Viewing recap June

Ex-Machina (2015)
Good but not great. The film looks impressive, sets, special effects, and so on. I was interested in the characters and how the story would play out.
Maybe I’ve seen too many movies, but the ideas didn’t feel fresh, basically was a rehash of themes from Blade Runner (1982), about what makes us human, is it ok to love a robot, and the dangers of AI.
The story wasn’t exceptional, so not quite a genre classic. Perhaps a film I need to see again to appreciate.
Rating 7/10

It Follows (2014)
Horror/mystery about a group of youngsters. A curse follows the inflicted and cannot be seen by others, when they have sex it is passed on to another person. This is actually a pretty good idea. Sadly the only thing I remember is the pool scene. The rest was decent but forgettable. The biggest weakness is it just wasn’t scary at all. The synth-driven score by Disasterpeace I liked.
You can interpret it as a film about sexually transmitted diseases and the dangers of unsafe sex. Writer-director David Robert Mitchell told The Daily Beast:
“For me, it’s not just that the characters have sex and are then put in danger. In the film, sex is more symbolic of life itself—just the act of living opens ourselves up to danger.”
Rating 6/10

Lost River (2014)

I liked the neon colors, the Johnny Jewel soundtrack, brooding atmosphere, and the poster. I hated the violent scenes. Somewhat reminiscent of Only God Forgives (2013).

Obviously the economic downturn is touched on with rampant unemployment, and the main characters struggling to keep their house.

Ben Mendelsohn’s singing performance was unexpected. The “skull costumes” at the nightclub reminded me of the skull helmets from Batman Returns (1992).

No masterpiece, and a bit flashy and pretentious, but not as bad as the reviews suggest.

Rating 6.5/10

American Sniper (2014)

The scene when the phone is dropped and she doesn’t know if her husband is alive or dead is quite horrifying. The lack of explanation about the ending is puzzling, I suppose we are supposed to google ourselves what happened.
While the action scenes are quite suspenseful and the main reason for praise, the story tends to go in a good vs. evil direction, depicting the Americans as hero’s and Muslims as blood thirsty enemies. There are no diplomatic solutions mentioned besides murder, which is unfortunate. The film does nothing to make us like the Muslims, in fact it demonizes them and encourages racism. Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) is nicknamed legend, but in reality Chris Kyle describes killing as fun in his memoir, which is not addressed in the movie. Neither pro-war nor anti-war, American Sniper balances somewhere in the middle.
Rating 6/10

Margaret (2011)
My first viewing of the extended cut (179 min), which is about 30-40 minutes longer than the theatrical version. The added scenes extend already existing scenes, and add a few new ones. What still impresses me is the writing. A mature coming of age drama suitable for adults. The length of the film makes us step into a world and see Lisa's mood swings, good days, and bad days, good decisions and bad.
Cinematically the restaurant scene when two conversations are going on at once is interesting, albeit gimmicky. Robert Altman may have been an influence there.
The scenes of tall buildings in New York with planes flying above felt a bit too on the nose. Lisa Cohen (Anna Paquin) seems less likable in the extended cut, especially in how she treats her male friend from school.
I'm glad I finally saw this longer version, but I'd rate the theatrical cut higher, which feels sharper and to the point(and is in my top 100).
Rating 8/10

Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

I see it as a satire on the rich, who have nothing better to do than play flirtatious games. Even helping the poor is seen as a means to grab the attention of a woman.

Won an Oscar for adapted screenplay, and it is cleverly written, although I found the schemes difficult to follow, and all the names thrown around difficult to keep track of. The best scenes are at the end, and the last 10 minutes surprised me.  I didn't like any of the characters, but I suppose they weren't supposed to be likeable.
The acting was good by John Malkovich and Glen Close. I agree with SJHoneywell that "there is something undeniably erotic and tawdry about someone using one lover as a desk to write a letter to another lover."
Rating 7/10

Grown-Ups (1980)
Made for TV film, written and directed by Mike Leigh. Mandy (a young and attractive Lesley Manville) and Dick (Philip Davis) have just moved into a council house. Gloria (Brenda Blethyn) is Mandy's needy and difficult sister. Gloria is helpful and has her heart in the right place, but she doesn't realize she is bothering them, and comes round a bit too often. Mr Butcher (Sam Kelly), one of their former teachers, happens to be living next door. He is depicted as an insensitive husband. They disliked him a school, but don't speak of it in his presence. For someone who educates children on history and religion, it's funny to see him read conspiracy theories in his spare time. Amusingly, Mr Butcher doesn't want to give Gloria a cup of tea, despite him claiming it's a "decent Christian household".
There is subplot about Mandy wanting a baby, but most of the time the characters react to what Gloria is doing. This is fine enough, just I felt the conflict is a bit one-dimensional. Things are too spelled out towards the end. The premise is comparable to Another Year (2010), my favorite Leigh film, which I felt was more emotionally involving.
Grown-Ups (1980)  has some humor, especially by the characters Dick and Mr Butcher, and gives an honest portrayal of working class life. Worth seeing, if you are a fan of Mike Leigh's work.
Rating 7.5/10

The Skeleton Twins (2014)
I love the lip-sync scene. Starship's Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now is a great pick-me-up song. The rest of the movie was decent, but the screenplay was a bit too sundance-y.
Rating 6/10

Crocodile Dundee II (1988)
Sequel to the monster hit from 1986. It's pretty obvious how the film will end, but along the way there are some fun moments, both in the city and in Australia. Not as bad as its reputation, although it did bother me her ex is not mentioned at all in the second half? An entertaining follow-up, if you are in the mood for something light.
Rating 6.5/10

The Wedding Singer (1998)
Entirely predictable romantic comedy. What lifts it above average are the charming characters and great 80s soundtrack. It's also quite funny in places. One of Adam Sandler's better films, before his career nosedived.
Rating 7.5/10

Brief Encounter (1945)
Rewatch. Directed by David Lean. Some aspects are a bit dated today in terms of marriage, although it is a film I became emotionally involved in. In fact made me shed a tear. The black and white photography is beautiful, and Celia Johnson delivers a captivating, awards worthy performance.
Rating 8/10

A Face in the Crowd (1957)
Blind spot review

Rating 8/10

Agree or disagree? Seen anything great during June? As always, comments are welcome