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ratingtheframe · 4 years ago

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Enola Holmes, The Devil All the Time and i’m thinking of ending things: Everything I watched in September.

Thank God we are almost at the end of the year. With October just around the corner and 2021 in full view, it seems like the film industry is slowly piecing themselves back together after months of being on a complete hiatus. Cinemas are slowly starting to return back to normal and streaming services are now full to capacity with content.

Netflix in particular has some exciting things to come and the successful release of Harry Bradbeer’s Enola Holmes and Antonio Campos’ The Devil All the Time, has proven that their ability to produce outstanding content hasn’t been stunted at all by COVID-19. Here are the 31 titles I watched this month and for you to add to your watch list.

Searching (2018) as seen on Netflix

Searching recently came onto Netflix, however the film was actually first released in 2018, screening at Sundance Film Festival. It had a very impressive response and grossed $75 million worldwide and with a budget of only $880,000 it was certainly a success. I rate this film highly, due to the simplicity and execution of it, with a lot of twists and turns in appropriate places. Structurally, the film is flawless and it’s clear a lot of thought had gone into the payoff of the entirety of the film. Certainly an indie filmmaker's dream and a film to watch to learn about the “less is more” rule of screenwriting.

Score: 10/10

Zodiac (2007) as seen on Netflix

I’ve been avoiding Zodiac on Netflix for a loooong time, and after watching it I wonder why I didn’t check it out sooner. David Fincher’s (Fight Club, Panic Room, the Social Network) thriller based on the case files of the “Zodiac Killer” stars the likes of Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Junior and Jake Gyllenhaal, all of which had amazing on screen chemistry. The dialogue and structure is Aaron Sorkin-esque as you figuratively become one the detectives, unravelling the case as the two and a half hour film delves deeper and deeper. You honestly feel as if you become one of the team whilst watching Zodiac and just for that, it goes down as a praise worthy film with a perfect structure and surprising twist to the end. Zodiac is the thriller of thrillers.

Score: 11/10

I See You (2019) as seen on Netflix

Now a film like I see you has me questioning

Netflix’s

choices a little. The film scores handsomely on

Rotten Tomatoes

, with a metric score of

78%,

which is quite high for a largely gimmicky film. I can’t quite fault the overall concept, however the story itself fell flat by the end. Things just seemed to mount too much to the point that it became overtly inauthentic and questionable. Instead of paying attention to the movie, I found myself picking up all the irregularities such as why a police man would suffocate someone, drive them to their own home and then shoot them in the head. Surely a policeman would just leave her in the woods? On a brighter note,

Judah Lewis’ (Babysitter: Killer Queen)

was quite praiseworthy in his performance, but it wasn’t enough to drag the film out of a hole of confusion.

Score: 2/10

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) as seen on Netflix

If there is one film that you NEED to watch from this list, it would be Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The crackhead energy in this film is OFF THE CHARTS as Johnny Depp and Benecio Del Toro play two drug addicts exploring Las Vegas. The production design in this is marvellous and really captures the psychedelic world the two men enter every time they’re high. I particularly enjoyed Depp’s narration throughout this; his voice is the most sensual yet hilarious thing to listen to for 2 hours straight. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is HILARIOUS and such a well rounded, off the wall film to watch.

Score: 12/10

I’m thinking of ending things (2020) as seen on Netflix

Even though I watched i’m thinking of ending things nearly a month ago, I’m still recovering from it. Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) directs this satisfying yet highly confusing tale based on the Iain Reid book with the same title. Despite it’s perplexing plot, I certainly can’t fault the film’s performances or set design. Jesse Plemons, Jess Buckley, Toni Colette and David Thwelis made a surprisingly good ensemble and the makeup in this film is probably the best I have ever seen. HOWEVER and this is a big however, the waywardness of the story can’t override the success of artistry behind the film. I feel like there’s becoming a trend where films are visually perfect but make zero sense. By sense I mean a clear, concise story, that has character journeys and some sort of resolution at the end, no matter how big or small. I’m thinking of ending things that had just about NONE of these elements, and that doesn’t make it a bad film at all. It’s certainly not a film I’ve seen before and perhaps it raises the questions whether films need to make complete sense in order for them to be good. We can take a look at experimental cinema to delve deeper into that theory, for within this type of cinema, films can still be appreciated even when they are confusing. Perhaps the meaning of i’m thinking of ending things, is more powerful and higher than the average movie goer can understand, but still appreciate.

score: 9/10

Hacksaw Ridge (2016) as seen on Amazon Prime

Again, another film I’ve been avoiding for a loooong time and regret not watching sooner. The film stars Andrew Garfield as a devoted Christian who goes to war to serve his country, but refuses to carry a weapon yet lives to tell the tale. Preacher Desmond T. Doss saved the lives of between 50-100 men on Hacksaw Ridge during the Second World War. He was heavily commended for his service and the film itself earnt 6 Academy Award nominations. It’s a story that was born to be on screen and it’s hard to believe it was all true. Andrew Garfield’s performance was exemplary and he is definitely underrated as a truthful actor.

Score: 10/10

Fear (1996) as seen on Netflix

I am sucker for a thriller, good OR bad and this one from 1996 was surprisingly decent. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon in their early days, Fear follows a pair of young lovers whose strong relationship turns into a possessive one, when Witherspoon’s character, Nicole learns the true intentions of her boyfriend. It's a 90s teen flick that isn’t talked about enough and certainly an easy one to get sucked into as a guilty pleasure.

Score: 10/10

Make Up (2019) as seen at the BFI Southbank

Make Up first screened at the London Film Festival last year and was later released this year. I wanted to catch it at the festival and was glad it made it into cinemas. The eeriness of the british film directed by Claire Oakley, was a slow burnt, intriguing watch, however as artistically visual it was, a satisfying resolution to the film was missed. The payoff of the story was easy to define despite it’s ambiguity, however it wasn’t as hard hitting as it should’ve been, which is common in most indie features. The better ones expose ideas and truths in a punchy way, such as La Haine or Whiplash. The film’s genre was also undefinebale and although the story was interesting, I wouldn't be inclined to come back for more of it.

Score: 7/10

Zoolander (2001) as seen on Netflix

I’m not a huge comedy fan, however it’s about time I watched Zoolander, for it’s probably one of the most iconic films of the early 2000s. The film follows a model targeted by a fashion brand who wants him to kill the prime minister of Malaysia. Anyone who was anyone in the 00s is in this film, from Naomi Campbell to Lil’ Kim, Paris Hilton, Donald Trump, Lenny Kravitz, Natalie Porter and even David Bowie. How they managed to get these famous faces as well as the actual cast (Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller and Will Ferrell) onto this film is certainly a mastery at casting. As far as comedies go, Zoolander is iconic and a must watch for those who are thoroughly in love with these types of outlandish films.

Score: 8/10

American Pie (2001) as seen on Netflix

This is the my first time seeing American Pie and for someone who hates comedies, it thoroughly made me laugh. I definitely had to look past at the amount of misogyny and questionable scenes in this film and just sit back and enjoy it all. I felt that all four leads (Jason Briggs, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Chris Klein and Eddie Kaye Thomas) were well casted as an ensemble and were really down to earth in their performances. They were authentic in being high school boys still figuring themselves out and in the end I found each one to be highly likeable. As a comedy, this is definitely a go to and an iconic film from the early 2000s.

Score: 9/10

Clemency (2019) as seen on Amazon Prime

A Sundance Film Festival graduate, Clemency was a deeply moving and well shot film that exposed the shocking reality of prison inmates on death row in the US. The word clemency is essentially a term used to define an act of mercy by the justice system, who at the last minute of a prison’s life can grant “clemency” if they feel worthy of doing so, stopping them from being executed. Factors such as new evidence or a parole grant can influence this decision and this film shows the abrasiveness of such an idea. Imagine being a prisoner moments away from death and because of Clemency, you sit there thinking your life can still be saved. But as this film depicts, this isn’t always the case and the masterful acting of Alfre Woodard puts this grief into context beautifully. Her performance ignited this film and it was easy to see this story got to her on a deeper level, that went beyond serving a character. A seriously good film that is professional, dynamic and heart wrenching.

