The Waterman: As Dry As The Deseret

Written by Luke Barnes

I feel like this film views itself as whimsical, and as using the fantasy nature of its story to actually tackle hard hitting issues but in a wonderous way; however, to me it just seems hollow. I find a good comparison for this film would be to A Monster Calls, they are similar in many ways with the key different here being that The Water Man has no soul.

This is a shame as the film desperately tries to create one, playing up the emotional impact of a lot of scenes to try and further the effect of fairly weak writing. In the end the film feels overly sentimental rather than impactful, with it entirely not understanding how to connect with audiences.

The one thing I will give this film props for however is the acting. I thought Rosario Dawson, and David Oyelowo were both strong and the child lead was bearable, which is saying a lot for a child actor.

Overall, you can see what this film was trying to do, but it just doesn’t seem to understand how to play with an audience’s heart strings creating in the end a film that feels both soulless and hollow, whilst also feeling overly sentimental.

Pros.

The acting

The fantasy elements are interesting

Cons.

The emotions are all wrong

A lot of the fantasy stuff is underdeveloped

The pacing

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me. I offer personalized shoutouts, one on one Q and As, the ability for you to pick what I review next and full access to my Patreon exclusive game reviews. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

My Salinger Year: White Privilege Is Alive And Well

1/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Everything about this film screams pretentious. The very idea of a struggling writer trying to make their way in New York City whilst also being given a fabulous job opportunity that they don’t value and continue to seek out more to satiate their own ego is a cliché- and sadly it makes up the entire plot of this film.

The problems of our lead, who just wants to write but can’t seem to get anywhere, not only very pedestrian but they also feel hollow. The whole film reeks of the sort of privilege that comes around when you don’t have to worry about the day to day problems and can instead just focus all your time into complaining about not having your dream life- unrelatable.

The reason this film gets the score given, is because of Sigourney Weaver: make no mistake without Weaver I would have given this film less. Whenever Weaver is on screen the film momentarily comes alive, and you are reminded of how great she is and how you miss her not being in more things; what it would be to go back to the mid to late Eighties to Weaver’s peak.

Overall, if this film can’t see how the average viewer would struggle to relate to it, then it is even more pretentious then I thought.

Pros.

Weaver

Cons.

The rest of the cast

The clear privilege

It is a cliché

It is boring and uninspired

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, one on one Q and As, the ability for you to pick what I review next and full access to my Patreon exclusive game reviews. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Four Good Days: A Frank And Uncompromising Look At Addiction

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This is a harrowing film, but one that I think is an important watch: the film does not shy away from showing you the horrors of addiction and the impact it has not just on yourself, but those around you. As I was watching this film I often found myself being moved to emotion by the events on screen whether that was sadness, joy or frustration- crucially it made me feel.

I think both Glenn Close and Mila Kunis are terrific here, with the latter really showcasing her skills as a dramatic actor. I think the bond between these two characters feels so real that you easily believe they are mother and daughter. Furthermore, you can see the scars and hurt in their relationship and how despite both doing things they regret, they also to be there for and support each other.

This film is obviously a very bleak watch, yet one that I found inspiring. Though the struggles and issues raised in the film are deeply upsetting, I found the ending of the film helped to not send you into a pit of despair: whilst also managing to show that addiction is a struggle you fight for your whole life even after you get clean.

Overall, a very strong and effecting dramatic piece.

Pros.

Kunis

The ending

The bond/ emotions

Cons.

A few light pacing issues.

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

The Last Black Man In San Franciso: Squatter’s Rights

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I had heard a lot about The Last Black Man In San Francisco from the festival circuit several years ago, but for one reason or another I never watched it; anyway recently I bought it on DVD and corrected that mistake.

I am very mixed on this film. I did not like the style or a lot of its more arty moments: personally I thought they cut away a bit too much from the real human heart and struggle of the film. By the end of the film the style and the artsy cutaways had almost become a barrier between you and the characters.

I think both the leads were simply terrific, with perhaps Johnathan Majors just stealing the top spot. I thought they both created these very deep and layered characters who were fun to explore and get to know over the course of the film’s runtime. Moreover, I thought the emotional journey they went on during the film was nothing short of beautiful and I would have liked further character exploration.

The ending left me cold. I understand why it happened from a storytelling point of view, but I feel like the execution of the scene could have been done better thereby giving it more of an impact on the viewer.

Overall, great performances struggle against tone and pace and eventually cancel each other out.

Pros

The acting

The emotion

Cons.

The style and the artsy elements

The ending

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, one on one Q and As, the ability for you to tell me what to review next. And access to my game review catalogue Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

The Father: Olivia Colman Deserved Her Second Oscar

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

I applaud the inventiveness of this film, what could easily have been a very linear experience is turned on its head. Personally, I thought the choice to show everything from Anthony, played by Anthony Hopkin’s, point of view was sheer genius; as the character suffers from Alzheimer’s the events of the film are out of order, muddled and actors switch out as the character can’t remember what they look like anymore- it is brilliant.

I thought Hopkin’s gave one of his best performances to date, running the gambit from charming to mean and unlikeable and then heart breakingly vulnerable- all within an hour and a half. Would I say it is Oscar worthy? No, in a regular year, Yes with what he was up against, it was a very good performance.

The same praise can be heaped on Olivia Colman who plays Anthony’s struggling daughter who has to take him in and help him out whilst he is in-between carers. Colman is stellar and her constant state of near tears but still maintaining a smile speaks to everyone who has ever found themselves in a similar situation; in my opinion hers was the better of the two performances and she should have won the Oscar.

The one slight negative, and this was always going to be the case you knew going in, is that this film is manically depressing, though not as much as you might expect, so be prepared with something happy to watch to follow this film up with.

Overall, a gem and one of the best films of last year.

Pros.

Colman

Hopkins

The point of view focus

The emotional wringer

Cons.

It is deeply depressing

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, one on one Q and As, the ability for you to tell me what to review next and access to my game review catalogue Check it out! https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

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

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, one on one Q and As and the ability for you to tell me what to review next. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

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

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

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

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

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.

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, one on one Q and As and the ability for you to tell me what to review next. Check it out

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

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

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer