Lansky: Even Mass Murdering Gangsters Have A Sensitive Side

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

In many ways this is a deeply average crime/biopic film. There is nothing about the rise to infamy story told here that you have not heard before. However, there is something of an emotional nuance here that really takes the film in an interesting direction. We see the character as not just a cold blooded gangster but also as a man who cared deeply for and ultimately was unable to help his disabled son. There is a duality here, the film allows us to see outside the black and white and see a more accurate grey in regard to the situation.

Sam Worthington has not been in something in a while, or at least that’s how it feels to me, the last time I remember seeing him on screen in a big way was Avatar. However, this is not the comeback film or performance fans of his would want. Worthington is entirely forgettable here, and just about anyone could have played his role. Harvey Keitel fares better as the titular Lansky, it is nice to see him on our screens again and he does manage to leave an impression with his performance: proving once again why he is such a big force in the genre even now.

Furthermore, the film has pacing issues but not the ones you would expect. Indeed, the issue with this film is that it feels rushed, there is a lot going on and then bang it’s the credits. It all just feels rather abrupt and skipped over, there are a lot of unanswered questions left behind and the whole thing feels sloppy pacing wise.

Overall, Keitel and some nuance manages to push this film into being a slightly above average gangster affair that fans of the genre will fine pleasing.

Pros.

The emotional nuance

Keitel

The ending and the emotion

Cons.

Worthington

It feels rushed

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The Birthday Cake: What Is In The Box?

4.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This film is the best gangster/crime film I have seen in a while. The pacing of this film is terrific, and it takes you on one hell of a ride. There are scenes in this film where I was on the edge of my seat, I know that is a cliché, but for once it accurately describes the situation.

I enjoyed how this film places so much emphasis on its titular cake, always making sure to feature it in every sequence throughout the film. Moreover, the final reveal involving the cake makes the film, or at least it did for me, it was so perfectly built up to and it truly delivers.

Furthermore, the acting is strong across the board with every actor bringing their A game to this project and being memorable as a result. I would be hard pressed to pick a favourite moment from the film as the whole of it is so good and each actor really has their own moment to shine.

My one criticism of this film would be that it could have better used Ewan McGregor, as he is barely in the film though when he does appear he steals the scene. I would have liked the film to further explore the relationship between his character and Gio as clearly he is somewhat of a mentor to him, but we don’t really see this happen on-screen and can only imply it as an explanation.

Overall, perhaps the best gangster film of the year.

Pros.

The cast is terrific

The cake payoff

The tension

The pacing

Cons.

Under-using McGregor

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The Brothers Bloom: Just Like Wes Anderson Without Any Of The Charm.

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Rian Johnson is such a hit or miss filmmaker, for every Last Jedi you have a Looper, the quality of his films is unpredictable: sadly this was not one of his stronger efforts.

Firstly I did not like the humour of the film it seemed dumb and annoying to me, trying far too hard to be kitschy and oddball. The best way I can describe this is to take the stylings, writing and wit of Wes Anderson and gut the emotional heart of it, take out any real meaning and mash it back together again. This film felt like a poor rip off of both the previously mentioned Anderson as well as the Coen Brothers.

The one thing I did enjoy about the film, and that I saw as the saving grace was Adrien Brody. Brody brought his usual outsider charm to the role and managed to deliver and memorable performance, whilst also having great on-screen chemistry with Rachel Weisz; the two should definitely do more films together. Sadly, the other of the titular brothers played by Mark Ruffalo was far less likeable and was instead annoying for most of the film, this is most likely due to the fact he was often instigating the bad comedy.

Overall, I am glad that Johnson has moved away from this kind of film.

Pros.

Brody

Weisz

Cons

Ruffalo

The comedy

It feels like a rip off of better films

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Riders Of Justice: An Odd Sense Of Humour

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This one really won’t be to a lot of people’s taste. This film is quite hard to categorise, it is not one specific genre, it has elements of action and drama, whilst also maintaining a pitch black sense of humour throughout: the elements work for the most part and only on a few occasions did I find them to be clashing.

This film goes to some very dark places that not everyone might be comfortable with, personally I found myself laughing a few times, when I probably shouldn’t have been, but this film spoke to my sense of humour.

