Less than fantastic

Captain Fantastic (2016)

Written & directed by Matt Ross, this film stars Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Samantha Isler, Annalise Basso and Fank Langella. A man raises his children in the woods with little contact with society but has to take them into the world for their mother's funeral.

While providing an unusual set up to explore the film never really seriously challenges its core concepts. This is more of a self congratulatory look at the alternative life style than a serious exploration of the possibilities. Not a bad watch but in the end pretty light weight.

3/5

Is it really all out of his control?

Barry Lyndon (1975)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick this film based on the novel “The Luck of Barry Lyndon” stars Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson and the voice of Michael Horden. During the 17^th century an man with aspirations is thrown about by the whims of fate.

Shot to reflect the art of the period you can see the artistry in the work of Kubrick's film making very easily. The story walks something of a tightrope of comedy and tragedy as the protagonists life is shaped by events beyond his control. Ultimately this is not my favourite Kubrick film, I did not really connect with it on a personal level, but it is impossible to miss the skill involved in its making.

4/5

Can't stop the light

Traveling Light (1985)

Directed by Jane Aaron this is a short stop motion animation film. We see light work its way across the outside and then the inside of a house.

Simplistic in content there is some charm to the execution of this short. While there might not be much to the plot this is still a fun little exercise in stop motion. I would have liked this film to have a bit more of a point to it but it is not a bad watch in the end.

3/5

Equal to your expectations for a bland sequel

The Equalizer 2 (2018)

Directed by Antoine Fuqua this film stars Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders and Melissa Leo. Our hero helps out some more people and then his only friend gets killed so he has to go investigate that.

This is a pretty generic and predictable genre piece without much of a heart to it. As action films go this is a decently made effort but largely forgettable with nothing to say. We get one real Denzel moment from the script and that is about the only highlight the film has.

3/5

Something a bit different

The Dark (2018)

Written & directed by Justin P. Lange this film stars Nadia Alexander, Toby Nichols and Karl Markovics. A girl living in the woods that has become a monster helps a boy that has been blinded by his kidnapper.

As horror films go this is a somewhat unusual one in terms of story. I really liked that the script tries to bring something different to the genre by providing a gory story with some real humanity to it. Well worth a watch this is a nice change from the usual fare.

4/5

Fear and other teenage emotions

Eighth Grade (2018)

Written & directed by Bo Burnham this film stars Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton and Emily Robinson. A girl about to graduate from middle school makes self help videos on the internet but struggles to live up to her own advise.

This film does a great job of capturing teenage anxiety and the ways immature minds try to deal with the world changing around them. There are plenty of parts of the film that are universal enough to connect with any viewer and it really makes you uncomfortable in places. Excellently made this is a great addition to the coming of age genre.

4/5

Moving on

Heal the Living (2016)

Directed by Katell Quillevere this film based on the novel “Mend the Living” stars Tahar Rahim, Emmanuelle Seinger and Anne Dorval. We how a heart transplant works from the death of a person to the person receiving the organ.

I still prefer the Indian film Ship of Theseus (2013) as my favourite film on organ transplants but this film is a well told piece on the same subject matter. The plot is sensitive and informative without pushing an agenda heavily. Well made but maybe lacking a little punch this is certainly a good watch.

3/5

The first good doggo

Alpha (2018)

Directed by Albert Hughes this film stars Kodi Smit-McPee, Johannes Haukur Johannesson and Natassia Malthe. During the Stone Age a young man on his first hunt is injured and left for dead but tries to make the long trek home.

There are a number of elements in the first third of the film I would quibble with but once the survival story starts this becomes a decent film. The story of the protagonist and the wolf is certainly touching. Not the best film I have seen set in the period but still a better than average watch.

3/5

Bad landing

Eddie the Eagle (2016)

Directed by Dexter Fletcher this film based on real events stars Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman. Dreaming of being an Olympian a man takes up ski jumping as there is no competition for qualification on a national level.

Facts go out the window in favour of a simplistic and overly sentimental piece of cheese. The story of Eddie the Eagle and what he had to go through to get into the Olympics is a really fascinating one but sadly little of it ends up on the screen here. There maybe be something of a decent message to the film but ultimately this is a disappointing execution.

2/5

Fails to cast a shadow

Sundial (1992)

Direcred by William Raban this is a short experimental film. We see Canary Wharf in London from various angles and various times of day.

As a snap shot of London in 1992 this is somewhat interested but this film is far too fast and short to really soak in the setting. There is an interesting idea here but in my opinion the film is just too short. I really wanted to see more if this was going to be a true study of a building and its position in the city.

