House of the Dead was just plain horrible. There was a surreal rap sequence about 50 mins in that was kind of interesting but the vast majority of the film was awful.
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The Last Temptation of Christ 1988
The powerful ending that wraps up The Last Temptation of Christ meant that the film had a poignant finale, although the rest of the story wasn't able to quite match that standard. Willem Dafoe would always be the obvious choice to play Jesus though, and he does a brilliant job from beginning to end.
It's just a shame I never fully warmed to the whole thing.
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Tomb Raider 2018
Tomb Raider is definitely an improvement over the previous 2 films but it wasn't without its own flaws. Once Lara gets to the island and starting dicking around with Walton Goggins it became an alright action/adventure but the lead-up to that was painfully generic at points. It also didn't help that the relationship with her father felt super shallow right the way through.
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Shadows 1958
The natural flow of the scenes and how the characters interacted in Shadows stood out as a highlight but I'd be lying if I said I really cared for the story. The more subtle look at discrimination was refreshing, especially for 1959, however the rest of the narrative felt too wishy-washy. John Cassavetes' films have been kind of hit or miss for me, and unfortunately this one is in the latter camp.
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The Warriors 1979
The Warriors has a really cool premise at the centre of its story but its clunky delivery ending up holding it back. The forced romance, somewhat awkward fight scenes, and fragmented plot meant that what should've been an intense and stylish film felt unnecessarily tepid.
I can absolutely see the cult appeal; it just didn't grab me this time.
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The Age of Innocence 1993
As grand, opulent, and well-made as The Age of Innocence is, the 'forbidden love in a strict and unforgiving society' story felt too familiar to make it stand out.
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Dogville 2003
Lars von Trier clearly knows how to make the most of his actors, as is evident throughout Dogville (as well as his other films). The stripped back setting not only allowed the movie's story to be told in an interesting and uniquely bare way, but it also meant full focus was on the actors at all times, which really helped to highlight their talent.
With that said, in a similar vein to both Dancer in the Dark and Melancholia it…
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 2023
It's nice to see that Marvel is still capable of making good films after their recent run of stinkers, as Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is funny, heartfelt, and of course has a brilliant soundtrack backing it all up. The trilogy has been a highlight of the MCU and this was a great way to sign it off.
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Silence 2016
Silence is a slow-burning and thoughtful drama that grows in strength as its narrative develops. Initially I wasn't sure what to think about it but by the time it ended it had become a powerful and absorbing look at faith, despite its relatively sluggish beginning. The various questions and dilemmas that Father Rodrigues, and by extension the viewer, have to deal with and dwell on meant that the film had a lot more depth to it than a typical historical drama; and the strong performances from Andrew Garfield and the supporting cast helped tie it all together.