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StanMadden67
Reviews
Elvis (2022)
Superb!
In recent times we've seen a resurgence of that famous era of Rock'n'Roll. This film being the most anticipated, and it did NOT disappoint!
I thought Austin Butler was sensational, and resurrected the spirit of Elvis. I thought he looked more like Elvis from the military era onward. Tom Hanks was equally captivating to watch as Col. Tom Parker.
I love Baz Luhrmann. I thoroughly enjoyed his adaptation of Moulin Rouge.
I understand there are many in the Rock 'n' Roll community who've despised this film, solely because its trying to do something different. Why take it so seriously? I love it when people make interesting decisions.
Go and see it whilst you can!
That'll Be the Day (1973)
Okay. A bit boring
The film was okay. David Essex was quite old when he did this, playing a young lad.
A character we're supposed to be invested in does many questionable things, which makes us uncertain whether we should be invested at all (especially one scene in particular. If you know, you know!).
The music was great, and Ringo held himself well. I wasn't keen on the pacing of the film. It seemed to drag a bit from time to time.
Give it a watch by all means.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Good fun
Good fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Tom Cruise hasn't lost his touch at all! Stunts were excellent, and the cast well put together!
Catch this movie when you can!
The Diary of an Aryan Girl (2017)
A Strong Taster Before The Feature
I caught Dandilicious at the Lift Off festival, and after thoroughly enjoying that film, I did some research into the filmmaker.
The Diary of an Aryan Girl was the last film Andrew Games made before advancing into the medium of feature length movies. I was very impressed with this production. A much smaller, shorter and contained film, but equally as affective as Andrew's later works.
It's clear that Andrew Games is a very talented story teller, and his films are well thought out. This film did suffer from being, perhaps, too small to be big, yet too big to be small. The story, the characters, the action sequence (though unnecessary), are all compact within 20 minutes, and struggles to deliver in some areas, as there isn't enough time to invest in the characters.
However, what really made this film worth while were the performances. The lead actress was Sarah Sharp who played the wife of the young couple, Anna Wilhelm, whose performance is contained before the end of the film, when her character breaks the threshold of the stereotypical 'House Wife' of the wartimes, to becoming a strong, independent woman, who challenges her husband and his National Socialist values. Andrew Games, on the other hand, plays the husband, whose character starts as a pleasant, supportive and affectionate husband, who would later grow to become as corrupt as the SS he would eventually be a part of. A very subtle, and naturalistic performance. Both actors were enjoyable to watch.
As suggested by the headline of my review, this was a tantalising example of what Andrew was capable of, both as an actor, and as a filmmaker. Making a feature length film for his next project was definitely the right move. Though The Diary of an Aryan Girl isn't perfect, it is still enjoyable to watch, and is a breath of fresh air compared to most independent films you see online.
Whilst I found it for free... why not give up 20 odd minutes of your time and give it a watch!
Dandilicious (2021)
A Potential Indie Darling!
I have just caught Dandilicious at the latter part of Lift Off Festival. I bought a ticket to support another film I've been following called Mariangula, and thought I may as well binge and watch other films that were selected at the film festival.
I came across this film called Dandilicious, and I was intrigued by the subject. I gave it a go... WOW. I really was not expecting a film like this. From its big and colourful characters, to its slick cinematography, and memorable soundtrack, I couldn't stop watching.
The cast were incredible. I thought Andrew Games as the teddy boy was sharp, and commanded your attention. Whilst Jade Mark as the heartbroken Brenda was someone I couldn't stop smiling at whenever she was on screen. Such a beautiful performance. Whereas other standouts were Domino played by Emmett Meehan, and Katerina Hill, who went from a self-centred character, to becoming someone who you genuinely wanted to give a cuddle to after her monologue.
This film really is an explosion of style, from 4th wall breaking, 8mm footage, and an epic sequence at the end of the film that still gives me goosebumps now as I write this.
It's a 2 hour long film. At first glance, I thought it would be a chore to get through, but it did fly by. There were scenes I felt could have been shortened, or worthy of a DVD bonus feature, but nothing that irritated me long term. There were some inconsistencies, but considering this was made on a very small budget makes it easily forgivable and doesn't distract from the story.
It wasn't until I did more research on this production since watching it that I've learnt that the cast are actually Liverpudlians playing cockneys. Its surprised me to know this, and though its unclear why this choice was made, its a testament to the actors that they can blend in to any region convincingly. Kudos to them.
I was also surprised to learn that the director, writer and actor are in fact the same person. Proven to be a recipe for disaster, this really wasn't the case here. Andrew Games is a tour de force, whilst also giving others room, and allowing actors to make an impact. It's evident from the documentaries and behind the scenes videos that this was a collaborative effort, and I believe this was the real spark of the production. Everyone clearly liked each other when the cameras weren't rolling, and wanted this production to do well.
It's rare to find movies like this, especially independent films. Dandilicious is daring, cheeky, aggressive, funny, and smart.
If this is accomplished with a micro budget, then just think what can be done with a studio financing the film.
Go and see it!