Confessions of a Film Addict

I'm an 18 year old film addict. I work at a cinema and intend to share my thoughts on here. This will consist of poorly written film reviews and complaints about cinema goers. Enjoy.

[cofafilmaddict-blog]

American Hustle

I'm sorry but I did not enjoy this film. I didnt dislike it either. It was just incredibly mediocre. I do not understand why it's getting any awards. Jennifer Lawrence's performance was not amazing. It was average. She shouted a lot with a Jersey accent. I could do that. I'm sorry but I just don't get it

[theatlantic]

R.I.P. Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Greatest Actor of His Generation

Famous deaths invite hyperbole. The news that Philip Seymour Hoffman was discovered dead today in an apartment bathroom, with a syringe sticking out of his arm, seems like an occasion to overreact with some exaggerated summary of his career—something like “most talented and kaleidoscopic actor of his time.”

Except, in this case, the compliment isn’t hyperbolic at all. It’s just an accurate description, as true yesterday as it is today. And the competition isn’t even that close.

The first thing about Philip Seymour Hoffman—that is, the first thing most audiences saw—is that he looked unremarkable, even boring. He had a hangdog countenance, often sliced with the swoop of his receding blond mane, with small, firm eyes. He wasn’t strikingly handsome, nor strikingly unhandsome, neither thin nor obese, not blessed with any distinguishing gosh-wow feature that would make somebody watching an early performance in Twister or The Big Lebowski exclaim, “I think we’ve found our next Brando.” Instead of standing out in these early films, he stood within them—gauging the pace and tone of the action around him and blending in so delicately that it’s not uncommon for even Hoffman fanatics to look back on his career and think, I forgot he was in that.

Read more. [Image: Sony Pictures Classics]

[cofafilmaddict-blog]

Top things that piss off cinema workers

A list of the top things that piss of myself and my colleagues at the cinema, in no particular order. This may be updated regularly,  just a warning: #1 Leaving your shit in the screens. [We know you can carry it, because you carried it in. Also there are plenty of bins, no excuse] #2 Being a dick about allocated seating. [When we havejust spent a good 5 minutes helping you pick where you want to sit don't then turn to us and say "but we don't actually have to sit in these do we?" Yes you do. Don't be a dick] #3 Bitching about prices [The cinema is expensive. Everyone knows that. Don't complain to us about it, we have no control over it. Also, if you don't want to spend a lot, don't get a shit tonne of food] #4 Asking for things we don't have [If it's not on display we don't have it. We're not hiding chocolate from you, if it isn't with the others we do not have it] #5 Bothering us about when your screen will be ready [I realise sometimes this takes a while, but it isnt our fault,  it's the fault of previous customers doing #1]

[cofafilmaddict-blog]

2013

I thought I'd begin my choosing my favourite films of 2013. This is difficult for me, but there are my top 5 as of this moment. This will change, often. Anyway, enough delay:

1) The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I cannot  explain why I loved this film, I just did. It made me feel joy in a way no film has before, and surely that is the aim of most films. If you haven't seen it, watch it. If you didn't like it, I respect your opinion but we cannot be friends.

2) Star Trek Into Darkness. I am aware that this is not a flawless film, far from it. But poor female characters aside, I loved this film. I think it's brilliantly performed. Benedict Cumberbatch gets a lot of praise for his role, which I understand, but for me it was Chris Pine. The strength of his performance was more subtle but no less skilled. I love this film, I just do.

3) Her This was amazing. There is a balance between a love story and a twisted idea of the future, that somehow works so well. At the end I felt both uncomfortable and moved. The performances are stunning, and I still don't fully understand how Johansson did what she did. It'd weird, but bloody good.

4) Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2 In a year full of high performing animated sequels, this was by far my favourite. It is an unpopular opinion, one I know my colleagues and the people of my city don't appear to share. Monsters Uni was fine, but the first was so good it couldnt possibly compare. Despicable Me 2 was far too focused on the minions not the kids. Cloudy 2 was just as genius as the first, everything I could've hoped for and more

5) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug The only reason this isn't number one is that I had the most inhumanly high expectations. It's brilliant. Yes it doesn't stick to the book, and yes there are ways it could be improved. But dammit, it's good. The elves though, so cool.