mickgmovies Reviews

One Day (2024)

All the days that add up in our lives together

[9/10 · 12 February 2024]

I loved the original movie with Anne Hathaway.

I loved this more.

It had time to build and show all the days in Dex and Emma's lives where they overlapped and shared in life together. And to do this with tenderness, humour and enough detail for it all to matter that much more.

And how these days jigsawed into a picture that they could not fully see at the start, but knew was waiting to be assembled together.

Grab some tissues, grab a drink, hold the hand of your loved one and settle in to soak this up.

Most memorable scene, must be the maze for me. Getting lost together and in so doing finding themselves.

Bloody loved it.

Belfast (2021)

Leaving behind the known in hope of new opportunity.

[9/10 · 5 August 2023]

Having emigrated twice in my life to new countries with our children - this movie hit a deep nerve inside. And yes it made me cry.

It made me cry for the dilemma so many families around the world face. How to make ends meet and provide the best opportunities for your children and family, when the challenges in your home country just get too much.

I lived in South Africa, and it was just over 20 years ago when we emigrated to NZ with our first son, and not a lot else. The daily pressures in SA just got too close to home, and as new parents we decided, in those pre-google days, to forge a new life in a new country totally sight unseen. And then we did it all over again with our then 3 sons to Australia.

So this film stunningly shot in B+W and tenderly and lovingly portrayed by the stellar cast, really found a place in my heart.

A place where there are still some gaps and which is still a little uprooted if I am honest. So many parents around this world will identify with this story, and the compassion, love and heartbreak that comes with living in and leaving a place you have rooted yourselves in.

I absolutely loved this film.

Grab some tissues. And settle in to a comfy chair to soak up this masterpiece by direct Kenneth Branagh.

Ps ... most memorable scene for me - the shot of the three generations holding hands in hospital.

Babyteeth (2019)

Needed to watch this and when the tears rolled down my cheeks I knew why

[10/10 · 21 May 2023]

I am not going to tell you about the story - all the words written don't convey the true sense of this.

A movie that makes you feel all the emotions that make us human: Hope, Love, Joy, Sadness, Fear, Rage, Anger, Loss.

It's a masterpiece of humanity in all its glory.

And as I said in the title - I needed to watch it at the moment I did. A moment the day after my mother had passed 2 years ago - a long long way away in a different country. Away from me.

This film opened my heart - and a lot came spilling out and pouring in. Only a parent can know - and I now know Mum.

Love you lots.

May the sky hold you.

Aftersun (II) (2022)

We all need to listen and be also heard and seen for who we are

[10/10 · 14 March 2023]

I watched this day after watching snippets of the Oscar 'awards' where Everything, Everywhere all at Once - won 7 oscars.

This is film is everything that film is not.

Subtle, nuanced, authentic and real. It is slow paced and shot with care, and love and an eye for detail that you only see when you stop in life for a moment. It interweaves so much through its analog handheld film footage, a slowly developing polaroid, music that tells a story, and 2 incredible performances from the leads.

I will watch this movie again with those I love. It is a movie worth celebrating with others - like life.

It will make you cry, and smile and laugh.

We all need someone who will truly listen when we speak. And hear and see us for who we are.

The Hunt (2012)

When stories become real but can be rewritten

[9/10 · 6 May 2022]

I wasnt expecting the gambit of emotions I felt when watching this movie. As a parent I was often conflicted between both sides of the story. I found the movie very tough to watch, and was drained by the end. It's an important work in today's world where everyone is quick to judge and decide. The ending gave hope but also showed we are slow to forgive.

The Father (I) (2020)

A dance of time and memory

[9/10 · 28 January 2022]

This is truly a unique piece of art. Like other great art, it challenges you into seeing life differently.

In this case, it shows how our memory is the mechanism that delineates time and our lives. Without our memory - our experiences intertwine, they loop/ repeat and come and go.

This movie and the performances of the entire cast and crew, captures the disorientation of a person living with dementia and the immense challenges of their loved ones living with them.

It's both heartbreaking and joyous.

Anthony Hopkins is truly magnificent - with the near final scene and his memory of his mother - particularly poignant.

Watching this movie reminds us all how we should cherish our memories and all the moments of our lives.

Love Life (2020–2021)

Soooooo Bloooody Goooood

[9/10 · 14 November 2021]

I'm a bit of sucker for romantic tales - and decided to watch just one episode. Like all REALLY good shows - I was a gonner - and ended up binge watching both seasons over the next few days ... Season 1 with Darby, and then Season 2 with Marcus.

Both seasons are really really good. Both leads and supporting casts are really good.

It's really a perfect ying yang - and at the end of both seasons you'll be sitting there with a smile on your face. Perfectly content. And with a deeper knowing that we are all imperfect, all better for having others to share our lives with ... and that life is indeed something you have to work at.

Head High (2020– )

Winning isnt everything

[9/10 · 16 October 2021]

Having lived in NZ - it was so nice to watch this gem of a series, and be reminded of all that makes it amazing ... and tough too.

The story focuses on a whanau - and follows their kids journey across 2 years in high school. A little like the excellent "Sex education" (although clearly in a different genre) it mixes real-life challenges, dramas with a dose of feel-good high school life.

Acting throughout is on-point. Script and editing is tight. And the story keeps enough pace to make it truly binge worthy.

Black Snake Moan (2006)

We all have demons - but do we have the love

[8/10 · 17 September 2021]

We all have demons.

We all have a past that holds us, and shapes us.

We don't however all have someone to hold us, believe in us, and give us their time and attention and love.

Black Snake Moan weaves a story through this - accompanied by amazing performance by SLJ and Ricci - and some even better blues.

Stand out scenes for me:

• SLJ banging out Black Snake Moan during an epic lightning storm
• Ricci cutting losing herself in the music on the dance-floor

If you love the blues, and Samuel Jackson as I do - then this is no-brainer. But more important than that - this movie reminds us, to give others, and ourselves, the attention and love we all deserve.

Man Up (I) (2015)

Rom com gold

[9/10 · 14 May 2021]

I must confess- I have a secret addiction to watching rom coms. Yes, we all know the eventual endings before we start watching. Yes we know there will always be a hiatus at some point in the storyline. But that's the point. They're made to uplift and remind us of THAT feeling. The feeling when it begins. The magic, the awe, the excitement of the unknown.

This film captures all that and more. It's made with intelligence, humour, excellent performances and an even better script.

Simon and Lake as the two leads are magnetic. They fizz, spark and buzz off each other, and damn they're funny.

Favourite scenes: their dancing argument, the toilet confessionals, and lastly the fire extinguisher.

This really is rom com gold. And I should know - I've watched a few of them :)

Nomadland (2020)

What drives us on our life journey

[9/10 · 9 May 2021]

If the car is our body, then our soul is the driver. And then road is life.

Some wait a lifetime for a destination - and never get on the road. Others embrace the journey with all it's unknowns and detours.

In this movie - the analogy extends to Fern and her van - as she rediscovers herself in a new life outside the confines of what she's known for most her life.

I loved this movie. It's soundtrack, it's cinematography, it's pace and the details of life it chose to concentrate on.

Frances M is fantastic. Stoic and warm. Quirky and tough. She truly is amazing

Stand-out scenes for me were the swallows, the star-gazers, the young man by the fire and the father and son playing the piano together.

This movie replenishes ones emotional empathy, and reminds us what makes us human. Each other.

Bellbird (2019)

Less is more

[9/10 · 18 April 2021]

Less is more they say, and that holds true for this simple, honest film.

Having lived in rural NZ for a number of years, the film evoked a lot of memories, and captured both the stoicism and the warmth of rural communities in New Zealand.

I loved this film for it's sincerity.

Yes it is slow. Yes it is simple. But it'll put a smile on your face, and some warmth in your heart.

The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)

Not your average escape movie

[9/10 · 5 December 2020]

I'll start off by saying that this movie left me with a smile on my face. It really is an endearing movie - made with authenticity, a wonderfully simple yet powerful story and some great onscreen chemistry.

It is at it's essence - an escape movie.

Zack escaping the system that's labeled and limited him, and Tyler escaping his past. Their journey forward together is one of wonder - capturing a rare onscreen vulnerability and bond between men - one that is all too missing in our often macho society.

The story twists and turns as their journey together unfolds - but never strays too far off course from it's essence. A story about giving each other time, support, love and respect as fellow human beings.

The cinematography, supporting cast and great music just adds to the experience.

A must-see if you value simple stories made well.

Sweet Country (2017)

A story of the scars of the past - that we still have today

[8/10 · 19 November 2020]

This movie is not an easy watch. Especially for those of us with a conscience and born in to, and growing up in nations forged on the displacement and destruction of the people and the country that were here long before us.

I grew up in South Africa, and lived through it's turgid repression based on ego-driven ideas. It's egos that justify one group of people is better than another - and therefore entitled to more privilege and respect and opportunity. I've lived in New Zealand, and now in Australia and the scars of the past actions are evident today there as well.

This movie shows a time when this disdain of humanity was that much more pronounced than today. However the similarities are uncomfortably evident.

I wouldn't say this movie is an enjoyable experience. It's scenery is surely majestic. But the vast number of characters in the movie are far from likeable. And the story is one that slow burns towards an outcome that is both inevitable and heart-wrenching.

