Your film diary 2019

Sméagol · January 14, 2019

It took a while, but I've seen the first films of 2019. I'll promise to report more frequently this time. Anyway, 2019 started great.

The favourite ♥♥♥♥♥
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A period drama, with the occasional absurd dry comedy thrown in. Apparently about a real British Queen (Anne). I wasn't familiar with her, and some of the humour threw me off and made me think it was purely fictional. I read up about it afterwards, and it seems it's ever so loosely based on the real Queen Anne, but the director (the same one as from The Lobster), took plenty liberties in order to tell his story. It's about poor Queen Anne, who's both physically and mentally less and less fit for the role of Queen, and gets manipulated both by her old friend / lover and a newcomer. All three ladies, Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and especially Emma Stone (♥♥♥), are great.

Cold War ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

A Polish tragic love story about two flawed people who are totally mismatched, and despite the circumstances, can't help but fall in love. Set against the backdrop of the 50s, first in Poland with the Communist regime in charge, but Paris is another big setting. Bittersweet, and visually stunning.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Sméagol

Sméagol · April 1, 2019

It's only been 3 month, but let's update this.. :blank:

I won't elaborate on all of them, but I need to highlight a few festival films. I have no idea if some of them will reach the cinema, at least over here in The Netherlands, and in Europe in general. IFFR was a bit didsappointing overall, with no films that I'm likely to consider a favourite of the year overall at the end of the year, but I did see some good ones. But the ones I liked most are also generally the ones that have so far no indication of getting a regular release. These are exactly the kind of films I visit festivals for, but on the other hand they're hard recommendations.. So ehh, keep the titles in mind?

Harpoon ♥♥♥♥♥
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2 guys and a girl on a boat. They get stranded on the ocean. Now they have to decide who eats who. A very funny, but also very gory horror comedy. One of those world premières. So no idea how long it will take before you get the opportunity to see this.

Tel Aviv on Fire ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

Palestinian guy works on a Palestinian show that's about a Palestinian spy who falls in love with an Israelian commander. The show is popular on both sides, but this creates the problem of how they're going to end it.. Funny and light-hearted take on a difficult subject matter.

The Best of Dorien B. ♥♥♥♥♥
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Belgian woman has a few setbacks in life. Bittersweet and funny dramady, with a terrific performance by the lead actress, who apparently wasn't a pro. Another world première, so no idea if or when. Though it was pretty popular with the public, so I think the chances are pretty high for at least a Dutch release.

Els dies que vindran ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb teaser

Catalan film about a couple getting their first baby. Another bittersweet and occasionally funny dramedy. Hats off to the actress for another incredible performance, especially as she was actually pregnant during the shooting, in fact that was what apparently started it all. Another world première, and Catalan to boot.. You will never hear of this film again.

Bangla ♥♥♥♥♥
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Comedy about a Bangladeshi guy in Rome, who falls in love with an (super hot) Italian girl. Clash of cultures and family traditions. It's very funny, and for this guy's (the lead actor is also the director) first feature film it looked pretty slick. This film deserves more recognition, as I think it would appeal to a more general audience. But yet again, another world première, and as of yet no sign of a regular release. Anywhere.

And two non-festival films:

Eighth Grade ♥♥♥♥♥
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Coming of age comedy about a girl in her last year of school before high school. Very funny and super sweet.

Us ♥♥♥♥♥
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Horror about a family who is forced to fight their eveil doppelgängers. Not sure if I should give this 4/5.. I really loved the atmosphere, and it was definitely full of suspense. Problem is the story doesn't make sense in a few ways. Even after googling the metaphors afterwards. Story-wise get out was better. Still though. Pretty fun. But if you have yet to see the film, and still intend to, here's a tip, read up on this piece of context: Hands across America. It's part of plot point.

List of films I've seen in 2019

Edited April 1, 2019 by Sméagol

bob · April 2, 2019

Fun fact: on Tapatalk, you've given every single one of these films 5/5.

Sméagol · April 2, 2019

They all deserve it.

Weird combination of films you've decided to click on @bob

Also that seems like such a hassle to view posts like that.

