Daily Archives: February 27, 2018

Feb 27 2018

LIES WE TELL WILL RELEASE ON DVD 2ND APRIL 2018

A film by Mitu Misra

Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Sibylla Deen, Mark Addy, Jan Uddin and Harvey Keitel

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Stars of Pulp Fiction and Miller’s Crossing are brought together for Mitu Misra’s  unflinching, award-winning British thriller about loyalty and revenge, a Northern Noir in the tradition of Mike Hodge’s Get Carter and Mike Figgis’ Stormy Monday.

When his billionaire boss Demi (Harvey Keitel) dies, chauffeur Donald (Gabriel Byrne) is given one final job – to wipe out any evidence of Demi’s relationship with his mistress, the enigmatic and beautiful Amber (Sibylla Deen). Donald’s task soon unravels when Amber’s life is threatened, and he finds himself her reluctant protector. Unwittingly drawn into a dangerous urban underworld, he encounters dark, harrowing practices, and a sinister underworld figure who will test him to his very limits.

LIES WE TELL is a unique, gritty thriller that portrays an ordinary man confronting extraordinary circumstances. The cast includes Golden Globe winner Gabriel Byrne (IN TREATMENT, MILLER’S CROSSING), Oscar-nominated screen legend Harvey Keitel (PULP FICTION, RESERVOIR DOGS), Mark Addy (GAME OF THRONES, THE FULL MONTY), Nicholas Farrell (CHARIOTS OF FIRE), BAFTA-winner Gina McKee (OUR FRIENDS IN THE NORTH), Toyah Willcox (QUADROPHENIA), Emily Atack (THE INBETWEENERS), Sibylla Deen (HOME AND AWAY), and Jan Uddin (SHANK).

Gabriel Byrne was the recipient of ‘Best Actor Award’ at the Nottingham International Film Festival in October 2017.

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Feb 27 2018

A Wish for Giants (2018)

Director: Don Swanson

Writer: Aaron Dunbar (Screenplay)

Starring: Naysa Altmeyer, Alexa Mechling, Connor McClain, J.P. Edwards, Jerry Pietrala, Joe Fishel

 

Plot: Sophie, a young volunteer, meets her kindred spirit in Roxie, a girl with a life threatening medical condition and a unique wish to meet Bigfoot.


Tagline – An impossible wish. A determined volunteer.

Runtime: 1 Hour 18 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Plays on the Heart Strings

 

Story: A Wish for Giants starts as we see how Roxie (Mechling) a school girl gets struck down with a brain tumour, like all kids that are suffering this tragic illness, they get a chance for a wish, which brings in Sophie (Altmeyer) a student volunteer who takes the case, but the wish is to meet bigfoot.

Determined to fulfil this wish Sophie must face the difficulties of trying to prove whether this could be real or not, while rich boy student Derrick (McClain) sees this as a chance for fame and fortune.

 

Thoughts on A Wish for Giants

 

Characters – Sophie is a hard working student and volunteer that helps sick children fulfil a wish, this is her first solo case and she will focus on any resources to make this a reality for Roxie. Roxie is the school girl that has been struck with the terminal disease, her wish is to meet bigfoot, because no one else has been able to say thy have, this is character that is shown to be any child that suffers. Derrick is a fellow student, he is rich, self-centred and believes his money can get him anything he wants in the world.

Performances – Naysa Altmeyer in the leading role is good, we believe the determinations she is going through. Alexa Mechling is good in the role of the suffering school girl, we see how she wants to be different. Connor McClain does the morally wrong character well in this movie, playing the position well throughout the film.

Story – The story follows the efforts volunteers put into help terminal sick children, it does play in out like a behind the scenes look at this moment being prepared which is interesting too see. This is a good look at how this process is achieved, while also knowing the suffering being felt by the child. We do get into moral grounds about making the wish happen and you will be left in the position of wondering how the dreams are being fulfilled.

Fantasy – The movie uses the idea of fantasy when it comes to looking at the wish that Roxie wants fulfilled, this is the best way to look at this situation because it is the only way to approach it for Sophie.

Settings – The film uses the settings to show the lives of the characters, be it the struggles of the student, the hospitals that Roxie goes through and the woods that could be home to bigfoot.


Scene of the Movie – In the woods.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Derrick does becoming a character you don’t want to be watching.

Final Thoughts – This is a good, strong drama that shows the struggles to make a wish come true for a terminal ill school kid, it does try to play on the heart strings and offers the question about how far would you go for this to be achieved.  

 

Overall: Strong drama

Rating

 

 

Feb 27 2018

ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nominations – # – 20 Feet from Stardom (2013)

Director: Morgan Neville

 

Plot: Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we’ve had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now.


Tagline – Meet the unsung heroes behind the greatest music of our time.

Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Nice Documentary

 

Story: 20 Feet from Stardom starts as we meet different backup singers that have worked with the biggest names in music, Mick Jagger, Sting and Bruce Springsteen to mention a few, we follow these backup singers that have always wanted to sing, but not perform not giving them the fame the lead singer would get, despite the effect their singer put towards the songs.

 

Thoughts on 20 Feet from Stardom

 

Final Thoughts – This is a nice documentary about the people that add something to the songs you know and love with their backup vocals, there stories of how they learned from the more famous performers while also aspiring to become the big names on their own stage. This is a documentary that shows that talent comes from each position on the stage.

 

Overall: Good documentary about the lesser known talents.

Rating