Tag Archives: period drama

Audience Response

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
Films

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

Audience Response

Audience Reaction: The Shape of Water

The PontardaweFilm Club audice rated The Shape of Water as follows

AUDIENCE REACTION:

  • Excellent              31
  • Very Good          18
  • Good                     6
  • Average               3
  • Poor                      3

Giving an overall rating of 79%

COMMENTS:

  • Expensively made twaddle
  • Long and tedious.  Not really see the point…
  • Absolutely beautiful film
  • Interesting that the Russian spy becomes heroic
  • Not as amazing as Pans Labarinth but engaging adult fairy tale and quite beautiful imagery throughout– loved the homage to classic film
  • Beautifully done – took me through many emotions – a strange story but gorgeous despite the gory bits.
  • Really enjoyed it
  • Very well done – a real modern fairytale.
  • The grey selkie all over again.  Fab!
  • Deserving of the Oscar
  • A strange but good film
  • To my great surprise I loved it
  • Marvellous.  A great love story on many levels
  • Very enjoyable!  Very imaginative.  Very dramatic
  • Splash Noir!  Beautiful visual metaphoe and a classic Chekov’s gun
  • Seen and loved all his movies
Audience Response

Audience Reaction: Loving Vincent

A very popular choice with Loving Vincent and a huge response with 68 slips returned – and a load of walk ups!  Everyone happy.

  • Good             3
  • Very good    7
  • Excellent      58

Giving an overall rating of 95.2%

Could be up for Ponty Award!

COMMENTS:

  • It was just as well that this film’s speculative detective-mystery ‘plot’ — which  I found not only difficult to follow but didn’t even say very much about Vincent the man — was largely irrelevant, since it was the astonishing technical achievement of the production that led me finally to give it a rating of ‘Very Good’. (That said, I do generally prefer to be able to gaze long at paintings, including those by Van Gogh!)
  • Nit-picking department: all the locals in Auvers-sur-Oise (a village 20 miles from Paris) spoke with vaguely Lancashire accents, which might have been an eccentric choice but at least showed consistency (the marked exception of the Irish boatman apart!). What was totally improbable, however, was that Armand (the yellow-coated ‘detective’) and his postman Dad, both of whom were born and raised just outside Arles should speak so differently: Armand sounding like a Sahf London wide-boy, while his father was yet another Irishman.   
  • Inspirational.  What a clever concept
  • Very innovative
  • Lovely experience and I had lunch in the café.  When’s the next one
  • Stunning
  • Masterpiece.  Just like his art.  As moving as gazing at his many works
  • An amazing achievement and totally beautiful
  • Brilliant, outstanding and very moving.  This is the first time I have written a comment
  • I was intrigued by the concept of the painted film.  I felt it did well to sorting the ambiguity of his death as it is an often untold story.  Very good art and moving scenes – I cried.
  • Unable to take my eyes of the screen.  Every single moment was worth pausing over.  Changed my appreciation of both painting and film
  • What a banquet of colour.   Thank you for putting this film on  it the most beautiful film I’ve seen in years.   Bravo!
  • Fantastic film.  Diolch
  • Beautiful art!  Absolutely amazing.  So well portrayed.  So moving.  A real masterpiece to appreciate.  So tragic.  A must see!!
  • Clever and uplifting.  Van Goch’s paintings from the inside out.
  • Once can see why it tool so long to film.  Excellent content and artistic impressions
  • Marvellous.  Thank you  Dreamy5
  • Unique
  • Quite nice to look at, but was the narrative that strong?
  • Brilliant film.  So glad you put it on.  We came from Swansea to see it.  Thanks
  • Amazing, mesmerising, beautiful.  I loved the way the paintings rippled and all the detail.
  • Thought provoking.  Excellent portrayal of the artist.  Thanks
  • I had problems with the dialogue quality.  Fortunately I have read most of Van Gogh’s letters.
  • Beautiful – visually difficult to get used to at first but when I settled to it , it became easy to watch
  • Absolutely fabulous.  The work that went into the cartoon was exceptional.  Wish all cartoons were done in this style instead of CGI
  • Been waiting to see it for ages.  I will watch it without the sound next time so my brain can absorb the visuals
  • Made me nostalgic for his work
Films

Our Next Film: Loving Vincent

Tuesday, 13 February 2018, 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm

2017, UK/Poland, 94 minutes, (12)
Director – Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman

Using 65,000 oil painted frames – the first fully painted feature film in the world. Traditionally the famously troubled artist’s death is viewed as suicide. But Loving Vincent delves into the ambiguities of his life and last days.

TRAILER:

LINKS:
IMDb – Loving Vincent
Rotten Tomatoes – Loving Vincent

AUDIENCE REACTION:

A very popular choice with Loving Vincent and a huge response with 68 slips returned – and a load of walk ups!  Everyone happy.