Sméagol · April 7, 2019

Fighting with my family ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

Biopic about Paige, a British female wrestler in the WWE, who comes from a complete family of wrestling fanatics, but when she and her brother are invited for some try-outs for the WWe, only Paige gets picked. It's funny, sweet, and has a great cast. I'f I'm being objectively honest, it's a bit standard, and I'm not at all interested in wrestling, but I just love Florence Pugh, and she's just great. It's also a bit weird in context.. Now I've read up on the actual person (also touched upon in the wrestling thread I've seen). I ehh, came across some interesting stuff.

films seen in 2019

Edited April 7, 2019 by Sméagol

Sméagol · May 20, 2019

Werk ohne Autor ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

Pretty good German drama about a boy growing up to be an artist over the years, and the dramatic events that shaped him. From the disappearance of his aunt when he was a young boy, second World War, to falling in love after the war. The girl (his aunt in the film) from my current avatar is in this film.

Avengers: Endgame ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

Probably won't need to comment on this, except maybe that I should bump that score perhaps. I'm not sure haha. I don't consider it a cinematic masterpiece, then again I do consider it an almost perfect ending to 10 years of Marvel films. Few niggles aside. Well I mention one, as I saw Infinity War and this one back to back: Vision got the short end of the stick. He definitely got the worst treatment, which is a shame, because I wanted him to go out with a bang just like everyone else.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

It was ok. I really liked the portrayal of Ryme City and all the Pokémon living in it. The story was ok, but nothing special. Action was also just ok in general. Wanted more actual detective work actually. Acting.. was bad haha. Although I'm familiar with Will Smith's son, I actually have never seen him in action. Seems he still has a long way to go. The reporter girl similarly wasn't great, but at least she was cute, as was Rita Ora. ♥ I did like some of the jokes though, and my favourite part is

Spoiler

Ms. Norman revealed to be a Ditto.

Got my Pokémon horror after all. :laughing:

Mirai ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

Another recent hit anime (and one of the Oscar nominations for Animation). Was really looking forward to this one, but was slightly disappointing. A (very young) boy gets a new sister and needs to adapt to the new situation, and learns to cope with this by living out elaborate fantasies (or are they??) about his family members in various past or future times, including his new sister Mirai. Basically a fantasy coming of age film, just with a particularly young protagonist. My brother couldn't stand him. I tolerated him, as the films does make a point about kids just being damn annoying, but still, haha. In the end I thought the story being told was just not that interesting enough.

Perfect Blue ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

A special screening of a classic anime, one I hadn't seen before. A #mindfuck thriller from Satoshi Kon (RIP). Pretty good stuff. A former popstar tries to make it as an actress, but gets stalked by a fan who doesn't agree with her career change. Things escalate when people around the actress get hurt or even killed.. But is the stalker even real? Like I said, it's a mindfuck. There are some inception-like layers to it, where you're not sure what the "real reality" actually is. Also I wasn't aware beforehand, but Aranofsky's Black Swan story definitely has a striking resemblence to this one's.

Le samouraï ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

Another special screening, this time a classic French noir (and apparently a film that's pretty hard to get). And god damn what a classic it is. A hitman who is pretty good with details, unfortunately still hits a slight snag on his latest job. Initially not a big problem, until it appears his employers don't see it that way, and want to get rid of him. While light on actual story, or even big events happening, it's just fucking cool. Cool in the very original sense. Seeing this film just makes me want to go "Mom, I want to be like that guy. I want to be a hitman". It also looks gorgeous. Apparently this was also the big inspiration to Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: Way of the samurai. I can barely remember that film, but a quick check on IMDB reveals more than a few similarities.

bob · May 21, 2019

Although I'm familiar with Will Smith's son, I actually have never seen him in action.

And you still haven't.

Not all black people are related @Sméagol!

Sméagol · May 21, 2019

16 minutes ago, bob said:

And you still haven't.

Not all black people are related @Sméagol!

He's not? Whoops. What was his son called then? Or did he already give up?

bob · May 21, 2019

Jaden Smith is his son, and apparently he's a rapper now, rather than an actor.

Sméagol · November 18, 2019

TLDR - Go watch Booksmart, and if you're up for something Japanese, Bento Harassment

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

I barely recall the films from earlier (this would be May).. But as far as I can remember, this was ok, but let down by the pacing towards the end. Action scenes getting tiresome and less creative. Though I did really like one of the earlier action scenes. In the library I think?

