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65 (2023)
Improbable and forgettable
So, 65 million years ago an alien (yet human) spaceship lands on Earth. Cue a battle to get to the escape pod, past dinosaurs and the imminent impact of the asteroid fated to wipe out the dinosaurs.
Our hero, played by Adam Driver, is on this mission because he needs to extra money to pay for his sick daughter's treatment. Apparently, advanced alien civilisations do not have Universal Health Care, which is a pity. This probably explains the enormously impractical design of much of their technology - it was probably designed by the lowest cost bidder.
Driver, playing the grieving father of a teenage girl, discovers one other survivor, a young female whose age he estimates at "around 9 years old". The actress, Ariana Greenblatt, was 15 at the time of filming and looks it.
There are many other plot contrivances, such as the extinction meteor arriving within a day or so of their crash, and actually impacting in their exact location. The dinosaurs, having got their prey helpless before them, spend ages menacing them rather than simply killing them. The first dinosaur attack happens at the exact moment our hero dislocates his shoulder. The hero inexplicably escapes from the cave system on his own and without lights, after making a big deal of the fact that they were trapped. And so on...
Lastly, I was awaiting some twist that these survivors end up being the forebears of the human race (which would be somewhat dodgy, given the age gap). But nope, that doesn't happen. Earth just happens to evolve and identical species to the alien survivors.
This film will be forgotten within a year and it is best that way,
On a Wing and a Prayer (2023)
Feels like I have been beaten repeatedly over the head
I like Dennis Quaid. I like true stories. I like tales of people overcoming apparently insurmountable challenges.
I don't like this film.
Is it the terrible script, with the most ham-fisted clichés imaginable? Is it the terrible direction or cinematography? Is it the awful supporting actors?
Nope, it is the horrible, horrible bait and switch. I first suspected something was up when the main character starts to question his faith when his brother dies. And sure enough, the film rams religion down the viewers throat at every opportunity thereafter. Note that none of the advertising, trailer, or anything else hints at the 'message' of the film.
Avoid this sorry excuse for a film unless your only criteria is being preached at, because that is all this film has to offer.
One Life (2023)
What true heroism looks like
What is striking about this film is that the heroism isn't smuggling Jewish refugees under the noses of Nazis, or tricking Gestapo officers, but is relentlessly fighting our own bureaucracy, raising money and finding volunteers to house rescued children. None of this is done for any kind of acknowledgement (indeed, this hero actively avoids it), but only because it is the right thing to do.
This is what heroism is: seeing a unconscionable situation and not looking away, saying "there is nothing I can do", but doing something even though everyone says it cannot be done. Never giving up, never accepting no for an answer, never losing sight of what is important.
Anthony Hopkins is on top form, and the fact that Nicky is haunted more by those that he could not save, than any sense of achievement resulting from those he saved, is tragic.
It is people like Nicholas Winton who make the world a better place.
Bank of Dave (2023)
Feel good film, in a good way
I have to say, Rory Kinnear is becoming one of my favourite character actors. Here he plays the titular Dave, from Burnley, who is so charismatic and nice and community spirited that you cannot help but like him.
The true(ish) story of his attempt to open a local bank, in opposition to the big banks (who caused the financial crisis in 2010, got bailed out using taxpayer money and then proceeded to give themselves huge bonuses), is the epitome of the underdog story.
One of my favourite aspects of this film is the London lawyer's surprise and disbelief at strangers being nice to him in Burnley, after living in London where everyone is only out for themselves.
There are no huge twists or surprises, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Watching a film about people who believe in a better world makes us feel like better people, and perhaps then we can be inspired to actually take steps to making that world.
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
Bold and flawed
It is a truism in cinema that Luke becoming a Jedi is more interesting than Luke being a Jedi. This is the problem that Joker 2 faces. The first film was a fantastic exploration of Arthur Fleck's descent into insanity and violence. So what to do with the second...?
