Not this way please

 

Wolf (2021)

Written & directed by Nathalie Biancheri this film stars George MacKay, Lily-Rose Depp and Paddy Considine. A teenage boy believing he is a he is a wolf trapped in a human body is sent to a treatment facility for people with zoanthropy.

Going into this film I was very worried it would be a reductive and crass metaphor for looking at Trans issues and while it is not as bad as it could have been it is still pretty uncomfortable at times in my opinion. There are moments where the film captures some of the struggles of the characters or the abuse they suffer in the name of “treatment” really well I just do not think we had to go with this questionable set up to achieve that. Certainly uncomfortable viewing, not always for the intended reasons despite the good performances from the cast.

2/5

Snow me the money

 

Panorama de l’arrivée à Aix-les-Bains pris du train (temps de neige) (1896)

Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. We see the countryside go past as we travel on a train.

I am a sucker for a snowscape so this one had me right away. Placing the camera on a train gives this short a lot of energy for a film of the period. A very nice wintry scene.

3/5

Too obvious

 

The Lost City (2022)

Directed by the Nee brothers this film stars Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliff and Da'Vine Joy Randolph. A writer of romance-adventure books finds herself on a real life treasure hunt with the cover model from her books.

Attempting a post-modern look at the genre this film is maybe trying just a little too hard. There are some funny moments but the plot of the film is just a bit too on the weak side for the film to really work. You can see what the film makers are going for here it just does not land.

2/5

Some bite

 

Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000)

Written & directed by Bong Joon-ho this film stars Lee Sung-jae and Bae Doona. An unemployed academic gets annoyed by barking dogs so decides to kidnap and kill them.

As dark comedies go this is not the funniest I have seen although it does have it's moments. I can see why this would be a cult film even if it did not fully connect with me. Those that really love dogs may want to skip this one given how some of the scenes play out.

3/5

Not a sonic boom

 

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)

Directed by Jeff Fowler this film stars James Marsden, Jim Carrey, Tika Sumpter and the voices of Ben Schwartz, Colleen O'Shaughnessey and Idris Elba. Doctor Robotnik returns with a new ally.

I know this is a film aimed at children but that is no excuse for the sloppy writing. Too little thought was put into the script for this one, the plot is barely there and a lot of the references are type that will date fast. If only the film had been over as fast as Sonic runs.

2/5

Just another street

 

Dresden, August-Brucke (1896)

Directed by Auguste and Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. We see a short snippet of life on a street in Dresden.

Not too dissimilar from other Lumiere films there is not a lot that is unique about this short. We may get a new location on show however it does not look that different to any other street of the period. Just lacks a little to make it stand out.

2/5

It's a sail boat

 

Bassin des Tuileries (1896)

Directed by Auguste and Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Children play with small boats on a pond at the park.

This short captures a simple little scene of daily life. There is definitely some charm to the scene captured here, something you might see even in the modern era. A fun little short.

3/5

On the wagon

 

Depart en voiture (1896)

Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Three women get into a horse drawn carriage and leave.

A single static shot makes up this short film and you basically get what you expect. The image quality is decent but the action a bit mundane. Nothing too surprising here really.

3/5

Fast turn around

 

Voltige (1896)

Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Men jump onto and off a horse.

Say what you will about Hollywood, at least they wait more than a year before remaking a film unlike Lumiere. Despite being a remake of a film made the previous year this is still a pretty fun short. There is plenty of action and even some comedy due to mistakes by the performers.

3/5

A simple trick

 

Writing Backwards (1896)

Directed by Louis Lumiere this early short film stars Felicien Trewey. A man performs the trick of writing backwards.

Alright so this is not Copperfield or Blaine levels of magic we are dealing with here, it is still a decent little skill. As early trick films go this one is fairly fun. Not exactly earth shattering in terms of content.

3/5

The first trilogy?

Sortie d'usine III (1896)

Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. We see people leaving the Lumiere factory in Lyon at the end of the day.

Apparently we needed a trilogy on this subject which is stretching things a bit far in my opinion. This version does not even have a horse in it, poor form. Average for what it is.

3/5

1890s DDR

 

London Street Dancers (1896)

Directed by Auguste and Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Three women dance on Drury Lane in London.

I really enjoyed this short, it had a nice sense of movement about it. There is the odd interloper walking through shot, nothing that spoils the film too much though. A fun little piece capturing a human moment in time.

3/5

Barely made

 

Made in Italy (2020)

Written & directed by James D'Arcy this film stars Liam Neeson, Michael richardson and Valeria Bilello. A man and his father travel to Italy to fix up and sell a family property.

I like the premise of this film which is more than I can say for the rest of it. Unfortunately the plot stumbles through very predictable story points without really earning most of them. There is just a lack of effort here, this is more paint by numbers than great art.

2/5

Standing about

 

Recreation a la Martiniere (1896)

Directed by Auguste and Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Men mill about outside a building.

The subjects of this film are supposed to be students not that you can really tell that. Image quality is fine here there is just not a lot going on. Lacking a spark to draw you in.

2/5

More balls.

 

Concours de boules (1896)

Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A group of men play boules.

In the genre of Lumiere shorts about boules this is a decent film. The camera is set up to give a good view of what is going on and you can actually make out the balls unlike some of the other shorts. You get to see plenty of action in this one.

3/5

Balls.

 

Enfants jouant aux billes (1896)

Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A group of children play boules.

There is not a huge amount to this short and it is a bit hard to make out what is actually going on with the game. Ignoring the game itself the film does capture a very familiar, human moment of children at play. The image quality on the version I saw was fairly decent apart from the issue with the balls.

3/5

Not watergate gate

 

18 1/2 (2021)

Directed by Dan Mirvish this film stars Willa Fitzgerald, John Magaro, Vondie Curtis-Hall and Catherine Curtin. A White House transcriber takes a tape of missing Presidential meetings to a reporter.

