French Exit (2020)
Directed by Azazel Jacobs this film based on the novel of the same name stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges. An heiress and her adult son are left penniless so flee to Paris.
There are some great moments of black comedy in this off beat film but beyond that I am not sure the film has much depth to it. I enjoyed the film on the surface level even if it is not something I would ever return to. As always Michelle Pfeiffer is eminently watchable.
3/5
Komische Begegnung im Tiergarten zu Stockholm (1896)
Directed by Max Skladanowsky this is an early short film. We see a bunch of dudes in Sweden having a good time.
I really liked how well this film captures a bit of every day life. The image quality is good and the content filled with action. Surprisingly different to a lot of similar era films.
3/5
Monster Hunter (2020)
Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson this film based on the game series of the same name stars Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa and Ron Perlman. A US army ranger finds herself in a strange world filled with monsters.
I have never played the games so I have no idea how faithful this film is to its source material, what I can see is that the film is pretty bad. There is no character arc for the protagonist and the plot ends as sequel bait. All in all a pretty unsatisfying effort with some annoying editing.
1/5
Ministry of Fear (1944)
Directed by Fritz Lang this film based on the novel of the same name stars Ray Milland and Marjorie Reynolds. A man gets caught up in a Nazi spy ring during WW2.
When you have Fritz Land and Graham Greene both connected with the same film you have fairly high expectations which unfortunately this film fails to live up to. This is a very average thriller that is not much different from a number of others from the period. There are even a few rather abrupt moments where it is obvious that material from the novel has been skipped to shorten the run time of the film.
2/5
Apotheose (1895)
Directed by Max Skladanowsky this is an early short film. The director and his brother bow to the camera.
As a piece of entertainment this is not much cop. There really is not a lot to this seven second short which pretty much only exists as a historical record. Not one for the casual viewer.
2/5
Texas Lady (1955)
Directed by Tim Whelan this film stars Claudette Colbert, Barry Sullivan and Ray Collins. A woman takes over a newspaper in a town controlled by two cattle barons.
An average b-movie western without much to remark on really. The plot stumbles through the necessary set pieces to appease the audience while offering little more. Even the acting is a little hammy in places.
2/5
Paradox (2017)
Directed by Sammo Hung this film stars Louis Koo, Gordon Lam and Wu Yue. A policeman from Hong Kong travels to Thailand to search for his missing daughter.
This film covers a lot of familiar genre elements and not in a particularly interesting way. The action sequences are fine but a bit silly in places. Overall not a film that impressed me or that I would recommend.
2/5
Supernova (2020)
Written & directed by Harry Macqueen this film stars Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci. A gay couple go on a road trip while coming to terms with one of them having dementia.
Taking a subject that could be treated very melodramatically this is a gently told story that is very touching. I did enjoy the film but have to wonder why we always see these stories from the point of view of the upper middle class, do the poor never have such issues? Well made and well acted as you would expect with these two leads.
4/5
Ringkampfer (1895)
Directed by Max & Emil Skladanowsky this film stars Eugen Sandow and Grenier. Two men wrestle on a stage.
It seems early WWE was not up to much really. The film does a decent job of capturing a small portion of action even if there is nothing particularly impressive here. One of those early films that today is not really that interesting.
2/5
Nobody (2021)
Directed by Ilya Naishuller this film stars Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, Christopher Lloyd and Aleksey Serebryakov. A seemingly mild mannered man gets into a fight with the Russian mob.
What annoys me about this film is there are moments where it teases being something more than a basic genre film but never fulfils that promise. In the end we have a pretty average film without any real depth to it. There are some fun moments just not enough to really give the film personality and carry it completely.
3/5
Mass (2021)
Written & directed by Fran Kranz this film stars Reed Birney, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaccs and martha Plimpton. Parents of a victim of a school shooting meet the parents of the perpetrator.
I really enjoyed the way this film captured the small awkward moments at the beginning and end of the story that we too often gloss over. The plot itself does a good job of engaging with a complex subject without ever getting melodramatic. About the only complaint I have is I could have done with the moment involving the choir at the end which was a bit much.
4/5
The Boxing Kangaroo (1895)
Directed by Max Skladanowsky this is an early short film. A man and a kangaroo have a mock boxing fight.
Not even twenty seconds long this is an example of animal abuse 1800s style. No doubt the film that inspired plenty of cartoons this is still not really a great watch. One probably best forgotten to time, no one comes out of this one looking good.
1/5
Suntan (2016)
Directed by Argyris Papadimitropoulos this film stars Makis Papadimitriou and Elli Tringou. A lonely middle aged doctor goes to work on a small Greek island and becomes obsessed with a woman half his age.
This might not be amazingly original but it is a fairly well told story. The plot unfolds like an inevitable car crash you can not take your eyes off of. Enjoyable if not that unique.
3/5
Pig (2021)
Written & directed by Michael Sarnoski this film stars Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff and Adam Arkin. A man wants his stolen pig back.
Equal parts completely bizarre and truly fascinating I really enjoyed this film. The plot is a slow burn look at food, grief and life. There is some great lighting that really enhances the moody nature of the film along with some really good shots.
4/5
The Paper Tigers (2020)
Written & directed by Bao Tran this film stars Alain Uy, Ron Yuan and Mykel Shannon Jenkins. Three former kung fu prodigies now washed up middle aged men have to find out who killed their old master.
I found this film to be fun if not overly funny. There is something unique and charming about the film that holds your attention even if it is lacking in a few places. It is definitely nice to see something different on the screen for a change.
3/5
Italienischer Bauernatanz (1895)
Directed by Max & Emil Skladanowsky this is a short film staring Ploetz and Larella. Two children dance in front of the camera.
This is a very simple film as are many of the period. The camera captures a short moment of two children moving into and then out of shot as they dance around. It is hard to tell if this is a formal dance or just two children playing but is a very human moment.
3/5
Save the Cinema (2022)
Directed by Sara Sugarman this film inspired by true events stars Samantha Morton, Jonathan Pryce and Tom Felton. A hairdresser in a welsh town organises the local community to help save the town cinema.
This is one of those simple, feel good, self congratulatory films that British cinema seems to enjoy turning out. Neither the plot or the characters have a huge amount of depth to them and I suspect the film rather strays from true events some. At least no one drops a clanger with a really bad welsh accent.
3/5
Santa Fe Passage (1955)
Directed by William Witney this film stars John Payne, Faith Domergue and Rod Cameron. A scout has to rebuild his reputation after his last wagon train was massacred.
Despite attempting to be a #NotAllIndians film this film comes across as racist through out. The plot is pretty bland as are the characters. It is hard to find any redeeming features here at all.
1/5
Lurline Baths (1897)
Directed by James H. White this is an early short film. We see a bunch of people go down a slide into a swimming pool.
Unfortunately the shot is not really centred on the main action, which is a little bit of an odd choice. As early films go there is a fair amount happening in the short 30 second run time. Good to see people of the past enjoyed the same sort of things that we do.
2/5
Red Mountain (1951)
Directed by William Dieterle & John Farrow this film stars Alan Ladd, Lizabeth Scott, John Ireland and Arthur Kennedy. A man is accused of a murder he did not commit then caught up with Southern raiders during the last days of the US Civil War.
There is some questionable stuff in here with regards to views on the South and as with many westerns how native americans are used. The plot is no great shakes, having to twist itself for Alan Ladd to get the girl at the end. All in all not a western worth seeking out.
2/5
Boogie (2021)
Written & directed by Eddie Huang this film stars Taylor Takahashi, Taylour Paige and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. An Asian American dreams of becoming an NBA star.
As sports movies go this if a familiar one, having an Asian American protagonist only putting a slight spin on things. The plot covers all the points you would expect and never really offers anything new apart from one moment of male vulnerability which is rarely shown on screen. In the end a bit of a missed opportunity to do something a bit different.
3/5
Land (2021)
Directed by star Robin Wright this film also features Demian Bichir. A grieving woman goes to live in a remote cabin.
Putting together a familiar collection of elements there is not a lot surprising or original to this film. I enjoyed the landscape shots as the script plodded through the expected story beats. Not as impactful or engaging as it could have been.
3/5
Wash Day in Mexico (1898)
Directed by James H. White this is an early short film. A bunch of women are lined up along the bank of a river doing their washing.
Sadly this short has not survived very well, the image quality is pretty bad here. You can just about make out what is going on but not any details. A moment in history lost to decay.
2/5
A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
Written & directed by John Krasinski this film stars Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe and Cillian Murphy. The family leave their home in search of other survivors.
There is not a huge amount of plot to this sequel such that it has to be stretched out by tacking on an unneeded prequel sequence at the beginning. Using the unique features of the world the film manages some tense moments but that is about all that is of note here. To be honest this seemed rather like a money grab than something that was really thought out.
2/5
Raw (2016)
Written & directed by Julia Ducournau this film stars Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf and Rabah Nait Oufella. As she starts veterinary school a young vegetarian discovers she has an unnatural hunger for flesh.
If you want something creepy and difficult to watch this film is for you, those of a squeamish disposition should probably avoid this one. While I enjoyed the uncomfortable experience of watching this film I am not sure how much depth it actually has beyond the shock value. Certainly something that will linger in the mind for a while.
3/5
Miss Grant Goes to the Door (1940)
Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst this film stars Mary Clare, Martita Hunt, Ivan Brandt and Manning Whiley. Two sisters encounter a German spy as the invasion of Britain begins.
Being a piece of government propaganda there is not a huge amount of plot or character to this short film. As a historical curiosity of what if it is slightly interesting and something of a precursor to Went the Day Well? (1942). Fun but forgettable.
3/5
The Black Tent (1956)
Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst this film stars Donald Sinden, Anthony Steel, Anna Maria Sandri, Andre Morell and Donald Pleasence. After World War 2 a British aristocrat travels to Libya in search of his missing brother.
There is not a lot of plot to this film and what there is comes across as rather questionable in the vein of paternal racism of the imperial era. It is hard to find much to enjoy here apart from the shots of the Roman ruins at Sabratha. Unsurprisingly forgotten and best left that way.
1/5
The Founder (2016)
Directed by John Lee Hancock this film based on real events stars Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch. A travelling sales man builds out the biggest fast food franchise in the world.
It seems this film takes some liberties with history, as does its protagonist. There is not a huge amount of depth here but it is a classic example of American capitalism with questionable ethics as a reflection of the growth of America itself. Decently made, Keaton really carries the film.
3/5
Naked Singularity (2021)
Directed by Chase Palmer this film based on the novel of the same name stars John Boyega, Olivia Cooke, Bill Skarsgard and Ed Skrein. A burnt out public defender gets involved in one of his client's crimes.
I'll be honest in that I do not really think that the mix of physics, philosophy and legal drama really works. If you can take the film as just a crime piece then it is decent but the rest of the content never really gels in my opinion. Fun if forgettable.
3/5
Horses Loading for Klondike, no, 9 (1897)
Directed by James H. White this is an early short film. Horses are loaded onto a ship on the wharf.
You can not really make out a lot of what is going on here thanks to the throngs of people milling about. If there really are horses in the boxes being craned into the ship it is hard to see. Not the best of the early Edison catalogue.
2/5
Young Hearts (2020)
Directed by Sarah & Zachary Ray Sherman this film stars Anjini Taneja Azhar and Quinn Leibling. A fourteen year old girl starts dating her brother's best friend.
This is a very simple film that does a good job of capturing teenage insecurity and love. There is nothing especially original here but this is a decently enough made film. The highlight is the performances of the young actors, particularly Anjini Taneja Azhar.
3/5
