Andrew Thayne / politic1983
@politic1983
Luton, with a hint of Japanese...now with added Hungarian. 私は Andy vagyok.
Why do England sing about Germany and the Second World War?
It does have some decent moments and the comedy is good in parts. It's just a bit long for what the Minions are. They just aren't enough to carry a film on their own.
A bit of a Hollywood self-con gratulatory romp, I've never really known what to make of the Minions and why they're so popular. What is a bit of a sideshow being the main event is a bit of a struggle for a 90 minute film, resulting in some odd plot choices, with the random Dort character a result.
This is furthered by the 'past lives' concept itself. The dialogue, particularly the English, feels unnatural and there is a lot of hearing what you want to hear. Basically, 2 single people chatted online with an old friend. When no longer single, the chat fades. Making the final tears unwarranted.
It's very easy to compare this in some ways to Lost in Translation, so I will. The soundtrack (which unnecessarily drowns out many scenes) has the air of whimsy, with almost shot recreations looking out from taxis at dawn to give the waking from a dream feel. But it's all a bit surface level.
Nuisance. #FilmSky #LastFourWatched #LetterboxdFriday
While still having its moments, it feels less wild for Miike, feeling like a more polished version of some previous ideas (the end reminds of Dead or Alive). The love interest sides feel like they could be explored more, but this packs a lot in as an epic showcase of late 90s/early 00s Miike.
This is perhaps 1 of Miike's more conventional films, following something of a formulaic yakuza power-struggle structure of lots of characters fighting over power in a complex network. While slower and longer than most of hits works at the time, it isn't dull and maintains interest.
Antonio Pinto's soundtrack fits it perfectly, with undertones of inevitable tragedy laced throughout. Love him or hate him, Diego and Maradona merge to create the great story of Diego Maradona.
I film I love to return to, with some great storytelling from archive footage, choosing to focus on his time in Italy and how it both made him then broke him. The puzzle pieces slot together nicely - almost too nicely - showing the slow rise, but rapid decline. Never treat people as gods.
It has some decent jokes and has some well-observed elements in the script. But by the 5th, is it just more of the same? And not just within the franchise, but modern animation in general? Stylistically, films just look too similar to each other now, lacking any distinctive flair or artistry.
The idea for this is a potentially interesting one, though I don't feel it really pushes it enough, though handles its subject decently enough. I can't remember if I've actually seen any of the first 4 in their entirety, and I fell asleep for a bit during this, so still can't say I have.
Based on his own mini-series, Odagiri steals the show as Oliver (in a dog suit), with a good comedy dynamic with Ikematsu. And why didn't they stick with expanding their chapter?! Starting well, as this splits characters into new chapters, it loses its way. But when it's good, it's good.
Yet another Japanese ensemble comedy of - what are essentially - sketches, attempting a Lynchian linking thread, though gets a little to obscure to satisfy as a whole. As ever with these films, they are inconsistent, and the slow pace can see it lose stamina and audience engagement in the middle.
No wonder they're taking the car if they can't get there until bedtime otherwise! At the age of 17 I made the important decision for my future children's health by deciding to sack-off learning how to drive as I couldn't be arsed. Quite literally, on your bike son.
At you service... #LetterboxdFriday #LastFourWatched #FilmSky
The police interviews give it something of a Usual Suspects feel, crossed with Krasznahorkai's Satantango. The background jokes are often the more rewarding, at its best when its at its most subtle. Lazy and enjoyable, the Hungarian summer awaits...
A bit of a slow burner, this laid-back Hungarian comedy is something of the Magyar Clerks, with a collection of 'colourful' characters and interesting happenings in what is a very mediocre life. With a new millennium colour palette to make it look like a Midwest setting it's local and international.
Reika Kamata is not shy in naming and shaming the judges involved, letting the question of guilt hang in the air. And it features none other than Tatsuya Nakadai on narration in one of his last credits.
A critique of the Japanese justice system via a case which stretched over 6 decades and numerous appeals, posing the question as to why some evidence is favoured over others, Working with years of archive footage and new interviews, this paints quite a questionable picture of the courts.