All bull, no shit

 Jallikattu (2019)

Directed by Lijo Jose Pellisee this film stars Anthony Varghese, Chemban Vinod Jose and Sabumond Abdusamand. As an escaped buffalo runs amok an entire village descends into madness.

I am not sure what I was expecting from this film but it works really well as a reminder that our societies are never far from a return to anarchy. It is hard to pin down what genre this film exists in at times, there are moments that are comedic, tragic and horrific all mixed in together. Certainly this is not the usual fare.

4/5

Left wanting

 Black and Blue (2019)

directed by Deon Taylor this film stars Naomie Harris, Tyrese Gibson and Frank Grillo. A rookie cop witnesses police executing criminals and goes on the run.

Now more than ever there are many important things to be said about race and policing but this film uses them as a back drop rather than diving deep into those topics. As a thriller this is a decent enough theme but the subject matter has the potential for so much more. Naomie Harries really carries the film.

3/5

Worst title of the 1890s

 Men Boxing (1891)

Directed by William K. L. Dickson and William Heise this is an early short film. Two men face off in the boxing ring.

What we see here is two man not actually boxing at all just in a pose as if they were about to fight. In some ways you could say this is the first big disappointment in cinema. No doubt a useful experiment for the film makers but not up to much for the rest of us.

2/5

Uneven

 The Good Liar (2019)

Directed by Bill Condon this film based on the novel of the same name stars Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren and Russell Tovey. An ageing con artist selects another wealthy widow as his next target.

Despite all the acting talent which gamely tries to carry this film the script is a bit of a let down. The twist such as it is is obvious and undercut by a motive that is not previously foreshadowed at all. As much as I enjoy the early parts of the film the lack of pay off is a real disappointment and I'm unsure how I feel about the mean spirited ending.

3/5

History forgotten

 The Battle of Jangsari (2019)

Directed by Kwak Kyung-taek & Kim Tae-hoon this film stars Kim Myung-min, Megan Fox and Choi Min-ho. A group of under prepared Korean student soldiers are send as a diversionary attack with no back up or plans for rescue.

Nothing is subtle about this film as it goes for melodrama and hammering home its point through direct dialogue. At every turn the plot of this film feels heavily contrived which does not help matters. About the only real point of interest here is the curiosity of seeing Megan Fox in a Korean film but that is no where near enough to carry this film.

2/5

The first wave of cinema

 Dickson Greeting (1891)

Directed by William K. L. Dickson and William Heise this is an early short film. A man waves to the audience.

This is a blink and you'll miss it film being barely three seconds long but a huge improvement in image quality over the Monkeyshine films. The image is clear and crisp. While there might not be a lot to this short it is still a major milestone in American cinema.

3/5

Walking a known path

 The Dustwalker (2019)

Written & directed by Sandra Sciberras this film stars Kolene Anderson, Stef Dawson and Talina Naviede. A small town in the Australian outback has to deal with an alien parasite taking over the local population.

Following well worn subject matter this film does not have much to offer in terms of originality or depth. There is not even that much that is unique thanks to the setting either. All in all this is a fairly bland horror film with nothing memorable about it.

2/5