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Reviews
In a Violent Nature (2024)
Intriguing set up, repetitive execution.
This horror from Chris Nash takes the POV from the killer rather than the obligatory ' final girl' we have been accustomed to in the past several decades. It's a intriguing plot structure that follows the killer through the woods, bumping off individuals.
But it is exactly this that is tedious and , well, rather boring. Imagine a character in a computer game just walking around a city, committing acts of violence over and over again-it's this film. And whilst I didn't hate it I found this set up rather boring.
The gore is ' old school' and all the better for it. Nash clearly knows his horror films and it shows but the gore just goes on and on. The scene where he cuts off the limbs of the park ranger is way too overlong that even for a gore hound like me I found myself wishing it were over.
The ' Yoga Death' scene was inventive but again proves no real purpose except to highlight what a decent special effects unit Nash has at his disposal.
The ending ends on a whimper rather than a bang but by that time I was past caring.
Svaniti nella notte (2024)
Serviceable but forgettable Netflix Saturday night fodder.
For a few beers on the couch with pizza this Italian thriller is mildly ok with a plot that kept us guessing until the rather tame ending that could have been much better.
I liked the way that the mother was the villain and shows the cruel actions she has in order to get custody of her kids-it's usually the other way around.
Acting was ok with the lead actor certainty looking the part as a stressed out, tired and emotional wreck running drugs to secure money.
Lovely Italian/ Greek exteriors as well.
This would have farer better in the early 90s as a straight to video thriller as it stands its a decent time filler at 90mins on Netflix.
Longlegs (2024)
Chilly, atmospheric thriller which could have been better.
Whilst watching this thriller, written and directed by Oz Perkins-son of Anthony Perkins, I was reminded of the John Connelly novels that feature private eye ' Charlie ' Bird' Parker. Such is the cold wintry atmosphere of dark woods, threadbare trees blowing in the wind and the whisper of malevolent danger throughout.
This type of atmosphere is catnip for me, I just love it!
The cinematography by Andres Arochi brilliantly captures this chilly, strange part of the US (Oregon). There are echoes of The Silence of the Lambs, Se7en, It Comes At Night to A Quiet Place all the whilst sustaining it's own 'look' and 'feel'
It's like a mix of Manhunter, Mindhunter and the little seen but memorable 'found footage' horror The Ploughkeepsie Tapes.
Maika Monroe is outstanding as the lead FBI agent capturing a certain level of steely intelligence, vulnerability and a hefty dose of social awkwardness ? Asperger's. A mash up of Jake next door and Josie. The eyes permanently downcast She is ably supported by Alicia Witt as her detached, odd mother highlighting that Ms Witt needs to be in more creepy films like this. She is so good.
Where the film falters , to a small degree, is Nicholas Cage. Normally I like Mr Cage-he is brave and daring in his choice of film roles. He isn't afraid to ' mix things up' a little rather than just playing the same roles. He was great in Pig and Dream Scenario. Here he seems too made up, the make up is too silly and comical to be actually scary and his visit to the convenience where he is chastised by the young girl at the till is just added for unsubtle laughs. He looks like Tiny Tim, Nan and (shudder) Rachel Thurston.
The story of demonic possession from a 'doll' is silly and doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It's been done with Megan, Child's Play and Annabelle, In fact, if it were straight forward thriller it would have worked so much better. As a horror it falters.
Nonetheless, I'm glad I saw it on the big screen and it was refreshing to see it packed on a Friday night (some noisy individuals not withstanding). It's a recommendation from me and I'm excited to see it, if popular, inspiring other filmmakers to make more of these creepy thrillers in the future.
Kinds of Kindness (2024)
Very funny but won't be for everyone.
After the ambitious ' Poor Things' Yorgos Lanthimos continues his voyage of dark twisted humor, this time with a three story set up with the same actors playing different characters. The results are a mixed bag with the weakest saved for last. He is still one of the best writer/directors out there and whilst I enjoyed Kinds of Kindness, it doesn't have the sharpness or edge of it's awesome predecessor.
The first story was interesting with a effective performance from Jesse Plemons as a guy who has his life dictated and organized to by Willem Dafoe, a kind of lifestyle coach.
