Heavy, intense movie. 8/10
“Speak no evil”: Speak No Evil (2022) - IMDb
I think in Denmark it isn’t understood to be offensive. I think it is just a fun scifi parody.
Finally watched the Glass Onion Knives Out all the way through.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
meh.
,
,
,
,
I wanted to like this. The cast is terrific. Most of the characters are a hoot in one way or another. Daniel Craig stole the show. He was unbelievably funny and compelling. But man…
[ SPOILER RANT ]
the twin sisters? too much of a stretch, IMHO. No, personalities were so different, she couldn’t have pulled it off.
and the end? All of that destruction? Burning up the “real” Mona Lisa? No, no… Sorry. The movie crashed & burned for me.
[ /SPOILER RANT ]
Production values were excellent. The Glass Onion house was super-cool. There was a lot I liked about this. But this whole switcheroo thing… meh. Kind of stupid.
No too offensive to be on youtube since a looong time.
I have Speak No Evil, but I haven't seen it yet.
It looks like something right up my alley. 
Watched “The Banshees of Inisherin.”
I knew this was going to be an art-film and that it would have a lot of interpersonal stress in it. The trailers make it very clear. But wow… it really went more brutal than I expected. The ending felt a little unfinished, leaving you wanting a bit more resolution… but then, with the subject and circumstances, I don’t know how you wrap such a thing cleanly.
The cinematography was unbelievably beautiful. What a strange and wonderful land. A hardscrabble life in the face of such beauty.
One thing that’s rather odd… in the start there’s no mention of the year. You really don’t know if this is like early 20th century or early 21st century… until, you’re finally shown a calendar about 20~30 minutes into the thing.
As you can expect, it’s about a falling out of friends, but the reason is elusive and never obvious. Sometimes a person goes sour, or decays… like fruit that has been sitting in a bowl too long over a summer’s weekend. It just happens. It’s cruel. And sometimes, it can’t be mended.
If you love animals, you’ll like the warm moments in this one, in particular the donkey.
8.0 / 10. Recommended, if you’re into this kind of genre.
Actually, YT has a policy against racial slurs. It bans:
“Use of racial, religious or other slurs and stereotypes that incite or promote hatred based on any of the attributes noted above. This can take the form of speech, text, or imagery promoting these stereotypes or treating them as factual.”
The fact that their rule isn’t always enforced effectively doesn’t eliminate the rule. And BLF rules are independent of YT rules.
With regards to The Banshees of Inisherin I am surprised that noone else seems very bothered by the illogical actions of the Colm and the people around him. I just can’t picture a realistic scenario where things would have progressed to the point that they did in this movie. At the very least wouldn’t someone have intervened when it was clear that Colm was hurting himself and not thinking rationally? I guess the obvious answer is “That’s the point because the movie is really about the Irish civil war, and the war was like two friends who suddenly weren’t friends anymore.” But if you read about the Irish Civil War, it wasn’t that sudden, and neither side’s reasons were silly. Plus, the story of Colm and Pádraic should make more sense without the context of the war.
I wonder what Irish people from the Northern and Southern regions of Ireland think of this movie. Does each region assume that Colm represents the other side? Or does one region of Ireland feel as though the movie portrays their historical struggle in a dishonest and reductive way?
Article from someone local to the place where the movie was shot: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/what-the-banshees-of-inisherin-gets-wrong-about-ireland/
No mention of the historical struggle, but they feel that Hollywood gives outsiders the wrong impression of their communities.
EDIT: Found at least one other person who didn’t think much of the Civil War angle: ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ scintillates with wit, slumps in schematics
Honestly, I think I could probably accept the film for what it is if not for Irish Civil War tie-in. I though the most valuable part of this movie was the introspection it invites with regards to our own interactions with people.
I found the premise very believable, because I know of many instances in which people have done irrational or illogical things to the point of injury to themselves and others, or the end of long friendships, and other people did not stop them. I’ve seen this behavior not only from my personal acquaintances, but also from well-known people in the public spotlight. There are many reasons for this happening, but in a small community it is common for people to avoid interfering with others out of deference or respect for their personal freedom. Making an enemy in a small community leads to life-long conflict, as it is impossible to avoid someone who takes a disliking to you - as this movie shows. So, it isn’t uncommon for people in a community to avoid interfering in another person’s personal decisions and behavior, even when it is counterproductive or damaging to that individual. Even if one ignores the idea that the personal conflict between the two main characters in the movie is meant to mirror, or allude to, the conflict between the factions in the civil war in Ireland, the conflict in the movie seems entirely believable to me.
I don’t personally look at this movie as a “Hollywood” movie, if there is such a broad category of movies that can be lumped together in any sense other than the location of where their production companies are located. The director, the writer, and the two main actors are all from Ireland, the location of this movie. And it is a work of fiction that revolves around just a few characters - not the entire population of that island, or of Ireland. So, I don’t think the director/writer was intending to use the movie to give any impression of the reality of life in those communities for everyone, even if it works as a parable about the war.
I had a coworker in the past who was a “cutter,” so I know self-harm is a real thing. I just question the repeated finger removals. The pain would be excruciating and persistent long after the event—a reminder not to do it again. It’d be much different than an incision in the skin. It’s still possible I guess, but surely the person would have to be completely out of their mind?
I guess I am being too generous when it comes to human nature and intervention in other people’s troubles. After all, I didn’t do anything for the cutter I met; I didn’t know how to. In my idealistic mind the close knit society of an island would make intervention more likely but what you say makes sense. In such a small area people would need to take pains to stay out of other people’s business to avoid living in a constant state of drama. One thing is for sure, the policeman in this film wasn’t going to do anything if it was reported. I wonder if that kind of police officer was commonplace in Ireland at one time.
I think it would be easier for me to just accept the movie as a film about mental illness and friendship if the backdrop of the Irish Civil War wasn’t there. When you focus on the human side of it as we have done it sound much more plausible. When trying to draw parallels to the Irish Civil War I think it really falls apart. Maybe I’ll watch it again and try to forget about the Civil War angle(even if it is kind-of thrust forward)
Is this a Hollywood movie or not? I guess that question didn’t occur to me. It isn’t Hollywood in any commercial sense. (Limited release, niche audience) I guess the person writing that article saw a trend and felt that this movie fit a trend they saw in Hollywood. Does following a trend set by Hollywood make the film a Hollywood film? At any rate, that resident of Achill feels that their island communities are done a disservice in film portrayals in general. It’s not like New Zealanders get angry when their landscape is used to represent a walk to Mordor, but then noone is going to think New Zealand is actually like Mordor.
I agree with you about the extreme behavior of the guy in the movie. I saw that as an indication, along with some of his other behavior, that he had gone at least a little bit crazy. The tension in the movie, from my perspective, came from the other man’s decisions about how he would react to that. It seemed to me that the director/writer was using an extreme type of behavior for bringing out the dramatic tension, but we’ve all seen changes in behavior from people we know well that can perplex us, or be difficult for us to accept.
The type of changes in a person this movie shows (aside from the violence) reminds me of someone I know. Years later they were diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.
BTW, what do you think is the purpose of the abuse subplot? To me that part seemed unnecessary. Isn’t there already enough misery in this story?
Banshees of Inisherin - A visually beautiful movie, some funny dialogue, but very depressing also (clearly intentional.)
Glass Onion - A few funny moments, but not even close to Knives Out in quality. Don’t go in expecting very much, and you may have some fun.
The Outfit - Very good crime drama, although some sections felt slightly rushed. Wish the movie had 15-20 more minutes to simmer.
(SPOILERS BELOW)
I had a friend in high school who was fun to be around, because he did a lot of zany things that often resulted in hilarious outcomes. He was diagnosed as being bipolar, like your acquaintance, and treated for the condition. We didn’t get the benefit of any more wacky hijinks - but I knew it was far better that he was treated and could lead a better life over all. He became an expert in child development and child psychology.
The purpose of the abuse subplot? Interesting question. I can only guess what the director/writer had in mind. Maybe it was intended to help demonstrate that Padraic was a very kind person who acted out of a genuine interest in others, as he did when he tried to intervene in the pattern of Dominic being beaten by his father regularly. Padraic’s selfless action out of concern for the young man was in contrast to Colm, who rejected Padraic’s friendship after all the years of being friends because he concluded that being kind and enduring the company of the somewhat dim-witted Padraic was not important in comparison to his top priority - writing fiddle music that would be his legacy to his family.
That’s the way I see it, anyway. It’s about the two main characters developing different priorities as they age, which results in irreconcilable differences between the two men. And on a broader level, it’s about the ultimate irrationality and unpredictability of the people we are bonded to emotionally and geographically, and the consequences of those stubborn realities of even our strongest social bonds.
I saw Watcher (2022).
This movie is kinda okay.
The acting is good.
The music is excellent.
It's a beautiful movie, but it's also extremely slow.
Very little happens until the very end.
Although something actually happens at the end, it's not very satisfying.
If the film had quite a bit more action, and if the finale were more entertaining, I would like it a lot more.
As is, it's quite disappointing, though it's a marvelously shot movie with great music.
Where the Crawdads Sing
It’s a nice movie on Netflix, the sceneries are awesome.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_the_Crawdads_Sing\_(film)
I read the synopsis… looks intriguing.
Mediocre, cheap Harlequin fairytale. See and forget.
Nice landscapes, good camera work.
Regarding mental health and medications for it, I’m bothered by the fact that some people think the entire issue of mental health is some kind of scam and nobody really needs meds. There ought to be a mandatory highschool class exclusively about mental health to combat this stupidity.
That’s a pretty good guess, it probably was to highlight Padraic’s kind personality. That just leaves me wondering why Martin McDonagh chose such an extreme scenario to accomplish that goal. Maybe he thought with the war as a backdrop he needed keep things more serious. That’s his choice but I still feel this subplot was overkill in the tone department.
They did develop different priorities and then I guess Colm had a mental break of some kind after ignoring his gut for too long. The reasonable thing to do would have been to set aside a few hours a day for composing and let everyone know not to disturb him during that period. That would have been a lot more effective than just telling someone you don’t want to talk to them when you hang out in all the same places. Colm’s approach was bound to result in more interaction because it was too sudden and rude. Seems to me that if Colm was as smart as he fancies that he would have seen Padraic’s reaction coming and made a better plan.