Saturday 19 January 2019

Films I watched for the first time in 2018

I went through my list of 2018 and pulled out all of the films I hadn't watched before and made a comment about each of them.

This was done today therefore my sentiments and memories toward some of movies may have changed since the initial watch of them. For the most part I can recall every film but there are a few I forget a little bit - there are 200+ so go figure.

Well, here we go!

  1. Mulberry Street (2010) - hey Abel Ferrara, nice street party, where is Harvey Keitel!?
  2. Antiporno (2016) - turns out you can examine sexual exploitation and gender politics and still be pretty damn sexist
  3. Lost City of Z (2016) - serious actor Robert Pattinson, welcome to the floor
  4. Ava (2017) - being a teenage girl and going blind sucks but it can be directed beautifully
  5. Reprise (2006) - poetic and creatively edited
  6. Something Different (1963) - a dancer and a housewife, both complex and both essential
  7. The Pleasure of Being Robbed (2008) - girl being a complete wastrel and boring me senseless
  8. Fracture (2007) - man I can't remember this, but I do love Ryan Gosling...       
  9. Tomorrowland (2015)  - I fell asleep during this one. What a fascinating idea, what terrible CGI... Hugh Laurie what are you doing?
  10. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) -  genius and terrifying in equal measure, gorgeous set 
  11. Self-Criticism of a Bourgeois Dog (2017) - self indulgent and aimless 
  12. Dyketactics (1974) Superdyke Meets Madame X (1976) - the first one was blessedly short and well cut together, the second was nonsense and boring.
  13. Drive, He Said (1971) - Jack Nicholson directs a film about some moronic young fellas, I really disliked this one
  14. The Crimson Kimono (1959) - a noir film where the asian guy gets as much weight and emotion as his white best friend? Amazing and thrilling.
  15. Midnight Run (1988) - this one just made me inexplicably happy, it was just an enjoyable movie
  16. Blue Collar (1978) - Paul Shrader directs Richard Pryor and Harvey Keitel in an interesting look at union disputes (my first conscious Harvey Keitel experience)
  17. Good Time (2017) - Robert Pattinson continues to be a fascinating actor 
  18. I am Not Your Negro (2016) - Essential
  19. The Promise (2016) - lest we forget the Armenian Genocide, a heartbreaking reality and a well crafted film
  20. Valerian: The City of a Thousand Planets (2017) - when Rhianna is the best thing about your film you seriously need a rethink 
  21. The Big Sick (2017) - Zoe Kazan plays such interesting roles
  22. The Power Rangers Movie (2017) - unashamedly dumb and fun
  23. Girls Trip (2017) - girls be nasty and funny
  24. The Night of the Hunter (1955) - Robert Mitchum terrifies me, it's because of this movie
  25. Say When (2014) - Sam Rockwell you charming so-and-so...
  26. Mr Right (2015) -  ditto
  27. Colossal (2016) - kaijus and toxic maculinity? shouldn't work, but it does.
  28. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) - you mean we could have been friends all along?
  29. Vanilla Sky (2001) - what a frustrating waste of time
  30. In Bed With Victoria (2016) - because getting some random 20 year old to be your babysitter and then falling in love with him is... totally fine?
  31. Man Bites Dog (1992) - viscious, cruel, nasty, amazing 
  32. The Structure of Crystal (1969) - I tried to get into Zanussi (not the guy who makes washing machines) but I did not manage to penetrate his psyche
  33. Cat People (1982) - fun B-movie with Malcolm McDowell
  34. Family Life (1971) - the Zanussi experiment part 2 - same result
  35. Crimson Peak (2015) - gothic costume drama, gorgeous but lacking
  36. Black Panther (2018) - a pleasant surprise
  37. Not One Less (1999) - 13 year old substitute teacher in China is told not to lose any students! My heart breaks as she does her darned best
  38. The Road Home (1999) - Zhang Yimou strikes again, much like the previous one, this made me weep and it was beautiful
  39. Fifty Shades Freed (2018) - contrary to popular believe, these films are pure lifestyle porn, women aren't so bothered about the kinky stuff, they want to marry a billionaire
  40. Illumination (1973) - Zanussi part 3 - same resuts
  41. Before Summer Ends (2017) - a thoroughly enjoyable road-trip
  42. Wings of Desire (1987) - COLUMBO!! Fascinating idea and engagingly explored. Couldn't get over Peter Falk being charming and magical
  43. The Lost Weekend (1945) - an intricate and powerfully acted insight into alcoholism, before it's time
  44. Lover for a Day (2017) - boring, good dance routine
  45. Six Shooter (2004) - black as Martin McDonagh's soul and brilliant
  46. Wild at Heart (1990) - Laura Dern and Nicholas Cage living their best lives
  47. On Body and Soul (2017) - a sensitive love story set at an abbattoir, strange and striking
  48. No Country For Old Men (2007) - if you see Javier Bardem you run, you run away. 
  49. Mute (2018) - a massive disappointment on every level
  50. Ladybird (2017) - Greta Gerwig can see inside my soul and the main character's conflicted feelings about her home town spoke to me
  51. When We First Met (2018) - flaming trash, Netflix you can do better than this!
  52. Admission (2013) - because Paul Rudd
  53. Las Plantas (2015) - Chilean teen coming of age film with added comic books/conventions, delicate and interesting
  54. Thelma (2017) - gorgeous, thrilling and disturbing
  55. Annihilation (2018) - see above
  56. Going My Way (1944) - enjoyable but remembered for beating Double Indemnity at the Oscars
  57. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) - this is the thing about corruption, people in power don't care what you do, as long as you don't drag the rest down
  58. Morvern Callar (2002) - angry and chilling, Morvern Callar has bruised my soul
  59. Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018) - more fun than it had any right to be
  60. Baden Baden (2016) - i couldn't bring myself to care
  61. Serial Mom (1994) - good family fun
  62. The Last Picture Show (1971) - teenagers being aimless and empty, young Jeff Bridges!
  63. Snow Canon (2011) - boring and pointless
  64. Strange Days (1995) - imperfect but a prescient concept and glorious casting (Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett) elevated this 
  65. Documenteur (1981) - I've got such a soft spot for Agnes Varda and this was a sensitive portrait of a mother
  66. Marie Antoinette (2006) - I have another soft spot reserved for Sofia Coppola, she operates on a feeling and i admired her anachronistic take on Marie Antoinette 
  67. Ishtar (1981) - 'Telling the truth can be dangerous business...' - this film is a masterpiece, don't tell me otherwise
  68. Bottle Rocket (1996) - Owen Wilson being obnoxious in a Wes Anderson film, because... sure?
  69. All I Desire (1953) - my first Douglas Sirk and most importantly my introduction to Barbara Stanwyck, she is a goddess
  70. Magnificent Obsession (1954)  - Douglas Sirk part 2, the melodrama, the escalation, the colourful endlessly surprising plot... gorgeous
  71. All That Heaven Allows (1955) -  Douglas Sirk part 3, same players, different drama, not as affecting but still enthralling
  72. As You Are (2015) - Charlie Heaton from Stranger Things being caustically cool. Worth it for the last minute
  73. Tootsie (1982) - not as clever or enlightening as it thinks it is
  74. Selma (2014) - borderline hagiographic but nevertheless powerful
  75. Caramel (2007) - women doing their best and being charming, what more could I ask for
  76. Happy Anniversary (2018) - Netflix why!?! You have a charming cast and you still have the most infuriating propensity for weak storytelling
  77. The Fall (2006) - unashamedly fairytale and gorgeous, it's not perfect but it's certainly ambitious and I admire it
  78. Written on the Wind (1956) - Douglas Sirk part 4, Lauren Bacall breaks my heart 
  79. Gholam (2017) - slight but curious, a London cabbie who wants no part of the criminal world nevertheless being dragged in
  80. The Squid and the Whale (2005) - navel-gazing but charismatic and personal enough to be interesting
  81. Point Break (1991)  - an enjoyable classic, I can't believe I've never seen it before
  82. The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017) - by the numbers schlock, forgettable
  83. The Awful Truth (1937) - Cary Grant is damn hilarious and Irene Dunne matches him barb for barb
  84. North by Northwest (1959) - an old Cary Grant in a Hitchcock classic
  85. Bridge of Spies (2015) - I was surprised by how this (purportedly true story) had a happy ending, I can't get enough of Tom Hanks though
  86. The Avengers: Infinity War (2018) - I just struggled to care because it's missing an end and you know there's a reset button waiting to be pressed
  87. There’s Always Tomorrow (1956) Douglas Sirk part 5, the return of Barbara Stanwyck, she is undeniably magnificent
  88. City of Angels (1998) - Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan star in the American remake of Wings of Desire, everything that made the original charming and curious (COLUMBO) is missing and it's worse for it
  89. Primary Colors (1998) - I love Mike Nichols (The Graduate) but I didn't care much for this
  90. Closer (2004) - Mike Nichols part 2, I hate everyone in this film, I hated the end
  91. Kodachrome (2018) - Jason Sudeikis, Ed Harris and Elizabeth Olsen being charming, well done Netflix, I wasn't bored to tears or frustrated by this one
  92. A Bigger Splash (2016) - 'Of course. I'll be sad forever.' 
  93. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016) - amazing idea, poor execution, still not terrible
  94. The Tarnished Angel (1957) Douglas Sirk part 6 (I committed to this retrospective), not his most memorable  
  95. How to be Single (2016) - Dakota Johnson, you are so very charming aren't you?
  96. The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things (2004) - Asia Argento adapted what was a very difficult book (I read as a teenager) and it's such an awful experience on film
  97. Prisoners (2013) - extremely upsetting and gripping
  98. Absence of Malice (1981) - Sydney Lumet directs a forgettable hard to follow mess
  99. Lost River (2014) - Ryan Gosling in his directorial debut, it's not a perfect film but Ben Mendelsohn dancing is worth it... so worth it...
  100. Bad Neighbours 2 (2016) - rehash of the original with girls, silly and fun
  101. Nightcrawler (2014) - no but seriously, Jake Gyllenhaal is terrifying
  102. Call Me By Your Name (2017) - Luca Guadagnino's direction is gorgeous and this delicate story of love is enchanting
  103. The Florida Project (2017) - if you're going to take advantage of a motel, make sure that it's run by Willem Defoe. Shot on an iPhone and colourfully unforgettable 
  104. Maps to the Stars (2014) - freaking awful
  105. Deadpool 2 (2018) - Josh Brolin... you've been working out I see... 
  106. Solo: A Star Wars Movie (2018) - a film with sole intention of filling out the mythology about Han Solo flying the Millennium Falcon through the Kessel Run and somehow it's still confusing nonsense
  107. Touch of Evil (1958) - everyone talks about that opening sequence and to be honest that's all I can remember
  108. A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1958) - Douglas Sirk part 7, i love melodrama but this was a very long view of the war...
  109. Imitation of Life (1959) - Douglas Sirk part 8 (the finale), this was what I was waiting for! What a fantastic heartbreaking film with difficult themes and raw emotions... perfection.
  110. Ibiza (2018) - Netflix strikes again with some trashy nonsense shot in Croatia
  111. The Comedy (2012) - oh good God, this was unforgiveable crap
  112. Stand By Me (1986) - a classic and thoroughly enjoyable, hey there tiny River Phoenix!
  113. The Lady Without Camelias (1953) - the curious thing about this film is that the main character's trajectory strongly reflected her real life. So very sad... 
  114. Una (2016) - Ben Mendehlson and Rooney Mara act out what I think is a play, full of tricky and painful emotions, very dreary 
  115. My Own Private Idaho (1991) - the Shakespeare nonsense is so irritating when you have River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves vibrating with magical chemistry...
  116. Set it Up (2018) - Netflix made a charming and enjoyable rom-com, who'd have thought!?!
  117. The Inertia Variations (2017) - Matt Johnson famed for The The and one of my favourite songs - This is the Day - which was my theme tune for the year, watching this felt like a thank you to him
  118. The Glass Key (1942) - Veronica Lake is divine... some other things happened...
  119. Horrible Bosses (2011) - tone deaf and a bit disturbing
  120. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) - a zombie invasion in all but name, gripping
  121. Rumble Fish (1983) - a young Diane Lane enchants all who see her, the rest is teenage boy posturing
  122. Body Double (1984) - I can't quite get this one out of my head, it's a shlocky B-movie but it's visually arresting
  123. A Burning Hot Summer (2011) - Louis Garrell banging Monica Bellucci should not be this boring
  124. Kuro (2017) - a confusing art piece which maintained my focus but left me cold and bewildered
  125. The Exorcist (1973) - oh how this aged terribly... spent most of the film coveting the 70s costume design
  126. Rosemary’s Baby (1968) - whereas this is timeless, an effective and terrifying film, an unforgettable classic
  127. To Rome with Love (2012) - a forgettable and frustrating effort from Woody Allen, Jesse Eisenberg and Ellen Page have the least chemistry
  128. Mala Noche (1985) - a tricky but fascinating film in stylish black and white about infatuation
  129. Erase and Forget (2017) - a documentary about Bo Gritz which failed to hold my attention
  130. Detroit (2017) - we don't know what happened in that hotel that night, I don't think we ever will, this film is so difficult but it's important
  131. Tamara Drewe (2010) - all over the place, terrible
  132. Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again (2018) - nothing short of a masterpiece
  133. Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) - my first John Cassavettes, I kind of loved how messed up and difficult the characters were
  134. Albert Nobbs (2011) - toothless and disappointing
  135. Antman and the Wasp (2018) - fun and forgettable
  136. Tomb Raider (2018) - wasted cast
  137. The Illusionist (2006) - hated it
  138. Phantom Thread (2017) - a fascinating character study, Lesley Manville stole the whole film
  139. Did You Wonder Who Fire the Gun? (2017) - a blistering documentary
  140. Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) - trite and light but still heartwarming and effective
  141. How Heavy This Hammer (2015) - an ugly man, inside and out
  142. The Wedding Banquet (1993) - a film based around an interracial gay couple hiding the fact from the Chinese guy's parents, it's impressive and immersive and I loved it
  143. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) - three sisters with full and complex lives and interiors but the best part is watching the dad spend hours and hours cooking 
  144. My Man Godfrey (1936) - i loved this farce, it's bitter and tricky and hilarious
  145. Death Becomes Her (1992) - shouldn't have been as good as it was
  146. Cape Fear (1962) - Robert Mitchum returns to haunt my nighmares
  147. Cape Fear (1991) - i couldn't see past The Simpsons parodies
  148. The Last Emperor (1987) - a three hour film about an era in history I knew nothing about, fascinating
  149. Machete (2010) - dumb, loud and crazy fun
  150. Blackkklansman (2018) - how much should we be laughing and how much should we be weeping? I just couldn't tell...
  151. Searching (2018) - watching a computer screen in a cinema, John Cho elevated this effective thriller
  152. Molly’s Game (2017) - Idris Elba and Jessica Chastain sniping at one another from a Aaron Sorkin script? Uh yes please 
  153. Bridget Jones Baby (2016) - POOR DR MCDREAMY
  154. Wind River (2017) - heartbreaking but unforgettable
  155. The Land of Steady Habits (2018) - a Netflix film by Nicole Holofcener, starring Ben Mendelsohn, interminably dull
  156. 8 1/2 (1963) - my first Fellini, visually arresting and glorious
  157. Mass for Shut Ins (2017) - so very very boring but that's probably the point
  158. Sullivan's Travels (1941) - the inception of O Brother, Where Art Thou, a rollicking and incredibly entertaining picture about the struggles of authenticity in cinema. Timeless.
  159. The Andromeda Strain (1971) - sci-fi at it's most turgid, it's a great idea but it's so long and deliberate
  160. The Lady Eve (1941) - Barbara Stanwyck seduces Henry Fonda and it's the most fun I had watching a film
  161. 12 Angry Men (1957) - an older and wiser Henry Fonda convinces a jury of righteousness, it's engrossing
  162. Rope (1948) - a chamber piece directed by Hitchcock which is entertaining and has a one endless shot conceit before Birdman was even conceived. Apparently Hitchcock hated it, I didn't mind it
  163. Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (2017) - a tender love story which works as a delicate biopic with glorious acting performances but treads a little too carefully
  164. Game Night (2018) - Rachel McAdams should star in more comedies
  165. Table 19 (2017) - June Squibb made me cry, I didn't care about the rest of it
  166. A Star is Born (2018) - that electric moment on stage when Ally sings Shallows for the first time is unforgettable, everything else is just filler
