Audience Reaction: ‘Peterloo’

AUDIENCE REACTION: ‘Peterloo’

Our first film of the season was very well received. The Pontardawe audience votes were as follows:

  • Excellent  32
  • Very good 10
  • Good 4

Giving an overall score of 90.2%

COMMENTS:

  • A detailed history lesson – amazing detail!
  • Very realistic.  Thought it might show the impact afterwards
  • An epic of a film – a sign of the times
  • I do love a good baddy and there were certainly plenty of those – was it acceptable given the mores of the age or was the early 19th century full of brutes and cads?
  • A weirdly paced film – sometimes almost Shakespearean, sometimes quite shallow – but shines a light on an important and overlooked part of British democratic history
  • How little life changes
  • Great film – the riot scene was brutal!
  • History I’d never even known.  Thought provoking.  Times have not changed sadly
  • So pleased to have seen this.  Feel a little overwhelmed – brilliant and just what needs to be seen
  • Vive le republic!!
  • Much better than I expected
  • Enjoyed the film, loved the acting, well scripted and directed.  History should be kept alive in films as not a lot of reading done these days.  More like this please
  • I’ve been looking forward to this film since I first heard about it in early days of its production  my plans to see it earlier were unavoidably thwarted so I was very please dot see it tonight  a great achievement from Mike Leigh
  • Thank you
  • Excellent film.  Will find out more about the event which I think is hidden away
  • Given the current power struggles in the UK it seems that not much has changed
  • Very affecting – wonderful hats
  • Fantastic film!  Brilliant well developed set scenes.  Hidden from popular history
  • Harrowing portrayal of the horror that humans are able to act upon each other when they see the difference between themselves.  A warning for us all  thank you fo showing such an important film
  • Gwych!
  • A great tribute to those who protested
  • But there were a few caricatures
  • Powerful shocking film
  • Awesome

Our Next Film: Peterloo

Wednesday, 9 January 2019, 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm

2018, UK, 154 minutes, (12A)
Director – Mike Leigh

The story of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre where British forces attacked a peaceful pro-democracy rally in Manchester.

TRAILER:

LINKS:
IMDb – Peterloo
Rotten Tomatoes – Peterloo

AUDIENCE REACTION:

Our first film of the season was very well received

  • Excellent  32
  • Very good 10
  • Good 4

Giving an overall score of 90.2%

COMMENTS:

  • A detailed history lesson – amazing detail!
  • Very realistic.  Thought it might show the impact afterwards
  • An epic of a film – a sign of the times
  • I do love a good baddy and there were certainly plenty of those – was it acceptable given the mores of the age or was the early 19th century full of brutes and cads?
  • A weirdly paced film – sometimes almost Shakespearean, sometimes quite shallow – but shines a light on an important and overlooked part of British democratic history
  • How little life changes
  • Great film – the riot scene was brutal!
  • History I’d never even known.  Thought provoking.  Times have not changed sadly
  • So pleased to have seen this.  Feel a little overwhelmed – brilliant and just what needs to be seen
  • Vive le republic!!
  • Much better than I expected
  • Enjoyed the film, loved the acting, well scripted and directed.  History should be kept alive in films as not a lot of reading done these days.  More like this please
  • I’ve been looking forward to this film since I first heard about it in early days of its production  my plans to see it earlier were unavoidably thwarted so I was very please dot see it tonight  a great achievement from Mike Leigh
  • Thank you
  • Excellent film.  Will find out more about the event which I think is hidden away
  • Given the current power struggles in the UK it seems that not much has changed
  • Very affecting – wonderful hats
  • Fantastic film!  Brilliant well developed set scenes.  Hidden from popular history
  • Harrowing portrayal of the horror that humans are able to act upon each other when they see the difference between themselves.  A warning for us all  thank you fo showing such an important film
  • Gwych!
  • A great tribute to those who protested
  • But there were a few caricatures
  • Powerful shocking film
  • Awesome

Our Next Film: Redoubtable

Tuesday, 11 December 2018, 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm

2017, Italy/France, 108 minutes, (15) subtitles
Director – Michael Hazanavicius

From ‘The Artist’ director a playful multi-layered biopic of Jean Luc Godard, the great New Wave innovator and his tumultuous relationship with Anne Wiazemsky. A political, philosophical and biographic roller coaster brilliantly conjuring the political protest of 1968 France.

TRAILER:

LINKS:
IMDb – Redoubtable
Rotten Tomatoes – Redoubtable

Our Next Film: Under The Tree

Wednesday, 5 December 2018, 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm

2017, Iceland, 89 minutes, (15) subtitles
Director – Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson

A dispute over a tree between two neighbours develops into urban warfare and spirals out of control. Icelandic social drama with plenty of black comedy showing the hilarious pettiness of two sides unwilling to back down.

TRAILER:

LINKS:
IMDb – Under The Tree
Rotten Tomatoes – Under The Tree

Our Next Film: Call Me By Your Name

Thursday, 8 November 2018, 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm

2017, Italy / France, 132 minutes, (15) subtitles
Director – Lua Guadagnino

In 1980s Italy, a romance blossoms between a seventeen year-old student and the older man hired as his father’s research assistant.

TRAILER:

LINKS:
IMDb – Call Me By Your Name
Rotten Tomatoes – Call Me By Your Name

Our Next Film: A Prayer Before Dawn

Thursday, 25 October 2018, 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm

2017, France/UK, 116 minutes, (18)
Director – Jean-Stephane Sauvaire

Based on the true story of Billy, a heroin addict, sentenced to 3 years in a Thai prison. Unable to speak the language he struggles to survive and build relationships in a new and overwhelming reality.

