AFS Audience Ratings
Rate this week's film – add your comments too, if you want!
Results in next AFS email to members and on this page later this week
Results in next AFS email to members and on this page later this week
You rated Taxi Driver 93% – 4.5 stars
• Exceptional filmmaking! As good as when it was first released
• Continues to deserve its status as a masterpiece
• Exceptional filmmaking! As good as when it was first released
• Continues to deserve its status as a masterpiece
You rated Mandabi 80% – 4 stars
• Compelling critique of patriarchy and capitalism
• Compelling critique of patriarchy and capitalism
You rated Sweet Smell of Success 87% – 4.5 stars
• Pure class. Dialogue as delicious as it gets
• Pure class. Dialogue as delicious as it gets
You rated Crash 80% – 4 stars
• I'll never look at a car the same way again
• I'll never look at a car the same way again
You rated The Naked City 93% – 4.5 stars
• Superb, highly influential documentary-style noir
• Gritty and gripping
• Superb, highly influential documentary-style noir
• Gritty and gripping
You rated B-Movie: Lust and Sound in West-Berlin 87% – 4.5 stars
• Excellent portrait of an era
• As a vibe, this is top-notch viewing. As a documentary, its content rarely matches its creative flair.
• Excellent portrait of an era
• As a vibe, this is top-notch viewing. As a documentary, its content rarely matches its creative flair.
You rated Nightmare Alley 84% – 4.5 stars
• Brutal and fun in all the best ways
• A superb, off-beat noir
• Brilliant!
• Brutal and fun in all the best ways
• A superb, off-beat noir
• Brilliant!
You rated Pigs and Battleships 80% – 4 stars
• Fascinating – two stories in parallel – the hapless gangsters, who appeared as comical, almost cartoon characters, and Haruko's story, which was very powerful and moving
• Fascinating – two stories in parallel – the hapless gangsters, who appeared as comical, almost cartoon characters, and Haruko's story, which was very powerful and moving
You rated Girls/Museum 80% – 4 stars
• Enjoyed being in the gallery and hearing how the girls see the world of art.
• Engaging
• Enjoyed being in the gallery and hearing how the girls see the world of art.
• Engaging
You rated Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter 80% – 4 stars
• Jayne Mansfield is electric in this satire, and Rockwell Hunter, very influential!
• Silly
• Jayne Mansfield is electric in this satire, and Rockwell Hunter, very influential!
• Silly
You rated Tokyo Drifter 80% – 4 stars
• Inspired in part by Le Samourai, Kurosawa, Fuller and in turn inspiring the Bond franchise
• Erratic structure, disjointed editing and a convuluted plot made it hard to get into but it won me over by the end
• Fun
• Inspired in part by Le Samourai, Kurosawa, Fuller and in turn inspiring the Bond franchise
• Erratic structure, disjointed editing and a convuluted plot made it hard to get into but it won me over by the end
• Fun
You rated House of Bamboo 80% – 4 stars!
You rated Sleeping Dogs 54% – 2.5 stars
• Men killing each other with guns and indiscriminately groping the few female characters, yucko
• Men killing each other with guns and indiscriminately groping the few female characters, yucko
You rated Celia 77% – 3.5 stars!
• A compelling story on many different levels. A movie that you take home with you and dwell on
• Millenials may find it hard to believe, but the first half accurately reproduces a 1950's childhood!
• A compelling story on many different levels. A movie that you take home with you and dwell on
• Millenials may find it hard to believe, but the first half accurately reproduces a 1950's childhood!
You rated Honeyland 90% – 4.5 stars!
• "An absolute triumph in verité filmmaking"
• Film crew spent 3 years in remote Balkan hamlet. Will they ever leave? – New York Times (thanks Megan C for sending this link)
• "An absolute triumph in verité filmmaking"
• Film crew spent 3 years in remote Balkan hamlet. Will they ever leave? – New York Times (thanks Megan C for sending this link)
You rated The Big Steal 90% – 4.5 stars!
• "It was a lovely feel good film, not sure if I've ever laughed as much at a car chase scene!"
• "It was a lovely feel good film, not sure if I've ever laughed as much at a car chase scene!"
You rated Girlhood 80% – 4 stars!
• One of Sciamma's masterpieces. A beautiful empathetic camera in a structurally bold coming of age
• Sciamma has succeeded in presenting a high energy and entertaining film that is also a real eye-opener. She shows the girls as powerful, uninhibited, unashamed, but also vulnerable.
• One of Sciamma's masterpieces. A beautiful empathetic camera in a structurally bold coming of age
• Sciamma has succeeded in presenting a high energy and entertaining film that is also a real eye-opener. She shows the girls as powerful, uninhibited, unashamed, but also vulnerable.
You rated My Brilliant Career 86% – 4 stars!
• Radiant performances and a powerful ending
• A pleasure all the way through, and great that the Film Society screened it as I missed it back in 1979
• Radiant performances and a powerful ending
• A pleasure all the way through, and great that the Film Society screened it as I missed it back in 1979
You rated Smiles of a Summer Night 85% – 4 stars!
You rated Bait 80% – 4 stars!
You rated Utu: Redux 83% – 4 stars!
• An incredibly important moment in Aotearoa cinema. This film takes its Ford and Leone westerns and wears them on its sleeve, while exploring the relationships and world that could only exist here. While I think the sequential storytelling is a bit jumbled, especially in the first 30, with a lot of jumping around that leaves you feeling a bit out of place, the whole film really comes together in the final scene, wherein the quest for revenge has eaten away at every single character, leaving little meaning and hollow people. Could have treated its female characters a bit better. Would love to see this kind of Māori historical epic in the hands of a Māori filmmaker.
• An incredibly important moment in Aotearoa cinema. This film takes its Ford and Leone westerns and wears them on its sleeve, while exploring the relationships and world that could only exist here. While I think the sequential storytelling is a bit jumbled, especially in the first 30, with a lot of jumping around that leaves you feeling a bit out of place, the whole film really comes together in the final scene, wherein the quest for revenge has eaten away at every single character, leaving little meaning and hollow people. Could have treated its female characters a bit better. Would love to see this kind of Māori historical epic in the hands of a Māori filmmaker.
You rated A Raisin in the Sun 94% – 4.5 stars!
• I reckon Spike Lee got some of his ideas from this film
• I reckon Spike Lee got some of his ideas from this film
You rated King of Jazz 80% – 4 stars!
• Amazing technical achievements, lovely musical sequences – and some very uncomfortable moments
• At the very least, it was interesting
• Amazing technical achievements, lovely musical sequences – and some very uncomfortable moments
• At the very least, it was interesting
You rated Les misérables 90% – 4.5 stars!
• A flawless, harrowing experience that will stay with me a long time
• A flawless, harrowing experience that will stay with me a long time
You rated Bamboozled 90% – 4.5 stars!
You rated L'argent 60% – 3 stars
You rated Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché & Alice Guy Short Films 100% – 5 stars!
You rated Thelma 66.6% – 3.5 stars!
You rated You Will Die at 20 85% – 4.5 stars!
You rated Snakeskin 86% – 4.5 stars!
• I thought it was a bold and brave film. Quite menacing with considerable humour throughout.
• A knowing and entertaining mash-up of genres. As Johnny/Craig said of the outlaw, he didn't seem real, and neither did the other characters at times. Best scene for me was the dog high-tailing it out of the skinheads car.
• Loved this Alice and her adventures in a supernatural psychedelic wonderland. Such an impressive first feature!
• I thought it was a bold and brave film. Quite menacing with considerable humour throughout.
• A knowing and entertaining mash-up of genres. As Johnny/Craig said of the outlaw, he didn't seem real, and neither did the other characters at times. Best scene for me was the dog high-tailing it out of the skinheads car.
• Loved this Alice and her adventures in a supernatural psychedelic wonderland. Such an impressive first feature!
You rated Lamb 80% – 4 stars!
• Excellent cultural experience
• Excellent cultural experience
You rated Pickpocket 80% – 4 stars!
• Great choice, a masterpiece
• I just loved the way Bresson went against all the conventions of cinema to create a sense of unease. (Almost all the conventions of cinema - the image was beautiful.)
• Although intense and certainly a classic in its French New Wave minimalism, I would hold back in calling it "phenomenal" as Werner Herzog has done. I found the script stilted and the action robotic. I think newbie actor LaSalle could have been give more directorial guidance.
• Not convinced that Bresson is that great. Hoped this early film would make me forgive his tedious later works. It didn't.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Some acclaim [Bresson] as the greatest… others have difficulty understanding him" – see the director respond to his critics here
• Great choice, a masterpiece
• I just loved the way Bresson went against all the conventions of cinema to create a sense of unease. (Almost all the conventions of cinema - the image was beautiful.)
• Although intense and certainly a classic in its French New Wave minimalism, I would hold back in calling it "phenomenal" as Werner Herzog has done. I found the script stilted and the action robotic. I think newbie actor LaSalle could have been give more directorial guidance.
• Not convinced that Bresson is that great. Hoped this early film would make me forgive his tedious later works. It didn't.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Some acclaim [Bresson] as the greatest… others have difficulty understanding him" – see the director respond to his critics here
You rated Rafiki 82% – 4 stars!
• It was a really enjoyable film - well acted, nicely paced - and great to see a Kenyan movie on these themes.
• Loved the bright African colours. Hate the African attitude to the Rainbow community!
• Loved this movie! Very sensitive portrayal of not only the relationship between the main characters but also the broader family relationships and parenting styles.
• It was a really enjoyable film - well acted, nicely paced - and great to see a Kenyan movie on these themes.
• Loved the bright African colours. Hate the African attitude to the Rainbow community!
• Loved this movie! Very sensitive portrayal of not only the relationship between the main characters but also the broader family relationships and parenting styles.