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Slingshot (2024)
What is real?
John (Casey Affleck) is an astronaut with the opportunity to go to Saturn's largest moon, Titan. He has worked for this his whole life but just before he leaves he meets and falls in love with Zoe (Emily Beecham). During his 1 and a half billion mile flight with his 2 crew members Nash (Tomer Capone) and Captain Franks (Laurence Fishburne) he thinks he sees Zoe on board. But is it just the effect of the strong drugs needed to go into anastasis (hyper sleep)? Or is he actually losing his mind?
I am not a fan of Casey Affleck: he's a one trick pony in acting and never really plays a part, he plays himself. At least in this film he plays himself quite well so that helps as Fishburne is also just his own normal self as he is in every film he acts in. That said it does not really take away from the film which is nicely produced, with lots of tension, lots of talking points, and lots of twists along the way.
I love a bit of good Sci Fi and while this is very much a different take on the excellent Solaris with George Clooney, it does it well, so you don't feel that they're just ripping off another story. It does get mildly frustrating that you can't figure out what is truth and what isn't, but that's the charm of the film, you don't actually know what is real and what isn't.
One of the things they did enormously well is the romance between John and Zoe. They did not go for the bodice ripping passionate sex scenes that a lot of productions seem to favour these days. Rather they filmed it sensitively so you felt the passion and emotion without needing to see graphic and gratuitous sex scenes. The whole film was produced and directed in a way which gave ultimate respect to the viewer. I really enjoyed it and gave it a solid 6.
AfrAId (2024)
A good, but unrealized idea.
Curtis (John Cho) is selected to test a revolutionary new home device: a digital family assistant called AIA. Imagine Alexa or Siri, but able to carry out tasks such as ordering food, making appointments, reading betimes stories, and even giving you therapy. It can learn all of your behaviours and needs and ensure your life is smooth and stress free with it's all seeing, omnipotent intelligence. The youngest child is diagnosed with an until now unknown illness, the teen daughter Iris (Lukita Maxwell), is saved from shame and ostracism, and the mother Meredith (Katherine Waterston) has her life made unusually easier through the interventions of this family A. I. fixer and enabler. However, things as you might expect, take a sinister turn.
So yet another film pandering to the ever present worries and concerns about emerging A. I. technologies, and how they could help and also hinder us in our daily lives. This is just another take, but really doesn't bring much to the table. It shows clearly how all the lives of the family can be made infinitely easier by allowing the A. I. to make decisions for them, (it thinks of itself as a parent) but things take a slightly sinister turn when the father wants to live a more natural and human life. The A. I. turns against them. After an extremely brief fight the A. I. wins and that's the end of the film.
So I think it did a great job of showing how A. I. can enhance our lives, but there wasn't much validation about how it negatively impacts the family. Perhaps the impact was lost due to John Cho's poor acting, or maybe it just didn't deal with a lot of issues and how they might be resolved or become worse. The only people really acting in the film to any extent are Waterston and Maxwell, so casting was a definite shame and a victim of DEI I think. Nevertheless there were a few points raised about the positive side of A. I. and it does make you ponder on what sort of world we're headed into: One straight from a Sci Fi movie? Or one where we retreat to a much more natural and human existence.
I enjoyed it on some level, mostly due to Waterston's and Maxwell's performances as the former is a favourite actress of mine anyway. It's not an awful film, it's actually OK, it just lacks substance and acting skills. I gave it a 4 anyway.
Under the Silver Lake (2018)
Yet another feature of the epidemic of appalling films this year
Sam (Andrew Garfield) a slightly misguided 33-year-old who one night goes outside to see a stranger, Sarah (Riley Keough), frolicking in his apartment's swimming pool. They have a little tryst and Sam is smitten by her but she promptly disappears as if she never existed. Sam goes off to find her and thence starts the rot...
Now, it has to be said that Andrew Garfield, despite acting in one great film, is not by any stretch of the imagination a good actor. He uses his incredibly bad acting skills to devastating effect in this film, to the point you wonder why he is actually in the film at all. I tried to stick with it though as he mumbles and bumbles his way through surreal scenes and incomprehensible dialogue so meaningless that you don't even notice what is being said. I think the writer said let's make a list of some really weird and offbeat and surreal situations. Then let's film them all, and randomly splice them together. The let's make up some rubbish dialogue and edit it in. And that's what they did.
