One of the single most greatest television programmes I have ever seen. Laurie Metcalf's monologue in one of the episodes is one of the best bits of television acting I can recall. A must watch.
Jason Reitman directs another Diablo Cody script, and they nail it. It's a tale of how difficult motherhood is. How the pressures of family life can lead to such insane, stressed and disconnected times. Charlize Theron's performance is nothing short of amazing. She is phenomenal in this film. And also had to look the part too.
Although I'm a dad not a mum, the depiction of the whirlwind blur of parenthood really resonated with me....pretending everything is well to everyone, doing things that you think you should not the things you want. The routine, the monotony, the sacrifice of parenthood, it all culminates in an interesting 3rd act, which is a large tonal shift but a good one. This will be near the top of my Films of 2018 list.
I seem to have watched a different film to many of the critics. I'm a fan of Sebastian Lelio but the script, the performances and the general feel of the movie, the plot, the ending just didn't work for me. At times, the acting was like a made for TV movie. It picked up in the third act with some tension cranked up. But this is a misstep from Lelio, and not even a hugely erotic scene between Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams could save it. Disappointing.
This Scottish film just won awards at the Edinburgh film festival. It's about a lads hunting trip that goes awry. It has some moments of real tension. And the Highlands of Scotland look gorgeous. The 2 leads are pretty great and so is Tony Curran as the village alpha male. There are ridiculous plotholes, especially towards the end, but it was just what I was after for some Friday night Film fodder.
A lonely depressed parking attendant convicnes himself he has superpowers. It's not as bad as it sounds and has some touching moments. Michael Rappaport is Michael Rappaport, he plays Les the lead who has all sorts of delusions. It's a heartfelt take on mental health and has a swipe at the pharmaceutical industry as well. I imagine films like 'Brigsby Bear' perhaps learnt a bit from a film like this. The third act suffers from a lack of inspiration somewhat. But worth watching
I'm a fan of Clio Barnard's 'The Selfish Giant', it was a very tender look at Northern English working class culture. This is another attempt and makes a good companion piece to 'The Levelling' and 'God's own Country', as agriculture plays such a huge role in the films.
'Dark River' though, doesn't quite match up to those two films, mainly because it's a bit twee throughout, has some less than convincing performancs and also has a weak third act. At some points it feels like a made for TV drama. The ending just doesn't resonate unfortunately, as it's more melodramatic than the rest of the film's tone - which is a shame as the rest of the film is more than adequate.
6.5/10
Daniela Vega gives a very strong performance as the lead transgender woman (Marina) who struggles to cope with persecution and prejudice while trying to mourn the loss of her partner. It will obviously draw comparisons to Sean Baker's 'Tangerine' in terms of LGBT themes. The film is not without flaws, and there are a couple of sub-plots that don't really develop well enough, and therefore seemed a bit misplaced.
Having said that, Marina's struggles to live a normal life in modern day Chile are brilliantly conveyed. Director Sebastián Lelio does a very good job of showing Marina's confusion and hurt but at the same time doesn't go overboard when trying to show how strong a person she is. The lack of dignity she is shown by those that should be caring for her the most is heartbreaking, and on top of that she has a burden of grief to carry. The film was produced by Pablo Larrain (Jackie, The Club), so there are clearly some neat Chilean collaborations going on.
There are some lovely dream like sequences in nightclubs and on the streets, and the film has a really touching pay off / conclusion. I can see why it won the Foreign Language Oscar in 2018, although I do think other nominees were more deserving (Loveless, The Square). Lelio clearly has a big talent though, and I'm eager to see what he does next
7.2/10
I went into this movie completely blind. Had no idea what it was about - and very glad I did. Right from the off, the Scandinavian landscape sets the tone with some gorgeous looking photography and very intriguing opening. Thelma is clearly a repressed character with her over bearing parents mollycoddling her at every step. As she goes to college she starts to experience strange thoughts / feelings / emotions and episodes. We see her utterly confused as to why she is having the thoughts she does and the feelings of guilt that ensue.
