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Reviews
Spencer (2021)
A haunted house
One of the most mesmerising films you'll ever see, Spencer is an intoxicating psychodrama from start to finish, combining a brilliant lead performance from Kristen Stewart with spellbinding direction from Pablo Larraín, an exhilarating musical score, powerfully claustrophobic cinematography and an enthralling, thematically rich adaptation of the famous life of Diana, Princess of Wales.
I was absolutely floored by Spencer, which is on the same level as Larraín's masterful Jackie in terms of its dramatic intensity and power. However, it's important to know going in that Spencer isn't a film there to give you a historical account of one Christmas that Diana spent with the in-laws.
This isn't a factual biopic, but rather a 'fable from a true tragedy' as the film calls it at the beginning. The setting at Christmas at Sandringham simply serves as a canvas onto which we see the main themes of Diana's life in the Royal Family painted out in abstract, imaginative and powerfully enthralling fashion.
So, don't go in expecting pure historical fact, but do go in expecting one of the most uncomfortable, intense dramatic experiences you're ever likely to have. Spencer almost takes things up a level from Jackie, going beyond overwhelming grief into a realm of near-madness, as we witness Diana driven to the verge of breaking down by the obtuse world in which she finds herself.
Throughout, the Sandringham Estate is painted as a kind of haunted house, shrouded in mist and full of eerie corridors where you almost never encounter the hosts of an infuriating Christmas. Coupled with the film's intoxicating, claustrophobic cinematography and one of the most unsettling musical scores I have ever heard, it's remarkable just how much Spencer feels like a true nightmare, like The Shining come to life.
And I'll say it again - this is why you can't watch this film as a typical biopic. Its overarching themes are certainly based in historical truth, but are moulded and adapted to fit into a brilliantly concise portrayal of some of the main anxieties that surrounded Diana at the height of her Royal fame.
The screenplay here is particularly sparing with dialogue, almost all of which uttered in breathy, timid whispers, as director Pablo Larraín leaves much of the film's drama to be inferred from the exhilarating, ominous haunted house atmosphere, and the hypnotic lead performance from Kristen Stewart.
While there are moments where Stewart's performance borders on showy, this is actually a very measured and very powerful performance that demands immense physicality from the actress, as she portrays Diana descending into a kind of madness, surrounded by repetitive, frustrating events that feel like a nightmare.
Much like Natalie Portman's performance as Jackie Kennedy, Stewart is full of intense emotion at every minute here, with facial expressions and a demeanour that resonate far more powerfully than any single line of dialogue. It's not exactly what you would call the most historically accurate portrayal of Diana, but it's a gripping, imaginative and bold amalgamation of many of her defining traits.
And with that, Spencer delivers exhilarating, intoxicating psychodrama of the highest order from start to finish. There may be a few moments in which the film's allusions to the length and breadth of British royal history are a little on the nose, but this is an expertly-crafted film that certainly doesn't hold back at any moment.
Intense, uncomfortable, and downright maddening at times, Spencer is a uniquely mesmerising vision of a troubled part of British royal history, featuring a staggering lead performance, ingenious direction, incredible music, spellbinding visuals and a masterful screenplay from start to finish.
Last Night in Soho (2021)
A dazzling love letter to London at its best and at its worst
A dazzlingly vivid portrayal of London, an emotionally captivating and thought-provoking pscyhodrama, a visually magnificent production and yet another home run for director Edgar Wright, Last Night In Soho is an absolutely mesmerising watch, and easily one of the best films of 2021.
I loved every minute of Last Night In Soho, a film that evolves and changes a lot over its 116-minute runtime, but always has a trick up its sleeve as it takes bold and thrilling turns at every step.
There's so much that makes this film such a dazzling watch, but we'll start with the brilliant lead performances from Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy, whose fantastic energy makes this movie an enthralling watch from the first minute they arrive on screen.
While Edgar Wright impressively directs a whole ensemble cast here, McKenzie and Taylor-Joy are the real standouts, each delivering genuine yet exciting and mysterious performances that bounce off and parallel one another brilliantly throughout.
That plays into the film's captivating psychological element, as we see young Thomasin McKenzie in modern-day London become obsessed with Taylor-Joy, an aspiring singer whose dreams take a dark turn when she finds herself caught up in the underbelly of Soho in the swingin' sixties.
Not only does Last Night In Soho brilliantly balance its focus on modern-day London and that of yesteryear, but it uses parallels in geography, style and essence to great effect, bringing that into the central character story at hand and pulling you ever deeper into what starts out as a dazzling whirlwind, but becomes something rather a lot more challenging.
The first act of this film is exciting, vibrant and wonderfully imaginative, capturing the wide-eyed innocence of a country girl arriving in the big city for the first time. But beneath the superficial thrill of a lively London lies a dark reality, which Last Night In Soho handles in a uniquely lively way, but also with riveting, thought-provoking dramatic depth.
While never ignoring the gritty, sobering and desperately depressing reality of the industry that underpinned Soho in the '60s, director Edgar Wright brilliantly keeps the energy and pizzazz that makes this movie so electrifying even through its darkest moments.
That makes for an exhilarating blend of disturbing drama, eye-catching style and even some darkly funny moments that build and build and build as we see the psychological state of our main characters deteriorate.
While Last Night In Soho may be all The Look Of Love on the surface, it's rather more similar to Roman Polanski's Repulsion, using its setting to brilliant effect as it turns from a dark love letter to London into a maddening psychological thriller that never lets up until the last minute.
Bathed in spectacular colours, featuring gorgeous cinematography and a memorable soundtrack, Edgar Wright leaves no stone unturned when delivering yet another feast for the senses after the rocking rollercoaster that was Baby Driver.
But with a bold combination of dark, sobering drama and high-octane, lively and dazzling thrills, Last Night In Soho offers up an entirely unique viewing experience, that's simultaneously huge fun to watch while being immensely insightful and thought-provoking in its subject matter.
Ryû to sobakasu no hime (2021)
A spectacular and soaring anime extravaganza
From one of the best directors in modern anime, Belle is one of the most spectacular movies in the genre for a long time. Complete with typically gorgeous animation, an electrifying pace, riveting character depth, sweet humour and a handful of wonderful songs, this is a film that you won't be able to take your eyes off from start to finish.
But why exactly does Belle have this spectacular star quality? After all director Mamoru Hosoda has managed time and again to tell incredible stories, from The Girl Who Leapt Through Time to Summer Wars, Wolf Children, The Boy And The Beast and Mirai.
Not only is Belle the latest addition to Hosoda's incredible repertoire, but it's also one of the most dynamic anime films of recent years, blending the classic animation style with timeless storytelling and blockbuster-level action and thrills.
It's a film that really transports you to another world, with the as-ever spellbinding visuals delivering some of the most immersive fantasy you'll have seen in a long time, bolstering the film's originality from what at first feels like a mish-mash of different stories.
In the early stages, it's easy to see Belle as a bit of an update of Hosoda's own Summer Wars, along with influence from Hollywood's Ready Player One. What's more, the film also borrows heavily at moments from Disney's Beauty And The Beast, although that's more as a clever homage than a simple reinvention.
However, because there's so much going on, Belle proves itself to be a lot more than a remake or update of those films mentioned above. In fact, what's most impressive is the way in which it so effectively balances its focus between life inside the virtual world of U, and the characters who live in the real world.
Much like Summer Wars, the action in the virtual world is brilliantly complemented by the emotional stories of the characters in the real world, in this case a group of high schoolers who are living through all the typical trappings of a coming-of-age story.
This is where much of Belle's emotional heart comes in, and while the action in the virtual world is absolutely spectacular, you care for the characters because of how they're developed in the real world, with a wonderful group of friends whose own back stories play in wonderfully to the central action story.
Playing out at an electrifying pace for the vast majority of its runtime, Belle nears edge-of-your-seat levels of excitement, although its finale admittedly isn't as exhilarating as the thrilling conclusion to Summer Wars.
