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Asteroid City (2023)
Pretty but soulless, this is Anderson far from his peak emotional storytelling
Some directors improve with popularity and age and others start with a spark that is diminished over time. Looking back Anderson's Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums and later Moonrise Kingdom stand fathoms ahead of his last 3 outputs, with compelling stories, characters, heart and needledrops that made him a fan favourite. Recently he's become consumed by aesthetics and his movies play like a characature of his peak. The once charming symmetry, over saturation, pastels and idiosyncratic characters are as distinctive as ever but without an emotional grounding they've moved from sweet to nauseating. I hope he finds his footing again as there's still some joy to be found in his worldbuiling but without substance it's hard to invest. Schwartzman is still as always a standout in the bloated cast and had cemented himself as Anderson's greatest on screen collaborator and Johansen plays her role mysterious and fun but the rest of the cast is largely underutilized especially the comedic brilliance of Steve Carrel. The absence of recognisable needledrops from the usual bag of the Rolling Stones, Kinks and Cat Stevens is disappointing too. I hope this is the movie that serves as a wake-up call and gets this once masterful director back to his roots but I feel it's just a step down the hill of his ever growing idiosyncratic ego trip.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Wes Anderson is joy. How one man can pack so much love, wit, comfort and visual delights into his entre filmology never fails to impress me
Wes Anderson is joy. How one man can pack so much love, wit, comfort and visual delights into his entre filmology never fails to impress me and the turn from live action to stop motion is a match made in movie heaven as this simply looks beautiful. The way in which the models have actual animal hair so that the characters' faces appear flutter in the wind when the artistic move their features allows us to actually witness the film coming to life and see the stamp of the artist as we view the finished product, it's the cinematic equivelent of brushstrokes on a painting. The vocal cast is brimming with charming turns by recoginsable voices from Clooney, Streep, Murray, Schwartzman, Wilson, Dafoe, Brody and more and Alexandre Desplat's score is wonderfully exuberent and fun. It's in at under 90 minutes, fun for the family and adults and is a sweet treat that should not be discounted as merely a children's movie.
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
A smart, inventive and compact thriller with sharp gen z dialogue popping thoroughout the real scares come from the way these supossed friends treat eachother
A smart, inventive and compact thriller with sharp gen z dialogue popping thoroughout the real scares in Bodies Bodies Bodies comes from the way these supossed friends treat eachother and use modern toxicity labelling as a way to attach eachother and victimise themselves rather protect others from harm. It has a lot to say and critique about the 'tiktok' generation but everytime it feels like this conversation is about to start circuling it slaps a grizzly body on the table to keep interests peaked. Pete Davidson is as always excellent in his comedic timing, mannerisms and delivery and Bulgarian Maria Bakalova (Borat 2) is a great foil for the nastiness of the entitled friendship circle and shows that she'll be one to watch in the future.
See How They Run (2022)
Funny and charming from the outset with a terrific cast led by an electric Saiorse Ronan its a fun Agatha Christie style mystery comedy which will delight mousetrap fans
Funny and charming from the outset with a terrific cast led by an electric Saiorse Ronan See How They Run is a fun Agatha Christie mystery comedy which will especially delight fans of the Mousetrap play upon whose backdrop it is set. The actual mysery element is a little cliched and doesn't feel that fresh but the infusion of comedy, metaness and Wes Anderson-esque stylings carry it home regardless and it will leave you with a smile even if it is not as wholly satisying as Christie's own work which it naturally invites comparrison to, or as creative as Ryan Johnson's Knives Out from a few years ago.
Vengeance (2022)
BJ Novak's directorial debut finds him struggling to find a great way to exhbit his obvious intellect and comedic talents in a satsifying way for the big screen
BJ Novak's directorial debut finds him struggling to find a great way to exhbit his obvious intellect and comedic talents in a satsifying way for the big screen and I do believe his future lies in TV however it is an admirable first effort and mixes mystery, societal critique and fish-out-of-water humor well. Novak is great on screen as is a welcome comeback from Ashton Kutcher whose sleazy Texan record producer steals the show but the narrative plays out too predicably and struggles with pacing ultimately leading to a fun but middling film which is worth watching but is unlikely to leave a large impression after the credits role.