At it's heart, this is a coming of age / sexual awakening story. But it's also much more than that. It reminded me of both 'Raw' and 'Personal Shopper' in the sense that there are religious / supernatural / horror / societal conformity elements to the story. And it is very well done. There are some flaws - I think the metaphorical elemnts to it do go a bit over the top at times, and there are some elemsnts that are a touch fantastical, but the viewer can easily let that slip as it doesn't affect the overall experience too much.
The performances are also fantastic. The two leads played by Eili Harboe and Kaya Wilkins are a product of some superb casting, and they didn't put a foot wrong in the whole movie. Joachim Trier's direction is more than adequate, and as mentioned beofre, the cinematography by Jakob Ihre is superb throughout - one beautifully filmed scene in particular (set on a lake) will live long in the memory.
Overall I'd give this at least 7.5 / 10
Wow, where to start with this. Ki Duk Kim has always been a divisive director, with his films showing slow burning, very natural, almost spiritual human traits. This though is like a magnified version of a Ki Duk Kim film. It's low budget, set in a single location, stunningly beautiful, very gruesome in parts, explicit and controversial. It centres around a lonely woman (Hee Jin) who delivers bait to tourist fisherman. What we see unfold is a symbolism heavy ride into a twisted / tumultuous relationship between Hee Jin and a visitor. It's full of breathtaking cinematography, sparse dialogue and one of the most stomach churning suicide attempts I've ever seen on screen. As usual with Ki Duk Kim, water as a symbol is featured heavily, and so are animals and nature. Quite why certain little creatures are sacrificed on screen I'm not sure though. A warning to anyone who is easily offended by animal cruelty - don't watch this movie.
What does it all mean in the end? I'm torn between it being an entire metaphor for how difficult relationships can be / an exploration into gender roles or a simple descent into madness tale. Maybe all 3. It is a heck of an experience though. Think of a Pedro Almodóvar movie mixed with a bit of Takashi Miike, maybe with a bit of Haneke in there too, and you may get the picture.
It's a beautiful yet gruesome. I have to take a mark off for the animal cruelty, as it is bordering on unacceptable levels at times, but it still gets a 7.5/10
My first venture into the Dardenne brothers filmography. Quite a bleak tale that reminded me of Agnes Varda's 'Vagabond'. It almost looks like it's part of the Dogme movement as it is so plainly shot. That does have drawbacks though - the camera movement was so erratic that I found it to be a distraction, especially in the first half of the film. But perhaps that was the point - to put us in the shoes of this poor girl whose life is just a whirlwind of misery, poverty and struggle I enjoyed it for what it was (especially the central performance from Émilie Dequenne) but don't think I'll revisit it that soon.
Absolutely phenomenal film. Terrific villain performance from Robert Mitchum. Amazing that this was the only ever film directed by Charles Laughton. The battle between right and wrong, shown by how far a man will go to get what he wants, juxtaposed by the innocence of childhood. What a film.
But the cinematography..........just wow. I'd go so far as to say it's one of the best looking movies I've seen
'Thoroughbreds' dissects teen happiness, or the lack of it in a wealthy suburb of Connecticut. There's a lot to like about the Hitchcockian plot and camerawork with Director Corey Finley straying away from your normal teen drama and instead opting for a clever, intriguing style full of wry humour and aloofness. One scene in particular is brilliantly directed with a long slow zoom that cranks up the tension.
Anya Taylor Joy and Olivia Cooke are both brilliant as the young privileged teens who try to hatch a murder plot. And the script is really engaging. It's been described as 'Heathers' meets 'American Psycho', which is pretty much on the mark. There are a few moments that don't quite stack up and a little too much 'trope' comes into play at certain points but this is Corey Finlay's debut film, and there's enough here to suggest he's got some fine Directing chops.
Very moving, poignant film about a man with Down's syndrome trying to regather his life after a tragedy. I haven't seen many films where the lead actor is disabled, and Steven Brandon does an absolutely extraordinary job here as 'Luke'. He absolutely nails the part.
