Jun 8 2021

Lost Transmissions (2019) Movie Review

Director: Katharine O’Brien

Writer: Katharine O’Brien (Screenplay)

Starring: Juno Temple, Simon Pegg, Alexandra Daddario, Rebecca Hazlewood, Daisy Bishop, Jamie Harris

Plot: When an acclaimed music producer goes off his medication for schizophrenia, his friends chase him though the LA music scene to help commit him to a psychiatric hospital, revealing the troubling inadequacies of our mental health care system.

Runtime: 1 Hour 45 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Lost Transmissions starts when call centre girl Hannah (Temple) ends up receiving a call from music producer Theo Ross (Pegg), he invites her to perform seeing the talent she has for music, giving her the connections to find herself writing for megastar Dana Lee (Daddario).

What Hannah isn’t prepared for is learning about the schizophrenia that Theo goes through after he previously mixed up too many drugs, with people slowly moving away from him, Hannah is the latest one to help watch over him to protect himself from the danger he is causing to the people around him.

Thoughts on Lost Transmissions

Characters & Performances – Hannah is the young woman that is trying to find her feet in the world, given a big break with her music dreams, only to find herself helping a music producer who is struggling with a host of mental illnesses, being the person that will give him the most support in his time of need, as she tries to learn what caused him to become like this. Juno Temple is wonderful in the leading role here, showing the person that gives the most for a man in need. Theo is the big time music producer that has been struggling with his own mental health after a string of drug misuse, his friends have started to give up on him, as he desperately needs help from the people around him. He is spiralling out of control with the only person that will help him Hannah being the one that tries to find him the help he needs. Simon Pegg gives one of his best acting performances of his career here, where he shows the unstable character at his best and worst. The rest of the characters we meet are important to see how they react to Theo, some have tried others have given up on him, with the performances being great through the film.

Story – The story here follows a young woman that becomes friends with a music producer that is struggling with his own mental health problems, becoming the only person that will give him the time he needs to help him cope with the daily challenges. This is a story that will get to highlight a mix of the aftermath of drug abuse and mental health showing the two creating a nightmare world for the person and the people around them. We see how difficult it can be to find enough care for someone who doesn’t believe anything is wrong. We could have gotten more into the music side of the film, but the most important focus in the mental health side of everything.

Lost Transmissions is an important look at the modern day mental health problems people can suffer through.

Jun 8 2021

Dirt Music – Release News

Dirt Music will be available on Digital Download from 19th July

Dirt Music follows Georgie (Kelly Macdonald) who’s barely holding it together these days without a drink. Once a nurse, now she’s trapped in White Point with local crayfish baron, Jim Buckridge (David Wenham) and his two sons. One hazy night she sees the lone figure of Lu Fox (Garrett Hedlund) appear in the mists of the bay. A long time ago he was a dirt musician, but now he survives as a poacher – an unwise choice given Jim’s iron-grip on the local fishing trade. Georgie is instantly drawn to Lu, and the pair begin an intense affair. What Georgie doesn’t realise is that the Foxes and the Buckridges have a long, murky history which just might rise to the surface.

Jun 8 2021

ABC Film Challenge – Thriller – H – Havana Darkness (2018) Movie Review

Director: Guillermo Ivan

Writer: Barry Keating (Screenplay) Loris Curci, Magarditch Halvadjian, Guillermo Ivan (Story)

Starring: Carolina Ravassa, Jack Dimich, Zach Rose, Guillermo Ivan, Monte Bezell, Hannah D Scott

Plot: Travelling to Havana, Cuba, to investigate the origins of a mysterious manuscript supposedly written by acclaimed American novelist, Ernest Hemingway, three friends are thrust into a terrifying game of cat and mouse when they find themselves trapped inside an abandoned building nestled in the centre of the country’s vibrant capital. With time running out fast the threesome must manoeuvre through a maze of deadly traps to find a way out of the building before they’re hunted down.

Runtime: 1 Hour 26 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Standard Thriller

Story: Havana Darkness starts when Carlos (Ivan) has been studying Ernest Hemingway for years, he learns of a potential lost manuscript in Cuba, which sees him travel with his friends John (Rose) and Karen (Ravassa) to Cuba to see if he could unlock the secrets being the rumour.

Once in Cuba Carlos learns about a house which he wants to investigate, only for the three friends to find themselves thrown into a twisted game of life and death.

Thoughts on Havana Darkness

Characters – Carlos is the one that has been research Hemingway, Cuba would give him a chance to learn more about a mysterious manuscript, he becomes obsessed with learning more, which sees him lead his friends into the death trap. Karen and John are the couple that are supporting their friend, they do want to have fun, with the idea of going to the house being the last resort before they look to celebrate. We don’t learn much more about the three other than they are friends which doesn’t explain when one seems to become a true warrior.

Performances – The film uses three main performances, we do see the friendship come through strongly between them, but when it comes to learn anything else about who they are, we do feel like something is missing from the delivery.

Story – The story here follows three friends that head to Cuba in search of a missing manuscript only finding themselves in the middle of a twisted game where they must fight to survive. This does play into the idea of searching for adventure or inspiration, only it doesn’t seem to get going on that side of things. Once we enter the game, it does become a lot more interesting, even if it does end up going on longer than it needs to.

Thriller – This does try to keep us on edge with how Carlos is feeling around the city, only it isn’t as intense as it wants to be, while the game moves at a faster pace.

Settings – The film uses the Cuba backdrop, this does show us how the investigation can turn heads the wrong way if the wrong people hear about what is wanted, with the game being inside one house with no escape.

Scene of the Movie – The game intro.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The slow exploring around Cuba.

Final Thoughts – This is a thriller that doesn’t seem to get started and ends up just stuttering along without becoming too impactful.

Overall: Disappointing thriller.