Rushmore: Anderson’s Best?

Rushmore is a coming of age comedy film directed by Wes Anderson. The plot sees young student Max Fisher (Jason Schwartzman), be expelled from his private school and have to begin again at a local public school. The film details his life and struggles and the friends and enemies he makes along the way.

As I have said in my previous reviews, I have recently become a Wes Anderson convert and I have to say of all of this films that I have seen so far this is by far my favourite. The comedy was pitch perfect for me and made me laugh a lot. I also thought the emotional stakes were really well done, they are nuanced and mature and the characters are rich and deep.

Jason Schwartzman is magnificent in this film. This character is just a kid that wants to have a better life no matter the cost, yes, he does some bad things along the way, such as the way he pursues his teacher, but fundamentally he is still a good character that you root for. The emotions that Schwartzman puts out are more than convincing they’re transcendent; it is easily a career best for him.

Bill Murray plays Max’s elderly friend Herman. Murray plays the same character he always plays, the cynical middle-aged guy that you root for. He is really sympathetic in this and you really want his character to be happy, his friendship with Max is one of the most feel good, wholesome things I have ever seen. I really enjoy the thoughtful nature of Murray’s character in this as he comes across as more of a real person rather than a movie star.

Overall, I think his is a must-see film! This is by far Wes Anderson’s best film and is as funny and it is touching.

Pros.

The friendship.

The characters.

It’s approach to life.

The humour.

The pranks.

Cons.

The icky relationship between Max and his teacher.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Victoria & Abdul: Friendship Transcends Borders

Victoria And Abdul is a biographical historical drama film directed by Stephen Frears. The film revolves around the friendship between Queen Victoria (Judy Dench), and her servant turned friend Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal), a friendship that pushed boundaries and set the social world of 19^th century London ablaze.

With historical biopic films there is always a danger of how characters are represented, they can go either way, but this one airs of the fluffier side for sure; especially when it comes to Dench’s Queen Victoria. I feel like because audiences like Dench we can’t see her Victoria do even one slightly bad or less progressive thing, as the real Queen would have done for sure.

The ending is heart wrenching, The Queen dies, which is the first blow, and then Abdul get stripped of everything. Normally, I don’t like sad endings, but with a film like this you need to stick to the truth and in this case, I thought the ending was poignant and meaningful. It will make you cry a little bit.

I think it is nice to see a film like this that covers a relationship that isn’t often talked about during a time period that is often covered. It is nice to see this because it reminds you of the diverse nature of our Isles, people from all over the world have a hand in where we are now.

I am glad they included the blow back to their friendship in the film, so we can see how far we have come now as a society and where we need to improve still. It is importantly for films like this to keep being made and spreading a positive message.

Overall, this is a nice feel good film for the most part, the ending is brutal, but that is what was needed as you can’t change history.

Pros.

Feel good for the most part.

It is not afraid to get dark.

It covers a mostly forgotten part of history.

Cons.

It is a bit too long.

Dench is phoning it in.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou: Exploring The Ocean Blue

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou is a quirky comedy film directed by Wes Anderson. The plot sees famous ocean explorer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray), set out on an expedition to kill the shark that killed his friend many years ago; hoping to regain the fame and importance he once had. His ‘maybe’ son Ned (Owen Wilson), accompanies him on his journey and the two men try to bond, to little avail.

I had recently become a convert to the Wes Anderson crowd so I went into this with high expectations and it was a fine film, maybe even good, but it was not up to my expectations; nor did it meet the standards set by The Darjeeling Limited.

I once again enjoyed the Wes Anderson sense of quirkiness; I enjoyed the wider mythology of the world and when the film took time to explain the backstory between the characters. I thought the story was fascinating; in my humble opinion there are not enough films about deep sea exploration.

I also enjoyed the cast, again it wasn’t as good as The Darjeeling Limited, but I thought Bill Murray and Owen Wilson do a great job. Both of them play the same characters that they always play but are so charming and likable that their lack of variety isn’t off-putting. The supporting cast are also superb especially Willem Dafoe as Klaus, one of the members of Zissou’s inner circle, who steals every scene he is in.