The choice to make it a musical was bold. It captures Fleck's need for escape, and the twisted romanticism of his relationship with Harley.
Unfortunately, the strategy falls flat at times, with the musical sequences dragging on and the plot being very thin. Phoenix is once again amazing as Fleck, showing the full range of his talent. Brendan Gleeson plays the cruel Irish prison guard like it is second nature and Lady Gaga is fine as Harley (but not outstanding - Margot Robbie has nothing to worry about).
I would give this film 6/10, except for the ending, which is (in my opinion) brilliant, thus earning the film an additional point. I cannot say more about the ending without spoilers, other than it fixes one of the issues that I had with the original Joker film.
Motherland: Fort Salem (2020)
Good concept, poorly executed
In an alternate Salem, the witches were not hung, but conscripted into the US Army. In the present day, the witch soldiers are fighting rogue witches called The Spree.
This is an interesting premise, with lots of potential. The association of witches with Satanism is jettisoned; they are treated more like mutants from the X-Men (their power is hereditary).
Unfortunately, the world building fails the smell test. There is an almost total absence of firearms. I doubt that the majority of people would cease weapon development, but since most witch combat is melee or short-range, a rifle would level the playing field very quickly (and thus derail much of the storyline).
This kind of "ignore that inconsistency" is prevalent throughout. Witches are all female, until some male ones turn up and suddenly they are not. The Spree are the enemy, until they are not. General Alder is a villain, until she is not. The fungus is dangerous and unknown, until it is "the mother".
The initial set up was far more interesting, and darker, but I feel the writers (producers?) lost their nerve and changed direction in season 2 onwards to safer territory. Specifically, taking most things from the X-Men movies.
The acting is adequate, with Abigail Bellwether letting the side down - no one would ever take her for a strong leader.
Lastly, the final resolution in season 3, the saving of the world, is actually the solution that Magento tries to implement in the first X-Men movie. That alone should raise some serious red flags about the writers idea of morality, which is dodgy to say the least.
The Substance (2024)
Dorian Gray meets David Cronenberg
Fading film star Elisabeth Sparkle is given a chance to recapture her youth and beauty through the use of a drug called The Substance. Initially everything is wonderful, however as she starts to break the rules of using it, things rapidly spiral downwards.
Demi Moore, who is looking fantastic at the age of 62, plays the 50 year old lead. She gives a stellar performance, bold and nuanced, leaving the audience in no doubt about Elisabeth's inner turmoil.
Dennis Quaid is on top form, as the utterly repulsive TV executive producer. Margaret Qualley is perfectly portrays the superficial Sue.
For me, the message here was that Elisabeth had spent her whole life seeking love, but only the superficial fleeting love of the adoring audience. Thus her desire to reclaim her superficial beauty overwhelms her. She has learned nothing. She has nothing.
Full marks to the special effects team. The prosthetics are awesome and the direction makes full use of them. It is not for the faint hearted (or weak stomached).
I would have given this film an 8/10, if not for the ending. If it had ended about 20 minutes earlier, it would have been perfect. The horror would have been complete, the future for Elisabeth/Sue ambiguous. Unfortunately, the film doesn't know when to stop and devolves into ridiculousness.
Regardless of this, this is one of the best and original films that I have seen this year.
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
Surprising, funny and sad
On a small island off the coast of Ireland in the 1920s, one man overnight decides that he no longer wants to be friends with another.
This premise starts off as quirky and funny, before devolving into something sadder and darker. It is a surprising achievement that the simplicity of the idea can be stretched for almost 2 hours without dragging.
There are multiple facets to this movie. Firstly, there is the setting, which perfectly captures the emptiness of island life at that time. Wide open spaces, few people, even fewer things to do. Then there is the idea of friendship, what does it mean, what does it give and what does it take? And there is the need for legacy, the fear that once we are gone, we will be forgotten, without anything to be remembered by. But the one which actually drives the whole story is the value of being "nice".
