Seberg: Leading To Tragedy

Seberg is a political thriller film directed by Benedict Andrews. The plot serves to tell the real-life story of Jean Seberg (Kristen Stewart), an actor who got a bit too close to black civil rights movements and so became the target of vicious harassment from American law enforcement, which lead to tragedy.

Kristen Stewart is one of those actors who can either be really good or really bad and struggles to find a middle ground, however here she is dazzling. Her portrayal of Seberg is both empowering and heart breaking, Stewart manages to capture her so perfectly that it gives me hope for her upcoming Princess Diana film.

Stewart and Anthony Mackie (who plays Civil Right leader Hakim Jamal), have such amazing chemistry that you can’t look away for a second they are on screen together.

Vince Vaughn is also in this film as sadistic FBI agent Carl Kowalski, and once again he shines in the dramatic role proving her far more than just a funny man; if you are not already aware of the Vince Vaughn renaissance going on, you are now.

The message of this film is poignant and as timely now as it was then.

Overall a tragically beautiful film and one of Stewart’s best.

Pros.

Stewart

Mackie

Vaughn

The message

The heart-breaking ending and its emotional weight

Cons.

None

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Adulthood: Older And Wiser?

Adulthood is a crime film directed by Noel Clarke (who also stars). The plot continues on from the events of Kidulthood, we see Sam (Clarke), be released from prison after the murder he committed at the end of the previous film. During his time inside Sam, has become an entirely different person who just wants to live a quiet life and get away from the things he has done. This is made harder by the friends and family of the boy he killed putting a hit out on him.

I think this film really achieved the deterring nature that the series was going for, we can see how Sam is haunted by what he did and how everyday he lives with the consequences, wishing he could go back and change it. The Sam we meet here is far more reformed and wiser, he knows that the life he was living before is going nowhere hence why he wants to move on with his life.

This this time around Sam is our protagonist, and though he might not be a likeable lead as he is still a child killer/ teen killer after all, the emotional nuance of the film allows us the see the situation in a less black and white way making the characters reform seem more believable and allowing us the audience to root for him more.

The tension and the gritty, harsh action compliment the film beautifully and really help to make its message standout. There are a number of scenes where you are on edge waiting to see how a scene will play out. This film is definitely more action orientated then the last which was more drama focused, this does change the viewing experience somewhat, but the films still feel stylistically the same.

Overall, in many ways this may be the best film in the trilogy as it manages to show us this bleak world in a widder scale and harsher intensity then the first film, making us better understand the struggle.

Pros.

Clarke, both as a director and actor

The emotional beats and the character arcs

Really managing to push the deterrent angle

The ending

The tension and the action

Cons.

It can be very hard to watch at times

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Kidulthood: Boys To Men

Kidulthood is a British crime drama film directed by Menhaj Huda. The plot focus on the lives of a group of high school students in Ladbroke Grove, London who lives seem to be shaped around crime, violence and chronic drug use.

There is something of a morbid charm to these films, yes on the surface they are horribly bleak and if you are easily upset or offended by films you probably shouldn’t watch this, however despite being disgusted by what you see on screen you also can’t look away. This is true to such an extent that when I finished the first film, I immediately put on the next one (review coming soon).

This film does not sugar coat its views on life and youth behaviour, it shows it all and doesn’t apologies if we don’t like what we see; it makes Boyle’s Trainspotting look at happy by comparison. The creatives went out of their way to show us a version of lived reality closer to our own then what we normally see in these sort of crime films, to show us how bad, desperate and sad this sort of life style is, and I think they resoundingly succeeded.

The performances in the film are all serviceable, with one exception, they are neither good nor bad, not memorable in any real way. The one exception of course is Noel Clarke as Sam, Clarke was heavily involved in the series and would go on to direct the later instalments, but it is his scene stealing performance that cements him as a star. Clarke conveys emotion with such intensity that you forget that you are even watching a film and you believe this character to be a real person.

Overall, despite this being an incredibly hard watch for a number of reasons, if you do watch it there is something of merit here.

Pros.

Clarke

The message of the film

Showing us a closer reality then that which we would normally see

A morbid fascination that is hard to describe

Cons.
It is very, very, very bleak and upsetting at times

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Breaking News In Yuba County: Anyone Can Make It Onto The News These Days

Breaking News In Yuba County is a comedy drama film directed by Tate Taylor. We follow Sue (Alison Janney), as she discovers her husband’s infidelity: which leads to his death through a heart attack. How does Sue deal with this? She buries him privately and tells everyone else he has gone missing so she can get media attention.

This was bad, just plain bad.

Firstly, it was in no way funny. Not only did I not laugh once, but the film failed to even make me smile, I did not have fun watching it and quite frankly it was a slog to get through. The characters are all such awful people, and the film does nothing to make you care about any of them, so you just feel indifferent to them regardless of what happens.

The film tries to distract you by having a number of famous faces in supporting roles, but this quickly wears out and instead serves to remind you, who is hard up and in need of a quick pay day role; most likely agreeing to star in anything as long as it pays off the credit card.

The central crime, the cover up of the husband’s heart attack, is so idiotic. It makes no sense as to why she would do it, we are lead to believe that Sue is just a regular person, not someone who can just flip a switch and become a criminal at the drop of a hat, but hey she does it constantly. The fact that the crime does not immediately get figured out is an insult to everyone’s intelligence, and in real life those investigating it would be fired for incompetence.

Overall, a very bad poorly thought-out comedy film that will be showing up in worst of 2021 lists soon enough.

Pros.

It is not offensive

Cons.

It is lame

It is not funny

The characters are not likeable

It feels done for the money

0.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Malcolm and Marie: Overly Indulgent In The Worst Way

Malcolm and Marie is a drama film directed Sam Levinson. The plot follows Malcom (John David Washington), and Marie (Zendaya), as there relationship is tested over the course of one particularly bad night.

I think there are good elements to this film, and I will get to them in time, but there are also a lot of issues, it is by no means perfect as it is deeply flawed in a number of ways. Firstly, it is very, very smug and up its own arse as an art film, and that is clear and is quite off-putting. Secondly, this film is made for people who know a fair bit about film in general, there are five to ten-minute scenes where Malcolm rants on and on about certain things to do with the industry and if you don’t have a keen amount of know how in that regard you will be lost.

The issue with these sort of films, and it is the same fate that befell, Pieces Of A Woman is that when films centre around these intimate struggles, the delivery has to be spot on and feel reflective of reality. Now I am not knocking either of the performances, as I thought they were the only good part of the film, however, neither of these characters behave in a natural way (going on long winded rants about the finer points of film criticism, while your partner stairs blankly at the celling), and it reads as overacted and also like a film writer’s fantasy version of reality. Nothing against the performances, everything against the highschool play esque script.

Zendaya and John David Washington make the most out of what they have and try and give it some personality and life- dying nobly on that hill. It is a shame as they are both talented.

Overall, nearly all the art house cliches rolled into one. Poor, but well-acted.

Pros.

Washington

Zendaya

Cons.

It is smug

It feels overacted and fake

It seems like the writer has never had a real human conversation before

It is not as deep as it thinks it is

1/5

Reviewed by Luke

Judas And The Black Messiah: Power To The People

Judas and the Black Messiah is a historical drama film directed by Shaka King. The plot follows the real life rise and assassination of prominent Black Panther Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), and his betrayal at the hands of FBI informant Bill O’ Neil (Lakeith Stanfield).

I have been looking forward to watching this film for a long time, and it did not disappoint.

I think this is an important film that needs to be seen and understood, moreover it should be a stepping stone to a larger conversation around race and struggle, not just in The States but worldwide. It’s message is furthered by events that have happened in the recent past, showing that police violence and institutional racism is still a festering part of our society that needs to be dealt with.

Both leading men give terrific performances, as I knew they would, however, I think this is Kaluuya’s film; what’s more I think this film should net Kaluuya some Oscar gold. His performance of Hampton is so effective and impactful, it reaches you on a deep emotional level and opens your eyes to the evils of the world, we see through Kaluuya that Hampton truly wanted to better the position of the oppressed in society and wanted to be a force for positive change, and what did he get for that? They shot him while he slept.

Pacing wise this is a model for other films. Usually I knock off points for pacing issues or drag, but I have to say that every second of this film felt needed and important and for that I tip my hat.

Overall, this is not an easy watch it is infuriating and depressing, but at the end of day that’s reflective of life. Moreover, the film highlights the need for further change within our worldwide community and inspires the viewer to go out there and make that happen.

Pros.

It opens your eyes

Kaluuya

Stanfield

The ending

It makes you mad and then channels your energy into a force for good
Cons.

None
5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Half Brothers: Stealing Goats

Half Brothers is a comedy film directed by Luke Greenfield. The plot sees two half-brothers Renato (Luis Gerado Mendez) and Asher (Connor Del Rio),come into contact for the first time after the death of their father (Juan Pablo Espinosa).

This film brought a tear to my eye and broke my heart, as a comedy film I don’t know if it was aiming to do this or if this was a mistake, but there is some powerful emotions in this film. The father journey is beautifully told over the course of the film, starting with him leaving Mexico to go to the States and then never being able to come back and the impact that has on Renato. How he never gave up trying to come back and has thought about seeing his first son again all his life, it is touching and deeply sad.

I enjoyed seeing the two-brother bond over the course of the film, yes the storyline was nothing new, but the leads had enough chemistry that they pulled it off and made it enjoyable. Both characters were more than they first appeared and had nuanced moments and arcs of their own, usually the writing in comedy films is quite weak but I have to hand it to this film it really managed to buck that trend.