Brian Brown is compelling as an acerbic sergeant. Hamilton Morris is excellent as Sam - the central character in the movie. And Sam Neill provides humble gravitas - a much needed counter-balance.

Learning from and acknowledging the past - can only happen when people's stories are told and heard by others. This move tells an important story we all need to remember and never repeat.

H is for Happiness (2019)

Delightful. This movie will put a smile on your face and a little warmth in your heart.

[8/10 · 10 October 2020]

All too often we watch movies and come out feeling heavy, angsty and drained. This is movie that is the polar opposite - it replenishes, uplifts and puts a smile on your face - and a little warmth in your heart.

It blends: fantasy, quirkiness, wonderfully saturated cinematography and an evocative score that transports you away from your reality - whilst grounding you gently in the reality that is life.

Favourite scene has to be the final on-stage performance. It was a master-stroke and left me laughing and crying.

The Gentlemen (2019)

You know it's THAT good when, even though you know what you're going to get from Guy, you just don't want it to stop

[9/10 · 10 August 2020]

This movie is formulaic, and yes it follows the tried-and-tested Guy Ritchie recipe, BUT goddam it - it's enjoyable.

Hugh and Colin are bloody brilliant in their roles, and the remainder of the cast are all on point.

Then there's a storyline that interweaves Russians, Chinese and local mobsters, plaid-tracksuit-wearing-social-media-savvy young-guns, plus enough plot twists to keep you truly guessing.

Finally add in a movie-within-a-movie theme narrated by the gloriously camp Hugh Grant, and you have a movie that in my opinion totally obliterates Tarantino's lengthy and somewhat boring Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

It's serious fun, but it doesn't take itself too seriously.

It's just so well made, and acted and filmed.

You know it's THAT good when, even though you know what you're going to get from Guy, you just don't want it to stop.

Best scene: has to be Colin in the fish n chip shop schooling some tiddler-wanna-be's.

The Only Living Boy in New York (2017)

A Page-turner of a Movie

[8/10 · 6 August 2020]

There are those books you just cant put down. This movie is just like one of them, much like the literary theme it imbues.

It's a story underpinned by some really amazing performances, with Callum Turner and Jeff Bridges stealing the show. But they're ably supported throughout by a great cast with Pierce Brosnan excellent too.

What makes this movie even more enjoyable, is that it is just so damn well made. The script, the location, and the story slowly and gloriously unwinding to a very satisfying (and thankfully not cloyingly trite) ending.

This film feels mainstream, but at the same time indie. And here-in lies it's success.

It's a movie that crosses over many genres due to it's timeless approach. A good story, acted well, shot well and put together without trying to be anything more than that.

Standout scene for me: Pierce Brosnan and Callum Turner's confronting conversation.

Cider with Rosie (2015 TV Movie)

Soak in this magical story

[7/10 · 1 August 2020]

This story of a life in simpler times, was magical.

It reminded me of how busy we've all got, and how we've lost the connection to community and nature with our busy city lives.

The movie sits in a time between the two world wars, and shows the strength of women, and the family bond.

This is a simple movie. Not one with outstanding acting or huge moments. It is slowly told, with sincerity and an eye for the beauty in moments.

Take some time to escape, and soak in this magical story

The Nightingale (I) (2018)

Life is Brutal - But it Needn't Be

[9/10 · 27 July 2020]

As other reviewers have said, watching this movie isn't easy or enjoyable. It is however, honest, compelling and necessary.

Honest ... in that it shows what has been done (and is still being done) all the around the world to indigenous people and their cultures - all in the name of progress, power and political ego.

Compelling ... in that the story showcases both sides of humanity. The love, the joy, the kinship, the compassion and the bond of people. And on the other side, the hate, the anger, the revenge and the fear of people.

Necessary ... in that we often forget the not-so-distant reality of the past and what happened to forge the so-called modern world we all live in.

We all need a place to call home. A place we can feel safe, and loved and at one with the earth.

I hope all of you who are considering watching this amazing movie, do so.

Be brave and confront what's happened, and then be reminded of how grateful and humble we all should be of this amazing earth we all live in.

Juliet, Naked (2018)

Life is a dance between risk and safety.

[8/10 · 31 May 2020]

Ethan Hawke is a favourite of mine. And this movie reminds me of Richard Linklater's wonderful: Before Sunrise, Sunset/ Midnight movies - where Ethan Hawke co-stared with the beautiful Julie Delpy. It's similar in it's simplicity and honesty, and how it gently examines human relationships.

Yes this film is more of a traditional rom-com - and doesn't have the same level of intensity as the Before trilogy - but it has the same sincerity and brilliant acting from Ethan Hawke and the wonderful Rose Byrne.

