French Exit: Giving A Man Several Thousand Euros For An Orange

French Exit

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This film feels like a Wes Anderson film, yet less heart-warming and more pretentious. The characters we are supposed to root for, are almost by design unlikeable and as such when the film takes dramatic turns you feel very little about it.

The kitschy nature of the humour will work or not work based on your sense of humour. It is in this area that I find the Anderson comparison is the most apt, however, what works for Anderson does not work here. The whole film is a rather humourless affair.

Moreover, though I thought the leads were both good, they didn’t really have arcs, rather they went through the emotions for about two hours and then the film ended. Which is only really entertaining for about the first few minutes. It is because of this and the fact that the characters are so detached and unlikeable that the ending falls flat and doesn’t manage to connect either.

Finally, I found this film to be bafflingly obtuse- again most likely by design. There were lines of dialogue or even whole scenes that seemed to suggest one thing and then a moment later something would come along to defy it and throw everything back up in the air once again.

Overall, perhaps this film did not appeal to my comedic sensibilities, though I suspect it will be too pretentious for most to enjoy regardless.

Pros.

The first half hour is entertaining enough

It is watchable

Cons.

It is incredibly pretentious

It isn’t funny

You don’t care about the characters

The ending has no weight

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Rare Beasts: A Takedown Of The Romantic Comedy?

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This film was hectic, all over the place and oddly enthralling, there was something about this clear art piece that stopped you from being able to look away, even if you couldn’t tell what was going on.

Before, making further comments about the film I want to state and acknowledge for the record my place of male privilege. I think for me one of the biggest issues with this film is the fact that it too comes from a place of privilege, the tale of the character featured herein is not one that everyone can relate to, but rather one of a financially comfortable, professional. There is a huge degree of middle class privilege to this film that I think renders it out of touch before it even gets going.

Moreover, there are also a lot of first time director issues with this film too, such as audio issues and camera choices that not only prove distracting, but also make the film hard to follow. Whilst watching this I had to activity try and make sense out of some of the scenes that just didn’t, and also strain to hear important dialogue that is obscured over odd sound choices.

In terms of performances I think Billie Piper is strong I think is manages to capture a sense of manic energy that propels the film forward whilst also tapping into a deep well of pain and self-hate to pass comment on it. I thought the film as a whole felt very real and raw which was refreshing even if it was tinged with an unrealistic world view.

The humour for me was hit or miss, there were a few times I found myself laughing, but on the whole I was mostly unmoved by the humour of the film. Though as I often say humour is subjective.

Overall, an interesting conversation starter, but one that feels more and more hollow the further you look beneath the surface.

Pros.

Piper

The premise and the comment on rom-coms

A few funny jokes

Cons.

Clear middle class privilege

Odd framing and music choices

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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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Stoaway: You Too Would Prefer The Cold Embrace Of Space To A Viewing Of This Film

Stowaway

1/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Netflix and generic science fiction are starting to become one in the same. All of Netflix’s science fiction output looks the same, blues and blacks with a heavy shadow over everything, they have the same plotlines and ask the same questions and they all have a shared sense of smugness wherein they view themselves as deeper and more poignant then they actually are.

I don’t know if I have just become jaded but I long for the days when films used to surprise me and used to take risks and do something shocking- now it is all just the same. I could accurately predict the events of this film from the first ten minutes of it, I could even work out who would make the ultimate sacrifice in the end, it was all blindingly obvious.

On that note, the worst performance in this film comes from Anna Kendrick- easily. NASA and various other space agencies train people for how to deal with situations in space and they wouldn’t send someone up who would, at first chance, immediately go against all that and do what they personally thought was right. The characters lofty sense of moral superiority is woefully short sighted as by her own actions she is condemning the lives of those around her, and even with the price her character pays, it doesn’t change the fact instead it just pushes her own virtue further; in a frankly insufferable way.

Overall, I think I will be more picky when selecting to watch Netflix originals in the future

Pros.

Toni Collette and Daniel Day Kim are trying

Cons.

Anna Kendrick

It feels samey

It is predicatable

The story makes no sense and is riddled with plot holes, that get deeper the more you think about them.

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Mainstream: The Product Of A Society That Has Lost It’s Way In It’s Blind Devotion To All Things Celebrity

Mainstream

4.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This was a very positive surprise. Not only did I find the societal message of this film to be surprisingly insightful, I also thought it boasted a very talented cast that really came together to make the film something special.

I have been saying for a while that Maya Hawke was going to go on to be a phenomenal talent; the last season of Stranger Things was all the proof I needed, but this film proves it beyond any doubt. Even with such praise, she is not the standout of the film, though she does give an electric performance. The standout of the film is Andrew Garfield as the mysterious Link, who seems to exist outside the standard society we all find ourselves in and who uses this edge to become a Youtube sensation. Garfield is simply outstanding in the role, he manages to be both charming and also terrifying at the same time and you don’t know how to feel towards him as a result; he is a monster, but at the same time you want to see him win. I think it may be the performance of Garfield’s career so far.