  • Good             3
  • Very good    7
  • Excellent      58

Giving an overall rating of 95.2%

Could be up for Ponty Award!

COMMENTS:

  • It was just as well that this film’s speculative detective-mystery ‘plot’ — which  I found not only difficult to follow but didn’t even say very much about Vincent the man — was largely irrelevant, since it was the astonishing technical achievement of the production that led me finally to give it a rating of ‘Very Good’. (That said, I do generally prefer to be able to gaze long at paintings, including those by Van Gogh!)
  • Nit-picking department: all the locals in Auvers-sur-Oise (a village 20 miles from Paris) spoke with vaguely Lancashire accents, which might have been an eccentric choice but at least showed consistency (the marked exception of the Irish boatman apart!). What was totally improbable, however, was that Armand (the yellow-coated ‘detective’) and his postman Dad, both of whom were born and raised just outside Arles should speak so differently: Armand sounding like a Sahf London wide-boy, while his father was yet another Irishman.   
  • Inspirational.  What a clever concept
  • Very innovative
  • Lovely experience and I had lunch in the café.  When’s the next one
  • Stunning
  • Masterpiece.  Just like his art.  As moving as gazing at his many works
  • An amazing achievement and totally beautiful
  • Brilliant, outstanding and very moving.  This is the first time I have written a comment
  • I was intrigued by the concept of the painted film.  I felt it did well to sorting the ambiguity of his death as it is an often untold story.  Very good art and moving scenes – I cried.
  • Unable to take my eyes of the screen.  Every single moment was worth pausing over.  Changed my appreciation of both painting and film
  • What a banquet of colour.   Thank you for putting this film on  it the most beautiful film I’ve seen in years.   Bravo!
  • Fantastic film.  Diolch
  • Beautiful art!  Absolutely amazing.  So well portrayed.  So moving.  A real masterpiece to appreciate.  So tragic.  A must see!!
  • Clever and uplifting.  Van Goch’s paintings from the inside out.
  • Once can see why it tool so long to film.  Excellent content and artistic impressions
  • Marvellous.  Thank you  Dreamy5
  • Unique
  • Quite nice to look at, but was the narrative that strong?
  • Brilliant film.  So glad you put it on.  We came from Swansea to see it.  Thanks
  • Amazing, mesmerising, beautiful.  I loved the way the paintings rippled and all the detail.
  • Thought provoking.  Excellent portrayal of the artist.  Thanks
  • I had problems with the dialogue quality.  Fortunately I have read most of Van Gogh’s letters.
  • Beautiful – visually difficult to get used to at first but when I settled to it , it became easy to watch
  • Absolutely fabulous.  The work that went into the cartoon was exceptional.  Wish all cartoons were done in this style instead of CGI
  • Been waiting to see it for ages.  I will watch it without the sound next time so my brain can absorb the visuals
  • Made me nostalgic for his work

Audience Response

Audience Reaction: ’13 Minutes (Elser)’

The audience gave ‘13 Minutes‘ a score of 94.18%

Their comments were as follows:

  • Loving these factual films – loved the directing, the way it kept flicking back and forth. Tense.
  • Not my cup of tea but excellent film
  • A very moving, dramatic film – one must ask:- what if?
  • Hard to watch at times but one of the best films about eh war I have seen. Amazing story very well told
  • Brilliant
  • Very powerful
  • Knew nothing of this before seeing the film – story presented in an interesting way
  • A powerful drama and an important true story which needed to be brought to light. Tension and horrow of Nazi Germany well depicted
  • A grim watch and an important one – would never have heard of Elser. Inspiring
  • Moving convinving portrayal of daily life with Nazis but I cant stomach the violence
  • Enjoyable acting but hard to watch at times.
Audience Response

Audience Reaction: ‘In a Lonely Place’ and ‘Trumbo’

Scores and comments from the Hollywood Film Festival this past weekend. Looks like you all had a really great time!

IN A LONELY PLACE
Audience Score 84%

  • Very engaging – powerful emotions and great tension in the story with the seed of doubt sown. Enjoyed the strong performances and the costumes.
  • Great character development showing the breakdown of faith between the lovers
  • Enjoyed the suspense. Strong female character – one unlucky guy!
  • Very dramatic music – did he or did not he?
  • Good casting of actors
  • Full of tension
  • Good to have two films about screenwriters to compare. Look forward to Trumbo
  • One of my favourite films – great to see on the big screen. Bogart and Grahame are a spectacular paring – very emotionally intense
  • Loved the dialogues, retorts and quips. Something not in modern films. Bogart is fab actor. Loved the story, gripping. Like reading a good book you cannot put down – brilliant performance. Kept you on the edge of your seat. Totally credible. Well worth watching
  • Totally compelling
  • Loved it …so atmospheric without hi-tec special effects of today – wonderful acting, so much expression in faces and body language – fantastic script with humour – black and white film evokes so much tension and wonderful imagery – great high speed car journey
  • Great ending.
  • Very engaging, powerful emotions, great tension in the story with the
  • Enjoyed the strong performances and the costumes. Naked intensity.
  • Predictable but enjoyed
  • Interesting from the perspective of how an abusive relationship was viewed in the 50s as opposed to today. Predictable and result end result with issues unresolved.
  • Very tense gripping drama

