Rate the last movie you watched
- Thread starter Galan
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For some reason watched 3 music biopics in a row
Bohemian Rhapsody 4/10
A series of fast-forwarded events with zero tension or insight into the band members as people or how they went to being one of the biggest bands in history. Really disappointing. Constant use of their songs as points of excitement that don't land because within the context of the movie, we are not built to be invested in their creation.
Maestro 3/10
Similar issue to the above but it pissed me off more because BR at least tried to showcase a lot of the history, in a pretty terrible way. Maestro took an extremely famous gay composer, one who lived an extremely interesting life pursuing many forms of music and activism, and focused on none of it. We are repeatedly told about who he is as a person and things going on his life after the fact by other characters, while the actual screentime is focused on meandering dialogue that reveals nothing to us that is meaningful or transcendent. It also feels like it uses the queerness of the man as a costume, something to show off for feigned progressivism while not doing anything truly groundbreaking or daring with it beyond "he cheated on his wife a lot". This was one of the biggest composers on earth who struggled with his identity that clashed with a family he loved, and we get no meaningful and resonant storytelling out of that at all. An extremely disingenuous and hollow movie.
Elvis 8.5/10
Can't believe I liked this as much as I did, as I immediately wrote it off when it came out and was certain it would be forgettable at best. Even more shocking, because I had found this director's Great Gatsby to be one of the worst movies I'd ever seen to this point, and stylistically Elvis isn't that different from Gatsby, if anything Luhrman doubles down on his kind of maximalist early 2000s tendencies. It's hard to understand why the movie works so well, but I think examining it vs the two above helps. Where Bohemian Rhapsody failed to make me interested in the histories behind songs I already liked which should have been an easy sell, Elvis spends a great deal of time weaving the turmoil of Presley's life into how and why he composed certain specific songs. The performances aren't thrown in as beats between scenes that are ultimately inconsequential, they are the points of tension and excitement you should be getting in a movie anyways.
It does a great job showcasing the influences Elvis took from various black southern musicians of the time, and Tom Hanks' portrayal as he Colonel wins me over for how bizarre it is. He feels like a character from a different genre of movie entirely, and that clash makes the movie work more in my eyes. Also, the movie very bizarrely drops a lot of original Captain Marvel (Shazam) references, something that I really enjoyed because of how unexpected but faithful it was. This won an award for the editing, and it feels deserved. There's a constant barrage of different tricks and transitions that have largely phased out of modern day filmmaking, and it's a joy to see someone lean into it rather than be ashamed of it in any way. My only true complaint is you really can't tell Elvis' story without acknowledging the pretty blatant immorality him dating and marrying a teenager, something the movie brings up but in a vague enough way that it isn't as unsettling as it should be to the audience. Will have to watch the Priscilla Presley movie a some point to see how it handles that pretty troubling subject matter.
Bohemian Rhapsody 4/10
A series of fast-forwarded events with zero tension or insight into the band members as people or how they went to being one of the biggest bands in history. Really disappointing. Constant use of their songs as points of excitement that don't land because within the context of the movie, we are not built to be invested in their creation.
Maestro 3/10
Similar issue to the above but it pissed me off more because BR at least tried to showcase a lot of the history, in a pretty terrible way. Maestro took an extremely famous gay composer, one who lived an extremely interesting life pursuing many forms of music and activism, and focused on none of it. We are repeatedly told about who he is as a person and things going on his life after the fact by other characters, while the actual screentime is focused on meandering dialogue that reveals nothing to us that is meaningful or transcendent. It also feels like it uses the queerness of the man as a costume, something to show off for feigned progressivism while not doing anything truly groundbreaking or daring with it beyond "he cheated on his wife a lot". This was one of the biggest composers on earth who struggled with his identity that clashed with a family he loved, and we get no meaningful and resonant storytelling out of that at all. An extremely disingenuous and hollow movie.
Elvis 8.5/10
Can't believe I liked this as much as I did, as I immediately wrote it off when it came out and was certain it would be forgettable at best. Even more shocking, because I had found this director's Great Gatsby to be one of the worst movies I'd ever seen to this point, and stylistically Elvis isn't that different from Gatsby, if anything Luhrman doubles down on his kind of maximalist early 2000s tendencies. It's hard to understand why the movie works so well, but I think examining it vs the two above helps. Where Bohemian Rhapsody failed to make me interested in the histories behind songs I already liked which should have been an easy sell, Elvis spends a great deal of time weaving the turmoil of Presley's life into how and why he composed certain specific songs. The performances aren't thrown in as beats between scenes that are ultimately inconsequential, they are the points of tension and excitement you should be getting in a movie anyways.
