Not changing with the times

Metamorphoses (1912)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this is an early short film. We see a woman perform a number of magical tricks.

Full of camera tricks this special effects film is starting to get a bit old for what cinema was progressing to but is still a decent watch. None of the tricks are especially memorial in my mind. A good example of early special effects films.

3/5

Hungry gators

Crawl (2019)

Directed by Alexandre Aja this film stars Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper. With hurricane approaching a young woman returns to Florida to check on her father and both become trapped below the house by alligators.

If like me you really do not like alligators then this will be a tough watch, otherwise this is a fairly predictable film. Nothing the film does has much depth to it, there is the barest of character story grafted onto this survival film. Simple but serviceable is the best way to describe this film.

3/5

The Hunt for The French Retaliation

The Wolf's Call (2019)

Written & directed by Antonin Baudry this film stars Francois Civil, Omar Sy, Mathieu Kassovitz and Reda Kateb. As Europe and Russia clash French submarine forces are ordered to make a retaliatory nuclear strike.

Owing more than a little to The Hunt for the Red October (1990) this film is a pretty decent thriller apart from a couple of moments that are a little stretching things. The action is gripping, with the characters grappling with a serious dilemma and it is fascinating to see how France views itself on a world stage. Not a great film due to a few missteps but certainly a good one.

4/5

A small one

Miniature Theatre (1906)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this is an early short film. Some kids put on a puppet show.

Essentially this is an early stop motion animation film but there is not much to the plot of this film. Nothing will especially wow you about the special effects. Not worth seeking out unless you are a completist.

3/5

Disturbingly bad

Disturbing the Peace (2020)

Directed by York Alec Shackleton this film stars Guy Pearce, Devon Sawa and Kelly Greyson. A small town sheriff in Texas finds his town held hostage by a biker gang.

Essentially this film is trying to be a modern western in the vein of Rio Bravo (1959) but it falls flatter on its face than the town drunk. The script for this film is literally terrible and the execution about on par with that. Characters do things that make no sense and the plot is just bad through out with no real explanations.

1/5

Mustang for tang

The Mustang (2019)

Directed by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre this film stars Matthias Schoenaerts, Jason Mitchell, Bruce Dern and Gideon Adlon. A man in prison takes part in a scheme teaching inmates how to break and train wild horses.

Predictable and familiar if you have seen Healing (2014) this is still a good watch. The film marries America's mythological past with its current high levels of incarceration and love for redemption stories. There is plenty to enjoy even if this is not the most challenging film you will see.

3/5

I could fix this

Killerman (2019)

Written and directed by Malik Bader this film stars Liam Hemsworth, Emory Cohen and Diane Guerrero. Two criminals with aspirations get themselves caught in a fake drug deal.

I am sure there is a really good movie in here some where but the plot needs tweaking to make the most of the memory loss element. As it stands the final twist is too obvious. What I did like was the ending made me really wonder if one of the characters was being selfing or acting kindly at the end.

3/5

A early fire starter

Les flammes diaboliques (1907)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this a short silent film. A devilish magician appears and uses fire for magic.

In terms of plot there is not really a story here but there is plenty of camera tricks to keep you entertained. As with many Chomon films this film has excellent sets and some lovely hand painted colour tinting. A solid example of early special effects cinema.

3/5

In a spin

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobs & Shaw (2019)

Directed by David Leitch this spin off stars Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Vanessa Kirby and Idris Elba. Two men that do not get along are forced to work together to save the world from eugenics terrorists.

There are some elements of this film that I like, such as embracing Johnson's Samoan background, but for the most part the script feels forced and is kind of stupid. The whole franchise has become so over the top it is hard to take anything at face value any more and here we have a cybernetic bad guy out of some sort of sci-fi film. It also perplexes me that the character seem to jump about the globe with no regard for travel time despite the plot being on a strict doomsday clock.

2/5

Who knew JCVD can act?

The Bouncer (2018)

Directed by Julien Leclercq this film also known as “Lukas” stars Jean-Claude van Damme, Sveva Alviti and Sami Bouajila. A man with a past he wants to forget works as a bouncer to pay for his daughter's expensive school but gets drawn into the criminal world.

Thanks to the 90s I was expecting a pretty bad film filled with nothing but action from a Jean-Claude van Damme film but this is a surprisingly gritty piece that is fairly grounded. The plot has some faint echoes of Shane (1953) and does a decent enough job without being remarkable. As thrillers go this is a decent watch.

3/5

Lesson in head removal

The Music Lesson (1909)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this is an early short film. A man tries to hold a music lesson but unable to get the group to focus has their heads taken off.

