Just say no to this film

Holmes & Watson (2018)

Written & directed by Etan Cohen this film stars Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Rebecca Hall and Rob Brydon. The famous duo investigate a threat against the life of the Queen of England.

Oh boy. Taking hamming it up to previously unseen levels this is neither smart or funny. About the best thing I can say about this film is that while it may not be as bad as some of the press has made it out to be it is still a seriously weak effort.

2/5

Sins of a mother

Darkness Visible (2018)

Directed by Neil Biswas this film stars Jaz Deol, Sayani Gupta, Neil Bhoopalam and Salome R. Gunnarsdottir. A London raised man of Indian decent goes to India when his mother is mysteriously knocked down by a car there.

As horror films go this one is not especially gory or scary but has the odd jump scare here and there. The plot is no great shakes and to be honest the script could have done with a bit of tweaking as it lurches from scene to scene at times. Probably not worth seeking out but not the worst film you will see either.

2/5

No ending

An Untimely Intrusion (1902)

Directed by Alice Guy-Blache this is an early short film. A couple having an argument are interrupted by a third party.

There is not a huge amount to the plot here and no real conclusion to the “story”. I did not find the film especially funny so I am not sure it works as a comedy. Nothing really stands out here so it is hard to find much to say about this short.

2/5

More disappointment than trouble

Trouble (2017)

Written & directed by Theresa Rebeck this film stars Anjelica Huston, Bill Pullman, David Morse and Julia Stiles. Two siblings argue over the land their father owned.

I found this film nearly impossible to get into despite it having an impressive cast. Nearly every element of this film is a disappointment from the script to performances. None of the characters are worth trying to connect with and the whole plot feels forced.

2/5

More a question mark than an Asterix

Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion (2018)

Directed by Alexandre Astier and Louis Clichy this is an animated film based on the popular Asterix and Obelix comics. Our heroes search all of Gaul for a student druid worthy of being a successor to Getafix.

There are so many excellent Asterix stories I have no idea why the film makers decided to go with something original here. What we get is a pretty weak plot that while captures some of the tone of the comics never lives up to their standard. The animation style and voice acting are fine but can not save this film.

2/5

An imagined explanation

The Vanishing (2018)

Directed by Kristoffer Nyholm this film inspired by real events stars Gerard Butler, Connor Swindells and Peter Mullan. Three lighthouse keepers living on an isolated island find the body of a man washed up on the shore.

Imagining a fantastical solution for the 1900 disappearance of three lighthouse keepers this is a decent psychological thriller. The plot mostly stays realistic even if there is no evidence to support the theories it puts forward. I really enjoyed this look into isolation, greed and guilt.

3/5

More than meets the eye

How Monsieur Takes His Bath (1903)

Directed by Alice Guy-Blache this is a nearly short film staring Ferdinand Zecca. When he tries to get undressed for a bath a man finds he is wearing an ever increasing amount of clothes.

On the surface this seems like a fairly simple camera trick film and is pretty entertaining. When put in a historical context this is intended as a reversal of the number of layers women of the period were expected to wear. A decent short with something to say.

3/5