Haven’t seen either yet but plan to over the next week. I hadn’t realised they were by Rian Johnson. Wasn’t a fan of his Star Wars movie but loved Brick.
He also did Looper, which I enjoyed. Then again, I did enjoy The Last Jedi, so there is that.
There was a period in the early to mid 00s where there was definitely a push from some in the industry to present him as one of the next stars, and I think it was largely around the press for that film. He just never really took off as a star though. I think the reality is the traits that make stars in this industry is not very tightly aligned with what makes a good film or even a good acting performance and you end with interesting roles that require a proper actor to play them and the films only play to a limited audience. There arent too many of his films that really were pushed by the studio to be hits, and the few he’s had there were commercially mainstream were thin roles that people with half his talent could have delivered (think the Marvel stuff). But in the end he’s still had 2 oscar noms, including a win, in the last 5 years or so and so that has to mark him as one of the top guys in the industry, even if it also suggests his best place in a film is complicated supporting characters rather than an actor to carry it.
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Yeah, there was a lot I didn’t like about the Last Jedi, but I think his overall take on it was right (the force is NOT just a skywalker thing) and think if he has someone like Fiege overseeing it to rein in just how far he went in subverting expectations he could have made a really good star wars films. For all the issues with that trilogy, I think his contribution was not really the problem.
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After loving The Banshees of Inisherin I decided to watch 3 billboards last night - Rockwell is side-splittingly hilarious. Not the only funny one in the film but he steals the show.
Another fantastic film, glad I successfully persuaded the missus to watch it instead of Mircale on 34th st.
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It’s not a film, but the video below proves beyond all reasonable doubt that Sam Rockwell is a deadset legend.
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Kicking off Die Hard with Jnr. Kids are the gift that keeps on giving 
After watching Uncharted I’d put it 2nd in my list of favorite films of 2022 behind Top Gun, great fun.
Made references to both Indiana Jones and POTC & it was exactly that.
Thief! I was laying down those moves 30 years ago.
Give him credit for Moon though. He’s got that falling apart being gross thing nailed.
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Watched Glass Onion - good film. Daniel Craig clearly has a lot of fun. Janelle Monae is getting a lot of plaudits for her role in the film but personally think Kate Hudson was a scene stealer and the highlight of the film.
Standout film for me this year is easily Banshees - fully expect McDonaugh, Farrell, and Condon to win most awards; reckon Gleeson and Keeghan will interfere with each other as supporting actors.
Menu was good - Feinnes and Taylor-Joy both great, but Nicholaus Hoult was the real stand out and definetly deserves some recognition although I still think either Gleeson or Keeghan were better supporting actors.
At some point in the next week I’ll go and watch Babylon - looks like it’ll be a fun spectacle
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Love Three Billboards, (but also love original miracle on 34th street). It’s one of the few non-marvel movies I’ve made it to the cinema to watch in the last few years.
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Watched because of In Bruges, stayed for brilliant film it turned out to be.
Farrell is a very underrated actor
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Have you seen either of the films he did with Yorgos Lanthimos? “The Lobster” and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”? Excellent films
Watched the Batman a couple of days ago and thought he was very good as the Penguin
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Aye, years ago I would have said he is limited but great in the roles that are suited for him. Killing of a Sacred Deer made me rethink if I’d underrated his range. It’s a strange film, but an interesting one with a couple of really good performances.
The Contractor & Samaritan.
Couple of poor choices from me today, Contractor was so slow and boring…giving Sutherland 5 mins screen time completely inexcusable. Samaritan was at least a bit different, or different to what I’ve seen lately anyway. I know Stallone’s an old dude now but he ought to have had a bit more sleep between shooting scenes.
Prime Video membership getting cancelled straight away once the football is done 
Did however watch Catch me if you can for the umpteenth billionth time last night, and remains 1 of my all time favourites.
Just watched Violent Night. Great cheesy action and doesn’t take itself seriously at all. Shades of Die Hard 2 about it.
Great fun.
Whoever said Morbius was an overhyped pile of crap was half right, I actually thought the actors did well including the villain but at least give Tyrese Gibson something to work with…he’s basically a lost lamb in this.
Best bit about it were the end credit scenes but it’s the same old cliched plot with Marvel/DC…human wants a cure, does some tests which ends up going wrong…happened with Hulk happened with Fantastic Four and happened in the old Spider Mans.
Also noticed the ridiculously short run time it had, 93 mins (excluding the credits)
Went to the cinema to see it - worthy successor to to the original, which is one of my favourites.
Coincidentally, watched Knives Out with my eldest one tonight. Even thought it’s a whodunnit, it totally stands up to repeat viewings.
The Last Jedi was just a bit pointless. The whole plot of the film revolving around the Empire chasing the Rebels incredibly slowly through space was boring. Then they go on a mission to find a code breaker who in the end doesn’t help them, but they don’t need him anyway, then they get back and it turns out that Laura Dern had a plan after all, but it doesn’t work. She then lightspeeds a ship through the other ship which no-one at any point in Star Wars has anyone ever thought of, and would certainly have made destroying Death Stars a lot easier. Then Luke shows up, but doesn’t. And he only buys them enough time to run into a cave and get trapped until Ray rescues them anyway. Then Luke dies because he has used all his strength Force Projecting himself across the Galaxy, rather than just going there in person.
I mean, it’s a mess. It’s only saving grace is that it isn’t as bad as the last one. Which is cataclysmic in how awful it is.
One of the reasons why I gave up on Marvel was because I realised I was essentially watching the same film over and over again.