Rate the films you watched at home

[zen]

Please read the below before posting!

 

Employ a 5 star rating system relative to the genre where: 

 

• 5 stars  = 9-10/10 = Excellent 
• 4 stars  = 7-8/10 = Very Good 
• 3 stars  = 5-6/10 = Good or Time-pass or Average 
• 2 stars  = 3-4/10 = Below Average or Bad or Avoid if possible 
• 1 star  =  1-2/10 = Worst = Deserves a negative rating 

 

The films can be from any region, language, and released in any year. However, you should have watched it relatively currently (say within the last 3 months).

 

Please use the format below to avoid any confusion: 

 

Film (Year of release, Language for any non English film)

 

You can also mention where you watched it (YouTube/Netflix/etc) and if you purchased the film (digital and/or blu-ray). You are free to post reviews as well!

 

Example:

 

Sherlock Jr (1924)

Contempt (1963, French, 4K Digital)

Teesri Manzil (1966, Hindi, ZEE5)

Drive My Car (2021, Japanese, Criterion)

 

And God Created Woman (1956, French, Criterion)

Chase a Crooked Shadow (1958)

Le Verite (1960, French)

Irma la Douce (1963, Criterion)

Branded to Kill (1967, Japanese, Criterion / Have it on 4K Blu-ray as well)

Mississippi Mermaid (1969, French, Tubi)

Basic Instinct (1992, Digital)

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994, Digital)

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001, Criterion) 

The Handmaiden (2016, Korean, Digital) 

 

Wild Things (1998, 4K Digital)

 

 

 

 

Edited August 22 by zen

[zen]

Niagara (1953) 

 

Marilyn Monroe is the femme fatale. Niagara Falls of the 1950s is picturesque. The cinematography suits the noir genre. 

 

The print is nice with good contrast and saturated colors.  

[singhvivek141]

5 star

1. Deadpool & Wolverine 

2. Schindler's List

 

4 star

1. Crash (Don Cheadle one)

2. The Pianist

3. Rise of Empires - Ottoman season 1 

4. Maharaja

5. The Punisher Season 1 & 2

 

3 star

1. Vikings

2. Amma ki Boli

 

2 star

1. The Flash

2. The Marvels

Edited August 24 by singhvivek141

[zen]

The Ladykillers (1955) 

 

One of the finest comedy, with elements of crime, films. Sports an ensemble cast consisting of Alec Guinness, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, and Peter Sellers. 

 

The film is about a bunch of criminals who rent a room at a harmless old lady’s house, only to find themselves in an unexpected situation because of her. 

 

The film’s print is good too. It was recently restored and released in 4K as well: 

 

 

 

[zen]

The Lady from Shanghai (1947) 1/2

 

It has nice cinematography and locations. A good film noir. However, some of the characters could have been more interesting.

Edited August 26 by zen

[zen]

Match Point (2005) 1/2

 

A solid film by Woody Allen w/ the tagline - “It is better to be lucky than good”. 

 

[zen]

On 8/24/2024 at 9:02 PM, singhvivek141 said:

 

5 star

1. Deadpool & Wolverine 

 

Marvel fan?

[singhvivek141]

1 hour ago, zen said:

Marvel fan?

No no.

Do watch some movies here and there on OTT. But don't follow them religiously. 

 

I saw this movie mostly due to Wolverine's character. Hugh Jackman has played that role for ages and wanted to see the new arc they're gonna take him.

[zen]

45 minutes ago, singhvivek141 said:

No no.

Do watch some movies here and there on OTT. But don't follow them religiously. 

 

I saw this movie mostly due to Wolverine's character. Hugh Jackman has played that role for ages and wanted to see the new arc they're gonna take him.

As it was joked in the film that Marvel will milk Huge Jackman till he is 90  

[singhvivek141]

35 minutes ago, zen said:

As it was joked in the film that Marvel will milk Huge Jackman till he is 90  

Yeah true,

 

The way Marvel is exploding due to their "woke agenda", no wonder they are calling back all their "big guns". 

 

RDJ is back as Dr. Doom, Chris Evans cameoed as F4 character. Wesley Snipes as Blade.

 

[Ranvir]

18 hours ago, zen said:

Match Point (2005) 1/2

 

A solid film by Woody Allen w/ the tagline - “It is better to be lucky than good”. 

 

One of my favourites. 

 

I recently rewatched The Talented Mr Ripley and noticed a lot of similarities between them. 

[coffee_rules]

18 hours ago, zen said:

Match Point (2005) 1/2

 

A solid film by Woody Allen w/ the tagline - “It is better to be lucky than good”. 

 

Thanks for reminding . Had seen it when it was released. Wonderfully directed by Woody Allen , pretty much unlike his soft-humorous dramas he is known for. Into unknown territory for him, weaves a wonderful tale of deceit, greed and morality. A great psychological thriller!!

[zen]

53 minutes ago, Ranvir said:

One of my favourites. 

 

I recently rewatched The Talented Mr Ripley and noticed a lot of similarities between them. 

If you liked Talented Mr. Ripley, watch Purple Noon (1960, French). Purple Noon is among my top favorites. 

[zen]

And There Were None (2015, Mini series) 1/2

 

Since I read the book recently, I thought about checking out the relatively dark 3-episode series as well. 

 

More or less, it is a faithful adaption with  minor changes such as adding a bit of a romance (which could have been avoided) and changing crime stories of a few characters. The end is in line with the book’s. 

 

The series warms up slowly as you get used to the environment and the unlikeable characters. Once the murders begin, it begins to get on track.

 

Many times when a character is about to be murdered, we get to see his backstory, which can make it obvious to “who is next” for those who haven’t read the book. In some cases, it may be necessary to create a fearful atmosphere.  

 

Overall, a good watch for those looking for a relatively faithful and dark adaption of Agatha Christie’s famous book. 

[zen]

Midnight in Paris (2011) 1/2

 

This is probably my favorite Woody Allen film. It is a magical ride. Excellent screenplay. Witty. It captures the spirit of Paris. 

 

The character of Gil day dreaming, exploring art, wanting to write, and walking around Paris reminds me of me of a few years ago!

[zen]

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) 

 

A good comedy drama film. Worth a watch!

 

[zen]

Le Samourai (1967, French) 1/2

 

A timeless crime/noir film about a methodical assassin. 

 

 

[zen]

In the Mood for Love (2000, Cantonese) 

 

Whenever I watch this film, it usually mesmerizes me. It is sophisticated art! 

 

PS when the film was restored in 4k, its color palette was changed where a green tint was added:

 

 

Many folks prefer the original color palette (which leaned towards red/purple as seen in the first video) and are upset with the change. While many prefer or at least do not mind the new color palette (as seen in the second video).

 

Edited August 30 by zen

[zen]

PPS below is an article on the use of colors in the film above:

 

Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love has been considered, for many years, as one of the most romantic movies of all-time. Reading the synopsis, it’s easy to think why: two people who live in the same apartment building find out that their spouses are cheating on them with each other, bringing the two neighbors closer together in a shared betrayal. Fair enough — it’s usually the stuff love stories are made of, anyway. But the film isn’t your run-of-the-mill tale of falling in love with the shoulder you cry on. In fact, it’s not even the script itself that sets it apart from the rest, it’s how the filmmaker chooses to tell it to us. Wong Kar-Wai plays with space, sound, frame composition, lighting and, most importantly, color, to not only show us how a heart breaks, but to make us feel it, too. For such a somber film, it’s surprisingly vivid in color, that seeing the characters grieving over their marriage in such saturated hues creates an emotional dissonance to the viewer where we know this is supposed to feel hollow, it’s supposed to hurt, and yet, the earthy tones and the warm lights give us a semblance of comfort.

 

As a visual piece, color plays a very significant role in the story because we learn so much more through them than what the dialogue tells us or how the actors portray the characters when they give each other glances, when they smile, when they cry, etc. For instance, despite the dull wallpapers of their apartment hallway or the drabness of the walls of an office or whatever room a scene is taking place in, there always has to be a splash of color. Whether it’s a piece of prop lighting like a desk lamp glowing a bright orange in just one specific part of the room or a vase of yellow flowers on the table or even the characters’ costumes themselves, every piece of prop must draw attention to itself, like it’s pulling you into the film. It makes it more immersive and experiential rather than passively telling you what it’s about.

 

Every choice about color in this film appear to be deliberate. Particularly, the usage of the color red. Red traditionally symbolizes love or hatred or any other passionate emotion. Here, it is not that much different as its role becomes that of sensuality and temptation. In the Mood for Love is sexy beyond convention as we never actually see sex or kissing or any other intimate action. The abundance of the color red, however, makes it look so sensual and seductive that even when we’re shown the innocence of Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan’s relationship, we still get that feeling that it’s more than a friendship, and possibly even more than lust. It’s a companionship stemming from a deep loneliness, a void that their respective marriages failed to fill.

 

The color red is also cleverly used almost like a third character in Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan’s relationship, present wherever our two protagonists are. Like a voyeur, it acts as the only person who knows their secret and, in effect, their spouses’ secret with how it always has to distinctly appear in a scene with Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan. Some examples are the red blankets on Mrs. Chan’s bed (the most intimate piece of furniture you could own), her red coat, red chopsticks, red tie, red bag, red taxi cab, and so on. If it’s not in the props or the costumes that the characters directly interact with, it’s usually in the set, like the red curtains in the hotel room

where Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan rendezvous to write their serials or the distinct red stripe lining the wall on the street that they always pass by on their way home, which was also the place where they first reenacted their spouses infidelity.

 

Red is also a color that expresses what the characters stubbornly refuse to show, that is, the feelings that they’ve harbored for each other. It draws proper attention to itself when Mr. Chow first invited Mrs. Chan to the hotel room so they don’t have to be so cautious when they’re in the apartment. There, she is wearing a bright red coat that maybe not-so coincidentally matches the curtains outside of Mr. Chow’s hotel room. The curtains hang there mockingly, watching from when Mrs. Chan enters the room to when she leaves. Later, we see the curtains again when Mrs. Chan goes to the same room in hopes of catching Mr. Chow before he leaves the country but dejectedly walks away when she realizes she’s too late. Only this time, the curtains aren’t just there; they finally move, the wind allowing them to take a life of their own, its flowing red fabric like long, delicate fingers reaching into the rooms as if to pull them into temptation and swallow them whole. All the while, we know that our protagonists have given in to their feelings. We won’t be like them, turns into we have become the very thing that has first led us to each other.

 

There’s so much more to this film than what meets the eye; it’s certainly not just color, but each element working together in perfect harmony to create a piece that not only stimulates the senses but also the emotions by not just feeding them to us. It gives us time to feel every aspect of the film all at once, allowing us to pay attention to its intricate details which are more than just parts of a greater whole: it is an entire story in itself.

 

Link 

 

 

I hope that the author is not upset with the green tint on the latest transfer. The film still looks gorgeous. 
 

The green tint is probably done with the approval of the director or cinematographer.

 

[Lord]

Can't rate those on public forum