Last Movie You Watched

I watched Murder on the Orient Express (2017) last night. I'd heard bad things about it (corney and poorly acted), but the movie was great!

Granted, I'm very much in the target audience for an Agatha Christie whodonit, but the 2017 film was a fine example of the genre. While the first half set-up was better than the latter half resolution, I loved it all, and anyone claiming the actors were phoning this one in are certifiably insane. A special shout out to Michelle Pfeiffer who stole the show, and to Dafoe & Dench whose small roles still stood out. Daisy Ridley, too, was good in it, proving to all the naysayers that she's a strong actor with good range.

I'm very much looking forward to Death on the Nile (2022) now, and I'll probably go see it in the theater very soon



And now the obligatory comparison game:
Branagh's Poirot was funny and had presence, a more Sherlock Holmes'y manly-man version than David Suchet's take on the character, but I liked him. Suchet's verions, though, is a classic rendition, full of warmth and, well, character, but there are room for other interpretations of Hercul Poirot. Both are good.

As for the 2017 version of the story, I thought it was all right, it goes through the beats while focusing on the quirky characters, and the images -- while the CGI was almost cartoon-looking at times -- were interesting and strong. I still much prefer the Agatha Christie's Poirot episode's version, although, to be fair, that was the strongest episode in all the 13 seasons, and David Suchet delivered such a powerful, emotional, and vulnerable performance in the story's climax that I doubt anyone could've done it better.

(Unfortunately, I don't remember the 1974 version of the film, with Albert Finney as Poirot, a film that is supposedly the strongest version to date).

All in all, I really liked Murder on the Orient Express (2017), and give it a rating of 8/10 bloody daggers.

 

I’ve always wanted to watch this film, thanks for the review. Looking forward to Death on the Nile as well, looks like a trilogy is brewing.

 

Yes, I think they will get a trilogy. Death on the Nile seems to be doing ok, and the reception is fair. Branagh is actually talking about doing a sort of "Agatha Christie's Cinematic Universe" thing, and branch out into Miss Marple and other stuff, too. Could be fun

Also, Knives Out 2 will supposedly drop later this year, so 2022 is good for whodoneits Knives Out is my favorite film of the genre, ever, and I can't wait for the sequel, especially since Dave Bautista and Edward Norton are in it; they rank among my favorite actors.

 

I’ve just returned from watching Death on the Nile, and MAN, do I have thoughts about this one!

I really liked Branagh‘s Murder on the Orient Express, but I absolutely loved Death on the Nile! This one felt tighter and more powerful; an emotional power house of a movie, so very well acted, superbly directed, and expertly shot. Every actor brought their a-game to this one, with portrayals that were often heart-wrenching or even frightening, and to tell the truth, this one isn’t a whodoneit-movie at all! No, Death on the Nile is dark thriller, almost a horror story at times (without supernatural elements, of course) – with a dark nerve of tension, danger, and dread reverberating through it – and I cannot remember the last time I’ve felt so much anxiety and fear for a bunch of characters stuck in a confined location… and that’s with me even knowing the story more or less by heart!

And the music! With a central character being a blues band diva, Death on the Nile features several “live” music numbers and they’re all powerful performances that inform and color the story. Beautiful stuff.

Go see this movie! I give it a 10 out of 10 bloody daggers. Oh, and the critics must have watched an entirely different movie from me... *sigh*

 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the two Branagh films whenever you get around to it, @Addi Ras

I went in expecting nothing and was pleasantly surprised

 

is it better than knives out, the greatest movie ever to exist

 

You know what? I spent much time during the film pondering just this exact question. The thing is, though, that Knives Out is my favorite whodoneit film ever, but Branagh's Death on the Nile isn't actually that, but more like a tense triller thing that happens to be a closed space murder investigation. This makes them very hard to compare.

I think Knives Out is better written, but Death on the Nile is a more powerful film, if that makes any sense.

 

The Batman, with all the rave reviews my expectations were really low… I’m looking at you WW84. Great film, I hope it does well at the box office because I want to see a sequel. The Dark Knight is still my favorite Batman film. This was a good time at the theater. Its really dark, a Batman film should be, so If you are not into dark films you may want to skip it, and wait for the next Spider-Man film.

 

Yes.
More seriously, there aren't a lot of shots with sunlight. If there are, it's at sunrise or sunset, since most of the movie is set at night. The content is also dark, since the main story is Batman tracking a serial killer while wrestling with his own disconnect from humanity.
However, that doesn't mean the film is hopeless and nihilistic. The film in many ways is a deconstruction of the Caped Crusader's relationship with the concept of "dark and edgy."

 

Couldn’t have said it better myself… watch the spoilers dude… hehe
What you may think is not a spoiler is a spoiler for some, that’s why I didn’t give a description myself… great post though.

Use the sword, or Use the lightsaber, I mean @Use the Falchion broke it down pretty good. I’ve heard a few grips that it was a bit too dark, so that’s my simple warning.(like those that thought Man of Steel, another favorite of mine was too dark too).

Now Warner bros., give us a grizzled older version of The Dark Knight with Ben Affleck…. I can only dream…

 

The samurai film trilogy with my dad over the past few weeks. We finally finished the third movie last night, and in one sitting no less!

