To live is to suffer

 

When Jeff Tried to Save the World (2018)

Directed by Kendall Goldberg this film stars Jon Heder, Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle. A man with depression tries to save the bowling alley he manages while being visited by his sister and her best friend.

I really enjoyed this film, it is rare you see a protagonist like this who is dealing with depression. There were a couple of moments that did not ring true for me but over all this is a good look at a mundane life. While the plot is a little predictable it is still a fun watch.

3/5

Not Nicholas Cage bad

 

Death of Me (2020)

Directed by Darren Lynn Bousmann this film stars Maggie Q, Luke Hemsworth and Alex Essoe. A couple staying on a Thai island wake up with no memory of the night before.

Honestly I found this to be a better remake of The Wicker Man than the Nicholas Cage version, not that that is saying much. What made me uncomfortable was not the horror elements but the concern that the film was a bit racist when you get down to it. In the end not a film I would recommend.

2/5

Enemy of the premise

Archenemy (2020)

Directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer this film stars Skylan Brooks, Zolee Griggs and Joe Manganiello. A teenage boy meets a homeless man who believes he is a super hero from another dimension.

There are some really interesting ideas in the concept of the film but the last third really squanders any potential the film has. With some reworking I think this could have been a great film, as is it removes any dramatic weight. The animated sequences are a nice addition to an otherwise cheap looking film.

2/5

The rare view out

 

Scene from the Elevator Ascending Eiffel Tower (1900)

Directed by James H. White this is an early short film. Rather than looking at the Eiffel Tower for a change we look out from it.

At times the camera's view is obstructed by the metal work of the tower but for the most part this film provides a rare look out over Paris of the period. Maybe not the most clear of films however it is still worth a watch. No doubt an interesting historical record.

3/5

Standards have fallen

 

Angel Has Fallen (2019)

Directed by Ric Roman Waugh this third film in the series stars Gerard Butler, Danny Huston, Morgan Freeman and Jada Pinkett Smith. Our hero is framed for an assassination attempt on the president.

Covering a lot of familiar story elements there is really nothing original here, in fact I saw the estranged dad in a cabin part in another film only a month or two ago. The action sequences are not that impressive and on one or two occasions go on a little too long. I suppose the benefit this film has over the original in the series is that it is not as riddled with nationalism.

2/5

Yellow

 

The Sunlit Night (2019)

Directed by David Wnendt this film based on the novel of the same name stars Jenny Slate, Fridtjov Saheim and Alex Sharp. An American artist goes to Norway to work as an assistant to a Norwegian artist in the hopes of jump starting both her career and life.

I found this film entertaining mainly thanks to the performance of Jenny Slate. At times the script suffers a little in the way many novel to screen adaptations do but is generally decent. A fun little diversion if not much more than that.

3/5

Not that messy

 

Mess Call (1896)

Directed by James H. White this is an early short film. A group of soldiers get lunch from the mess hall.

There is really not a huge amount to this short, a bunch of soldiers mostly milling about with food. One of the figures makes the most of being on camera while others ignore it. I doubt this film has a lot of historical value but the image quality is pretty decent on it.

3/5