2/5

Tries to be larger but ends up smaller

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Directed by Peyton Reed this sequel stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Pena and Michael Douglas. Living under house arrest our hero tries to help recover Janet van Dyne from the quantum realm.

Getting a little bogged down in the complications of the plot and techno-babble this film lacks some of the character of the first Ant-Man. Enjoyable but fairly empty there is not really any character development here. Probably not the weakest Marvel film so far this does seem like a by the numbers sequel than one of the studio's better efforts.

3/5

Snakes, I hate snakes.

Serpent (2017)

Written & directed by Amanda Evans this film stars Sarah Dumont and Tom Ainsley. A married couple with problems head off into the wilds of South Africa and end up stuck in a tent with a dangerous snake.

Basically if you do not like snakes this will be a hard watch and if they do not bother you then this film probably will not do much for you. Simple in construction this is a fairly decent watch but very much shows its low budget at times. A decent debut from Amanda Evans but I am more interested to see what she does next.

3/5

An edit!

Chicken Thieves (1897)

Directed by James H. White this is a very early short film. Two black men steal chickens and get shot at by a white farmer.

This early film is probably only notable for having an edit in it, just the one but an edit none the less. Questionable in content there is not a lot to see here and given the film runs less than a minute that is not really a surprise. No doubt one for historical record rather than viewing pleasure.

2/5

Teenagers and jealousy

Blame (2017)

Written & directed by star Quinn Shephard this film also features Nadia Alexander, Chris Messina and Tate Donovan. The personal lives of students at a high school come to a head as they reheard scenes from The Crucible.

Not your run of the mill high school film there is plenty to enjoy here. The script has some interesting characters and decent plot turns. As a directorial debut this is well worth a watch and I am interested to see what Quinn Shephard makes next.

3/5

Sinks rather than swims

Lu over the Wall (2017)

Directed by Masaaki Yuasa this animated film has English voices from Christine Marie Cabanos, Michael Sinterniklaas and Stephanie Sheh. A middle schooler in Japan is depressed but then he joins a band and meets a merfolk girl.

To be honest the plot of this film is kind of disjointed and not as entertaining as it could be. The story is a simplistic and the characters not easy to connect with. Overall this is not the best example of Japanese animation out there.

2/5

To lose a pinky toe in Canada

Super Troopers 2 (2018)

Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar the Broken Lizard gang are back along side Brian Cox, Rob Lowe and Emmanuelle Chriqui. Sent to take over policing a part of Canada that is to become part of the USA our bumbling cops try to keep the peace.

Not as funny as the original this film still has it's moments that will make you laugh. There is nothing high brow here and not much to the plot but there is fun to be had here. Maybe a little tired and not worth the wait this is still a watchable sequel if nothing else.

3/5

Old skool beats

The Cruel Mother (1906)

Directed by Alice Guy-Blache this is an early short film. When father is away mother abuses the son of the family.

Pretty simple in nature this is a very basic early film. There is not much to this other than what the title implies but it is not too bad of a watch for a film from the era. Decently made but nothing special really.

3/5

Too childish

Christopher Robin (2018)

Directed by Marc Forster this film stars Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell and Bronte Carmichael. A grown up Christopher Robin is visited by Pooh to help him learn to spend more time with his family.

Simplistic to say the least this film misses out on the chance to add some real depth to a coming home story in favour of a preachy, shallow story. There are some hints of magic here but all I could ever see was what more this film could have been. The villain of the piece is so obvious as to be a hammer to the head.

2/5

A dog and it's boy?

Dusty and Me (2016)

Directed by Bestan Morris Evans this film stars Luke Newberry, Genevieve Gaunt, Ian Hart and Iain Glen. Having just finished at boarding school an 18 year old boy living in Yorkshire in 1977 comes home and meets a greyhound.

This is a film that does not seem to know what it's audience is, some of the content is too mature for a film that is written like it is aimed at younger children. The protagonist comes across as at least four years too old for the story he is involved in. In the end this is a pretty weak effort that needed some rewriting.

2/5

It blows... down the mountain to the sea

The Mistral (1966)

Directed by Joris Ivens this short film is narrated by Roger Pigaut. We follow the wind from the mountain tops to the coast.

For me this was just a bit too arty but there is certainly something of interest here as the film captures something of the land and the people that live on it. I found this a little on the long side and the narration too obscure for my taste. No doubt some will find this enjoyable but others a bit on the frustrating side.

3/5

Not really incredible

Incredibles 2 (2018)

Written & directed by Brad Bird this film has voices from Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson and Sarah Vowell. A rich dude and his sister employ Elasitgirl to help advocate for the legalising of superheroes.