That said, Hosoda directs Belle with such confidence that it's a mesmerising watch at every moment, boosted further by a couple of spectacular and memorable songs that are both fun to listen to, and play nicely into the film's narrative arc.
All in all, I had a whale of a time with Belle. A genuinely thrilling watch from start to finish, the film is a spectacular combination of many of director Mamoru Hosoda's best films, along with homages to a number of others. However, with fresh storytelling, fast pacing, gorgeous visuals, riveting emotional depth and thrilling action throughout, this film certainly stands on its own as one of the most entertaining anime you'll have seen in a long time.
The Dig (2021)
An enthralling slow-burner that uses patient, understated character drama to fantastic effect
An intriguing little piece of British history, The Dig tells a slow-burning story with understated and genuine drama throughout, turning what could have been a rather dry tale of archaeology into a genuinely gripping character drama. Its historical context takes a little while to become fully relevant, but ultimately, The Dig really proves itself as a captivating watch.
One of the things that I really liked about The Dig was its patience. Never dragging yet never rushing, the film takes its time to build up all of its main strengths, from its characters, their emotional back stories, and the overarching historical context of the outbreak of World War II.
Complete with elegant camerawork, a beautiful score and impressively atmospheric direction that makes it an eye-catching watch from the first few moments, The Dig has enough confidence and depth to keep you engrossed even if its story isn't advancing apace, something that's a lot harder to pull off than you may think.
One of the big reasons that the film's patient pacing and style work so well is because of its understated, genuine drama. With calm yet fully convincing performances across the board, particularly from Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan, this isn't a showy period drama by any means, but eases you into a story about real people, making them the centre of attention far more than the historical significance of the event.
I'm not particularly well-versed in archaeology, and I didn't know about this discovery before watching this film. I think that might be the case for many other people, but the great thing about The Dig is that it's primarily a character-driven drama, and one that uses emotional intrigue to bring you closer to the story at hand and allow you to appreciate its importance.
One element where the film does seem to falter is in its use of the historical backdrop of the lead-up to World War II. Set in the summer months of 1939 before the outbreak of war, there are sporadic references to the coming conflict through the first two acts of the movie, but they don't seem to bear much relevance to this story about an archaeological find.
However, the film slowly begins to unveil how the historical context plays into its characters' personal lives and the fate of the dig itself, with dramatic focus shifting significantly in the final act, but just at the right point that the sudden arrival of the war into everyday life feels just like what it would have been like to experience it first-hand, taking over everything seemingly normal in an instant.
As a result, while the historical backdrop seems almost contrived at first, it really comes good as the film progresses, another demonstration of how the patience of The Dig really plays into its hands throughout.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
A blissfully simplistic, bright, action-packed film that's determined to have fun
I loved this film so much. DC Comics have been on the right track in recent years with a move from drab superhero films to bright, fun blockbusters, and Wonder Woman 1984 is the culmination of all of that hard work. Though a fairly simple and arguably overlong film, this is pure, unadulterated superhero joy throughout, prioritising fun, action-packed entertainment over convoluted comic book lore from start to finish.
Highly reminiscent of the original Superman starring Christopher Reeve, Wonder Woman 1984 is a film that just wants to have as much fun as possible, no matter what. So, while its immediate predecessor may have seen Diana Prince fight off enemies in a fairly more gritty and down-to-earth style, this sequel breaks open the toybox with a seemingly infinite supply of utterly delightful superhero excitement.
Everything about Wonder Woman 1984 is bright, fun-loving and so wonderfully innocent. From its humour to its action and even the colour of Diana's superhero outfit, this movie is perhaps the most purely enjoyable comic book blockbuster of the 21st century.
Though the story admittedly takes a while to get into gear, the opening two sequences of this movie are so much fun, and hark back to a more innocent, fantastical view of superheroes like in the days of Christopher Reeve's Superman.
As comic book movies have come to dominate the box office, we've been looking for new, supposedly fresh angles on classic superhero stories, but it's not often that we get a movie nowadays which just wants to tell that classic story in as enjoyable a manner as possible.
Despite an undeniably slow-moving first act, Wonder Woman 1984 bursts into life in the second act, with a thrillingly entertaining story of globe-trotting goodies and baddies, all culminating in an utterly preposterous but brilliantly enjoyable action finale that just keeps getting better and better.
This movie isn't trying hard to be relevant to the modern day, or even to the laws of reality, but it's exactly that which will make Wonder Woman 1984 a timeless classic of superhero cinema. Simplistic it may be, and completely detached from reality it certainly is, but that willingness to just let loose and have fun makes the film so enormously likable.
Gal Gadot is once again outstanding as Wonder Woman, and without doubt the best hero in the DC Extended Universe by a long way, while Chris Pine delights in a smaller but still thoroughly enjoyable supporting role. Kristen Wiig is a surprise too, while Pedro Pascal is the real stand-out as the film's main antagonist, with just the right balance of menacing greed and comic book villainy to fit this film's fun-loving atmosphere to perfection.
Coupled with gorgeous visuals and excellent CGI effects throughout that only add to the film's bright-eyed take on superhero cinema, it would take the coldest of souls to find something to genuinely dislike about Wonder Woman 1984.
Director Patty Jenkins led the way forward for DC with Wonder Woman three years ago, and now with this sequel, Jenkins has once again cemented herself as an immensely talented filmmaker, always putting the audience first and telling the fun, enjoyable story that we all need, and that Wonder Woman really should be.
Overall, it's fair to say that Wonder Woman 1984 is a far, far cry from the drab beginnings of DC's Extended Universe with Man Of Steel. Blissfully simplistic yet endlessly entertaining, the film's unrelenting imagination and desire to have fun will set it out as a timeless classic of superhero cinema, featuring another spectacular performance from Gal Gadot as Diana Prince, and more incredible directing from Patty Jenkins.
Horizon Line (2020)
Undeniably daft, but good, far-fetched fun in the end
A high-flying survival thriller with thrills and spills of the most preposterous nature, Horizon Line is an undeniably daft movie from start to finish, but still provides great entertainment among its most far-fetched moments. Though it starts poorly, the film takes the survival genre to a new level, with captivating action and tension right to the finish, although not quite enough to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.
First things first, if you're going into Horizon Line expecting a nail-biting, intense survival thriller that ranks among the genre's best, you're going to come out sorely disappointed. The film lacks the drama and emotional resonance of a great survival movie, but it does at least entertain with a whole heap of rapid-fire action.
The film's opening act is undeniably weak, as it attempts to craft an emotional back story for the two characters that will ultimately find themselves fighting for survival thousands of feet in the air. Dragging on for far too long and never really stoking much of a sentimental beat, the first twenty or so minutes seem to last an eternity as you wait for some proper thrills and spills.
However, once the fun stuff does get going, it gets going really quickly. The film's entire middle act is as far-fetched as can be, with two characters somehow able to survive in a plane without their pilot through what seems like the most ridiculous series of coincidences. But as preposterous as it is, the pacing and action make Horizon Line a whole lot of fun to watch.
Despite the attempts at drama in its opening stages, once the film settles into its main action, you stop trying to take it seriously and instead enjoy it for the crazy adventure it really is. At times, suspension of disbelief is a challenge, particularly when the characters start hanging on the outside of the plane, but there's more than enough imagination in the film's screenplay to keep it an entertaining watch.
You might find its finale a little bit of a cop-out after a really strong finish, but as far as an action-packed survival story goes, Horizon Line is perfectly good fun.
Where the film struggles amidst all those thrills and spills, however, is in the relationship between its two main characters. After failing to really establish good drama in the first act, Horizon Line never manages to get you to fully sympathise with its two leads as they work together to stay alive up in the sky.
The performances from Allison Williams and Alexander Dreymon too aren't fantastic, with moments of iffy line delivery and a little bit of a lack of chemistry, but most of all a real lack of genuine fear in either of their faces.
Until the very last moments of the film, you'd be hard-pressed to know that the pair were in a life-or-death scenario, with both Williams and Dreymon smiling and laughing far too much throughout, and not putting on genuinely petrified facial expressions.
