Pompiers: sortie de la pompe (1896)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Several fire-carriages head down the road.
As films of the period go this is a decent one. The images captured are not exactly historic however they do have a decent amount of action to them. A fun little short.
3/5
Black Widow (2021)
Directed by Cate Shortland this film stars Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz and Ray Winston. On the run from SHIELD Natasha Romanoff has to confront her past.
It is strange when a film leaves you wishing there was more to like about it. The film hits all the expected beats and the family moments are nice there is just something lacking here. Nothing ever really connects despite the film not doing much wrong.
3/5
Inbetween Girl (2021)
Written & directed by Mei Makino this film stars Emma Galbraith, William Magnuson and Emily Garrett. A teenage girl struggles with her world falling apart and her biracial identity.
Classic coming of age drama wrapped up exploring being American born with Chinese heritage. There is a ton to enjoy here from a drama that really hits the heart in places. It is impossible not to feel for the protagonist thanks to the well told story.
4/5
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
Directed by David Yates this film stars Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller and Dan Fogler. Our heroes try to stop Gindelwald being elected leader of the wizards.
As someone who is not a fan of the Wizarding World I found this film a struggle to follow. I much preferred the exploration of fantastic beasts over this political machinations stuff. One for the dedicated fans not us muggles.
2/5
The Batman (2022)
Directed by Matt Reeves this reboot stars Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano and Jeffrey Wright. A serial killer stalks Gotham City's establishment and the Batman is on the case.
Sufficiently broody this film brings the detective side of Batman to the big screen in a way we have not had before. Some what criminally the film manages to make Batman boring, stretching out the run time far too much and including action sequences that are kind of bland. Ultimately this film is pretty much stuff you have seen done better in the Nolan films, on its own it is fine it just withers in comparison.
3/5
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Directed by Sam Raimi this film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong and Xochitl Gomez. Doctor Strange tries to protect a young woman who can travel realities.
Neither the best or the worst of the MCU this film trundles along never really becoming more than the sum of its parts. I found the film to be enjoyable enough thanks to the fan service moments but the plot never really coalesces into something memorable or touching. In fact the protagonist's character arc does not really fit in my opinion given his actions in previous Avengers films.
3/5
The Duke (2020)
Directed by Roger Michell this film inspired by real events stars Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren. A man from Newcastle steals a famous Goya painting of the Duke of Wellington.
Anyone familiar with British cinema of the last 25 years will know exactly the type of feel good with a hint of class tension film this is. There is a bit of straying from real events to tie the plot up nicely in the bow the film makers want. Another fairly forgettable effort of a lazy genre.
3/5
Der Kaiser (2022)
Directed by Tim Trageser this film based on real events stars Klaus Steinbacher, Ferdinand Hofer and Teresa Rizos. We follow the career of legendary German footballer Franz Beckenbauer.
I found this film to be just too short to do any subject justice as a biopic. The film flits through various key points without always connecting them with proper context. Tonally the film is a bit too light hearted for my taste with some of the darker elements of Beckenbauer's personality.
2/5
Firestarter (2022)
Directed by Keith Thomas this film based on the novel of the same name stars Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong and Sydney Lemmon. A family go on the run from the government to protect their daughter with pyrokenetic powers.
I have not seen the previous adaptation so I have no idea how this film compares however this is a pretty weak effort taken on its own merits. The protagonist never really has a proper character arc which is the main problem. You can see hints of the familiar Stephen King style in the plot but the film never makes the most of them.
2/5
Embarquement (1896)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Limiere this is an early short film. People get onto a ship while porters load up the baggage.
If this was made today Evian would have paid a lot for the product placement in this one. The shot is pretty nicely framed however there is not a huge amount of action. Decent if not overly remarkable.
3/5
Boxers in Barrels (1897)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Two men stand in barrels next to each other and attempt to have a boxing match.
Mostly this is two men falling over. I do not know who decided boxing in barrels is a good idea but it is sufficiently silly as to be entertaining. A fun little short.
3/5
Le retour, Place de l'Etoile (1899)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. We see a street scene with the Arch de Triumph in the background.
Nice back drop to a simple street scene. The traffic seems awfully we behaved, apart from the guy walking into it anyway. A nice little addition to the Lumiere catalogue.
3/5
Equilibre et moulinet (1899)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A man shows off his trained cats.
For a vaudeville act these trained cats are pretty impressive. The image quality could be a little better so it is not always easy to make out the details. Still a fun little short.
3/5
Carnaval, [VIII] (1897)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. We see a shot of people in costumes and floats at a carnival in Nice.
It is fascinating to see how little some things have changed in over 100 years. The images caught on camera are both familiar and old at the same time. A lovely piece of history captured on film.
3/5
The Northman (2022)
Directed by Robert Eggers this film stars Alexander Skarsgard, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang and Anya Taylor-Joy. The son of a murdered Viking king seeks revenge on his uncle.
Taking inspiration from the legend of Amleth, better known as the plot of Hamlet, this film might be predictable however is it never boring. Through out the images and mythology are enthralling. Another fascinating film from Eggers who really knows how to get moody.
4/5
Baignade de negres (1896)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A group of black people jump into the water from a dock.
Nice to see a bit of diversity in the Lumiere catalogue and in a non-racist way which is a bit more common in say the Edison films. There is plenty of action on the screen, a decent little scene is captured. A pretty fun watch all in all.
3/5
Berlin, Hallesches Thor (1896)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. We see a street scene from Berlin.
This is a fun little snap shot of life capturing people and trams on the streets of Berlin. The scene is pretty enjoyable and has a few things going on in it. A decent example of the genre.
3/5
Panorama des rives de la Seine a Paris, III (1898)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A camera on a boat goes down the river Seine.
Possibly the first trilogy in history, is there anything the Lumieres did not do first? A fairly decent river scene with the movement of the boat making up for the lack of movement of the camera. Nothing especially interesting happens on the river bank.
3/5
Fish Market (1896)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. We see a fish market in Marseille.
Less fish market and more dock side scene it is a bit hard to make out what is going on in shot here. The image quality is fine but there is just a crowd of people too far from the camera to really make out details. Another weaker effort from the Lumieres.
2/5
Pillow Fight, No. 2 (1898)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A group of children have a pillow fight.
This must be the most half hearted pillow fight I have seen, the children seem more interested in ripping up the pillows than hitting each other. Image quality is fine I suppose, nothing special. Not the greatest action film of its day.
2/5
Mauvaises herbs (1897)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Women burn some stuff on a fire.
To be honest there is not a lot going on here. The image quality is decent but the actual action is not that clear due to all the smoke. Not the most interesting film of the period.
2/5
Danse espagnole de la Feria Sevillano (1900)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A woman stands up and does a short dance, then is joined by a man.
There is not a huge amount to this one and it loses a little not having any sound. The short dance is fairly decent but not enough to give you more than a taste. Needs a little more to it in my opinion.
2/5
Concert (1896)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A quartet plays some music.
Nothing highlights the absence of sound like a film of people trying to play music. As a short without sound I really do not think this one works. Not the best experiment in the early Lumiere catalogue.
2/5
Saut a la couverte (1896)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. In the land before trampolines you need your mates to hold out a blanket for you.
I suppose this is a pretty fun if slightly repetitive short. There is not much variation in the content despite the film being less than a minute long. Fun but forgettable.
3/5
Geant et nain (1896)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. A tall man and a dwarf have a wrestling match.
This is one of those early short films that is just a small portion circus or vaudeville act caught on camera. There is a decent amount of action captured in this short film and it never gets repetitive. Fairly fun for what it is.
3/5
Arrivee en voiture (1896)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this short film features a number of members of the director's family. A carriage arrives, people get off.
Very simple in terms of content and not great in terms of image quality. A fair amount of the detail in this one is lost to fuzziness. Not that great really.
2/5
Evian: procession de la Fete-Dieu I (1898)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. We see a parade as part of a local fete.
I checked two copies of this short and neither had great image quality. This are a bit fuzzy and it is difficult to make out any details. Not the most interesting of the Lumiere catalogue.
2/5
Ploughing (1896)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Your man ploughs a field.
Nothing terribly surprising is to be found in this short film. I enjoyed the pastoral scene which might not be for everyone. A nice little piece of history, a lost way of life captured on screen.
3/5
Cuirassiers a cheval (1896)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Armoured men on horse back charge the camera.
On the way to becoming consigned to history the subjects of this film are shown in their last moment of glory. With World War 1 looming cavalry of the type on show here is about to go the way of the dodo. A nice little piece of history captured just before it fades away.
3/5
Fete de Paris 1899: Concours d'automobiles fleuries (1899)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Vehicles travel down the Champs Elysee in Paris.
In terms of image quality the version I saw of this short was a little on the fuzzy side, mostly fine for picking out the action but the details. The stuff going down the road is fairly interesting as is the back drop. A nice little short, a shame it is not a little clearer.
3/5
Balancoires (1896)
Directed by Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. People enjoy a ride at the carnival.
The image quality of the version of this short I saw was not great, you can make out the rides but the people are a bit fuzzy. Definitely a nice piece of history captured, just a shame it is not clearer. Not one of the best surviving of the Lumiere catalogue.
2/5
