American Sniper: Eastwood’s Epic

American Sniper is a biographical war film directed by Clint Eastwood. The plot recounts the life of the deadliest sniper in US military history Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), showing his service and the toll it took on him; based on the memoir of the man himself.

For the most part this is gripping and well done in near all regard there is just one thing I want to point out before I get into the review in full. If you read my Midway review then you know that I don’t like war/military films that force in raah raah patriotism and that glorify and romanticise the life of soldiers, this film does that. The film makes it seems like any able-bodied man or woman is honour bound to join the military and defend their country which is not true it is a clear choice. Also the film shows that Kyle is experiencing PTSD, but it doesn’t explain it, it chooses not to focus on it when it is an important part of the conversation. It also suggests that all Kyle needed to do to effectively beat his PTSD was to spend time with other veterans and help out, which simply isn’t true.

That said I thought this film was a tour de force, I think it portrayed war and its horrors in a very realistic way, I think it also benefits from focusing on these solider and the toll they inevitably end up paying for their service. Towards the end of the film two of Kyle’s friends die and it is incredibly impactful because it was so sudden, and we had spent time with these people. It shows the futility of it all.

Also I loved the final sequence of the film, as Kyle is saying bye to his family there is a distinct uncomfortable feeling that something isn’t right, you know something bad is about to happen, but you aren’t quite sure. I was on the edge during this whole scene. The truth of the ending is depressing, but life is.

Overall, this is a harrowing tale of war and sacrifice that could be better served with more of a focus on the mental toll.

Pros.

Cooper

The horrors of war

The final scenes

Tense and gripping throughout

Cons.

It needed to focus more on the PTSD side of things

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Blended: Barrymore And Sandler Are An All Time Great Romance Spanning 3 Films

Blended is a romantic comedy film directed by Frank Coraci. The plot sees two single parents end up going on holiday together with their kids to Africa. At first the two parents, Jim (Adam Sandler) and Lauren (Drew Barrymore), hate each other and don’t get along, but often as these sort of films go they end up madly in love by the end.

This film is viewed as one of the trash tier Sandler films by a lot of people, but I have to say upon watching it myself I enjoyed it; maybe that says something about my taste. I think this film benefits from being more subdued than Sandler’s normal fare. Yes, you have the cheap poo jokes and what not that are the life blood of Sandler comedy, but you also have this single parent character study where we see that Jim is actually quite a layered person to add on top of those scat jokes. Sandler’s performance here reminded me a bit of his character in Funny People in that he is a tragic character.

On top of this you have the romance between Sandler and Barrymore’s characters, which is incredibly strong. In recent years Sandler has being playing romantic leads by the side of Jenifer Anniston, but his ultimate on-screen romantic pairing will always be Drew Barrymore. The spark that was first shown in The Wedding Singer is still alive and well.

My one complaint would be that Terry Crews character, who is a sort of lounge singer who shows up at inopportune times, becomes tiresome quickly and they beat that joke into the ground.

Overall, a surprisingly sweet, heartfelt film that has a lot of say about grief and raising kids. Benefited immensely by obvious spark between Sandler and Barrymore.

Pros.

Romance

The depth

Some good jokes

Barrymore and Sandler have great chemistry

Cons.

Not all of the jokes land and they keep reusing some of the worse ones

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Just Go With It: Textbook Creepy Sandler

Just Go With It is a romantic comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan. The plot follows Danny (Adam Sandler), a man who pretends to be in a bad marriage to get with girls. One day he meets The One (Brooklyn Decker) and things seem to be going well, but then she finds his old wedding ring and gets cold feet. From there Sandler enlists the help of Katherine (Jennifer Aniston), his assistant, to pretend to be his soon to be ex-wife, in hopes of convincing Palmer (Decker), that she is not in fact a home wrecker.

Yes, the premise is absurd, and it gets to a point where none of it makes even the smallest bit of sense and it is easier to just not think about it. It only gets complicated by more weird and needless plot twists down the line that serve to make the film even harder to follow.

There are also some moments of what I will call from here on out “Sandler textbook creepiness”, where he openly objectifies women and is trying to date a woman half his age. This becomes a recurring joke through out the film that Danny and Palmer aren’t right for each other because they have nothing in common because of their age. It feels icky to think she is supposed to be 23 and he is presumably supposed to be in his 40’s if not older.

However, it is not all bad as there are some good jokes that are genuinely quite funny scattered in throughout that made me laugh. As a comedy film this film does its job and then some. Moreover, the interplay between Aniston and Sandler is also great and the two have a strong repour and a believable on-screen chemistry.

Overall, this is not as bad as a lot of the films Sandler was making around the same time, yes there are aspects that don’t age well and the premise is comically absurd, but if you’re a fan of Sandler you will find it funny and easy enough to watch. Not Sandler’s best, but also not his worst; by a large margin.

Pros.

Funny jokes

Sandler and Aniston have great chemistry

A strong central romance

Cons.