The movie's high-wire action means that the emotional depth is less of a problem, but I felt like the two leads really weren't doing justice to the situation they're meant to be portraying. Maybe it's just me, but sitting in a plane above the open ocean without a pilot sounds as petrifying a situation as can be.
Overall, though, I still liked Horizon Line. It's by no means a perfect movie, and struggles with a boring and ineffective opening act, ridiculous action, a lack of emotional depth and often disappointing performances from its leads. However, with fun-loving action, fast pacing and impressive visuals, the movie is an undeniably daft but enjoyable watch.
The Craft: Legacy (2020)
Gratuitously overloaded with social issues and morally problematic
I really liked The Craft, with its engrossing blend of dark fantasy and strikingly frank coming-of-age drama. Its sequel retains that dark style, boldly going for a borderline R-rated story with some very adult ideas.
However, while its predecessor told a challenging story that ultimately showed itself as a moral fable, The Craft: Legacy is a more morally dubious film, gratuitously overloading itself with different social issues of the day and ticking them off one by one as it wrestles with some very problematic themes.
First off, though, I really want to praise the way that The Craft: Legacy lives up to the dark reputation of the first film. Though perhaps not as emotionally overwhelming as its predecessor, this sequel really sticks to its guns with a dark and frank story that's more about the characters than pure young adult fantasy.
There's a part of me that misses some of the more action-packed fantasy sequences from the previous film, but it's really commendable the way that this sequel commits to a bolder, darker style in a world where it could have been so easy to make a lazy rehash of the Twilight movies.
Couple that with strong performances from the film's young lead quartet, all of whom are mature and very assured on screen throughout, and you have a film that's a lot more than just a throwaway bit of fantasy fare.
However, I found the way that The Craft: Legacy uses its darker, thematically upfront style really problematic. The Craft told a heavy-going story about bullying and coming-of-age, and although arguably mean-spirited at times, it eventually righted itself with a strong moral message in the end.
This film, meanwhile, looks at a variety of wider social issues which are all relevant in the modern world, yet it fails to consider them in enough detail, while also failing to address the morally questionable actions of its main characters.
So there are two issues here. First is the way in which The Craft: Legacy seems to tick off mentioning various social issues almost as if it's a 'woke' scorecard, without ever giving them the proper time and attention that they're due. There are throwaway comments about trans issues, racial discrimination, female adolescence, toxic masculinity and more, but the movie does little to really address those issues beyond just including them in the story.
All of those themes are important and worthy of discussion, but this film is painfully superficial in dealing with them.
Secondly, the film's overarching theme, that of taking on the patriarchy, is somehow used in a really morally questionable way. The film's feminist passions are evident, and it's great to see the way that it lends attention to the feelings of a group of young women, but it spends too much time on the attack, with a bizarre portrayal of men that comes off as incredibly mean-spirited.
In this movie, the male characters are either evil masterminds looking to dominate women, or braindead puppets controlled by the whims of women. If the film had addressed either of those portrayals by looking in on itself towards the end, then they wouldn't be such a problem, but it's the way it almost celebrates this erroneous portrayal of men that really doesn't sit right with me.
For a film that's clearly there to inspire young women and to tackle important social issues, I was really surprised by just how aggressive and superficial The Craft: Legacy was - a far cry from the engrossing character drama of its predecessor.
Overall then, I was disappointed by The Craft: Legacy. Though admirable for its retention of the bold and dark style that made its predecessor so striking, the film struggles in its use of social themes, gratuitously ticking off various issues with little regard for reality, all the while telling a story about taking on the patriarchy in really bizarre fashion.
The Climb (2019)
Organic, funny and visually gorgeous
A pitch-perfect comedy-drama from start to finish, The Climb is a funny, intelligent, organic and touching tale of friendship. Dealing with a sobering yet equally farcical story that lasts over many years, the film is full of honest emotion, and somehow manages to deliver a sprawling story of a lifetime in a very short space of time.
And that's where I want to start, because while there's a lot about The Climb that's really impressive, the way that it feels almost like an epic is incredible. Running for less than 100 minutes, most films would struggle to tell a more contained story, let alone one that spans such a long timeframe.
However, as it moves through the years in impressively organic fashion, The Climb is able to bring a greater scale to its story, and as such brings greater stakes and significance to the table as well. The ups and downs of Mike and Kyle's friendship aren't just a blip in time, but a major part of their entire lives.
Along with the two fantastic lead performances and excellent writing, you really feel like you know these two characters inside out, and though their relationship may be far from perfect as time goes by, you sympathise strongly with both of them from beginning to end.
Another impressive characteristic of The Climb is its minimalist style. It's not obnoxiously minimalist like many mumblecore movies, but it's able to tell a sprawling story of a lifetime without ever following generic tropes of the epic format.
The film is able to pack its story into such a concise runtime because of the way it uses organic dialogue to such great effect throughout. As we jump through time between different vignettes, the screenplay explains what has happened in the last few years or however long with just a couple of words offhand from a character that feels entirely natural to the situation at hand.
There's no clunky exposition or drawn-out narration, but rather succinct and brilliantly organic dialogue that helps what could have been a regularly abrupt series of time shifts flow so nicely.
That structural flow is also helped by the movie's camerawork, which pulls the Birdman trick of using long, long, long takes where the camera flies around the characters for minutes on end without a single cut.
The whole movie isn't a one-shot story like Birdman, but each of its vignettes are more or less made up of a main single shot that lasts for a long time. However, in tandem with its elegant screenplay and flowing structure, that visual style works really nicely, and only adds to the film's brilliantly organic nature.
The screenplay itself is both funny and touching, with humour that made me laugh on a consistent basis, but that never cheapened the real depth and gravity of the story being told here.
The movie looks at the story of a toxic friendship as a sobering farce, with the almost unrelenting nature of Mike's terrible behaviour becoming so bad that it's actually funny. And yet, even when the story seems to be beating you over the head with a rather heavy dose of dark humour, there's a really touching, positive message at its core.
Finishing on a wonderful high note, The Climb proves that you sometimes have to go through the worst of times to end up in the right place, and its sprawling feel makes that resonate all the more strongly. With excellent performances, gorgeous cinematography, an intelligent and funny screenplay and a brilliantly organic style, it's an undeniably captivating movie which always has its heart in the right place.
All My Life (2020)
Relentlessly positive and embraces the very best that life has to offer
I really enjoyed this movie. Cheesy, sappy romantic dramas aren't entirely my cup of tea, but All My Life tells an admittedly familiar story with a real can-do attitude, and that makes it an absolute joy to watch. It may never be the tearjerker it often wants to be, but it's a story full of optimism that left me with a smile on my face.
Now, you'll almost certainly have seen romantic dramas that deal with terminal illnesses. More recently, The Fault In Our Stars and Me Before You have both impressed in the genre, but it still feels like a story that's really overplayed in Hollywood.
However, while All My Life is far from innovative in its screenplay, the unique way that it tells such a well-trodden story is really great to see. Based on a true story, the film has an extra level of passion to it, but it's also imbued with a more realist sense of optimism than the melodrama of so many manufactured Hollywood outings.
Almost from the start, you know what's coming, and the film knows it too. So, rather than getting bogged down in telling a depressing, hyperbolic tragedy, All My Life looks on the bright side of life, and really makes your heart sing as a result.
If you're looking for a tearjerker, this isn't your movie. At times, when it wants to be a bit sadder, it's a little too on-the-nose and abrupt, cheapening what is otherwise a very elegant tale.
However, for a film that deals with an often sad story in an energetic and optimistic way, then All My Life is absolutely perfect. Enormously enjoyable from the start as we follow Jessica Rothe and Harry Shum Jr. falling in love, it's a colourful and vibrant affair that's full of far more joy than anguish.
Rothe and Shum Jr. are just perfect together on screen, and though I don't want to say it for fear of sounding like a teenage girl, are a really cute couple that you root for all the way through.
