Month: January 2022

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Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Catch-Up 2021 – W – We Broke Up (2021) Movie Review

Director: Jeff Rosenberg

Writer: Jeff Rosenberg, Laura Jacqmin (Screenplay)

Starring: Aya Cash, William Jackson Harper, Sarah Bolger, Tony Cavalero, Peri Gilpin, Kobi Libii, Azita Ghanizada

Plot: Longtime couple Lori and Doug break up just days before Lori’s little sister Bea’s wedding to Jayson. In order to not disrupt the fun, they decide to pretend they’re still together until the weekend is over.

Runtime: 1 Hour 20 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: We Broke Up starts as couple Lori (Cash) and Doug (Harper) go through the beginning part of a break up after being together for years, the problem for the couple is that Lori’s sister Bea (Bolger) is about to get married.

The pair agree to attend the wedding still as a couple, going through the uncomfortable interaction the weekend will bring them, giving them the chance to decide whether this is the right decision.

Thoughts on We Broke Up

Thoughts – We Broke Up is a comedy that follows the couple that must continue to hold their relationship together to get through a wedding, which will offer them the temptations to try something new, or see they truly were right for each other, all in the backdrop of not knowing whether the couple getting married are right for each other. This is an interesting look at how relationships can get caught up in the middle of nowhere, being uncertain of where things could end up going, with the added pressure of seeing a relative getting married. It does give people the reflection of where people are in life. Aya Cash and William Jackson Harper are both wonderful in the leading roles, showing us just how much pain, the characters are going through, despite knowing they love each other still. The film does put more focus on the supporting side of the characters, which can take away from the situation the couple are going through at times.

Final Thoughts – We Broke Up is an easy to watch comedy, reflection how difficult relationships can be.

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Movie Review

Never Gonna Snow Again (2020) Movie Review

Director: Malgorzata Szumowska, Michal Elglert

Writer: Malgorzata Szumowska, Michal Elglert (Screenplay)

Starring: Alec Utgoff, Maja Ostaszewska, Agata Kulesza, Weronika Rosati, Katarzyna Figura, Lukasz Simlat

Plot: Zhenia, a Russian-speaking immigrant from the East works as a masseur in Poland and becomes a guru-like figure in a wealthy gated community of his clients.

Runtime: 1 Hour 56 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Never Gonna Snow Again starts as we meet masseur Zhenia (Utgoff) who uses his skill to help a wealthy community in Poland, here he goes from home to home to help the residents, with each having their own problems, which the short moments with Zhenia help unlock stress.

With each session, Zhenia finds himself learning something about the resident, while also offering up a special power, which will put the resident to sleep, calming them in new ways imaginable.

Thoughts on Never Gonna Snow Again

Thoughts – Never Gonna Sleep Again is a compelling drama showing one man living in a world where he doesn’t fit, around the wealthy who all have confusing lives to the man, but lives he finds himself part of, while dealing with his own demons from the past. Plenty if thrown towards the family dramas going on within the story, while not enough seems to be placed upon the powers Zhenia seems to have, the calming abilities he puts onto people. This is a strange movie that will use the pace of the film to guide us through the world, seeing how people’s lives will change from interaction with a stranger, with their own problems. Alec Utgoff is wonderful in the distant leading role, who never feel comfortable in this world. The settings are used to show the different worlds both Zhenia and the resident are from, showing them collide with the differences.

Final Thoughts – Never Gonna Sleep Again is a nice mystery life drama.

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Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Catch Up 2021 – V – The Green Knight (2021) Movie Review ‘Mostly Disappointing’

The Green Knight – Mostly Disappointing

This is under V because of Alicia Vikander 

Director: David Lowery

Writer: David Lowery (Screenplay)

Starring: Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury, Kate Dickie, Ralph Ineson, Barry Keoghan, Sean Harris

Plot: A fantasy re-telling of the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.


Tagline – When honor was everything. When courage made kings

Runtime: 2 Hours 10 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Green Knight starts on Christmas Day when the Green Knight (Ineson) challenges the King (Harris) to a game, let one of his knights lay a blow upon him, he will reclaim that right one-year later, with nobody stepping up, it is Gawain (Patel) that accepts the challenge.

With one-year apart to pass, Gawain must make the journey to the Green Chaplin to meet his fate with the Green Knight, a journey that will be filled with peril along the way.

Thoughts on The Green Knight

Characters & Performances – Gawain is one of the nephews of the knights of the round table, wanting to become a knight himself, only to spend most of his days drinking. He steps up to a challenge from the Green Knight to strike him. One-year later he must have the trike returned, meaning he must travel to the Green Knights kingdom, where he will need to overcome a string of obstacles and challenges that will lead to an encounter with the knight. Dev Patel does a great job in the leading role being the one that is on the adventure. When it comes to the supporting cast, we get to meet the different figures involved with the round table and the people Gawain meets on his journey. We have an all-star supporting cast including Alicia Vikander, Sean Harris, Joel Edgerton and Ralph Ineson who all do a great job with the scenes they are in.

