Films you've seen lately

[pastoralguy]

I re-visited a favourite movie last night, Woody Allan's 'Sweet and Lowdown starring Samantha Morten in a virtuoso performance where she portrays all emotion without speaking a single word throughout the film. I suppose the main star is Sean Penn giving a wonderful performance as Emmet Ray, the world's SECOND greatest jazz guitarist. Penn really manages to give the thoroughly unpleasant man real heart and the denouement where Brown realises what he's lost is quite heartbreaking.

It also had a scene near the beginning which literally caused me to fall out my seat laughing when I saw it in the cinema. I know Woody Allan is not exactly flavour of the month just now but his best films are extremely good.

[Globaltruth]

The Birmingham Flatpack Film Festival is under way, online only this year.
This is Birminghams only independent Film Festival.

You can access the categories here

https://flatpackfestival.org.uk/our-projects/flatpack-2020-online

We have found pieces to like in both of these categories...

https://flatpackfestival.org.uk/our-projects/flatpack-2020-online/the-other-side/

https://flatpackfestival.org.uk/our-projects/flatpack-2020-online/between-worlds/

Be v helpful to the organisers if you could vote and give them feedback.
Note that the films will be gradually withdrawn starting on May 12

[gurnemanz]

The Birmingham Flatpack Film Festival is under way, online only this year.
This is Birminghams only independent Film Festival.

You can access the categories here

https://flatpackfestival.org.uk/our-projects/flatpack-2020-online

We have found pieces to like in both of these categories...

https://flatpackfestival.org.uk/our-projects/flatpack-2020-online/the-other-side/

https://flatpackfestival.org.uk/our-projects/flatpack-2020-online/between-worlds/

Be v helpful to the organisers if you could vote and give them feedback.
Note that the films will be gradually withdrawn starting on May 12

Thanks for this. Some interesting stuff there. I have passed the link on.

[gurnemanz]

We recently watched the delightful and thoughtful animation My life as a Courgettte. Get in quick. Only two days left on All 4

[johncorrigan]

BBC i-player has added a list of old RKO films including 'Top Hat', 'Bringing Up Baby' and 'Citizen Kane' for viewing.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2020/rko-films-iplayer

[vinteuil]

BBC i-player has added a list of old RKO films including 'Top Hat', 'Bringing Up Baby' and 'Citizen Kane' for viewing.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/la...-films-iplayer

... many thanks - excellent news.

This was flagged up on the Kermode/Mayo programme on BBC4 last night : one programme that certainly makes BBC4 worth watching.

Can't wait to re-watch one of my all-time faves, Angel Face. And my wife amazed me last night by saying that she had never seen Citizen Kane ...


>

[Nick Armstrong]

.. my wife amazed me last night by saying that she had never seen Citizen Kane ...

On BBC2 at 3.15pm today...

Definitely going to investigate the RKO pages, not least as I don’t know Angel Face

[johncorrigan]

Not much notice as this has only three or four more days to run on the i-player, but I just watched Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur in 'The Lunchbox' set in Mumbai - Mrs C and I both thought it was a crackin' film.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04d1ls3/the-lunchbox

[Cockney Sparrow]

We (family with children in their 20s returned for Lockdown) enjoyed this Spanish film:

On the eve of leaving Madrid for Portugal with her partner Lorenzo, Julieta has a chance encounter with a childhood friend of her daughter. This forces her to confront the past as she begins a journal to her estranged grown-up daughter who cut contact 12 years previously.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0008z8p/julieta

12 days left to watch.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Just noticed a 2minute 15 secs video on the BBC News site, about the family who run Talking Pictures TV. I know its been mentioned here several times (I think I did watch the Channel for something, can't recall when).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-53111684/talking-pictures-tv-channel-a-lockdown-hit

[Serial_Apologist]

Just noticed a 2minute 15 secs video on the BBC News site, about the family who run Talking Pictures TV. I know its been mentioned here several times (I think I did watch the Channel for something, can't recall when).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entert...a-lockdown-hit

They do a great service.

[richardfinegold]

We watched Stanley Kubrick Spartocus. After hearing about ‘this movie forever I finally saw it. I had expected it to be dated and hokey but really enjoyed it. It is somewhat timely as well.

[LMcD]

Searching for something to watch on Prime Video, I came upon 'Il Postino' - what a beautiful film! I was saddened to learn that the writer/lead actor Massimo Troisi died the day after the principal shoot was over. Phillipe Noiret on top form as Pablo Neruda.

[richardfinegold]

Saw the newest Tom Hanks WWII movie, Greyhound, about the perils of convoy duty in the Battle of the Atlantic. It’s well done, dispenses with the tedium of most of the duty and goes right for the high octane action. One question that I’ve been unable to answer by Googling: The Intercom in Hanks ship is frequently hijacked by a German U Boat Captain who taunts the Allies. I was wondering to what extent this ever occurred.

[Tevot]

Saw the newest Tom Hanks WWII movie, Greyhound, about the perils of convoy duty in the Battle of the Atlantic. It’s well done, dispenses with the tedium of most of the duty and goes right for the high octane action. One question that I’ve been unable to answer by Googling: The Intercom in Hanks ship is frequently hijacked by a German U Boat Captain who taunts the Allies. I was wondering to what extent this ever occurred.

Hello there Richard. I'm glad you enjoyed the film. I watched it on the recommendation of two colleagues - and to be honest it didn't convince me on a number of levels. As a short film its focus was on action but to my mind at the expense of character development. I found myself not caring about any of them - and given the premise and its star ( Tom Hanks won't get torpedoed) the film I found both predictable and lacking in suspense. I also found the period detail unconvincing ( as opposed to Saving Private Ryan which for the most part I feel it got right). In Greyhound I thought the CGI both obvious and distracting.

Then to trump it all the U-Boat Captain taunting the Convoy verbally over microphone and drawing attention to himself. Sonar/ Asdic would obviously pick this up as too would those on watch using binoculars and the like ( Subs prior to 1945 had to surface before launching torpedoes, if I recall correctly, and the same I suppose for radio communication.) So - definitely Greyhound is a work of fiction in that regard...

I think communications were used on both sides to deceive and mislead - but that was coded radio traffic / chaff deliberately put out in the ether.

If you have time - there is an old BBC Series called "Secret War" which delves into this kind of thing - particularly good re Aerial Bombing and counter blockades ( mine-warfare)

Best,

Tevot