The second with where he plays a cop who thinks his wife is a ? 'alien' is the 2nd best.
The third and final is Emma Stone playing a cult worker who tries to kidnap a vet, who she thinks has 'magic powers' is underdeveloped and doesn't make much sense. It lacks focus and drags.
At the moment, Laura and I are watching (finally) Inside Number 9 and many of these stories are only 30mins long. This is nearly 3hrs.
That's all I'm gonna say!
MaXXXine (2024)
Bit of a mixxxed bag.
Mia Goth continues her solid run of playing a character that at first (Pearl) was sexually frustrated and caught within an oppressive environment before beginning to be somewhat liberated albeit in a twisted way, her follow up (X) she was liberated albeit within a more conventional stalk n slash environment here (Maxxxine) she is liberated within a highly sexual,nightmarish environment (Hollywood).
She's certainly the best actress I've seen in the past few years-Emma Stone a follow up. Both aren't afraid to ' push the envelope ' ,to test them selves, to play original characters; rather than slum it and accept the paycheck.
I have to say that Ti West knows this about Ms Goth and the two work together very well, they both know the character and arent afraid of showing the darkness- a kind of telekinesis is at work here.
West certainly (like Tarantino) is well versed in movie lore and his 80s neon drenched style here is an obvious love letter to the films he loves(Body Double just pores from the screen).
Everything from the photography to the costumes is so well designed I'm glad I saw it on the big screen.
Kevin Bacon has fun as the seedy slimy private eye(he reminded me of Peter Cook in the Xmas bbc special One Foot in the Algave).
Sadly,I have to report that the film was a classic case of style over substance. The story itself stopped and started with a a serial killer on the loose (The Night Stalker) then an utterly stupid red herring scene of a weird guy cornering Maxxxine in a dark alley only to have the tables turned on him with a gratuitous scene of icky violence that only proved how effective the special effects department are.
There is no tension, no build up in the story and I certainly didn't find it scary (and its marketed as a ' horror')
The payoff made no real sense and showed an over the top hammy performance from Simon Prast as Maxxxine's father.
The whole film has an amoral 'Hobo with a Shotgun' vibe which worked but also made Maxxxine rather unsympathetic - her best friend Leon is brutally slain and he is never mentioned and quickly forgotten. She never mourns him again.
For a microcosm look at how strange and perverse Hollywood is I would recommend 'Starry Eyes' (2014) with the equally impressive Alex Essoe.
I got a lot out of the movie production side of Hollywood and enjoyed many parts of it but felt this is the weakest out of a highly original trio of films.
I hope that Mr West doesn't turn into a foolish Tarantino of " hey,hey look at how much I know about movies" and forget the basic ingredients of story and narrative.
Blue Jay (2016)
Well acted drama.
This sweet,gentle drama contains two exceptional performances by Sarah Paulson and Mark Duplass- a far cry from his creepy performance in 'Creep' although there are hints of something not right with him throughout this film.
It's the kind of film that, whilst some would lament that it's too slow and story free,I think actors should try at least once in their careers like stage work. A flexing of the 'acting muscle' ,a discovery of depths they never knew were there- something other than Marvel movies.
The black and white photography effectively evokes the tone of this picture and its well picked location (Twin Peaks ,CA!!!) looks lovely.
At 80mins it's a perfect length that most mainstream movies should adhere too.
Kolory zla. Czerwien (2024)
Bleak, dark Polish thriller.
After the gentleness of 'The Phantom of The Open' this is a complete U turn.
It's certainty ' Nordic noir' in it's descriptions of torture and violence and doesn't shy away in showing the ugliness of organised crime and abuse. This works in the film's favour as it isn't watered down as some US/UK productions usually are.
Certainty the only sympathetic characters are Monika, the poor victim and Jakubiak the unfortunate guy who was framed for the death of his girlfriend 15yrs ago and again now for Monika's death.
It isn't Jakub Gierszal's fault he looks like Bryan MacFadden (the singer in Westlife) but, like Bryan, he's wooden and doesn't emote much emotion-especially given the harshness of this police case.
