Brendan White

Rampage is the film that everyone was expecting it to be. Tonally uneven with side characters that get introduced and die in their 5 minutes of screen-time and cheesy dialogue. The best part of the film is the great chemistry between a 45-year-old WWE personality-turned-actor and a 7-10 ft computer-generated gorilla and the humour the follows, which is the only collection of jokes that consistently work in the film.

The last 30 minutes I personally had fun with due to it being a distraction from the stream of scientific terminology and plot explanations yet it’s still the generic blockbuster popcorn fare with enough destruction and explosions to make Michael Bay happy.

Ready Player One is as exciting as a blockbuster can be offering thrills around every corner with a beautifully-created virtual world at the centre of it. The ensemble cast is great and the film is mostly filled with little references rather than the direct references that the book takes. The film can seem a little rushed at the start in setting the world and the final act can feel a little prolonged but that all doesn’t matter when the story gets tied up perfectly in Spielberg-fashion.

Steven Spielberg took what I thought would be an unfilmable book and created a magical world, full to the brim of pop culture references that everyone can enjoy. Who really doubted Spielberg though?

Pacific Rim: Uprising can simply be described as a disappointment. A messy script with some lacklustre character development and some poorly-executed villain twists and turns. John Boyega and Cailee Spaeny bring something new and exciting to the crashing of Kaijus whereas the ‘new recruits’ really have nothing to do (or say) creating lacklustre action scenes. Burn Gorman’s Dr Hermann Gottlieb is a highlight amongst the returning cast who really deserved more from a boring unimaginative sequel.

Annihlation is up there with the great science fiction films of the 21st Century and arguably the 20th Century as well. The cinematography is beautiful throughout and the music and score helps to keep you hooked into the world. Although I wasn’t a fan of the non-linear story at first, it really helps to explain the story a bit smoother which only helps to make the last act even more insane, giving me major-2001 vibes. The more I think about the film, the more I question what it really meant and how it all came together, only strengthening its status as a great science fiction film.

Lady Bird is dramatic and emotional, but at the same time relatable (especially from my own personal opinion) and I really can’t think of a single fault in it. The direction comes with an understanding of the material and all actors present their characters in different ways making everyone unique in how they influence Lady Bird (Christine)’s life. The film is very grounded in the real world, making it even more natural and special as the film goes on.

Not really a big fan of comedies but this one had me laughing throughout. The premise is so original and nearly every joke hits in the film. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams have fantastic chemistry as just two members of the great ensemble cast and there’s a fantastic tracking shot towards the end of the film which really helps to show off the films stellar direction. The film is a tad long though and becomes a bit convoluted into the third act, with some prolonged jokes not landing as well as others, but ultimately is a great experience.

Red Sparrow holds the typical twists, turns and reveals of a spy thriller but the design and setting of the film works in its favour. Despite all actors going to the generic school for generic Russian accents, all the CIA and ‘Red Sparrow’ scenes were rather engaging, which is helped by great performances by all actors. However, the film is full of tonal shifts which most of the time do not work in its favour (making the film feel long) and the film is very tough to watch, especially in the way it portrays sexual violence which may be incredibly uncomfortable for many. Jennifer Lawrence gives an outstanding performance but the film can't seem to hide its gratuitous and uneasy nature.

Gringo is the story of Harold Soyinka and in any normal pair of hands, the story could have been captivating and entertaining but instead the film is convoluted and an underwhelming jumble of a film. The narrative and tone of the film is a mess - with two specific characters and their subplot popping in and out of the film at an astonishing rate. There are a few jokes that do land and David Oyelowo, Charlize Theron and Sharlto Copley look like they’re having fun with the comedy caper, but that can’t really save it from an over-long running time and a script that thinks it belongs to twenty different genres, all at the same time.

Well that was a mess.

I’m just confused about how they managed to make the story of a mute person (which was told beautifully in The Shape Of Water) so uninspiring, underwhelming and dull. The film takes more time developing out its side characters than Alexander Skarsgård’s Leo who gives shoved into the messy incoherent story which has Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux in the centre of it (who really make the film watchable). Alexander Skarsgård’s Leo also felt unengaging and was lacking an emotional punch, possibly due to the underdevelopment of his character. The film is a bundle of missed opportunities and maybe the film would have better suited to have its world being more fleshed out, similar to Netflix’s Altered Carbon, than rushing it’s way through intriguing ideas.

Black Panther is an explosion of African culture and brings something fresh and vibrant to the Marvel universe.

The film is a beautiful treat offering stunning visuals which supports the exceptionally-acted ensemble cast and each element of the film only elevates it, whether it be costume design, score or soundtrack etc. The film’s hero (Chadwick Boseman) and villain (Michael B. Jordan) were standouts for me, immersing the audience in the battle over Wakanda, offering excellent discussion points and what is right and what is wrong. Themes are intertwined within the story at an exceptional fashion and really help to make the movie stand-alone, which other superhero movies fail to do.

It’s a great Marvel movie, veering away from generic stories, and it’s a great movie across the board.

Had to take a 2 hour train journey to see this film and I think it paid off.

Phantom Thread is a glorious film to add to the Paul Thomas Anderson collection with charming performances from both Daniel Day Lewis and Vicky Krieps as the two leads. The story is told with such splendour that every shot from the film is exquisite, making the film even more delightful as it goes on (and apparently there was no DP hired which is crazy). The film did lose me a bit towards the end due to it’s lengthy run-time and simple story but Johnny Greenwood’s score pulled me back into 1950’s London. The last 10 minutes were outstanding in rounding out the story of Reynolds and Alma, which only solidifies Daniel Day Lewis as possibly one of the greatest actors on screen.

The Cloverfield Paradox / God Particle / Cloverfield Station is as generic as a film in the space-station sci-fi sub-genre can be but throws some interesting ideas out there. The Earth scenes fell a little flat to me and it’s a shame that the space-station scenes weren’t executed a little bit better. The film does get better as it goes on, slowly escaping from the alien-like plot, and Chris O’Dowd really made it worthwhile for me.

The last scene was cool though I’ll give it that.

Although it’s as oddball and zany as The Pirates!, Early Man manages to find a laugh around every corner of the Bronze Age, which at times works in it’s favour yet sometimes running jokes tend to not land as solid as others. However, the humour itself is rather solid, relying on physical / slapstick comedy and extended jokes which fully reach into the bag of British humour. The stop-motion animation is also great (as always) offering something new and fresh to see on screen. Aardman really is under appreciated though.

Being a fan of the first instalment and thinking The Scorch Trials fell a bit flat, The Death Cure is somewhere in between. The film fails to reach a satisfying conclusion and climax as it’s 142 minute run time begins to show early on. There’s some interesting themes thrown into The Death Cure but it’s all poorly executed and I would have liked the film to spend more time on the third act than on backstory or new characters. The film is well acted though, despite some corny dialogue here and there.

If you take out all the murder, conspiracy and Liam Neeson's gun with infinite-bullets then the film shows how horrible commuting is. It'll probably make the movie good as well.

A rather enjoyable flick with some great performances by Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, as it to be expected, with some great chemistry between the two leads. The story takes a while to get into the main crux of the Pentagon Papers but is rather captivating once this section begins. John Williams was underused though which is a bit upsetting.

Just beautiful. Amazing cinematography and direction, some shots are just outstanding and add to the film in an amazing way.

The acting across the board is remarkable with Sally Hawkins’ performance as a mute woman, especially if you contrast it with her recent performance in Paddington 2, and Michael Stuhlbarg is great (again). It’s up there with the great Del Toro films as themes of loneliness are explored and the way the characters are presented and evolve as the film goes on. The warm lighting with a colour palette of oranges and reds, gothic architecture and Doug Jones himself all felt unique and fresh, despite all of the mentioned being in nearly every-Del Toro film.

I cried right in front of my family.

Thanks a lot Pixar.

Don’t think I can add anything that hasn’t already been said but the original-ness of it really paid off. The twists of the story and how family was intertwined within that is something really special.

Gary Oldman is a tour de force as Winston Churchill capturing his mannerisms and characteristics to show that he truly deserves award nominations in the acting categories.

However, I personally feel like this is inferior to a similar WW2 film, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. Darkest Hour manages to show you the actions of Churchill and his War Cabinet but (despite a few moments) does not show the consequences of these actions leading to less of a emotional weight, even the Tube scene felt a little forced to me.

The film is technically well done, using light and dark and even rain and sun to show the effects of war on the people with tracking shots being used to capture the grim atmosphere of 1940. Both cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel and composer Dario Marianelli deserve a mention, helping to set the world in a captivating way.

The film is an acting masterpiece (especially from Oldman) but it’s just a shame that other elements of the film couldn’t match the high-bar set by that.

Call Me by Your Name is beautifully shot with some fantastic chemistry between the two leads, being one of those movies that leaves you weak afterwards. Timothée Chalamet very much offers an award-worthy performance and Michael Stuhlbarg also deserves some recognition for the final few scenes.

I was quite apprehensive to watch this regarding the romance-plot but it’s more of a coming of age movie than I expected and that made it even more special.

Molly’s Game has some great acting from Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba and even Kevin Costner playing the typical father character in the few scenes he shows up in. The poker scenes are put together extremely well and as someone who knows nothing about poker, it was rather captivating. However, the film switches from present-day to flashbacks as lots of characters are introduced in quick succession and I can’t think of a single one after the film finished (I think Steve from Stranger Things and Michael Cera were in there somewhere?), and the film begins to show its length as the 3rd act kicks in.

It’s a good film with a great story being told (and a great directorial debut by Aaron Sorkin) but it’s not necessary a royal flush across the board.

Used this film to bring in the new year and what a great idea that was. James Franco deserves every single nomination that he's getting from playing Tommy and the film is excellently put together, although the section at the end lasted a bit longer than I would have liked.

Anyway, how's your sex life?

Horrendously disappointing.

There is so much wasted talent within this whether it be David Ayer (End of Watch), Max Landis (Chronicle) or even Will Smith (I Am Legend etc) but what comes out is an absolute mess with cringe-worthy dialogue around every corner. There is pretty much zero character development and too much world-building for a 2 hour film.

Most of the time I had no idea what was going on and a story like this would’ve been better suited as a miniseries to fully show the world and all the characters (not just the main leads).

Giving some stars for Will Smith being Will Smith, good chemistry between the two leads, some visual / prosthetic effects being done well and the soundtrack (much like Suicide Squad) being one of the best parts.

Fantastic performances by Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson bolster a heartbreaking narrative full of dark humour by Martin McDonagh. The film sets an atmosphere which is hard to describe, but is found in some films of this year such as Wind River. The audience is filled with such a high level of dread as the events of the film could occur in real life and many characters act happy despite their lives being anything but this.

I think this is why I love films so much, people telling stories about other people and what motivates them to do the things they do.

A lot of fun. Maybe too many jokes (although many are quite funny) and it's about 20 minutes too long but the clever writing and great cast makes up for that.

Can Jacob Tremblay please stop starring in films that make me cry. Someone in my screen brought in a whole box of tissues and I’m pretty sure there’s wasn’t much left after 113 minutes.

Heartwarming, emotive and inspiring, Wonder holds fantastic acting across the cast which helps to tell Auggie Pullman’s story. The scenes set in the school were put together extremely well and as someone who didn’t have a great time at school, the twists and turns of Auggie’s friendships really resonated with me.

If everyone can just take one thing from this film it’s that, no matter the circumstances, being kind to each other makes the world a better place.

Lots of guns, lots of action, lots of John Denver.

First 30 minutes and last 15 minutes are great but it tends to drag a bit around the middle yet the action scenes are put together very well to keep you interested. Sharlto Copley is a stand-out from the cast who are all excellent to make the film great fun overall.

My first classic film-noir as part of #classicfilmclub

I really enjoyed this. Great story which is tense throughout as the audience knows something has happened from the opening minute. Every scene played in this film is at such as high standard with emotive performances, as twists unravel through the excellent use of flashbacks from Walter Neff's (Fred MacMurray) point of view.

Would highly recommend this to anyone wishing to start an adventure into film-noir or classic films.