The film's bright, positive energy is so wonderful, and even though the core of its story is very sad, you'll find yourself smiling and laughing from beginning to end here. That's because All My Life follows through on its own message and embraces the best moments in life, without dwelling on the sad.
You can make your own mind up as to whether that's a realistic or ridiculous mentality, but for the 90 minutes that this film runs, it's an absolute joy to sit back and bask in its relentless positivity.
Overall, I really liked All My Life. Yes, it can be cheesy and sappy at times, and it's never the most effective tearjerker. However, with an active and positive attitude to a story that's so often told in irritatingly melodramatic fashion, it's an enormously enjoyable watch, filled with wonderful performances, colourful visuals, humour and an appreciation for the very best that life can offer.
Pixie (2020)
Charismatic, action-packed and absolutely hilarious
Effortlessly charming and full of action throughout, Pixie is a comic caper of the highest order. Funny, tongue-in-cheek and energetic, it's a film that will make you laugh and smile to no end, all the while delighting with one of the best ensemble casts of the year - headed by the brilliant Olivia Cooke.
There's so much to love about Pixie, but that cast is easily what makes it such an enjoyable film. Olivia Cooke is amazing in the lead role, giving a performance full of swashbuckling charisma as she leads two bewildered young men across Ireland on a daring cat-and-mouse chase that's way beyond their world.
Ben Hardy and Daryl McCormack are hugely likable too alongside Cooke, and bring an enjoyable element of buffoonery to the table, as well as gelling nicely as the film's central trio. But it's Cooke that undoubtedly steals the show here in one of the most entertaining performances I've seen all year.
But it's not just the lead three, because the film's supporting cast is full of surprises, including a brilliant turn from Colm Meaney as Pixie's gangster father, as well as Alec Baldwin as the leader of a violent group of gangster priests (and Baldwin does a fantastic regional Irish accent too).
So, with such a strong ensemble cast on show all the way through this movie, there's no shortage of charisma here, and that plays brilliantly into the film's fun-loving caper style.
If Pixie wasn't so full of likable, charismatic characters, it could have been so much harder to go with its adventure-style take on a heist gone wrong, but it's an absolute joy to spend time with all of these characters, good and bad, making the whole film an effortless delight.
Complete with bursts of brilliant action, it's a fast-paced movie that builds nicely to an enormously entertaining crescendo. However, it's the comedy that really makes the movie sing, with consistently funny jokes and great chemistry between the characters from beginning to end.
There are a couple of deeper emotional moments that lend a little more to the story, although don't necessarily hit home quite as strongly as seems to be the intention, but as far as being a fun Irish caper goes, Pixie is an utter joy, and one I would recommend in a heartbeat.
Rebecca (2020)
A bold new vision of a classic tale that goes down so sweetly
Just as the new Mrs. de Winter lives in fear of being in Rebecca's shadow, so too could this film have been anxious about living up to the reputation of Alfred Hitchcock's legendary 1940 adaptation. However, Ben Wheatley's new vision of the classic tale is as enthralling as it is utterly gorgeous, exchanging the cold mental torment of Hitchcock's version for a sprawling and elegant cinematic style that goes down so sweetly.
There's no denying the brilliance of Hitchcock's Rebecca, with its psychologically tortuous drama and claustrophobic atmosphere, but the way that Ben Wheatley has taken this story and projected a different yet equally suitable vision onto it is an absolute delight, allowing you to relive the same story as if you'd never seen it before.
Complete with gorgeous visuals, an elegant musical score and irresistible performances across the board, this new adaptation of Rebecca is certainly brighter than Hitchcock's, but that doesn't mean it lacks the riveting drama that makes this story so great.
Starting off in beautiful fashion with a sun-baked prologue that follows the beginning of Maxim and his new wife's courtship, Rebecca immediately shows off its stylish and sprawling visuals that pulls you into the fairy tale romance of a lifetime.
When we arrive at Manderley House and things begin to turn darker, however, the film maintains its gorgeous style, and never remains quite as confined as Hitchcock's version of the story did.
Of course, there's a trade-off there which means this film doesn't have the same mentally distressing sense of claustrophobia and paranoia, but it does prove a whole lot more spectacular, with faster pacing and high-stakes drama that make it an enormously entertaining watch all the way through.
At times, this Rebecca has something of Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby about it, with immense style playing a big part in making it such a great watch. But the film is more than just a pretty face, and manages to engross you in its story of mental insecurity and fear in irresistible fashion.
What's more, the film features a fantastic ensemble cast including Lily James and Armie Hammer, who are both spectacular, as well as Kristin Scott Thomas, who proves just as fearsome and unnerving as Mrs. Danvers as Judith Anderson did in the 1940 film.
Coupled with Clint Mansell's elegant yet still uneasy musical score and production design that works perfectly at both the film's sunniest and darkest moments, and you have a bold new vision of Rebecca that's enormously refreshing, and just as satisfying as what we've seen before.
I'd hesitate to say that Wheatley's and Hitchcock's adaptations are worlds apart, but they do very different things. The original, in true Hitchcock fashion, is an intoxicating psychodrama that's thrilling but extremely uncomfortable.
Wheatley, on the other hand, crafts a film that's a lot of fun to be drawn into, and while he may not manage to provide the same level of mental anguish, he makes up for it by telling a great story in thoroughly entertaining fashion.
Overall, I'm delighted to say that I absolutely loved Rebecca. I never expected to see the film match what Hitchcock did 80 years ago, but with a bold new vision that features a gorgeous, sprawling cinematic style, brilliant performances and enthralling drama, it's an immensely entertaining watch.
Kajillionaire (2020)
A little too odd at first, but really comes into its own later on
There's no getting away from it: Kajillionaire is an odd film. At first, it seems like a movie made for the sake of being weird, but as its story unfolds, you begin to see the method to Miranda July's madness, with an ultimately touching, bittersweet tale of personal independence making for a memorable watch.
First things first, if you're not party to a little bit of eccentricity and dry humour, you might find Kajillionaire rather inaccessible at first. Undeniably, the film struggles to find its feet in an eye-catching but admittedly dull opening act, as we follow the strange day-to-day exploits of a family of scam artists.
Evan Rachel Wood, Debra Winger and Richard Jenkins are fantastic in those roles, but there's very little to their characters early on, and it takes a while for Kajillionaire to really grab you with any real dramatic depth.
Fortunately, things take a turn for the better with the arrival of Gina Rodriguez, who brings a little bit of sense to an otherwise totally bizarre world. The film retains its offbeat sense of humour, but to have that grounded perspective with Rodriguez's excellent performance really helps you to find an in with this family, and the story begins to work off that really nicely.
Unfolding in thoroughly engaging fashion from then on, Kajillionaire deals with a range of interesting and sobering themes including poverty, neglect, abuse, all with a tinge of odd, dark humour to make it that little bit easier to stomach. Admittedly, the film's stranger side does occasionally undermine some of its more serious ideas, but without that charisma, it would likely have been a far less interesting watch.
Kajillionaire really comes good in its final act, however, where it begins to push the boat in terms of weirdness, but also in real, challenging drama. The run to the finish here features some of the movie's oddest moments, but also some of its most affecting and heart-wrenching ones, as we follow Evan Rachel Wood as she begins to discover the world for herself - away from her parents' unique worldview.
Along with Rodriguez, Wood is really fantastic and brings an impressive dramatic dynamic to a film that can occasionally feel a little emotionally opaque. Again, its themes aren't quite as hard-hitting because of its oddity, but there is real, affecting drama in the film's final stages, and that really caps it off in impressive fashion.
Overall, I liked Kajillionaire. It's not a perfect film, and perhaps doesn't manage to use its capacity for eccentricity to full effect, but there's still a worthy story to be heard here. With great performances, interesting themes and unique humour, it's a memorable, if not undeniably odd watch.
Ba bai (2020)
Exciting, inspiring and powerfully patriotic
As the film industry in China has boomed over the last ten years, action and historical epics have been some of the biggest money-makers out there, but the quality has always been really disappointing. The Eight Hundred, however, manages to blend the blockbuster appeal of the genre with great storytelling, and an unbeatable passion that makes it a hugely inspiring watch.