TRUMBO
Audience Score 93%

  • Very informative –showed warts and all – but what a dreadful episode in US history
  • Brilliantly portrayed of individual attempt to live up to b lists for
    An enjoyable slice of infamous American history well told. Could have done with a re-write to shorted it slightly
  • Use of black and white film with colour emphasized the time. Illustrated not only the madness of the time but the complexities of the characters and subversiveness of the fight back by the accused
  • Inspiring and moving. Interesting to see into the history and how it played out in individual lives. The toll it took
  • The film showed how paranoid the Americans were at that time. It showed how families were destroyed by the black list
  • Interesting period in USA history – could return if Donal Trump becomes president!
  • The film very effectively portrayed the strength of Trumbo and many others. It was extremely well written and performed brilliantly by Bryan Cranston. It was a joy to watch and extremely accurate historically also.
  • Brilliant film saw all sides of Trumbo’s character
  • Inspiring resistance to paranoia
  • Glad the good guys won in the end
  • Brilliant film – perfect casting, excellent cinematography – dreadful story – a bad time in America -= Helen Mirren as Hedda was great at the end as personification of right wing evil and bigotry – loved Billie Holiday at the end – just the right song!
  • Acting superb, the actors playing the ‘real’ actors were life like. Highly recommended I learned a lot in the film of what happed during those times.
  • Brilliantly acted – nice to know who were the good guys and who were the baddies
Audience Response

Audience Reation: ‘Theeb’

The Pontardawe audience gave ‘Theeb‘ a score of 90%
 
Here are their comments:
 
  • Thanks for screening this film yesterday. It had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t believe the way in which Theeb grew up before our eyes in what (I can only imagine) was a short space in time.
  • Wonderful scenery (not that I would want to live there, mind). Excellent acting from the young lead actor. One of those films where you can never guess what is going to happen next – v. enjoyable twists and turns. For once a Film Club that I didn’t feel that was too long.
  • A remarkable achievement.
  • Enthralling if somewhat grim. Fantastic desert scenery.
  • Filming of the highest order – Brilliant.
  • Beautiful, thought provoking, poetic film. My kind of film. Loved it.
  • Beautifully shot. The clash between the old and new world.
  • Excellent plot. Good cast especially the boy Theeb. ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold’!
  • Very interesting film. Arresting!
  • Beautiful and savage – beautifully slow paced.
  • For most of its length it was very gripping and interesting. It slowed down towards the end, but overall it was excellent.
  • Beautifully shot, excellent child actor – a moody slow-burner.
  • Great cinematography – wonderful use of scenery + sense of place.
  • Visually & aurally stunning. So much from the point of view of the child who spoke little.
  • Haunting music, lovely scenery, thought provoking.
Audience Response

Audience Reaction: The Connection

The audience gave the film ‘The Connection‘ as core of 90%

Comments as follows:

  • Very enjoyable, beautifully shot. Perhaps a little longer than it needed to be but held the attention!
  • Very classy film, superbly acted.
  • I also remember the events at the time in France. Brilliant acting!
  • Not the best script in the world, lots of gaping holes. However the acting was good – the lead actor is very charismatic.
  • Good film, strong acting. 2 male leads. Just not my genre! So not excellent.
Films

High Tide

We had a fantastic time last night in the company of Jimmy Hay and Melanie Walters of ‘High Tide’.

Our thanks go to Film Hub Wales, Tamarind Pontardawe and High Rise Window Cleaning for their financial support of the event.

Thanks also to the wonderful Ponatardawe Arts Centre staff for all of their support during this first season of film this year.

Photos – Linda Wellington

Audience Response

Audience Reaction ‘A Little Chaos’

The audience gave ‘A Little Chaos‘ a score of 66.41%

Comments:

Liked the music very much.
Delightful.
It reminded me of Peter Greenaway’s film ‘The Draughtsman’s Contract’. Well it wasn’t quite like that! Garden designs skulduggery, sex, love, jealousy – it was all there!
Good enough but not of the high standard I’ve come to expect from Pontardawe Film Club. Direction questionable.
It looked good but was very tedious. The characters felt anachronistic, and there were too many sub plots. It was unfocused and needed more humour.
What is it with Winslet and water?