Score: 10/10

Gladiator (2000) as seen on Netflix

I never saw myself as someone who would like Gladiator, however Ridley Scott’s Oscar winning film thoroughly surprised me in an unexpected way. Moving past the amazing visuals and outstanding production value of this film, the actual story itself was just so damn good. It had an excellent, Hollywood worthy structure that saw a hefty and clear journey of it’s lead, Maximus (Russell Crowe). I was VERY surprised to see Joaquin Phoenix play alongside Russell Crowe, who gave a great performance as a bratty roman emperor. Gladiator was nominated for 12 Academy Awards in 2001, which is unsurprising seeing as it's a pretty much flawless film, with the character’s fierce journey being the main contributor to this.

Score: 11/10

American Pie 2 (2001) as seen on Netflix

Now sequels are known to be the downfall of some films, especially as the first films were okay on their own. However, I definitely enjoyed American Pie 2 as much as I enjoyed the first. The performances of all characters seemed to get better with time and it still remained outlandish and hilarious to watch.

Score: 9/10

3096 days (2013) as seen on Netflix

When you laugh more at a film than you should have, there’s something clearly wrong. This Netflix film based on the true story of the kidnapped Natascha Kampusch was directed by German-American director Sherry Hormann. This is gonna sound whack, but one of the most annoying things about this film was the lighting. It felt as if it was never truly dark in this film and because of that, it distracted from the fear of the situation young Natascha was in. Lighting plays an important role in thrillers and horror films, as the idea of these films is to keep people constantly on edge and the dark is something that does that perfectly. I felt safe when watching this film and although it’s meant to be a biopic, I don’t think it captured Natascha’s situation as best as it could have. Another thing that really let the film down was the dubbing from German to English. This is a pet peeve I have with films, but is understandable seeing as the majority of people are too lazy to follow foreign language subtitles and miss out on some of the best films ever made. Because of this, it forces foreign language films to cater towards an English speaking market so the film becomes more viable. I would’ve respected this film a lot more if it was completely in German and had English subtitles.

Score: 5/10

Cruel Intentions (1999) as seen on Netflix

About a year ago, I saw the Glenn Close and John Malkovich film version of the french novel Dangerous Liaisons and I fell asleep. Maybe it was the film I had seen before it that had made me nod off or the fact I couldn’t understand what the hell was going on. However, Cruel Intentions follows the same story with younger leads; Sarah Michelle Geller, Ryan Phillipe and Reese Witherspoon and is set in the modern day. As you can probably tell by now, I am a sucker for a 90s teen movie and Cruel Intentions was all that and more, for the performances and story structure in this film were top notch. Ryan Phillipe is a much underrated actor and heartthrob, playing a jealous and callous Sebastian, the step brother of Sarah Michelle Geller’s character, Kathryn. Both of them were spiteful, abrasive and mean and I LOVED IT. Their non-fuckery was enviable as they cheat and turn the lives of others upside down. Reese Witherspoon was an angel in this film, and I thoroughly appreciated the strength of her character throughout. Cruel Intentions sits highly as a film from the 90s and boasts a hoard of young talent from that era.

Score: 10/10

Wildlife (2018) as seen on Netflix

If you are in love with Paul Dano as much as I am, you’re gonna want to marry him after you find out that he’s also a director. His first feature Wildlife, stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan as a couple battling the demons in their relationship whilst caring for their young son. I really really REALLY can’t wait to see what Paul Dano directs in the future based off this film. It’s everything I love about a good indie film; well shot, a perfect cast and a touching story. It truly is a beautiful film and one I would recommend to my indie lovers out there.

Score: 10/10

The Perks of Being A Wallflower (2012) as seen on Netflix

My excuse for not having seen The Perks of Being A Wallflower is that I thought it would be yet another predictable high school blunder, with flat dialogue and basic character arcs. And I was half right in that. The first half of the film (mostly exposition) was filled with cringey dialogue and basic high school motifs that set up the film. Some moments were overtly far fetched and it took me a while to fall in love with the main character instead of feeling desperately sorry for him ALL THE TIME. Ezra Miller, Emma Watson and Logan Lerman all together as an ensemble was whack casting that just about worked. However, once we made it through the blizzard of exposition and got to the heart of the story, it truly was a touching and tear jerking movie to watch and for that, it scores highly. “We accept the love we think we deserve” was the ringing message of the film and certainly something I carry around with me daily as I reflect on the unfulling crushes I’ve had in the past.

Score: 9/10

The Devil All the Time (2020) as seen on Netflix

Probably my most favourite film on this list, The Devil All the Time is pure ART. I have a full review uploaded onto my tumblr account so please do check it out to see an in depth review of the Netflix film. All I will say is that it is a must watch film with an unreal cast and story.

https://ratingtheframe.tumblr.com/post/629443058079055872/the-south-of-america-meets-gritty-gothic-horror

Score: 11/10

Way of the Gun (2000) as seen on Amazon Prime

Ryan Phillipe and Benicio del Toro star side by side in this action packed crime thriller about two guys who kidnap the wrong woman. Simple in it’s log line with the potentiality to be limitless in its telling; ie the basis of every good film. Juliette Lewis (the it girl of the 90s) also stars in the film and really compliments the performances of both leads. Any film that Juliette Lewis is in, is a good film and she is an actor with a very impressive portfolio of work under her belt.

Score: 9/10

Judy and Punch (2019) as seen on Netflix

I’ve been waiting since the end of last year to see Judy and Punch and was thrilled to see it had been put onto Netflix. However, after watching it, that thrill deteriorated and what was left was a disheartened feeling towards this film. It’s a shame to say this, seeing as the story of Judy and Punch is so satiable and fulfilled in its possibilities of telling it. However, probably the biggest problem within this film was its pace; it was too quick of a film. The beginning was organic and smooth, but as it went on it started to become continuously rushed. There were characters I didn’t have time to get to know and actually didn’t even end up knowing their names. There’s a point in the film when Judy is welcomed into an isolated society outside of her home, most of which in that society were women. I would’ve liked to get to know them better and see how they influence Judy’s character and revenge on her husband. The film felt very rushed, which is a shame because everything else; acting, production and story were well aligned.

Score: 6/10

22nd July (2018) as seen on Netflix

I remember the 22nd July 2011 as clear as day but for all the wrong reasons. On this day, 77 people in Norway were killed by a terror attack caused by a right wing, anti-immigrant supporter, Andres Brevik, who was a member of a radical organisation and spent nine years preparing his attack on Oslo and Utøya Island. The most shocking part of this massacre was what happened on Utøya Island, which was the main body of Netflix’s film 22nd July. Viljar Hanssen was a teenager attending a political youth camp on Utøya Island in the summer of 2011. Whilst on the island with his younger brother, a bomb went off in the centre of Oslo, outside a government building, killing 8 people. By the time news of the attack got to Utøya Island, its perpetrator had also arrived, and begun gunning down the kids on the island. 69 people were killed, most of which were under 18. Viljar Hanssen was shot five times, in the head, arm, legs and hand. The attack lost him an eye, several fingers and bullet fragments still remain in his brain. He also lost close friends and the ability to perform in many activities he used to do growing up. His ordeal and that of many on the island, is captured in 22nd July, that from beginning to end, approaches this story with sensitivity and facts. Out of the many events I have heard of that include a massacre of some kind, this attack always sticks out in my mind. The perpetrator was truly merciless in his rage against immigrants coming into Norway and he made sure to express that hatred in such a shocking and profound way. The entire story is one that is so hard to believe and is important in preventing future attacks of this kind.

Score: 11/10

Les Misérables (2019) as seen at Curzon Bloomsbury

Les Misérables was nominated for Best Foreign Language film this year at the Oscars and despite it being thrilling and highly well made, I felt quite disappointed by it. The film was accurate in exposing the many communities now prevalent in France today and it was definitely one of those gritty, Cannes worthy films to sink your teeth into. It's not a bad film at all, it's just one I found hard to relate to and therefore I switched off whilst watching it. In fact, I think Portrait of a Lady on Fire was a better contender as Best Foreign Language film at the Oscars and I was left fuming when I found out it hadn’t been nominated in that category. Les Misérables is a film I’d recommend but found it hard to love it overall.

Score: 9/10

A Cure for Wellness (2016) as seen on Netflix

The logline for Shutter Island (2010) is as follows: Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, two US marshals, are sent to an asylum on a remote island in order to investigate the disappearance of a patient, where Teddy uncovers a shocking truth about the place.

