The Watchers Film Show: Bottom 100 IMDb Movies

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When we did our Lockdown Specials, we discussed films in the Top 250 movies as voted by IMDb users; and for every positive, there's a negative, so in this show, we discuss films that are in the IMDb Bottom 100 movies

We each picked one movie we hadn't seen, but we also found a film we all hadn't seen and gave that a watch too. So, take a seat and listen to us cheerily rip four VERY BAD films a new one!

 

The Watchers' Feelgood Films (Part 5) - Documentary Special

Welcome to the fifth instalment of The Watchers' Feelgood Films, where the three of us discuss films that might help cheer you in these trying times. 

As you all know, cinema is a broad church that encompasses all forms of storytelling, all genres and forms. Documentary film-making is a vital and sometimes overlooked genre which helps us see into lives very different to our own and experiences we would never otherwise experience. 

So here are three documentaries which The Watchers recommend.

Matt recommends...

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)

Dir: Morgan Neville
Starring: Fred Rogers, Joanne Rogers, François Clemmons

Fred Rogers is a father figure to millions of Americans. His children’s show, Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood first aired back in 1968 and broadcast its last episode in 2001.

Rogers was a minister who studied child psychology, once describing science as “the greatest gift we have”. Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood was never about selling toys, or forcing adult expectations down its young audience’s throats, instead it discussed big, weighty subjects in a way that empathised with children, spoke to them in ways that they could understand.

Morgan Neville’s documentary doesn’t reveal a man with sordid secrets like many British TV presenters. The revelation with Won't You Be My Neighbor? is that Rogers really was that gentle, caring man who spoke to America’s children through their televisions.

Through interviews with Rogers’ family and colleagues, Neville shows us how ahead of the times Fred Rogers was. Upset by news footage of black people being segregated in public swimming pools, he responded by having Officer Clemmons – black actor François Clemmons – share a paddling pool with him. Rogers also discussed Kennedy’s assassination, wrote an episode on divorce, and focused an entire week’s programmes on death. To the adults, Rogers seemed like a kindly do-gooder who would make Ned Flanders blush, but his mission was always to teach children about tolerance, accepting others and, most importantly, yourself.

Neville’s film is a wonderful ninety-odd minutes, but it will likely bring a tear to your eye. During animated cutaways, we are shown how the meek and mild glove puppet Daniel was Rogers’s anxieties that he could never quite express outside the studio. A clip from Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood has an actress singing to Daniel; she loves him exactly the way he is. Most children’s programmes would take the easy option and have Daniel agree with her, instead Daniel continues singing about his self-doubt. It is a beautiful song that simply and brilliantly explains mental health.

With British television it feels that no children’s programme is safe from having its creators outed for being charlatans, nothing like who they are on screen. Won't You Be My Neighbor? is extraordinary because Fred Rogers absolutely deserves the praise and hero worship from the Americans who grew up with him. Neville reaffirms Rogers’ lifelong message that each and every one of us is special, capable of kindness, and doing incredible things.

* * *

Rhys recommends...

Becoming (2020)

Dir: Nadia Hallgren
Starring: Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, Phoebe Robinson

Well, I didn’t think I would be writing this! If you want a real life, inspiring, feel good documentary, this film will do all the above.

Becoming is a inside look at the life of former First Lady Michelle Obama in an intimate documentary looking at her life, hopes and connection with others during her 2019 book tour for ‘Becoming.' 

Yes, not the typical film I would normally go for- but it was on Netflix and I am in lock-down and so I pressed play. It is a fantastically made documentary, very insightful and full of hope. An amazing woman. Watch it!

* * *

Tez recommends...

Nothing Like A Dame (2018)

Dir: Roger Michell
Starring: Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith

Have you ever seen a group of good friends having a right old catch-up, gossiping, and putting the world to rights, and thought "I'd love to listen in"? Well, that's exactly what Nothing Like A Dame does.

The four titular dames- Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith- have been friends for decades. At a combined age of 342 years old (at the time of filming), they've had careers most actors could only dream of and have trod the boards throughout the UK and around the world.