Fun as sequels go this film is a bit lacking in depth but over all a decent watch. If you just want a few chuckles and not much more this is the film for you but it lacks a bit of heart compared to some of Pixar's better films and is fairly predictable. Having waited so long for a sequel this is a little bit of a disappointment but not a bad film.

3/5

That weak film

That Good Night (2017)

Directed by Eric Styles this film based on the play of the same name stars John Hurt, Max Brown, Sofia Helin, Erin Richards and Charles Dance. A dying writer attempts to reconnect with his son.

Disappointingly obvious this film is a bit of a let down. The subject matter has potential but the execution is cliché and the ending a cop out of feel good rubbish in my opinion. It is a shame that this was John Hurt's last film.

2/5

Not the dream life

The Escape (2017)

Written & directed by Dominic Savage this film stars Gemma Arterton and Dominic Cooper. Depressed and stuck with an unsupportive husband a woman walks out on her two children.

Capturing a lot of realism this is a pretty good look at the crushing nature of the so called dream life. The film features very minimalistic dialogue which may not be for everyone and does keep you at arms length to the characters at time. Decently made this is a well acted film but the dialogue could have done with a little polishing at times which may be a side effect of so much of it being improvised.

4/5

Not that Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth (2016)

Directed by William Oldroyd this film based on the novella “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District” stars Florence Pugh, Cosmo Jarvis and Paul Hilton. A young bride in a loveless marriage takes up with the stable boy.

Starting off in very familiar settings if you stick with this film you will be rewarded as it turns into something altogether different. I am not sure about how I feel about the protagonist at the end of the film which is probably a credit to the piece given her horrible actions. Decently made the film does stray from it's source material towards the end.

3/5

Not a riot

Hotel Artemis (2018)

Written & directed by Drew Pearce this film stars Jodie Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Sofia Boutella, Charlie Day and Dave Bautista. In the near future a bunch of criminals hold up in a secret hospital as the city descends into riots around them.

Coming with a fun concept the script has a decently pressured set up but never really builds on it. Entertaining on the surface level this film fails to add a bit of depth to it's story. Enjoyable but disposable this is a decent watch that is pretty well made.

3/5

Assimilation and feminism in the 1910s

Making an American Citizen (1912)

Directed by Alice Guy-Blache this film stars Lee Beggs and Blanche Cornwall. A couple immigrate to the United States and the husband gets taught not to beat his wife.

There is a lot to unpack here but to modern eyes there are a number of problems with this film. While an early feminist point of view may be at the heart of the film I think this is a naive at best look at domestic violence. For the era it was made in I am sure this was a milestone but now it comes across as unrealistic and a bit xenophobic.

2/5

Stealing and imaginary horses

A Ciambra (2017)

Written & directed by Jonas Carpignano this film stars Pio Amato, Koudous Seihon and Damiano Amato. A fourteen year old boy living in a Romani community in Southern Italy wants to be a criminal like his older brother.

A coming of age set in one of the marginalised communities in Italy this is an interesting watch. As with many films in the genre there is not a lot new to it but it is well made and somewhat universal in it's story. I enjoyed the film but it was a little on the long side in my opinion.

4/5

Cause and effect

All Summers End (2017)

Written & directed by Kyle Wilamowski this film stars Tye Sheridan, Kaitlyn Dever, Austin Abrams and Ryan Lee. A 16 year old boy meets a girl but witnessing the death of her older brother threatens to end their relationship.

Nothing is very new about this coming of age film but it is really well made and tells it's story with genuine care. The ramifications of the literal car crash keep you on the edge of your seat as you see the story slowly creep towards the inevitable emotional car crash between the main characters. Well made and acted this is definitely a worth while addition to the genre.

4/5

To whistle or not to whistle, that is the question

Snowden (2016)

Directed by Oliver Stone this film based on real events stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley. A contractor for the CIA and the NSA becomes disillusioned with the methods of intelligence collection used by his government and becomes a whistleblower.

Taking a heavy hand Stone rams his own political opinion down the viewers throat from the get go. I really would have liked to have seen a gentler hand tell this story. An important discussion is road fairly rough shod over here which is a big shame.

3/5

Needy

Dough and Dynamite (1914)

Directed by star Charlie Chaplin this film also features Chester Conklin and Fritz Schade. Two waiters at a restaurant find themselves working in the kitchen when the kitchen staff all go on strike.

With plenty of decent set pieces this is a good early comedy. The plot may not have a huge amount to say but there are enough laughs to keep you entertained. Well made, this film contains at least a couple of iconic moments.

3/5