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Like stepping into a smoky jazz bar in Manhattan with an old fashioned waiting for you Mr Allen crafts atompsheres so rich you feel like you could soak in them
Like stepping into a smoky jazz bar in Manhattan with an old fashioned waiting for you Hannah and Her Sisters once again displays Mr Allen's aptitude for crafting atompsheres so rich you feel like you could soak in them even if the final third falls a little flat. The music and dialogue is top notch as always as are the performances particulaly Michael Caine as a husband in love with his wife's sister Lee, and Woody Allen who gives up the top billing for a side role which suits him as it allows him to bring a stronger more comedic energy to the role than when he leads. I enjoyed this immensely but if I were to recommend and introductory Allen film I would say to steer in the direction of Annie Hall, Manhattan or the more recent and wonderful Midnight in Paris instead.
Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)
A loose collection of genie anotholgy stories linked together by a relatively filmsy premise its nowhere near as creative or ambitous in scope as its marketing suggets
A loose collection of genie anotholgy stories linked together by a relatively filmsy premise Three thousand years of longing is acceptible Sunday afternoon fare but no where near as creative or ambitous in scope as its marketing would have you believe. Tilda and Idris both put in okay performances considering what little they have to work with and there are interesting segements in the short stories but they are never afforded time to develop and the visual idenitity of the film is flushed out by over abundant CGI which is bound to age horribly. The score however is very interesting and generates just enough of a magical vibe in the flashback scenes to not be completely disassapointing.
Manhattan (1979)
Woody Allen's movies ooze class, from the breathtaking jazz scores to the Ralph Lauren cloathing, elevated dilogue and georgous black and white cinematography
Woody Allen's movies ooze class, from the breathtaking jazz scores to the Ralph Lauren cloathing, elevated dilogue and georgous black and white cinematography, Manhattan is a Rolls Royce of a movie. Woody's neurotic, dorky everyman is just magnetic everytime he's othe screen as is his chemistry with Diane Keaton which enables the scipt to just allow conversations to take center stage with little need for any major plot developments. The music here is everything with George Gerswin's jazz score setting the tone right from the outset and dictating the pacing of the movie and its conversations, even to those unfamiliar with the genre the atompshere it sets is warm, fresh and classic. Coming in at only 90 minutes Mahattan is a firecracker of a movie and has a strong argument for being Allen's greatest achievement.
Nope (2022)
Stylish and atmospheric Nope fails to bring the thematic interest of Peeles other two features but is a servicable alien thriller in its own right
Stylish and atmospheric Nope fails to bring the thematic interest of Peeles other two features but is a servicable alien thriller in its own right with a typically excellent perfomance from Kaluuya and a star turn from Keke Palmer. Many have commented on the films similarities to Jaws, something the film seems to deliberatly steer into enough to not be considered plagarism but in a way which lacks the narrative creativity expected from the likes of Peele and ultimately the film's A Plot loses steam towards the end of its bloated runtime. By far the most intriguing element of the film in the flashback sequence featuring the chimp but it never felt this was as developed as it could have been and was not a neatly tied into the main narrative for it to be fully satisfying. Some of the scenes were however masterfully crafted and shot, the feel of dread was well developed and maintained throughout the first act and the 'blood rain' was particularly scary and revoluting in equal measure. I did go into this movie with high expectations and many of this were not met but if you look at it as a film in isolation is is still good but in the context of Peele's short filmology it is a low point.
I Heart Huckabees (2004)
A headtrip bursting at the seems with visual and conceptual creativity Huckabees manages to stay on the right side of self-indulgence due to it's terrific cast
A headtrip bursting at the seems with visual and conceptual creativity Huckabees manages to stay on the right side of self-indulgence due to it's terrifically likable odd-ball cast. Jason Schwartzman shines as always as a poet in the centre of a quarter-life crisis seeking out answers for his search for meaning and purpose, and a string of coincidences, from an existential detective agency ran by Dustin Hoffman, along the way running into and butting heads with Mark Wahlberg and Jude Law too. Some people have complained in the past that they cannot 'get into' the quriks and quasi-philosophical apprroch this film takes to showcasing a character going through an emotional/spiritual journey but I think it deserves great merit for its absolute refusal to talk down to its audience or go for the low hangning fruit.
Boiling Point (2021)
Another fantastic entry in the uncomfortable thrill-ride subgenre that seems to have burst onto our screens over the last few years
Another fantastic entry in the uncomfortable thrill-ride subgenre that seems to have burst onto our screens over the last few years alongside entries like Uncut Gems and All My Friends Hate Me, Boiling Point will leave you with a raised heart rate and a deep appreciation for its creative team even if it offers no relief from an ever-rising mountain of tension. Stephen Graham's Chef shines as the stands front and centre in this impressive one shot movie in which his career and personal life crumble around him. The technical aspects of the movie are excellent with smartly hidden cuts and the hand-held camera with an apparent consciousness of its own adding a sense of dread and all of the performances feel effortless and grounded. The crescendo itself is not quite as impressive as the build but that's the essential flaw with movies like this as audiences will always demand some form of satisfactory resolution which is hard to deliver when 98% of the film is about the build up.
Love & Mercy (2014)
A mature and compassion insight into one of the greatest young minds in popular music Love & Mercy double lead performances from Dano & Cusack compliment eachother well.
A mature and compassion insight into one of the greatest young minds in popular music Love & Mercy double lead performances from Dano & Cusack compliment eachother perfectly. Sometimes biopic, sometimes psychological thriller and never devolving into hero worship Pohlad's stylish look into the late years of the beach boys, in particular a deep focus into Pet Sounds, is able to find fresh turf in the often overplayed musical biopic subgenre. Paul Dano brings enough youthful charm and unhinged energy to the role of a young Wilson and his voice really holds up, so much so that smart sound editing enables seemless transitions between his renditions of Beach Boys classics and the studio versions, Cusack stands in contrast with his dazed, vacant approach but the reasons for his performance choices are validated as the narrative develops.
Predator (1987)
High energy violence, guns, aliens and rock n' roll in the Vietnam jungle, Predator is a movie which never takes itself too seriously
High energy violence, guns, aliens and rock n' roll in the Vietnam jungle, Predator is a movie which never takes itself seriously and seeks to please the audience and gives them everything they ask could ask for from an action movie. Arnie comes out guns blazing in his shouty-est, bicep-iest and shoot-the-alien-in-the-face-iest role as Dutch, an american commander dropped into the wildernest under false pretences to recover a lost heli-crew but the search quickly turns into a hunt, for the Predator, a highly specialised Alien with thermo-vision whose only motivation seemingly is to hunt humans for sport. The movie ultimately has very little substance compared to its contempory Alien but the action sequences are just so unappolgetically fun that its hard to hold this against it and the POV sequences of the thermal vision are iconic and terrifying.
Old School (2003)
This misfit frat house party movie welcomes rather than hides from its obvious similarities to Animal House and has a little bit of side interest via the Fight Club parody
This misfit frat house party movie welcomes rather than hides from its obvious similarities to Animal House and has a little bit of side interest via the loose parody of Fight Club but it does fall into genre conventions of crude, gross-out humour a little too often for it to maintain the overall light-hearted charm provided by its charasmatic stars throughout. Luke Wilson was one of the best 'everyman's of the early 00s and his honest, straight performance works as a great foil for Ferrell's exuberence and Vaugh's sleazyness. It falls into the subgenre often called 'late-night' movies so it is fun but don't expect anything even remotely high brow and some light sexism and questionable sexual exploits are scattered throughout as is an unfortunate staple of the era and genre.
Thirteen Lives (2022)
A wonderful tribute so some incredibly brave and innovative heros and a tale of great survival in the face of near certain death
A wonderful tribute so some incredibly brave and innovative heros and a tale of great survival in the face of near certain death 13 lives tows the line well between being an entertaining action thriller and an honest depiction of sensational events. Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell both play their roles of expert British cave divers with a suprising amount of honesty and restraint which allows Howard's direction and the story of the Thai Navy Seals involvement to have its time in the spotlight but it is hard to overcome a feeling that the movie feels a little whitewashed focusing most of its energy on the two white characters in an otherwise entirely Thai rescue effort. The film does drag a little due to its runtime and the cave diving sequences despite being very tense and dramatic do feel a little repetative when the dive is repeated multiple times.