The icky creepiness

The incredibly dumb plot that gets dumber

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Grand Budapest Hotel: Disrepair

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a comedy drama film directed by Wes Anderson. The plot sees the current owner of the titular hotel Mr. Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham), recount the story of how he came to own it, telling how his predecessor (Ralph Fiennes) was accused of a murder he didn’t commit.

I have recently become a Wes Anderson convert, quickly burning my way through his filmography. I love Anderson unique take on cinema and the charmingly eccentric feel of it, however I feel he has hits and misses, this to be would be one of the latter.

Unlike something like Rushmore or The Darjeeling Limited I did not find myself particularly caring for any of the characters, other than the minute-long cameo of Bill Murray, I also found the story to be surprisingly dull. The quirkiness that I have mentioned before is the only thing that saved this film from mediocrity and was the only reason I didn’t turn it off midway through.

I don’t quite know what it was but there is something lacking from this film, something central and critical. It felt all over the place in a lot of different ways and seemed to lack any kind of singular focus outside of just being odd.

Overall, this is the weakest Anderson film that I have seen yet, it lacked engaging characters and that spark that the rest of his films have, very disappointing.

Pros.

The uniqueness

There are a few good memorable moments

Cons.

It is forgettable

The soundtrack is not up to usual Wes Anderson standards

The story and characters failed to engage me

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Wretched: Naughty Neighbors

The Wretched is a horror film directed by Brett Pierce and Drew T. Pierce. The plot sees troubled teen Ben (John Paul Howard), go and stay with his Dad (Jamison Jones), in a quiet seaside town. However, as they often do, things start to go awry, and Ben soon discovers that there’s a witch preying on the town’s children and the two set out to destroy each other.

Something I thought whilst watching this is that it has a very Goosebumps vibe to it, yes admittedly it is much scarier than your standard episode, but there was just something about this teen solving mysteries and defeating evil, with none of the adults believing him that gave me that impression. That is by no means a bad thing.

I thought the look of the Witch was good and scary, especially when she is shown in a less human form. The practical creature design is very effective, and they do a lot with facial acting and physicality.

I thought this film has several tense sequences that kept me on edge throughout. There were one or two good scares that felt like they had been built towards rather than achieved through a cheap jump scare, which is something I will always applaud. That said some of the scares fall flat or didn’t work.

My one issue with this film is the twist reveal that main protagonist Ben has had a brother this whole time that the Witch had made him forget about. My problem with this is that it feels redundant, it serves no narrative purpose to do this as we have already been shown at this point that the Witch can make people forgettable about their child relatives. Also the argument of this being done to give Ben more of a personal motivation also doesn’t work as he already has plenty of skin in the game by the time this reveal is made.

Overall, a very well-done horror film, that borders slightly on the teen horror side of things at times. If they had not done that dumb twist I would probably have given it full marks, alas they did.

Pros.

The facial acting and physicality

Building its scares rather than using jump scares

The Goosebumps feel

It has some good scares

Cons.

The needless twist.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Zombieland: Words To Live By

Zombieland is a comedy horror film directed by Ruben Fleischer. The film revolves around a rag tag group of survivors in a zombie apocalypse as they try and find something to live for. Little do they know that they have already found a reason to be, in one another.

So, this is one of my favourite comedy horror films of all time, I have seen it a countless number of times and no matter how matter how much watch it, it remains excellent. This was the perfect storm of comedy, heart and peak Jessie Eisenberg.

My one complaint about it would be that it is not a horror film, it is classified as horror comedy, but it leans into the latter far more than the former. It is in no way scary.

Each one of the characters in this film seems so perfectly cast and brought to the screen and the interplay they have with one another is simply magical. The relationship between Eisenberg’s character and Emma Stone’s character is so believable and sweet that you would have to have a heart as cold as ice not to feel anything about it. The same can be said for any number of other character relationships in the film.

Columbus’s (Eisenberg) rules for surviving “Zombieland” are all terrific and will make you laugh, there is also a kernel of good wisdom in there if you look close enough. However, the real standout comedy moment of the film has to be the Bill Murray cameo, which is simply superb.

Overall, this was the perfect storm, lightning in a bottle. A once in a generation comedy horror film that everyone should see. I like to pretend the sequel never happened.

Pros.

The chemistry

All of the actors are on perfect form

The heart

The comedy

Bill freaking Murray

Cons.

It is not a horror film

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

A Private War: Horrors Need To Be Seen

A Private War is a biography drama film directed by Matthew Heineman. The film recounts the last years of celebrated war correspondent Marie Colvin’s life, as she becomes consumed by the need to be on the front line and show the horrors of war, a need that leads to her death. It is a true story.

Before, we get into this I just want to say that this film is unrepentantly bleak, you will leave this film feeling sad and possibly angry, but that proves why you need to see it. The issues raised herein are very real and are still happening right now, human evil is alive and flourishing.

