100 Movies before we move: #13

Emmy says:
I’m not feeling well, so my review is somewhat limited. I enjoyed this movie, the animation was great (the flowers looked amazing), I got emotional at the parts I was supposed to get emotional at. Momo’s comic relief was very enjoyable. I’m not sure what else I can say. 9/10.

Jeff says:
This is a well-made film: the animation is well done; the cast is excellent; the stated moral is a good one. So why didn’t I enjoy this movie more? I felt the ‘technology is isolating us’ message was too heavy-handed; I felt the ‘bully antagonist who is just misunderstood’ side plot was a misstep – she WAS a horrible person, and there was no acknowledging this; the protagonist was NOT a likeable person, despite her having reasons to hate the world. This is, of course, a kids movie – but giving some robots ‘personality’ and making us see them as people while at the same time blithely destroying hundreds of others (amongst so much other destruction) seemed to completely undermine the point about making friends. Meanwhile, happily destroying symbols of authority (police bots) is a GOOD message for kids? A fun action ride, but at what cost to our humanity? 5/10.

IMDb

100 Movies before we move: #12

Emmy says:
A colourful and varied ride through the underside of life. Rich characters and a non-linear timeline made it a real treat watching pieces come together, all with an epic soundtrack. 10/10.

Jeff says:
Pulp Fiction is a classic for a reason (for those that appreciate this sort of movie – I realise it’s not for everyone). Emmy hadn’t actually seen it, so that needed to be fixed, and I’m thrilled that she enjoyed it as much as I do. This was one of the first movies I remember seeing where the soundtrack was as important as the rest of the film (and I therefore needed to buy it). The action, acting, and cinematography – even 24 years later – holds up amazingly well. The inter-connecting but disparate stories admirably validate the title. Still one of the best Tarantino films. 10/10.

IMDb

100 Movies before we move: #11

Emmy says:
A great view of archaic practices and the inability to deal with failure. This true story illustrates the damage done by the police to women they didn’t want to deal with. Lovely costumes and a beautiful script made this an intriguing tale. 8/10.

Jeff says:
A disturbing true story, this film pulls few punches in showing what policing and treatment of women was like only 90 years ago. The tight focus on a mother’s determination made an otherwise surreal crime drama into a moving and challenging story. In some ways, it’s easy to see parallels in modern society … and we really should be better that that by now. 8/10.

IMDb

100 movies before we move: #9

Emmy says:
My ears! The audio in this film really is something. The voices seem to be overdubbed with recordings that don’t match the speed, the music is often abruptly cut, and the heavy breathing. Well I think that’s supposed to be breathing. The film doesn’t skimp on the blood. 4/10.

Jeff says:
Cecil from Good Bad Flicks rated this quite highly in his review, albeit only for its genre: exploitation slasher horror. While he’s not wrong, there is so much that’s bad about this film that it becomes farce. I understand there’s a different soundtrack for some versions so it’s possible that we watched an inferior version. Given the number of voice acting credits on IMDb, I’m not so sure though. Some of the special effects were done well (while others were terrible), but the acting, dialogue and score were woeful. Having said all that, I’m wondering what a proper remake with a decent budget would look like? 4/10.

IMDb

100 Movies before we move: #8

Emmy says:
Interesting use of media and the visual displays were great. Character motivations were indistinct and emotional connection non existent. 6/10.

Jeff says:
I remember reading the novel, and finding the characters hard to engage with. It was a very ‘detached’ story (from the perspective of my teenage mind). This was present in this version … but there was only a small handful of things from the book in this film. I get the social media angle given the current day, but there were aspects of the novel that could have been retained since they’re still relevant today. I also felt let down by the end. For a moment, I thought they were going to go with a more book-faithful ending (where the knowledge was kept) but instead the technological MacGuffin was used and I was disappointed. Oddly enough, this movie does to the book what gets done to books in this movie (the ones that are ‘kept’ anyway). 5/10.

IMDb

100 Movies before we move: #7

Emmy says:
This film ran at a leisurely pace through a world full of subliminal messages. I enjoyed the measured plot and music whilst being amused at how far sound effects have come since the 80’s. 8/10.

Jeff says:
Thanks to the Kickstarter for In Search of Darkness we finally got around to watching this 80’s classic from John Carpenter. While only a little over 90 minutes, this film is a slow burn that still packs a lot in it. It’s an excellent example of the mastery of Carpenter. While the effects are dated, the story works and the details are all too prescient. The deliberate anti-commercialisation message is just as poignant today as 30 years ago. Well worth watching, and deserving of its cult status. Oh, and that fight scene was terrific. 9/10.

IMDb

100 Movies before we move: #4

Emmy says:
The story was complex, but not very well implemented. The unreliable narrative was difficult to go along with. This could have been a real gem, unfortunately the brutality seems to have been for the sake of brutality and the script is in dire need of a rewrite. 6/10.

Jeff says:
An interesting idea, exploring coping mechanisms and survivor guilt. However, the structure and brutality made it worse than uncomfortable. If not for reviewing it here, I would have stopped watching. A thoroughly unenjoyable film that was nevertheless very well shot. 4/10.

IMDb