Recently Watched Movies 2022

[HuskyHawk]

Under the Skin. 2015. I was vaguely familiar with this because Scarlett Johannson is stark naked in it. It’s a sci fi movie of sorts. She’s an alien inside the skin of a human (ScarJo) in Glasgow and other parts of Scotland. She and an alien in a male body are the two aliens. She never speaks to him. Her task seems to be to drive around in a white van, lure men and then essentially feed them to some dark substance. One of the ways this is fascinating as that she actually did that. The guys are real guys she picked up on the street, filmed on hidden camera, and it feels that way. They then signed releases and some filmed further scenes (being eaten by the black stuff). There is very little dialogue and yet ScarJo conveys a lot. She’s changing, becoming at home in her new skin. Fascinated by it, and eventually by people. The question becomes, what’s under the skin? There are some beautiful scenes in the Cairngorms and some fairly stark ones in Glasgow. But in both cases the impression is “raw”, like high quality home footage. Critics liked it, yet it made $7m. It’s slow paced, creepy and more art house style.

This is what it's like to get picked up by Scarlett Johansson

Hint: it's weird!

time.com

 

[Deadrody]

At some point my suspension of disbelief broke. When it tore apart a huge grizzly bear without even using any projectile weapons, it got really hard to buy that any of the Comanches could even put a scratch in it.

edit--filmed in and around Calgary, Alberta

Least of all Mary Sue

 

[storrsroars]

Uncharted (Netflix, 2022). This is what happens when you take all the unbelievable parts of DaVinci Code and National Treasure and tie those to a plot similar to Red Notice, weaving all of that into an even more ridiculous storyline, with the bonus of a short and slight untrained nerdish guy becoming a ninja capable of defending himself against trained assassins, and finally Marky Mark as the conflicted hero.

It is an incredibly stupid premise and plot, which amazingly gets even dumber by the minute. Yet you'll watch it because this compound level of stupidity demands an even more ridiculously unbelievable resolution than you can imagine.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Uncharted (Netflix, 2022). This is what happens when you take all the unbelievable parts of DaVinci Code and National Treasure and tie those to a plot similar to Red Notice, weaving all of that into an even more ridiculous storyline, with the bonus of a short and slight untrained nerdish guy becoming a ninja capable of defending himself against trained assassins, and finally Marky Mark as the conflicted hero.

It is an incredibly stupid premise and plot, which amazingly gets even dumber by the minute. Yet you'll watch it because this compound level of stupidity demands an even more ridiculously unbelievable resolution than you can imagine.

Thought it was stupid but still a little bit fun.

 

[storrsroars]

Thought it was stupid but still a little bit fun.

No doubt it had its moments. The stuff flying out of the cargo plane was entertaining if ridiculous. As was the end for the outrageousness of the premise. But the whole thing takes "suspending belief" to another level.

 

[nwhoopfan]

But the whole thing takes "suspending belief" to another level.

I thought the airlifting of a galleon loaded down with gold was a stretch. I looked up some info on it, absolutely shatters the laws of physics.

 

[storrsroars]

The Nice Guys (2016). I'd never even heard of this before seeing it show up on Netflix. Underrated buddy comedy. Kudos to whomever thought of a storyline that managed to have the industry used as a device to take down colluding Detroit automakers. It somehow stays within the outermost realm of possibility. Crowe and Gosling are entertaining as a bumbling (mostly Gosling) detective team, but the star is Gosling's daughter, played by Angourie Rice. I found it worth the watch.

 

[nwhoopfan]

The Nice Guys

I've seen this a few times before, watched it again last night (Netflix). Totally agreed about Rice, she steals the movie. I've been following her career ever since. She's been in a few good movies, but mostly her talents are being wasted on throwaway roles.

 

[nwhoopfan]

"She's Funny That Way" is another new arrival on Netflix I've seen before and enjoyed. Woody Allen-esque. Great ensemble cast, kind of a zany comedy of errors.

 

[storrsroars]

I've seen this a few times before, watched it again last night (Netflix). Totally agreed about Rice, she steals the movie. I've been following her career ever since. She's been in a few good movies, but mostly her talents are being wasted on throwaway roles.

I just looked her up on IMDB. Just turned 21, meaning she was 15 for that role. I thought she was maybe 12, tops. But that's she's Aussie and did a perfect American teen accent makes that performance even more special.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I just looked her up on IMDB. Just turned 21, meaning she was 15 for that role. I thought she was maybe 12, tops. But that's she's Aussie and did a perfect American teen accent makes that performance even more special.

She does a solid American accent in Spiderman No Way Home as well. It seems like Brits and Aussies have an easier time picking up "American" than the other way around.

Mila Kunis in that 70's show is still the most impressive example of an American accent I've seen. She was 14 when that started, having moved to the U.S. from Ukraine at age 7. By age 10 she had a role in Days of Our Lives.

 

[storrsroars]

"She's Funny That Way" is another new arrival on Netflix I've seen before and enjoyed. Woody Allen-esque. Great ensemble cast, kind of a zany comedy of errors.

That was good. Thanks for posting about it, probably wouldn't have looked for it otherwise.

Owen Wilson doesn't age, does he?

 

[storrsroars]

In Order of Disappearance (2014) Stellan Skarsgård learns his son was murdered by a Norwegian drug ring and goes after the bad guys. A story that's been told a thousand times, but never with snowplows in winter in Norway (and they are main plot devices). It's in Norwegian with English subtitles and easy to follow. The always reliable Bruno Ganz co-stars as the head of a Serbian drug ring who's also after the same guy. There's actually a bit of welcome humor in this one that comes through even with the subtitles. It was a good watch.