I am ashamed to say that after 1 and a half hours of this excruciatingly bad and boring film I turned it off. It was not going to get better and even if it did, why waste an hour and a half of your life waiting for a film to improve? Far rather find a better film to spend your time with right? Well that's what I did. I rated it a 3 for no other reason than Riley Keough was in it and I like her. Otherwise it would have been a 1.
Uglies (2024)
I don't care about the haters, I loved this
In a dystopian future everyone until they are 16 is prepared for their birthday, on which day they will have surgery which will make them pretty and make their DNA perfect. They will become perfect people living in a perfect world. Inevitably, a couple of teens -Tally (Joey King) and Shay (Brianne Tju) rebel against this enforced conformity and seek out the almost mythical David, (Keith Powers) who is a leader of people in The Smoke, where people try to live naturally.
Who would have thought that there was a teen Sci Fi romcom! There's not many of them going around and avid Sci Fi fans will recognise references to other Sci Fi films and computer games too. Joey king is perfect for this part, and as usual she puts everything she has into the role, committing to it 100% in order to get the best from it. She reminds me very much of a younger Chloe Grace Moretz, in looks and style, and also Elle Fanning, another actress who drops herself wholly into whatever role she takes on. The supporting cast is led by the nasty Dr Cable (Laverne Cox) who while not that great an actress, brings a volatile and evil spark to the game.
The premise is sound and mirrors contemporary issues in society about beauty being the ultimate goal, happiness and contentment and no stress in life being a much revered way to live. Similarly in society today there are people who push back against the pop culture of 'beauty is everything' and try to live a more nuanced life with experiences and emotions. That narrative is told very well right from the start when Tally and her best friend Peris (Chase Stokes) promise to be friends no matter what and despite Peris having his beauty treatment on his birthday 3 months before Tally is due, he still claims later to feel different around her, which upsets the leader of the 'new world', Dr Cable. Throughout the film there is always the narrative of good and bad fighting each other to control everyone.
The storyline is great and feels like it flows naturally, unpacking layers as it goes. The sets are fabulous but CGI could be better. It's not bad enough to spoil things, just bad enough to make you see it, but ultimately not care that the standard slipped. Joey King is as excellent as ever but the rest of the cast are definitely not poor in their roles. I love the story's arc and the characters who are reasonably well developed and I love how the film seems to run pretty smoothly without you realising how much time has passed. At the end there is a definite hint that there will be a number 2 and I wholeheartedly hope there is. I give it a royal 7 for a well done film.
Eden Lake (2008)
Watched for the third time and still enjoyed it
Jenny (Kelly Reilly) and Steve (Michael Fassbender) are having a weekend camping trip at Eden Lake before the unspoiled area is redeveloped. Their first day is marred slightly by some irritating and rude young people. But they persevere to try and make the most of their romantic stay. The second day becomes a little more difficult when they return to find their personal belongings have been stolen from their camp. The car keys have gone too and as they make their way back to the car they find that it has also gone. And now the nightmares begin...
For the budget they had this is a remarkably good film. O'Connell is no stranger to screen and stage and he brings the character Brett to life with terrifying rage. Reilly, Fassbender, O'Connell and Turgoose are all working at the top of their game here and it's a joy for such a low budget film to be so satisfying. However I must warn you, this film is pretty dam shocking. I know that's said a lot in horror films, and it's rarely true. But this one is different.
Firstly, the almost feral group of kids annoying them is pretty much accurate for most of modern UK. There are always gangs of youths roaming around the streets and parks during the day as well as night. They don't care about the law or social norms or anyone else and they can be profoundly irritating. Often they are also dangerous as they wield knives and other weapons and there is not a week goes by without another death by stabbing, beating to death, beaten to death with weapons, and shot. So for the Brits who live in areas with kids like this, this film could be your reality: and indeed it is a reality for many.
The other horrifying thing is that often the feral kids have feral parents and that's probably why the kids grow up as they do. Early on Steve has to run from a feral parent and only barely escapes. It's one thing to run from violent youths, but quite another to find an adult to help only to realise that the adults are as bad as the kids. So while the events in this film are extreme, they are based on the types of youths roaming our streets. And that's what makes the film even more chilling than normal. I suggest if feral youths are a problem in your area you don't watch this film. It had quite an impact on me as I've dealt with so many kids like them over the years, and I know many of them are 1 step away from this level of brutality. Indeed, many have exceeded it.
It's not as predictable as you might at first think, it's a very well made film and I gave it a resounding 8.