Silent Running (1972)
Considered a sci-fi classic but this constrained exploration of conservation vs commercialisation fails to ever leave orbit due to a very slow pace and predicible narratives
Whilst considered an early sci-fi classic due to its juxtaposition with the more fantastical films of the late 70s this restrained exploration of conservation in the face of commercialisation fails to ever leave orbit due to a very slow pace and predicible narratives. It's actually amazing a movie like this was ever made in the same year as Star Wars considering the very modern approach to enviromental issues but that does not necessarily make it an enjoyable viewing experience and the magic of the space forests just never really clicked for me despite a great score and 2 exceptional tracks by Joan Baez.
The Endless Summer (1966)
Transport your mind, eyes & ears back to the freewheeling, radical & lighthearted world of 60s Califoria & surfspots worldwide in this classic that is as fun as it's beautiful
Transport your mind, eyes and ears back to the freewheeling, radical and lighthearted world of 60s Califoria and surfspots worldwide in this classic documentary that is as fun to watch as it is beautiful to behold, stocked to the brim with 35mm sunset shots and archive footage of the best surfers of the era. An understated but summery soundtrack and exceptionally nonchalant narrations by documentarian Bruce Brown set the tone for what is an hour and a half beach party that is impossible to resist despite how little one may care about the sport in isolation. The concept of two surfers travelling the globe in order to surf in the summer months throughout the year permits the doc to veer into classic road trip tropes and sets up extrodiary moments of exploration specifically the advent of surfing in Ghana and discovery of 'the perfect beach' at Cape St. Francis.
All My Friends Hate Me (2021)
Awkwardness in social situations sometimes feels like it is verging on the edge of horror and Gaynord works that niche with great effect in this excellently crafted summer fli
Awkwardness in social situations sometimes feels like it is verging on the edge of horror and Gaynord works that niche with great effect in this excellently crafted, fun British summertime flick which is both dificult to watch and also riveting. The scale of the film is constrained whihc gives it the feel of a Christie novel despite no murders being committed and the most serious offences being uncomfortable silences and conversations in the hallways but the feel of the film makes it seem bigger than it is. One specific techinque I paticularly enjoyed was the lack of time references throughout as charcters rise, sleep, eat, drink and party periodically so you're never really sure how much time has elapsed and therefore how much longer the protagonist has to suffer. Tom Stourton shines as the Birthday boy on country retreat with his ex-university friends and is faced by themes of regret, class division, priveledge and passive aggression as he faces a weekend from hell and drags the viewer kicking and screaming into it.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Sentimental, beautiful and filled with childhood wonder Close Encounters falters in its third act due to lack of narrative ambition
Sentimental, beautiful and filled with childhood wonder Close Encounters falters in its third act due to lack of narrative ambition. The glimpses of UFOs in the sky, children looking on in awe and the iconic note motif tied into the score all give Close Encounters a nostalgic feel that make it an enjoyable family watch and one of Spielberg's most famous of the era. However he never seems to have in mind a clear direction for where to take the movie so it stalls once the story needs to evolve past the stargazing element. It ends up feeling like an overly dragged out Twilight Zone episode which isn't necessarily a negative comparison although I do intend it here as a criticiam.
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)
A nostalgic and bittersweet story of friendship tried against station Pat Garrett is a middling western elevated by a peculiar performance & exceptional score by Dylan
A nostalgic and bittersweet story of friendship tried against station Pat Garrett is a middling western elevated by a peculiar and idiosyncratic performance by Bob Dylan as the cryptic presence Alias and particularly his exceptional acoustic soundtrack. The Soundtrack is really the main reason to see this movie, featuring his statistically most popular song ever Knocking on Heaven's door and some enchanting acoustic guitar work, it was simultaneously released as a studio album too, the only thing that would have enhanced it is a feature from its other star and legendary country singer Kris Kristofferson.
