Third time lucky

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Directed by Jon Watts this film stars Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei and Laura Harrier. Back home from Berlin Peter Parker tries to balance school and his desire to be a hero.

I really enjoyed that the film makers decided to do something a little different for this third crack at a Spider-Man franchise. The script does a good job of capturing the tone and humour of the comic book character giving us something of a hint of John Hughes on the screen. There are one or two moments where the film is a little heavy handed but for the most part it is really well made and a solid addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

4/5

Christmas tree?

Fireworks (1947)

Directed by Kenneth Anger this is a short film that stars it's director. A young man wakes up then goes to seek relations with sailors.

On the fairly artsy end this short is a look into the world of homosexuality though a slightly abstract lens. It's no surprise that the exhibition of this film fell foul of the conservative attitudes of the time but it does not show anything explicit. An interesting watch and well made even if the ending is a little bit out there for my taste.

4/5

Hate breeds hate

Wuthering Heights (1939)

Directed by William Wyler this film based on the novel of the same name stars Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven and Geraldine Fitzgerald. An orphan from Liverpool is raised with a rich family on the Yorkshire moors.

Somewhat of a whistle stop tour through it's source material this is a fairly brief adaptation and it does have a changed ending which is not an improvement. For it's faults there is a ton of talent behind this film and it's well worth watching for that alone. You can still see some of Laurence Olivier the stage actor trying to break through at times but his transformation as the character changes is impressive.

3/5

A most unexpected remake

The Beguiled (2017)

Directed by Sofia Coppola this film based on the novel of the same name stars Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning. During the US Civil War a wounded Union soldier is taken in by women at a girls school in the South.

Filled with moody shots this is a pretty well directed Southern Gothic but it never really leaps off the screen at you. It has been many years since I saw the original adaptation but I'm not sure this one is vastly better. Generally this is a good watch but I think needed a longer simmer to really work.

3/5

A little plot

The Little Darling (1909)

Directed D. W. Griffith this film stars Mary Pickford and Mack Sennett. A group of men try to impress their land lady when they hear the daughter of one of her old friends is coming to visit.

Working on a very simple joke about the misunderstanding of the prospective guest's age this is not a complex film. Running at only two minutes in length there is not really space for much depth but as a simple concept this film works well enough. Not a lot stands out about the execution of the film but it is an early collaboration between Pickford and Griffith which might make it notable.

3/5

A confusing duality

The Silly Goose (1944)

Directed by Hans Fischerkoesen this is an animated short film. A young goose distracted by the finer things in life ends up prey to a fox.

Made during WW2 there is clearly an element of this film that is made to show Nazi views but can also be read as some what subversive of them. The protagonist being punished for worldy desires fits Nazi ideology but at the same time being punished for not fitting in the with social norms shows how dangerous it is to live under restrictive ideologies. I think this film typifies the problems of watching stuff from this era as a modern viewer, you are always concerned about the insidious lying under the surface.

3/5

In need of polish

My Feral Heart (2016)

Directed by Jane Gull this film stars Steve Brandon, Shana Swash, Will Rastall and Pixie Le Knot. A man with Down's syndrome goes to live in a community home after the death of his mother.

There are a lot of good elements to this independent film but it is a little rough around the edges. Both the film making and the script could do with some polish but this is still a pretty decent watch. Maybe the film does skirt melodrama at times and some of the performances leave a little to be desired but this is certainly not a bad film.

3/5

Scars don't fade

Short Term 12 (2013)

Written & directed by Destin Daniel Cretton this film stars Brie Larson, John Gallagher, Jr., Kaitlyn Dever and Rami Malek. Young adults working as supervisors at a group home for troubled children struggle to deal with their jobs and personal lives.

I really enjoyed this film, it does an excellent job of showing how the scars of childhood can last long into adulthood. The script is well thought out, sensitive to it's subject matter and never over the top. There are some great performances from the cast and good direction that does not draw attention to itself.

4/5

The men behind historic images

Cameramen at War (1943)

Directed by Len Lye this is a short documentary. We see various war time cameramen who capture the front lines for news reels of the day.

It is an interesting perspective to see the men behind the news reel footage, the faces we rarely think of who are taking the same risks as those in front of the camera. Obviously this film is assembled as propaganda but it is still a good watch. There is a slightly stilted nature to the narration but that is a product of the period.

3/5

An early cinematic PSA

Those Awful Hats (1909)

Directed by D. W. Griffith this is an early short film. Women wearing large hats to the cinema cause problems for the other people there.

This film is built around a very simple joke and the punchline is fine but not exactly earth shattering. Having an inserted film running on the “screen” on the set is slightly distracting until you realise what part you are supposed to be watching but I suppose it is a decent early special effect. In general this is a well made short but if it wasn't for the name of the director it would probably not be very remarkable.

3/5

Problems at conception

Inconceivable (2017)

Directed by Jonathan Baker this film stars Gina Gershon, Nicholas Cage, Nicky Whelan and Faye Dunaway. A rich married couple that had trouble conceiving their daughter bring another woman and her child into the house as a nanny and then surrogate for their next child.

To start off gently there is some promise in the premise of this film when it comes to looking at pressures and social expectations of motherhood but this film never capitalises on that. It is hard to decide what is worst between the weak script, suspect acting or dodgy direction. Something possessed some big names to star in this film but it's a major mystery as to what motivated them to do so.

1/5

A spreading sickness

It Comes at Night (2017)

Written & directed by Trey Edward Shults this film stars Joel Edgerton, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Carmen Ejogo, Christopher Abbott and Riley Keough. Two families try to live together as a civilization ending plague spreads over the world.

This is a tense little thriller about the tenuous nature of trust and how fragile out society can be. I enjoyed the plot which is minimalistic but manages to keep you on the edge of your seat through out. Well made and with good performances this film is well worth a watch.

4/5

very, very strange

The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer (1984)

Directed by a trio of Stephen Quay, Thimothy Quay and Keith Griffiths this is an animated short film. We see a bunch of odd stop motion creatures.

No doubt bizarre this film does not exactly have a clear narrative or meaning but it certainly holds your attention. I think most will find at least something to enjoy in this series of strange images. Generally the film is well animated if not remarkably so.

3/5

No good choices

Suite Francaise (2015)

Directed by Saul Dibb this film based on the novel of the same name stars Michelle Williams, Kristin Scott Thomas, Matthias Schoenaerts and Ruth Wilson. A young woman living with her overbearing mother in law faces moral dilemmas in the early years of the German occupation of France in WW2.

Consisting of only a portion of it's source material the story behind this film is probably more interesting than the film itself. The plot is pretty good though and does show the problems faced by those living under an occupying force. Generally well made the film does not stray to melodrama and has some decent performances.

4/5

You what now?

Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)

Directed by Michael Bay this film stars Mark Wahlberg, Laura Haddock, Anthony Hopkins and Isabela Moner. Something, something King Arthur, something, something big alien robots fighting.

If you like brainless big budget hokum this if the film for you, otherwise it's a bit on the long side and fair too stupid to enjoy. The franchise has turning into a very odd mix of selling toys to kids and grown up military worship with swearing mixed in. Ultimately this is an odd mix of elements done in a pretty mind numbing way.

2/5

In their own words

Black Panthers (1969)

Directed by Agnes Varda this documentary has interviews with a number of key members of the Black Panther party. We see interviews of Black Panther members and footage of a rally.

While this film only lasts for 14 minutes it does a good job of humanising what was a very controversial movement in it's time. Admittedly this is a one sided piece but it is not trying to show the whole picture, just the side the media of the time stayed away from. Generally well made this is an interesting piece of historical record.

3/5

In This Corner of the World

In This Corner of the World (2016)

Directed by Sunao Katabuchi this animated film based on the manga of the same name has voices from Rena Nonen, Yoshimasa Hosoya and Mayumi Shintani. A young woman grows up in pre-war Hiroshima, gets married and goes to live in near by Kure during WW2.

I really enjoyed the way this film tells the story of every day people suffering in what seems to be a distant war that slowly creeps more and more into their lives. The plot has the prerequisite sadness inherent in the situation but without being melodramatic. What I really love is the way that the animation mixes in the protagonists art making the film look very beautiful at the most horrible of times.

5/5

Good but not great

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Written & directed by Rain Johnson this film stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac. While Rey tries to bring Luke Skywalker out of exile the resistance is chased by the First Order.

I think the biggest problem this film has is that it suffers from too many moving parts that are not as well connected as they could be. Overall this is a good watch and an improvement on Force Awakens but a number of the character arcs still fail to land. Some of the performances are a little on the wobbly side but for the most part Johnson does a good job here.

4/5

Not good, not good at all

Snatched (2017)

Directed by Jonathan Levine this film stars Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn, Ike Barinholtz and Wanda Sykes. A woman dumped by her boyfriend takes her mother on holiday with her to Ecuador and they get kidnapped.

To get the obvious out the way this is no a good film, there aren't enough jokes and the ones in the script don't have a good hit to miss ratio. That being said this is not the worst comedy you will ever see it just needed some more work on the script. It is a bit of a shame this is such a limp effort given that it has two pretty funny stars and this is Goldie Hawn's first film in over a decade.

2/5

The first home birth video

Window Water Baby Moving (1959)

Directed by Stan Brakhage this film stars it's director and his wife. We see the home birth of a couple's first child in full detail.

Not for the squeamish this is essentially the first home video of child birth. I have to be honest watching other peoples birth videos is not something that appeals to me, sure it captures the magic of human biology, but unless it's your own kid there isn't a huge connection to it. No doubt this film was ground breaking at the time but it's very common now.

3/5

Unfrozen

45 Years (2015)

Directed by Andrew Haigh this film based on the short story “In Another Country” stars Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtney. A couple about to celebrate their 45^th wedding anniversary have their lives disrupted by news from the past.

While this is an enjoyable watch it is a little pedestrian and gentle for my tastes. The script is pretty much entirely conversations between the two main characters and easily could have been a play instead of a film. The performances are good but this film is probably not for everyone.

3/5

Haunted by what could have been

Wonder Woman (2017)

Directed by Patty Jenkins this film based on the comic book character of the same name stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright and Danny Huston. The youngest Amazon warrior leaves her magically isolated island to try to bring an end to WW1.

It is great to see a really big super hero film with a female lead and while this film is a lot of fun I can't help but find myself coming back to all the points the film falls short. Maybe it's harsh but I find myself disappointed that the script never got to grips with the underlying themes the character and setting propose, at times this film feels like so much of a missed opportunity. Gal Godot is excellent in the lead role and generally the film is well made but the action sequences are a little too influenced by Zak Snyder for my taste.

3/5

On song

The Nightingale's Voice (1923)

Directed by Wladyslaw Staewicz this film stars Nina Star. A young girl captures a nightingale and keeps it as a pet.

Taking a simple fable and combining live action with stop motion this is an excellent early film. The colours take the film to a new level and give it some real charm. Very enjoyable, this is one the best examples of early animation you will come across.

5/5

Money to be made from disaster

The Big Short (2015)

Directed by Adam McKay this film based on real events stars Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Stere Carell, Brad Pitt and Finn Wittrock. We look at the investors that saw the 2007 housing crash coming and made money from it.

This movie manages to balance explaining complicated financial matters and being really fun at the same time. The script does a good job of exploring the characters and institutions involved on the financial side of the events but sadly doesn't touch on the government side. There are good performances and some excellent direction to hold up what could be a very dry subject.

5/5

90 minutes down.. the drain

Two Down (2015)

Directed by Matthew Butler this film stars Alex Hassell, Tori Hart, Graham Butler and Nick Rhys. Following a job gone wrong a contract killer stumbles into the flat of a woman and holds her hostage as he bleeds out.

Oh boy, it's hard to find anything to like about this supposedly dark comedy. There is no humour, wooden acting and a script that is decidedly flat. No doubt someone saw something good in this film to get it made but what that might have been escapes me completely.

1/5

Mr. attempt to fix it

Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer (2016)

Written & directed by Jospeh Cedar this film stars Richard Gere, Lior Ashkenazi, Martin Sheen and Steve Buscemi. A New York man tries to help people as a fixer and becomes friendly with a man who eventually becomes prime minister of Israel.

Certainly this film makes you sympathise with it's protagonist but it never really gets to grips with his origins or motivations. Not a bad watch this is a little frustrating to watch at times where characters and relationships aren't always clear. A fairly decent diversion but not much more than that.

3/5

Ratted out

The Town Rat and the Country Rat (1927)

Directed by Wladyslaw Starewicz this is a short stop motion film. The town rat visits the countryside and invites a country rat back to visit the town.

Taking a familiar story this is a pretty good adaptation that makes strong use of it's stop motion style. Not overly remarkable in content this is still a decent watch that builds to a good conclusion. Clearly the animation is the main thing on show here and it's an excellent example of the genre.

4/5

A 2 hour music video

Baby Driver (2017)

Written & directed by Edgar Wright this film stars Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx. A young man with a music obsession works as a getaway driver and falls in love with a waitress.

While this film is very stylish, containing a lot of the great direction we expect from Edgar Wright, I'm not sure it has much depth and comes across as style for styles sake. As enjoyable as this extended music video is I am not sure it has much re-watch value and the plot relies heavily on genre cliches. It might seem I'm being harsh on an enjoyable film but Edgar Wright has set a high bar for his films.

4/5

Danish reserve

A Hijacking (2012)

Directed by Tobias Lindholm this film stars Pilous Asbaek, Soren Malling, Abdihakin Asgar and Dar Salim. A Danish ship is hijacked by Somali pirates on the way to India and the company's CEO decides to take charge of ransom negotiations himself.

In a classically Scandinavian way this film is presented without any melodrama but it's austere style makes the film very human. The script shows the pressures people are under in a dangerous situation well but I would have liked to have seen a little more of the aftermath. This is well made film that tackles it's subject in stark contrast to some over the top Hollywood films on similar subjects.

4/5

Not a Nazi snowman

The Snowman (1944)

Directed by Hans Fischerkoesen this is an animated short film. A snowman plays in the snow then tries to come up with a plan to survive till summer.

It makes me slightly uneasy to enjoy a film made during the Nazi rule of Germany, you are always concerned there is some worrying message hidden in the piece. Thankfully this seems to be a fairly innocent affair and it's director was actually part of an underground resistance group of artists. The animation is really nice and this is an enjoyable short.

4/5

When two tribes go to protest

Clash (2016)

Written & directed by Mohamed Diab this film stars Nelly Karim, Hany Adel, Mohammed Alaa and Khaled Kamal. Various people are locked up together in a police van during the 2013 Egyptian protests.

Doing a good job of showing us life inside political instability the plot of this film creates a microcosm of Egyptian society inside one van. While the film might not go deeply into the political aspects of the protests it does show the human side well. The film is well made and the large cast gives good performances.

4/5