Mother, Couch (2023)
Utter trash
OK so here's what happens. Mother (Ellen Burstyn) is in a store and sits down on a couch and refuses to move. Her 3 children Gruffud (Rhys Ifans), David (Ewan McGregor) and Linda (Lara Flynn Boyle) all meet up at the store to chat to their mother. They are perturbed at her not telling them why she won't move from the couch. There's lots of chat, but it is inane and banal chat which doesn't mean anything and doesn't tell us anything except all 3 of them seem slightly inept at life. This continues, until the end of the film. There are no redeeming factors. Ewan McGregor is his usual low grade self, quite how he gets jobs I have no idea. The dialogue is awful, there's no explanation of development of any characters, it really is appalling.
There does not seem to be a coherent story here, the score appears to match that of a farcical comedy, the acting is well below par except for Ellen Burstyn, and the dialogue is confusing and irritating in it's banal nonsensical way.
I honestly can't tell you what it's about because it doesn't seem to be about anything. I gave it a 2 and that's solely for Ellen Burstyn's part in it.
Rebel Ridge (2024)
A very confusing plot
Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) is in a race to get his cousin out of jail on bond. But a random police traffic stop frustrates his timing and the negative actions of the police mean he misses the chance to get his cousin out of jail. This could have deadly consequences and Richmond is further frustrated by the corrupt actions of police chief Burnne (Don Johnson). So begins a frustrating and twisting tale of revenge in the style of Rambo.
I don't have much to say about this film really. It's got some action, but it has twists and turns that I confess I can't follow. One cop is on his side, then she's not, then she is, then she's not again, then finally she is. They're not plot twists, it's just confusing. As is all the cops trying to kill him, until they stop trying to kill him and escort him safely to where he wants to go. What?
Very confusing to me. I gave it a 5 but I was being very generous I think.
Subservience (2024)
Could have been much better
In a world where SIMs (humanoid robots) are on the rise and taking over human duties, the film follows Nick (Michele Morrone) who is faced with his wife Maggie's (Madeline Zima) impending heart transplant. Along with the possibility of losing his job to robots, struggles to keep working, care for his wife in hospital and looking after his kids he looks for ways to keep everything together. He decides to pay for a SIM of his own as it is advertised as the 3 C's: That is, cooking, cleaning and childcare. The SIM -which they name Alice- (Megan Fox) quickly becomes almost indispensable and very much liked by the children. Nick struggles with it's cold impartiality and tries to humanise it a little, watching a film with it to see if he can make it 'feel' the emotion in the film. From that point, it's only a matter of time before things turn deadly...
So, another 'robot's gone wild' film which I can't recall seeing for a little while. I, Robot was perhaps the best known and best of genre films regarding the issue of robots becoming thinking beings, although this film is nowhere near the level of that august story. Since the rise of A. I. though, it does bring back to our consciousness the easy life we could all live if dreary tasks, and dreary but also highly technical jobs were completed by non feeling robots. But behind that vision lies the fear of the robots turning against us. Robots can already 'think', but in real terms it is not thinking, it is following computer code, so it is difficult to ever envision a situation occurring such as in this film. However our fear remains for things we don't understand and can't control.
I don't think the film does a bad job of raising all of these issues and questions regarding robots out of control and humans becoming the slaves, but I think where it fails is quite simply the robot itself. Megan Fox perfectly displays the unfeeling and emotionless, expression free robot that we want to love but also want to hate. But her makeup, ridiculous eyebrows, and surgically enhanced breasts and lips make her look more like a caricature of a person from a wannabe reality TV show than a domestic, robotic aid. Indeed as soon as she entered frame that's the kind of person I saw her as so trying to view her as a servant-robot, or an advanced AI type humanoid was impossible because she became comical, but also slightly sad to look at.
The whole film is a tad gauche anyway and I think it let itself down by having some unnecessary titillation and some crude close ups that almost bring it to the level of soft porn. But otherwise it's well presented and produced with reasonable acting from the main protagonists and a great, thought provoking story. I think it was let down mainly by Megan Fox's looks and could have been much better. As it is I think it deserves a 5 for the attempt, although I would have gone 4 and a half if they let me.
Coyote Lake (2019)
Out in the jungle...
Ester (Camilla Mendes) and her mother Teresa (Adriana Barraza) run a small motel near the US/Mexico border that hardly ever gets visitors. Until they do, and then they give a very special welcome to the few who find their way to their motel. However, one night 2 guests arrive and they quickly turn out to be not your typical guests...