And the logline for A Cure for Wellness is as follows: Lockhart, an executive, is sent to a wellness spa in the Swiss Alps to retrieve his company's CEO. At the centre, he encounters strange activities that make him investigate the illness of the people.

Notice anything? They are literally the same film and it's not just the loglines that share an alikeness. On watching A Cure for Wellness, I noticed how similar it was to Shutter Island, from the location, to the colour grading, costumes and even lighting. Both films are almost identical and I pretty much hate both films anyway. I’ll admit, A Cure for Wellness has a better story and tells it better as well, but if it's just a rip off from Shutter Island, is it all that good? I appreciated the production value of this film yet it was hard to tear it away from Shutter Island’s own production. Overall, I found it quiet gimmicky and too close to Shutter Island for it to have much originality.

Score: 6/10

U want me 2 kill him? (2013) as seen on Netflix

The only thing that let this film down was the acting. There’s something about solely British productions that rub me the wrong way. Admittedly, their structure is always good and the story is well put together, however the artistic side of these films lacks in parts, from acting to set design. U want me 2 kill him? Is based on a true story which really alleviated the film. I thoroughly enjoyed delving into this story and it was an interesting, engaging plot. However, its production value and acting is what let it down.

Score: 7/10

After (2019) as seen on Netflix

So in short, this wasn’t a good film. The twist was satisfying, however the rest of it was just plain annoying. Any film that uses reality tv type music in its montages pisses me off. It's just such a cringey way of showing emotion on screen and I’d much rather they use music with no lyrics or music that actually conveys the emotion of the scene. The relationship between the leads, Hardin and Tessa (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Josephine Langford) was very predictable and the conflict between the two only made up like 5% of the film; 2.5% at the beginning and a further 2.5% at the end. For the rest of the 95% of the film, they were pretty much happy throughout, meaning the story had nowhere to go, besides the fact that Tessa’s mom disapproves of Hardin. But besides that and a shocking revelation..that was about it. No one died, no one was really hurt. Hardin was made out to be more troubled than he actually was (his dad is chancellor of a college for fuck’s sake) and I found myself laughing when I shouldn’t be. As for After We Collided, I can’t wait to tear it apart this month.

Score: 4/10

Miss Juneteenth (2020) as seen at BFI Southbank

Miss Juneteenth is the underdog movie of the month for me. You can read a full, in depth review of it right here:

https://ratingtheframe.tumblr.com/post/630357041253400576/she-my-dream-now-miss-juneteenth-review

Score: 11/10

Monsoon (2020) as seen at BFI Southbank

Why this film was praised by critics is unknown to me. The number one thing that this film did wrong was not showing ANY conflict on screen whatsoever, the characters merily TALKED about conflict. Conflict and actions based on those conflicts is what moves a story forward, and this film was certainly static. The story follows a man (Henry Golding) and his return to Vietnam as he learns about the war and the life he left behind. But the film shows no war, no deprivation or heartache that many vietnamese people had to go through. It's just filled with empty shots of Vietnam and Henry Golding looking out at the city. Why not just make a documentary about The Vietnam War with Henry Golding presenting it, as that is what this film was virtually. You can’t get away with nice looking shots to produce a praise worthy feature. Maybe I’m getting the wrong jist of the film, but in terms of its telling, I didn’t feel anything at all whilst watching it and if I didn’t feel anything, I wasn’t thinking about anything because it was so mundane.

Score: 5/10

The Riot Club (2014) as seen on Amazon Prime

I’ve had a strong soft spot for Sam Claflin since he played Finnick in The Hunger Games. My crush on him was further confirmed with The Riot Club a British Production based on Laura Wade’s theatre play Posh that shows the ongoings of Oxford’s Riot Club. The group of ten men are all self entitled posh twats who think their education and parent’s money allows them to act in a horrendous way, with their initiation ceremonies and club rules. Sam Claflin plays Ryan, a 1st year student at Oxford and one of the Riot Club’s newest members. Max Irons plays Miles, another new member of the club, who becomes the focal point of Ryan’s jealousy, causing him to do some unspeakable things in one night out of envy for Miles. The ten men in the film work brilliantly as an ensemble, which is unquestionable seeing as five of them went to Guildhall School of Music and Drama, three went to LAMDA, one studied drama at University and the last went to Bristol Old Vic. All the leads in this film are well trained and it's clear to see that in their performances. A really enjoyable, yet eye opening film that exposes the privilege of some living right in the UK, including Boris Johnson and David Cameron, who were former members of this heinous club.

Score: 10/10

Enola Holmes (2020) as seen on Netflix

Hmmm...there is a great deal of hype going around for this film and with a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Enola Holmes is well liked. This is understandable, seeing as Fleabag’s director Harry Bradbeer directed this film for Netflix and the cast includes the likes of Millie Bobbie Brown, Henry Cavill and Sam Claflin. I have never seen Millie Bobbie Brown in anything and yet I don’t think she’s doing anything special for me at this moment in time. As a viewer, I am 100% not into actors talking to the camera, a communication technique that I think should stay in theatre. I get this is a big part of Fleabag however I think Enola Holmes could have done without it. Another movie pet peeve is when the opening of a film explains what the film is about directly, something Enola Holmes did in an artistic, yet blatant way. Audiences aren’t dumb and will catch on with given clues, there’s no need to go through a character’s entire history in the opening of a film. For kids aged between 8 and 12, this film is great and Enola Holmes makes a great hero for many young girls. I don’t fall in this age bracket and therefore I enjoyed it a whole lot less.

Score: 6/10

American Murder: Family Next Door (2020) as seen on Netflix

Netflix is known for producing some of the finest, most eye opening documentaries out there. Despite this one being quite simple using found footage, its impact is certainly something that grew organically throughout the documentary. You can read my full review of American Murder: Family Next Door here:

https://ratingtheframe.tumblr.com/post/630780350645354496/netflix-documentary-delves-into-the-murder-of-a

Score: 10/10

Peppermint (2018) as seen on Netflix

I was thoroughly shocked to discover this film was made 2 years ago. You’d think we’re past a time of creating bad films that actually get released, but I guess we’re not. Peppermint was released in the same year as The Favourite, Blackkklansman and A Star is Born, three courageous films, all of which were showered with awards. Peppermint had two major problems; 1) it was boring and 2) the lead wasn’t orchestrated properly. The mexican drug cartel who murder the protagonist’s (Jennifer Garner) husband and child was almost insulting. Because it felt so inauthentic and gimmicky, I didn’t really understand why the drug cartel in the film was even mexican. Peppermint proves that a good story can turn bad in the wrong hands. The script was quite terrible and surrounding that was the nonsensical, half asked directing which saw Jennifer Garner get way too many injuries to still be alive in the end. The whole thing just had my eyes rolling, as nothing about it was original or provoking at all. In fact, the film didn’t even EXPLAIN how Garner’s character became a bloodthirsty vigilante. It merely showed us her training as a cage fighter. Das it. Nothing else in her character made her into this dominant and highly skilled fighter who takes down an ENTIRE DRUG CARTEL ONE HANDED. It, made, no, sense and sits a good example of how NOT to make a film. Also the only reason why it was called Peppermint was because of peppermint ice cream...yeah I don’t get it either.

Score: 2/10

And that is September, which marks an entire year since I’ve been critiquing movies and in that time, I’ve watched well over 350 films. There’s a lot more to come though, for the London Film Festival commences in October and titles such as Dune and the No Time to Die await a winter release. Stay tuned!

#movie review #netflix #movie recommendation #SeptemberMovies #movies #the devil all the time #enola holmes #zodiac #reviews #im thinking of ending things #cinema #bfi london film festival #bfi southbank #curzon

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smokeybrandreviews · 4 years ago

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Smokey brand Movie Reviews: As Hard As Chinese Arithmetic

So far, this year has been a doozy, man. We had an insurrection at the Capital. Then a big-tittied, Goth Vampire, Amazon Mommy just triggered all of the interweb’s fetishes, male, female, and other. Then, a bunch of Reddit Sh*tposters broke Wall Street for the Lolz. It has been a f*cking ride, man. I’m just happy we made it to the end of the month because, f*ck, i need a breather. Plus, the first new film of the year, a proper theatrical flick, released in the multiplex, just dropped. Since we ain’t got vaccines for the Wuha and i hate society in general, i wasn’t about to brave the outside for it. Fortunately for me, Warner Brothers said f*ck it, and decided to release their entire 2021 film slate, same day as theaters, to HBOmax. The first flick out the gate with this rather comfy release strategy? The Little Things. From what I've seen, this cast is dope but I've heard mixed reviews. Curious to see which side of the discourse I'll land on. Either way, I'm watching this thing from the comfort of my couch and i kind of dig it.