Think of the work of Lynne Ramsay, Andrea Arnold, Clio Barnard and you may get the picture. It does a really fine job of tapping into the psyche of Luke and takes the viewer to some interesting metaphorical places. It also touches on the healing process, grief, guilt etc. There's also a very credible performance by Shana Swash as 'Eve', who takes care of Luke and provides a semi 'love interest' role. Susanne Salavati's cinematography is quite lovely at times too and there are some nice shots of the English countryside to set the mood.
The film is a tad rough around the edges, especially with a 'wtf' moment in the final act, but a fine effort for a first time director (Jane Gull). Really looking forward to see what she does next.
The documentary is obviously worth a watch. The rescue scenes in particular look legit and harrowing. Surely authentic. But alot of it does seem scripted. I therefore think that it's a combination of a bit of staging, especially the interviews and also some real life footage of a group of people that do genuinely spend their time trying to help a war ravaged country.
This article is probably quite accurate:
www.channel4.com/news/factch...yrian-children
I'd give it about 6.5 out of 10 as it is an interesting documentary. But there's no real depth to it.
That was a hard watch. One of the bleakest, grimiest, dirty films I've watched in a long time. And not one which I'll watch again in a hurry. But it does have a pay off, and the performances, especially Lara Belmont (Jessie) are very credible.
Excellent raw, gritty British movie. I love Andrea Arnold. I'm not sure she has put a foot wrong in her career so far, although I've not seen 'Wuthering Heinghts'. Red Road is right up there with 'American Honey' for me as her best work. Kate Dicke was exceptional as the CCTV Camera operator who decides to go vigilante to get closure. There is one scene that is so moving I nearly lost it. How Arnold interweaves moments of extreme brutality and harshness with such powerful tenderness is amazing to watch. She's one of the best modern British film-makers. I'm off to seek out part 2 of the 'Advance Party' trilogy.
Funny, touching and tragic film about the oppression of women in an archaic patriarchal society. I wanted to really like this film for 2 reasons: It has the cinematographer from 'Embrace of the Serpent' and it was produced by Ffilm Cymru Wales, where I'm from. But the tone dragged it down a little. It was very funny in places, and I felt a little guilty for laughing as the subject content was a little disturbing. That made the film very odd. While odd isn't bad, it just meant it was harder to work out. It's a comedy tragedy in that respect, which is very difficult to do. The film obviously looked amazing though with David Gallego as DoP but just didn't click all the way through.
Well this was a surprise. Once in a while a film grabs you by the emotions and even if you think you're being drawn in to some sentimental tearjerker, you can't help but be transfixed by it and sucked into the whirlpool. This film got me right in the feels. It follows young Charley who's about to lose alot. There are very good turns from Charlie Plummer as the lead and Steve Buscemi as the grumpy horse trainer. The film doesn't wallow in it's own sentimentality but rather toughens you up for the final act. Which makes it more devastating. It's perfectly paced and at times looks and feels like a gritty modern western
Phenomenal account of two explorers, 30 years apart, trying to find a mysterious healing plant in the Amazon jungle. We follow their journeys and see how the amazon is set to be torn apart by 'whites'. The shamen that is the last of his tribe leads both expeditions and teaches the explorers what it is to dream, be alive and at one with nature.
There is one unforgettable moment when the expedition party encounters a rubber plant extractor.
David Gallego's photography and the sound editing is just incredible. It's a unique spiritual experience. A remarkable film.