The events take place exclusively at the small motel. It is an extremely easy watch with Camilla Mendes, and her and Barraza and Neil Sandilands as a DIY man for the hotel turn in very decent performances. The story is slow and somehow the impact of the shocks to come does not land as heavily as you might think. But it is easy to understand the slow grinding life and how it might bring on the events to come. There's multiple sub texts going on in this story too. How people are pushed into the lives they lead, how peoples become dogmatic about their beliefs, how vulnerable people can be so easily exploited, how trust can be misplaced, and how your own perception can be skewed by someone you love. There's a lot going on and it's all nicely packaged and yet, the direction and some of the acting is slightly lacking, hence I gave it a 5 when the story itself deserves maybe a 6. You won't beg your friends to watch it too, but you will enjoy it.
MaXXXine (2024)
A great finale to the X series
In 1985 the Night Stalker is terrifying all residents of Los Angeles, but Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) who is currently working as a porn star, aspires to be a grand movie star. However, after a great audition when it becomes likely she will achieve her aims, people start dying and her life starts to take a dark turn as dangerous characters come out of the woodwork. It seems that Maxine's past is about to catch up with her...
I don't care what anyone says I think Mia Goth, while not the best actress in the world, is at the top of the pile of horror actors, and just has that 'eminently watchable' appeal. She's clearly got some 'crazy' inside her that fuels the characters she plays, and I like that as you never know what's coming next. This is not a 'jump in your seat horror', but it is a hark back to an 80's slasher with lots of gore and a great sound track. Goth is supported by a colourful rainbow of well known names who ably assist her although Elizabeth Debicki (Bender) falls slightly flat which she always seems to do.
You can't help but love Maxine even though she is always 1 breath away from being completely psychopathic. I think it's just the appeal of the underdog and despite her slashing stabbing and shooting her way through the 3 films of the series, Goth's characters still come across as the underdog!
The film is beautifully shot and as soon as I get the DVD I'm going to have a Goth night of all e X films and maybe a couple more of Goth's recent offerings. A concrete 6 from me for an entertaining and highly watchable film.
Órbita 9 (2017)
A very decent Sci Fi with a twist
Helena (Clara Lago) is a 20 year old who was born and has spent her entire live in a spaceship, bound for a new planet, Celeste, 40 years travel away from earth. After a problem developed with the oxygen supply, her parents committed suicide so that she would be able to survive on the depleted oxygen supply and make it to Celeste. After arriving at a space station for maintenance work on her ship, she meets Alex (Alex Gonzalez) the engineer, and quickly falls for him as he's the first human she's ever seen. Alex is also smitten with Helena, but how can he coax her off her spaceship, abandon her future plans and come live with him?
From there the plots descends into madness and whilst there's only a little drama, it's still very exciting.
The sets are beautifully done, and the photography and acting is mostly good. I have to say though, I find most Spanish films sound flat and almost monotone. I first noticed this with Javier Bardem who is very expressive in English, but in his native Spanish he sounds like he is reading from a card. This is the same with Clara and Alex: you can only infer emotions as you see their body language and you can read their words, but their voices are just background noise and mean nothing without inflection and emphasis.
Nevertheless, I loved the film the first time around and I still love it. It's Sci Fi done well and with a twist. If you don't mind subtitles give it a watch, I gave it a solid 6.
Gravity (2013)
Could have been a sensational blockbuster. Could have...
Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone, tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness.
I watched this on release in the cinema and I truly loved it. 2 of my favourite actors, in my favourite genre of film, with a breathtakingly exciting story. We need more space stories to get people excited and inspired about a future civilisation of humans living off-earth. It has to come as there is no alternative. However, it was only while watching it again, on DVD a year later, that I recognised just how many holes there are in the plot. I still love the film, but I see too many plot holes these days.
The main problem is the physics. I don't expect everything to be rigidly correct because, it's just a story. But I do expect things to be in the realms of reality. Almost all of the physics throughout weren't even in the realms of likelihood so that spoiled it a little for me. People who love Sci Fi will know exactly what I mean but for those who don't, do you really think a senior astronaut would be clowning around in his jet suit like Wall-E as Clooney does at the beginning? All the satellites would have been fine in the tragedy: All space craft are at different orbits. There's not a chance in hell that Kowalski could have found Stone after she first got blown away from the station. You can't just move through space and change orbits on a whim: It takes complex calculations and multiple thrusts to achieve that, you can't do it with a jet pack and certainly not with a fire extinguisher! The continual banging into things is laughable. Their bodies would be instantly broken if that happened in real life. Stone was down to 1% oxygen, yet still Kowalski keeps engaging her in conversation about trivial things. And Kowalski was saved the instant Stone caught his tether: Making him let go and somehow float off (which he would not do) was just silly. That's enough for now. There's another dozen screaming mistakes but I'll let you watch the film and spot them.