The Good

Denzel Washington is, obviously, the best thing about this flick. Dude is always one of, if not the best, thing about whatever he's in and this is no different. Washington has been acting a real long time so this the of part he can play in his sleep. I think, though, that might have been a detriment because his Joe Deacon comes across as a little “samey.” I re-watched Virtuosity the other day and this character feels like the cat he played in that, which feels like the cat he played in Man on Fire, which feels like the cat he played in Equalizer. I'm not mad, mind you, Rampage Washington is one of my favorite things about Hollywood, but I think playing this character like that was a mistake. Still, it was fun to watch.

Rami Malik plays, like, a regular dude in this. His Jim Baxter is kind of the foil to Washington's more aggressive, more passionate Deke, and it's weird to see. Like, i get it, Rami wants avoid being typecast as the weirdo but, I mean, the weirdo is where it's at, you know? If the character is well written and there's room to really dig in with an eclectic performance, why not go weird? Malek sure has the face for it.

Jared Leto just plays himself. The character he's supposed to be portraying is named Albert Sprama but this is just regular ass, crazy ass, cult leader ass Jared Leto. It's not a bad performance but you can tell Leto isn't really trying to be anything but who he is in this.

The atmosphere in this thing is palpable. I respect that. Neo-Noirs and thrillers like this need that. They need to feel seedy, gritty, dirty. For all of it's faults, The Little Things definitely nails that. It ain't Nineties grunge but it does a pretty good job of emulating that kind of energy, even if it's really just a facsimile and not the genuine article.

Listen, this is a gorgeous film. The cinematography and scene composition are top notch. As far as a visual piece of media, it really does deliver. There's this sordid, grimy, feel to the presentation that really mimics David Fincher's early work. I'm a fan of Fincher's so I noticed the similarities immediately but, as much reverence as this content has for his work, David Fincher this ain't.

This thing is beautifully directed. I might have my issues with the film as a whole, but John Lee Hancock put his best foot forward trying to visually craft this narrative, for sure. It's a little awkward seeing dude forge this type of story considering his more, lighthearted entries into the Hollywood collective, but he approaches it with the same flair and professionalism as he does those films, too.

The Bad

Look, I love the principals of this cast. They are all great actors Individually Together, there's no real chemistry, especially between Malik and Washington. I think that's more because of the lacking script more than anything. A lot of this movie feels like it's adequacy relies too heavily on it's lead's abilities rather than a solid script or screenplay. That's a shame because a crime thriller starring Denzel Washington and Rami Malik chasing after Jared Leto sounds like a swell f*cking times.

So this thing is a period piece. It's supposed to take place in the Nineties and, as a cat who grew up during that time, this definitely doesn't feel like them. Sure, there's little nods and everything to it like music choices and certain set dressings but, overall, this doesn't scream Super Grunge, Extreme Radical to me. Which, we all know, is exactly what the Nineties absolutely were.

There is a distinct, Fincher-esque, energy to this film but it fails miserably properly capturing it. Like, This movie is trying WAY too hard to be Se7en. I understand why it would, that film is a masterpiece but one shouldn't wear your inspirations so nakedly. Makes it way too easy to draw the obvious comparison and your entry will always be left wanting. It's weird to think that Hancock thought he could do that considering his catalog of film. Nothing about The Blindside or Saving Mr. Banks gives me confidence that he can adequately pull off something as macabre as Se7en and it really seems dubious to me that he tried.

The strength of Se7en started with what was on the page. Fincher crafted this diabolical, challenging, degenerate narrative and had the perfect cast to bring it to life. The Little Things has the ambition to pull that same thing off but the script is way too weak for that. Hancock can't write this stuff, man. Indeed, it really feels like he watched Se7en, thought up a twist, and wrote from there. Basically, he wrote this screenplay the same way Stephanie Meyer wrote Twilight and we all see how well that turned out. If you don't have a story to tell, don't make a movie. Nothing great start with just a gimmick unless you're selling toys and that only works because kids are idiots.

Bro, what is this dialogue??

This movie is long, man. Long and barren. One could say that it is actually really boring at parts. Now, I'm not saying that, I'm a fan of the slow burn, bu this was even taxing my nerves. I think, though, that a better script could have goes a long way to alleviating that. The fact that I didn't give a sh*t about anything going on with these characters really made it hard to stay engaged.

The Verdict

The Little Thing is a January movie and it's weird to get one of those in this, new Pandemic age. More than anything, it's a disappointment, especially coming of excellent January releases these past few years like Underwater, The Nightingale, and Paddington 2. This film does not come close to the quality of those and it's real deflating. I wanted to this movie to be excellent. There are a few individual components that actually are. Great lead performances, outstanding direction, beautiful camera work but the core of this movie is lacking. The screenplay is a complete letdown which is the most f*cked up aspect of this this whole situation. Apparently, Hancock wrote the first draft of this flick in Ninety-three and this is the best we got. This is the version that made the screen. F*cking trash, man. The Little Things isn't a terrible film, not at all, but it's not good either. It is an incredibly mundane and pedestrian attempt at trying to copy Se7en but it never reaches those heights. You've seen this movie before done much, much, better. If this thing as shorter, I could recommend it might higher but this whole ass, two-hour run time is a bit much. If you have HBOmax and time to kill, its a decent watch, just don't expect too much from it. If you want this to be your grand return to the cinema, pass on that. It's not worth the ticket price.

#Smokey brand Movie Reviews #The Little Things

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lumalaya · 6 years ago

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summer films ‘18

hi there! to clarify, this is a log of films i’ve seen this summer, not exactly films set in the summer, so if you’re here for that, i’m sorry?

anyway, here we go!

1. kasal (2018) / dir. ruel s. bayani ♡ 180525 ♡ girl is engaged to the son of cebu’s current mayor who is currently preparing for elections, but her ex comes back and tries to win her back ♡ cliche, i know, but trust me, this movie deals with this plotline in a very interesting way ♡ and come on, it’s bea alonzo and paulo avelino, two icons 2. high school musical (2006) / dir. kenny ortega ♡ 180614 ♡ iconic, i love troy bolton, thanks for reminding me ♡ i know sharpay isn’t that bad but she’s still a bully lol ♡ the choreography for when there was me and you got me dying i love it ♡ fave song: stick to the status quo 3. high school musical 2 (2007) / dir. kenny ortega ♡ 180622 ♡ my least favorite in the trilogy ♡ there was so much unnecessary drama they should’ve cut troy some slack ♡ i hate chad danforth, that’s all ♡ fave song: you are the music in me 4. high school musical 3: senior year (2008) / dir. kenny ortega ♡ 180622 ♡ my favorite in the trilogy! ♡ i still hate chad tho lol but i love taylor so much she’s my favorite character! ♡ i wish they elaborated more on gabriella though, because i like to imagine an alternate ending where she declines stanford and stays in albuquerque for another year which disappoints everyone and puts a strain on her relationship with troy. that would’ve been so interesting! ♡ fave song: i love all of them, but if i had to choose, the boys are back 5. kimmy dora 2: the temple of kiyeme (2009) / dir. joyce bernal ♡ 180626 ♡ the only reason i watched this was because i had a terrible pimple on my forehead and it reminded me of some horror movie then i realized it was this so i had to look for the particular scene ♡ the movie was really bad, as expected ♡ but i absolutely love eugene domingo!! she’s so talented i really admire her as an actress

6. before sunrise (1995) / dir. richard linklater ♡ 180630 ♡ this was the day my internet ultimately stopped working (for four days, if i may add) so i thought hey why not start that movie marathon i’ve been meaning to do ♡ i was excited to watch this because it’s a known pop culture reference, and also because it’s seulgi’s favorite movie ♡ it’s unique! it’s not easy to film a story that revolves around two people who’ve just met walking around in a city neither of them knows ♡ i liked this movie but it wasn’t that spectacular or anything, i think it lacks emotion and excitement ♡ but please, do not get off a train in europe with someone you’ve just met that is dangerous