Le Doulos ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

Another films I barely remember. One of the classic Jean-Pierre Melville they were showing, and I wish I've seen more of them. I recall thinking it was pretty good, but definitely not as slick as Le Samuraï above.

Three Identical Strangers ♥♥♥♥♥
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Very interesting documentary about three triplets who were separated at birth (unbeknownst to their parents), all for the sake of some social experiment.

Spider-Man: Far from Home ♥♥♥♥♥
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Got tired of all the roadtripping and CGI monster hunting.. Though I did like Mysterio.

Booksmart ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

This is (spoiler) looking like my most likely candidate for film of the year so far, but I'll do my usual favourites list at the end of the year.

A coming of age film about 2 girls on their last day of college realizing they haven't had "fun", having been focussing on studying. So they decide to party! Theme-wise a bit similar to Eight grade, another fantastic film, but this one is much more about the comedy angle than the drama. It's absolutely hilarious at times. I decided to link the greenband trailer as opposed to the redband just to save some of the jokes. The girls are great, and there are some great looking shots as well.

Long Shot ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

I remember thinking htis was shit, but I can't remember if I thought this was one heart shit or 2 heart shit. I'm going with 2 hearts I guess, as there were some funny bits in this "comedy". You can see all of them in the trailer.

From Dusk Till Dawn ♥♥♥♥♥
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Another classic. Crazy monsters, gore, awesome practical effects, awkward moments, and a delectable Salma Hayek.

Toy Story 4 ♥♥♥♥♥
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I didn't think they needed to make another one. But I thought the same of the 3rd one, and that turned out great, so I gave this a chance anyway. Eh. Visually it looks absolutely fantastic. the fair at night is a sight to behold. It's still funny. Bo Peep is awesome. To be honest, objectively it's good, but.. I just got tired of it. It didn't feel like it was necessary, this really was one too many. The 3rd should have been the perfect end.

Jackie Brown ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

A Tarantino classic. They've shown all of them, unfortunately I missed Pulp Fiction (which I've never seen in Cinema (though they probably wouldn't let me at the time)) and Reservoir Dogs (which I don't think I've seen at all, at this point the only one I haven't seen I think).

Anyway, I've never seen this one, but it ends up being.. maybe my favourite Tarantino? It is very cool in any case. All the cool typical Tarantino awkward dialogue and violence.. But a cool story about a woman double crossing both a gangster she worked for and the cops in order to steal the aforementioned ganster's money.

Sorry to Bother You ♥♥♥♥♥
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A funny film that gets a bit.. weird. I mean, if you think the trailer is already weird.. That's nothing. it gets really weird.

The Matrix ♥♥♥♥♥
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Another classic I've never seen in a cinema. And an absolute blast it was to watch on a big screen! I kind of regret not going a second tme.

Midsommar ♥♥♥♥♥
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I love Florence Pugh, so i went to see this horror, but it's absolute shit. Nothing makes sense. Not what the (unlikable) protagonists do, nor what the cultists do. There's no consistency at all.

It Chapter Two ♥♥♥♥♥
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't was ok. The film was fine, but I think I'm just getting too old for the "friendship triumphs over evil" ending, though obviously I can't fault the film for that.

Monos ♥♥♥♥♥
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A film about teenage soldiers in some fictional war. You barely actually get to see anything of that war, or know about it, but that really adds to the mysterious and haunting atmosphere. The kids are mostly on stand-by. It's more about how they deal with the situation (being teens they don't deal with it well at all). It's a hard recommendation because this film is all about atmosphere (and well, pretty Colombian landscapes, and a great fitting soundtrack). For me that was eniugh in this particular case.

Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

It's a 3 hour Tarantino film.. about nothing haha. And still I loved it. another film where it's morte about the atmosphere, and of course the Tarantino dialogues.. I also just absolutely loved the old Hollywood setting. I dunno. A 3 hour story about an strugling actor, and it just flew by regardless.

Tigers Are Not Afraid ♥♥♥♥♥
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A dark modern fairytale about kids dealing with gang violence in Mexico. Yes. A fairytale about gang violence haha.

