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Films round-up
May. 4th, 2022 08:05 amAnother eclectic mix this time around:
The Batman - Another reboot, this time even grittier than before. A serial killer (Paul Dano, who I don't think is ever actually named as The Riddler) is on the loose in Gotham. Bruce (Robert Pattison) and his batsuit are on the trail, which leads into the web of corruption inhabited by Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and Penguin (Colin Farrell). Moody, gloomy and rain-soaked, this is much more film noir than comic-book movie, and often feels like an extended episode of the Gotham TV series. It works but, at nearly 3 hours, it's too long. An action-based final reel feels tacked on and oddly out of tone with the rest of the film.
Turning Red - Pixar are denied a cinema release again, which is a real shame, because this is their best since Inside Out. With its all-female writers, director and (mostly) cast, this is a coming-of-age story about teen girls and the often fraught relationships between mothers and daughters. Spiced up by the inconvenient tendency of its lead character, Mei, to turn into a 7-foot red panda whenever she gets too emotional. There's been excessive fuss over the (brief) references to periods, but this deals with many more of the trials and tribulations of growing up. The culture clash of Chinese mythology and American high school drama throws up some fun surprises along the way, culminating in a final act that is just... wow.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - I quite enjoyed the first Sonic, but the paper-thin plot, one-dimensional characters, and sub-kids'-cartoon-standard moral lessons of this sequel left me bored with the heroes and rooting for Team Evil. At least Idris Elba as Knuckles (inspired casting!) was funny. There are other upsides - some amusing one-liners, a chaotic wedding and its aftermath, and a lot of fun with the source material. This is unashamedly a video game adaptation, which is fine, but it could've been better.
The Worst Person in the World - Aptly described as "a coming of age film for adults who haven't grown up", this Norwegian comedy/drama follows Julie (Renate Reinsve) as she aimlessly drifts through life and falls in and out of love. There is a story running through its dozen chapters, but this is more a commentary on modern society than anything else. There are some clever standout scenes - a hilarious montage of two characters testing the limits of what they can do together without cheating on their partners; a time-freeze journey through the city; a drug-induced psychological nightmare. The film tackles serious issues, including sexism and mortality, but remains entertaining and delightfully subversive throughout. Recommended if you can find it.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - One thing I don't get about the Potter-related films is why all the witches and wizards always dress like muggles? Drabness of dress is matched by drabness of story here, as the series increasingly sidelines all the fun with Newt (Eddie Redmayne) and his associates in favour of a tedious stalemate between Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Grindlewald (Mads Mikkelsen, replacing Johnny Depp), and the latter's even more tedious plot to win an election. Other than a delightful prison break partway through, it's all rather dull, far too long and, despite the title, we learn nothing about old Albus we didn't already know.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent - Nicholas Cage is... Nick Cage! Yes, he's back! Not that he ever went away! Struggling emotionally and financially, Nick reluctantly flies to Majorca as a guest of playboy superfan, Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal). The two hit it off but, before long, Nick gets caught up with an undercover CIA mission, arms dealers and a kidnapping plot. Meaning that, with many a knowing wink, what starts out as a light-hearted bromance turns into... a Nick Cage film with guns and explosions. It's not big or clever, but it is surprisingly character-driven, full of charm and good popcorn entertainment. As long as you're a Nick Cage fan.
The Lost City - Sandra Bullock is Loretta Sage, an archaeologist turned trashy romance novelist. Eeevil Daniel Radcliffe is a billionnaire with a massive chip on his shoulder who kidnaps Loretta, believing she can lead him to the fabled "Crown of Fire", buried in a lost city, which featured in her latest novel. Channing Tatum is the cover model from her books who decides to prove he's more than just a cover model and come to her rescue. Brad Pitt is a ridiculously OTT action man who may be able to help him. If all that sounds silly, it is, and gloriously so, with lines like, "Why are things exploding?" It's big, loud, funny, has its tongue firmly in its cheek and challenges a few gender stereotypes along the way.
Playground (Un Monde) - An astonishing Belgian film about bullying and the toxic effect it spreads on individuals and relationships. Nora is just starting school and struggling to make friends. She witnesses her elder brother, Abel, being bullied and steps in, only to make matters worse for him. With adults unable to help, the other kids protecting their own places in the social hierarchy and Abel shunning her, Nora is left struggling to figure things out for herself. No one should have to cope with this shit, least of all someone so very young. Writer/director Laura Wandel keeps us with Nora throughout, the camera at her eye level and in her face pretty much continuously. It's intense, uncomfortable, at times shocking, and offers no respite or easy answers. A brilliant, astounding piece of cinema, though you'll probably only want to watch it once.
The Northman - Alexander Skarsgård plays Amleth, a wronged Viking prince-turned-mercenary-turned-slave, out for revenge against his traitorous uncle (Ethan Hawke) and to free his mother (Nicole Kidman) in this blood-soaked historical epic. The plot is straight out of Gladiator, but with Icelandic wilderness in place of the streets of Rome. Some of the shamanistic rituals seem silly to modern eyes (Grown men pretending to be wolves and bears? Okay...), but there's no doubting the visceral, almost feral nature of the world it paints. At times, it can be a bit too grim to be enjoyable though.
Operation: Mincemeat - Colin Firth does what he always does in this solid historical drama. The true story behind this operation is remarkable enough to liven up an otherwise fairly unremarkable film: Faced with a potential massacre in Sicily, British intelligence agents devise an elaborate plot to fool Hitler into believing the Allies' real target for invasion is Greece. All they need is a dead body, a convincing life story, false papers and a lot of luck. It's the nerdy historical details which keep your attention, rather than the characters, but there's also just enough humour to keep the drama entertaining without making light of the serious subject matter.
The Batman - Another reboot, this time even grittier than before. A serial killer (Paul Dano, who I don't think is ever actually named as The Riddler) is on the loose in Gotham. Bruce (Robert Pattison) and his batsuit are on the trail, which leads into the web of corruption inhabited by Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and Penguin (Colin Farrell). Moody, gloomy and rain-soaked, this is much more film noir than comic-book movie, and often feels like an extended episode of the Gotham TV series. It works but, at nearly 3 hours, it's too long. An action-based final reel feels tacked on and oddly out of tone with the rest of the film.
Turning Red - Pixar are denied a cinema release again, which is a real shame, because this is their best since Inside Out. With its all-female writers, director and (mostly) cast, this is a coming-of-age story about teen girls and the often fraught relationships between mothers and daughters. Spiced up by the inconvenient tendency of its lead character, Mei, to turn into a 7-foot red panda whenever she gets too emotional. There's been excessive fuss over the (brief) references to periods, but this deals with many more of the trials and tribulations of growing up. The culture clash of Chinese mythology and American high school drama throws up some fun surprises along the way, culminating in a final act that is just... wow.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - I quite enjoyed the first Sonic, but the paper-thin plot, one-dimensional characters, and sub-kids'-cartoon-standard moral lessons of this sequel left me bored with the heroes and rooting for Team Evil. At least Idris Elba as Knuckles (inspired casting!) was funny. There are other upsides - some amusing one-liners, a chaotic wedding and its aftermath, and a lot of fun with the source material. This is unashamedly a video game adaptation, which is fine, but it could've been better.
The Worst Person in the World - Aptly described as "a coming of age film for adults who haven't grown up", this Norwegian comedy/drama follows Julie (Renate Reinsve) as she aimlessly drifts through life and falls in and out of love. There is a story running through its dozen chapters, but this is more a commentary on modern society than anything else. There are some clever standout scenes - a hilarious montage of two characters testing the limits of what they can do together without cheating on their partners; a time-freeze journey through the city; a drug-induced psychological nightmare. The film tackles serious issues, including sexism and mortality, but remains entertaining and delightfully subversive throughout. Recommended if you can find it.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - One thing I don't get about the Potter-related films is why all the witches and wizards always dress like muggles? Drabness of dress is matched by drabness of story here, as the series increasingly sidelines all the fun with Newt (Eddie Redmayne) and his associates in favour of a tedious stalemate between Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Grindlewald (Mads Mikkelsen, replacing Johnny Depp), and the latter's even more tedious plot to win an election. Other than a delightful prison break partway through, it's all rather dull, far too long and, despite the title, we learn nothing about old Albus we didn't already know.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent - Nicholas Cage is... Nick Cage! Yes, he's back! Not that he ever went away! Struggling emotionally and financially, Nick reluctantly flies to Majorca as a guest of playboy superfan, Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal). The two hit it off but, before long, Nick gets caught up with an undercover CIA mission, arms dealers and a kidnapping plot. Meaning that, with many a knowing wink, what starts out as a light-hearted bromance turns into... a Nick Cage film with guns and explosions. It's not big or clever, but it is surprisingly character-driven, full of charm and good popcorn entertainment. As long as you're a Nick Cage fan.
The Lost City - Sandra Bullock is Loretta Sage, an archaeologist turned trashy romance novelist. Eeevil Daniel Radcliffe is a billionnaire with a massive chip on his shoulder who kidnaps Loretta, believing she can lead him to the fabled "Crown of Fire", buried in a lost city, which featured in her latest novel. Channing Tatum is the cover model from her books who decides to prove he's more than just a cover model and come to her rescue. Brad Pitt is a ridiculously OTT action man who may be able to help him. If all that sounds silly, it is, and gloriously so, with lines like, "Why are things exploding?" It's big, loud, funny, has its tongue firmly in its cheek and challenges a few gender stereotypes along the way.
Playground (Un Monde) - An astonishing Belgian film about bullying and the toxic effect it spreads on individuals and relationships. Nora is just starting school and struggling to make friends. She witnesses her elder brother, Abel, being bullied and steps in, only to make matters worse for him. With adults unable to help, the other kids protecting their own places in the social hierarchy and Abel shunning her, Nora is left struggling to figure things out for herself. No one should have to cope with this shit, least of all someone so very young. Writer/director Laura Wandel keeps us with Nora throughout, the camera at her eye level and in her face pretty much continuously. It's intense, uncomfortable, at times shocking, and offers no respite or easy answers. A brilliant, astounding piece of cinema, though you'll probably only want to watch it once.
The Northman - Alexander Skarsgård plays Amleth, a wronged Viking prince-turned-mercenary-turned-slave, out for revenge against his traitorous uncle (Ethan Hawke) and to free his mother (Nicole Kidman) in this blood-soaked historical epic. The plot is straight out of Gladiator, but with Icelandic wilderness in place of the streets of Rome. Some of the shamanistic rituals seem silly to modern eyes (Grown men pretending to be wolves and bears? Okay...), but there's no doubting the visceral, almost feral nature of the world it paints. At times, it can be a bit too grim to be enjoyable though.
Operation: Mincemeat - Colin Firth does what he always does in this solid historical drama. The true story behind this operation is remarkable enough to liven up an otherwise fairly unremarkable film: Faced with a potential massacre in Sicily, British intelligence agents devise an elaborate plot to fool Hitler into believing the Allies' real target for invasion is Greece. All they need is a dead body, a convincing life story, false papers and a lot of luck. It's the nerdy historical details which keep your attention, rather than the characters, but there's also just enough humour to keep the drama entertaining without making light of the serious subject matter.