Likewise the message of the film spoke to me. I think this idea of lampooning influencer culture and pointing out all the harm it does to people, only then to become sucked into that world and addicted to the fame and money it provides to be a deeply intriguing point of exploration. I think though the film’s ending is a little muddled, I like how the film ends and responds to it’s own message and teachings.

The only point of criticism I would give this film is that I felt the love triangle was needless. There is a romance plot line, that turns into a love triangle for the drama, in this film that feels forced in, I suppose it is done under the guise of character development, but really it just feels like filler. Luckily this is kept to a minimum.

Overall, an incredibly strong film that needs to be seen.

Pros.

Garfield

The style

The message

The conflicting emotions you feel watching it

Cons.

The love triangle

The ending could be structured better

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Monday: The Winter Soldier’s Weekend Off

Monday

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Though Sebastian Stan is likeable, he isn’t enough to keep this film afloat. Honestly this film was hard to get through not because it was bad, it might have been more entertaining if it was, but because it was so generic: I have seen this film before with different actors set in a different place, but essentially the same film.

Moreover, I thought there was a needlessly large amount of sex scenes in this film. I am by no means a prude or anything like that, and I understand that this film was supposed to be erotic, but it felt a little needless and over the top, there was a sex scene every few seconds. A variety of spread out sex scenes don’t equate to a story.

The dialogue and the characters also feel overly familiar which makes them hard to care about or attach to. Though there are a few funny lines of dialogue that does not make up for arcs that we have seen many times before, as this film is fundamentally afraid to do anything new with its characters.

Overall, a by the numbers romantic drama film that you have seen before.

Pros.

A few funny lines

Sebastian Stan is charming

Cons.

Very generic

Gratuitous nudity and sex

The characters feel paper thin

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Percy Vs Goliath: The Breadbasket Is Under Attack

Percy Vs Goliath

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I am a big fan of Christopher Walken, he is one of those few actors who is near always great even if he is only in a film for a short cameo, and this film is no different. Walken makes the character of Percy feel very human and sympathetic and does a lot to honour and capture the spirit of the real man himself.

Moreover, I think it is the performance of Walken that puts this film above a lot of other similar films, and believe me there are a lot of them, the idea of a regular person standing up to a large corporation is a very popular type of narrative that can be seen throughout the history of cinema, and back further into religious cannon: it taps into our universal love of the underdog. However, despite Walken being good this film does end up fading in with the rest of them, and the story itself is very predictable in this regard.

Furthermore, Walken is supported by a very talented cast as well with Zach Braff and Christina Ricci giving scene stealing performances, and easily holding their own with such a veteran performer as Walken.

Overall, despite a lot of high calibre actors giving good performances the film ends up feeling a little too predictable and familiar.

Pros.

Walken

Braff

Ricci

Cons.

It is predictable and feels a little too similar

It has pacing issues

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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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Steve Jobs: Seth Rogen Should Do More Dramatic Roles

Steve Jobs

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This film is a testament to the writing prowess of Aaron Sorkin. The film is simply two hours of Steve Jobs, here played by Michael Fassbender, having conversations with people, however what could easily have become boring and lost in a sea of tech speak actually sparkles and flies by. Sorkin perfects the art of the conversation, and as we see these moments in various different eras of Job’s life we are taken on an emotional rollercoaster and learn and feel far more about the former CEO of Apple then we ever have before.

Moreover, this film reminded me what a talent Michael Fassbender is, he perfectly sinks into the role of Jobs to such a point where I started to believe he was him. Furthermore, Seth Rogen is wonderfully muted and impactful in his performance as Jobs’ long-time friend and jilted business rival Steve Wozniak. Rogen plays the role straight, not going for dumb laughs, and manages to prove to us all that he can be a talented dramatic actor when he wants to be.

Though the film may have too slow of a pace for some, I do believe the film is near perfect in terms of pacing. The film does not feel like it is on for just over two hours and mostly flies by as you are so engaged with the subject matter

Overall, a riveting film that will easily entertain those who appreciate its slower pace.

Pros.

The writing

The sparkling conversation

Michael Fassbender

The near perfect pace

Cons

A slow pace that some may find off putting

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The Grey: A Wild And Savage Soul

The Grey

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This film separates itself from the wider bulk of Liam Neeson’s work, by having a more soulful, philosophical edge- contemplating the human condition, and the reasons why we carry on. Yes, there is brutal action as well, as you would expect from a Neeson flick, but here it is done more thoughtfully. I think for the most part, the emotional themes and the action blend together well, however it does lead to a few pacing issues.

The pacing issues really come into effect in the film’s second act which starts to drag. This section really needed more action than it has and is the only real time where the weighty themes start to get in the way of the actual fight for survival.

I think as a character piece this works well, the struggle of Neeson’s lead is not only familiar but also deeply personal, many who have gone through a similar situation can understand and connect. Moreover, the final scene where Neeson’s character embraces his death and stands proud ready to fight the wolf pack that has been pursuing the band over the course of the film feels right, as well as earnt. The desperate futility of the situation is beautifully macabre

Overall, a surprisingly deep Neeson flick.

Pros.

Neeson

The character work

The ending

Cons.

The pacing

A slight clash between themes and what’s on screen

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