I'll happily admit that I've been all too ready to criticise Chinese blockbusters like this in recent years. Particularly when dealing with 20th century history, the genre has sensationalised events with an over-reliance on action, far-fetched stories and excessive CGI in a way that's very reminiscent of Hollywood in the late 1990s.
The Eight Hundred, however, sees Chinese war blockbusters turn a corner. While it isn't a perfect film through and through, it's a brilliantly exciting combination of the intensity of war, as well as the patriotic spirit that drives a nation to survive against all the odds.
For a film that largely takes place in one location - the warehouse and the riverfront across from it - it's quite incredible just how dynamic The Eight Hundred is. It's not a stationary, claustrophobic war thriller as you may expect, but an impressively sprawling epic that uses the context of the global political landscape of the era to great effect.
Along with the incredible bravery of the soldiers within the warehouse holding off attacks from the Japanese, the film pays heed to the wider historical context, and how these Chinese soldiers were almost left as pawns in a greater political game, with people in the British concession of Shanghai watching on from a close distance, but not becoming directly involved.
It's a really interesting angle that offers up a thought-provoking perspective on the nature of the Sino-Japanese War, and how complicit Western powers were in the events that unfolded. Should the British have gone in to help the Chinese, or was that too big a price to pay by inviting Japanese aggression unto themselves?
One thing that's for sure about The Eight Hundred is its immense, undying patriotic spirit. You don't have to be Chinese to fall in love with this film's passion, and even though it may at times go to rather far-fetched lengths to show off that intense love for its country, there are some really inspiring moments on a par with some of the greatest in war cinema, including Saving Private Ryan, Flags Of Our Fathers and Dunkirk.
Admittedly, The Eight Hundred doesn't have the emotion of Saving Private Ryan, the detail of Flags Of Our Fathers, or the cinematic intensity of Dunkirk. As a result, it isn't a masterpiece of war cinema, and it's fair to say that its opening act is a little slow to get moving.
However, unlike so many big Chinese war epics of recent years that purely rely on big visual effects and constant action, The Eight Hundred is a really measured and well-made film.
What it lacks in character depth it makes up for in a collective emotional strength, and although it may not showcase the darker side of the war in a way like City Of Life And Death, it's a really good combination of entertaining blockbuster action and worthy, powerful historical drama.
A slow starter it may be, but The Eight Hundred is an undeniably impressive watch, and easily one of the best modern Chinese war movies. Epic despite its stationary location, emotional and inspiring despite some character weaknesses, and thoroughly exciting with great, measured action, it's a brilliant watch throughout.
Hurt by Paradise (2019)
Struggles to find its voice at first, but evolves nicely into a thoroughly engaging and elegant watch
A film that admittedly takes a while to really find its feet, Hurt By Paradise ultimately evolves into a really engaging and even charming drama. Complete with sobering emotional depth as well as good humour, the film plays out for the most part like a stream of consciousness, mirroring its main character's thought processes and love for poetry. It's a technique that's certainly eye-catching, albeit frustrating in the opening stages.
Lead actress and writer-director Greta Bellamacina is clearly full of passion in this film, telling a story based on her personal experiences, as well as her view of all that's good and bad in the world.
In that, we get an intimate portrayal of her love of poetry that contrasts with an often soul-destroying view of struggling to get ahead in the world, but that personal touch and clear passion makes Hurt By Paradise an undoubtedly engaging watch throughout.
Where the film is most striking, however, lies in its style. Bellamacina mirrors her character's thought processes by structuring the film very loosely. For the majority of the first act, there's little in the way of a narrative that progresses forward, and we follow her character's inner monologue as she navigates the world around her.
At first, the way that this stream-of-consciousness style evokes the elegance of her poetry is rather nice, but the film frustratingly loses its way and becomes a little too loose, almost rambling on aimlessly in a way that Bellamacina is clearly trying to avoid, as her character tries to convince us that her being a poet is far from being purely pretentious.
Fortunately, although Hurt By Paradise does lose its way in its first half, it manages to regain your interest by the time the latter stages begin, as the focus shifts to tell a more equally-balanced story between Bellamacina's character and that of her friend, played by Sadie Brown.
Arguably, Brown's side of the story is a little more simple, while Bellamacina's is a little more abstract. Both have their strengths, and both have their weaknesses, but together, they make a really nice pair.
Both sides of the story have similar themes about struggling to make dreams happen and the harshness of the real world, but we get a more conventional narrative in Brown's case, and still keep the eye-catching stream-of-consciousness style on Bellamacina's side.
That's where Hurt By Paradise is able to play all its cards at once, and it does so really well. Tying its story together really sweetly in the end, the film tells a sobering story while retaining a vivid voice and an almost charming atmosphere, not to mention its sparing but effective use of humour throughout.
In general, it's fair to say that Hurt By Paradise isn't a film that's fully effective at every moment, with a misdirected style in its early stages really hurting it. However, with a second half that sees the story really come good, and a redressing of the balance between conventional and more abstract storytelling, the film ultimately becomes a really solid and engaging watch.
Eternal Beauty (2019)
A unique joy in every sense
There are few films out there with such a perfect and wonderful view of the world, but Eternal Beauty is without doubt one of them. A unique joy from start to finish, the film is indeed a gripping and often challenging perspective on mental illness, but more a liberating, soaring story of independence and distinctiveness.
With stunning performances across the board, particularly from lead actress Sally Hawkins, as well as gorgeous directing from Craig Roberts, Eternal Beauty is a hypnotic delight that will grab you from the first moment and never let you go. It's not always an easy watch, and there are times when it does briefly drag, but it's all part of a truly beautiful story.
There's so much to love about this film, but its humour is without doubt the best of all. From the very beginning, Eternal Beauty is full of sharp humour that had me laughing my socks off again and again. In tandem with the film's subject matter, the comedy is in perfect taste, and fits in wonderfully with the story's central message of never being solely defined by one thing in your life.
The comedy can be dark at times, it can be awkward at others, and it can be completely ridiculous at others, but the consistent thread is that it's always fantastically funny. Sally Hawkins is so lovable in the lead role that it's impossible not to laugh along with her as she deconstructs the world of 'normal' people, challenging depression as she blossoms in her own unique way.
It would be so easy to make a film about mental illness and stay completely serious, only focusing on the devastation that it can cause without even a glimmer of light. Eternal Beauty isn't like that, however, and its commitment to always showing a positive turn as well as the harsh realities of its subject matter is absolutely commendable, and an example of why we should always take the time to turn around and laugh at ourselves.
Craig Roberts' screenplay is so genuine and so heartfelt, much like Hawkins' spellbinding performance. From its use of humour to its candid approach to mental illness, Roberts and Hawkins are able to bring the film's core message about being independent - no matter how - to life in utterly gorgeous fashion.
The film may be a bit of a rollercoaster at times, but it's first and foremost a story that will make you laugh and smile. That's not to say it avoids the harder truths of life, but it also looks at those truths, accepts them, and then looks ahead to a brighter moment in time.
Right to the last moment of the film, Eternal Beauty is so passionate about its message, concluding on a note of soaring joy the likes of which I haven't seen in a very long time.
It's funny, emotional and achingly beautiful from start to finish, and a gorgeous and memorable example of why humour, eccentricity and personal independence are the keys to a life that's as happy as can be.
On the Rocks (2020)
Funny, charming and clever
I'll admit that I've never been the biggest fan of Sofia Coppola's films, but On The Rocks is a completely different story. A funny, charming and clever comedy-drama with great performances across the board, this is a lot of fun, and still has the same emotional depth as some of the director's more serious works.
At first, the movie seems like a sweet albeit unoriginal look at a woman stuck in a rut, with the story relying too heavily on quirky genre tropes to let Coppola's style really run free.
Rashida Jones is wonderful from the first minute, but we see surprisingly little of her character's real personality until the arrival of her father, played by Bill Murray. Once Murray enters the picture, both he and Jones are absolute dynamite, and writer-director is really able to stretch her legs.