Story – The story here follows a young aspiring knight looking to become part of the roundtable that gets offered a chance to prove himself against the Green Knight for a Christmas game, he will need to travel to meet the man if he is to prove himself, we get to follow his journey. This is a story that will get the journey into the unknown underway, it will have moments that are unexplainable, with the ideas of where the journey is going, having a potential deadly fate. It will do one of the cinema sins with how certain parts of the story are told, which ends up feeling disappointing and does end up being too long of a film. If you don’t know anything about the character, you might also find certain parts of the story confusing, which in all fairness, is the biggest weakness involved in the film.

Themes – The Green Knight is a fantasy thriller with a journey that will take our character across many different lands in search for answers, leading us to different mystery for him to encounter, we do have some strong special effects, even if the film does end up going in a strange direction.

Final Thoughts – The Green Knight is a film with plenty of talk about it that ends up falling flat with a meaningful story.

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Movie Review

Nightmare Alley (2021) Movie Review ‘Brilliant Movie’

Nightmare Alley – Brilliant

 

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Writer: Guillermo del Toro, Kim Morgan (Screenplay) William Lindsay Gresham (Novel)

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen

Plot: An ambitious carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is.

Runtime: 2 Hours 30 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Nightmare Alley starts when Stanton Carlisle (Cooper) finds himself joining the local carnival, learning the tips of the trade, as he looks to learn a new skill for himself. Stanton learns from Zeena (Collette) and Pete (Strathairn) who teach him the art of manipulation.

As Stanton looks to take his act away from the carnival with Molly (Mara) he will see himself meeting a new threat to him, Dr Lilith Ritter (Blanchett) who has her own tricks, that he isn’t prepared for.

Thoughts on Nightmare Alley

Characters & Performances – Stanton is a drifter searching for a fresh start in life when he joins the carnival. As Stanton learns about the tricks of the trade, he comes up with his own additions to the acts, which will show his ambition to be more than just a carny. Stanton becomes a showman, leading him to getting pushed beyond the safe levels of show, sending him down a dangerous path when he comes up against a like minded doctor. Bradley Cooper is brilliant in this leading role, showing the full journey his character goes on through the film. Dr Lilith Ritter is the woman that appears at one of the shows, she sees through his act, becoming fascinated with how he acts, drawing him in with potential of getting more, feeding his addiction along the way. Cate Blanchett storms into the film, giving us a performance, you are drawn towards every line and action she takes. Molly Cahill is one of the acts in the carnival, she grabs Stanton’s attention, with him offering her promises of a life away from the carnival, one she can’t say no to, until she sees how far he will go to try and make more money, even though they have everything they want. Rooney Mara is wonderful too, much like the whole cast, which includes Willem Dafoe, Toni Collette, Richard Jenkins and Ron Perlman, everyone shines in every scene they are in.

Story – The story in Nightmare Alley will follow an ambitious man who looks to perfect an act he learnt at the carnival, only to get caught up in a series of events which will see him meet his match and enter into a world he isn’t prepared for, with dangerous consequences. This is a story that will put a firm focus on greed, showing how one person can get caught up in wanting more, they don’t realize what they already have. It will show us that Stanton is hiding something else back, but the few points that will see his downfall, are the ones that will hint at where the story is going to go. There are certain moments in the story that will show the tricks of the trade of being a carnival performer, showing how different performances are achieved and how easily the audience can be manipulated.

Themes – Nightmare Alley is a crime thriller that will see how a manipulating man will use people’s problems to take advantage of them, while getting put into a place where he can become a conman. Nightmare Alley is a visually beautiful movie, with amazing cinematography throughout, drawing you into each scene, mixed with the breath-taking set design going on throughout the film.

Final Thoughts – Nightmare Alley is one of the best films of the year, beautiful to look at, captivating story and stunning performances.

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Movie Review

The Quiller Memorandum (1966) Movie Review

Director: Michael Anderson

Writer: Harold Pinter (Screenplay) Trevor Dudley Smith (Novel)

Starring: George Segal, Alec Guinness, Max Von Sydow, Senta Berger, George Sanders, Robert Helpmann

Plot: In the West Berlin of the 1960s, two British agents are killed by a Nazi group, prompting British Intelligence to dispatch agent Quiller to investigate.