My one issue with this film would be that though it is well written and has strong emotional resonances, it is not funny and at the end of the day it is supposed to be a comedy film. Now as I often say comedy is subjective, but for I didn’t really find myself laughing at all, smiling a few times but no laughs.

Overall, as a comedy film it is a let-down, but as a drama and a character piece this is incredibly strong. If you change what you are looking for and your initial expectations there is a rough diamond here.

Pros.

It is touching

The emotional arc

Salient points about society

The performances

Cons.

It is not funny

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Bliss: Is This The Real World Or Is This Just Fantasy

Bliss is a science fiction drama film directed by Mike Cahill. The plot follows Greg Whittle (Owen Wilson), a man who finds out he is living in a simulation, or is he? Is this the real world? Or is the world beyond ours the real one? Or is it all the by-product of drugs.

This is Owen Wilson’s big come back film, he’s been absent from our screens for far too long and I for one am glad to see him back. He plays the everyman well and is heart-breaking as a father who slips into another world and is forced to question whether everything he knows is real, he doesn’t even know whether his own daughter is real.

This film is confusing, clearly by design, and it never does state which world is the real one, or if there is even two worlds at all, even the final scene of the film is ambiguous. You will only have any decisive opinion of what is actually happening if you read what the creatives say in interviews, as they spell it out.

My one issue with this film is the writing. Now, for the most part the writing is solid and works well, but here and there you see little things that ruin it slightly, this can be seen with character irregularities mainly with Selma Hayek’s character, which make things a bit too obvious and don’t fit with the rest of the film.

Overall, this film will fill you with a sense of existential dread, and stay with you long after it ends, welcome back Mr Wilson.

Pros.

The premise

The ambiguity

Owen Wilson’s comeback

The ending

Cons.

The writing is slightly weak and inconsistent in parts

Reviewed by Luke

4/5

The Family Fang: And You Thought Your Family Was Messed Up

The Family Fang is a comedy drama film directed by Jason Bateman. The plot follows the dysfunctional Fang Family as they are forced back together again, causing old issues to be readdressed. The parents of the family are performance artists who forced their children into a number of uncomfortable and awkward situations in service of their art and that has led to a hate-filled rift between the parents and the children. It is based on the novel of the same name by David Linday-Abaire.

This is Bateman’s second direction effort, he also co stars alongside Nicole Kidman, and it marks a very noticeable shift in his direction sensibilities. If you look at Bateman’s first effort Bad Words it is certainly an off colour, off key comedy film that feature dramatic elements, however it is still a comedy film first. Whereas this film is very much a drama film, with a few moments of darkly humorous relief, following this through into Ozarks you can see how Bateman is moving further and further away from traditional comedy, and is instead pushing into much darker territory.

It is with that in mind, that I advise you not to watch this film as a comedy film as that is a miscategorisation, but to understand and watch this film for the drama film it is. As a drama film this film is sublime, it examines parents and children and how the two are intertwined. Should everyone and anyone be a parent? When does it become self-serving? What can a parent do to a child and then ask for forgiveness for?

The performances from Bateman, Kidman and Christopher Walken are all terrific, they perfectly capture different elements of the broken family paradigm and reflect them outwardly. Walken particularly shines here as an antagonist, his character scenes with the kids are both heart-breaking and infuriating and strongly performed.

I find myself being reminded of Captain Fantastic

Overall, a very strong drama film miscategorised.

Pros.

The performances

The concept

The examination of the effects of parenting

Cons.

It is poorly paced

The ending doesn’t feel as satisfying as I would like

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Short Term 12: Give Brie Larson An Oscar!

Short Term 12 is a drama film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. The film follows the life of Grace Howard (Brie Larson), a troubled adult who supervises at a home for troubled teens.

I have to say before I watched this film I was not on the Brie Larson bandwagon; I had yet to see that one performance by her that was going to convert me, I had seen her disastrous pr efforts and her meh turn as Captain Marvel in the MCU neither of which impressed me. I liked her in Free Fire, Scott Pilgrim and Kong Skull Island but I was still unconvinced. However, all that changed when I saw this film and now I am 100% on board the bandwagon.

There are a lot of great performances in this film, we get to see hints at future potential from Lakeith Stanfield and Kaitlyn Dever, as well as a great turn from John Gallagher Jr. in the male lead, but this is Larson’s film through and through. Larson sells every minute she is on screen with such an emotional intensity that you can’t help but be drawn in. I thought the struggle her character goes through, and the later reveals as to the motivation behind that, is incredibly moving and manically depressing. I think the conversation this character arc raises however is ultimately uplifting, positive and needed as it shows there is hope.

Overall, this is an incredibly emotionally impactful film and it is a model for how scripts should be written, close to perfect.

Pros.

Brie Larson

It has both humour and heart

The journey

The conversation around surviving abuse

The ending and the hope it brings

Cons.

It can be upsetting and deeply depressing at times

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke