Whatcha Been Watching?

[DomsBeard]

Messiah

Watched the whole of the first season in two or three nights. It's an interesting take on faith and religion/racial tensions and media manipulation. Thought the final couple of episodes were a bit rushed and some things should have been fleshed out over earlier episodes but I enjoyed it. Hope it gets a second season.

[DomsBeard]

Star Trek Picard

As a TNG fan this made me really really happy. I've never been a fan of the Picard movies and was worried this would follow suit but this was great and in a way I'm glad I have to wait a week otherwise I'd still be watching now till I've consumed it all.

[ThirdMan]

The Personal History of David Copperfield (Cinema)

I was disappointed with this because, speaking selfishly, it wasn't what I wanted from an Armando Iannucci adaptation of Dickens. There's a silliness and an overall sense of whimsy that feel particularly ill-suited to his work. In many respects the source novel is simply his jumping-off point and he takes huge liberties with both plot and casting. I just wish he took those liberties in a different direction, perhaps doubling-down on the darkness and social commentary that's present in even Dickens' lightest works. That's what I felt this would be when it was first announced because it was preceded by The Death of Stalin, which was hilarious but also grim and unsettling. I (perhaps naively) expected more of the same. But he clearly wanted to shift gears yet again and so he's branched out, broadened his humour and delivered up another critical success. So good for him. As a fan I can appreciate his achievement without being overly impressed by the work itself.

There's been a bit of noise about the casting of Dev Patel in the lead role and the other instances of 'colorblind casting' throughout the film. Personally I felt it was a breath of fresh air. I'm usually quite conservative when it comes to fidelity and period detail in literary adaptations but this is an example of the vibrancy and dynamism that can be breathed into the classics. However I do understand why some people have resisted the casting of Patel in particular. David Copperfield was Dickens' most autobiographical work and, as I learned in Claire Tomalin's superb Charles Dickens: A Life, old Boz was a stickler for accuracy and detail even as he loaded his works with fanciful ideas and characters. Wanting the character of David Copperfield to be portrayed as Dickens wrote him (i.e. a young man in Dickens' own mould) doesn't strike me as unreasonable but clearly it's a topic that has to be handled with care.

[ThirdMan]

What Did Jack Do? (Netflix)

David Lynch's noir detective interrogates a monkey suspected of murder. Similar to his cameo in John Carroll Lynch's Lucky, this is evidence of a man having fun with his public persona. It's the only one of his shorts (of those that I've watched) that's deliberately funny and irreverent instead of deranged and unsettling. I enjoyed it immensely although I'm not sure what it's about or why he needed to make it. It's certainly an intriguing acquisition for Netflix and hopefully it's the beginning of some sort of partnership.

[ThirdMan]

After Life (Netflix)

I haven't enjoyed any of Ricky Gervais' work since Extras so this was a proper surprise and it's now my favourite of his creations after The Office. It's spikey, as expected, but also quite moving and Gervais shows some real vulnerability for a change. Not all of the jokes land (I don't think I'll ever 'get' all of his humour) but I did laugh out loud at times and even a had a little cry to myself.

[Jon Cheetham]

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

This might become one of my favourite movies of all time. Extremely funny, very sweet, and a defining role for Sam Neill. It feels like a lovingly crafted movie where each scene and moment has been carefully considered and perfected. Incredibly well made with a poignant message.

Oh and that Nina Simone song on the soundtrack... perfection.

Lucy (2014)

From brilliance to twaddle! Scarlett Johansson in a pseudoscience Luc Besson thriller is a thing I am very much here for, but the plot goes to such thunderous levels of nonsense I couldn't stay immersed at all, and Johansson is wasted. Not to mention there is some real philosophical ugliness that seems accidental or just careless (you gain incredible powers of cognition so you instantly start murdering people? ugh)

[ThirdMan]

Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm (Now TV)

This is the hour long special that eventually morphed into the main series. All of the building blocks are there. Larry rails against social norms and pleasantries, pisses people off and gets caught up in half-truths and outright lies. However this is a proper mocumentary. There's talking heads and Larry acknowledges the presence of the camera crew following him. It's also peppered with sections of stand-up comedy (like Seinfeld) and they're not very funny (like Seinfeld). It's good but also a slightly terrifying view of the show Curb Your Enthusiasm could have been if it was less focused.

[Jon Cheetham]

The Irishman

Watched it through the week, 15 minutes at a time when I was comfortable enough on my commutes. Managed to watch most of the second half on Sunday which was good as the movie really hits its stride at that point. I ended up not minding the extremely indulgent length, since it's on Netflix after all.

It is a mob opera about the different families in one of these wiseguy's lives, that zooms in on the consequences of his choices - and with immense pathos, too. De Niro, Pacino and Pesci are all absolutely fantastic in it, really doing their thing. They disappear into the characters and are clearly having a lot of fun (I saw De Niro saying he would have been happy to film for another 6 months).