Runtime: 1 Hour 44 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Quiller Memorandum starts when American agent Quiller (Segal) is assigned to help British intelligence agent Pol (Guinness) to head to Germany to help investigate the death of other British agents. Quiller must learn whether there is a new Nazi regime growing within Germany.

The deeper Quiller gets into Germany, he will learn more about what is going on, learning he might just be a pawn between both sides or is there meant to be a bigger picture going on.

Thoughts on The Quiller Memorandum

Thoughts – The Quiller Memorandum is a spy thriller that comes in the height of the aftermath of the wars, showing how both sides could still be trying to get ahead of each other and people will still be operating in secret. We do follow one man as he looks to get into learning about the truth, but will always need to be looking over his shoulder to make sure he is safe. This is the type of story we have seen before and we continue to see, one that is easy to watch and one we can all get behind watching. The performances in the film are strong with George Segal in the leading role giving us a charismatic figure. The film uses the settings to show us just how the different organisations would operate away from the public light, looking to get ahead of each other in the growing battles.

Final Thoughts – The Quiller Memorandum is a by the book spy thriller that is carried by a great leading man performance from George Segal.

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Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Catch Up 2021 – U – The Unholy (2021) Movie Review

The Unholy – Simple Ghostly Film

 

Director: Evan Spiliotopoulos

Writer: Evan Spiliotopoulos (Screenplay) James Herbert (Book)

Starring: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Cricket Brown, William Sadler, Katie Aselton, Cary Elwes, Diogo Morgado

Plot: A hearing-impaired girl is visited by the Virgin Mary and can suddenly hear, speak, and heal the sick. As people flock to witness her miracles, terrifying events unfold. Are they the work of the Virgin Mary or something much more sinister?


Tagline – Be careful who you pray to.

Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Unholy starts when disgraced journalist Gerry Fenn (Morgan) is searching for his latest story with hope of one which can’t sell, only to find himself caught up in another story, one involving a mute deaf woman Alice (Brown) who can suddenly start talking and hearing, as well as performing miracles in healing people.

As the miracles draw more people to the town, Gerry starts to look deeper into the changes in Alice, learning the horrific truth about why she has suddenly gained the powers she has.

Thoughts on The Unholy

Characters & Performances – Gerry Fenn is a disgraced journalist who has a reputation for bending the truth to make sure he gets the attention, never telling the complete truth, always looking for something to report on, now he has found himself in the middle of an unknown case about a woman who has suddenly gain healing powers, but even with that story in place, he looks to dive deeper into the truth. Jeffrey Dean Morgan does his try hard to make something from this leading role, even if not everything is easy to work with. Alice is the deaf mute that finds herself with the new ability to talk and hear, with another miraculous addition, the ability to heal injuries and sickness. She becomes one of the most worshipped people in the local area because of her changes. Cricket Brown does well to show the change in here character goes through, believing in what has happened to her. Father Hagan has raised Alice, he has always used God’s words to help her from what was different in her life and made her the strong young woman she had become. Natalie Gates had worked with Alice to help her in the world, she sees first hand the changes she goes through and wants to understand how they came about. The supporting cast do well without giving us any major factors in the film.

Story – The story here follows a young deaf mute woman that suddenly gains the ability to talk, hear and heal, leading to a journalist reporting on the miracles that she is performing until the truth slowly gets revealed about what is really going on. When it comes to any film about miracles, it is always interesting to see what the story might bring, be it with the horror directions or the natural one. We do end up going deeper into the supernatural side here, which is more about what happened in the past to cover up for the future, with the traditional investigation while spooky things are going on behind the scenes, it isn’t the most engaging story, but will get the basics of horror done well.

Themes – The Unholy is a horror movie that relies on people’s faith to drawn them in, only to unleash the truth to everyone else. It will have the basic scares we need without being anything overly fresh. The small town setting can easily play into the ideas of what might be used for a hoax to increase the money coming into the town too. Whereas most of the special effects don’t always work for the film, taking us well out of the haunting moments.

Final Thoughts – The Unholy is a nice basic ghost story that will have everything we need to be entertained for the runtime.

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Movie Review

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021) Movie Review

Director: Patrick Hughes

Writer: Tom O’Connor, Brandon Murphy, Phillip Murphy (Screenplay)

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Salma Hayek, Samuel L Jackson, Frank Grillo, Antonio Banderas, Richard E Grant, Caroline Goodall, Antonio Banderas, Gary Oldman

Plot: The bodyguard Michael Bryce continues his friendship with assassin Darius Kincaid as they try to save Darius’s wife Sonia.


Tagline – Hit me baby one more time

Runtime: 1 Hour 56 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard starts as Michael Bryce (Reynolds) is still suffering nightmares of his time around Darius Kincaid (Jackson), forcing him to go on a sabbatical. Only Michael’s planned holiday returns to a nightmare when Sonia Kincaid (Hayek) finds him and gets him to help rescue Darius.