The cast are all good and there is not a weak link amongst them. Mads Mikkelsen is as always great, he anchors this film, and his character is beautifully complicated, always surprising you and challenging your perceptions of him.

The main problem I found with this film, besides the occasionally jarring tone, was the pacing. This film is incredibly slow, there are big chunks of time where just nothing meaningful happens and you are left near tediously bored asking, nay begging for something to happen. The ending, however, goes the other way, and gives us action and spectacle, but seems to rush through it, not allowing us to savour the sequence.

Overall, your enjoyment of this film will be determined by your sense of humour and how long it takes you to get bored.

Pros.

The humour

Mikkelsen

Cons.

An acquired taste

The pacing issues

The uneven tone

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Here Are The Young Men: Ready Yourself For A Good Cry

Here Are The Young Men

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I have seen, watched and red a great deal of unpleasant things over my life, but never before have I been as disturbed and unsettled as I was with this film. This film is not a horror film, rather a crime drama film based on a real life story, but that true story is so horrific that this is far more frightening than any horror film you might watch. The evil of the film is so personal and so close to home, as anyone could find themselves in this situation, that you can feel it breathing on your neck.

I want to state clearly that I don’t think this is a bad film, rather the contrary I think it has a lot of stuff going for it, however the reason why I have given it such a low score is because it is so deeply troubling and unpleasant, that it is hard to watch, and I had to take multiple breaks during it, to try and stave off falling into a depressed, almost nihilistic state. As such I can’t recommend anyone watch this film, unless you have a stronger stomach than I.

The performances across the board are terrific, Anya Taylor- Joy as always is fantastic. However, the man who steals the show here, in every sense of the phrase, is Travis Fimmel. Fimmel plays a deranged tv presenter, who we the audience don’t even know if he is real or a metaphor for psychosis, but whatever the case he makes the most out of his limited amount of screen time.

Overall, it is a powerful film with strong performances, but it so unpleasant to watch that I can’t see how a person would enjoy it.

Pros.

Fimmel/ Anya Taylor- Joy and the acting as a whole

The trippy feel and the aesthetic

Cons.

It is hard to watch

It is not always clear what is going on

It will upset you

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Bright: Bad Boys With Orcs

Bright

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I remember when this first came out and it was the talk of the town before quickly slipping into infamy. I gave it a miss as it didn’t appeal to me, then the other night I decided I would finally check it out and it mildly exceeded my low expectations- that is not to say this is a good film.

I won’t get into the Max Landis stuff, he is a creep, and his involvement tars proceedings, moreover his writing is probably the worst part of the film. The contrast of real world racism mixed with bizarre fantasy elements, sounds like an idea that won’t work and in execution it doesn’t. The incredibly on the nose metaphor becomes muddied as the fantasy elements clash.

Moreover, Will Smith is not trying here at all- he has long since given up trying and this film is further proof of that.

Overall, a horribly clashing mess

Pros.

Some of the fantasy elements work

The soundtrack is strong

Cons.

Will Smith

Max Landis

The mixing of racism metaphor and fantasy

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Bernie: Jack Black Proves He Can Nail Drama As Well

Written by Luke Barnes

Bernie is a dark comedy film directed by Richard Linklater. The plot follows the events surrounding the death of Marjorie Nugent at the hands of Bernie Tiede.

Jack Black plays the titular Bernie and I think he does it perfectly. This killer in real life was adored by a large majority of people in the Texan town of Carthage, and with the way Black plays him you can see why. Black sells the likeability of his character, but also eludes to a hidden darkness, he plays the character mostly straight, though he does manage a few laughs in some darkly comedic scenes.

I think it says a lot of Black’s performance that he can comfortably go toe to toe with Matthew McConaughey, who plays the lawyer who sent Bernie away for life, who is known for his dramatic prowess; I think in terms of dramatic acting this is a career best for Black.

I also thought the film had a lot of great eccentric moments to it, such as having one of the opening scenes be Bernie giving a lecture on how to prepare a dead body for burial as well as a number of interviews with real towns people who would have known both the victim and the murderer in real life: these touches add character to the film.

Overall, a lot of fun and a great performance from Jack Black

Pros.

Black

McConaughey

The quirks

It was fun to watch

Cons.