 

[nwhoopfan]

In Order of Disappearance (2014) Stellan Skarsgård learns his son was murdered by a Norwegian drug ring and goes after the bad guys. A story that's been told a thousand times, but never with snowplows in winter in Norway (and they are main plot devices).

I'm almost certain there is an American remake, w/ Liam Neeson in the avenging dad role. I think it might have a different title, but it's the same story.

 

[storrsroars]

I'm almost certain there is an American remake, w/ Liam Neeson in the avenging dad role. I think it might have a different title, but it's the same story.

With snowplows?

 

[CL82]

With snowplows?

Yep

 

[nwhoopfan]

Yep

I thought so. I can't even remember if I've seen the original or the remake or both or neither, but somehow I was aware there were 2 films with the same plot.

Anyway Liam Neeson is a man with a particular skill set, so driving a snow plow is nothing for him. He is the same character in every movie, so...

 

[storrsroars]

Yep

View attachment 78164

Never heard of it. Was only familiar with the silly ice road trucker flick he did.

I see it's on Cimemax+ so gonna have to wait a while till it comes off premium.

 

[Palatine]

Bullet Train (2022)

Just got back from the theaters and really loved this movie.

Brad Pitt’s character was hilarious, the movie was vibrantly shot, the details were well curated and the plot line was clever and slowly revealing.

Overall great ensemble cast too. I don’t get out to the movies often but this was my favorite movie theater experience in a while. Also, definitely a movie better for the big screen.

Overall, had a blast. Would see it again.

Bullet Train is a fun picture. It it hyper action, hyper violent, definitely a comedy. The picture does not pretend to be anything it is not. It is clever without being a brain teaser. It is improbable (unbelieveable) but done in a way you accept it and move on. There is some fairly spectacular stuff but none of it is gratuitous. It all moves the plot along.

The editing is extremely well done. It is intensely paced without ever showing off. Really A+ stuff. The performances keep the right note all through especially Pitt who is our conductor through the mayhem. And the outcome is satisfying. Well worth the two hours and five minutes. Loved it.

 

[storrsroars]

The Lost City. 2022. Wanted something low effort, stumbled on this on Paramount+ (I have too many services). Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Brad Pitt. Bullock is a cheesy romance novelist, who writes about Indian Jones type explorer/archeologists in a series. Tatum is her cover model, who her audiences think is the male character Dash. Tatum secretly thinks of himself that way, and of Bullock as the female lead (even though she's a shut in since her archeologist husband died). Radcliffe is the evil British dude, who needs her to translate some ancient writing (she's evidently smart). Brad Pitt, in a short time, is brilliant and steals the show. Including the best line in the movie. It's a somewhat silly, slightly funny rom com with a dash of action. Bullock's outfit is ridiculous (her character agrees) but is intended to make you think "wow Sandra Bullock looks great for a 57 year old", and this 56 year old concurs. Brad Pitt looks even more great at 58. You won't miss anything if you skip it, nor will you hate yourself if you watch it. It did $168M at the box office. It isn't terrible, and if you have Paramount+, it's free.

Finally got around to it last night. Pretty much exactly what I expected regarding plot. Bullock was good, but the chemistry with Tatum just didn't work for me - Tatum came off as basically a dumb, musclebound wuss, which was highlighted in the five minutes that Pitt took over the movie. The Da'Vine Joy Randolph/Oscar Nunez subplot provided much needed comic relief in the movie's second half as interest in the main characters was waning. Radcliffe was a horrible choice to play the evil mastermind, imho. He cannot sell that. While it wasn't Romancing The Stone, it was still a decent jungle romp, but would've benefited from better villains and more Pitt.

 

[8893]

Just saw this on my walk to the dry cleaners. Funny:

 

[storrsroars]

Just saw this on my walk to the dry cleaners. Funny:

View attachment 78206

That ending is one of my favorites of any movie.

And I still have this irrational desire to buy 16 baguettes at once.

 

[8893]

That ending is one of my favorites of any movie.

And I still have this irrational desire to buy 16 baguettes at once.

Agree on both! Great movie. Wilkinson was excellent.

 

[nwhoopfan]

"Day Shift" is new on Netflix. Okay, pretty generic. Jamie Foxx is a vampire hunter working in LA, which is overrun w/ vamps. Dave Franco supplies some comic relief. She doesn't have much screen time but Natasha Liu Bordizzo steals what scenes she's in. A few other recognizable faces like Peter Stormare, Snoop Dogg, Scott Adkins, Meagan Good. Fairly gory, high body count.

 

[nwhoopfan]

"Montana Story" takes its time letting the story unfold. Haley Lu Richardson and Owen Teague are 20 something half siblings who shared an abusive father. After a particularly bad episode, Haley ran away when she was 18 and never looked back. 7 years have gone by and she's stayed out of touch. She returns to their home in Montana when she hears the dad is dying. He's comatose after a massive stroke during the entire run time. It's slow paced, but very well acted, some deep emotions under the surface that rise to the top eventually. Not an easy watch, but well done. Both leads are really good. Some other good performances, the hospice care nurse, a part time housekeeper. The scenery is almost a character in and off itself. Filmed in Paradise Valley, MT--Bozeman and Livingston and surrounding areas (I've been there!).