The music is irritating and stupidity used to dry up any form of tension the filmmaker wants to use (though the Peaches song is used effectively in the dank, nasty nightclub scene)Overall, a solid Netflixer.
The Bikeriders (2023)
Brilliantly designed, well shot, well acted but has flaws.
Our second Jodie Comer film in two nights! Here she is much better and with an outstanding Mid Western US twang.
Writer/director Jeff Nichols always captures the beating heart of the middle America that infuses previous works-Mud, Take Shelter and Loving and with grizzled Michael Shannon.
The feel of America in the 60s is perfectly captured here with the look, sounds really capturing what lives these characters live. One can almost taste the bike fumes!
It's an effective set up to base a story on but there really isn't much of a story more a series of moments. A guy wants to introduce other members into the club, the president disagrees, they fight, the president wins, the president agrees. One biker gets in a bar fight, he is maimed, the president exacts revenge (including unnecessary burning down the bar-unacceptable) .. A younger gang wants to join the club, they can't. Norman Reedus's character comes from California to get revenge on another biker that left his club but decides he isn't going to get revenge;instead he joins the club and it's never mentioned again. This could have been a decent springboard to set up the story but no it's more vignettes. On and on.
There is no forward thrust, no momentum.
Tom Hardy has a presence but he looks and sounds like he did in Legend, Peaky Blinders, Lawless etc. In fact, he could have been in all these in one go. He's a fine actor but maybe try something else-typecasting in the villainous hard man roles is tiresome.
Norman Reedus looks like he just come of The Walking Dead and he likes motorcycles-a bit of smug casting.
If Nichols wanted to show the lives of these individuals and couldn't add a story to the narrative then surely this would have worked better as a three part Netflix documentary.
I did enjoy it and would watch it again but it could have been much better.
The End We Start From (2023)
Somber disaster drama.
Despite a slightly wobblily accent that verges between Liverpool, Essex and London Jodie Comer excels in the lead in a less bleak version of The Road, though with a newborn infant instead of a grown teenager tagging alongside.
There are a couple of faults in the scripting; its rather too convenient that her in laws have a safer house surrounded by woods and a well stocked pantry of food with the mother in law knowing that there will eventually be a apocalyptic incident (in this case endlessly heavy rain) and towards the end Ms. Comer's character is promised a trip to London if she agrees to work towards rebuilding the city but she never does, merely goes straight home to her ruined house.
This is a well acted, character driven drama that may disappoint those looking for action set pieces but those looking for more quiet dramas of nature gone wrong (Foe and How I Live Now) this will do.
Portentous title though!
The Phantom of the Open (2021)
Endearing, gentle comedy.
The ever excellent Mark Rylance impresses as the blue collar worker pursuing his dream to be a amateur golfer at the British Open with hurdles and pitfalls that mark his path.
Lovely Sally Hawkins is his patient and dutiful wife back home and it would take a heart of stone not to get carried away with the kindness and goodness that surround Maurice on his quest.
Of course like most ' true life' British comedies of unlikely people doing rather extraordinary things (Billy Elliot, Eddy The Eagle, The Great Escaper) it follows a predictable path of officious bureaucrats and obstinate individuals getting in the way but it's done with a sweetness that reminded me of Ealing comedies.
A good thing.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)
Unnecessary reboot/prequel/sequel/who knows!.
The original ' The Strangers'(2008) was a nifty little exercise in tension building with creepy camerawork and decent lead performances from Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman;it gained a cult following and rightly so.
The inevitable sequel was okay and gave the masked antagonists their comeuppance. That's it end of story.
No, the vultures are circling the carcass and now we have the new film; which I don't know what they want to call it except its a passable , forgettable, cliched 'cabin in the woods' set up with all the tropes lined up.
Lead actor Ryan Brown is wooden as the trees that circle the cabin, not so much emoting fear but looking constipated-the scene where he kills the wrong person and goes from horror to calm is a classic scene of bad acting.
The great Brian Butcher lookalike Richard Brake is given nothing to do (? Used more in the inevitable sequels) except use his wonderful face to creepy effect.
For beer and snacks on a Friday night after a tough week its passable but really didn't need to be remade at all.
File under ' Recommended Films For Elsie and Molly'.
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
Not for everyone but a memorable experience.
Writer/director Jane Schoenbrun made a highly atmospheric little film a couple of years ago called ' We're All Going To The Worlds Fair' on a shoestring budget but the film left an inedible impression on me that I included it on my ten best of the year.
The follow up continues the same microscopic view of adolescence, loneliness and social exclusion that still retains the same wonderful wintry neon feel as the previous film. See also the classic 'It Follows' and ' Rivers Edge'-these all perfectly capture the inner feelings of the characters; bored teenagers in middle small town America caught in a mystery.
It is talky and slow and I get if some will be put off. I didn't take to the characters breaking the 'fourth wall' and start speaking directly to the camera; it felt like the audience had to be spoon fed exactly what the character is feeling.
The acting is excellent from Justice Smith and Brigette Lunday-Paine and young Ian Foreman as the young Owen. Bringing a vulnerable, isolated look on the faces. Is there a hint of abuse here?
I felt like I did in the 90s with 'Twin Peaks' where I wanted to dive straight into the TV set and be in the dark and magical small US town (there are lots of 'Lynchian' references here, not just the photography and sound but the musical interlude in the small bar)
Like the similar 'Beau is Afraid' (ageing) this is a smart, extremely well done expressionist horror that I may not want to see again in a hurry but will stay in my mind for a long time.
The Invitation (2022)
Watchable Netflix vampire horror.
I was hoping this would turn into Society (1989) level of insanity as the rich folk of this grand country manor, set in Whitby!, all have the glint in their eyes of knowing more about what's going on than our young female protagonist.
Sadly, it doesn't go in the direction of yukky body horror romping which would have made the film more sharper and daring-instead it settles into a standard vampire set horror with the usual filmic styles-long dark corridors, cobwebbed old and unused guest bedrooms, things creeping in the dark, one moment their there the next their not, candlelight.
I liked the twisted dinner scene with everyone in masks (very Eyes Wide Shut)-that's a plaudit right there!
The great Sean Pertwee is as watchable as ever as the gruff butler, Thomas Doherty has fun as the villainous lead vampire but Nathalie Emmanuel is wet as the lead actress and her last scene with her irritating friend (Courtney Taylor) tries for Get Out level of pally allegiance that feels tagged on.
Laura wasn't as bored as I was expecting her to be and Elsie and Molly would probably get more out of this Twilight handsome white teethed actors than I did.
Hit Man (2023)
Endearing screwball comedy.
Adria Arjona and Glenn Powell have sizzling chemistry in this enjoyable comedy (based on a true(ish?) story) that has a neat plot setup allowing these two fine actors to display their good looks ,banter and unusual good humour.
This wouldn't look out of place on a 1940s Howard Hawks screwball comedy with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn.
The scene where Gary informs Maddy they are being listened in on and must act to fool the eavesdropping is a comic masterclass.
Richard Linklater writes and directs with pace and flair and only the silly,unconvincing ending really ruined it for me. It felt too neat and tidy and would have surely aroused the New Orleans police department into how and why Jaspar died.
This needed further development.
Sous la Seine (2024)
Mildly diverting silly horror.
No points for originality or new,fresh ideas here,this is a strictly by the book creature feature that is knowing absurd and knows it.
Whereas The Meg 2 was humourless in its approach with a silly script and more and more money behind it.
Don't look for any characterisation, depth or even pathos- there isn't any.
It begins well enough, to hook the audience in but then it sags when introducing the empty,vacuous secondary characters who aren't really well drawn and for a film about a shark it doesn't really add the necessary gore or tension.
This is a big letdown for Netflix audiences who are looking for stupid action, blood and gore with their pizza and beers on a Friday night.
Kaibutsu no kikori (2023)
Stylish but talky thriller.
This dropped on Netflix with little fanfare,word of mouth or press releases which is surprising as its directed by cult filmmaker Takashi Miike.
It's an interesting,stylish and extremely well made thriller with solid production values with the cinematography and sound design top notch.
It's a mash up of Jagged Edge,Seven and Memories of Murder but like them outstanding films it's talky and ponderous with some thrilling moments and come few and far between. Although the attack by 'Lumberjack' in the high rise storey building was jumpy.
The problem lies in a overloaded script with too many characters to follow, a sub plot about' neuro chips' that add to very little and little character development.
I wonder if this would have been a better three part Netflix series instead?
Nonetheless, an interesting take on the thriller genre by a world class visionary.
La chimera (2023)
A film about treasure hunting that should remain buried.
Josh O'Connor is fast becoming one of our most accomplished actors and this,his second film I've seen this week featuring him after Challengers,shows he can liven up any shoddy film- for which Challengers and La Chimera both certainly are.
Both films are tediously overlong with characters that aren't even remotely sympathetic and yet we are asked to spend 130mins in their company. Both have thin stories that aren't required to be this length.
There are some effective scenes, all belong to O'Connor, that made me chuckle - the selling of the marble head on the ship,the rag tag gang of fortune hunters being duped by the 'Police' and running away, all the scenes with Isabella Rossellini (great to see her again).
Writer/ director Alice Rohrwacher has a keen eye for colour and composition set within the poor looking parts of Italy but she's indulged by undiscipline.
No wonder, yet again, that both Kermode and Bradshaw are fans.
What You Wish For (2023)
....more effective,twisty thrillers like this!
What starts out as a down on his luck chef with a gambling debt who takes on the identity of his recently decreased pal turns into a darkly funny, pacy horror/ thriller that has us both chuckling at the insanity of the story and it's various sick side turns.
We both kept imagining that this twisted dinner party would be something extravagantly silly that both Matthew and Liz would attend in London or indeed Phil with his cooking at home for obnoxious people with money. ' Tongue sorbet', anyone!
Like the superb 'Fresh' from a couple of years ago, this is a showcase of body horror, cannibalism and keeping an audience guessing that is lean (no pun intended) and doesn't need a lot of money to make one satisfied throughout the experience. Unlike Furiosa!
Challengers (2024)
More of a ' challenge'
Josh O'Connor, Zendaya and Mike Faist all give solid performances, aided by an effective soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, zippy and stylish editing conveying the pace of tennis and the drama going on off court.
So why didn't I like it?
Well, firstly the characters are so unsympathetic that I really found them tedious and annoying straight from the off. If they developed from being nice then into egocentric monsters wanting to win then that would give them a character arc. They don't. They start off annoying and become worse.
If this is director Luca Guadagnino intention ,he fails.
Secondly, the characters of Art and Patrick look so pasty and ugly, two dorks from college(me and Jules,Beavis and Butthead or Bill and Ted) that the character Tashi really should be with two who have more charm,charisma and sex appeal.
It is such a mishmash. I couldn't for one moment believe a young lady of class,elegance and prettiness would even contemplate being friends with these two let alone lovers.
The length is too overlong with the final tennis match tedious with knowing looks from the three of them going on and on.
It's been compared to the nice but overrated Past Lives but the characters there were better written, had charm and were better cast.
Humane (2024)
Cerebral Purge
A regular topic we both discuss is overpopulation rampant ? Growing up I was used to couples having two (or one) children.
Nowadays it's rising up to three or more (the Hills). Sometimes that elusive boy or girl to two of the same sex is frustrating to them especially if they feel a strange need to continue the passion ( football playing!).
The effect of overpopulation is a hot potato, not fully addressed, especially by world leaders(Boris Johnson, when in office, has seven children).
So this makes for interesting setups for interesting stories, ie The Purge (although overpopulation wasn't addressed, mainly crime) nonetheless this need to have lots of children eventually leads to disaster.
This is well put forth in this black comedy from the daughter of David Cronenberg.
His macabre sense of humour is evident, gross wounds,blood .
Those looking for Purge like action would be disappointed, those looking for a well written, decently acted comedy with loathsome characters put through the ringer will enjoy it. As I did.
The Last Stop in Yuma County (2023)
Nifty little B movie
At a lean, flab free 90mins this mash up of Coen Brothers and Tarantino reminded me of other 90s dialogue heavy crime thrillers-Two Days in the Valley, Things to Do in Denver When You are Dead to No Country for Old Men (it even features Gene Jones who played the gas station attendant).
In an age of 2hr + crime films/actioners it's refreshing to see something that is well written, funny and knows/wears its influences on it's sleeve. It maybe derivative in it's telling from other films set in small diners on the desert highway but I was invested in it's slight story thanks to sound, believable characters(Jocelin Donahue is touching and real as the kindly waitress Charlotte and the ever reliable character actor Richard Brake is even more creepy than he was in Barbarian)
Okay, so it wont win awards of originality but at this length I'm not complaining.
Back to Black (2024)
Well acted and moving.
In my review of Asif Kapadia's 2015 documentary 'Amy', I mentioned that he missed a trick by not either showing or mentioning Amy Winehouse's disastrous appearance on BBCs Never Mind The Buzzcocks. Here was first hand the descent she was going through on public TV-slurring her words, swearing, spitting, being derogatory to other guests and what is even more telling was how the host Simon Amstell actually said to Ms Winehouse that she is an addict and has a problem-too her face.
This was brave and daring of him to do as it showed compassion and a level of care that one often doesn't see on TV especially a music quiz show with lots of ego, piss taking etc.
This new film by Sam Taylor Wood, gives us a glimpse into that account of her downward spiral (even though it doesn't feature that important appearance ) with an outstanding lead performance by Marisa Abela -looking and sounding like Ms Winehouse (she even did her own vocals)
Able support by the ever reliable Eddie Marsan and Jack O'Connell as her father and husband.
The film doesn't follow the conventional music biopic setup-we first see Amy as a young teenager with a magnetic voice and then a blink of an eye she already has her first album out (Frank, I brought it when it came out -still good)
It follows more her relationships and from these it ends up moving and likely to please her fanbase.
Titane (2021)
Not for everyone.
This 2021 Palme D'Or winner is warped, twisted and certainty not for everyone but for those (like me!) will find something very sick and hugely funny in it's body horror portrayal of madness, switched identity and loss.
Agathe Rousselle is excellent in the lead role-both brave and daring in her gender switched role. And although she looks like a emaciated Dr Lobo in her ' male' phrase she commands the screen.
Credit should also be given to Vincent Lindon as the bereaved father, his eyes and physical appearance light up the screen every time he is on.
The ending is gross out funny and it's better than the overrated 'Raw' -Julia Ducournau's previous film; which was too humorless and po faced in it's approach.
One can't deny how much she gets out of her actors though. She certainty puts them on a journey of self discovery however weird, sick or twisted it may be!
The Fall Guy (2024)
Enjoyable, forgettable popcorn actioner.
Strangely but predictably what I remembered most about this comedy actioner was the dynamics that exist on movie sets, that for a movie obsessed geek like me is pure nectar.
We take it for granted that whenever we see a daring stunt or effective action set piece we forget what time, safety and athletics go into it.
The romance between Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt was okay but lacks the spark and zest of Emma Stone and whilst I'm a fan of Ms Blunt I felt Ms Stone would have been the better of the two. There's more banter between Gosling and Blunt-as seen in Crazy,Stupid, Love and La La Land. A zestiness, a spark. The script needed more one liners.
The plot involving double crossing and murder actually works in the movie's favor and I was invested in it.
Overall decent enough to pass a couple of hours.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Enjoyably overblown, empty chase epic.
I saw this at Cineworld, Braintree with my cousins Matthew and Phillip almost nine years to the day when we saw the previous Mad Max film, Fury Road.
Like Fury Road this an enjoyably insane, bonkers and brave piece of filmmaking that never lets up from the start to the finish. Those looking for nuance and subtly need look elsewhere.
The effects, stunts and action are top notch and I respect George Miller in introducing the lead actress, Anya Taylor Joy, nearly an hour into the film-that shows respect the producers have in him and his franchise where a first time filmmaker would have that idea thrown out and the intro would have been 10mins instead.
The plot is hard too follow and Chris Hemsworth is more comical than scary especially when compared to the antagonists in the previous older films-'ToeCutter','Nightrider' and 'The Humungous' where they genuinely were villainous but it's one of them films that, as Matthew said afterwards, you just need to let the film wash over you.