The Lord Of Misrule: Posh Lady Vs The Folk Devil

A posh English Vicar, Tuppence Middleton, runs afoul of an ancient God.

There is a good sense of place here, and a certain folk tradition, however, as the film progresses you start to realise you have seen this before. The good and fresh ideas that this film presents in the first act that then get turned into repetitive slop in the end.

The mythology of the film’s antagonist is interesting but never fully explained, which feels like a missed opportunity. Ralph Ineson is as always great, however, his character makes little sense, as the opening frames his character in the procession to see off the beast and having lost a son to it, yet then being the evil cult leader servicing the beast in the end.

Whilst I appreciate what this film was trying to do in terms of aesthetics and an adherence to British folk tradition, it was just creatively hallow.

Overall, good ideas wasted with generic storylines.

2/5

Pros.

The ideas

The setting and the feel of it

Cons.

The ending

Making Ineson the villain again

You feel like you have seen it before

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Downton Abbey, The Grand Finale: The Scandal Of A Divorcee Having A One Night Stand

Summary

We return for one last trip to Downton Abbey.

In many ways this film was unnecessary, a lot of it felt like filler, and it didn’t really need to be a thing. However, it was nice escapist entertainment, and allowed you to return to a simpler time for an hour and change.

It did meaningfully close out the series/film saga in such a way as to suggest it is in fact the end. Homage was paid to the earlier seasons of the show, and moments that fans would remember, there was a sense of change that permeated the film, and whilst no major characters died there was enough done to provide a sense of finality.

I would say that Mary, Michelle Dockery, has the most boring plotline, with her being scandalised for her divorce, even in high society people would not have been so precious about it at that time. This stretched incredulity a bit too much. Coupled with the fact that she then had a one night stand and was blackmailed for it, it all seems very American and over the top. That is not what Downton is.

The plotline about Mary taking over Downton and becoming the lady of the house was far more well done and in keeping with the series.

Overall, a solid if somewhat unnecessary third film.

3/5

Pros.

It is fun escapism

There are some cheer worthy moments

The ending hits the right note

Cons.

It is unnecessary

The divorce storyline

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28 Years Later: A Scottish Man Managing To Outrun Hordes Of People

Summary

The Americans take over London.

So this film is a lot better than I remember it being. Distinctly as a younger man I remember liking Days Later more but now after having seen Weeks Later as I am slightly older it is far closer. I think this film is far more realised, in that I mean it feels more expansive it feels more like a complete world, whereas in Days it feels very confined.

The opening scene in the cottage is fantastic, the tension and the way Robert Carlisle’s character runs away as the music swells is the epitome of tension and the shaky cam here works really well to add to that very manic energy. This would be one of the things I would say Years Later struggles with and that is that it tries to move away from this sort of energy and go for a more meditative tone at times and one has to ask how in keeping with the franchise is it.

The military criticism here was well used, rather than coming across heavy handedly it feels as though it naturally builds upon the mistrust of the army from the first film. Though the infected are threatening, particularly in the opening scene, I think the more harrowing moments of the film come from things like watching the army use chemical weapons against civilians.

Overall, I would argue this is better than Years and could well rival Days.

4.5/5

Pros.

The tension

The commentary

The world

The ways in which it builds on the original

The cinematography

Cons.

The child characters are irritating and do irritating things

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28 Years Later: Running Across Causeways

Summary

I had been looking forward to this film for a long time.

I have to say straight off the bat that I am a little disappointed, however, I will say that this is the first of a new trilogy and there is every chance that the next two films can fix some of the issues I had with this film.

Despite feeling disappointed with this film broadly, there are a lot of interesting new characters and the performances are all top notch, I don’t think there is one bad performance amongst the cast. Moreover, the world is vast and incredibly interesting to explore, from the beginning in the remote Scottish Highlands to the Holy Island community there is a lot there to work with.