7. before sunset (2004) / dir. richard linklater ♡ 180630 ♡ i knew nothing about this so i was actually surprised to see the same actors nine years after before sunrise’s release ♡ i like this better than the first one! céline shows the emotions i was looking for ♡ it’s much simpler and easier to follow because it really is just them walking around and talking to continue the story because of the short amount of time they have together

8. before midnight (2013) / dir. richard linklater ♡ 180630 ♡ this movie is the reason i watched the series! it was mentioned in it’s okay, that’s love so i thought i needed to watch this, and honestly, it helped me understand the characters from iotl a bit better! ♡ it ended up being my favorite film of the three ♡ it’s more complex than the first two because it introduces more characters and is set in more locations ♡ after years of watching and reading romcoms, this made me believe in love

9. gone girl (2014) / dir. david fincher ♡ 180701 ♡ i knew nothing about this film except that there was a girl and she was missing and the plot is unexpected? ♡ i won’t say much on this because it’s amazing when you watch it without knowing anything ♡ but it is CRAZY it hecked me up so much wow ♡ will try reading the book when i can!! 10. the grand budapest hotel (2014) / dir. wes anderson ♡ 180701 ♡ my first wes anderson film (finally) ♡ bored me at first because sadly, i can’t relate to rich european men who live in hotels and have sex with elderly women ♡ but it is so much more than that! it’s funny and deals with loyalty, the war, and crap immigrants go through ♡ yes, the cinematography is unique and beautiful, but i couldn’t appreciate it much from years of seeing wes anderson stills on my social media ♡ i went into this without knowing anything about it, but i wish i’d watched the trailer beforehand because that would’ve helped me appreciate it more 11. the fault in our stars (2014) / dir. josh boone ♡ 180702 ♡ i was bored and looking through my sister’s hard drive and i thought hey why not watch sad western teen books-turned-movies i used to glorify years ago ♡ it was alright but knowing every line, song, facial expression that would come next made it worse ♡ john green’s cameo is so awkward it’s almost funny ♡ i hope i never meet an augustus waters in my life 12. if i stay (2014) / dir. r.j. cutler ♡ 180703 ♡ part 2 of sad western teen books-turned-movies i used to glorify ♡ the story is pretty good but the film itself isn’t as good as i remembered ♡ i’m still so in love with jamie blackley after four years he’s so handsome and his voice is beautiful ♡ chloe moretz’s acting is really awkward though it’s almost painful to watch ♡ it made me want to reread the sequel where she went though! 13. she’s dating the gangster (2014) / dir. cathy garcia-molina ♡ 180705 ♡ i started this with an open mind and some expectations because although i hated on it for no reason years ago, i wanted to give it a chance ♡ but i’m sorry it really is bad ♡ kenji delos reyes is manipulative and selfish i hope i never meet a guy like him 14. grave of the fireflies (1988) / dir. isao takahata ♡ 180706 ♡ two siblings in the middle of a war ♡ watched this because a friend wanted to rabbit with me! ♡ i haven’t seen a ghibli film in a while so this was refreshing ♡ really sad though :( 15. 10 things i hate about you (1999) / dir. gil hunger ♡ 180706 ♡ guy is paid to date girl lol ♡ julia stiles is so beautiful :( i love her ♡ pretty funny actually! ♡ also watched this because friends wanted to rabbit with me :> 16. i’m drunk, i love you (2017) / dir. jp habac ♡ 180707 ♡ i finally, finally watched this ♡ not gonna lie it disappointed me? so many people loved it but for me it was eh ♡ paulo avelino’s character was pretty lacking for me, i wish they’d elaborated more on him ♡ but i liked the group dynamic because they’re not the wholesome, fake happy kind of friends, seeing them interact made me feel like they’re people i really know in real life (which made me miss my own friends) ♡ even jasmine’s character felt real because she’s probably someone i’d know HAHA ♡ fun fact: i’ve listened to the song lloydy long before watching this because i mean? a song about john lloyd? sign me up 17. that thing called tadhana (2014) / dir. antoinette jadaone ♡ 180708 ♡ another film i finally watched after multiple pop culture references ♡ i actually kinda liked it! it literally has a spiel about john lloyd of course i do but it gets better when the main characters become comfortable with each other ♡ i find it interesting that the director also directed love you to the stars and back which is another film that revolves around two people, both dealing with stuff, who’d just met and decide to go on a journey together ♡ the characters also feel pretty realistic/relatable once you get to know them 18. the spectacular now (2013) / dir. james ponsoldt ♡ 180709 ♡ part 3 of sad western teen books-turned-movies i used to glorify ♡ the only reason i rewatched this was because it was the shortest of the films i had at the time and i needed something to pass the time while loading episodes of svt club ♡ i mean it’s okay? not bad not good and i don’t even like miles teller ♡ shailene woodley perfectly plays the part of the awkward oblivious girl (and that’s not a compliment) 19. the breakup playlist (2015) / dir. dan villegas ♡ 180716 ♡ this film was so refreshing to watch?? sarah portrayed a youthful musician just starting out so so well i love her so much what a great first sarah g movie for me ♡ piolo made me fall in love with him and later on hate him, as he should ♡ i love opm kaya seeing the gig scene, some actual artists like ebe dancel, and looots of covers of songs like wag na wag mong sasabihin by kitchie nadal and with a smile by eraserheads ♡ i understand now why people love paano bang magmahal HAHAHA 20. barcelona: a love untold (2016) / dir. olivia lamasan ♡ 180717 ♡ alright so remember how i absolutely hated sdtg? ♡ I LOVED THIS FILM SO. MUCH. ♡ kathniel matured a lot in two years and i think they were perfect for this!! they really showed certain struggles of young adults and did not disappoint ♡ it also shows filipino values for family, utang ng loob, ofw struggles, etc ♡ and of course the cinematography is beautiful HUHU i mean it’s barcelona!! 21. my annoying brother (2016) / dir. kwon soo-kyung ♡ 180721 ♡ honestly took me a bit to get into it ♡ i expected it to be funny and although it did make me laugh a lot why were there tears :((( ♡ kyungsoo is so, so, so talented i admire him so much as an actor now ♡ really hits you in the feels! a really beautiful story about two brothers 22. so i married an anti-fan (2016) / dir. kim jae-young ♡ 180724 ♡ meh ♡ it took some getting used to seeing chanyeol being all snobbish and cool instead of his usual loud happy self ♡ of course it’s overdramatic for the comedy, but the hate-turned-love isn’t even that good lol it’s just unreasonable but whatever ♡ the lead girl reminds me of arci munoz HAHA 23. wonder (2017) / dir. stephen chbosky ♡ 180725 ♡ we watched this during my summer program and i was actually pretty excited because i remember loving the book! ♡ this honestly teaches you a lot not even just from the perspective of children but also as teenagers, parents, friends, etc ♡ i thoroughly enjoyed it!

#films #movies #recs #recommendations #reviews #film reviews #movie reviews #film recs #movie recs #high school musical #filipino films #i love troy bolton #sad western teen books-turned-movies i used to glorify #before series

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smokeybrand · 4 years ago

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Smokey brand Movie Reviews: As Hard As Chinese Arithmetic

The Good

The Bad

Bro, what is this dialogue??

The Verdict

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ubourgeois · 7 years ago

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The Official David Fincher Ranking No One Asked For

1. Zodiac - Creepy, disorienting, and sublimely dissatisfying; someone once told me this was the one Fincher film only Fincher could have made, which has truth to it. It’s a film only about finding information - not conclusions, but information - and somehow it’s one of his most easily captivating films, with great roles from its three headliners (Gyllenhaal, Ruffalo, and Downey Jr). An incredibly compelling watch despite being the longest film of a less-than-succinct filmmaker. The ultimate serial killer film, and one of the great true-crime films generally.

2. The Social Network - One of the more un-Finchery entries here, seven years on it’s still a little incredible that he made “the movie about Facebook” so worthwhile (with a little help from one of the better Aaron Sorkin scripts, of course). Takes that very malicious edge from his crime films into a more boardroom-y setting (he would do this again later a bit in House of Cards), which ends up being a great fit. Also, one of his funnier (possibly funniest) movies, which is mostly Jesse Eisenberg’s doing.

3. The Game - Fincher’s most twist-tacular film, almost to the point of being a ridiculous, cruel joke. It is a funny one though - a mysterious, all-consuming conspiracy theory that shocks us all the more for how it suddenly, stupidly deflates into a knowingly lame comic resolution. This is surely one of those films that’s sort of dull on a practical level but great on a conceptual level, but there’s a lot to like in the Wall Street redux Michael Douglas and unhinged Sean Penn, as well as the improbably high-stakes action scenes - Fincher’s built a career on playing games with his audience, he’s just more upfront about it here.

4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Definitely Fincher’s least characteristic film, as well as his most underrated (and, contrary to what many insist, one of his more bold and challenging). It’s really a vexing thing: a big-budget, SFX-heavy Hollywood epic that ends up being a quiet, hard to pin down reflection on the passage of time and the march towards death. It’s not a flawless film (it falls into cliche and sentimentality a little more than it needs), but it’s probably Fincher’s most ambitious film to date, conceptually and technically (the effects are still remarkable today). Worth a revisit for all of those who dismiss it as a poorly considered misstep for Fincher.

5. Se7en - His functional debut, and the baseline all his other work should be judged against. I’ve never had a lot of love for it (it’s not exactly redefining the police procedural, and I never thought its twist(s) felt earned), but it’s hard to deny its purity of form, I guess - very little technical or structural fault to be found here. Good work out from Freeman and Pitt (though he’s better in his later collabs) and especially a film-stealing Spacey (sorry). Set up a roadmap for the rest of his films and laid out a lot of his MO going forward, it just doesn’t really pop out to me otherwise.

6. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - One of the most edgelord-y movies ever made by a big studio, I think, and an unequivocal improvement over the original Swedish film - though maybe that’s not saying too much. Elevates the pulpy source a good deal with Fincher’s signature sleek, meticulous style, and the central mystery’s good enough, but it’s more satisfying on the level of individual good (usually lurid and sadistic, even for Fincher) scenes than whole narratives. Really helped by Rooney Mara’s very, very good performance, one of the best in Fincherdom, but one wishes that she was more the focus of the film than she ended up being (she’s the title character!).

7. Panic Room - Truly, there’s not that much going on in this film: mother and daughter are trapped in titular room as thieves try to break in! That’s not strictly a bad thing, really - it’s a well-structured chamber thriller (is that a thing?) with some fun set pieces and a pretty solid ensemble (a young Kristen Stewart especially makes her mark), and that’s nothing to criticize. But at the end of the day, it’s mostly just there, unoffensive but forgettable.

8. Gone Girl - I dunno about this one. It tries to be super Relevant and Revealing about gender politics, but obscures its message under so much grime that it’s hard to tell what it’s trying to say and leaves it way too open to misunderstanding - audiences can be dumb, sure, but if your ostensibly-feminist story is being called out for misogyny this often, maybe you’ve lost the plot a bit. It succeeds on other grounds though - Affleck and Pike are both quite good (shoutout as well to Tyler Perry), there are some strong individual scenes, and it has my favorite Trent Reznor score thus far. It just doesn’t fit very nicely together, and it’s not half as clever as it thinks, which hamstrings the project.

9. Fight Club - You know, maybe it’s not objectively his worst, but it’s absolutely his most annoying. Like yes, its whole satire of masculinity is very clever (if super of its time) and not even necessarily off base, it just completely fails to make it convincing - Brad Pitt made Tyler Durden too sexy! I can only listen to so much of the Palahniukian pseudo-profound observations before my eyes roll out of my head, anyway, but similar to Gone Girl this film just sort of loses itself in the apparent attractiveness of what it’s trying to critique. On top of all that, it’s way too long, too cute in its visual quirks, and reaches for the low-hanging fruit a few too many times. It’s more interesting if it’s read as a gay film, though, which it probably should be by default.

Bonus: If we just compare first seasons, House of Cards (sorry again!) is better than Mindhunter, but the latter feels more like Fincher’s baby, maybe just because of the obvious comparisons to Se7en and Zodiac. Both are alright, though, if I ranked them they’d both be somewhere between Button and Panic Room.

Bonus 2: Yes, Alien 3 is omitted from this list. No, I don’t think I have to rank it.

#David Fincher #film #Zodiac #The Social Network #The Game #The Curious Case of Benjamin Button #Se7en #The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo #Panic Room #Gone Girl #Fight Club #procrastination

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robertjacobsugdens · 7 years ago

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robron and 13 please :D

13. co stars au

“Come on, mate, at least consider it.” Adam says and Aaron doesn’t knowwhether he wants to laugh at him or throttle him.

The warm California sun is shining on them, making Aaron sweat under hislong sleeves, but he bets he has nothing on Adam’s smart suit. He can’t say hecan muster a lot of sympathy at the moment.

“Give me one good reason why I would want to get into a PR relationshipwith Robert Sugden, of all people.” Aaron asks, voice rising towards the end.He hopes that if he says it enough time Adam will come back to his senses andrealize that the whole thing is ridiculous.

Adam opens his mouth to reply, but Aaron cuts him off. “A good reasonthat isn’t ‘because Victoria flippin’ Sugden asked.’” He adds. Adam rolls hiseyes but Aaron can see a pink flush rise on his face. He’d laugh but he’safraid it might undercut his anger.

“He’s trying to rehabilitate his image after the whole debacle,” Adam says, half whispering thelast word, as if speaking too loud might reignite the whole issue again. In acity like Los Angeles, Aaron’s not too sure it wouldn’t be possible, “and you’dbe perfect.”

“He was outed as bisexual not as a drug lord.” Aaron snaps without anyreal heat. He doesn’t want to do it, but he knows that if Adam keeps pressing,he will. “You can say the word.”

“I was trying to be sensitive!” Adam shoots back, already laughing.

When Aaron had decided to try acting as a sort of therapy, most peoplehad laughed at him. When he had decided to really get into it, try to make itinto a career, most people had told him he was crazy. When he had decided tomove to Los Angeles and try it for real, most people had deserted him. But notAdam. Never Adam.

Adam had sat outside every single one of Aaron’s acting classes and inthe audience of every single one of his theater performances. He’d read everysingle book, article, or internet page he could get his hands on about managingactors. He’d cashed in every single chip he had and bought a ticket to L.A.with Aaron.

Aaron knows he owes Adam. He is acutely aware.

But Robert Sugden is a nightmare.

“You’re failing.” Aaron replies, his tone dry.

They both laugh. Adam doesn’t ask again.

Robert Sugden is famous. And rich. Handsome. Talented too, if you careto see him in anything other than the soulless blockbusters he keeps making.

Aaron is not a snob. He enjoys a nice, soulless, Michael Bay movie asmuch as the next bloke who likes cars. Healso understands, in somewhat abstract terms, that money is important. Whatannoys him, is that Robert could do so much more than the umpteenth mediocre actionmovie. He’s got the fancy education and the early indie movie cred to prove it(not that Aaron has obsessively watched those or anything).

Aaron had said that to his face once.

He thinks this feud might be his fault.

Aaron is aware that he’s looking at Adam like he has two heads. He knowsmostly because Adam’s smile is wavering slightly, getting wobbly at the edges.

“You’re joking.” Aaron says. It must be a joke.

“Aaron, I would never joke about David Fincher.” Adam says and Aaronknows it’s true.

Aaron is going to be in a David Fincher movie.

He feels like he could fly away, he’s so happy.

“There’s just one small thing.”

And he’s back on the ground.

“What?” Aaron asks, wary.

“Robert Sugden has been cast as well.” Adam says.

Aaron sees Robert coming in from the glass walls of the conference roomand has to take a moment to remind himself to breathe like a normal person. He’snot star struck. He’s met Robert before, unfortunately. It’s just that, well,sometimes when people see Aaron on set before hair and makeup have done theirjobs, they think he’s a member of the crew. No one could ever mistake Robertfor anything but the movie star he is.

He’s wearing a suit to a table read, like the posh twat he is, his hairis artfully tousled, and Aaron is pretty sure the watch on his wrist costs morethan Aaron’s car. And Aaron’s car is pretty much the only luxury he indulgesin.