Next up a bunch of japanese films, all from a film festival.

Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms ♥♥♥♥♥
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Anime about a race of people who live very long lives, and live in a secluded area, but are conquered by another country. The film follows one girl in particular. Through the years (she outlives everyone), we see how she deals with her relationships and the situation in her new home with a war going on.

The Fable ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

Pretty funny and cool action comedy about a hitman who is forced to stay low, but has trouble adapting to his new situation when Yakuza troubles manage to find him anyway.. Yet he promised his boss not to kill anyone. A few cool action scenes, and like I said pretty funy overall.

Melancholic ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

An incredible dry black comedy drama about two guys becoming friends. While they burn corpses of people murdered for the yakuza. Truly the sweetest yakuza film I've ever seen. Probably another hard recommendation because of the dryness.. But personally I loved it.

Aragne: Sign of Vermillion ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

An horror anime. The plot was lost to me, so in the end I didn't enjoy it. I can't score it too low though.. I do like the character designs, and the fact that it's pretty much made by a single person is amazing.

Bento Harassment ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

While I tend to go for the more exciting / darker / fantastical films.. I can also enjoy a simple feel good comedy drama once in a while, and this one is fantastic. It's about a mother who tries to reconnect with her daughter, they barely talk to eachother. So she tries to get her attention by annoying her. With very humaliating lunch boxes. It's very funny and sweet.

12 Suicidal Teens ♥♥♥♥♥
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12 teens one to commit suicide together.. but they find one person already dead on the location. Part whodunnit, part social commentary (teen suicide is pretty high apparently in Japan). It was ok.

Little Miss Period ♥♥♥♥♥
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It's a film about women.. getting their period, and how it gets in the way of their lives. Only their "period" is portrayed as a pink blob that litterally follows them around. There were some funny moments, but I wanted more out of it.

Penguin Highway ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

Pretty good anime about a little boy who's obsessed with oppai (and if you know what that means, you are too!) Haha. Well he's incredibly smart, a bit arrogant, but strangely enough not annoying! Strange things start happening in town when a bunch of penguins suddenly show up, and being incredibly smart, he decided to investigate the situation, along with some friends and the dentist assistent (with the oppai) who he's in love with. It's very funny. I could do with a better ending I think.. But I loved it overall.

Oh and I forgot about the theme, but I'm reminded now I've rewatched the trailer.. Love that as well. By Hikaru Utada.

Fly Me to the Saitama ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

Another favourite of this festival. A very absurd comedy about Citizens of Tokyo going to war with a lesser neighbouring city / area. It's just ridiculous. And a bit epic in it own ridiculous way.

The Legend of the Stardust Brothers ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

Ugh. I thought I'd be in for something campy to close off the festival.. But this was too campy, and simply not well made haha. But watch the trailer to have a laugh at what I put myself through.

I've skipped some of the festival films as I don't have much to say about them.

Ad Astra ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

I enjoyed this science-fiction with Brad Pitt. I could have done with a little less inner monologueing I guess. And a less ridiculous ending (that just looks very improbable). But I loved the very subtle ways the films tells you that his world has gone too shit. Like how they have partioned off the Moon.

Joker ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

It's 75 % "look how sad this guy is", 15% shock value, and 9% actual story and character development (1% is the forced and out of place Batman tie-in / Bruce Wayne encounter).

Hustlers ♥♥♥♥♥
imdb trailer

A somewhat interesting story about strippers stealing from businessmen. Sometimes funny. Ultimately not a story worth an entire film. But I'll be honest. I came for Jennifer Lopez's ass. On that front it delivered.

Ready or Not ♥♥♥♥♥
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Pretty funny horror comedy about a woman having to play a deadly game of hide and seek haha.

Lola rennt ♥♥♥♥♥
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And another classic. It's about a woman named Lola. And she runs.

Edited November 18, 2019 by Sméagol

Sméagol · July 6, 2020

I've finally updated my list (See suspicious link for complete list, click 2019: http://163.158.240.156/films/), so I wanted to close off this thread by finally listing my favourites of 2019. Starting tomorrow I'll try to regularly update on 2020 films, though there haven't been that many so far unfortunately. Anyway.

Favourite films 2019

Roma