I am not sure if I saw the full version of this film or just a fragment but there was not a lot there in the plot department. There is a simple special effect that is basically the total of the film. Not worth seeking out as a representation of early cinema.

2/5

Hunting for a point

The Head Hunter (2018)

Directed by Jordan Downy this film stars Christopher Rygh. In the dark ages a man working a monster hunter for a local lord hunts the monster that killed his daughter.

There is not much to this film in terms of plot or run time. I found it impossible to connect with the lack of content here, most of the action happens off screen and I don't think the hero has any kind of arc. It seems there is a lot of praise for this film so maybe I missed something or was just not in the right mood for this film.

2/5

True forgiveness

Corpus Christi (2019)

Driected by Jan Komasa this film stars Bartodz Bielenia, Aleksandra Konieczna and Eliza Rycembel. After being let out from a youth detention centre on parole a young man pretends to be a priest.

I found this to be a fascinating look at Christianity, really diving into a lot of the hypocrisy you find in small town communities. The plot leaves you questioning the true beliefs of the protagonist but never his intentions to help others. This film is well worth looking out and watching even for non-believers like me.

4/5

Moving on

State Like Sleep (2018)

Written & directed by Meredith Danluck this film stars Katherine Waterston, Michael Shannon and Luke Evans. A year after the fact a woman starts looking into the circumstances of her husband's suicide.

As thrillers go this is a fairly decent but ultimately pedestrian effort. The plot is more about the character arc of the protagonist than the mystery itself. If you like films about grief this may be one for you otherwise you can probably skip it.

3/5

Can we get a plot please?

L'obsession de lo'r (1906)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this is an early short film. An artist is too broke to pay the rent then a fairy appears.

To be honest the plot of this film is a bit incomprehensible, it is not exactly easy to follow what is happening or make sense of it all. Where this film shines is in Chomon's trademark visuals during the fantasy sequence. There is charm to both the visuals and the special effects which carry this film.

3/5

Angel of gloss

Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

Directed by Robert Rodriguez this film based on the manga “Gunnm” stars Rosa Salazar, Christoph Walzt, Jennifer Connelly and Mahershala Ali. A cyborg with amnesia awakes in a new body in a dystopian future.

Clearly the visual effects work is top notch here but that is about all that is. I found the plot to be mediocre and lacking in a clear ending. It is also super disappointing that at no point does the film ever challenge the idea that wanton violence is the only way to do anything.

3/5

I sacrificed my time

The Sacrifice (1986)

Written & directed by Andrei Tarkovsky this film stars Erland Josephson, Susan Fleetwood, Allan Edwall and Sven Wollter. A man makes a pact with god to stop an impending nuclear holocaust.

This is one of those films that was just a little too slow moving and abstract for me. No doubt due to the film's celebrated director it will have a lot of fans but I was left cold and disappointed. The central religious themes of the film just did not connect at all, I can see what the director is going for but if you are not in the mood for this film it will fall flat.

4/5

Leave those kids alone

The Good Judge (1906)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this is an early short film. When their mother falls asleep three children living in poverty go out to get firewood but get arrested.

There is not a huge amount to this short film and the title gives away the conclusion. I much prefer Segundo de Chomon when he is attempting the fantastical rather than these run of the mill type stories. Not worth seeking out, a fairly standard film for the era.

3/5

Feels a bit like a sequel

Unstoppable (2018)

Directed by Kim Min-ho this film stars Ma Dong-seok, Sing Ji-hyo, Kim Sung-oh and Kim Min-jae. A former gangster trying to live a straight life takes on the human trafficking ring that kidnaps his wife.

There is not much to the plot of this film that mixes action, comedy and a dark subject matter in a slightly uneasy mix. I enjoyed the film even if some of the comedic moments felt a little out of place. A decent genre film if nothing else.

3/5

A goose wanting to be loose

Father Goose (1964)

Directed by Ralph Nelson this film stars Cary Grant, Leslie Caron and Trever Howard. During WW2 a reclusive American is very reluctantly tricked into working as coastal watcher for the allies in the Pacific.

I am somewhat surprised to see that this film won an Academy Award for the screenplay given this is a fun but shallow film. Enjoyable even if it has not aged very well this is a fun watch. Cary Grant remains watchable despite not being at his best here.

3/5

Change the ending

Brothers in Arms (2019)

Directed by Henry Alex Rubin this film also known as “Semper Fi” stars Jai Courtney, Beau Knapp, Finn Wittrock, Arturo Castro and Nat Wolff. A group of reservist marines are sent to Iraq while one of them goes to jail back home for murder.

Where this film should be tragic it decides to be triumphalist which really hits the wrong note in my opinion. The plot sets up a fairly good dramatic problem for the characters but the conclusion is just way out of whack. If you can turn your brain off I suppose this is not a bad movie.

2/5

Just about more than an Uber advert

Stuber (2019)

Directed by Micahel Dowse this film stars Kumail Nanjiani, Dave Bautista and Iko Uwais. An Uber driver is forced to help a policeman recovering from laser eye surgery hunt down a drug dealer.

As buddy cop comedies go this is not a terrible one but is fairly generic. I did like the chemistry between the two leads and that is just about enough to carry this film. There are a few decent action sequences and the odd funny moment but the jokes could have done with a little punching up.

3/5

Trapped in paradise?

Two Thousand Women (1944)

Directed by Frank Launder this film stars Patricia Roc, Phyllis Calvert, Jean Kent and Flora Robson. Three crashed RAF pilots find themselves in a women's internment camp in France during WW2.

Pretty simple in terms of being a comedy this is a fun little war time film. The plot is no great shakes but there are a few decent jokes scattered about. For the time there are some progressive lines in the film, even the suggestion that one of the heroines is a lesbian.

3/5

When no one cares

Beauty and the Dogs (2017)

Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania this film inspired by real events stars Mariam Al Ferjani and Ghanem Zrelli. When a young woman is raped by two policeman no one wants to take the report.

Dealing with tough subject matter this is a really good look at corruption and rape culture. I loved the long, single camera shots that make up the nine different sequences in the film. There is some impressive acting and direction on show here.

4/5

It is catchy

The Yawner (1907)

Directed by Segundo de Chomon this is an early short film. A man wakes up in the morning unable to stop yawning.

This is a simple film based on the premise that yawns are infectious. Not the deepest of early films that you will see but the solid premise works well in the short form. There are a few chuckles along the way but this is not what you would call riotously funny.

3/5

No rain, all sunshine

A Boy Called Sailboat (2018)

Written & directed by Cameron Nugent this film stars Julian Atocani Sanchez, Noel Gugliemi and J. K. Simmons. A boy obsessed with sailboats finds a small guitar and wants to play a song for his dying grandmother.

One of the most offbeat films you are likely to ever see this is still packed with cuteness. I really enjoyed the slow place and simple nature of this story of a small boy. I really can't wait to see what Cameron Nugent does next.

4/5

A shadow is cast

Under the Tree (2017)

Directed by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurosson this film stars Steinpor Hroar Steinporsson, Edda Bjorgvinsdottir and Lara Johanna Jonsdottir. The feud between two families over the shadow cast by a tree spirals out of control.

Reminding me of the poetry of William Blake this is a fun little black comedy from Iceland. The plot is simple but makes a clear point. If you like dark comedy there is plenty to laugh at here, if your sense of humour is not of a dark persuasion then this might be one to skip for you.

4/5

The definition of exploitative

Breakthrough (2019)

Directed by Roxann Dawson this film based on real events stars Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas, Topher Grace and Marcel Ruiz. When out playing with his friends a fourteen year old boy falls through the ice.

Pushing an agenda the size of the Titanic this film is full speed ahead selling Christianity to you. There are a whole bunch of things I really hated about this movie from the way it trivializes the contributions of highly skilled professionals to the implication people just need to pray harder. Some of the characters behaviour comes across as really cult like and creepy to those of us who aren't believers.

1/5

A bad idea all round

Papillon (2017)

Directed by Michael Noer this remake stars Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek. In the 1920s a French man is sent to a penal colony in South America.

Remaking the classic Steve McQueen/Dustin Hoffman version of this film was never going to turn out well for the film makers. This is not a bad film but it always pales in comparison to its predecessor. If you are going to watch a version of this film watch the other one even though there is nothing really wrong with this film.

3/5

Too much sole

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

Written & directed by Quentin Tarantino this film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie. In 1960s Hollywood a tv actor realising his career is on the way down discovers he is living next to Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate.

As with any Tarantino film this one elicited a huge amount of praise and success but at the end I was left unsure about how I felt about it. On the one hand I loved the exploration of 1960s Hollywood from the point of view of the less glamorous side but on the other I am not sure how I feel about the ending contrasting with history. There are definitely some enjoyable parts to this film and the long run time did not seem like a stretch.

3/5

Bear with me

Mickey and the Bear (2019)

Written & directed by Annabelle Attanasio this film stars Camila Morrone, James Badge Dale, Calvin Demba and Ben Rosenfield. An 18 year old girl tries to look after her veteran father while contemplating leaving her small home down in Montana.

Covering a lot of familiar content in this coming of age tale this is still a really good watch. Rural Montana makes for a beautiful back drop, giving some really nice visuals to the film. I really enjoyed this film even if it is a fairly standard genre piece.

3/5