It is the fear of leaving no legacy which drives Colm (Gleeson). But ultimately, this costs Padraic (Farrell) his "niceness". Ironically, it is this change in his former best friend which will be Colm's legacy, and one which he probably would rather not have.
Farrell is one of cinema's most under-rated actors, and Gleeson is always first class. A quality movie which should give the viewer cause for self reflection, but sadly I suspect in most cases, will not do so.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
Fun, but could have been more...
I enjoyed this film, so I am having a hard to pinpointing what was missing from it.
The action is good, the cast are all doing good (if not great) jobs, and the plot moves along at a good pace.
I think there is an absence of stakes. The good guys never really feel as if losing was ever a possibility. The Nazi villain tries his best, but fails to capture the menace of his peers (notably Christoph Waltz in Inglorious Basterds). Even the stakes of "the fate of WWII" do not feel real. So the tension never ramps up to get the audience invested.
So yes, I enjoyed this film. I just wanted a bit more...
Shadow in the Cloud (2020)
What did I just watch?
I did not dislike watching this movie, but more out of perverse curiosity than anything else. In 1943, a young air-force servicewoman (Maude) with a special package gets assigned to a flight from Auckland to Samoa. While aboard, something unnatural starts attacking the plane.
The premise is great for a tightly scripted horror, but this is something entirely different. The first half of the film is definitely better than the second, where our protagonist is trapped in the gunner bubble underneath the plane and all communications is done via internal radio. However, when she starts crawling around the outside of the plane (with a broken finger and other wounds), it gets utterly ridiculous. The scene where she falls but ends up back on board was one of the best laugh out loud moments that I have had in a long while.
My wife was watching this with me and she commented "this film really hates men, doesn't it?" The issue is not the sexist, lewd dialogue amongst the crewmen about having a "dame" on board (I know that is realistic). The issue is that all the male crew are weak, stupid, incompetent and cowardly. Meanwhile. Moretz is an indestructible superwoman, who takes encountering a literal monster in her stride like an everyday occurrence.
What is disappointing is that the film hints at something else going on, but never addresses it. There is a poster in the first few minutes which says something like "Remember - gremlins think it is fun to hurt you!". The landing crewman vanishes in mist. The plane appears from nowhere. These dream (or nightmare) like events hint that maybe nothing is real. Maybe Maude is dead and this is her personal hell, with the creature being the manifestation of her own guilt. What did she do to deserve this torment? Can she escape it? Nope, we don't go there.
Moretz gives it her all, but the rest feels like it was written by a twelve year old.
Blink Twice (2024)
Mixed feelings, does not stand up to scrutiny
There is a bunch of good stuff in this movie. Channing Tatum is vastly underrated and his career has been let down by some bad choices (Jupiter Ascending anyone?).
The premise starts well, but it is soon after that the first problem kicks in. The film takes ages to get started. I appreciate the need for a slow build, to develop character and atmosphere, but there is precious little of the former and the latter could have been done in half the time.
Once the plot starts to get moving, the film picks up. But it doesn't really stand much scrutiny. Without spoilers, the whole premise would be unnecessary for the super-rich. Also, the amount of physical (bodily) evidence would be overwhelming.
The film is an enjoyable psycho-drama, but the script could have been a lot tighter.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (2020)
Some good ideas with terrible execution
Let's get this out of the way to start with: this has absolutely nothing to do with the awesome series starring Eva Green. The title is an utter misnomer. So let us consider it on its own merits...
It is 1938 Los Angeles and there is some bad stuff to do with racism against Latinos and Nazis plots. Plus throw in some religious group as well. Meanwhile, two supernatural sisters are battling for the soul of mankind.
There are some good ideas here, but none are actually delivered upon. The series starts with the two supernatural sisters arguing about whether mankind is worth saving. Our protagonist, currently a child, sees his father killed by the evil sister and has a supernatural experience based on it. How does this affect what is to come? Answer: in no way at all.
The evil sister waits twenty years before manifesting as different people leading people down different dark paths. Here Natalie Dormer is excellent, showing a range of characters, each manipulating people in different ways. The main character is now a detective (the first Latino one) and, together with his partner, given the case of a family murdered in what appears to be a Latino "Day of the Dead" manner.
Meanwhile the good sister does...bugger all.
There are various plots threads, mainly revolving around our protagonists family, but none actually coincide in any meaningful way. None of the characters are ever aware of the evil sister's machinations, so they all feel utterly without agency in the story. They are all puppets.
The family murder is side-lined for most of the season, virtually not investigated, and the final episode 'reveal' is utterly ham-fisted and unsurprising.
A story about the main character slowly figuring out the supernatural scheme at work, overcoming his scepticism and confronting the supernatural being who killed his father, finally getting closure, would have been interesting. That is not what we get.
The actors are all good, with Dormer, Rory Kinnear (who was in the real Penny Dreadful) and Nathan Lane as standout performances. But it is the plot that lets it all down. Nowhere was the central storyline to be found...
It is such a shame to see so many good ideas and such good acting talent wasted. A total disappointment.
Alien: Romulus (2024)
A worthy sequel - at last!
There are two rules to making a good sequel:
1. Respect the original content
2. Add something new
Alien: Romulus does both of these very well.
This film takes place 20 years after Alien, so about 37 years before Aliens. The look and feel of the original Alien is very much in evidence here; the spaceships look like junk held together by duct-tape. The supporting characters are sufficiently fleshed out (if you think they are under-done, go and re-watch Alien and consider how much actual fleshing out the original supporting cast gets). The main character is not as engaging as Ripley, but her relationship with Andy is very well done adding depth and motivation.
I particularly like the 'evolution' of Andy's character throughout the film. That created a very interesting dynamic.
The action/scary scenes are very well done. The pursuit by many face-huggers (as seen in the trailer) is truly terrifying.
On the downside, there are arguably too many nods to the previous movies (lines of dialogue, actions by characters, story beats), which feel forced and unnecessary. For example, Andy saying "Get away from her, you bitch" is completely out of character for him.
Plot holes are relatively few (at least on first watching), the worst being the fact that no-one but a mining space-truck has noticed a giant derelict space station floating in orbit of the planet.
In conclusion, this is definitely worth seeing on the big screen.
True Detective (2014)
Season 4 review: so very disappointed
It started so well. So much promise, given a truly creepy atmosphere. But the series fails to deliver on its promise.
The true crime here is that the writers fail to adhere to their own script. For example, in one scene, a character describes how people dying in the cold lie down and due peacefully, so why are these naked people piled on top of each other, clawing their eyes out and biting chunks out of their arms? This is never justified.
Coincidences abound, all creating suggestions of something supernatural and horrific, but no, it is all just mundane luck.
The whole series is a switch-and-bait, which is so disappointing because it could have been so much more.
I give it a 6 for Jodie Foster's performance and the initial atmosphere.
But the rating decreases as the season progresses.
Foe (2023)
Slow and confusing
This film is essentially a 30 minute Twilight Zone episode stretched out to 2 hours.
The plot twist is obvious almost from the outset. There is so much padding in this film that that (very basic) story is almost lost amongst the filler.
The internal story is inconsistent, and does not stand up to scrutiny. I spent much of the film trying to understand "why"; why do the government need to send a guy who works in a chicken packing factory to space for a year? Why do they not send both of them? Why spend huge (and scarce) resources on an artificial companion? If water is scarce, why is beer readily available? None of it makes any sense. But the director seems to only care about long slow shots of the main characters moping about.
The characters are another big problem. It would be much more effective to show a couple whose relationship has broken down and no longer know how to communicate. But it is easier to show the guy being a complete arsehole.
A missed opportunity.
