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The Lady Vanishes, Rebecca, Lifeboat, Spellbound, Strangers on a Train, and Dial M for Murder
An excellent and moody thriller that would be worthy of Hitchcock. A lot of the Eastwood movies are actually quite a lot better than most give them credit for.
(empty chair talk)
Not seen that one in years, remember it being quite tense in places.
One of my least favourite Hitchcock aswell
Forgot about that. Yes, agreed.
I didn't like Teresa Wright's character either. But Cotten was really good, and I was always eager to find out how it would all end. I probably wouldn't watch it again, but I think the story was interesting enough and the suspense was good.
In a previous career, I audited some of the financial products that cause the housing crisis (including those pesky mortgage backed securities), so this was an especially interesting film for me to see.
Based on a book by Michael Lewis, this is a somewhat comedic film in places, although the subject matter is deadly serious. All the participants do a great job in the acting dept. Christian Bale is brilliant, as is Ryan Gosling and Steve Carell. It's sort of a pseudo docudrama, if that's even a genre, & its primary purpose is to try and educate the audience on the excesses of capitalism and especially Wall Street, which caused the global financial meltdown in 2008. The film includes humorous exposition and simple explanations on topics from time to time using famous personalities, like Anthony Bourdain or Margot Robbie.
The plot focuses on a bunch of Wall Street players who realize that the US real estate market is unstable and built on shoddy repackaged and resold financial instruments (mortgage backed securities & collateralized debt obligations) based on subprime mortgages. They decide to 'short' these securities through purchase of credit default swaps, so they will benefit massively if the bubble bursts. In essence, 'betting against the World Economy', as Brad Pitt's character so aptly puts it. The irony is that they end up doing exactly what the Banks were doing in the first place, i.e. betting the farm in the other direction. They were right this time, but if they were wrong they could have lost it all too.
Another irony from this very timely film is that today, 8 long years on from that crisis, the world economy is still built on debt and leveraged bets on assets. Not housing so much this time, but derivatives on student debt, oil (witness the recent market collapse), gold etc. etc. The other shoe will drop one day, and sadly we haven't really learnt a thing.
Recommended.
PS: Other films on the same topic that are worth watching: Too Big To Fail & Margin Call
A very poor sequel to the surprisingly fresh take on the zombie genre that was 2013's Contracted. Not that the original was the greatest horror film ever made, far from it in fact, but it had a fresh take on the zombie genre. This sequel can't decide on whether or not to simply remake the first film with a different character or to take the events of the first film further towards a natural conclusion. This confusion, as well as some of the worst acting you'll see on film, and a stupid climax destroy what could have been a decent little horror franchise if they had played their cards right. They set things up for Contracted: Phase 3, but I doubt that we'll see it.
Glad you liked, of the ones you haven't seen. I highly recommend dial m for murder
I'll probably see that one next; Hitchcock's done a LOT of films, so I feel like I should see at least 10-12. Psycho and Vertigo are comfortably my Top 2; it's hard to rank them beyond that, but I'd put Shadow of a Doubt below North by Northwest, Rear Window, and Strangers on a Train. Those three are pretty much neck-and-neck (and neck).
Love Brannagh as the villain, Liked Pine as Ryan but kept thinking of him in the Kirk role which to be fair is a compliment. Have to say though i thought Costner stole the show in this movie.
American Sniper: What an astonishing and very moving movie. Would recommend to anyone to watch.
One of my favourite films too. Grant is amazing as usual and this was the film that shifted my behind into gear to visit the French Riviera.
'The Revenant'
Took a while to get into but I wound up hooked. Very intense. I've never cared much for Leonardo but I must admit he was very good here. Likewise Tom Hardy. Looked great on the X-Plus screen and made the most of the Dolby Atmos. Pity they used CGI bears, buffaloes and dogs - appeared completely unrealistic and thus momentarily took you out of the drama. All in all a powerful and decidedly brutal film.
'The Hateful Eight'
Best film of the year! Yes, I know it's only January but I'll be amazed if a better flick hits our screens in 2016. I make no bones about loving Tarantino and consider him the second best director in the world today. (Behind Woody Allen, obviously.) This gripping oater is well up to his usual high standards. It may be his second western in a row but it's very different from the equally superb 'Django Unchained'. There's far less action and, as one expects from QT, it's decidedly dialogue-heavy. (Complete with F and N bombs galore, naturally.) The acting is tremendous, particularly Kurt Russell in what is arguably the finest performance of his career. It's magnificently directed by QT and blessed with a tremendous (and surely soon to be Oscar-winning) score by the mighty Ennio Morricone. Loved every minute of it. May well have to go and see this masterpiece again.