  167. His Girl Friday (1940) - Cary Grant you charming devil you...
  168. Doctor Strange (2016) - Benedict Cabbagepatch playing the manipulative genius but in a Marvel film
  169. The Birdcage (1996) - shouldn't work as well as it does but by God does it work
  170. Enter the Void (2009) - the first 20 minutes are fascinating, then I spent the longest 3 hours watching a film about a man who wanted to sleep with his sister
  171. Maggie’s Plan (2015) - Greta Gerwig is an angel, Ethan Hawke is obnoxious
  172. Night of the Living Dead (1968) - I was surprised by how timeless and chilling this was
  173. Sorry to Bother You (2018) - when your story keeps escalating and never holds up with visual creativity and painful social commentary, you know you have a classic on your hands
  174. Suspiria (2018) - an homage to the original with more layers and more disturbing imagery but manages to be both overlong and alienating. I need to watch it again but I'm too afraid
  175. Inuyashiki (2018) - because nothing is more funny than an middle-aged guy turning into a robot
  176. Widows (2018) - an effective and clever thriller which is both thoughtful and mindlessly entertaining 
  177. Peterloo (2018) - 2 hours of endless talking, 20 minutes of a massacre 
  178. You Were Never Really Here (2017) - brutal and beautiful
  179. Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016) - I wanted to like you... why did you let me down so hard?
  180. Red Lights (2012) - Cillian Murphy and Sigourney Weaver start the film on such an intriguing note and then it just falls apart so bad... 
  181. Red Sparrow (2018) - terrible view on women, on people, on espionage, boilerplate spy drama with absolutely zero understanding of the complexity human emotion
  182. Passengers (2016) - JLaw and Chris Pratt do messy kissing on a shiny spaceship
  183. I, Tonya (2018) - a biopic which makes you question the veracity of the people telling the story, it's both fun and serious and impressively made
  184. Another Year (2010) - Lesley Manville broke my heart, people don't want to see the vulnerable and the lost, they do as little as they can to make themselves feel better - Mike Leigh is a genius, more of this and less of Peterloo please!
  185. Animal Kingdom (2010) - Ben Mendehlson is the only actor I seem to be highlighting with any frequency. That's because he is in difficult and fascinating films.
  186. Unfaithful (2002) - Diane Lane for the love of God, get as far as away as possible from Richard Gere!!!
  187. Suspiria (1977) - the original is as bright and colourful as the remake is not. It's an odd film I'm not sure I fully appreciated, the soundtrack is magic though
  188. Hellzapoppin’ (1941) - breaking all of the walls and being deliriously silly can be much fun
  189. The Thing (1982) - terrifying on every single level, a masterpiece
  190. Mandy (2018) - the most metal film ever made. 
  191. Senna (2010) - impressive documentary, heartbreaking story
  192. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) - the first half of the film is so good, the second half is so SO bad
  193. Cosmopolis (2012) - would have worked as a play, as a film it's sinfully dull and self-indulgent
  194. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) - HEY STELLAAAAAAA
  195. Outlaw King (2018) - I confess my interest in military history is limited but the battle sequences in this film were the best part
  196. Bright Young Things (2003) - STOP SELLING EMILY MORTIMER
  197. I Am Love (2009) - Tilda Swinton has the most poetic/arty affair... the end was so jarring
  198. The Post (2017) - Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep publish the Pentagon Papers, drinks for everyone!
  199. Breathless (1960) - French new wave, very visually stylish with a charismatic lead but very much a product of it's time (in my uneducated eyes)
  200. A Star is Born (1937) - the original based on Barbara Stanwyck's life (convince me otherwise) starring Janet Gaynor, the ingenue rises as an acting talent, predictable and just fine
  201. A Star is Born (1954) - Judy Garland's turn, very similar but with additional song and dance routines, so very very long...
  202. The Old Man &The Gun (2018) - charming and warm
  203. Lovers of the Arctic Circle (1998) - the ending was unforgiveable, what was waste of time
  204. Walkabout (1971) - it just made me so very sad...
  205. Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse (2018) - the best comic book movie ever made
  206. Thelma & Louise (1991) - LET THEM BE FREE
  207. Win It All (2017) - Jake Johnson gambling for a bit, why not?
  208. Tag (2018) - terrible
  209. Tumbledown (2015) - Rebecca Hall is a sad widow and Jason Sudeikis is there, no further comment required 
  210. The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) - David Bowie convinces as an alien
  211. Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018) - great fun, perfect action flick
  212. Aquaman (2018) - unashamed schlock but Jason Mamoa's charisma didn't quite save it

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