Familiar times

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

Written & directed by Drew Goddard this film stars Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson and John Hamm. A group of strangers staying at a hotel on the California/Nevada state border all have their secrets.

An unkind person might call this a cheap Tarantino knock off, the film certainly does not live up to Tarantino's level of quality and has a lot of familiar elements but is still a decent watch. There are maybe just too many things mashed together here for the film to stand on it's own two feet but it remains enjoyable. At times the direction gets a little frustrating but not too detrimental to the film.

3/5

Real estate market is a killer

Arizona (2018)

Directed by Jonathan Watson this film stars Rosemarie DeWitt and Danny McBride. A woman is kidnapped after witnessing an irate customer kill her boss.

Set against the early 2000s real estate crisis this is a fun film but does not have much to say on the subject matter. There is plenty of black humour which carries the film. Decent but unremarkable performances from the cast pretty much sum up this film.

3/5

1900's instagram

At the Photographer's (1900)

Directed by Alice Guy-Blache this is an early short film. A man annoys a photographer by posing in a serious of silly positions.

There is not a huge amount to this film but I suppose what there is does raise a chuckle. If you are looking for sophisticated comedy this is not one for you but does a decent job of being what it is. Not that different from a lot of films of the same era but decently made.

3/5

A very weak film

A Very Bad Day (2017)

Directed by Judy Greer this film also known as “A Happening of Monumental Proportions” has a large cast including Common, Bradley Whitford and Jennifer Garner. On career day at an elementary school a father is fired from his job and the school administrators hide a dead body.

There is a ton of acting talent on show here but sadly the script is not really up to much. Over all I found this film to be disappointment. Even Keanu Reeves showing up at the end can not save this film.

2/5

Far to good for the simple concept

Assassination Nation (2018)

Written & directed by Sam Levinson this film stars Odessa Young, Suki Waterhouse, Hari Nef and Abra. A hacker releases the personal pictures and text messages of half the people in a town.

Slightly on the nose this modern retelling of the Salem Witch Trials is a fantastic look at sexuality and the information era. I love nearly everything about this film from the handling of the subject matter to the highly stylised direction. Somewhere between an MTV video and the best of a genre slasher film this is well worth a watch, possibly the perfect companion piece to Spring Breakers (2012) if someone was running a double feature.

5/5

Hate, hate everywhere

The Hate U Give (2018)

Directed by George Tillman Jr. this film based on the novel of the same name stars Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall and Russell Hornsby. A sixteen year old African American girl witnesses the shooting of one of her friends by a police officer.

This film does a great job of bringing to the screen a terrible tragedy that is regularly repeated in real life. I thought the film did a great job of humanising the issues on screen but I think the ending falls into the trap of needing to try to suggest a solution to a complex problem that has no easy way out. There are some great performances, especially from Amandla Stenberg in the lead role.

4/5

A woman of winter

Dance of the Seasons: Winter, Snow Dance (1900)

Directed by Alice Guy-Blache this is an early short film. A woman personifies winter through dance.

Just a single static shot of a woman dancing on stage there is not a huge amount to this piece. The staging and dance are decent but you can not help but feel this is just capturing a small part of a larger act. Not a bad watch for the period it was made in but not a stand out piece.

3/5