Amadeus (1984)
*Insert superlatives here* I'd read the reviews and heard a huge amount of talk going in but I was absolutely blown away by how goddamn entertaining Amadeus was
*Insert superlatives here* I'd read the reviews and heard a huge amount of talk going in but I was absolutely blown away by how goddamn entertaining Amadeus was. Sometimes an exceptional movie becomes suffocated by its own quality and therefore loses entertainment value as the director struggles to strike balance between fun and artistic. Amadeus is the perfect example of how a work of art can be gripping, funny, elevated, educational, emotional and easy to watch without losing any of its artistic merit along the way. F Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce's duelling composers Salieri and Mozart are perfectly cast to show off the childishness and bitterness of one exceptional and one mediocre composer and Mozart's music interwoven into the score and taking centre stage is nothing short of magestic. If you haven't seen this already then I can't think of any reason (except its length) that it shouldn't go straight to the top of your list.
North by Northwest (1959)
Hitchcock's take on Action adventure is pure cinematic gold and essentially laid the groundwork for the next 60 years of the genre, especially the James Bond franchise
Hitchcock's take on Action adventure is pure cinematic gold and essentially laid the groundwork for the next 60 years of the genre, especially the James Bond franchise. It's definitely not his best or as gripping movie as his style is better suited to horror & psychological thirllers than adventure but it is up there with his most entertaining as the film crashes it's way from iconic set piece to set piece with a joy and levity unseen in his other works. Cary Grant brings such magmatism to the big screen whether it's with a subtle facial expression or running away from an attacking crop duster, he really was one of the greats.
The Black Phone (2021)
I really failed to see any merits in the derivative and directionless mess of a film with asked far more questions than it bothere to answer & borrowed heavily from King
Black Phone has been hailed by many critics as an exciting yet light new addition into the horror/ abduction thriller lexicon however I really failed to see any merits in the derivative and directionless mess of a film with asked far more questions than it ever bothered to answer and borrowed so heavily from Stephen King that he should be requesting royalty cheques for every ticket sold. The film teeters between supernatural elements and kidnapping mystery without really being all that intriguing in either sense, without explicitly spoiling the movie, not that doing so would really be possible. If there's a supernatural element in an otherwise ordinary world it should either a) be interesting/thrilling enough to draw the viewers attention (see The Shining) or b) have a big reveal showing the viewer the reason behind the powers (see Stranger Things), the Black Phone has neither.
Chef (2014)
Chef hits the right notes for a perfect light Sunday afternoons entertainment.
Jon Favraeu is one of the most consistently entertaining and stylistically diverse creatives in TV and film today and nothing exemplifies that more than the difference between his hit Star Wars show The Mandolorian and Chef. An ouvertly sentimental tale of father and son bonding told through the sense of a washed-up gourmet chef who quits his job to become a road-tripping food cart owner, Chef hits the right notes for a perfect light Sunday afternoons entertainment. The movies is one for 'foodies' and is packed to the brim with 'food porn', two expressions I personally detest but were used frequently in the movies promotion, and it really is a treat for the eyes and/or stomach so this is not one to watch hungry. It's definitely not as complex as his groundbreaking Swingers, or as successful as his Disney/Marvel tenure but Chef is the light entertainment that will leave a smile on your face even despite its narrative predicability.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Tight direction and a sense of growing unease give the extremly slow opening two acts a lot of promise for Kubrick's last feature but it ulimtately fizzles out
Tight direction and a sense of growing unease give the extremly slow opening two acts a lot of promise for Kubrick's last feature but it ulimtately fizzles out as the tension is wasted on an underwhemling conclusion and the pacing spends too little time exploring the central premise of the sex-cult which is the main draw and interest at the heart of the film. Cruise is charming yet restrained and is perfectly cast as the lead but less can be said of Nicole Kidman who stumbles her way through some truly dire lines which serve to prove again that Kubrick could never write for female characters. Overall it is one of his weakest pictures but one I found myself enjoying immensely for some portions of the second act if only it could have maintained this.