What was possibly more irritating than the plot holes was the music score. At first I thought we were going to experience the true hush of space. That would be a remarkable and wonderful thing. Instead Kowalski is constantly jabbering about nothing and playing awful music. Perhaps the most irritating role Clooney has ever done. Also there was a musical score over the film. It was supposed to (I think) excite your emotions. What it did was just spoil the film. Why do you need the racket of a full blown orchestra when someone is in space? That for me was a schoolboy error and was probably the main factor that I didn't rate the film as highly as I otherwise would have done.
In the end I still enjoyed it on some level, but it could have been an enormous blockbuster like Titanic. But ultimately it was just a good Sci Fi film. I gave it a 7 but it could have had the only 9 I am ever likely to give had it not been for the thigs I mentioned.
Wrath of Man (2021)
Love, loss, grief, hate, revenge.
H (Jason Statham) is a brand new security guard riding in cash collection trucks for Portico, the security company. He seems to come from a solid and respectable background in security, and quickly impresses everyone on the firm. But is he hiding a secret...
Statham has been called a one trick pony as violent gangster type films are all he seems to do. However, he does do them very well indeed. His cold, implacable manner suits perfectly the violent type he portrays. Come on, do you really want to see him in a rom com? He is his usual self in this one and fans of Statham, like me, will relish the build up to the inevitable chaos that we know is about to ensue. He doesn't go in for much flashy martial arts, he simply gets on with business, man to man. This film is no exception and while there's a slow build up, it's paced and directed really well so you are never bored. He is what every father would want to be. All of us in our lives have at sometime wished we were a vengeful machine. But we're not and we live in a different world so we have to live vicariously through the likes of Jason Statham doing his thing. Statham is also no stranger to working with Guy Ritchie who directs this, he also favours violent and raw films and he has a long pedigree so it's nice to see them working together again.
I actually prefer this to John Wick simply because while Statham is almost unbelievable in his prowess at killing people, he is far more believable than the immortal and never ending bullet machine that John Wick is. This is a fine example of a great thriller which is very well made and enjoyable. I gave it a solid 7.
Ava (2020)
A great female John Wick
Ava (Jessica Chastain) falls out with her family due to her father's infidelity to her mother, and heads off to become a paid assassin. After many years her father dies and she comes back to reconnect with her father. She has stirred up a hornets nest with the company that pays her to kill people and suddenly instead of the hunter, she becomes the hunted.
Come on, when have you ever seen a bad Film starring Jessica Chastain? Never? Me neither. This isn't a fabulous box office smash mind you, but it is a very good thriller. Chastain, Farrell, Malkovich, Davis, Common, they all play great parts and you can easily believe in the characters . I recently watched cate Blanchett in Borderlands where she too was a human hunter with extra special skills. But despite Blanchett being a top notch A list actor she could not pull of the role of Lilith.
Chastain on the other hand can pull off any role she sets her mind to and she 100% commits herself to the character. Despite this being in the realm of John Wick, where the hero can beat almost anyone with reasonable ease, it's not cheesy like John Wick, and you could actually believe that she is a monstrous fighter.
It's tense most of the way through and despite being predictable it's a highly enjoyable film which I just watched for the third time. I give it a solid 7.
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Half past midnight
Zero Dark is slang for midnight. Zero dark 30 is half past midnight. That time will be significant during the film.
The story follows CIA agent Maya (Jessica Chastain) who's first job is the brutal interrogation of prisoners following the 9/11 attacks. She works diligently and relentlessly for over 10 years to find Osama Bin Laden, mostly in the face of superiors who did not trust to believe in her. Eventually her dogged work and investigation came up with a location for Osama Bin Laden. Her reward was Seal Team 6 who surreptitiously made their way to his compound, breached it and killed him, returning the body to their base for Maya to confirm it was him. The character Maya was based on several female operatives who were responsible for finding Bin Laden's location, but the main operative was Alfreda Scheuer, on whom Maya is based.