This is a very powerful film that has a lot to say, it show us how these journalists are risking their lives to show us the truth about wars all around the world. It shows us the horrific human cost of war, which often has thousands of innocent victims.

Rosamund Pike is giving the performance of her career as Marie, she plays the character as a woman possessed, she desperately needs to leave the war correspondent lifestyle behind, but crucially she can’t. Pike is one of the finest character actors currently working and this film hammers that point home.

Overall, not a film that will make you feel happy and not one that everyone will enjoy, but a very impactful film with a many valid points. I recommend it.

Pros.

It is upfront and doesn’t shy away from the truth

Rosamund Pike

It is very affecting; it will haunt you for a while after you watch it.

Shines a light on someone you might not know much about.

Cons.

It is a very hard watch.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

End Of Days: Arnie Died For Our Sins

End Of Days is a fantasy action film directed by Peter Hyams. The plot sees muscles for hire Jericho (Arnold Schwarzenegger), become wrapped up trying to stop Armageddon. Jericho must protect a young girl, Christine (Robin Tunney), from turning into the reincarnated wife of Satan (Gabriel Byrne). His mission is to stop Satan consummating the union before the stroke of midnight of new years eve thereby brining about the end times and save Christine from her diabolical destiny.

So there is something almost therapeutic about watching Arnie beat the crap out of the Devil. This film does not really require much attention to watch and is a great passive viewing experience. It is dumb and the more you think about it the dumber it gets, but that is part of the fun here.

The film manages to be genuinely quite tense and scary when it wants to be. It uses Lucifer’s powers to get effect creating some chilling scenes. I also enjoyed the powerless feeling Schwarzenegger’s character had for most of the movie, it is interesting to see him play a character who can’t just punch or explode his problems away; though he does in the end.

Byrne is a lot of fun as the Prince Of Darkness, he plays the character with a lot of wicked menace but is also not afraid to crack a cool one liner every now and again, so that this film is not a completely dower affair. I also enjoyed watching his character interact with Schwarzenegger and I thought the two had great on-screen chemistry.

Overall, a great action horror thriller, there aren’t many of these types of films that work, but this one does to great effect.

Pros.

Byrne as the Devil

Schwarzenegger’s powerlessness

The tension and the horror

A few cool one liners

Cons.

The ending undoes the helplessness and Arnie just blows everyone up.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Sex Tape: The Clapp Would Be Preferable

Sex Tape is a romantic comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan. The plot follows a couple whose sex life has become quite stale, so in an effort to spice things up they decide to make a sex tape. In what might be the most cliché and uninspired twist of all time, the tape makes its way to the cloud and the couple have to race around town to try and get their family and friends to not look at the video.

So I genuinely believe this film is why Cameron Diaz quietly retired from acting, it is just embarrassing for all involved.

So firstly it is not funny in any way, it is the safest, studio friendly comedy that I have seen in a long time. It is almost afraid to say anything of note or to tell an edgy joke, it is just bland. A lot of the jokes not only fall short, but make you cringe.

Secondly, Both Diaz and Jason Segal, who plays her on-screen husband, don’t seem like they want to be there, and they have as much chemistry as a cat and a dog. I could honestly believe it if someone told me they were forced into it. Though there is no nudity in this film, there is a strange amount of almost or close nudity from Diaz, the reason I mention this is because it is odd isn’t it that her character has these little bits, but Segal’s character never does. It feels very one sided, this is not just a problem with this film, but with the medium in general.

Overall, this is creepy trash that even a cameo from Jack Black can’t save it.

Pros.

The Jack Black cameo

Cons.

The unequal semi nudity

It is too safe

It is cringey

It is dull

1/5

Reviewed by Luke

The To Do list: Exploring Your Body

The To Do List is a romantic comedy film directed by Maggie Carey. The plot sees Brandy (Aubrey Plaza), make a to do list before she goes off to college, the twist however is that the items on the list are sexual in nature as Brandy is quite inexperienced, so she sets out to change that.

This has been in my Netflix queue for quite some time and I finally watched it, and I have to say I am glad I did. I ended up enjoying it way more than I thought I would, and it is easily one of the best films I have seen recently.

I thought the sex positive message of the film was very good and very enlightening for teenage viewers. The idea that sex is a natural thing and nothing to be ashamed off is something that is not said often enough, especially for Women. It is nice to see a new wave of media with a sex positive female focus, other example of my point would be Book Smart, Blockers and Fleabag.

I also thought the film was hilarious and it often had me laughing. I thought Clark Gregg as the overprotective, uncomfortable with sex father was the standout in this regard, his character often had me in stiches, and he paired with Connie Britton’s sex positive mum worked wonders.

Overall, a hilariously good, funny film that I highly recommend everyone watch.

Pros.

Clarke Gregg

Aubrey Plaza

Bill Hader

It has a very good message

It is hilarious

The cameos

Cons.

None

5/5