In this wonderfully intimate portrait, these four amazing women discuss (amongst other things) working with one's spouse- Plowright was married to Laurence Olivier, whilst Atkins had been married to Julian Glover, Dench to Michael Williams, and Smith to Robert Stephens-, playing Shakespeare, taking part in major movie franchises, how to deal with critics, and growing older (gracefully or otherwise). Judi Dench, in particular, has a wonderful reaction to director Roger Michell's question about ageing. 

It's hard to pick any one feelgood moment that stands out in a film full of them, but a moment towards the end sums it up perfectly. Ruminating on chances missed or passed over, Maggie Smith rather gloomily says that "it's too late". Joan Plowright- at the age of nearly 90 and suffering from degenerating eyesight which impairs her ability to work- responds with "oh, it's never too late". 

What a fantastic philosophy. It's never too late to do that which you've always wanted to. Seize the opportunity.

Awards Season 2018: SAG Awards Nominations

More awards shenanigans with today's announcement of the nominations for the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. These are for actors voted on by actors (so are usually a pretty good barometer for the Oscar acting awards as there's a lot of crossover between AMPAS and SAG memberships).

Below is a list of film nominations:

Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture

The Big Sick

Get Out

Lady Bird

Mudbound

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role

Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)

James Franco (The Disaster Artist)

Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)

Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel, Esq.)

Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Leading Role

Judi Dench (Victoria & Abdul)

Sally Hawkins (The Shape Of Water)

Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Supporting Role

Steve Carell (Battle Of The Sexes)

Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project)

Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Richard Jenkins (The Shape Of Water)

Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Supporting Role

Mary J. Blige (Mudbound)

Hong Chau (Downsizing)

Holly Hunter (The Big Sick)

Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)

Some interesting choices here - notably Denzel Washington and Judi Dench in the Lead Role categories, and Steve Carell and Woody Harrelson in the Supporting Actor category. Carell received a Golden Globe nod for Best Actor (Musical Or Comedy) so it seems odd that he's been nominated for Supporting Actor here- Bobby Riggs is as much of a main character in Battle Of The Sexes as Billie Jean King is. This is Harrelson's first nomination of this awards season whilst his fellow supporting actor Rockwell gets his fourth. 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has four nominations, whilst Lady Bird has three and The Big Sick, Get Out, I, Tonya, Mudbound, and The Shape Of Water have two each. 

Awards season takes a bit of a break over Christmas, thus providing those less inclined with a bit of respite. My next awards season post will be on 5th January which will contain the nominations for both the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) and Producers' Guild of America (PGA) awards.  

Normal service will now be resumed. 

Review: Murder On The Orient Express (UK Cert 12A)

One of Agatha Christie's best known and best-loved novels, Murder On The Orient Express was first published in 1934. Forty years later, an all-star cast brought the story to life. Now, 43 years later, another all-star cast assemble to tell a new version of the story, with Kenneth Branagh pulling double-duty as director and as the famous Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot. 

After solving a case in Jerusalem, Poirot is asked to return to London and asks his friend, Monsieur Bouc, to find him a berth on the Orient Express. There's one place available which Poirot takes. Whilst on the journey, he is approached by Samuel Ratchett, an American businessman, who asks Poirot for protection as he has been receiving death threats. Poirot turns the offer down. That night, the train gets stuck during an avalanche whilst travelling through Yugoslavia. The following morning, Ratchett is found dead. Stabbed to death multiple times. With many suspects and only a short amount of time before the avalanche is cleared and the Yugoslav authorities get involved, Poirot must follow the clues and find out who wanted Ratchett dead- and who struck the fatal blows. 

This is going to sound like a very backhanded compliment but I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable I found this new version of Murder On The Orient Express. I had my doubts that this would be just a pale imitation of Lumet's star-studded 1974 film (and comparisons are inevitable). This film beats its own path- sometimes successfully, sometimes not. 

Branagh's Poirot is a very different one than any seen before; he doesn't try and ape Ustinov or Finney or Suchet. Poirot's famed fastidiousness is played up here (expecting exactly the same sized eggs at breakfast or asking people to straighten their ties) but he provides a thoughtful and occasionally funny performance. Sadly though, the massive walrus moustache is a misstep. It's a little distracting. 

The rest of the cast are also very strong. Michelle Pfeiffer is excellent as the flighty and flirty Mrs Hubbard, whilst Derek Jacobi provides a strong supporting turn as Ratchett's butler Mr Masterman. Daisy Ridley is great as former governess Mary Debenham and there's an interesting casting choice with Leslie Odom Jr. as Dr (not Colonel) Arbuthnot. Despite a slightly strange English accent, he's pretty good- and it also shows some of the period's attitude to race (which adds an extra dimension). Penelope Cruz is good as missionary Pilar Estravados (changed from Greta Ohlsson), whilst Josh Gad adds a fine turn as Ratchett's secretary McQueen. Johnny Depp is oleaginous and unpleasant as Ratchett- so does his job well of getting the audience to hate him before he's offed. Willem Dafoe is also good as Gerhard Hardman, a stuffy Austrian professor. 

Several of the characters are not sketched out as well, which is a shame- Judi Dench hasn't got much to do as the aged Princess Dragomiroff (but what she does, she does well; hell, she's Judi Dench- she could make a takeaway menu sound like Keats). Similarly, the brilliant Olivia Colman doesn't get a lot as the Princess' dour ladies-maid. The Count and Countess Andrenyi (played by ballet dancer Sergei Polunin and Lucy Boynton respectively) barely feature, although both are strong when they do appear. There's also been some jiggery-pokery with some other minor characters, like the car salesman (who now goes by the name of Marquez). 

This is a handsome-looking film. The production design, the costumes, and the cinematography are all to be commended. There are some lovely long sweeping takes of the train as it travels through the countryside and there's some interesting shots which follow characters walking through the coach. There's an over-reliance on a few types of shot (they seem keen on showing people reflected through glass) and some intriguing decisions made on some shots (for instance, you don't immediately see Ratchett's body when it's discovered). 

There's quite a few bits that have been added which don't really serve much of a purpose except to break up what must have been considered the monotony of people talking in a room. So there's a section where one suspect flees the train to burn some incriminating evidence, another confronts Poirot with a gun; none of it needed and- if anything- for me, it detracted from the film. You've got scintillating actors, a strong story, a pretty good script- you don't need to add these bits in! Not everyone who goes to the cinema has the attention span of a fruit-fly. 

The solution to Murder On The Orient Express is one of the best-known in all of crime fiction (pretty much second to 'the butler did it') which can rob the denouement of some of its power. That said, even if you know the solution going in, the performances as Poirot lays out the facts are very strong even though (another baffling decision) it takes place in a railway tunnel.

There was a lot I liked about the film, and a few things I didn't. There was a lot of unnecessary tinkering which was a bit irksome, but the opulent design of the film and several of the performances win over. All said though, it's a pretty decent stab at a thrilling story. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Tez

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children (UK Cert 12A)

Jake (Asa Butterfield) is a young man whose life is stagnant. However, when his grandfather Abe (Terence Stamp) dies in mysterious circumstances, it opens up a whole new world. It turns out that Abe's bedtime stories of children with strange gifts- peculiarities- living in an orphanage on a small Welsh island overseen by the enigmatic Miss Peregrine (Eva Green) weren't just fanciful tales. But every good tale needs a monster and soon Jake is confronted by the terrifying Hollowgasts as he seeks to help his new friends.

Directed by Tim Burton with his usual flair, the screenplay is by Jane Goldman, based on the 2011 young adult book by Ransom Riggs. One thing the film has made me want to do is actually read the book; I picked it up idly in a bookshop at the start of the year (before I knew the film was being made) but put it back down.

There's a strong central performance by Asa Butterfield (Ender's Game, Hugo) as Jake. Devoted to his grandfather and distraught at his death, Butterfield sells the alienated young teen without being stereotypically mopey or emo. Green's performance as Miss Peregrine is similarly strong- quirky without being annoying, stern without being over-the-top- but I couldn't get away from the nagging feeling that, but for personal issues, it was a role meant for Helena Bonham Carter. Awkward.

The young Peculiar children were all cast well, with Ella Purnell impressing as nascent love interest Emma (who is lighter than air and needs leaden boots to stay grounded) and Hayden Keeler-Stone as dream-projector Horace my personal favourites. There's also a lot of humour gained from the invisible boy Millard (voiced by Cameron King) who is frequently naked. There's also a nice supporting turn by Judi Dench and Samuel L. Jackson seems to be having the time of his life chewing the scenery as the villainous Mr Barron. 

On the topic of villains, the Hollowgasts are well realised and quite unpleasant creatures (especially the whole eye-eating thing) which might cause some concern for younger viewers. Visually, it's a stunning film- the desolation of the Cairnholm island looking great, compared with the bucolic idyll of the Orphanage in 1943. There's even a trip to a sunken ship and the final battle takes place on Blackpool Pier. The score- by Mike Higham and Matthew Margeson- is also particularly good (especially the ethereal theme as Emma and Jake visit the sunken ship).  

Fans of Burton will love it- this is the kind of film he excels at, full of light whimsy and dark fantasy. It's assured, fun and suspenseful. I really enjoyed it.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Tez

Review: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (UK Cert PG)

Putting 'Second Best' in the title of a movie is a bit of a gamble. It suggests that it might not be as good as the first (always a risk with sequels anyway). However, I found The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel to be just as good.

The original film was a bit of a sleeper hit back in 2012 and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. A perfect Sunday afternoon film, gentle, warm, funny and bittersweet. The second is more of the same; director John Madden and writer Ol Parker are back on board, as are most of the original cast. And you don't need to be of an equivalent age to the characters to sympathise or empathise with them; their stories speak to everyone. 

Sonny (Dev Patel) and Muriel (Maggie Smith) travel to California to try and get funding to expand the hotel. The company have said they will send an inspector to the hotel to report. So, when the dashing American Guy Chambers (Richard Gere) arrives, Sonny assumes he is the inspector. Meanwhile, Douglas (Bill Nighy) and Evelyn's (Judi Dench) nascent relationship hits a few stumbling blocks, not least when Douglas' wife Jean (Penelope Wilton) breezes back into town, whilst Madge (Celia Imrie) has a difficult choice between two suitors and the hotel prepares for Sonny's wedding to fiancee Sunaina (Tina Desai). 

Performances are really strong across the board. Smith steals the piece with her waspish putdowns as the irascible Muriel. Nighy and Dench are lovely as the stumbling, bumbling would-be lovers (like something out of a Richard Curtis movie). Dev Patel retains the ebullience and optimism shown in the first film, and Celia Imrie gets some drama along with the humour as a woman caught between two men. The burgeoning relationship between Guy and Sonny's mother (Lillete Dubey) is played really nicely, with a wonderfully written dinner scene between the two a highlight of Ol Parker's script. 

That's not to say the script is perfect - there's a bit of contrivance, especially with the hotel inspector subplot (the answer to that is quite obvious)- but it pulls off the balance between laughter and pathos and, what's refreshing is, it doesn't batter you over the head with some of the plot points. They're handled nicely and subtly and there's one in particular that will bring a lump to your throat.

You could argue that there's no need for this film (truth is, there's very rarely a need for any sequel). That said, this is a gentle and inoffensive slice of escapism and a pure joy from start to finish.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Tez

Review: Philomena (UK Cert 12A)

A surprise contender for the Best Picture Oscar this year (for me, anyway), Philomena is a relatively low-budget British film directed by Stephen Frears (The Queen, Dangerous Liaisons, The Grifters).

Political journalist Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) is looking for a new direction after losing his job. A chance meeting at a party leads him to the incredible story of Philomena Lee (Judi Dench), a woman who- fifty years earlier- had her son taken away from her (and later adopted) whilst she was living at a convent. Initially unsure if he wants to take a 'human interest' story, Martin relents and agrees to help Philomena look for her long lost son. This is not just a film about a woman's search for her lost son. It's a finely wrought drama (with some moments of comedy) which touches on the themes of loss, family, and faith and throws a few surprises in along the way for good measure.

Judi Dench gives an outstanding performance in the title role (no surprises there). It's a performance of great restraint and dignity. Her Philomena feels like a sweet little old woman, chatty and friendly. Quite a bit of the humour comes from her being put in fish-out-of-water scenarios or just saying something innocuously outrageous (there's a good example of this in the trailer). Some critics have seen this as the film sneering or poking fun at the character, but I never felt that the tone was mocking or they were going for the cheap or easy laugh. 

Steve Coogan also proves his acting chops as the disillusioned Martin. Put all thoughts of Alan Partridge aside. Initially coming off as a bit smug and self-satisfied, a little curmudgeonly and patronising, he mellows as the story goes on. Almost the polar opposite of Philomena, he's a cynical athiest with no time for the Catholic church. The two form a bit of a chalk-and-cheese Odd Couple but the rapport between the two is quite lovely.

The script- adapted by Coogan and Jeff Pope from Martin Sixsmith's book- is decent and well-paced, if it does veer to the overly preachy or polemical when it starts to discuss the big topic of religion. What happened to Philomena- and hundreds, if not thousands, of other young women- was horrendous; callous cruelty masquerading as Christian charity. For the most part, the film portrays this almost neutrally but the final showdown (if you like), however, does threaten to tip over into tubthumping as Martin verbally lays into one of the nuns. Perhaps the most extraordinary thing is that Philomena is still a person of incredibly devout faith despite the mistreatment she received at the hands of the Church.

It's not a perfect film, but it's a remarkable story (made even more so because it's true, although some dramatic license has been used) and another great performance by Judi Dench. For fans of British drama, it's well worth an hour and a half of your time.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Tez

Rhys was a guest on GTFM's Film Show

Well during our Bondathon, Tez and myself appeared on there special 007 show. A week later after successfully completing the challenge, they kindly called us for our thoughts on Skyfall & too see how we are after 23 Bond films in 3 days!

Tez wasn't available so they had to make do with me !! So, here's the clip from last Sunday's GTFM Film Show, hope you enjoy and don't forget you can still donate to our Bondathon - donations are open until the end of November. Many thanks.

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This Week On The Bond Blog: 16/09/2012

 

This week on The Watchers Charity Bondathon 2012 Blog...

Bond actors and Bond movies that have been nominated for an Academy Award

A video countdown of The Watchers' Top Ten Bond Stunts

39 days to go!

Introducing The Watchers Charity Bondathon 2012!

Introducing  The Watchers Charity Bondathon 2012 & our new sister blog: www.thewatcherscharitybondathon2012.blogspot.co.uk/

What is a Bondathon?

A Bondathon is a test of endurance for movie buffs, to watch all the official James Bond movies.

Official James Bond movies are those produced by EON Productions (so Never Say Never Again does not count). There is a new official Bond movie out in October which brings the total number to twenty-three.

The challenge is to watch all twenty-three movies over a three-day period, starting with Dr .No at midnight on Friday October 26 and culminating with a cinema screening of Skyfall on the evening of Sunday October 28.

You may think that two guys sitting on a sofa watching movies for three days straight isn’t much of a challenge. We agree. So, for each of the twenty-three movies, we will be writing a retrospective blog piece and recording a podcast which will be available online. If you consider that this equates to approximately forty-six hours of movie-watching alone, the scale of the challenge should be more apparent.

So why are we doing it?

Aside from the opportunity to see one of the world’s greatest movie franchises in its entirety, we are also raising money for Cancer Research Wales. Both of our fathers are currently undergoing treatment for various types of cancer and we both wanted to help raise vital funds for research and treatment.

More information about the Bondathon will be added over the coming weeks so please keep checking the blog, follow us on Twitter @WatchersFilmSho and please consider sponsoring us at www.justgiving.com/thewatcherscharitybondathon2012

Many thanks

The Watchers