Favorite films

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Recent reviews

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  Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan 2019

  ★★★ Watched 04 Feb 2023

  I like the idea that Aussie soldiers are more inclined to tell the brass to go fuck themselves when it comes to rescuing their comrades. No idea if there's any truth to it, but the idea feels very Australian.

  It's very much one of those "300" style stories about a smaller group of soldiers trying to hold off an enemy vastly superior in number. Nothing revolutionary about it, but a fairly entertaining film about one of the times Australia has blindly followed the US into a war that doesn't concern us.

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  Molly's Game 2017

  ★★★½ Watched 03 Feb 2023

  No idea how accurate to reality this is, but it's an Aaron Sorkin script, so everyone talks much faster and wittier than reality.

  Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba give compelling performances as former olympic hopeful Molly Bloom and her lawyer Charlie Jaffey. There are some actors who can do Aaron Sorkin dialogue and some who can't, these two feel like they would have settled nicely into The West Wing.

  I enjoyed the story but could have done without the "father mansplains what Molly's problem is" scene. That aside I feel that Chastain's ability to be both vulnerable and fearless keeps things entertaining.

Popular reviews

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  Another Round 2020

  ★★★★ Watched 31 Jan 2023

  I find the message of this film ambiguous, which I like. It's also the least emotionally intense Thomas Vinterberg film I've watched so far, so that was a relief because I really wasn't in the mind-frame for another "The Hunt" or "The Celebration".

  There's an oddly mixed theme of celebration and mourning in this film, both in terms of Denmark's drinking culture and to the main characters' lives. There are moments where characters hit absolute rock bottom while drinking while…

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  The Menu 2022

  ★★★ Watched 18 Jan 2023

  I honestly don't know if I like this film or not. It feels like it's trying to make fun of pretentious "art" while also coming across as pretentious art. Maybe that's the point? Or maybe it's so the film makers can use that as an excuse if anyone criticises them for it. Or maybe I'm overthinking satire. But if this isn't the place to overthink movies, please point me in the right direction.

  I do like Ralph Fiennes' intensity, particularly…