I also thought the initial action sequences and the hunting section of the film landed perfectly and felt like edge of your seat fare. There is some odd cinematography and editing that feels a little more like an art film, you can see Garland’s instincts in that, but I thought this worked well and helped to give it almost a disorienting feel to it that added to the threat. However, within the hunting sequences we are introduced to the alphas and the evolution of the virus. These alpha infected can think and are harder to kill than other infected, very little is given into why they are this way I imagine that will be got to later in the trilogy, but they are kind of lame. The main reason why I say this is because they just have one move and that is to rip people’s head’s off, I would have liked more out of them than that, such as more examples of their education and ability to outwit people possibly.

In addition you also had the infected that gave birth to a none infected, which feels like we are heading into an art house direction of oh the infected are not so different to us and maybe we can find a way to co-exist, maybe at a later date an alpha might join the heroes side. This would be a terrible direction to head into. That scene in which the pregnant infected would not kill Jodie Cormer’s character despite her being right there breaks the lore and makes little sense. Just because they are both mothers does not mean she would not rip her head off.

The ending with the Jimmy Saville esque gang is a hell of a controversial way to end on.

Overall, a good film if a little disappointing.

4/5

Pros.

It has some good horror

The world feels dense and real

It sets things up nicely for the sequels

The performances

Cons.

The style at times

The art house elements

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Hostages: The Scary Power Of Influencers

Summary

A group of people get stuck in a hotel room.

So I watched this one a little while back in my day job, as a film festival programmer, and normally I don’t cross the streams but I thought that enough time had passed that I would write about it here.

So this is quite a funny comedy film about social media news and the corrupting effects of online fame and how quickly mass hysteria can form. In many sense this film works as it is timely however, I would say that it won’t feel dated as that sense of seeing coverage of something online and freaking yourself out is fairly timeless.

The cast are all strong though I would say that Charlotte Ritchie is probably the star of the show, especially as we see her go darker than she has done in past roles, particularly towards the end of the film. There is a moment where she reminds you just a little bit of Jim Jones or one of the classic cult leaders of the last century.

The humour is not hitting with a joke a minute, but does have a number of good jokes and recurring bits over the course of the film.

Overall, a funny British comedy film

4/5

Pros.

It is funny

Ritchie

The characters are likeable

It is timely but also timeless

Cons.

Not all the jokes land

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Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part Two: The End

Summary

The final battle.

So this the better one of the two-parter. They throw everything they have into the Battle of Hogwarts effects wise and that makes for some great action. I would have liked things to be a little more inventive, like these are wizards and witches who can conjure things out of thin air. Hagrid, Robbie Coltrane could have let lose her collection of magical creatures with a number of pay offs to previous films, but no.

I enjoyed that this film took things away the central trio and tried to give other characters moments this helped to make it feel less like another round of teen angst. I did not like seeing the flashforward at the end and seeing where all the characters ended up as I thought that it was underdeveloped and once again ignored world building to focus on the three characters.

Overall, a much better second half but not one that is perfect

3.5/5

Pros.

The battle

Giving other characters some spotlight

The tone

The pacing

Cons.

They could have done more

The flashforward is not explored enough

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Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part One: The Love Triangle That No One Needed

Summary

Harry, Ron, Rupert Grint, and Hermione set off to find the horcruxes.

So this film is a mess. From top to bottom.

For two key reasons. Firstly, you have the fact that rather than focus on a world that Voldemort, Ralph Fiennes, has taken over and show us what that is like, or show us the Order of the Phoenix fighting back against Voldemort and his forces, we get to follow Ron, Harry and Hermione as they trapes over the countryside.

Secondly, and very much woven into the first reason is the fact that of the Ron, Harry and Hermione storyline a hell of a lot of it is taken up with the awkward sort of love triangle. This just feels far too YA and is not of any interest to anyone. It feels like needless filler to justify the need to split the book into two films. They could have spent that time showing us more of the world.