Robert comes in, shakes Fincher’s hand and hugs the script writer,whispering something in her ear and making her laugh. He sits down. Then, hesmirks in Aaron’s direction.

The table read has gone well, really well, and Aaron is buzzing. He hasall these feelings and thoughts swarming inside his head and they aren’t hisand it’s making him itch to go out and do something. Anything. He’s feelingreckless and happy.

It’s probably why when Robert sides up to him and says “let’s get adrink” low enough that only Aaron can hear him, Aaron says yes instead of shovinghim aside and running out of there.

“Come on, I’ll drive.” Robert says, climbing into his car, a silverbeauty Aaron has dreamed about more times than he cares to admit.

He’s half expecting Robert to drive them to a fancy club, somewhere withheavy bass music and overpriced drinks. Robert instead makes a turn towardsHollywood Hills.

“I thought we could get a drink at my place.” Robert says, smiling atAaron and Aaron smiles back.

There’s a weird sort of tension in the car, but it’s not unpleasant. Aaronknows where this is going.

It’s not a good idea.

They’re co-stars. Robert’s a dick. Robert was just recently outed.Robert apparently wanted to date Aaron as a sort of PR stunt.

Aaron hasn’t managed to beat the odds and become an actor by letting opportunitiesslip him by.

They slip inside Robert’s house and it’s not what Aaron was expecting.It’s modern and sleek, yes, but it also feels warm and lived in. There’s arumpled duvet on the massive sofa, as if someone has slept on the couch andforgot to straighten it out. Aaron doesn’t know why he finds it such anendearing thing, but here he is.

“What can I get you?” Robert asks, walking towards the kitchen.

“Beer, please.” Aaron replies, making himself comfortable on the couch. Hestarts going through the books on the coffee table. There’s a couple staples ofevery actor’s home, big picture books about old Hollywood that no one everreally opens, but there’s also three novels. All three have bookmarks stuck inthem.

“Here you go.” Robert says, handing Aaron a beer. It’s fancier than whatAaron usually goes for, but at least it’s not American beer.

“So.” Aaron says, while Robert sits down next to him, simultaneously tooclose and not close enough. “You’re not doing the next summer blockbuster thisyear.”

Robert laughs. “Someone told me I should get back to, and I quote, ‘moviesworth the price of the ticket.’”

Aaron scoffs. “And since when you listen to what anyone has to say?”

“Well, it also helps that I’ve been offered significantly fewer actionroles recently.” Robert says and he’s looking at his beer to avoid looking atAaron.

“I’m sorry about that.” Aaron says softly, putting a hand on Robert’sarm. It’s warm and solid.

Robert shrugs awkwardly.

He looks at Aaron from under his lashes and Aaron knows this is a move. He knows it. It doesn’t matter, it works.

They kiss, and it heats up immediately, Robert’s hands finding the skinunder Aaron’s t-shirt, Aaron shoving Robert’s suit jacket off. They’re flurryof hands and clothes and want.

They tumble into Robert’s bed, a huge and soft thing, moaning andlaughing and kissing.

Aaron might have been waiting for this one for a while.

“I can’t believe we haven’t done this earlier.” Aaron says. He’s cravinga cigarette, but he doesn’t have any of him and he refuses to leave this bed.Possibly ever.

“I tried.” Robert replies, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on Aaron’schest.

“What? When?” Aaron asks, turning to look at Robert. He’s even moregorgeous now, stripped of all the artifice.

“I had my sister get in touch with your manager, didn’t he tell you?”Robert says, like this is normal.

“Was that your way of asking me out?” Aaron asks.

Robert shrugs as much as he can while lying on his side. “Sounded like agood idea at the time.”

#writing*#aaron x robert #I hope you enjoy this anon!#and if you don't there's a great one siri wrote in my fic rec tag #Anonymous #ask #tw: outing #just to be on the safe side