TRAILER:

LINKS:
IMDb – A Prayer Before Dawn
Rotten Tomatoes – A Prayer Before Dawn

Our Next Film: In the Fade (Aus Dem Nichts)

Wednesday, 17 October 2018, 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm

2017, Germany/France, 106 minutes, (18) subtitles
Director – Faith Akin

Diane Kruger gives an astonishing, Cannes Best Actress award-winning performance in this riveting thriller. A politically charged tale of grief and violence in Germany. Following the murder of her husband and child by Neo Nazis a Hamburg woman seeks revenge in a desperate fight for justice.

TRAILER:

LINKS:
IMDb – In The Fade
Rotten Tomatoes – In The Fade

Our Next Film: The Breadwinner

Tuesday, 2 October 2018, 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm

2017, Ireland/Canada/Luxembourg, 93 minutes, (12A)
Director – Nora Twomey

Pavana is a headstrong 11 year old girl growing up under the Taliban in Afghanistan. She is forced to disguise herself as a boy in order to support her family. A beautiful animation employing a mix of 2D with painted environments and digital paper cut-out segments to weave together a world of conflict and oppressions, showing the strength of girls and the power of stories to sustain hope through dark times.

TRAILER:

LINKS:
IMDb – The Breadwinner
Rotten Tomatoes – The Breadwinner

Our Next Film: Beast

Wednesday, 19 September 2018, 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm

2017, UK, 107 minutes, (15)
Director – Michael Pearce

A troubled woman living in an isolated community finds herself pulled between the control of her oppressive family and the allure of a secretive outsider suspected of a series of brutal murders.

TRAILER:

LINKS:
IMDb – Beast
Rotten Tomatoes – Beast

AUDIENCE REACTION:

Well much to talk about after the film last night and always interesting when there are a range of scores.

Who was the BEAST ?

  • Excellent 13
  • Very Good 10
  • Good 5
  • Average 1
  • Poor 1

Giving an overall scoring of 77.5%

COMMENTS:

  • Disturbing!!
  • More questions than answers.  Good indeed!
  • Seen it all before.  Clichéd.  Usual stereotypes.  Lots of signposting music.  Done before, but better
  • Must get a land rover
  • Thinking, thinking, thinking is all I shall do about this film
  • A bit gruesome for me, but still enjoyed it.  Coundn’t identify the killer.  Beautiful piano music
  • Suspense, psychological thriller.  Well directed and acted.  Throughout the film kept you guessing ‘who done it?’
  • Very watchable.  Pretty good story
  • Tense!  Upsetting!  Great acting and setting
  • Intriguing but I didn’t like the underlying violence
  • Intense film.  Lots of unanswered questions

Our Next Film: Nothing Like a Dame

Tuesday, 11 September 2018, 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm

2018, UK, 84 minutes, (12A)
Director – Roger Michel

Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright and Maggie Smith take a trip down memory lane and share stories from their 50 year friendship. Cut together with diligently researched archive material from four remarkable careers the result is a hugely enjoyable and celebratory documentary.

TRAILER:

LINKS:
IMDb – Nothing Like A Dame
Rotten Tomatoes – Nothing Like A Dame

AUDIENCE REACTION:

Scoring as follows

  • Excellent 15
  • Very good 10
  • Good 6

With overall rating of 82%

COMMENTS:

  • Dames being down to earth was very entertaining.  Good unscripted fun
  • Best film of the season
  • Witty comments from four icons of film and television
  • Seen once on TV but delighted to see it again
  • Entertaining – love all 4 dames – Judy and Maggie being my favourites.  I did laugh with them.  Good to see old films with them in.  Liked The Stones as background music – rather apt
  • Fun!
  • Life enhancing
  • Nostalgic and insightful look at four lives – rather brave of them to all to have revealed so much about themselves

Our Last Film Of The Season: You Were Never Really Here

Wednesday, 20 June 2018, 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm

2017, UK/USA, 89 minutes, (15)
Director – Lynne Ramsey

Joaquim Phoenix plays a traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living.  When a job spins out of control, Joe’s nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening.

TRAILER:

LINKS:
IMDb – You Were Never Really Here
Rotten Tomatoes – You Were Never Really Here

AUDIENCE REACTION:

A mixed response to the last film of the season

  • Excellent  6
  • Very Good 7
  • Good 6
  • Average 4
  • Poor 2
  • Off the scale 1

Giving an overall rating of 58.7%

COMMENTS:

  • Clichéd and over produced drivel
  • The plot was a bit think, but very clever management of atmosphere and character.  A reminder of how brutal life can be
  • Great film – really enjoy Ramsey’s attention to small details and themes – plus great soundtrack
  • Kind of like ‘Taxi Driver’ meets ‘The Shining’ –  most engrossing and one to revisit ……
  • Psycho babble
  • I saw it through – intriguing but confusing plot at times,  please don’t choose such a violent film again it was well done but not enjoyable.
  • Bit gory – soundtrack brilliant
  • Joaquin Phoenix is always watchable!
  • The film tried very hard but was too disturbing and pretentious in the depiction of violence.  The main character was a bit too devoid of emotion
  • Bewildered – bit too violent for my taste but liked music
  • Painful to watch at times but I liked the possibility of redemption at the end

Film is what we do