rei - 5/13 @NGM - 5/13 @#jeah - 9/13 @Alex95 - 12/13 @Steven_ - 13/13 @~Tom~ - 13/13 Megan Quote Finally. Lesbians. Incredible sex scene. Naomi Watts. Laura Harring. 15/10. Would make the top of my list if not for [number one movie]. It's peak David Lynch. It's great. Elliott Quote A David Lynch-directed lesbian psychological thriller. Say no more. Rei Quote I think this might be my favorite performance from Naomi Watts and she sure knows how to deliver a performance. Naomi Watts and Laura Harring made a powerful duo and nailed both acts of the movie. I like how he movie is open to interpretation on what the audience chooses to believe. What is real and what is not is not that important but the depiction of the Hollywood dream was very clever. The only thing that I didn't care for, is that some of the stories didn't really add to any of the plots but that's just a minor criticism. Nico Quote Along with Yi Yi another movie I enjoyed a lot that I wanna rewatch bc I don't think I got everything/there are probably more levels to it than what I got from one watch. Andy Quote Wasn't as in love with this as I thought I would be, but I get the appeal. Naomi Watts is a queen of course. Alex Quote MVP: Naomi Watts Favorite Scene: Rita & Betty go to Club Silencio Look if one of the first results when you google a movie is "[insert movie here] explained" it's very likely not a movie for me. I get the appeal for others. I personally just like to know what the hell's going on when I'm watching a two and half hour long movie. Mulholland Drive could not hold my attention at all. I found myself drifting and checking my phone. When I researched about it I certainly appreciated the film more. But it's hard for me to rank it any higher when I really had little appreciation for the movie in the moment. Steven Quote Sorry, but I didn't like this movie. I understand the movie is surreal since it's happening inside a dream, but it was still a bit too weird for me to find it enjoyable. Tom Quote For my thoughts on this film, see my write-up in the 2000s film rankdown. I still stand by my cut there and this ranking. David Lynch's movies don't do it for me.
totes4totes Posted July 1, 2023 Posted July 1, 2023 BPM is better than both British gay movies! The ROBBERY. Also Mullholland Drive is all vibes! Who needs to know anything when you have Naomi Watts and Laura Harring lezzing out!!!!!
FrogLenzen Posted July 1, 2023 Posted July 1, 2023 wish I could have submitted a ranking to reveal that I am a full David Lynch hater
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