Kinds of Kindness (2024)
Where is the story?
Having thoroughly enjoyed Poor Things, my wife and I went to see this film with high hopes. Unfortunately, the trademark weirdness does not survive without a supporting story, which is the case here.
There are three vignettes, each using the same actors. They are well acted, and creatively weird, but ultimately pointless. We made it to halfway through the third story before we gave up and walked out.
No discredit to the actors, who all put in fine performances, and the cinematography is good as well. But there has to be a narrative holding the whole thing together, and it is sadly missing here.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Not as good as Fury Road, but still epic
Furiosa is a prequel, an origin story and some excellent world building in the world of Mad Max.
The film follows the trials of Furiosa from a young girl to the start of Fury Road. The action is suitably epic. Some of the shots are more obviously CGI or studio shot than Fury Road, but even so, this is way better than the CGI-overload that most sci-fi/fantasy films are these days.
Chris Hemsworth is channelling his inner Jack Sparrow (if Captain Jack was a psycho cult leader). It was strange to find myself rooting for Immortan Joe.
Some of the story developments don't make a whole lot of sense if thought about too much, but that has always been the case with Mad Max.
Thank you George Miller, for showing the rest if the industry how it is done.
IF (2024)
Better than expected
It's not often that a film, especially an effects heavy Hollywood film, surprises me in a positive way.
IF presents teenager Bea encountering a group of IFs (Imaginary Friends) who have been forgotten by their now grown up kids. This certainly evokes themes explored in Toy Story 3, but is sufficiently different to work.
While there are no major surprises plot-wise in this film, it does deliver an unexpected amount of emotional weight. The backstory of the mother is mostly implied rather than shown, and the relationships are subtly portrayed rather than hammering us over the head.
Ryan Reynolds is suitably charismatic, but subdued (in a good way). The voice acting it top notch. And Cailey Fleming in the lead role manages to carry the film convincingly.
Sting (2024)
Giant cliche
Don't get me wrong, I had fun watching this film. But it is so "by the numbers" that it almost defies belief.
So...apartment block in winter, during blizzard, alien spider which grows at an impossible rate. Cue various gory deaths (but only of characters that deserve it) and a battle for survival using wits and whatever comes to hand. But the monster has a vital weakness which can be exploited.
In many ways, I felt like I was watching a 1950s B-movie. The plot was so generic, so predictable, so cliched, that it was like an old pair of comfortable slippers. And that is not always a bad thing.
The Fall Guy (2024)
Don't think too hard about the plot. Really.
I enjoyed this film. It was light-hearted fun, the action was good, the chemistry between Gosling and Blunt was believable and the humour was tongue in cheek.
The plot is suitably nonsense (as fitting given its 1980s TV origins). Don't think too hard about it. If you ponder questions such as: what about the other witnesses? Can you recover from a broken back to that extent in 18 months? Would he have reported a crime that he was being framed for? When he goes through real windscreens, falls long distances onto hard surfaces, etc., how does he not break any bones? And so on.... well, it will spoil your fun.
Kudos to Aaron Taylor-Johnson for playing an absolute arsehole so well. Gosling carries off the comedy better than I would have given him credit for, given his previous work that I have seen. Emily Blunt is always watchable.
So grab your popcorn and enjoy the ride.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
Not great, but worthy
When Ghostbusters: Afterlife came out, I was happily surprised. A nicely written script that didn't have the current Hollywood tropes, which respected the original and delivered a fun romp. It added new ideas, relocated to small town middle America, and was generally fun.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire follows the same group, now relocated back to New York.
The thing about Ghostbusters is: you shouldn't think about it too hard. Why do ghosts manifest as round green, slimy eating machines? Why are they allowed to run around with massively dangerous proton packs? Why aren't other companies getting in on the act?
