She Came to Me (2023)
Written & directed by Rebecca Miller this film stars Peter Dinklage, Anne Hathaway and Marisa Tomei. A composer with writers block cheats on his therapist wife with a tug boat captain.
It is nice to see someone making a romantic comedy that does not rely on “the big misunderstanding” for a change. While the plot and comedy are no great shakes they are at least something a bit original. There is a bit of charm even if I am not sure about the teen marriage subplot.
3/5
Palm Trees and Power Lines (2022)
Directed by Jamie Dack this film stars Lily McInerny and Jonathan Tucker. A seventeen year old girl starts a relationship with a man twice her age.
I thought this was a really good look at the subtle nature of grooming, some might find the plot a bit slow but I thought it worked really well. The direction is excellent especially in the pivotal which is incredibly heart breaking. A fantastic performance from Lily McInerny really holds the piece together.
4/5
Lutteurs japonais (1898)
Directed by Constant Girel this is an early short film. Two fighters showcase some kendo.
I like that the camera is well placed to capture the action and movements of both men. There could be a little more action, this is not exactly a frenetic demonstration. Decent short with a good backdrop.
3/5
Big George Foreman (2023)
Directed by George Tillman this film baed on real events stars Khris Davis, Forest Whitaker and Jasmine Matthews. We follow the unorthodox career of a boxer turned preacher turned boxer again.
George Foreman's story is fascinating, this rendition of it is not. In nearly all regards this is a lightweight not a heavyweight. I think the film probably tries to cover too much in too short of a run time to do any part of the story justice.
2/5
Dostojee (2021)
Written & directed by Prasun Chatterjee this film stars Arif Shaikh and Asik Shaikh. Two boys that live next to each other in a rural Indian village are best friends.
As coming of age films go this one is decent, the setting is different to the usual but the plot fairly familiar. While I enjoyed the film it lacked something to take it to the next level and dragged a little in places. A decent effort despite the flaws.
3/5
The Road to Kuthriyar (2021)
Directed by Bharat Mirle this film stars Dhruv Athreye and Chinna Dorai. An unlikely friendship forms between two men as they survey the mammals in a forest.
There are elements of this film that are almost documentary, I am not sure how much of this film is even fictional at times. The film does a decent job of shining a light on the lift of tribal people that used to live in the forest but have been forced out by the government. Maybe a little slow in the middle but a decent watch.
4/5
Une rue a Tokyo (1897)
Directed by Constant Girel this is an early short film. We see a busy street from Tokyo.
Like many of the early street scene films there is not a huge amount to this one. There is hustle and bustle but not a lot more. Fairly average genre film.
3/5