My overall issue with the film is that it feels too indulgent, too unsupervised, there are a few scenes in it that go on for far too long and really feel like they could have been shortened. Also the humour doesn’t really work for me at all. I feel like with a tighter edit and more focus this could have been perfect.

Pros.

Bill Murray and Owen Wilson

The backstory/ lore

The Andersoness of it all.

Cons.

It is too long.

The humour doesn’t work.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Wet Hot American Summer: A Wet Blanket?

Wet Hot American Summer is a comedy film directed by David Wain. The plot follows the events at Camp Firewood over the course of a summer. The film serves to spoof a lot of the camp-based sex comedies, it does this by knowingly being very over the top and pointing out the absurdity of it all; as you such you have things like talking cans.

I am not going to lie, I watched the Netflix made follow ups to this film before I saw the film itself, I loved them and so I went into this with very high expectations. Sadly, this is one of the few times that a Netflix revival/continuation is actually better than the film itself.

I get what this film was trying to do, I just didn’t find it funny. Maybe that’s because my sense of humour doesn’t line up with the humour of the early 2000’s and instead finds more kinship with the humour of the more recent Netflix series. I think the only character that made me laugh was the talking can and that is because H. John Benjamin can do no wrong.

I think as far as spoofs go this is well done, it parodies the sillier and more ridiculous nature of some of it’s contemporaries in a smart way that feels spot on. A lot of the characters and hijinks in this film will remind you of things from other camp-based sex comedies that you have seen, like American Pie Band Camp, by design of course.

Overall, I think this is a well-done spoof film, but an unfunny comedy film, so it is a mixed bag and it depends what you’re watching it for. I truly believe, heresy as it might be, that the Netflix follow-up series are far better and crucially funnier.

Pros.

A well-done spoof.

Interesting characters.

John Benjamin.

Cons.

It isn’t funny.

It fizzles out towards the end.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Adventureland:Summer Love

Adventureland is a coming of age comedy drama film directed by Greg Mottola. The plot sees two young fairground workers James (Jessie Eisenberg), and Em (Kristen Stewart, fall in love over one crazy dysfunctional summer.

The chemistry Eisenberg and Stewart have is something else, though Eisenberg has great chemistry with other on-screen ladies like Imogen Poots, nothing compares to him and Stewart. They feel so on the same page, so similar, it’s weird; if they became a couple in real life it would feel like the most natural thing in the world. As a result the romance in this film feels very genuine and believable, which is the most important thing about a rom-com.

The characters in this film also feel very real, they are not just simple caricatures, they’re layered and deep. Though they do bad things from time to time they’re still likable because these mistakes they make are the same mistakes everyone makes; incredibly relatable.

The major downside of this film however is how poorly paced and slow it is. I had never realised this until I watched it again recently but, this film feels a lot longer than an hour and a half, everything in it feels drawn out to the point of boredom. There are big sections of this film that feel dull, however, just as you’re about to turn it off something interesting happens.

Overall, this is a touching sweet film about a very realistic romance which for the most part works, but it is so poorly paced that it makes you want to turn it off and give up many times. I genuinely don’t think there is enough here to be a feature length film, I think this could have worked a lot better as a short film. Crucially it is a mixed bag.

Pros.

The chemistry between Eisenberg and Stewart.

The believable romance.

The supporting characters.

Cons.

It is poorly paced.

It becomes boring after a point.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Alan Partridge, Alpha Papa: Coming Home To Roost

Alan Partridge Alpha Papa is a comedy film directed by Declan Lowney, as a spinoff to the Alan Partridge tv show. This film depicts a takeover of North Norfolk Digital that leaves Alan (Steven Coogan), and the other disk jockeys in danger of being fired, so Alan being Alan he gets someone else fired to save his own skin. However, that turns out to be a mistake when recently fired Pat (Colm Meaney), shows up with a gun and holds everyone hostage; Alan is of course the face of the following siege.

