Savage (2018)
Directed by Siwei Cui this film stars Chang Chen, Ni Ni, Liao Fan and Haung Jue. On an isolated mountain in snowy conditions a police officer hunts down the criminals that killed his partner.
This is a basic crime drama in a remote location. There is some nice scenery but that is not really enough to carry this average plot. Nothing really stands out here about this one.
3/5
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Directed by Joseph Kosinski this film stars Tom Cruise, Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly. Running out of chances Maverick gets one last job in the navy, to train a group of pilots for a deadly mission.
The original Top Gun was one of the definitive pieces of 80s cheesy propaganda yet I still love it thanks to the careful guiding hand of Tony Scott which is sorely missing here. This is a paint by numbers effort that tries to get by on nostalgia alone. I could just about stomach it till we get to the silly ending which goes beyond even the generous stretching of believability I was willing to give this film.
2/5
Repas des chats (1896)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. Three cats jump trying to get food.
If you want to see the great grandfather of all those viral cat videos this is probably it. There is not a huge amount to this one, a simple home video of some cats. Not really remarkable.
2/5
Father Stu (2022)
Written & directed by Rosalind Ross this film based on a true story stars Mark Wahlberg, Jacki Weaver and Mel Gibson. A man retires from boxing, chases a Catholic girl and decides to become a priest.
I am never a fan of films with an overt religious agenda and this one is not the worst offender in the category but still qualifies. Just a bit too one note in it is agenda really. It also raises the eye brow slightly to see some of the cast in a film about redemption given what they did in the past themselves, makes the whole thing feel like a vanity exercise.
2/5
Big Gold Brick (2022)
Written & directed by Brian Petsos this film stars Emory Cohen, Andy Garcia, Megan Fox and Lucy Hale. A failed writer agrees to write a biography for the man who knocked him over with a car and gave him a brain injury.
There is plenty of bizarre and quirky elements to this film however it never really goes anywhere. You keep waiting for it all to click together and it never does. An enjoyable ride none the less.
3/5
Rome, pont Ripetta (1896)
Directed by Auguste & Louis Lumiere this is an early short film. We see a street scene from the city of Rome.
The camera is well positioned to capture traffic on the road turning and passing creating an active scene. Plenty to enjoy in this simple film. A good example of the genre.
3/5
Eat Wheaties! (202)
Directed by Scott Abramovitch this film based on the novel “The Locklear Letters” stars Tony Hale, Paul Walter Hauser, Danielle Brooks and Elisha Cuthbert. A lonely man tries to get in contact with an old college friend, film star Elizabeth Banks.
I really enjoyed this comedic look at loneliness and low self esteem. There is a lot to both laugh at and think about with a look at how we connect in the modern world. I have not read the book this film is based on but I can only assume it does a good job of translating the material to the social media era based on the end result.
4/5