My only complaint really was the de-ageing effects used for the three leads, in scenes where they are supposed to be in their 30s or 40s, and they still clearly have the posture and body language of old men. It is more distracting at the top of the film as they age throughout, and I know that's the way the story had to be told, but it is very uncanny valley. I haven't seen a good example of this tech taking an actor from their 60s back to their 30s yet, and I'm kind of hoping it falls out of fashion.

[DomsBeard]

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Tarantino has lost the plot. When I realised who Margot Robbie was playing I was like ''nah he isn't going there is he''

I've enjoyed his stuff but an absolute dogs breakfast of a film (pun intended)

[Jon Cheetham]

Yeah, that's not gonna de-age well. It felt like a missed opportunity to me, like there was scope to really explore the "consequences of his choices" a lot more, but I suppose that was the point, it was kept surface level and shallow because that's exactly how deep these characters go when it comes to guilt, any sort of grab for redemption or soul searching. His daughter blanked him, he felt empty and lost, he left the door open, willing anything to come.
Nothing came.

That's a fair comment. I actually found that final shot really sad, especially with that song coming back in, but the movie has such a sedate pace I can definitely imagine being underwhelmed.

[ThirdMan]

I watched The Two Popes soon after The Irishman. It was interesting comparing the two different approaches to 'de-aeging'. The former opts for the tried and tested method of having a younger actor play the part. Unsurprisingly, it worked. Like it's been working for the past 100 years.

I was impressed by Scorsese pushing the new technology, at an age when he might be expected to become more conservative, but ultimately it just wasn't needed. I'm thinking back on Goodfellas and the two kids that played Liotta and Pesci. It looked like them and it felt like them. No smoke and mirrors and consequently it will never age in any meaningful sense. But there's no stopping technology so I suppose we better get used to it and look forward to the day when it doesn't look slightly odd.

[Electric Crocosaurus]

I watched The Two Popes soon after The Irishman. It was interesting comparing the two different approaches to 'de-aeging'. The former opts for the tried and tested method of having a younger actor play the part. Unsurprisingly, it worked. Like it's been working for the past 100 years.

It seems to work best when they have a lot of reference material from their younger acting days to draw from. Kurt Russell in Guardians 2 is the best I’ve seen, and there are moments in the Irishman where it’s astonishing. But there’s no getting round their physicality; that scene where De Niro beats up the shop keeper and seems to be struggling just to stay on his feet is really rough.

[ratsoalbion]

Totally agree about Kurt Russell in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Pretty much perfect to my eyes, so it can be done without uncanniness.

[ThirdMan]

Yeah that's a good shout. I don't remember having any issues with Sam Jackson in Captain Marvel either (although he's in fantastic shape for 70 years old).

[duskvstweak]

I watched The Two Popes soon after The Irishman. It was interesting comparing the two different approaches to 'de-aeging'. The former opts for the tried and tested method of having a younger actor play the part. Unsurprisingly, it worked. Like it's been working for the past 100 years.

It seems to work best when they have a lot of reference material from their younger acting days to draw from. Kurt Russell in Guardians 2 is the best I’ve seen, and there are moments in the Irishman where it’s astonishing. But there’s no getting round their physicality; that scene where De Niro beats up the shop keeper and seems to be struggling just to stay on his feet is really rough.

I agree with you on reference material being important. I think it's also about how long the effect needs to last. The Michael Douglas moment in the first Ant-Man was shocking because it looked liked Douglas stepped out of the 80s and the moment didn't overstay its welcome.
If they want to use the effect for a quick, younger version moment, then fine. But with the Irishman, it seems ironic that they use it so De Niro can play hours of his younger self, when he himself got the big break of playing younger Brando in Godfather. Which younger actors are missing out on these huge chances because of that effect?

[Jon Cheetham]

I forgot about Kurt Russell and Sam Jackson. Those are probably the only times I've seen this process not look super weird.

Which younger actors are missing out on these huge chances because of that effect?

Very good point... plenty of actors out there looking for a chance to work with someone like Scorsese! It is a shame for them (and to a lesser extent us) to miss out.

[ratsoalbion]

Digital de-ageing is still the exception rather than the rule. Most films, especially with lower budgets, go down the more traditional casting multiple actors route.

[Caligulas Horse]

I had no issue with the effect, I thought it worked pretty well except in a few scenes early on.

[Caligulas Horse]

Which younger actors are missing out on these huge chances because of that effect?

Very good point... plenty of actors out there looking for a chance to work with someone like Scorsese! It is a shame for them (and to a lesser extent us) to miss out.

This film was kind of a passion project for Scorsese & De Niro, I don't think anybody missed out on an opportunity to play the young Frank as that just wasn't an option for them; the film wouldn't have been made any other way.

Also let's not forget that these effects are created by people as well.

[Alex79]

I genuinely didn't notice it, maybe I wasn't paying attention enough, but whatever they did never came across as jarring or immersion breaking for me.