So criticising this film that it doesn't make sense for (for example) a group, including a 15 year old, to be zooming around New York streets, breaking a million laws, causing untold property damage and potential death and injury. Pointing at one thing and saying "that would never happen" in this franchise is a bit silly.
A valid criticism is that the film has too many characters. Some of the characters from Afterlife (Lucky, Podcast) have nothing to do. A couple of new characters are introduced. The old team, with the exception of Dan Ackroyd, are sort of just there.
It's a Ghostbusters movie. It was fun. It won't be a classic. But it made me feel good.
Triangle (2009)
Not what you are expecting
Given the synopsis and poster, I was expecting a survival horror flick. Maybe something supernatural on the boat picking off the survivors one by one.
This is not what I got. I got something a whole lot weirder, more tightly plotted and interesting.
I cannot explain what happens without spoilers, so I will just say that the film delivers an interesting premise, with enough hints to suggest an explanation (of sorts). There are some very nice twists and imagery in places.
The runtime is quite short, and the pacing is good. The acting is adequate. The special effects budget is clearly limited. The script is what lifts this above average.
Give this film a chance - it is definitely worth it.
The Last Duel (2021)
Historical accuracy for one
Finally, a medieval story which is (as far as I can tell) historically accurate, and by far better for it.
The story revolves around the accusation of rape. The wife of one knight has accused another knight of rape. The film is in three parts, the same story told from three different perspectives. The subtle differences in how each scene plays out according to each character is wonderfully done. Their focus and their prejudice colour each scene.
The three main actors all deliver excellent performances (plus I almost did not recognise a blond Ben Affleck).
But the drama is provided through historical accuracy. Women had little or no standing or rights. The wife cannot bring an accusation of rape to court - only her husband can do that. It is accepted science that women cannot conceive unless they orgasm during intercourse. A woman commenting that another man is handsome is virtually equivalent to committing adultery.
These were brutal times, and the results were brutal.
Hypnotic (2023)
Feels like a TV show pilot
The film title is a bit misleading. I would have much preferred a film about people who use hypnosis to get innocent people to commit crimes. But the premise of the film is about people who can do mind control and want to take over the world.
Even within the movie, the rules of this are not consistently applied or make sense. How did the bad guy create an illusion of himself before the good guys came through the door? How did he control and entire town when the good guys are fleeing in a random direction? How does he control over the phone when eye contact is required? And on and on...
To its advantage is the fact that it is only 90 minutes long, so it doesn't overstay its welcome. The story moves along briskly, hoping you won't think too much about the glaring holes, and Affleck is almost phoning it in. It came, it entertained, it left. Tomorrow I will have forgotten it.
Dream Scenario (2023)
The coolest man on the planet playing the uncoolest man on the planet
I wanted so much more from this film. It starts well, with an ineffectual, confrontation avoiding professor (Cage) slowly finding that many people in the world are dreaming about him. The interesting point is that he is just randomly turning up in their dreams, and does nothing.
There is an interesting theme here that his dream presence reflects his inaction in his own real life. He is essentially sleepwalking through his own life. This could lead to revelation and growth for Cage. But alas, this is not the course the film decides to take.
While trying to capitalise on his own sudden fame, Cage encounters a beautiful young woman who has been having intense erotic dreams about him. Why she is having a different type of dream is never explained. I suspect it is because the plot needs to happen. This encounter does not go well, and now the dreams that people have been having turn into violent nightmares.
It is after this dark turn that the film loses its way. Cage's life dissolves around him as people confabulate his dream actions with the man himself. While this would certainly be the case for some, no0one in the film takes a more rationale standpoint that Cage himself has not done anything!
Cage's performance is outstanding. His representation of a man who has virtually zero agency in any aspect of his life, who has continually be walked on by everyone around him, is a masterclass. But the film tries to tell the audience that in some way he deserves it. He's pathetic, so he deserves to be a victim. It's a horrible message.
It is for Cage alone that I gave this 6 stars.
A great premise, which failed to delivery anything worthy.