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Reviews
The Last Stop in Yuma County (2023)
Nifty little B movie
At a lean, flab free 90mins this mash up of Coen Brothers and Tarantino reminded me of other 90s dialogue heavy crime thrillers-Two Days in the Valley, Things to Do in Denver When You are Dead to No Country for Old Men (it even features Gene Jones who played the gas station attendant).
In an age of 2hr + crime films/actioners it's refreshing to see something that is well written, funny and knows/wears its influences on it's sleeve. It maybe derivative in it's telling from other films set in small diners on the desert highway but I was invested in it's slight story thanks to sound, believable characters(Jocelin Donahue is touching and real as the kindly waitress Charlotte and the ever reliable character actor Richard Brake is even more creepy than he was in Barbarian)
Okay, so it wont win awards of originality but at this length I'm not complaining.
Back to Black (2024)
Well acted and moving.
In my review of Asif Kapadia's 2015 documentary 'Amy', I mentioned that he missed a trick by not either showing or mentioning Amy Winehouse's disastrous appearance on BBCs Never Mind The Buzzcocks. Here was first hand the descent she was going through on public TV-slurring her words, swearing, spitting, being derogatory to other guests and what is even more telling was how the host Simon Amstell actually said to Ms Winehouse that she is an addict and has a problem-too her face.
This was brave and daring of him to do as it showed compassion and a level of care that one often doesn't see on TV especially a music quiz show with lots of ego, piss taking etc.
This new film by Sam Taylor Wood, gives us a glimpse into that account of her downward spiral (even though it doesn't feature that important appearance ) with an outstanding lead performance by Marisa Abela -looking and sounding like Ms Winehouse (she even did her own vocals)
Able support by the ever reliable Eddie Marsan and Jack O'Connell as her father and husband.
The film doesn't follow the conventional music biopic setup-we first see Amy as a young teenager with a magnetic voice and then a blink of an eye she already has her first album out (Frank, I brought it when it came out -still good)
It follows more her relationships and from these it ends up moving and likely to please her fanbase.
Titane (2021)
Not for everyone.
This 2021 Palme D'Or winner is warped, twisted and certainty not for everyone but for those (like me!) will find something very sick and hugely funny in it's body horror portrayal of madness, switched identity and loss.
Agathe Rousselle is excellent in the lead role-both brave and daring in her gender switched role. And although she looks like a emaciated Dr Lobo in her ' male' phrase she commands the screen.
Credit should also be given to Vincent Lindon as the bereaved father, his eyes and physical appearance light up the screen every time he is on.
The ending is gross out funny and it's better than the overrated 'Raw' -Julia Ducournau's previous film; which was too humorless and po faced in it's approach.
One can't deny how much she gets out of her actors though. She certainty puts them on a journey of self discovery however weird, sick or twisted it may be!
The Fall Guy (2024)
Enjoyable, forgettable popcorn actioner.
Strangely but predictably what I remembered most about this comedy actioner was the dynamics that exist on movie sets, that for a movie obsessed geek like me is pure nectar.
We take it for granted that whenever we see a daring stunt or effective action set piece we forget what time, safety and athletics go into it.
The romance between Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt was okay but lacks the spark and zest of Emma Stone and whilst I'm a fan of Ms Blunt I felt Ms Stone would have been the better of the two. There's more banter between Gosling and Blunt-as seen in Crazy,Stupid, Love and La La Land. A zestiness, a spark. The script needed more one liners.
The plot involving double crossing and murder actually works in the movie's favor and I was invested in it.
Overall decent enough to pass a couple of hours.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Enjoyably overblown, empty chase epic.
I saw this at Cineworld, Braintree with my cousins Matthew and Phillip almost nine years to the day when we saw the previous Mad Max film, Fury Road.
Like Fury Road this an enjoyably insane, bonkers and brave piece of filmmaking that never lets up from the start to the finish. Those looking for nuance and subtly need look elsewhere.
The effects, stunts and action are top notch and I respect George Miller in introducing the lead actress, Anya Taylor Joy, nearly an hour into the film-that shows respect the producers have in him and his franchise where a first time filmmaker would have that idea thrown out and the intro would have been 10mins instead.
