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