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SMB Film Thread 2025

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craigypants said:
Fight or Flight. Sky Cinema offering which I enjoyed against my better judgement. Just lots of crazy fights on a plane with minimal plot. I guess similar to Bullet Train, which I didn't like. Maybe you just got to be in the mood. 6/10.
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I find Josh Hartnetts new “charismatic” performances pretty great. I actually found enjoyment in Trap solely down to him being so funny in it.
 

Lenny [1974] 8/10
The story of acerbic 1960s comic Lenny Bruce, whose groundbreaking, no-holds-barred style and social commentary was often deemed by the establishment as too obscene for the public.

Sharply scripted, brilliantly edited, gorgeous black and white cinematography. Hoffman is great, Valerie Perrine is even better.
 
The Night of the Generals (1967) 8/10
A prostitute is found murdered in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, an eye-witness saw someone in a general's uniform leaving the scene. Omar Sharif (not entirely convincing as a Nazi) is the investigating office. He narrows the suspects down to three generals, including Peter O'Toole. It's tosh, but high-class tosh with a stellar cast. Includes one of my favourite French actors, Philippe Noiret, as a Parisian police inspector.
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Sidonie in Japan (2024) 5/10
Isabelle Huppert has made two recent films playing middle-aged French women experiencing personal troubles in the Far East, the other being A Traveller's Needs set in Seoul. This is not a patch on the other. Uninteresting ghost story with heavy-handed racial stereotyping.
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Soy Cuba (I Am Cuba) (1964) 9/10
The film itself is cringe-worthy pro-Communist propaganda, with lots of scenes of decadent Americans exploiting the brave proletariat. But it contains some of the most dazzling cinematography in movie history. (I'd seen it on fuzzy DVD, now it's available from Criterion restored and in HD.) In one early scene, a tracking shot begins on the roof of a hotel, travels down the side to the pool deck, and ends up underwater. And this tracking shot is staggering, all done with pulleys and magnets:
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Enjoyed Von Ryan's Express but it did seem to be more a vehicle for Frank Sinatra, although lateish on in his acting career. Rugged movie which pulls no punches about the war and a great Trevor Howard performance as a British officer going against Frank but ultimately respecting him. 7.5/10
 
Fletch73 said:
Lenny [1974] 8/10
The story of acerbic 1960s comic Lenny Bruce, whose groundbreaking, no-holds-barred style and social commentary was often deemed by the establishment as too obscene for the public.

Sharply scripted, brilliantly edited, gorgeous black and white cinematography. Hoffman is great, Valerie Perrine is even better.
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Had the pleasure of seeing this performed in a stage production on the West End which was good. I also enjoyed the way a version of this film was featured in All That Jazz
 
Fletch73 said:
Lenny [1974] 8/10
The story of acerbic 1960s comic Lenny Bruce, whose groundbreaking, no-holds-barred style and social commentary was often deemed by the establishment as too obscene for the public.

Sharply scripted, brilliantly edited, gorgeous black and white cinematography. Hoffman is great, Valerie Perrine is even better.
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Have you watched the Amazon Prime series The Marvelous Mrs Maisel? Lenny Bruce is a key character throughout the 5 series, so might be interesting if you're a fan of his. Obviously it's a fiction and not remotely biographical, but he's a good character and it's a terrific series all round.
 
Cockney Mackem said:
I also enjoyed the way a version of this film was featured in All That Jazz
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I think that's the only Fosse film I haven't seen yet.
Speakeasy said:
Have you watched the Amazon Prime series The Marvelous Mrs Maisel? Lenny Bruce is a key character throughout the 5 series, so might be interesting if you're a fan of his. Obviously it's a fiction and not remotely biographical, but he's a good character and it's a terrific series all round.
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Yes, watched and loved it. It's a very different take on him.
 
Grand Theft Hamlet (2024)

2 out-of-work theatre actors bonding over Grand Theft Auto decide to try and stage a performance of Hamlet in online game play during the pandemic.

I’ve got fond memories of playing this game upon its initial release some 12 years ago. I’ve also got fond memories of playing games online with my mates during the pandemic. For those reasons I found this funny and moving in equal measure. The auditions process did become a little repetitive after a while however.

7/10
 
“Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties"

Seen it on Sunday daft good fun easy watch 🙂

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An Act of Murder (1948)

Fredric March is a judge who believe that the law is absolute and justice is clear. He doesn’t believe in nuance. Edmond O’Brien is a lawyer who’s fallen victim to March’s intransigence. EOB is also going out with March’s daughter. The judge’s world, and understanding of right/wrong black/white moral and ethical considerations, is turned upside down when his wife develops a terminal illness.

More of a moral melodrama than a noir, though there are visual and thematic elements present. Good performances in the main, though the storyline and themes are slightly dated and naive. Nevertheless, I was entertained, and March puts in a deft show of a man losing his grip on morality and ethics.

7.5/10
 
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