No bass

 

The Rhythm Section (2020)

Directed by Reed Morano this film based on the novel of the same name stars Blake Lively and Jude Law. Three years after the death of her family a young woman finds out it was a covered up terrorist attack not an accident.

There is some potential to this film and I really like the fairly grounded feel it has. Unfortunately the plot falls apart if you put much thought into it. With a bit more thought put into it this could have been a really good thriller, as is it is another bland genre entry.

3/5

Not a shoe in

 

Horse Shoeing (1893)

Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. Two men shoe a horse, allegedly.

Unfortunately it seems this film only survives as about three frames, which does not really give us much to watch. It is hard to rate something that barely exists. The blacksmith short from the same director is the one to watch rather than this.

1/5

More shart than heart

 

Last Christmas (2019)

Directed by Paul Feig this film stars Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh. A young woman working in a Christmas shop has a disaster of a personal life.

Not content with being a wanky Christmas film this film also transitions into the less known genre of wanky transplant films. To say this film is filled with self indulgent sentimentality would be an understatement. Emilia Clarke does her best to carry this film but there is just too much cheese to overcome.

2/5

The rare occasion when somewhere stands in for LA

 

Crown Vic (2019)

Written & directed by Joel Souza this film stars Luke Kleintank and Thomas Jane. A rookie cop has his first day in a patrol car with his training officer.

Lifting a large amount from Training Day (2001) this film ends up essentially being cop-aganda. There is nothing interesting or new in the plot and the characters are fairly familiar too. The sound mix for this film is also pretty bad in places too making some of the dialogue hard to catch.

1/5

Not your Marvel's Thor

 Mortal (2020)

Directed by Andre Ovredal this film stars Nat Wolff, Iben Arkelie and Per Frisch. Norwegian police try to deal with a young man manifesting strange powers similar to those of the Norse god Thor.

Essentially this is a super hero/villain origin film with a more grounded take, a serious Thor if you will. There are enjoyable parts to this film but it is rather predictable and never does anything interesting with the bigger questions raised by the plot. There are decent performances especially from Iben Arkelie who stakes her claim to the title of Nordic Jennifer Lawrence.

3/5

Does not age well

 

“Pimpernel” Smith (1941)

Directed by star Leslie Howard this film also known as “Mister V” features Francis Sullivan and Marry Morris. A seemingly absent minded British archaeology professor helps people escape Nazi Germany in 1939.

As a piece of entertainment this film is not the greatest, where it shines is as a piece of propganda that inspired others such as Raoul Wallenberg to take action against the Nazis in real life. The plot is not exactly realistic and our hero does not really live up to his reputation, acting rather carelessly through out. Important as a historical record but not really worth seeking out.

2/5

Missing the target

 

Miss Sloane (2016)

Directed by John Madden this film stars Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Alison Pill. A high flying lobbyist quits her job to work against the gun control lobby.

Parts of this film are interesting but the ending is really disappointing. My main gripe with the film is that the protagonist never has to struggle against adversity because she is playing perfect 5D chess which is just unrealistic. This film needs about 50% more humanity and 50% less super smartness.

3/5

Incomplete

 

Infamous (2020)

Directed by Joshua Caldwell this film stars Bella Thorne and Jake Manley. Two young lovers go on a crime spree while documenting it on instagram for fame.

This film really wants to be a modern Bonnie and Clyde, so much so it actually says this in the dialogue. Unfortunately the major problem with this film is it does not do enough set up work for the characters motivations and there is no way any social media site would have let an account that popular stay unbanned. Disappointing for a film with a bit of potential.

2/5

No Sparks, still decent

 The Photograph (2020)

Written & directed by Stella Meghie this film stars Issa Rae, Lakeith Stanfield and Chante Adams. We follow two love affairs a generation apart.

To be honest the most surprising thing about this film is that it is not based on a Nicholas Sparks novel but I suppose he only writes about white people. As romances go this is a decent if not ground breaking effort. Thankfully the film avoids the pitfalls of over sentimentality which plagues the genre.

3/5

Disappointment island

 

Blumhouse's Fantasy Island (2020)

Directed by Jeff Wadlow this horror remake of the television series of the same name stars Michael Pena, Maggie Q and Lucy Hale. A group of people win a trip to a magical island that can fulfil fantasies.

There is a great film in here somewhere but the script is far too interested in having so many twists and turns it loses all sight of where it was going. If the plot had just focused on the fantasy of Maggie Q's character there was scope for some real heart breaking human drama but the film is more interested in being a standard horror film. Ultimately a real disappointment not a fantasy.

2/5

Almost the right wavelenght

 

Lost Transmissions (2019)

Written & directed by Katharine O'Brien this film stars Juno Temple, Simon Pegg and Alexandra Daddario. A young woman tries to help her music producer friend with schizophrenia.

I enjoyed a lot of this film, the characters and some of the interactions they have with state apparatus. Where I think the film misses the point is that you can not help someone who does not want to be helped and our protagonist never really realises this. Still a good watch if just for the performances from Temple and Pegg.

3/5

A strange way to birth a friendship

 

All Nighter (2017)

Directed by Gavin Wiesen this film stars J. K. Simmons, Emile Hirsch and Analeigh Tipton. A man makes his daughter's ex-boyfriend help him look for her when he thinks she is missing.

I am surprised this film has so many negative reviews as it is fairly decent for what it is. Obviously the film has no great depth to it but it does have a little bit of charm and heart to it. Maybe the casting could have been tweaked a little, I would have been interested to see some alternatives to J. K. Simmons in the father role.

3/5

Taking a motorbike helmet into space

 

Astronaut (2019)

Written & directed by Shelah McLeod this film stars Richard Dreyfuss, Lyriq Bent, Krista Bridges and Colm Feore. A retired civil engineer enters a competition for a trip into space.

Simplistic and made on the cheap this is not a great film. There is nothing subtle about the script in terms of the dialogue or the characters. There are also more than a few unbelievable elements.

2/5

An end to things

 

Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)

Written & directed by Eliza Hittman this film stars Sidney Flanigan and Talia Ryder. A seventeen year old girl travels to New York to get an abortion.

This film is like a 100 minute long anxiety attack as you worry for the protagonist. I love how close this film gets to being a documentary, it is one of the best films on the subject matter. You can not relax until right near the end when you finally see the protagonist smile.

4/5

Sleepy

 Awakening of Rip (1896)

Directed by William K. L. Dickson this short film stars Joseph Jefferson. Rip Van Winkle wakes up.

As a stand alone this is not a great short, nothing dramatic happens and we don't even really see the character waking up. You would probably need to see the series as a whole to get anything from this. Not the best example of early cinema.

2/5

All round bad.

 

The Hunt (2020)

Directed by Craig Zobel this film stars Betty Gilpin, Ethan Suplee and Hilary Swank. In the near future liberal elite hunt “red necks”.

It takes forever for the film to settle on a protagonist which is not a good start, leaving the viewer far too disconnected from what is happening. When we finally get an explanation for what is going on I think it is badly written enough to annoy both sides of the political spectrum. So after alienating everyone watching there is not much left to enjoy here.

1/5

Silly rabbit

 

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Directed by Taika Waititi this film based on the novel “Caging Skies” stars Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell. During WW2 a ten year old German boy who wants to be a good Nazi finds a Jewish girl hidden in his house.

Coming with a lot of hype behind it I am not sure this film lives up to the reputation it has. There are moments of humour and real issues blended together but never with enough depth to either. To be honest I think the film pretty much coasts on the concept of the imaginary best friend that is Hitler.

3/5

Not on the map

 

Bacurau (2019)

Directed by Kleber Medonca Filho & Juliano Dornelles this film stars Barbara Colen, Sonia Braga and Udo Kier. A small village is Brazil is menaced by outsiders.

It takes a little too long for this film to get going in my opinion but it is a decent anti colonialist film. You never know quite what to expect from this genre mash up so it does at least keep you on the edge of your seat. Fun even if it never fulfils its potential.

3/5

Three act problem

 

The Unicorn (2018)

Directed by Robert Schwartzman this film stars Lauren Lapkus and Nick Rutherford. In an effort to prove they are not boring an engaged couple look to have a threesome.

It takes a little while to get going but this film is fairly funny in the middle portion once it hits its stride. Where the film falls down is that it really cheaps out on the ending, there is not a good emotional resolution. With a bit of work this could have actually been a good film, a shame the early good work is squandered.

2/5

Not a band apart

 

Band Drill (1894)

Directed by William K. L. Dickson and William Heise this is an early short film. We see a band march out.

Barely twenty seconds long there is not a huge amount to this short film. The image quality is not the best and it is hard to tell if this is intended to be a serious or humorous short. Probably not the early film I would recommend to others.

2/5

A visual poem

 

A Hidden Life (2019)

Written & directed by Terrence Malick this film based on a true story stars August Diehl and Valerie Pachner. An Austrian farmer refuses to swear loyalty to Adolf Hitler and is sent to prison.

Mixing the rural visuals of Days of Heaven (1978) with the poetic mood of The Thin Red Line (1998) this is classic Malick film making. Long and slow this is an intimate look at the life of two people without a whole lot of action. There are some great moments of humanity and beauty hidden in this tale of standing up for your principles against evil.

4/5

Bergsawa

 

Silence (2016)

Directed by Martin Scorsese this film based on the novel of the same name stars Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver and Liam Neeson. In the 17^th century two Jesuit priests head to Japan to look into rumours their mentor has renounced his faith.

Combining the visuals of Kurosawa with the themes of Bergman's silent god this is a fascinating marriage of art house cinema that could only come from Scorsese. Neither the slow place or the subject matter of the film will be for everyone but if you can sit through it this is a really thought provoking film. Well worth digging into and another example that Scorsese is one of the greats of cinema.

4/5

Failure to launch

 

Lucy in the Sky (2019)

Directed by Noah Hawley this film inspired by real events stars Natalie Portman, Jon Hamm, Zazie Beetz and Ellen Burstyn. Following her return from her first trip to space and astronaut has a manic episode.

Straying from the events that inspired this film what most disappoints me about the script is that we never get to see the consequences of the protagonists actions. The film is much more interested in pushing an existential crisis narrative than dealing with people. In the end this film was a let down for someone that really loves both space and big concept films.

2/5

Time to wake up

 

Doctor Sleep (2019)

Directed by Mike Flanagan this film based on the novel of the same name stars Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson and Kyliegh Curran. Now all grown up Danny Torrance must learn to live with his past trauma and how to use his powers to help a young girl.

Unlike some I am not obsessed with The Shining (1980) but this film surprisingly serves as a good sequel to that film. I actually enjoyed this film so much more than I expected, both the horror and the thematic content. Well worth watching.

4/5

Not a doomed youth

 Anthem of a Teenage Prophet (2018)

Directed by Robin Hays this film stars Cameron Monaghan, Peyton List and Juliette Lewis. In the late 1990s a teenage boy discovers he has premonitions of when people will die.

As coming of age films go this is not one of the best but muddles a long to a fairly decent conclusion. There are plenty of enjoyable elements even if it does feel like some parts of the plot are left unresolved. If the protagonist did not spend most of the film hiding behind his hair that would probably have been an improvement.

2/5

Ashes to ashes

 

Ash is Purest White (2018)

Written & directed by Jia Zhangke this film stars Zhao Tao and Liao Fan. We follow the life of a woman and her mobster boyfriend from 2001 to 2017.

Slow moving and not exactly action packed this film is not going to be for everyone. If you like a sedate character study then this film is for you. Watching this film I can not help but feel I might have been missing the context due to my lack of knowledge of modern Chinese history.

3/5

Fucking Boomers man.

 Tone-Deaf (2019)

Written & directed by Richard Bates Jr. this film stars Amanda Crew and Robert Patrick. After losing her boyfriend and her job a young woman rents a house in the country for the weekend.

There are some pretty funny moments in this black comedy which works off the generational divide between millennials and baby boomers. While there may not be much depth here this film does at least manage to be funny. As simple horror films go there are worse ways to spend an hour and a half.

3/5

Childish

 

The Children Act (2017)

Directed by Richard Eyre this film based on the novel of the same name stars Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci and Fionn Whitehead. A high court judge has to decide if a 17 year old Jehovah's Witness should be forced to have blood transfusions or not.

As with many book to screen adaptations this film suffers from too much of the conflict being internal rather than external. There is just too much of the characters staring off wistfully without confronting each other. I also felt that the script never truly tackled the matter at hand with enough depth during the courtroom phase.

2/5

Not that close really

 

Resistance (2020)

Written & directed by Jonathan Jakubowicz this film inspired by real events stars Jesse Eisenberg and Clemence Poesy. We follow Marcel Marceau as he works for the resistance during world war 2.

To be honest I am not sure how well this film sticks to the actual events of Marceau's life. Given that Marceau was 16 at the start of the war having someone twice his age play him is not a great start. In the end despite good intentions this is not a great film.

2/5

The government is not your friend

 

Richard Jewell (2019)

Directed by Clint Eastwood this film based on real events stars Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm and Olivia Wilde. After finding a bomb a security guard is accused of being the one that planted it.

Certainly this is a fascinating look at a man hounded by his own government for the crime of being different. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the FBI side of the story but still this is an interesting watch. The accusations that the film commits the sort of thing it is decrying with some of the claims it makes against the female reporter is worth keeping in mind.

3/5