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.
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.
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.
A thrilling adventure that steams ahead, despite a few faults on the line.
Having not seen any of the previous adaptations or read the original novel, I was pleasantly surprised by this. The characters are all presented rather well, there are some outstanding bits of cinematography and the music is great in building tension throughout.
However, there are a few pacing issues within the 2nd act which tends to feel a little repetitive as all the characters are outlined and Kenneth Branagh does put himself at the centre of the film. This ultimately leads to some weak storytelling in terms of the overall twist and reveals towards the end but creates a great murder-mystery overall.
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.
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.
Heartbreaking, emotional and heartwarming.
I feel like the story of Robin and Diana Cavendish is one of importance but ultimately is executed weakly. Andrew Garfield is fantastic - being bedridden for a good 2/3 of the film and Claire Foy brings in the emotional side especially in the last 1/3. However, the film jumps between years at such a fast pace that I felt like I was missing out on important parts of his life as we are introduced to more and more characters and I soon couldn’t remember who was who. It’s not a bad film by any means but I just wanted more.
I loved this film. Heartwarming, funny and emotional, this movie is full of charming innocence which is supported by loads of creativity. The narrative twists and turns hook you in and although the Brigsby Bear scenes may seem strange at the start, you’ll soon fall in love with them as the main character’s (James) story is told.
It also must be mentioned that this film takes a fantastic approach to filmmaking or creativity in general. It is ultimately true that people are inspired to create films or their own works of art from things that mean the most to them (to James it’s Brigsby Bear) and everyone has creativity to pursue things that inspire them. Although the outcome may be scary or terrifying to see, once it happens it is one of the best feelings in the world. And that’s this film.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Thrilling set-pieces alone don’t make a fantastic musical.
The musical pieces are really well done, but I can’t say the same for the majority of the music. Most of them sounded so much like generic pop music that I could’ve humed something over the top and it would’ve sounded the same. “This is Me” and “The Greatest Show” are contrary to this but most others are so forgettable that I can’t even remember the names of them.
The film is also tremendously acted. Whether it be Hugh Jackman’s charisma-filled performance or Keala Settle’s Lettie Lutz who steals the scene in any she appears in. However, the less we say about Michelle Williams’ performance is the better. I think she sung something once?
The Greatest Showman is rather let down in terms of the story as it races through P.T.Barnum’s story, speeding through the circus-sections (best bits) and mobility scootering it’s way through side-plots such as opera singer Jerri Lind which the film spent way too much time on. None of the story held any emotional weight, despite the film pushing for the audience to feel for the characters and how P.T’s actions drastically changed other people’s lives. But it all just fell a bit flat and I wanted the next thrilling set piece to start right away.
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.
We're Werewolves, not Swear-Wolves
Hilarious comedy with a laugh around every corner. Some of the quotes from this film are going to stay with me forever and further shows how fantastic Taika Waititi's filmography is.
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?
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.
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.
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?
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.
This film really resonated with me in a way that a film never has.
Being a part of the millennial-social media obsessed generation, many outside of that generation don’t experience the addiction to social media that is abundant within many who use Instagram, Twitter or any other service. There is a sequence at the start of the film in which Ingrid (played brilliantly by Audrey Plaza) likes every single Instagram post until she reaches Elizabeth Olsen’s Taylor Sloane’s post. I personally have done this and I know of many other people that like every single post that they see. I’m glad the addiction to social media and the horribleness of it all is fully presented on the big screen.
I was the only person in my screen on a midday Saturday which is upsetting because I really hope this film gets more traction - it’s an important story that needs to be told. I’m glad that a great narrative hooked me along the way with some great characters by all actors involved and the ending is quite possibly one of my favourite endings of the year, suggesting the nature of social media in our society
A stunning, violent, slow-burner thriller.
It really is amazing how much you can take from a character that barely speaks throughout the film and Ryan Gosling is among the fantastic cast here. Everyone stands out to tell this tense-story of someone losing control and spiralling out of control. The music and tense score resonate throughout the film as the story unravels to a melancholy aesthetic.
However, I was really surprised by the level of violence within this film. Never does this take you out of the film and surprisingly, pulls you into the story even more. There are some lingering shots on this but it is presented in such a way that it throws you at the deep-end of the protagonist's life and how he needs to do all the things he does to survive.
This is a story about identity overall and how life can be changed in a matter of moments - which I don't think a film executes more perfectly than this film.