When the three a reunited, they find that they are being blackmailed into working together or face jail time, putting the three combustible elements together in a world where nobody can trust anyone.

Thoughts on The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard

Thoughts – The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is an action comedy sequel that will see the reunion of bodyguard Michael Bryce and hitman Darius Kincaid, as they must work together to escape the situation they find themselves in, with the added mix of Darius wife, Sonia, the firecracker from the first film, unleashed. Hitman’s Wife Bodyguard continues to have the constant bickering between Reynolds and Jackson, which works for large parts, but doesn’t feel as fresh as it wants to be. When it comes to Selma Hayek adds plenty of mixture to the comedy, getting more laughs than the guys in the film. The action is pretty standard, while getting one moment to fully poke fun at the over-the-top ideas people have been coming up with for action sequences too. Sadly, this does seem to have that extra spark missing, which we have seen from both actors in other pairings in the past.

Final Thoughts – The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is another standard action comedy in this franchise.

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Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Catch Up 2021 – T – To Olivia (2021) Movie Review

Director: John Hay

Writer: John Hay, David Logan (Screenplay) Stephen Michael Shearer (Novel)

Starring: Hug Bonneville, Keeley Hawes, Bobby O’Neill, Darcey Ewart, Sam Heughan, Rick Lipton, Conleth Hill, Geoffrey Palmer

Plot: The story of the tumultuous marriage between actress Patricia Neal and renowned writer Roald Dahl.

Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: To Olivia starts as we meet Roald Dahl (Bonneville) and his wife Patricia Neal (Hawes) who have the perfect world with three young children Olivia (Ewart), Tessa (Jonsson) and baby Theo. Both Roald and Patricia are looking for the next stage of their careers until tragedy strikes.

Olivia the eldest daughter gets struck down with illness and passes away, leaving the relationship between Roald and Patricia strained, as they both need to remain strong for the other two children, building an even bigger imagination for Roald to work with.

Thoughts on To Olivia

Characters & Performances – Roald Dahl is the author looking for his next stage of inspiration for a new book, he has the perfect little life, but ends up getting caught in a deep depression after the death of his first daughter, needing to open up about his feelings if he is going to carry on with his life. Once he overcomes his depression, he finds a new love for writing, bringing together some of his best work. Hugh Bonneville is great in this role, bringing the beloved author to life. Patricia Neal is the wife of Roald, she is looking for her next acting role, which will see her struggle, but also look to move on quicker after the death of their child, looking to show the grief she has been through. Keeley Hawes is wonderful in this role, bring the strongest of the couple, the anchor in the life of the couple. The rest of the cast include the children that will need the help needed to get through the problems the family goes through. We also get friends of the family that help the couple find the next stage of their lives.

Story – The story here follows author Roald Dahl and actress Patricia Neal’s relationship after they lose a child, showing us the pain the couple must go through, the strain it puts on their relationship and the futures they look to fight for. This is an interesting look at the couple’s life showing us how the couple look to build a life to have a better future after the pain they have been through, which will lead to one of the most important moments of their careers. It will show the process the different levels of grief the couple must go through. It gets this side through strong, but the timeline of both the twos careers can become confusing to get understand the levels we are in.

Themes – To Olivia will use the themes of grief to show us just how the couple will need deal with it. We will see the settings being used from the quiet home in England to the busy life in LA.

 

To Olivia is a great drama about an iconic couple and their awful lose and rebuilding their lives.

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Movie Review

Wake (2022) Short Movie Review

Wake is a short movie directed by Martin Klapperbein, written by Liam Higgins that will follow one man’s (Michael Wamara) journey through grief of losing his wife and soon-to-be daughter. The man will journey through the destruction created in his life, as he searches for answers, becoming the metaphor for mental health of the struggle, he simple doesn’t know how to express.

Wake is a story that will put the importance on men’s mental health that they don’t always want to address, or even know how to, in fear of the toxic masculinity created within the world. Wake, is attempting to prove the dark journey men can go through, alone, constantly proving that people can reach out, be there for anyone who needs them in life.

Wake could easily be used as an advert to put a bright spotlight on what is going on in the heads of people who suffer loss. Wake could also be an extended film, examining more of the pain he went through, showing the help he could get, if he asked for the help.

Wake is a film that will make you pause everything for the seven-minute runtime, ask yourself the bigger question about whether you could ask for help, whether you could be there for someone who needs help, or pick up on the signs when someone close to you is struggle. Important and must watch for the awareness created, needed to be discussed.

Wake is a must watch short film, easily one of most important of the year.