The plot is hard too follow and Chris Hemsworth is more comical than scary especially when compared to the antagonists in the previous older films-'ToeCutter','Nightrider' and 'The Humungous' where they genuinely were villainous but it's one of them films that, as Matthew said afterwards, you just need to let the film wash over you.
Sting (2024)
OK but not as good as 'Infested'
Two weeks ago I saw the French horror 'Infested' which has decent characters, some very well done scares and a believable set up, this more comic spidertastic horror is a lighter version with more a PG13 than a 15 rating.
It made me laugh several times with the character 'Helga' as the old lady with dementia clearly forgetting previous events that have happened notable in it's comic timing and adds a clever roundabout twist in the story structure.
I also particularly liked the character 'Erik' as the clearly socially inept neighbor who has a insect love.
It isn't as well done as Infested and is the lighter film of the two but I had fun watching it.
Civil War (2024)
Well done, nightmarish road movie.
Some audiences may balk that the initial idea of why America has turned itself into a country of civil war isn't explained, I tend to think that it is fairly obvious and therein lies part of the problem-its too on the nose with where the US is headed/could head. The Jan 6th insurrection obvs plays a huge part in it and it's easy to see the various citizens armed and dressed up as the participants of that day.
If, like I did, one just let the story unfold this is a tense film that reminded me of other twisted recent US road movies mainly Bones and All, in it's hellish landscape, the scene where they encounter the two beaten up looters and a unhinged Jessie Plemons are clear examples of this.
The plot may be too episodic and the last ten minutes overdone within the White House ( surely the President would have a ' bunker room' to contain himself and his staff in the event of a coup?) that it turns into a overdone actioner with bullets bullets bullets.
It's a brave film that shows the integrity of photojournalists (even though I still don't trust any journalists) and a worthy double bill with Michel Franco's equally scary dystopian New Order.
Founders Day (2023)
More like 'Flounders Day'
At first I though this a ' Purge' film. The masked and wigged individual on the poster and letter heading title looked very much like something out of that outstanding franchise.
I did hope that it would have been put to bed after the excellent 'The Forever Purge' which I saw on 8/9/24.
Thankfully, it's not a Purge movie although the political stance it takes throughout with warring voters on either side this could exist in the realm of vengeful people eventually committing heinous acts. Much like some individuals in the USA.
The film itself is a mess of cliches, tiresome characters, lo fi emo music whenever two young people get close, the idiotic teenagers playing up to tragedy by goofing around high school corridors, the same retractable knives etc, bland characters, badly acted by all especially Amy Hargreaves and Jayce Bartok as the major and her opponent. Whenever their on screen they scream and not in a enjoyable way. Then again this hysteria is so much like US politics maybe that was the makers intentions?
I'll admit I was surprised by the killer's identity but lost interest when they started sprouting their reasons for committing murder. An obvious cliché for any slasher horror.
I spent the entire duration looking at how wonderful the trees looked surrounding this lovely looking small town .
It was shot in New Milford, Connecticut.
Baghead (2023)
Just above average horror.
The horror film I saw just before this, Immaculate, was very standard stuff with little scares or tension, this carries just enough to warrant it as the better of the two films.
However, its still the same old tropes mixed together.
Young Freya Allen is uninteresting and bland in the lead, Ruby Baker is annoying as her girlfriend and a pall of familiarity hangs over the entire film, the CGI (especially the fire at the end, is ropey.
Only a nifty idea, some good scares and solid Peter Mullan as the troubled father add up to the better of the two films.
In fact ,if Mr Mullan were the lead to start with this would have been better film-his craggy face, dominate voice and mere presence would have elevated the film considerably.
Then, since it's aimed at a much younger audience this is null and void.
A pity!
Immaculate (2024)
Standard horror, which could have been better.
Half way through this turns into a "'Boys From Brazil' crazy like setup which piqued my interest because up till then this was a very standard horror mixing up the usual tropes of sexually repressed young women, strict/stern older nuns who have a habit of inflicting pain on those younger than them, dim corridors with something lurking within, pompous music and predictable sounds.
It all seems so passe that once the big reveal comes around I went straight back into boredom; mentally checking off all the aforementioned tropes.
Once again if either Elsie or Molly say that this is " the most scariest horror ever" I wouldn't dispute it. Its really didn't stir for this jaded old horror hound!
Abigail (2024)
'Dusk to Dawn'lite
This comedy horror begins well(helped that I knew nothing about it beforehand) as a 'And Then There Were None' mashed up with 'Sleuth' and'The Usual Suspects' all set in a large house.
It then develops into a standard 'vampire bumping off various forms of irritating characters with the obligatory female separated from her son drug abuse history that just so happens to survive at the end' horror.
The last third is stretched out to kick ass, is she dead then is he dead clichés.
Giancarlo Esposito turns up briefly to collect the paycheck and wear fangs.
It all just seems so done before.
If Elsie and Molly wanted a comedy horror that isn't taxing or too cerebral I'll recommend.
Gojira -1.0 (2023)
More a positive than a ' minus'.
I'll admit I haven't been following this franchise at all. I remember seeing the 1998 film with Richard Smith but after that nada.
I saw this after many websites I respect gave it good reviews , so I took a Pacific deep sea plunge.
I liked it immensely. The characters were humane, sympathetic and well rounded. I liked that the main protagonist is a coward and it racked by guilt by this ( Mr Cruise wouldn't be like this- running towards the danger)
It gives a terrific sense of post WW2 hardship and life rebuilding, helped by effective cinematography and soundtrack. Rather than the usual Michael Bay crashing,bashing though skyscrapers ,this takes time to develop characters. Some would find this slow, I found it poignant and deep.
The creature effects are excellent and fully deserving of its Oscar win.
La mesita del comedor (2022)
Black black 'comedy'
Great acting by David Pareja and Estefania de los Santos (looking like a brunette version of student nurse St Benedicts ex student Katrina Greenleaf) with an extraordinary demonic voice elevate this hyper tense,stomach churning dark comedy.
The fear on Mr Pareja's face is all too palatable and real and one does feel for his character and his horrific predicament.
The darkly funny ending, when they discover' the head' had me chuckling in a warped way and I liked how it says something about having a child whilst in a toxic relationship is the saving grace for both parties.
The story does sag in the middle as we watch Jesus try to cover up the accident because the audience knows pretty much what he will act and say to prevent it from being found and it does become a little talky especially the dinner table scene.
I think this would be best suited as a Black Mirror episode, all done in 30mins- one hour.
However as a piece of Haneke/Wheatley cinema of unease this is a sharp,one watch only black comedy.
Vermines (2023)
Decent,well made French horror.
Both Mum and Laura would run a mile then watch this spider infested horror, they're everywhere!
This is a well designed horror with excellent visual (?practical effects) that really treads the line between gross out horror, developing characters and adding much needed taunt tension ( the walk through a tunnel of spiders had me on the edge of my seat)
The setting of a run down French tenement building is effectively used to create horror, tension and the largely unknown cast that populate this environment seem they actually live there.
This reminded me of Rec,Evil Dead Rise as a high rise horror chase.
Love Lies Bleeding (2024)
Effective thriller ruined by last 5 mins.
Rose Glass's follow up to Saint Maud is a sweaty,twisty thriller that's reminded me of a mash up of Blood Simple, Bound, Thelma and Louise and Breaking Bad/ Better Call Saul in its depiction of blue collar working class individuals thrown into a nightmare of double dealings, revenge,sex,drugs (with the exception of Bound) all filmed under a sun bleached environment.
Kristen Stewart is excellent in the lead and shows depth and vulnerability, as she did in 'Spencer ' and is fast becoming a solid actor.
Katy O'Brian is dedicated as the pumped up body builder and its good to see Ed Harris again as the scary crime boss (with even scarier hair)
Where the film fails is in the stupid last 5mins which is just laughable and utterly stupid (this ruined the film for Laura!) it's like a tacked on fantasy. Was Glass bereft of any other ideas ? Did she deliberately want to add something stupid as a ' breather' for the audience after the bloody events prior. Whatever it is its really weird!
Monkey Man (2024)
Violent,clichéd but heartfelt actioner.
Philip Juma lookalike Dev Patel co writes ,stars and directs this impressive looking action thriller with bone crunching fight scenes mixed in with a surprising amount of character depth; the audience is with the character'Bobby' and his past troubles and Patel effectively shows the painful trauma with a degree of sympathy. Thus rendering the final third as a kind of valedictory kick ass fest.
The streets of Mumbai are well shot and Patel shows the hardships of the homelessness ,especially the young people.
Where I feel the film is let down is,like most action films , a terrific sense of deja vu throughout a smattering of John Wick,Only God Forgives,The Raid (1 and 2).
The editing and cinematography are extremely well done but Patel uses an abundance of close ups that not only confuse the audience as too who is who but gives a nauseous feeling. It's too frantic, even for an actioner.
Nonetheless, this is a bold directional debut from Mr Patel that spends the first half developing characters and story before plunging into the excitement the audience wants.
The fights in the toilet and bar are really really well done.
Please no Monkey Man 2!
Blackout (2023)
Interesting but talky horror.
One of the- many- great ideas of An American Werewolf in London is how sad and pitiful David finds himself as a werewolf. He's aware of what's inside him and what can come out and he's powerless to stop it. The scene where he attempts to slit his wrists in the phone box is one of the saddest moments in cinema; not just horror.
This new horror from cult writer/director Larry Fessenden explores this idea into a feature length horror, with mixed results.
Its extremely talky and slow that would test the patience of most horror junkies. The film never picks up momentum; even when law enforcement officials go after the' beast' there's a lull in the pacing where an ex girlfriend is making dinner and drinking wine with her new boyfriend. Alex Hurt sadly doesn't have the sympathy that David Naughton displayed in the classic aforementioned 1981 horror but he's solid (as was his late father William Hurt).
The effects and make up are well done despite its low budget.
It's an interesting venture that could have been better developed.
Late Night with the Devil (2023)
Alan Partridge meets The Exorcist.
I was actually looking forward to this found footage, 70s inspired horror. Reading the(brief, no trailers) descriptions and a plaudit from Stephen King himself wetted my appetite to the point of me travelling to the Odeon at 2200 AFTER WORK!
Sadly, this is a marginal letdown.
The setup, the 1970s looking TV studio, all the qips of making a live TV event, David Dastmalchain playing the ever grinning host, the rough looking photographic sheen all are top notch.
I felt a tremendous feeling of deja vu throughout ,almost like its a greatest hits package of other horrors mainly 1992s BBC cult horror Ghostwatch, that it doesn't establish anything original.
For those who haven't seen ANY horror films then they may find things scarier here than I did.
A predictedable stew of jump cuts,demonic voices, lights smashing,demonic images intercut with a static image, spewing, cursing etc.
And it just ain't scary.
Sleeping Dogs (2024)
Solid, watchable twisty thriller.
Russell Crowe seems at ease in his early 60s(!) playing original characters with quirky traits (The Pope's Exorcist), he knows he'll never play the handsome ,muscular lead like the early 2000s but at least he takes chances that elevate a B movie.... and he hasn't had facial work done!
This is a nifty little thriller that kept us guessing until the end with a twist, I'll admit, I didn't see coming.
It avoids most cliches of modern thrillers- a silly,obtrusive soundtrack, over the top editing, the obligatory chase scene and shoot out, a redundant romantic sub plot.
I couldn't quite believe that a video tape of Freeman's wife having sex with the Professor existed and seemed too contrived in setting up the twist at the end. Lazy scripting.
It tells its story well and leaves the audience talking about it. Whether they liked it or not. Nothing wrong in that.
Perfect Days (2023)
More of a ' ho- hum' day.
Koji Yakusho commands the screen in the lead, as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo, getting the most out of life by setting beauty in the most everyday, mundane things- trees blowing in the wind ( my man!!), plants and flowers, being kind to others.
