CINEMAS
FREE FIRE - 4*
At merely 90 minutes, Free Fire defies the current trend for increasingly long films and in the best possible way. It's a breath of fresh air, and director Ben Wheatley also strips back the plot - this is nothing more than a final act explosion of action spread over the entire running time of the film. The perceived lack of depth actually works to its advantage - there isn't enough time to become bogged down in backstory, and instead what unfolds is a beautifully choreographed yet chaotic, bonkers and often hilarious shoot out between confused characters all with their own agendas.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - 5*
My expectations were exceptionally high for the live-action version of my favourite Disney princess film, and luckily Beauty and the Beast exceeded all of my wildest dreams. The casting is excellent, the songs just as spine-tingling as in the original, and it looks simply divine. 'Be Our Guest' is a personal highlight (aided significantly by a motion-capture performance by Ewan McGregor as Lumière), as is Emma Watson's insistence that Belle is an unabashed feminist. What a triumph.
THEIR FINEST - 4*
If I were to list the attributes required to create my perfect film, when melded together the end result would undoubtedly be Their Finest. It's a film from one of my favourite directors - Lone Scherfig - following a feisty female scriptwriter during the Blitz, who works on a propaganda movie for the Department of Information, Film Division. It extolls the virtues of film to lift spirits in times of national crisis and to tell the stories the world needs to hear, as well as highlighting the importance and value of women in the workplace. Plus, it's impossible to ignore the fact that Bill Nighy is fantastically funny and on top form here too.
NERUDA - 3*
Neruda is a classic cat and mouse tale, although this time it's poet vs policeman as Pablo Neruda - the poet and Communist leader - goes on the run from detective Peluchoneau (García Bernal) as he falls foul of the pro-American regime. It's elegant and visually striking, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality in an enticing way.
I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO - 3*
America at the moment feels more divided than ever, and I Am Not Your Negro does a brilliant job of shining yet more light on the extreme racial inequality and prejudice throughout the land of the free. It is simultaneously mesmerising and difficult to watch as history seems to repeat itself again and again.
THE HANDMAIDEN - 5*
Chan-wook Park's latest masterpiece is exactly that: an utter masterpiece of a stunning, layered erotic thriller, with three distinct acts each as surprising and as filled with twists as the last. The Handmaiden is equal parts stylish, grotesque and unexpected and it makes for truly unmissable viewing.
FAST AND FURIOUS 8 - 4*
Having never seen a Fast and Furious film before April I've done a pretty solid job of catching up in time to see number 8 in IMAX... There's no getting away from the fact that it's a ridiculous concept for a franchise, and the word "family" is overused to such an extent that it has lost all semblance of meaning by this instalment, but even with that in mind Fate is extremely entertaining, harmless and super fun to watch. There's peak Statham-Rock bromance on display here, excellent action sequences and it's a hell of a ride from start to finish.
DENIAL - 3*
When the action is focused on the courtroom and blistering exchange of words Denial soars, aided by wonderful performances by Rachel Weisz as Deborah Lipstadt and Timothy Spall as the stubborn and despicable Holocaust denier David Irving. The only issue is the difficulty gauging the passage of time throughout the film which is a shame as it distracts from the plot somewhat, but aside from that it's a riveting and compelling film.
THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE - 3*
Unfortunately, it is impossible for The Zookeeper's Wife to avoid comparisons with Schindler's List, and as it's hard to top the 1993 classic, director Niki Caro's true story of Warsaw zookeepers Antonina and Jan Zabinski hiding Jews in the basement of their zoo during the Nazi occupation of Poland was off to a rocky start to begin with. It's a hugely emotive tale with an uplifting and heartening core despite the horrors of the period, but it's been done better before onscreen (just without the lion cubs and rogue, wandering camel) and as such it doesn't have the impact it aimed for.
LADY MACBETH - 4*
Florence Pugh is sensational as Katherine, a 19th century young bride sold into loveless, disastrous marriage to a middle aged man. Lady Macbeth is an atmospheric, tense period piece that begins traditionally enough and quickly descends into a biting assessment of Victorian sensibilities; class, race, morality and gender issues; and subverts the established role of women by placing a sharp, cruel, and strong woman front and centre. It's not at all what you'd expect from such a film and is superb as a result.
MINDHORN - 3*
Mindhorn is entertaining - with a wonderful bevy of British talent - but it's just not as funny as it thinks it is.
RULES DON'T APPLY - 1*
How Lily Collins secured a Golden Globe nomination for her performance I'll never understand. Rules Don't Apply is a boring, self-indulgent mess that doesn't have any redeeming qualities to justify its existence.
THE BELKO EXPERIMENT - 2*
It's obvious what's going to happen from the beginning, and sadly the gore and violence just comes across as unnecessarily sadistic rather than satirical. None of the characters are developed enough to actually care about their fate during the 'experiment' and as such it just seems plain nasty.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 - 4*
In this second outing, the Guardians of the Galaxy seem to have almost more fun than last time, with the quips coming thicker and faster; bigger action sequences on even more planets; and a nostalgic, sentimental element that adds much needed depth to what could otherwise have been an average superhero sequel. The soundtrack is outstanding (no surprises there) and the unexpected cameos are a real delight to see. All in all, it's an impressive and highly entertaining follow up. Obviously you'll need to stick around for the credits - there are 5 post/mid-credit scenes that make it worth it.
SKY CINEMA
FAST AND FURIOUS 1-7 - OVERALL 3*
From what I can tell everyone has an order of preference, and for me it's 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 1, 2, 3 (disclaimer: I didn't actually watch past the first 20 minutes of Tokyo Drift as it was just that bad). Safe to say I didn't really enjoy the start of the series and much prefer it after its reinvention with number 4, the introduction of the Rock and Jason Statham, and the slicker, more ludicrous car chases. The more ridiculous it becomes the more I seem to enjoy it, and while the acting is appalling at times (more often than not) and the plot continues to make little to no sense, the films are getting more entertaining as the franchise progresses. I can't say I'd call myself much of a fan, but I'd happily watch the last few again if there was nothing else on.
FINDING DORY - 4*
Is there anything cuter than baby Dory and more catchy than "I'm Sigourney Weaver"? No, absolutely not.
NETFLIX
THE FIGHTER - 4*
Boxing films seem to always follow the same format, and The Fighter doesn't stray too far from convention while still managing to stand out from the rest. Christian Bale is electrifying, but it's Mark Wahlberg's performance that subtly resonates the most.
MINIMALISM - 2*
I'm all for minimalism as a concept, but I found this documentary infuriating as these rich men seem to take it a step too far, existing on so few worldly goods it's a wonder they can function in society.
As far as film-watching months go, April has been extremely fast and more than a little furious! Plus I'm actually continuing to watch foreign films as they're released which is super exciting given how terrible my track record was last year. Let's hope May is just as successful.
No comments:
Post a Comment