Something I will applaud the film for is that it does go to some quite dark places and handles the mature subject matter well. When Hermione is being tortured in Malfoy manner it feels very distressing and real, and in this moment the series really does manage to shed its childlike image.

Overall, forget worldbuilding lets have a love triangle instead.

2.5/5

Pros.

The mature tone

A few good battle scenes

The Deathly Hallows story animated is well done

Cons.

Too much angst

A deeply unnecessary love triangle

Little world building

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Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince: Killing Time Whilst J.K Rowling Gets Paid

Summary

Despite war being declared, Harry returns to Hogwarts for a 6th year.

This is only marginally better than the previous film, and you will find that the issues I had with that film crop back up here. For example, there is more filler, lots more. Whilst you may be wondering what Voldemort and co are up to, or how they’re taking over the world, you won’t see any of that. Instead, you get a Ron, Rupert Grint, love triangle and even more needless teen angst.

I will give this film that it at least fills in some of Snape’s, Alan Rickman, back story which is interesting and you get to see more of Voldemort’s horcruxes which again is welcome, however, it feels like the build up to another film. Even the death of Dumbledore, Michael Gambon, feels like it should lead to more but then the film just abruptly ends after the central trio decide to go and hunt down the remaining horcruxes.

The more we see of the Death Eaters the more interesting they appear and yet the film never allows us to spend much time with them, even less with the Order of the Phoenix members. Who get next to no screen time.

Overall, too much angst not enough exploration of characters outside the main trio.

2.5

Pros.

Some interesting wider world stuff

The horcrux plot line

More time with the Death Eaters

Cons.

It is slow

It has too much angst

It feels like filler

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Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix: The Wrath Of A Karen

Summary

Harry Potter faces his greatest nemesis yet a karen, Imelda Staunton.

This ties the first film for being the worst in my opinion, there is so much wrong with this from the fact of how the whole film is an act of filler, both in universe as people don’t believe Voldemort has returned, and also in a meta sense as this delays the inevitable war for future films pushing it down the road.

Furthermore, outside of the ending fight this film is a mess of teenage angst and Moody outbursts, it feels far more like a YA film than a fantasy adventure film. Once again I would like to see far more background on the Order members and get to know them, rather than have to go back to Hogwarts yet again.

Moreover, the idea that Dumbledore, Michael Gambon, would allow a teacher into the school who was hurting students as a means of discipline is just ridiculous, and the film goes oh he can’t do anything otherwise the Ministry of Magic will turn on him as a means of explanation. However, the films set him up as such a powerful force that the Ministry wouldn’t dare, and he would never allow a student to be harmed at Hogwarts. It just breaks its own logic.

The dementor scene at the beginning of the film is really the only good one of the entire film.

Overall, filler in everyway.

1/5

Pros.

The dementor scene

Cons.

It is boring

It breaks its own logic

It is filler

It has too much YA garbage in it

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Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire: A Traumatic One For The Twilight Fans

Summary

Harry enters the Tri Wizard Tournament and Voldemort is reborn.

So this Harry Potter film is easily the best, you have the expanding of the world by seeing the Quidditch World Cup and seeing other countries and how they use magic, as well as seeing the other schools and how they present. I would say though that this film marked the start of the teen angst which comes to linger and ruin the flow of the latter films, whereas at least here it is minor.

There does seem to be a genuine sense of threat during the tournament and the graveyard seen is able to capitalize on that, with it being quite harrowing to watch Voldemort’s return and the death of Cedric, Robert Pattinson. I would have to like to have seen more of the Death Eater trials but I suppose you have to streamline things for theatrical release.

I think the film manages to do a lot to keep the pace moving along nicely with a good mixture of action and character moments with it never slowing down too much as we will soon see with the later films.

Overall, the best Harry Potter has.

4.5/5

Pros.

It allows us to see more of the world

The graveyard scene

The tension

The pace

The opening sequence at the Quidditch World Cup

Cons.

The beginnings of angst.

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