What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[J Harker]

Right then let's try and do some of these review thingies.

First up.

Suicide Squad. David Ayer. 2016.

After the disappointment that was Batman vs Superman I can't say I had much faith in DC's next offering. How wrong I was, this film is great fun and while the plot is a right bloody mess and the film appears to have been edited by a pissed up Freddy Krueger it doesn't really matter. It's hardly challenging to work out what's going on and unlike BvsS the plot doesn't matter all that much. BvsS was dependant on character motivation for it to work. There wasn't much and therefore it didn't.
In Suicide Squad we have a bunch of DC villains released from their various maximum security super prisons and coerced into fighting an even bigger villain. How? Well stick a little bomb thingy in their neck and if they don't behave then head go boom. Fairly straightforward really.
What is interesting is how these characters relationships develop through the movie and how we get more depth to them than Jessie Eisenberg managed in the whole runtime of that 'other film'.
Fantastic cast too. Will Smith is excellent as Deadshot (no I'd never heard of him before either) the planets most wanted hitman whose superpower if you can call it that is absolutely perfect accuracy with any weapon. Jai Courtney was a revelation as Captain Boomerang. Not sure what the abilities of this Aussie armed robber are meant to be but given Courtney has been rubbish in absolutely everything I've seen him in til now, I was very impressed with his turn here. Even Joel Kinnamon who was terrible in the RoboCop rehash is good here as Colonel Flagg the army dude assigned to hold this ragtag bunch together and push the head popping button if needs be. The films actual villain is The Enchantress, an ancient sorceress who inhabits the body of Professor Moon, Flaggs girlfriend. Much as been made of both Jared Leto and Margot Robbie as The Joker and Harley Quinn the King and Queen of crime in Gotham. And rightly so as they both turn in for me the performances of the film. Leto makes for a very different Joker to anything seen before and for a change is truly scary. Margot Robbie plays Quinn as a truly damaged young woman and more than just the eye candy the role might first appear.
Hell even trying to review this film is tricky because it is admittedly a mess but for me it is a great glorious gorgeous mess that I thoroughly enjoyed and to be honest the chaotic nature of the film really does suit the source material. It's also the closest I've ever seen to an actual comic on the screen. Far better than the one watch wonder that was Deadpool and for me actually one of the best of the comic book flicks we've been bombarded with in the past few years.
All that said strutting round in that outfit Margot Robbie could sell sand to Arabs and both Warner Bros and David Ayer knew very well they could throw whatever else they liked at the screen and this film would make money.

[Rik]

Great review J

Only I don't agree with is the Deadpool comment, because I loved that film and haven't laughed as much watching a film in ages, Ryan Reynolds was born to play that role (check out his hilarious Twitter account!).
I've not seen the newer extended version of Suicide Squad yet, but it's on my to watch list.

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Rik

Great review J

Only I don't agree with is the Deadpool comment, because I loved that film and haven't laughed as much watching a film in ages, Ryan Reynolds was born to play that role (check out his hilarious Twitter account!).
I've not seen the newer extended version of Suicide Squad yet, but it's on my to watch list.

I did enjoy Deadpool but the self referential humour in particular wore thin. It felt too much like a spoof.

[Rik]

Originally Posted by J Harker

I did enjoy Deadpool but the self referential humour in particular wore thin. It felt too much like a spoof.

That's pretty much what Deadpool comic books are like

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by Rik

That's pretty much what Deadpool comic books are like

Yeah. Deadpool is essentially a parody of other superhero genre creations.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

It's a great film Dem. I would like to see Zac Efron in more dramas, I have a a feeling there is a great actor hiding behind his pecs.

I thought Efron was terrific in Me and Orson Welles in which Christian Mackay is superb as the great theatre director – have you seen it?

[J Harker]

Next up.

Odd Man Out. Carol Reed. 1947.

A superb James Mason plays Johnny McQueen the leader of an unnamed but rather obvious 'organisation' in Northern Ireland. Recently escaped from prison after being jailed for smuggling weapons Johnny is holed up in the house of sympathisers Kathleen and her Grandmother while he plans a daring robbery to provide funds for his group. Not really ready for such a job following prison Johnny is caught off guard by an overzealous clerk and ends up getting wounded during the getaway. Panicking the getaway driver leaves Johnny for dead and head back to headquarters. And so begins Johnny's journey through the backstreets of snowy Belfast, evading police and bumping into all manner of characters both helplful and threatening. Kathleen meanwhile has fallen for Johnny and sets out into the night to find him and get him away before the police get to him. Carol Reeds best known film close as I can tell is The Third Man but this is in my opinion a far far superior piece of Cinema. Wonderful and dreamy as our anti-hero, a man who gives no real reason to deserve our sympathy other than Masons superb charismatic performance stumbles through the surreal alleys and bars and shelters of a romanticised Northern Ireland. A cracking assortment of character actors mostly new to me populate this alien landscape, F.J.McCormick, William Hartnell, Robert Newton amongst others. And an excellent atmospheric score that does masses to bring the scenes to life too. My biggest bugbear with The Third Man was the godawful music that had me wanting to gouge my eardrums out with a fork by the halfway mark. None of that crap here.
Highly recommended.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Odd Man Out is an excellent film. The Third Man is better in just about every respect though, including the score!

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

Odd Man Out is an excellent film. The Third Man is better in just about every respect though, including the score!

That horrible bloody zither music ruins the film as far as I'm concerned Nos. Makes it barely watchable.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by J Harker

That horrible bloody zither music ruins the film as far as I'm concerned Nos. Makes it barely watchable.

I love the zither music and think it really adds to the atmosphere, setting (Austria is one of the countries in which the music is normally found), and tone. The theme from the film was also very popular and made the UK top 10 at the time.

Music, like films, is very subjective though.