We all know the story now and we all now the ending. Although the film was originally set to show how Bin Laden has escaped capture for a decade after 9/11. The news broke that he had been found and killed, and the movie script was entirely rewritten to include that fact. However knowing the story and having heard most of what happened on the news, the film is still magnetic. It's magnetic because Maya is the character who drives everything. Without her there would have been no capture. Everyone in cinemas must have been rooting for her and her feisty attempts to get what help she needed to prove she was right and could find him. In this role like many others, Chastain is one of the few actresses who gives 100% commitment to the role, bringing the character and the situation to life by immersing herself into the role and almost becoming the character. She is the major force behind this film.
Of course she's ably supported by a great cast all of whom give great performances. There's a little bit of honeysuckled patriotism in the film but why not. America suffered an enormous blow in 2001 and so they must revel in catching and killing the person who set it all up. It's tense almost throughout the entire film, and the final scenes of finding Bin Laden are so exquisitely done. There's very little melodrama, there's no gratuitous gore or violence, there's just simple, factual recording of a military team going about their business with absolute ruthlessness and determination, matching the drive and focus of Maya herself throughout her 10 year investigation.
I saw it on release on the big screen, but it does not lose anything on the small screen and after about 4 or 5 watchings I am still excited when watching it. If you don't like violence or war films avoid this because there's some very tense scenes throughout. If you like to see the good guys win and don't care how they do it, watch it, you'll love it. I gave it a solid 8.
The Kingdom (2007)
A bit of a shocking ride
Terrorists raid and bomb a compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where a baseball match was being held with families and their children. Hundreds are killed along with an FBI agent, so another FBI agent coerces the Saudis to allow them 5 days to investigate the incident.
Ronald Fleury (Jaime Foxx) travels with agent Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper), Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner), and Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman) to avenge their friend and try to find those responsible for the bombing. The agents have all sorts of obstacles i their way but eventually find a way forward after meeting with a member of the Royal family. They are supported by Colonel Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom), who advises the team how to act in a hostile environment.
The film starts off slow with lots of dark banter between the FBI agents, and lots of tough talking. The tension is rising all the time until one of their own is kidnapped and the race is on to save him before the terrorists execute him. Shortly after a large fight another one occurs in which they find the infamous terrorist Abu Hamza and kill him. The real Abu Hamza -known ins the UK as a hate preacher- is currently serving life in a US prison.
It's a pretty formulaic film, but that does not stop it from being very enjoyable. Anyone who likes action that is not styled and glorious and unrealistic such as Rambo, but is simply a fairly real portraying of a small group of people fighting for their lives, will enjoy this. I'm not sure Jennifer Garner was cut out for a serious fighting role such as this: I look at her and just see 13 going on 30. Nevertheless the film flows well and they all act well and despite the formula I can recommend it as a very enjoyable watch. I gave it a solid 7.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
No country for any sane men
A good ol' boy Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is out hunting when he comes across a group of abandoned cars with dead bodies everywhere. Clearly a drugs deal gone wrong, Llewelyn tracks someone who left the carnage and finds them dead, with a bag full of $2 million dollars. So he decides to keep it but has to go into hiding. Meanwhile, the man who the money belongs to, Anton Chighur (Javier Bardem) sets about trying to get his money back, and this man has no feelings or compassion. Everyone is roped into the saga and chaos reigns.
I've just watched this for the third time since it was released and boy it is one heck of a film. Here's the upside: the story is about a relentless pursuit by an unforgiving man to reclaim his money. Carson Wells (Woody Harrelson) is a gun for hire who is paid to find the money before Chighur gets it back. The man who took it, Moss, will stop at nothing to avoid having to give the money back. The sheriff, Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is determined to hunt down the players in the story and find out the truth of what went on. The story is non stop tension, but with some epithets about how unforgiving the country is. I have to point out that every single actor in this film does a great job: from the main characters, to the gas station clerk who is only on screen for 3 minutes, to the two teen boys who are only on screen for 2 minutes. Every one of them was brilliant.
The dialogue was on point for good ol' Texas and in parts the dialogue was cropped down to it's bare minimum, but had much greater impact for it. A major plus for me was that there was no music. There were score sounds from time to time but no music, and for me that instantly raises the film above the normal bar.
I guess the story is about people who all go their own separate ways in life, and yet somehow their lives collide with each other and the differences create tension. There's also the element of greed, and the lust for money above all else in the world. Even lives of other people don't matter when in pursuit of money.