I am a huge Alan Partridge fan, I have recently got back into watching it, the original series is comedy gold and the series that followed after varied from okay to great. However, this film is defiantly not on the great side of that spectrum, there are a few good moments/laughs, but for the most part it feels overly drawn out and a little needless.

Unlike Life On The Road that tied up David Brent’s character in a post Office world, this film does not end the character of Partridge, rather it acts as a springboard between series. The issue with this is that it makes the film feel unnecessary. It is also no where near as heartfelt as Ricky Gervais’s offering.

There are one or two good jokes that made me laugh, but after a while the hostage situation premise runs out of steam and just isn’t funny anymore. I also think if the villain had been someone who was a bigger part of the Partridge universe then it would have meant more, rather than have it be someone we have never met before. That is not to say that Colm Meaney does a bad job, he is fine but nothing more than that.

Overall, as much as I love Alan Partridge I don’t think this needed to be made. It is fine but most certainly not good.

Pros.

Steve Coogan is as great as always.

Some funny bits.

Cons.

The premise runs out of steam.

Not all the jokes land.

It feels unnecessary

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Darjeeling Limited: Finding Yourself In A Foreign Land

The Darjeeling Limited is a comedy drama film directed by Wes Anderson. It follows 3 three estranged brothers who come back together to discover themselves and each other on a train trip across India; they search for enlightenment and get hijinks and new perspectives.

I don’t know if I just haven’t seen the right films, but I have never seen the excitement around Wes Anderson and his films. However, that was before I saw this film, I get it now. I loved Anderson’s Fantastic Mr Fox but that was more because of my attachment to the source material. This was the film that finally got me on the bandwagon.

I really enjoyed this films’ sensibilities and style. I thought in terms of the way it was shot and put together it was a quirky masterclass. I think this film is dripping in style from start to finish and I have never really seen anything else like it. This is really helped out hugely by a killer soundtrack that matches the tone perfectly, drawing out all the eccentric little details.

The performances were all great, they were of course comedic, but they also had such layers to them that which are explored in depth throughout. Each character feels distinct and unique, but they’re also very believable as brothers. It is hard to pick a favourite or say who gave the best performance as I enjoyed them all thoroughly and for different reasons.

I also love the way the story is told, we the audience are drip-fed information in little chunks, never getting more than we need, which allows for a nice sense of vague ambiguity and mystery towards the proceedings without ever bordering on confusing.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this film, it made me a Wes Anderson believer and I will defiantly check out more of his films after this. A joy to watch!

Pros.

Style.

Story.

The performances.

The pitch perfect soundtrack.

Cons.

It might not hit everyone emotionally.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Military Wives: Missing The Note

Military Wives is a based on real life comedy drama film directed by Peter Cattaneo. The film attempts to tell the story of the Military Wives Choir, showing the trials and tribulations the group went through as well as the individual women’s struggles.

Damn, I went into this thinking it would be a quirky comedy and crucially an easy-going good time, and oh my I was wrong. This film is depressing, I don’t know if I just didn’t get the humour of it, but I didn’t think there was a single funny moment in the whole film. However, there was enough sad/depressing moments that I almost had to turn it off and put something else on.

I do believe there is a kernel of a good film somewhere here, however it gets lost through poor execution and weak writing. This film tries to do the whole Fisherman’s Friends thing, by that I mean tell the real-life story of an unlikely band’s rise to fame and play on your emotions. However, where the mushiness in that film felt genuine because you cared about the characters and it is well done, here it just feels too much and comes off as ineffective.

I don’t feel like any of the performances in this film were particularly great, or worth talking about. The only one of note perhaps is Kristen Scott Thomas as Kate, Thomas made the most out of a weak script and is the only actor who is even remotely convincing.

Overall, I think the issue with this film is that it tried to play on the audiences’ emotions, but it failed in the worst way and the only thing it made you feel was depressed. This is also a failure of execution and writing as it is also incredibly obvious and predicatable.

Pros.

Kristen Scott Thomas.

Cons.

It is boring.

It does make you feel anything.

You will leave it feeling depressed.

The performances are weak as hell.

1.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Little Hours: 3 Very Strange Nuns

The Little Hours is a period comedy film directed by Jeff Baena. The plot sees servant Massetto (Dave Franco), go on the run after he sleeps with his master’s wife. In his effort to escape he finds his way to a convent filled with some very untypical nuns. Each nun has their own plans and designs for Massetto, and he has to try and endure it all while pretending to be deaf and mute.

This is not only one of the best comedies I have seen recently but also one of the best films too. I really enjoyed this film’s quirky, manic, off kilter sense of humour it made me laugh a number of times. I thought the comedic standout of the film was defiantly Nick Offerman as Lord Bruno, the cheated-on husband, his scenes with Franco were comedic gold.

I think the best thing this film does is you never really know where it is going, one minute it seems like the nuns just want to use Massetto to aid in their sexual frustration, but then it turns into something altogether more sinister. Sister Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza), and her friend Marta (Jemima Kirke) are witches.

However, rather than feel out of place and like a random twist the reveal of the witches makes sense in the context of early events and helps to make the overall picture of the film far clearer. I also liked the ending of the film where the 3 nuns decide to start their own coven along with Massetto, I think it is yet another cool twist I didn’t see coming. I think the ending as a whole is very well done too.

My one, minor, complaint would be the first 20 minutes are quite slow. Once this film gets going it is great and you can’t look away, but the first 20 minutes and slow and a bit boring and might lead you away from the film; stick with it though.

Overall, a brilliant hidden gem of a film that I highly recommend you watch!

Pros.

The humour.

The twists.

The ending.

The performances from everyone.

Cons.

The beginning is a little slow.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Adventures In Babysitting: One Hell Of A Bad Night

Adventures In Babysitting is a comedy adventure film directed Chris Columbus. The plot sees babysitter Chris (Elisabeth Shue), looking after three kids, however her night soon takes a turn for the extreme when she takes said kids to the city to pick up her friend. From there a series of things go wrong and things go from bad to worse; leading to a comedic misadventure.

Some much of this film rests on the performance given by Shue, if she was bad it would turn out like the god-awful Disney Channel remake, however her performance is in my opinion one of the best of the decade. Shue manages to do kind and compassionate well, you can tell her character cares about the kids, she also manages to be a lot of fun and give you a sense that she is enjoying every single second of being on screen. An example of this would be the blues singing scene, which is a masterpiece in and off itself, plus Shue is actually quite a good singer.

Fun is the word I would use to describe this film, a lot of films are funny or charming, but only a few are fun. This film almost seems like an expertly crafted series of skits that are each great and then stitched together to form one hell of a film. This can be seen with the often-hilarious pop culture themed homages, by favourite was The Warriors esque scene on the train.

Another thing I will give this film credit for is that the child actors are actually tolerable in this film. Normally when a film has child actors, hell even teens, they are annoying, they don’t perform well, they’re distracting, and you can understand why Hollywood gets 30-year olds to pretend to be teens in films. However, Brad (Keith Coogan), Daryl (Antony Rapp) and especially Sara (Maia Brewton), are not only good, but crucially loveable, you warm to them over the course of the film and by the end, you realise that you have enjoyed the time you have spent with these characters.

My one critique of the film would be that some of the humour feels dated and a little out of touch with our modern sensibilities, however on the sliding scale of 80’s offensiveness this film is pretty mild, so that shouldn’t put you off!

Overall, an 80’s classic for a good reason, effortlessly charming and watchable and a guaranteed good time for all!

Pros.

It is fun.

The homages and references.

Elisabeth Shue.

The child stars are actually tolerable.

Cons.

Some of the humour has aged poorly.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke