The Climb (2019)
Written & directed by stars Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin this film also features Gayle Rankin. We follow the turbulent friendship of two men over a number of years.
I really enjoyed the direction of this film, each section is made up of nearly only one single long shot. The content of the film is a fairly decent look at friendship but it is always the direction that stands out for me. Both funny and thought provoking.
4/5
Sutro Baths, No.1 (1897)
Directed by James H. White this is an early short film. We see a bunch of people having fun at the public baths.
Over a hundred years may have passed since this film was made but it serves as a reminder that people have not changed that much. Unfortunately the image quality is not the best here so it is difficult to make out some of the details. Another early film which resembles a modern home video.
2/5
Silk Road (2021)
Directed by Tiller Russell this film based on real events stars Nick Robinson, Jason Clarke and Alexandra Shipp. We follow the creator of a dark web site for selling drugs and one of the law enforcement officers chasing him.
I think this film takes some liberties have been taken with the real events but the film is still fairly interesting. In the end I think the film gets a little biased when it comes to painting a positive light on some of the characters where there was no need to do so. A warts and all version might have been better.
3/5
Luxor (2020)
Written & directed by Zeina Durra this film stars Andrea Riseborough and Karim Saleh. A British aid worker on holiday in Luxor reconnects with an old flame.
If you are into so sparsely dialogued films about internal conflict this is the film for you, otherwise you might find it a bit if a struggle. For me the characters were kept at arms length just a bit too much. What I did enjoy was the backdrop of the many ruins that Luxor has to offer.
3/5
Rams (2020)
Directed by Jeremy Sims this remake of Rams (2015) stars Sam Neill, Michael Caton and Miranda Richardson. Sheep farmers in an Australian valley are faced with losing their sheep as disease comes to the valley.
I really enjoyed the film this one is based on and this remake does a really good job of putting an Australian twist on the material. The script really captures the connection between farmers and their livestock. Both charming and in the end ultimately heart warming.
4/5
12 Hour Shift (2020)
Written & directed by Brea Grant this film stars Angela Bettis and David Arquette. In 1999 a hospital nurse who is part of an organ stealing ring has a very bad night.
As black comedies go this is a fairly simple one. There is the requisite funny moments but nothing of depth or surprising. Failed to really hold my attention even if there is nothing wrong with this film.
3/5
Foster Boy (2019)
Directed by Youssef Delara this film inspired by real events stars Shane Paul McGhie and Matthew Modine. A high level corporate lawyer is assigned to the case of a foster child suing a company for neglect.
No doubt there is a powerful story in here somewhere but the writing is pretty terrible. I am not a lawyer and even I can see the terrible law in the court portions of this film. Not worth watching at all.
1/5
Shoplifters of the World (2021)
Written & directed by Stephen Kijak this film stars Helena Howard, Ellar Coltrane and Joe Manganiello. A bunch of friends in Denver spend a night partying trying to get over the break up of The Smiths and the impending break up of their friendship group.
I found the sub plot with Joe Manganiello to be the only interesting part of this film, the main plot has little going for it in terms of originality or spark. The whole script is a little on the masturbatory side and offers not much depth on why these teens like The Smiths. Maybe if you are a huge fan of The Smiths this is worth a watch but otherwise I would give it a miss.
2/5
Emperor (2020)
Directed by Mark Amin this film inspired by real events stars Dayo Okeniyi, Naturi Naughton and James Cromwell. After killing two men a slave escapes and joins the abolitionist raid on Harpers Ferry.
It is good to see Hollywood taking up the story of more African American historical figures but unfortunately what we get here is an inaccurate and badly written script. Most of what we see on the screen appears to be unfounded speculation on the life of the protagonist, even going so far as to give him a happy ending which he never had in real life. Sadly a disappointment in the end.
2/5
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? (2019)
Directed by Richard Linklater this film based on the novel of the same name stars Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup and Emma Nelson. A married woman has something of a midlife crisis.
I really liked the premise of the film but I do not think the script ever delivers on it. There is so much talent involved here for a film that ends up being very bland. In the end this just feels like a missed opportunity despite not really being a bad film.
3/5
The Comeback Trail (2020)
Directed by George Gallo this remake stars Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Morgan Freeman and Zach Braff. In order to make back the money they lost on their last film two men plan to kill the star of their next film and get the insurance money.
If you ever wanted to see a bad version of The Producers (1967) then I have the film for you. Unfortunately this film has a poor script that is never funny. All the budget appears to have gone on the star talent leaving nothing for anything else.
2/5
Daniel (2019)
Directed by Niels Arden Oplev this film inspired by real events stars Esben Smed, Tobey Kebbell and Anders W. Berthelsen. A Danish photographer is kidnapped while taking pictures in Syria.
Tense through out this is a film that looks at the life of both the kidnap victim but also their family. The film does a good job of exploring the subject matter and characters in a respectful manner. While the film may lack a little uniqueness it is still very thoughtful.
3/5
Bombay (1995)
Directed by Mani Ratnam this film stars Arvind Swami and Manisha Koirala. A Muslim girls runs away to marry her Hindu boyfriend and they get caught up in religious riots in Bombay.
For my taste this film is a little melodramatic in places and a few of the musical numbers do not exactly fit in well. The subject matter of the plot is actually really important and fairly well handled. I can see why this is an important film in Indian cinema even if it lacks a bit of subtlety at times.
4/5
Passaic Falls, New Jersey (1896)
Directed by James H. White this is an early short film. We see the Passaic Falls in New Jersey in a single shot.
The camera is slightly shaky but otherwise this is a decent little early film giving you a good glimpse of the scale of nature. Cinema of the period was still in home movie territory and this is another example of that. Nothing special to modern eyes.
3/5
Kajillionaire (2020)
Written & directed by Miranda July this film stars Evan Rachel Wood, Debra Winger, Richard Jenkins and Gina Rodriguez. The daughter of a family of odd ball con artists starts to reconsider her life when a young woman joins the family.
Off beat to say the least this is a strange watch with some really funny moments. I am not sure if the plot has huge depth to it but it is certainly entertaining for those who like off beat comedy. An unusual voice I hope to see more of in the future.
3/5
Captive State (2019)
Directed by Rupbert Wyatt this film stars Ashton Sanders, Jonathan Majors and John Goodman. In the near future Earth is under occupation of an alien force with freedom fighters planning a major attack against them.
I think the major issue with this film is that it is a little confused as to if it wants to have a clear protagonist or rather have a group as the focus of the story, we start with a clear protagonist but he gets lost along the way. The film rather tips its hat to the twist too obviously but I still found it enjoyable. Not as bad as some people would have you believe.
3/5
Good Newwz (2019)
Directed by Raj Methta this film stars Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Diljit Dosanjh and Kiara Advani. There is a mix up at an IVF clinic leading to a swap in sperm between two couples.
I think the premise of this film might actually work well for a sit com, sadly as a film it does not hold up. The script takes far too long to get going, you could cut half an hour off the front end, and the most drama filled parts get montaged through. When it comes to the humour I found it to be tone deaf at times and pretty unfunny.
2/5
Cattle Driven to Slaughter (1897)
Directed by James H. White this is an early short film. We see cattle in the Chicago stockyards driven to slaughter.
The image quality of this short is not very good. While you can make out the cattle it is hard to see much beyond that. As early shorts go there is not a huge amount to this one.
2/5
Lost Girls & Love Hotels (2020)
Direcred by William Olsson this film based on the novel of the same name stars Alexandra Daddario, Takehiro Hira and Carice van Houten. An American woman living in Japan starts a relationship with a Japanese gangster.
Definitely not a traditional love story this is a fairly interesting story of a self destructive protagonist. I enjoyed the film but it does lack a little bit of depth. The performances are the main draw here.
3/5
Where is Pinki? (2020)
Directed by Prithvi Konanur this film stars Akshatha Pandavapura, Gunjalamma and Deepak Subramanya. When an 8 month old baby goes missing complicated relationships are revealed.
With an undercurrent of tension burning through out this is a decent thriller that highlights social issues, particularly those to do with poverty. While the film might not be super deep there is definitely enough to keep your attention as the plot peels back the characters layers. Well worth seeking out.
4/5
Champs de Mars (1900)
Directed by James H. White this is an early short film. We see a panorama of the base of the Eiffel Tower and its surrounding area.
Very simple in terms of content this is probably more important as a historical record than a piece of entertainment. The film captures a moment and location in time pretty well. Not a film I would seek out but a nice little watch.
3/5
Last Moment of Clarity (2020)
Directed by James & Colin Krisel this film stars Zach Avery, Samara Weaving, Carly Chaikin and Brian Cox. A man thinks an actresses is his girlfriend that died in a gas leak three years ago.
As neo-noirs go this film is not that impressive or original. A bunch of familiar elements play out in a fairly familiar way. There is not much wrong with this film but there is also not much to recommend it on either.
3/5
Jungleland (2019)
Directed by Max Winkler this film stars Charlie Hunnam, Jack O'Connell and Jessica Barden. In debt to a crime boss a former boxer and his brother transport a young woman to San Francisco.
As both fight and road movies go this film does not add much new to familiar genres. The plot is decent enough without ever being special. What is missing is something to make the film stand out.
3/5
Market (2019)
Directed by Pradip Kurbah this film stars Albert Mawrie, Denver Pariat and Richard Kharpuri. A bathroom cleaner at a market lives with his chosen family.
As enjoyable as this shot of life in a poor market is it skips a bit abruptly between scenes at times. There are dramatic events but for some reason we never feel the full weight of that drama due to the low key nature of the film. Still touching in places I just feel the film could have been a little bit more.
3/5
Capsize of Lifeboat (1897)
Directed by Jams H. White this is an early short film. The crew of a lifeboat practice rolling it over in the water.
Slightly annoyingly there is a cut in this film right in the middle of the “action”. Otherwise this is a fairly entertaining little short film. Not a huge amount happens but it is impressive see a boat like this get rolled.
2/5
The New Mutants (2020)
Directed by Josh Boone this film stars Blu Hunt, Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy and Alice Braga. Following the destruction of her village Dani Moonstar wakes up in a treatment facility with other young mutants.
As a fan of the comics I loved seeing some of my less famous favourites finally get a go on the big screen. Sadly after such a troubled development period the plot of this film is nothing special. I also feel that some of the changes made from the comics were a bit weird, such as making Rahne's background catholic rather than protestant.
3/5
Eeb Allay Ooo! (2019)
Directed by Prateek Vats this film stars Shardul Bharadwaj, Mahender Nath and Nutan Sinha. A man gets a job shooing monkeys away from government property however he is more scared of the monkeys than they are of him.
As a social commentary film I think I did not really get this one, I was expecting the film to focus more on the contrast between the protagonist and his brother in law working as a security guard. There are definitely some fun moments to the film and a point to it but not the one I was expecting. Despite the some what silly seeming nature of the job the film treats the other monkey scarers with dignity than you would expect.
3/5
Turkish Dance, Ella Lola (1898)
Directed by James H. White this is an early short film featuring Ella Lola. We see a woman doing a dance on the stage.
Simple but fairly decent for the period. The dance on show here is lively and entertaining. Not technically impressive as most early films are not.
3/5
Spell (2020)
Directed by Mark Tonderai this film stars Omari Hardwick, Loretta Devine and John Beasley. A man flying with his family in a small plane in rural Appalachia crashes and wakes up in a farm.
Starting out with a bit of promise this film quickly descends into genre fare without much thought behind it. It raises my eye brow slightly that this tale of rural african-american culture is written by a white guy and directed by a british guy. Sadly whatever promise this film had is squandered.
2/5
One Cut of the Dead (2017)
Written & directed by Shin'ichiro Ueda this film stars Takayuki Hamatsu, Yuzuki Akiyama and Kazuaki Nagaya. An independent film crew make a short zombie film in one cut.
Certainly unusual in the way the film is divided up it takes a while for this film to get going. By the end of the film it has a real charm and some humour to it. Certainly worth seeing if just as a novelty.
3/5