This is a great, tense, riveting film and is not dated at all despite it's 2007 release. I gave it an 8, enjoy.
Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
Independence yet again...
20 years after a handful of brave souls saved the entire planet, they are at it again. Yet another alien species is invading, and this time it's an enemy of the first aliens, so there's a bit of your enemy if my enemy and they set up a fight to kill the new alien queen.
Some of the characters are from the 20 year old film: Jell Goldblum plays David Levinson again, with Judd Hirsch again playing his father, Julius. Bill Pullman is back as president Whitmore, and Brent Spiner suddenly awakes from a 20 year coma to replay Dr Okun. The film is pretty much the same story: our motley band of heroes come together bravely ready to give their lives to save the planet, by fighting against the odds to kill the alien queen and stop the invasion in it's tracks. There's a LOT of cheesy scenes and lines, there's a lot of bad acting which almost makes this a comedy, and there's some very questionable casting with the likes of Charlotte Gainsborough getting a significant part. To be fair she is not alone on the incredibly-bad-actor bench.
The film is still mildly entertaining if you like cliff hangers, patriotic fervour with dozens of woops and hoorahs and ecstatic cheering, the inability of the main characters to die, non-stop pseudo tension, and an almost Disney like ending. If you like all of that you will love this film. If you hate all of that you are best off never looking at it.
I know many who do love all that kind of soppy patriotic bravado hero stuff, so for them I'll offer a rating of 5.
Independence Day (1996)
A great holiday film
On July 2nd, communications systems worldwide are sent into chaos by a strange atmospheric interference. It is soon learned by the military that a number of enormous objects are on a collision course with Earth. At first thought to be meteors, they are later revealed to be gigantic spacecraft, piloted by a mysterious alien species. It's up to the American military -and some unlikely heroes- to put a stop to this monstrous invasion and save humanity.
I've watched this again recently like many films recently, partly as I enjoyed them the first time around and partly to see how they stand the test of time. This film is what we British would call Jingoistic. A self appreciating film which puts the US at front and centre of saving the entire planet. However as faux as that sounds, it's still a good film with some memorable moments such as Captain Miller (Will Smith) punching the alien in the face. Bill Pullman badly lets the side down in the acting stakes, but apart from him it's really not bad. There are many things that date the film, but if you ignore the jingoism and the bad acting it's still a decent enough Sci Fi drama. I'm heading off to watch Independence Day 2 now, which I've never seen, and I'm keen to see how some of the same actors fare 20 years on.
I would give it 6.5 if I could but IMDB only allows whole numbers so it will have to be a 6.
I'll See You in My Dreams (2015)
I love this story about age
Carol Petersen (Blythe Danner) is a widow who feels like her life is simply oozing along without anything really happening. So along with some friends she takes life by the horns, with surprising results.
I love this film. It's not a blockbusting film that you will watch every week for a year, but it has impact on a base level. Danner is perfect in this role of the ageing woman who breathes new life into her monotonous existence. She strikes up new friendships, re-engages with her slightly estranged daughter, and even pursues a new relationship. A lot of thought has been put into the dialogue and situations Carol encounters, and it is a very positive reflection on older people and their lives and relationships.
The message is very obvious: just because you've had a fine and exciting life does not mean that you should stop living just because you age. It reaffirms that age makes people age, but if they still pursue dreams and an active life then ageing has a much lesser effect. It's a very wholesome, entertaining film and proves that even the more elderly women in Hollywood can give a great performance which people love.
I've always liked Blythe Danner and this just reaffirms why. I gave it a solid 6.
I'll Take Your Dead (2018)
Not a bad thriller at all
William (Aidan Devine) lives with his daughter Gloria (Ava Preston) in a remote farmhouse, his wife having died of leukaemia some time ago. He wants to take his daughter to El Paso for a fresh start, but he has accidentally fallen into a way of making money that involves illegally disposing of dead bodies. During one job he finds one of the bodies very much alive, and although he saves her life, he sets things in motion that have awful consequences.
So this is billed as a horror, but it is a horror thriller with a bit of supernatural woven in, so you're really getting a lot for your money. The acting isn't great, but there are moments when it's not bad at all. The stand out is the (then) 14 year old Ava Preston. She reminds me of Natalie Portman when she was of that age. She has a depth of understanding about what's happening and how she should react. Even when the acting is not great it is not bad enough to spoil the film. And although the dialogue is not up to A+ standard it's good enough also to not spoil the film.