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malte1mj-blog · 7 years ago

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2014 Movie Awards

Best Picture: Birdman Boyhood Mommy Nightcrawler Whiplash HONORABLE MENTION: Wild, Dear White People, Foxcatcher, Guardians of the Galaxy, Two Days One Night, Obvious Child, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Gone Girl, Edge of Tomorrow, Snowpiercer, Under the Skin Best Director: Damien Chazelle, Whiplash Xavier Dolan, Mommy Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman Richard Linklater, Boyhood HONORABLE MENTION: Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne, Two Days One Night; David Fincher, Gone Girl; Jonathan Glazer, Under the Skin; James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy; Bong Joon-ho, Snowpiercer; Doug Liman, Edge of Tomorrow; Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher; Gillian Robespierre, Obvious Child; Anthony Russo & Joe Russo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier; Justin Simien, Dear White People; Jean-Marc Vallee, Wild Best Actor: Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler Oscar Isaac, A Most Violent Year Michael Keaton, Birdman Channing Tatum, Foxcatcher Miles Teller, Whiplash HONORABLE MENTION: Steve Carell, Foxcatcher; Ellar Coltrane, Boyhood; Ansel Elgort, The Fault in Our Stars; Chris Evans, Snowpiercer; Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel; Jake Gyllenhaal, Enemy; John Lithgow, Love Is Strange; Alfred Molina, Love Is Strange; Dave Oyelowo, Selma; Joaquin Phoenix, Inherent Vice; Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Mommy; Chris Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy; Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything; Tony Revolori, The Grand Budapest Hotel; Tyler James Williams, Dear White People Best Actress: Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night Anne Dorval, Mommy Jenny Slate, Obvious Child Tessa Thompson, Dear White People Reese Witherspoon, Wild HONORABLE MENTION: Jennifer Aniston, Cake; Emily Blunt, Edge of Tomorrow; Emily Blunt, Into the Woods; Jessica Chastain, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby; Marion Cotillard, The Immigrant; Essie Davis, The Babadook; Scarlett Johansson, Under the Skin; Lisa Loven Kongsli, Force Majeure; Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Beyond the Lights; Julianne Moore, Still Alice; Elisabeth Moss, The One I Love; Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl; Tilda Swinton, Only Lovers Left Alive; Agata Trzebuchowska, Ida; Shailene Woodley, The Fault in Our Stars Best Supporting Actor: Riz Ahmed, Nightcrawler Ethan Hawke, Boyhood Edward Norton, Birdman Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher J.K. Simmons, Whiplash HONORABLE MENTION: Brandon P. Bell, Dear White People; Jamie Bell, Snowpiercer; Josh Brolin, Inherent Vice; Albert Brooks, A Most Violent Year; Matt Damon, Interstellar; Kristofer Hivju, Force Majeure; Eyles Gabel, A Most Violent Year; Ed Harris, Snowpiercer; Logan Lerman, Fury; Jonathan Pryce, Listen Up Phillip Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood Suzanne Clement, Mommy Elisabeth Moss, Listen Up Phillip Rene Russo, Nightcrawler Emma Stone, Birdman HONORABLE MENTION: Rose Byrne, Neighbors; Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year; Carrie Coon, Gone Girl; Kim Dickens, Gone Girl; Polly Draper, Obvious Child; Minnie Driver, Beyond the Lights; Carmen Ejogo, Selma; Anna Kendrick, Into the Woods; Agata Kulesza, Ida; Teyonah Parris, Dear White People; Kristen Stewart, Still Alice; Meryl Streep, Into the Woods; Tilda Swinton, Snowpiercer; Naomi Watts, Birdman Best Original Screenplay: Birdman -Armando Bo, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., Nicolas Giacobone & Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Boyhood - Richard Linklater Dear White People - Justin Simien Mommy - Xavier Dolan Nightcrawler - Dan Gilroy HONORABLE MENTION: The Babadook, Beyond the Lights, Force Majeure, Foxcatcher, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Ida, The Lego Movie, Listen Up Phillip, Love Is Strange, A Most Violent Year, Two Days One Night Best Adapted Screenplay: Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn Guardians of the Galaxy - James Gunn & Nicole Perlman Obvious Child - Elisabeth Holm, Karen Maine & Gillian Robespierre Whiplash - Damien Chazelle Wild - Nick Hornby HONORABLE MENTION: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Edge of Tomorrow, The Fault in Our Stars, Inherent Vice, Into the Woods, Snowpiercer, Still Alice, 22 Jump Street, Under the Skin Best Ensemble: Birdman Dear White People Gone Girl The Grand Budapest Hotel Love Is Strange HONORABLE MENTION: Beyond the Lights, Boyhood, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Force Majeure, Foxcatcher, Fury, Guardians of the Galaxy, Inherent Vice, Interstellar, Jersey Boys, The Lego Movie, Mommy, A Most Violent Year, Pride, Selma, Snowpiercer, Wild Best Limited Performance - Male: Timur Magomedgadzhiev, Two Days, One Night Tom McTigue, Boyhood Adam Pearson, Under the Skin Henry G. Sanders, Selma Lakeith Stanfield, Selma HONORABLE MENTION: Mike Birbiglia, The Fault in Our Stars; Cliff De Young, Wild; Martin Donovan, Inherent Vice; Billy Magnussen, Into the Woods; Peter McRobbie, Inherent Vice; Bill Murray, The Grand Budapest Hotel; Jeremy Shamos, Birdman; Russell Tovey, Pride; Michael K. Williams, Inherent Vice; Jeffrey Wright, Only Lovers Left Alive Best Limited Performance - Female: Jeannie Berlin, Inherent Vice Lindsay Duncan, Birdman Michele Lituac, Mommy Alison Pill, Snowpiercer Tilda Swinton, The Grand Budapest Hotel HONORABLE MENTION: Connie Britton, This Is Where I Leave You; Ellen Burstyn, Interstellar; Hong Chau, Inherent Vice; Cindy Cheung, Obvious Child; Leslie Jones, Top Five; Jena Malone, Inherent Vice; Donna Mitchell, St. Vincent; Vanessa Redgrave, Foxcatcher; Isabella Rossellini, Enemy; Lorraine Toussaint, Selma; Menna Trussler, Pride; Oprah Winfrey, Selma Breakthrough Performance: Ellar Coltrane, Boyhood Ansel Elgort, The Fault in Our Stars Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Mommy Tony Revolori, The Grand Budapest Hotel Agata Trzebuchowska, Ida HONORABLE MENTION: Lilla Crawford, Into the Woods; Pierre Deladonchamps, Stranger by the Lake; Lisa Loven Kongsli, Force Majeure; Johannes Bah Kuhnke, Force Majeure; George MacKay, Pride; Jack O’Connell, Unbroken; Ben Schnetzer, Pride; Noah Wiseman, The Babadook Best Film Editing: Birdman - Douglas Crise & Stephen Mirrione Boyhood - Sandra Adair Edge of Tomorrow - James Herbert & Laura Jennings Nightcrawler - John Gilroy Whiplash - Tom Cross HONORABLE MENTION: Beyond the Lights, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Dear White People, Foxcatcher, Gone Girl, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Guardians of the Galaxy, Last Days in Vietnam, Life Itself, Mommy, Obvious Child, The Overnighters, Snowpiercer, 22 Jump Street, Under the Skin, Wild Best Cinematography: Birdman - Emmanuel Lubezki Foxcatcher - Greig Fraser Nightcrawler - Robert Elswit Under the Skin - Daniel Landin Whiplash - Sharone Meir HONORABLE MENTION: Boyhood, Edge of Tomorrow, Gone Girl, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Ida, The Immigrant, Inherent Vice, Interstellar, Mommy, A Most Violent Year, Selma, Snowpiercer, Wild Best Original Score: Birdman - Antonio Sanchez Gone Girl - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross The Grand Budapest Hotel - Alexandre Desplat Nightcrawler - James Newton Howard Under the Skin - Mica Levi HONORABLE MENTION: The Babadook, The Boxtrolls, Edge of Tomorrow, Fury, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Inherent Vice, Interstellar, The Lego Movie, A Most Violent Year, The One I Love, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash Best Original Song: Begin Again - "Lost Stars" - Gregg Alexander & Danielle Brisebois Beyond the Lights - "Blackbird" - Terius Nash Divergent - "Beating Heart" - Ellie Goulding & Joe Janiak The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 - "Yellow Flicker Beat" - Joel Little & Ella Yelich-O'Connor Selma - "Glory" - Common & John Legend HONORABLE MENTION: Begin Again - "Like a Fool"; Begin Again - "Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home"; Beyond the Lights - "Grateful"; Beyond the Lights - "Masterpiece"; Big Hero 6 - "Immortals"; The Boxtrolls - "The Boxtrolls Song"; Boyhood - "Split the Difference"; The Fault in Our Stars - "All of the Stars"; The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 - "The Hanging Tree"; The Lego Movie - "Everything Is Awesome"; Muppets Most Wanted - "The Big House"; Muppets Most Wanted - "We're Doing a Sequel" Best Art Direction: Birdman - George DeTitta Jr. & Kevin Thompson Gone Girl - Donald Graham Burt & Douglas A. Mowat The Grand Budapest Hotel - Anna Pinnock & Adam Stockhausen Interstellar - Nathan Crowley & Gary Fettis Snowpiercer - Beata Brendtnerova & Ondrej Nekvasil HONORABLE MENTION: The Babadook, Big Eyes, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Dear White People, Divergent, Edge of Tomorrow, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, The Imitation Game, Inherent Vice, Into the Woods, Jersey Boys, A Most Violent Year, Selma, X-Men: Days of Future Past Best Costume Design: Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Judianna Makovsky The Grand Budapest Hotel - Milena Canonero Guardians of the Galaxy - Alexandra Byrne Into the Woods - Colleen Atwood Selma - Ruth E. Carter HONORABLE MENTION: The Babadook, Beyond the Lights, Birdman, Divergent, Edge of Tomorrow, Gone Girl, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Ida, The Imitation Game, Inherent Vice, Interstellar, Jersey Boys, A Most Violent Year, Only Lovers Left Alive, Pride, Snowpiercer, X-Men: Days of Future Past Best Makeup: Beyond the Lights The Grand Budapest Hotel Guardians of the Galaxy Snowpiercer X-Men: Days of Future Past HONORABLE MENTION: Birdman, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Edge of Tomorrow, Foxcatcher, Fury, Gone Girl, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Inherent Vice, Into the Woods, Jersey Boys, Only Lovers Left Alive, Pride, Selma, The Theory of Everything Best Sound Mixing: Birdman Captain America: The Winter Soldier Guardians of the Galaxy Under the Skin Whiplash HONORABLE MENTION: Begin Again, Boyhood, Edge of Tomorrow, Gone Girl, The Grand Budapest Hotel, How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Inherent Vice, Interstellar, Into the Woods, Jersey Boys, The Lego Movie, Mommy, Nightcrawler, Snowpiercer, 22 Jump Street, Wild, X-Men: Days of Future Past Best Sound Editing: Birdman Captain America: The Winter Soldier Edge of Tomorrow Snowpiercer Whiplash HONORABLE MENTION: American Sniper, Big Hero 6, Divergent, Fury, Gone Girl, Guardians of the Galaxy, How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Interstellar, The Lego Movie, 22 Jump Street, Under the Skin, X-Men: Days of Future Past Best Visual Effects: Captain America: The Winter Soldier Edge of Tomorrow Guardians of the Galaxy The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 Under the Skin HONORABLE MENTION: American Sniper, Birdman, Divergent, Interstellar, Maleficent, Snowpiercer, 22 Jump Street, Unbroken, X-Men: Days of Future Past Best Foreign Film: Force Majeure - Ruben Ostlund Ida - Pawl Palikowski Mommy - Xavier Dolan Stranger by the Lake - Alain Guiraudie Two Days, One Night - Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne HONORABLE MENTION: N/A Best Documentary: Art and Craft - Sam Cullen & Jennifer Grausman Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me - Chiemi Karasawa Last Days in Vietnam - Rory Kennedy Life Itself - Steve James The Overnighters - Jesse Moss Honorable Mention: CITIZENFOUR, Finding Vivian Maier, Happy Valley, I Am Divine Best Animated Film: Big Hero 6 - Don Hall & Chris Williams The Boxtrolls - Graham Annable & Anthony Stacchi Ernest & Celestine - Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar & Benjamin Renner How to Train Your Dragon 2 - Dean DeBlois The Lego Movie - Phil Lord & Chris Miller HONORABLE MENTION: N/A Every 2014 Film I've Seen: Ranked

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