The overarching story follows Jones as she reluctantly begins to suspect her husband of having an affair, while her father excitedly gets in on the investigation. However, more than that, the film's real heart lies in its assessment of family through a complex but thoroughly entertaining father-daughter relationship.
Murray plays a confident, charismatic and manipulative older man whose charm is impossible to resist. As he enchants everybody in his sight, Jones rolls her eyes, in the knowledge of his true character.
Not only charismatic, but a caring father too, the illusion of Murray's charm is only shattered when you realise what his real angle is - meddling in other people's lives and trying to project his own worldview onto everyone else.
The back-and-forth between father and daughter as they become deeper embroiled in a bizarre spy game is what really makes On The Rocks, and Sofia Coppola is able to deliver that story with such great humour and emotional worth.
There's something of a Woody Allen movie about On The Rocks, except Coppola plumps for more timely, real-world themes about marriage, female independence and the generation gap instead of Allen's full-blown existentialism.
But it's the film's humour that proves the real icing on the cake, as Coppola delivers a sumptuously sweet story that will make you laugh all the way through. Sometimes it's more serious humour, and sometimes it's a little more silly, but it's always grounded brilliantly on the film's characters and central ideas.
Overall, I really enjoyed On The Rocks. Though it gets off to a lukewarm start, the film bursts into life when Rashida Jones and Bill Murray combine, as Sofia Coppola's excellent screenplay finally begins to show what it's made of. Funny, insightful, clever and emotional, On The Rocks is right on the money from start to finish.
Unpregnant (2020)
A fun-loving buddy comedy with an important and passionate message
In part a fun-loving road trip and equally a serious and touching tale about the reality of getting an abortion, Unpregnant is a genuinely wonderful film. More than just a coming-of-age buddy movie, the film delights with joyful human comedy and drama, bolstered by a stirring and deeply important message at the end.
There's so much to love about this movie, it's difficult to know where to start. However, if there's one thing about Unpregnant that's totally irresistible, it's the leading performances from Haley Lu Richardson and Barbie Ferreira.
An odd couple at first, the pair have a good Thelma & Louise dynamic between them, but really stand out as individuals. The film follows the ups and downs of a complex friendship, and both Richardson and Ferreira impress hugely with immense likeability and real dramatic resonance.
Ferreira stands out as so much more than just a sidekick, as the story seems to set her up early on, combining both a brilliantly funny side with a passionate performance. Richardson, meanwhile, puts in her best turn since her outstanding performance in Support The Girls, with wonderful on-screen energy throughout that makes even her flawed character an utter joy to watch.
As a buddy comedy, the film banks on the pair's excellent chemistry and delights with energetic and consistent humour from start to finish. It's never juvenile or gratuitously chaotic, but the movie has a wonderful fun-loving side which, coupled with the scale of the road trip the pair embark on, makes it a really enjoyable rollercoaster ride.
You'll be laughing and smiling right the way through here, but it's the way that the film finishes that makes it really stand out. In the final act, a more serious message about the realities of young women getting abortions takes precedent, as we see the frustration in Richardson's character at the enormous lengths she has to go to just to have a simple abortion.
It's a sobering truth that isn't recognised enough, and the film deals with it a unique and memorable way, with the chaos of the road trip serving as a clear example of just how inaccessible a simple operation can be.
But even more than that, the film's final few moments serve as a powerful and necessary explanation of what an abortion actually is, showing girls the process of the operation and that it isn't something to be scared or ashamed of. It's a wonderful way to finish the film that shows the filmmakers really care about the core message, providing an important service that few other films are prepared to offer.
Overall, I loved Unpregnant. A wonderful, fun-loving road trip comedy that really stands out thanks to its passionate and touching dramatic themes, the movie delights with great humour, two delightful performances and an important, moving message.
The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020)
Fluffy and optimistic, albeit not a masterpiece
For the most part a fluffy, easy-going romantic comedy, The Broken Hearts Gallery is a really lovely watch from start to finish. With energetic pacing, good humour and a wonderful lead performance from Geraldine Viswanathan, it's a film to really make you smile, even if it doesn't necessarily exploit the full dramatic potential of its story.
Even if you are averse to the romantic comedy, or prefer your love stories with a tinge more real-world cynicism, The Broken Hearts Gallery is one of those movies that even the biggest pessimists won't be able to resist.
A lot of that has to do with the lead performance from Geraldine Viswanathan, who is outstanding in this film. Although she starts off by overplaying the quirky, clumsy type, she soon finds her feet as an ambitious, optimistic and delightfully energetic lead, bringing such a strong sense of joy to the whole film.
Without Viswanathan, The Broken Hearts Gallery could have been a rather flat, monotonous romantic comedy, but thanks to her scene-stealing joyful energy, I found myself beaming ear to ear on a number of occasions here.
The film's screenplay isn't quite as magical, though it certainly goes all out to replicate the enthusiasm of its lead actress. Following the story of finding something positive out of heartbreak, this movie is so full of uplifting and happy energy, complete with delightful comedy and even the odd bit of genuinely heartwarming romance to boot.
Of course, the central love story is entirely predictable at every beat, but although that does mean the movie loses a certain emotional effect, its fluffy nature makes it a light-hearted joy to watch throughout.
Where The Broken Hearts Gallery does unfortunately miss the mark, however, is in its focus on the deeper, long-lasting impact of relationships. Beyond the immediate trauma of going through a breakup, the story touches briefly on how people hang onto the memories - physical or not - of their past loves for a long, long time.
It's a wonderful idea to bring up, and an enjoyably sentimental one too, but the film doesn't go further and offer up an emotionally captivating portrayal of people who are still so wrapped up in their previous romances. It's a quirky feature of the movie, but it could have been much more.
Overall, I rather liked The Broken Hearts Gallery. It may be a fluffy, easy-going romantic comedy, but thanks to an enjoyable story, good humour, an optimistic mindset and a dynamite lead performance, it's an effortlessly enjoyable and gratifying watch.
The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020)
A fun, enthusiastic sequel that surprisingly builds on the original
I liked the first Babysitter movie a lot. It was a great horror-comedy with a fun premise, great performances and crowd-pleasing thrills, and I'm delighted to say that its sequel follows in the same wake. Impressively building on the story established last time out, Killer Queen is a surprise hit throughout, with the same fun factor as its predecessor, but a story that arguably outdoes the first movie.
On the whole, the first and second movies are largely similar, but the few differences that separate them do have an impact. On the one hand, it's fair to say that this sequel doesn't use its setting to a strong effect like the first movie, getting lost in a fairly soulless desert setting compared to the terrifying hellscape of Cole's house being destroyed over one night.
What's more, the film is missing Samara Weaving's excellent performance, with Emily Alyn Lind brought into replace her, yet doing little to endear or entertain in quite the same devilishly exciting way.
However, although Killer Queen misses out on some of the strengths of its predecessor, it also builds on the first film in some very surprising ways. For one, the film takes place in the context of Cole struggling at high school, and broadens its scope to include other characters as well as a cleverly-plotted metaphor about losing your virginity.
The movie starts off like a fairly underwhelming high school comedy, but once we see its true nature come out in the second act, that first act starts to hit home differently, playing a part in what proves to be a hugely entertaining ride to the finish.
Also, this is one of the few sequels that wants to tell a story with a little bit of fantasy mumbo-jumbo, yet doesn't expect you to take it entirely seriously. For instance, director McG knows that you don't remember all the specifics from the first movie, and so inserts brief reminders in impressively effective fashion that really help you to enjoy the story this time around.
Meanwhile, the film's final act is a particular treat, as it brings together all the weird fantasy lore that these two movies have unexpectedly built up and puts a clever and surprisingly touching twist on it. It's not a work of genius, but it is a really satisfying ending to two thoroughly enjoyable movies, capping off the pair with a good sense of humour and imagination.
Overall, I really liked The Babysitter: Killer Queen. Once again, it's a fun horror-comedy with entertaining action throughout and a good sense of humour. It's not meant to be taken seriously, but it also manages to engage you in its story, lore and metaphors in a way that shows it's much more than just a throwaway Netflix movie.
The New Mutants (2020)
Not a disaster, but loses its best ideas in the mess of the reshoots and change of ownership
Delayed so many times over the last three years that it seemed more likely that hell would freeze over before I saw this film, The New Mutants has become a hotly-anticipated and mysterious prospect. After all that waiting, though, I can't say that the movie lives up to its potential.
A messy and unfortunately drab watch, the film struggles to inspire the imagination with its spin-off of the X-Men stories. Lacking atmosphere, tension and character depth, it's a pretty mediocre movie that, while not a total disaster, clearly isn't able to use its brightest ideas to the full.
And that's where I want to start, because although The New Mutants is hardly a masterpiece, the effects of its many reshoots and production issues is wholly apparent throughout. As a result, its faults can't be entirely attributed to director Josh Boone, because there's a definite clash between a darker, more cerebral story from Boone and something a little more generic from the film's new owners, Disney.
These sorts of issues are inevitable under such circumstances, and it really bears out as the film briefly introduces really interesting ideas surrounding the history of the facility the story takes place in, but then just drops them in favour of a generic action finale - reminiscent of the struggles of the infamous Fant4stic.
Saying that, however, there are major problems with this movie all the way through. Above all, it's a really drab, dull watch that does little to use the potential of its setting to tell a unique superhero story.
With a small cast in a contained setting, The New Mutants has all the potential to work as a hybrid haunted house/comic book movie, yet it lacks any sort of fear factor, tension or atmosphere to really put that into effect. Meanwhile, the film is frustratingly content with using an overtly grey colour palette to make things look moody, yet without really doing enough to bring a genuine sense of eeriness or claustrophobia into play.
Failing that, The New Mutants also had the potential to work as a coming-of-age take on the superhero genre. Following young mutants discovering their powers and how to control them, the film's central themes fit perfectly with the genre, but the screenplay is nowhere near layered enough to make that drama at all interesting.
All of the characters are painfully one-dimensional; each a stereotype among the wider group in a vain attempt to play off the legacy of The Breakfast Club. As a result, there's little reason to actually invest emotion into connecting with the characters, because there isn't much to uncover beneath the surface.
And because of that, the film's story, action and main villain are all far less effective than could have otherwise been the case. Linking into each of the characters' back stories and deepest fears, there should have been far more focus placed on the emotions of the main characters.
But with no way to form a genuine connection with anyone on screen, The New Mutants falls flat throughout, and the final act in particular lacks any genuine intensity or excitement, unfolding as a painfully drab and generic action climax with nothing to really grab your attention.
Overall, I was disappointed by The New Mutants. Though it isn't a total disaster, it has all the hallmarks of a film that has been wrangled back and forth between different owners with different sets of ideas. It's messy, dull and unfortunately drab throughout, missing the opportunity to develop its best ideas as it plumps for a more generic, one-dimensional action story.
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe (2020)
A funny, action-packed adventure that's faithful to the original show
This has to be one of the better feature-length adaptations of Disney Channel cartoons. As was the case with the first Phineas and Ferb movie, Across The 2nd Dimension, too often do these films rely on 'large-scale' action, without remaining faithful to the essence of the actual show, often for fear of just being an extended TV episode.
However, Candace Against The Universe is different, as it manages to tell an engaging feature-length story while still retaining the original show's brilliantly zany sense of humour and imagination. What's more, with a heartfelt story and an uplifting message in the end, it's a pleasant and joyful kids' movie that has something for all to enjoy.
But most importantly, if you've not seen Phineas and Ferb before, you'll be completely lost from the start of the movie. To its credit, this film is designed first and foremost for fans of the original series, and doesn't spend any time explaining the characters, their back stories and relationships.
That means it gets straight into the action, impressively using every second of its 86 minute runtime to tell a fun, action-packed story. If you've never seen Phineas and Ferb before, though, you'll likely be bemused at every second, from why the relationship between Candace and her brothers seems so strained to why they have a secret agent platypus for a pet.
Fans of the show, however, will love the heaps of references to the original cartoon, as well as its faithful revival of the series' core qualities. Unlike Across The 2nd Dimension, which often took itself a little too seriously, Candace Against The Universe is a feature-length episode of the show, with all the same humour, imagination and heart on display.
There is sci-fi and action that you wouldn't normally see in a 10-minute episode, but that's secondary to the film's fun factor. From non-sequitur jokes galore to moments of really surprising, heartfelt drama, this movie has pretty much everything that you love about the show, with the exception of some really catchy songs.
But the main thing that makes this movie so fun is that it really doesn't take itself seriously. The story isn't particularly thrilling, but it is entertaining and engaging throughout, even when it doesn't make a lick of sense. Couple that with a screenplay that puts faith in your connection to the characters, and Candace Against The Universe proves an utterly delightful watch from start to finish.
Babyteeth (2019)
A challenging watch, but undeniably gorgeous
Though it's far from the easiest watch, Babyteeth is a truly gorgeous film, and one that offers a beautiful outlook on life while taking on challenging and sobering real-world drama. Brought to life in effortless style by director Shannon Murphy and featuring an ensemble of fantastic performances, it's a mesmerising watch with a touching and heartbreaking core.
There's so much to love about Babyteeth, but one of the things that makes it so gripping throughout is the way in which it evolves over the course of its runtime. After all, we've seen countless coming-of-age movies before, and if this were to just follow the same path, there wouldn't be quite as much to write home about.
Babyteeth indeed starts off as a sweet and moving portrait of teen rebellion, first love and self-discovery, as we follow Eliza Scanlen as a teenage girl who, under the pressure of a serious illness, begins to break out of her childlike shell and see the world through new eyes.
Scanlen's performance is wonderful right from the start, as she has the perfect blend of wide-eyed innocence and innate fire and curiosity to make her character's development both convincing and gripping to watch. That means, as a coming-of-age drama, Babyteeth really impresses in its early stages, and grabs your attention for the rest of the film.
Following on from its opening act, Babyteeth begins to evolve into a more challenging drama, tackling difficult issues such as suffering with cancer and drug addiction. The themes of self-discovery and coming-of-age still remain, but the focus is widened in the second act from Scanlen's character to herself and her family and friends.
With that, the film opens up really nicely as it offers an affecting yet still heartfelt perspective on the struggles of her parents, as well as Moses, the troubled young man who she falls for.
Toby Wallace's wonderful performance as Moses is integral to the story, and his likeability in spite of a questionable lifestyle allow you to sympathise with him and eventually come to understand why he is the way he is, and what he's really like.
Meanwhile, Essie Davis and Ben Mendelsohn are equally impressive as Scanlen's parents, and with understated yet convincing and emotionally charged performances, are able to develop their characters and their struggles into important and fascinating parts of the story, without overshadowing the central focus.
That range of drama and focus means Babyteeth is so much more than your average coming-of-age drama, and it gives the film such striking gravitas throughout, as it shows time and time again that it's not afraid to take on challenging issues with a unique and eye-opening outlook.
Yet while the film certainly hits hard with that dramatic gravitas, it also manages to avoid telling its story without an overwhelming sense of melancholy. It does that through the use of a wonderfully honest and down-to-earth sense of humour, but more importantly through a powerfully positive perspective on life.
Shining a light on the brighter moments in a difficult situation, Babyteeth consistently offers drama to warm your soul just as it captivates with often weighty storytelling. That does mean the swings between the joyful highs and the devastating lows are particularly intense, making the film somewhat of an emotional rollercoaster, but it really allows you to appreciate this story in both a positive and sobering light.
Another part of what make Babyteeth so gorgeous is its use of music and visuals. With mesmerising direction from Shannon Murphy throughout, this film delights thanks to a beautiful score and intimate, often even psychedelic cinematography, lending it a powerful sense of cool and elegance that only pulls you deeper into its enthralling trance.
From start to finish, Babyteeth is a truly wonderful film that both hits hard and makes you smile. Its only trouble is a slightly rushed opening act, with too few details left up to interpretation that leaves you chasing the story for the first twenty minutes, but apart from that, there's little to criticise about this film.
Utterly gorgeous, emotionally resonant and unique in so many ways, Babyteeth is one of the best coming-of-age dramas ever made. It's not an easy watch, but neither is it an overwhelmingly tough watch. Telling a difficult story complete with gripping dramatic range, this film impresses so much thanks to an ensemble of incredible performances, gorgeous directing, effortless style, heartfelt humour and a distinctive outlook on life.
Unhinged (2020)
Darkly exhilarating and shockingly violent
Darkly exciting and often terrifyingly violent, Unhinged takes a simple concept and turns it up to eleven, with rapid pacing, unrelenting performances and an impressive shock value right from the start. It may go a little far at times, lacking the dramatic depth to back up its intensity, but there's something undeniably entertaining about just how dark a movie it is.
Unhinged does try to bring in some deeper themes to the table, attempting to look at the potentially catastrophic consequences of the average person's pent-up stress in the modern world (symbolised a little heavy-handedly by traffic congestion). However, that's not really where the film's darkest and most exciting value lies.
Instead, it's in the simpler, more chaotic action and thrills of the story, as we follow Caren Pistorius relentlessly pursued by Russell Crowe playing a man at his wit's end, intent on destruction and revenge no matter what the cost.
In that, the film goes to lengths that I really didn't expect at first. Its opening scene alone is pretty shocking, but it's the fact that Crowe is so remorseless throughout that makes things all the more terrifying, coupled with genuinely frightening violence at times.
The intensity of that violence and the dark, unrelenting nature of Crowe's character makes Unhinged hit a whole lot harder than your average thriller, though it's fair to say that it does jump the gun with its shock value, going very far very quickly, meaning that the events of the latter half of the film are less horrifying than a snowballing narrative would have afforded.
Still, Unhinged is really well-paced throughout, and the performances from both Pistorius as the protagonist and Crowe as the antagonist are excellent throughout. Director Derrick Borte does well to keep the film as entertaining and exhilarating as possible even when it does go to darker lengths, though he fails to craft a more palpable tension that could have made this even more exciting.
The road rage element of the movie is highly reminiscent of Steven Spielberg's Duel, but through the way Unhinged focuses on the antagonist, we understand why he's terrorising an innocent driver, and as such don't get that same bewildering and terrifying mystery and anonymity that Spielberg's classic thriller throws up/
The deeper themes of pent-up rage also remind me of the brilliant Argentinian thriller Wild Tales, albeit with a darker twist that also brings in elements reminiscent of Cape Fear. It's fair to say that Unhinged doesn't quite bring those ideas to life in the most eye-catching fashion, but in harking back to those films it certainly makes for an exciting watch.
Overall, I was really impressed with Unhinged. Intense, fast-paced and exhilarating throughout, it's a darkly entertaining watch with unrelenting violence that genuinely shocked me throughout. It may not hit home on a deeper, dramatic level, but with parallels to cinematic classics and its own excellent intensity, it's a thrilling watch all the same.
Yes, God, Yes (2019)
A charming coming-of-age film with a wonderful message
A really solid coming-of-age drama that portrays the transition from innocent youth to world-weary adult in stark fashion, Yes, God, Yes blends sobering drama with charming humour and charisma in a short but punchy tale of personal growth and discovery.
Combining perspectives on institutional hypocrisy and personal maturing, this is a film with a lot to say, and for the most part, it does a great job. Far from a preachy or even aggressive attack on those it discredits, it's a movie that's genuinely charming, heartfelt and tempered in its approach.
Though it might sound like a strange topic for an 'inspiring' film to focus on, our young lead's discovery of the pleasures of masturbation are used as a metaphor for her coming-of-age, and discovery that the world she has been instructed by all her life is not in fact all-knowing.
Taking this discovery as a cue for a quiet yet powerful rebellion against her strict Catholic community, she begins to open up to the wider world, as well as to the reality of how hypocritical those who seek to teach her rigid morality act.
In that, the film isn't so much of an attack on Catholicism or Catholics themselves, but rather uses the extremes of the religion to showcase how damaging and hypocritical certain practices and ideologies can be on young people.
Natalia Dyer gives a wonderful performance that sees her proving convincing both as a sheltered and innocent teenager as well as a quietly rebellious young adult, and it's through her that you really understand the hurtful effects of the hypocrisies of her elders, particularly given how free she becomes once she removes the shackles of her upbringing and begins to fight back.
Dyer is funny and charming all the way through, and brings a soft, sweet presence to what could at times have been a very heavy watch. In that, Yes, God, Yes isn't quite as intensely dramatic as The Miseducation Of Cameron Post, which also looks at the consequences of extremist education, but it is just as charismatic and enjoyable as it is hard-hitting.
Featuring a pleasant dash of '00s nostalgia too, Yes, God, Yes is a thoroughly enjoyable watch, with buckets of drama and thought-provoking themes taking centre stage over the course of a punchy 78 minutes. The lead performance from Natalia Dyer is wonderful too, and her blend of charisma and dramatic chops gives the film's sobering message an uplifting and even inspiring edge.
Héraðið (2019)
A captivating film complete with political and emotional intrigue - it's only missing an extra spark of anger and frustration
A captivating drama that becomes more exciting and thought-provoking as it goes on, The County isn't necessarily the most easy-going watch, but it is still a gripping one throughout. Complete with a typically Scandinavian atmosphere of understated emotion, this film isn't the hyperbolic drama it could have been in different hands, instead telling its story as quietly, yet honestly, as possible.
Director Grímur Hákonarson received strong acclaim around the world for his 2015 film, Rams, which also looks at life in Iceland's farming community. That film, though insightful and certainly atmospheric, wasn't a masterpiece of storytelling in my opinion, and often felt more drab than genuinely understated.
The County, however, is a step in the right direction. Certainly, the film is deliberately filled with rough edges. It moves at a slow pace, its setting is rugged, and it often gets very detailed with the nitty-gritty of the politics of farming - something that few other films are willing to do.
And yet, this is never a boring watch. It's not a heart-stopping one either, but The County is meant to be an understated and affecting drama, and it achieves that for the most part.
Above all, the film's political edge is its most interesting line of focus. Though not entirely present in the early stages of the film, which looks more at grief and vulnerability, The County really steps up a gear in its middle act, taking aim at abusive and controlling organisations that pretend to be benevolent members of the community.
As I said, the nitty-gritty of how Icelandic farming cooperatives work may not be something you'd immediately think of as fascinating, but The County imbues that with real emotional depth, pitching the conflict between a frustrated farmer and an increasingly arrogant and uncontrollable organisation against the backdrop of personal loss.
In that, the film's overall arc comes together nicely, with a captivating blend of emotional and political drama. However, The County is just missing a small spark of life to really make it hit home.
Hákonarson's understated style shouldn't be criticised, after all it's what makes some of this film's most intimate and thought-provoking moments so powerful. However, this story, which to a degree looks at pent-up frustration, doesn't quite deliver that emotion as effectively as could be the case.
There's a part of me that wants this film to be a little like Wild Tales - a story of a normal person eventually having enough with the world and losing their cool. However, this is Iceland, not Argentina, and they deal with their frustration in a different way.
So, The County doesn't go to the hyperbolic lengths of Wild Tales, but in retaining such an understated style, it misses the opportunity to really get you on side with its main character, and sympathise with her enormous frustration and anger.
Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir gives an excellent performance throughout, it's just that the screenplay doesn't lend enough attention to her feelings of anger, instead putting more focus on the political connotations of the story. That's interesting in its own way, but I feel that a stronger display of anger in the screenplay could have been the difference between The County being a good film and a great film.
Still, The County is undeniably a good film. Better than Rams with its blend of emotional and political drama, as well as a hint of exciting drama on the verge of exploding, it's a captivating watch throughout, albeit missing that extra spark of frustration and anger that could have made it even better.