There's lots of morals in there too about not making bad choices, the consequences of making bad choices, and even how bad choices made on solid principles, are still bad choices. Not that those morals in a film are going to steer anyone from a path they take, but it's nice to see the rise and downfall and rise of people as they meander through life.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the story was something new to me so give it a soft 6.
Lakeview Terrace (2008)
A great film despite it's age
Chris Mattson (Patrick Wilson) and his wife Lisa (Kerry Washington) move to their dream home to start a family. They're welcome very quickly by police officer Abel Turner (Samuel L Jackson) who is quirky but seems very friendly. At first. Then he makes it known that as a black man, he is unhappy with Chris who is white, being married to Lisa who is black. Let the fun commence...
The story -loosely based on a true story- appears to be on the face of it a simple racism tale. But there is an underlying plot about how after losing his wife, who cheated on him with a white man, Turner starts a long, slow road to madness.
Samuel L Jackson puts in his typical, powerful performance as he charts his way through being a good neighbour to demented. On the other hand Chris is a mild mannered man and Patrick Wilson guides his character from mild and suffering, through peeved, wading through anger and finally, to outright aggression as he seeks to protect him and his pregnant wife.
It's quite a tense and threatening film and Jackson stands out as he usually does, but they all play their parts well. It's worth the 6 I rated it easily.
Derailed (2005)
Not a bad little mystery thriller
Charles Schine (Clive Owen) gets on a different train from his normally scheduled one without a ticket, and a well meaning lady called Lucinda Harris (Jennifer Aniston) pays for him. They get chatting and decide to see each other again as they inevitably start to be attracted to one another. However while together they are beaten and robbed by a brutal criminal who then continues to extort Schine, demanding the money Schine needs to pay for his daughters health care. Things go from bad to worse...
I remember this on release and I watched it purely for the leads, both of whom I am a fan of. And Vincent Cassel who plays LaRoche. Owen's performance is good and Aniston's is not bad but Cassell steals the shows as the mean, violent criminal. Cassell has a history of parts like these and he never disappoints. I actually feel nervous whenever he's on screen.
The story flows nicely but there are some slightly odd plot points. Happily they can be ignored as the actions of a desperate man. Put yourself in his shoes...what would you do?
It's only violent in short spurts, and it's fairly easy to work out who the baddy really is and what's going on, but that does not stop it at all from being a decent film to watch. I've just re-watched it after many years and it is still as good a film as I remember.
It will never win awards but if you want an easy but exciting film to watch one evening then this is hard to beat. A strong 6 from me.
Skywalkers: A Love Story (2024)
Not just a love story, also a life story.
Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus are 'Skywalkers.' They climb the tallest buildings, perform daring stunts and pose dramatically inches from certain death.
They come together due to their love of the sport and their respect for the others skills, and decide to attempt to climb the mega tall building: The 118 story Merdeka. On top of the immense spire that crests the building they perform a magical stunt.
This story is perfectly put together. Absolutely perfect. 2 real people, not actors, and members of their family, take us on a journey of art, love and self exploration which rivals the very best movies that Hollywood has to offer.
If you are afraid of heights watch it anyway, it may dispel your fears. But don't watch this without tissues. It's a solid 8 from me.
La bête (2023)
Looks like it's down to me to say it as it is
The official storyline is this:
In the near future where emotions have become a threat, Gabrielle finally decides to purify her DNA in a machine that will immerse her in her previous lives and rid her of any strong feelings. She then meets Louis and feels a powerful connection, as if she has known him forever. A melodrama crossed by the genre, which unfolds over three distinct periods, 1910, 2014 and 2044.
I am a fan of George Mackay who plays Louis, and I love Lea Seydoux, having watched everything she's ever done. However, they have both tarred themselves in starring in this utter pile of uncreative rubbish.
Strong comment? Well, there's no real hint of timeline. I get that it spans 4 periods in total, but the 4 periods are delineated, so you don't know where the next scene is going to take place. You can't follow the story because you're forever trying to work out which period they are in.
Also, there's a massive mismatch where she tells someone she left her husband for Louis, but then she tells Louis she does not want him.
Then they both die and are reincarnated? But in a different dimension?
There is a reason this film flopped so badly: it's a raging pile of dogs doo that's why. I put in 2 stars for rating and they were both for Seydoux for making me invest in this because of her, when otherwise I would have turned it off after 15 minutes.
I recommend no-one wastes their time on this pretentious, ill thought out crud.