His outlook is like the film quiet and reflective.
Like most Wim Wenders films this is meditative and slow paced; it will please some and anger others.
The story is really thin and doesn't develop and like Lost in Translation its more concerned with showing us the everyday city surroundings of Tokyo rather than giving the audience drama or narrative.
Tranquility will wash over. This is either a good or bad thing.
I didn't dislike it but maybe would have liked it more if I was hungover. It's a soothing balm that isn't taxing ie a gentle, sweet cure to a hangover.
Wicked Little Letters (2023)
Sharply written,entertaining comedy.
Despite some clunky casting and 'box ticking' in today's 'keeping everyone happy' standards( would there really have been a black judge in the early 1920s?), this is a breezy, humorous 'true life' British comedy.
It's like a vamped up Ealing comedy for today's poisonous social media keyboard warriors, who get off with writing nasty comments on everything/everyone within the privacy and comfort in their own homes; as witnessed by the real culprit who was sending these letters in the first place.
Religion doesn't come out of this well and its easy to see why the person turned out the way they did when confronted everyday with pious Biblical teachings and domination.
The performances are great.
Fatale (2020)
Silly thriller.
Heaven knows what the talented but miscast Hilary Swank is doing in this overblown,silly thriller that looks like a glossy Vogue and GQ mash up with a pinch of Fatal Attraction,Basic Instinct, Jade . In fact its looks very much like a straight to video 90s thriller, that is forgettable as soon as the TV is switched off.
The music is obtrusive and overdone, it's badly acted by all inc Ms Swank(who doesn't convince one iota as a detective), poorly directed- the tension is watered down by poor editing and the said music score.
However, for a' forget it but let it all hang out after a busy day' type of thriller, it's twisty and those willing to leave their problems, and brains, at the door you could do far worse!
American Fiction (2023)
Well written, sharp and humane comedy
There's a lot to say about how our culture is defined by rules, regulations and taste in this well done comedy, that had me laughing and smiling(knowingly)throughout.
I'll like to double bill this with the equally sharp black comedy'The Lesson' about how authors publish their work and how prissy and self important people who bang on about language really are (at times), I'm looking at you Judy and Mark! Whilst most hard working people just want is too let go and be entertained at the end of their day.
The analogy of the Jonnie Walker whisky here is deliberately aimed at this observation.
Jeffrey Wright is excellent in the lead and really feels like a writer with the added loathing and cynicism that'Miles' displays in Sideways- in fact, the film has a loose,jazzy style like Sideways and he leads a well picked cast.
One of my films of the year!
You'll Never Find Me (2023)
Portentous Aussie horror.
This two person,one location Australian horror has been getting rave reviews (5* in The Guardian) that I was very excited to see it.
Sadly, this is a slow slow paced, pretentious horror that will test the patience of most horror fans. If its a flawed character paying for his crimes in a kind of purgatory/ hellish place then any Amicus horror from the 70s or the recent 'Southbound' did this much better.
Without sounding cocky, I guessed where this was heading so I had to endure the duration of the film with tedious talk and why exactly a young woman would wander around during the rain soaked night to knock on the trailer door of a creepy man. This motivation shows exactly why she would do such a crazy thing.
The sound and photography is excellent as is the performances (with the lead actor looking like Steve Oram)
Dogman (2023)
Makes you love dogs even more!
This bizarre, odd drama/thriller had many critics rolling their eyes I'm disbelief, according to the reviews I read.
I found it daring, ballsy, utterly strange ,poignant and had lots of heart.
It also contains lots of cute,lovely dogs....
Caleb Laundry Jones continues his journey into playing socially detached, awkward characters and like his previous effective performance in Nitram,he isn't afraid of portraying them with a sense of sympathy either.
He's one of the best actors around at the moment.
To play a disabled guy in leg irons,dressed in drag takes courage in today's toxic,cancel culture.
The film is like a twisted version of Oliver Twist,with dogs as the artful dodgers.
The Little Big Man/Forrest Gump style setup works on showing the audience show this strange man with his'children' of dogs came to be.
Only the ending feels rushed and out of place.