It does a great job showcasing the influences Elvis took from various black southern musicians of the time, and Tom Hanks' portrayal as he Colonel wins me over for how bizarre it is. He feels like a character from a different genre of movie entirely, and that clash makes the movie work more in my eyes. Also, the movie very bizarrely drops a lot of original Captain Marvel (Shazam) references, something that I really enjoyed because of how unexpected but faithful it was. This won an award for the editing, and it feels deserved. There's a constant barrage of different tricks and transitions that have largely phased out of modern day filmmaking, and it's a joy to see someone lean into it rather than be ashamed of it in any way. My only true complaint is you really can't tell Elvis' story without acknowledging the pretty blatant immorality him dating and marrying a teenager, something the movie brings up but in a vague enough way that it isn't as unsettling as it should be to the audience. Will have to watch the Priscilla Presley movie a some point to see how it handles that pretty troubling subject matter.
Priscilla (2023) 7/10
Great companion piece to Elvis, showcases a lot of the darker aspects of their relationship. Extremely jarring to watch back to back due to the frenetic energy of Elvis and how deliberately quiet and still Priscilla was. Only really wish it was longer (spoiler: movie ends after their divorce, I was thinking it would follow through until his death as Luhrman's movie still dabbled in that a bit) and the ending felt like it didn't have as much punch as it should have, though it does end on what should be a more positive note for her. Funny I never had any knowledge of Elvis or anything surrounding him prior to watching either of these, and wound up viewing both movies in a far more positive light than a biopic about a musician I already had a bias towards (Queen)
Great companion piece to Elvis, showcases a lot of the darker aspects of their relationship. Extremely jarring to watch back to back due to the frenetic energy of Elvis and how deliberately quiet and still Priscilla was. Only really wish it was longer (spoiler: movie ends after their divorce, I was thinking it would follow through until his death as Luhrman's movie still dabbled in that a bit) and the ending felt like it didn't have as much punch as it should have, though it does end on what should be a more positive note for her. Funny I never had any knowledge of Elvis or anything surrounding him prior to watching either of these, and wound up viewing both movies in a far more positive light than a biopic about a musician I already had a bias towards (Queen)
Maze Runner Trilogy:
The Maze Runner (2014): 9/10
Decent story plot and cast and the protagonist's counterpart in the movie reminds me of Kristen Stewart (the very same). It was a bit confusing to follow along in the beginning of the film, but as it progressed, I understood a bit more of what was happening. The main protagonists kinda just yolos for whatever reason even before coming up with a plan. Then again, what protagonist ever sits down to plan a dumb yet successful mission out before realizing they are probably going to land in some shitstorm of trouble that they will get out of due to pure luck.
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015): 8/10
Picking up from the previous movie, this one felt a little dragged on, especially with the love triangle going about. I love that Giancarlo Esposito was casted into the latter half of the trilogy because he folds in so smoothly in the existing storyline. He also gave that similar vibe in performance like he did in Far Cry 6, minus the dictatorship stint ofc lol.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018): 7/10
Now this one got a bit dull and predictable near the end and I was hoping for a better final villain vs hero brawl, but it was pretty much all cheese, especially at the end of the brawl lol. The ending was okay, a bit lacking, but I expected a bit more, and maybe skip ahead in time to where the main protagonist has kids and whatnot, then, creep up with a prequel teaser at the end of the credits, but nope lololol.
The Maze Runner (2014): 9/10
Decent story plot and cast and the protagonist's counterpart in the movie reminds me of Kristen Stewart (the very same). It was a bit confusing to follow along in the beginning of the film, but as it progressed, I understood a bit more of what was happening. The main protagonists kinda just yolos for whatever reason even before coming up with a plan. Then again, what protagonist ever sits down to plan a dumb yet successful mission out before realizing they are probably going to land in some shitstorm of trouble that they will get out of due to pure luck.
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015): 8/10
Picking up from the previous movie, this one felt a little dragged on, especially with the love triangle going about. I love that Giancarlo Esposito was casted into the latter half of the trilogy because he folds in so smoothly in the existing storyline. He also gave that similar vibe in performance like he did in Far Cry 6, minus the dictatorship stint ofc lol.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018): 7/10
Now this one got a bit dull and predictable near the end and I was hoping for a better final villain vs hero brawl, but it was pretty much all cheese, especially at the end of the brawl lol. The ending was okay, a bit lacking, but I expected a bit more, and maybe skip ahead in time to where the main protagonist has kids and whatnot, then, creep up with a prequel teaser at the end of the credits, but nope lololol.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
really such a visually mesmerizing movie
Honest to god i think about it every day since I saw it. So much I appreciate in it, it was really everything I could want in a movie
DoflaMihawk
Paramount
Cinema Paradiso
8/10 pretty good
8/10 pretty good
DoflaMihawk
Paramount
City Lights
8/10 - Charlie Chaplin is pretty funny
8/10 - Charlie Chaplin is pretty funny