When you are making a film in the shadow of All the Presidents Men (1976) and Dick (1999) you are going to have to do something special on that spectrum to stand out. Unfortunately this film does not have much going on for it, there are some zanny side characters but the plot never goes anywhere. If you are going to invoke Watergate, you have to do something decent with it.

2/5

A place in time

 

Place du Pont (1897)

Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. We see a street scene from Lyon as a tram comes towards the camera.

There is not a huge amount going on in this short film, it captures a sedate moment of every day life without having any clear subject. Not likely to wow audiences either now or in the past. Does not do much as a piece of entertainment.

2/5

Time to cool off

 

Joueurs de cartes arroses (1896)

Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Two men get into an argument over a game of cards.

It is pretty obvious to see where this one is going with the Chekov's gun of the gardener with the hose pipe in the background. As early shorts go this is a decent one with a bit of a plot to it. A simple bit of chaos.

3/5

An uneasy feeling

 

The Lodge (2019)

Directed by Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala this film stars Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, Lia McHugh and Richard Armitage. Two children gaslight their father's new girlfriend as they believe she is responsible for their mothers suicide.

I am not sure how I feel about this film because the real villain of the piece, the father, is barely in the film. Definitely there are some creepy moments although it is a bit obvious what is happening. More of a tragedy in the end than a horror film.

3/5

19th century click bait?

 

Loading a Boiler (1896)

Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Men climb down a ladder from a boiler onto the deck of a ship.

I suspect the title of this film may be an early example of click bait as no boilers are actually loaded in this short. There is a little bit of action but most of the people on screen are moving round at a slow pace. Not the most thrilling Lumiere film I have seen.

2/5

When two tribes go to war

 

Women Fighting (1896)

Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Two women throw hands while a man tries to break it up.

It would be better if this short was less obviously staged. A bit of editing to snip off the last few seconds would have really helped in my opinion. At least this one survives in good image quality.

2/5

Hack and slash

 

The Swordsman (2020)

Directed by Choi Jae-hoon this film stars Jang Hyuk, Kim Hyun-soo and Joe Taslim. A swordsman on the verge of completely losing his eye sight protects his adopted daughter.

As historical martial arts films go this one is fine, nothing special really. The plot is pretty generic and the action sequences do not stand out above the norm. Maybe this one would be more enjoyable to those with a better understanding of Korean history.

3/5

Definitely not turned up to 11

 

Studio 666 (2022)

Directed by BJ McDonnell this film stars the Foo Fighters. The Foo Fighters go to stay in a mansion to record a new album and find it to be demonically possessed.

I went into this film only knowing who Dave Grohl was and came out still not really knowing who anyone else in the band is. There is a plot to this film however it is paper thin. All in all this film seems like a vanity project, mostly for Grohl, there is some potential for fun here it is just all squandered.

2/5

Slow out of the blocks

 

The Running Man (1963)

Directed by Carol Reed this film stars Laurence Harvey, Lee Remick and Alan Bates. A woman and her husband fake his death for insurance money.

This is not Carol Reed's best work sadly, a pedestrian thriller rather than the heights of his earlier films. The plot works fine but is nothing to write home about. What is lacking is a bit more tension to really sell this one.

3/5

Korean Coens

 

Beasts Clawing at Straws (2020)

Directed by Kim Yong-hoon this film based on the novel of the same name stars Jeon Do-yeon, Jung Woo-sung, Youn Yuh-jung and Bae Seong-woo. A group of inter connected characters fight over a bag of money.

As Coen brothers knock off films go this one is fine, if not amazing. I did find it a bit hard to keep up with all the characters but for the most part I knew what was going on. Lacking in memorable moments to make it really stand out.

3/5

Still screaming

 

Scream (2022)

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett this film stars Melissa Barrera, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette. Twenty five years after the original Woodsboro murders a copycat is in action.

Despite what could have been a big mistake this film does a good job of capturing the tone of the franchise while bringing in new characters. Not the deepest of films there is still a fair amount of fun to be had here. None of the call backs to previous films felt too much like fan service, not sure if they can milk yet another film out of the franchise after this one though.

3/5

Grungy

 

Clean (2021)

Directed by Paul Solet this film stars Adrien Brody, Glenn Fleshler, Richie Merritt and Chandler DuPont. A garbage man struggling with his past gets caught up in violence.

As genre films go this is a pretty standard one, if a little slow to get going. My only real complaint is that once we do finally get to the big action sequence it is too dark to see what is going on a lot of the time. Nothing special as melancholy action films go.

3/5

Argento presents

 

She Will (2021)

Directed by Charlotte Colbert this film stars Alice Krige, Kota Eberhardt and Malcolm McDowell. An ageing film star goes to Scotland to recover from an operation.

You can see where this film is going with the haunting, psychological side but I am not sure it ever completely gets there. This is a decent watch as long as you do not mind a lack of clear narrative. Possibly not for everyone even if I did enjoy a large part of it.

3/5

Feeding time

 

Le gouter des bebes (1897)

Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Three children eat a meal.

Very simple in terms of content this is a single static shot of kids eating or doing what kids do when they are supposed to be eating. The short does capture a human moment but it is in the home film territory. Not a lot to really say on this one.

3/5

Doesn't anyone google people?

 

Georgetown (2019)

Directed by star Christoph Waltz this film also features Vanessa Redgrave and Annette Benning. An ageing widow marries a much younger man who seeks to exploit her social status.

It is fairly obvious from the get go what is going on here however this is still a fun movie to watch unfold. Inspired by real events it really does shake your head how much the main character gets away with for so long. My only disappointment is that the domestic violence of the real events seems to be down played in this fictional version.

3/5