Tragic account of the early 90s AIDS epidemic, and the actions of a group of activists in Paris. It's a very dialogue heavy fim but also intertwines a tender love story. Nahuel Pérez Biscayart is absolutely astounding as 'Sean'. And the acting is so hugely impressive across the board, it almost feels like the viewer is attending the activists weekly meetings at times
Although this is a largely predictable horror film, it does have some good moments and looks very nice. It reminded me why horror is a genre I don't delve too deeply into, it is nothing new or interesting. Having said that, I'm convinced Sean Byrne has a realy good film up his sleeve. 5.5/10
'The Sword of Doom' (1966)
This is an epic film. Everything from the sound editing to the acting, the fight scenes and the way it looks is mesmerizing. There's a scene at the beginnign where the grinding of the water mill sounds like the beating of a woman's heart just before she is brutally attacked, which is followed up by a more suggestive motion of the mill's inner workings. Metaphors like that help create the tension which is cranked up throughout. I couldn't help thinking while watching it, that this movie must have been a massive influence to modern day film-makers like Quentin Tarantino.
The most noticeable thing though is the lighting. It's used to great effect in most scenes to project shadows and silhouettes.
If I had to criticise it, I would say the ending is slightly abrupt, but that's being a bit harsh. Overall it's a highly stylish, brutal tale of a samurai on the path to self destruction
Baffling. Extraordinary. Pigs. Barely any dialogue. Beautiful looking. Directed by Shane Carruth (Primer), It's very challenging - so much so that I'm not even sure repeat viewings will shed any more light on it. It's definitely one for cinema purists who like to watch cerebral movies. In that respect it's more of an experience than a movie aligned with Terence Malick and Darren Aronofsky material. What's it about? The cycle of life? genetics? religion? morality? ethics? Probably all these things. What's clear is that Shane Carruth operates on a level that is different to most of us!
Claire Denis manages to capture a dream like ethereal quality to this film. It's quite odd but at the same time strangely alluring, contemplative and intriguing. There's not much structure to it and we see lots of different stages of a man's life both in the foreign legion and out of it.
Denis Lavant, as well as having some amazing dance moves, is brilliant in the lead role as a jealous sargeant who has his leadership qualities tested. It's not a straightforward film, more a character study but a worthwhile one. The final 30 mins was especially beautiful.
Classic Noir thriller directed by samuel Fuller. The different characters are intoxicating and the lighting is lovely. I couldn't help thinking of the Cohen Brothers being inspired to borrow from the likes of this while making 'The Man who wasn't there'.
The plot is simple yet works. The viewer starts to root for the 'loveable rogues' and the script reminds us of this by telling us things like "a man's got to eat" etc. Although the ending is a little unsatisfying it's a very decent bit of noir
I like John Hawkes, and he was quite good in this dark crime thriller. But it has a weak, weak script and feels like it's probably ripping off a tonne of 1970s crime movies.Starts off quite good fun but just ends up in derivative stock thriller mode.
This film is hard to get hold of for some reason, but it's worth it. It is reminiscent of 'Peppermint Candy' in that there are alot of flashbacks and interweaving timelines all central to one tragic event. It's very dialogue driven and is a character study of sorts, into the breakdown of a relationship of 3 high school students in South Korea. Slow paced in parts. There are lots of facial close ups which mean that the actors really have to deliver, and they did. Not everyone's cup of tea but it's an interesting look into the pressures of high school life.
Low budget British sci-fi flick that feels like a feature length episode of Black Mirror that didn't make the cut. It explores relationships, mental health, societal standards, elitism. The script and acting are average at best, but the concept is pretty interesting.
Yeah there's not much joy to be found in this one. Highly disturbing with an air of dark inevitability about the whole thing. right from the start.
Glad I watched it. But I wouldn't exactly recommend it to anyone. I did wonder though, whether there was a nod to previous German regimes, what with the blonde haired victim being at the hands of unspeakable evil. Probably just me over analysing it though.
This is an example of a small independent movie that probably would not have been made without the help of Netflix. While it's a shame that it's not going to be seen on the big screen, it's great that we can see the version the Director (Olivia Newman) intended to make. It's a decent drama about a young, troubled teen with some very difficult decisions to make. The lead role is expertly played by Elvire Emanuelle, who is one to watch after this performance.
It's not going to tear up any trees in terms of originality but has a similar feel to 'The Fits' and to a lesser extent 'Pariah'.