We watched these years ago now, but I had erased all memory of them from my head, so it was nice revisiting them. And then I started to remember why I erased all memory of them.
Don't get me wrong, the movies are beautiful, and the music iconic (to some), but the story - based off of the epic about Musashi's own past - is...it was made for a different time, let's say. The women are either all damsels in distress or are so swayed by their emotions (usually love for Musashi) that it makes them physically ill. Every man is a sexual harasser, and there are multiple attempts - including multiple successful attempts - of assault in this film. DO NOT WATCH IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO THIS OR GET TRIGGERS BY THESE. Musashi leaves Otsu throughout the trilogy, usually for a year or longer, forcing her to wait on him or seek him out...multiple times. Sosaki isn't really a good guy so much as he is vain and prideful. And everyone else is just...there, in most cases. This trilogy doesn't really feel like a story so much as it is a series of events that happen and are sometimes interconnected. It's not the worst offender, but it's far from the best.

The character I liked the most and felt was done dirty was Akemi. Akemi is seen as villainous just because of a past she had no control over and her own mother's abuse and worse. This doesn't absolve her of her own failings or flaws (which include but aren't limited to: anger, jealousy, pride, spite, and manipulative behavior), but she's always honest about her feelings towards Musashi, and frankly has loved him even longer than Otsu did. But because of her past and her mother's actions, she's portrayed as villainous and no good. It's a mindset that's been used - that is used - far too often, and I don't like it anymore here than in the real world.

Still, the trilogy is apparently a classic, and the story is iconic and is one I'd like to see in a different setting. If you're not into movies, there's a very popular manga version of Musashi's story called Vagabond.

 

Watched Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning with my dad on Saturday and Raya and the Last Dragon with my mom on Sunday!



RuroKen was great as always, and I was surprised that my dad remembered bits and pieces of the OVA Trust & Betrayal years ago (and The Final from last year.) The "you truly make it rain blood" scene had my dad wanting to see that in manga form...which I would have obliged, but by the time we finished the movie, he had to pack for a trip the next day.

Raya and the Last Dragon was a mix of feelings and emotions. I mostly picked the movie because my mom loves Awkwafina and I wanted to support KMT's movie, but we both ended up having a good time. The visuals were stunning, and the story wasn't bad either. It's very similar to Avatar: The Last Airbender in terms of world-building and the threat of the Big Bad, so if you like that, you'll probably like this...or maybe you'll hate it, since you feel like it's ripping ALTA off. (Raya looks like Korra as a kid and most likely shares her sexuality according to KMT, has Katara's optimism and shares a platonic version of the Katara/Aang relationship with Susi, and even has her own Zuko, romantic tension and all!) The action was good, but it always cut to a new angle right when things were getting awesome, which annoyed me a bit. Yes, movies do this all the time, but it was far more noticeable here for some reason.

As I was watching, this movie reminded me of The Last Jedi for some reason. It didn't have the Yin-Yang/Light-Dark balance that TLJ and other things like Shang-Chi possessed, but there was something in the message of hope and trust that brought me back to TLJ - oh and KMT being the voice of the main start helped. Speaking of, we had GEMMA FREAKING CHAN as our main human antagonist! It was awesome!

But now let's get into the criticism. This movie has a lot of criticisms, and most feel pretty stinkin' legitimate. But I'll only address three (and a half) today:
1. Mismatched voice actors. I like Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, and KMT, but a movie inspired by Southeast Asia should have Southeast Asian-heritage voice actors. Cassie Steele, a woman of Filipino descent on her mother's side was originally the voice of Raya but was ultimately replaced by KMT. I've read the reasoning, but I'm still not 100% the switch was the best choice available.

2. Shallow Characters & World - This world had a lot of potential, and honestly, I'd have liked to see more in the world. I think either spending more time in the world or actually having fewer pivotal side characters could have gone a long way in fleshing out the characters and cultures; but the side-characters are pivotal in the overall themes of unity and trust.
2.5. Dialogue - This movie, instead of using in-world events and things as references, preferred to use modern colloquialisms and phrases. Sure, explaining the "lone rider in a dystopian world" schtick is funny, but then using references like class project slacker, undercuts, and several other things made the movie feel too...modern? clean? ...for its setting. I didn't believe it.

3. Poor handling of the theme - The theme is supposed to be about trust, but as Honest Trailers points out, the movie shows that those who trust will be betrayed. Multiple times. So, the theme feels less about "you need to trust people" and more about "you need to give people opportunities to earn your trust."

I said that Raya reminded me of TLJ, but by the end of the night, it reminded me of my original TROS experience - it was fun while watching the movie (and this one I did genuinely enjoy and can remember pieces of) but ultimately felt shallow and messy once even a few minutes of distance was gained.

Ultimately, if you're going to watch a Disney movie, as much as I want to recommend this one, I think Encanto and Moana are more filling picks. This is good for a snack, but don't think too much about it.

 

The Batman, would last movie I watch in Cinema until I got a job. Lightyear and Dr Strange, I got Disney plus for that. But I do like going to cinema with popcorn. Hope I got a jobe

 

I loved this movie when it was released. Need to check it again.

 

Moon (2009) is amazing! It's one of my favorite films ever, especially when you consider how much they got out of a shoestring budget.