I loved the scene where Rose Byrne meets one of the sisters in an old photo she has included in a retrospective exhibition of the summer of 64 at the gallery she curates. It show two sisters, and two men they have just met. The one sister takes a risk and has a fling. The other doesn't - and years later she looks back and reminisces with regret.

This really is the theme central to the film. Life is full of decisions which sit somewhere between risk and safety. And the accumulation of our response to these decisions defines our lives.

It's lovely to watch how Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawkes character's get a chance to assess their approach to life, and rebalance each other, and their lives.

A wonderful film.

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

We should all remember to not take life so seriously

[8/10 · 28 March 2020]

Based on a true story, this is a role of lifetime for Eddie Murphy, allowing him to encapsulate all his skills in one rollercoaster movie ride.

It's funny as hell, and like the main character - Rudy Ray Moore - the movie doesn't take itself seriously, except when portraying the challenges of breaking through to mainstream society.

In a way the storyline foreshadows today's world where talent can shine through self promotion online, however in the 70's it required a bootstrapping attitude and obstinate self belief.

Wesley Snipes' cameo is wonderful, but this is Eddie Murphy at his best - with depth, sincerity and infectious energy.

Joker (I) (2019)

No Joke

[8/10 · 5 October 2019]

A lot has already been said about this film since it's release. It's a movie that will be hated by those who blindly overdose on the instant gratification and throw-away feel-good marvelesque movies, and loved by Dark Knighters who crave for brooding character development.

It's not an easy film to watch. But it is captivating in a similarly slow-burn visually sumptuous way of past films it gives homage to: Taxi Driver, Kings of Comedy, Dog Day Afternoon and more. And similar to these movies, at it's heart is a central character whose slow slide down the ladder of society results in a series of pressure-valve-release gratuitous actions (towards the end).

Whilst the movie misses a beat in using the stellar supporting cast to best effect, what it does do is act as a prequel to Batman that shows there's always two side's to every story. The Joker isn't born bad. And he doesn't knowingly derail young Bruce Waynes life. But ultimately he does find 'himself' in the events that unfold around his actions, and which snowballs through the media.

It's here that a lot of the commentary on social extremism has been pointed, and with some justification. But what it really shows is that we all want to be treated as human beings. To be seen. To be heard. To be cared for. To be respected. To be loved. And to belong.

Arthur Fleck becomes the Joker to find these things - that were missing in his life.

It's here that it hits close to home, as so many of the events unfolding in our lives today are a result of similar sense of alienation and frustration with society letting people down. From a lack of compassion, care and respect for each other.

Green Book (2018)

Two men's journey to acceptance of each other and themselves

[9/10 · 14 March 2019]

The film follow's two men's journey down into the deep south of America,

It's based on a true story of how Tony Lip a street smart chain smoking Italian was hired to drive Doc Don Shirley - a virtuoso cultured piano playing African American - on his 2 month performance tour down south.

Along the way they grow to accept each other and more importantly themselves. Tony is challenged to appreciate the more cultured things in life (like writing more eloquent letters to his wife back home), and Doc to enjoy everyday pleasures (like eating fried chicken straight from the KFC bucket with your fingers)

Vigo and Mahershala as Tony and Doc both give effortless performances and their growing rapport is a joy to watch.

I challenge you to watch this movie and to not leave feeling both more upbeat about the possibility of how we as a society can become even better, but also chastened by a reminder of where we've come from ... and in some cases still are.

Go see it.

Dumplin' (2018)

Feel good for all the right reasons

[8/10 · 11 December 2018]

What a lovely unexpected watch this was. Set in conservative Texas, the movie gracefully and gleefully challenges all the stereotypes and beliefs that still hold strong in large parts of the world. Beliefs based on body image, sexual preference and having to fit in. More importantly it challenges self beliefs - and shows how believing and loving yourself makes all the difference. Jennifer Anniston and Danielle Macdonald (and in fact the entire cast) give great performances - and you can only but smile at the end. This is the movie Pitch Perfect should've been - if it had the humility and intelligence of this film. A lovely, lovely film. Get out the popcorn. Make sure you have a few boxes of tissues, and soak it up. Bravo Netflix (and director Anne Fletcher)

Wanderlust (2018)

Good grief

[9/10 · 29 October 2018]

I started watching this series on Netflix, and like most of us, a binge entailed until it was all gone.

At the end, I was sad yet smiling. Open to a whole raft of feelings unlocked through watching Wanderlust.

We all have moments in our life of loss. Loss of loved ones, missed moments, and words not said. Grief doesnt go away, and in this series it shows how we all need to deal with it as some point in our lives. Else we spend our lives becoming numb-er and numb-er. Until the mess of life overwhelms, and grief comes pouring out.