The pacing could have been tighter

4.5/5

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City Of Lies: Depp Back In Action

Written by Luke Barnes

City Of Lies is a crime film directed by Brad Furman. The plot revolves around the death of Christopher Wallace aka Biggie Smalls, and the possible involvement of the LAPD.

It is nice to see Johnny Depp back on screen, it has been a while. Depp plays the detective who was investigating the case and the links to the LAPD, before he was thrown off the case as he was getting too close to the corruption, he meets Forrest Whittaker’s journalist character later on in his career and the two begin to investigate the case again.

I thought the two men had a lot of on-screen chemistry together and bounced off each other really well, true in both the banter scenes and also the more emotional and intense scenes. The emotions that Whittaker’s character has at the end of the film, for reasons I won’t spoil, feel heartbreakingly true and also reflective of how you’re feeling in that moment as well.

I think that though the story is not the most inspired, as there have been very similar plots in many other crime films, the quality of the acting really lifts it that bit beyond. Furthermore, the ideas and dialogues of this film start many important questions and conversations that will add to the ongoing introspection public towards the behaviour of the police.

Overall, a very strong crime film that overcomes a generic premise with strong performances from both of its leading men.

Pros.

Whittaker

Depp

The emotions especially at the end

Adding to a cultural dialogue

Cons.

The premise is fairly generic.

4/5

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Interview With Phil Stubbs: Writer/ Director Of Last Chancers

Written by Luke Barnes

I recently had the chance to interview Phil Stubbs writer and director of Last Chancers, a film about two friends who run afoul of a local gangster and must find a way out of their situation. We chat about

Q: How would you describe the film, in a word?

PS: Friendship

Q: Who is your filmmaking inspiration?

PS: Peter Jackson

Q: What was your catalyst for making this film?

PS: I just had to try making a feature film, despite having no experience.

Q: Any funny on-set stories?

PS: An unpleasant cafe owner was having an argument with Brian Croucher then recognised him from EastEnders.

Q: Gloucestershire plays a large role in the film, why was this setting so important to you and the film?

PS: I’ve always lived in Gloucestershire and always thought it would look good on film and be a different setting for this kind of story

Q: What is your favourite British crime film, other than your own?

PS: The Long Good Friday

Q: How would you describe your experiences making this film?

PS: Very stressful. Learning how to get the work done while battling many onset problems

Q: How did you manage the comedy to crime ratio, and how important was the buddy dynamic between Flynn and Aiden?

PS: Keeping the tone consistent was important so I was very careful when writing the script. The friendship between Flynn and Aiden anchors the whole story so had to be believable and compelling for audiences to enjoy the film.

Q: If you could go back in time to when you were first starting out as a filmmaker what advice would you give yourself?

PS: Don’t get so stressed, take more time to get the shots how you want them.

Q: If you won an award for this film who would you thank?

The amazing cast, the crew, the editor Lucy, and my girlfriend Ali for putting up with me pursuing the crazy idea of being a filmmaker.

If you enjoyed this interview you can find Last Chancers on Amazon and as always I have an review of the film on site now.

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Last Chancers: Even The Countryside Is Rife With Gangsters

Written by Luke Barnes

Last Chancers is a British crime comedy film directed by Phil Stubbs. The plot sees two friend Flynn (Ellis J. Wells) and Aiden (Harry Dyer) become indebted to an old school nasty after a hapless mistake, together they must come up with a way out of their situation.

There is something of an early Guy Ritchie with this film, though obviously with more of a comedic leaning, it is a stylistic decision that greatly helps this film and allows it to feel snappy and sharp and more importantly slick.

Though the premise was nothing new, I though it was done well, and it served to be quite entertaining. The film wasn’t a laugh out loud, laugh a minute kind of film but it did have more than enough moments that made me chuckle or at least smile.

I think the film mainly gets its tone right, managing to mix dramatic tension with levity. The tone does skew to one extreme a few times at the expense of the other, which hurts the film, but does not happen often.

My main issue with this film is that I think it needs to be tighter. This is a good film, by and large however, it really suffers from bloat and quite a few scenes could do with being chopped down to better add to the flow.

Overall, despite a few structural problems there is a lot of promise to this film, and I would be excited to see what the filmmaker does next.

Pros.

The comedy, for the most part works

The premise is well executed

Moments of early Guy Ritchie

Cons.

Slight tonal issues

Pacing problems

4/5

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