Four Christmases: Just Tell Your Parents You Don’t Want To Go Home For Christmas, It Is Not Hard

Four Christmas is a Christmas comedy drama film directed by Seth Gordon. The plot sees a couple’s relationship be put to the test as they have to attend several different family Christmases.

Personally, I never viewed Vince Vaughn as a strong romantic lead. I think he is better suited to the arsehole anti hero roles, like Fred Claus, or the more action/drama orientated roles he has been getting recently, but for a while Hollywood really wanted him to be the next big romantic leading man.

Maybe I am reading this film with a 2020 viewpoint, but the romance narrative is deeply troubling here. Vaughn’s character is often a dick towards Witherspoon’s and yet he is never brought to task over it, she just passively allows him to treat her like dirt. Witherspoon’s character only moment of resistance is when she stands up to him because she wants kids and he seemingly doesn’t; the whole implication of this is deeply sexist. The message of the film is off.

Understanding that this film is supposed to be a comedy film makes it even worse, both in terms of the jokes and there implications, but also the fact of how deeply unfunny the film itself is. Usually Vaughn can make me laugh, but I didn’t laugh once here, moreover, I found the film to reliant on slapstick for its jokes which again didn’t land.

Overall, this is a failure as a comedy film and has a deeply troubling message underpinning the film that makes the ending feel bittersweet and ultimately leading to ruin.

Pros.

It is watchable

Cons.

Vaughn and Witherspoon have no chemistry

It rewards abusive behaviour

It has a deeply troublesome message

The ending is not deserved

It is not funny

0.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Joy: The Rather Obvious Decline Of Robert DeNiro

Joy is a biographical drama film directed by David O’ Russell, the plot is based on the real-life story of the Queen of QVC Joy Mangano and her rise from struggling poverty to take the business world by storm.

This film is a very engrossing watch, you become fascinated by Joy (Jennifer Lawrence), and her mop business and begin to form an emotional attachment over the course of the film: one that desperately makes you want to see her succeed.

Was Lawrence’s performance worthy of an Oscar nod, no it wasn’t. She was an affable lead and one that was easy to root for, but another actor could have been just as good in the part at no point did I think she made the part her own as a result of this she would be easily replaceable.

I think the best scenes in the film were between Lawrence and Bradley Cooper (who played the head of the QVC network), I think though they only had a few short scenes together over the course of the film their on-screen chemistry was so strong that it stole the show.

On a different note as much as I love Robert DeNiro, I almost found him to be a distraction her with his overly hammy performance often taking me out of the film.

Another issue I have with this film is that it is bloated and could have been better served by a tighter edit.

Overall, an engaging and interesting film, however also one that received more praise then it deserved.

Pros.

The engaging narrative

Cooper and Lawrence have great chemistry

The personal connection you develop for the character

Cons.

Lawrence is interchangeable

DeNiro is too over the top

It has pacing issues

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Man Who Invented Christmas: Lay Off The Hallucinogens Charlie

The Man Who Invented Christmas is a Christmas themed biographical drama film focusing on Charles Dickins (Dan Stevens) as he creates his classic Christmas novel A Christmas Carol, we see the trials and tribulations that lead to one of the best-selling books of all time.

I enjoyed the presentation of this film, I thought the blending of standard biopic elements and more out there fantasy elements, as he talks and interacts with his own characters, was quite an inspired choice as it allowed the film to feel fresh and not like just another biopic.

Stevens was serviceable in the role; he can convey both sides of Dickens as a character and does a good job of making the character seem whole and rounded rather than a caricature. He is the best of the cast, though that is not a tall order as a lot of the other actors are bland and forgettable.

I thought the film had pacing issues and included a number of side plots and other stories that should have been cut, I understand the film was trying to show the motivations and scars of Dickins himself, but they could have done it in a more concise and audience friendly way, as it stands certain parts are far too exposition heavy.

Overall, through the choice of how it presents its story and its characters this film feels slightly above the standard biopic and is enjoyable, however a mostly bland cast and a few pacing issues stop it of being great.

Pros.

The fantasy and reality aspects

Stevens

It feels like a well-considered Christmas film

Cons.

The wider cast are bland

It has pacing issues

It goes too far in trying to explain what drives Dickins and relies too heavily on exposition

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Girl: Never Get Between A Girl And Her Hatchet, Good Advise For Life

Girl is a thriller film directed by Chad Faust. The plot sees a girl (Bella Throne), return home to find and kill her abusive father, however, once she returns home she finds him already dead and is filled with mixed emotions. Shortly there after she decides to investigate who killed him.

So, I have been on some what of a Bella Throne binge this week, I also have a review of Chick Fight coming up. I went from knowing next to nothing about her, to being intrigued by her talent for conveying real, raw emotion so well as this film shows. It is safe to say I am a convert now.

Throne owns this film, and anchors it well. Her character is conflicted, and we can see that in Throne’s performance we can see that unknowing, that need for answers. Throne is also boosted by a strong supporting from Mickey Rourke, who plays the town sheriff serving as the antagonist for the film. Rourke is genuinely quiet menacing here and plays the villain with some form of twisted glee; this makes for a number of strong scenes between him and Throne.

There are some twists and turns in the plot in the later stage, that are strangely just blurted out in the early part of the film, but hey maybe the film thinks that you and I didn’t notice that. Regardless, when the twist does come it is delivered and executed with proper emotional weight and you do feel something, the final fifteen minutes is when this film is at its prime.

Overall, one I think a lot of people will overlook, but you need to check this one out it is a very good, very well acted, intriguing thriller.

Pros.

Throne

Rourke

The twist

The tension and the maliciousness of Rourke’s performance

Cons.

Blurting out the reveal half an hour into the film

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Never Be Done, The Richard Glen Lett Story: A True Inspiration

Never Be Done: The Richard Glen Lett Story is a Canadian documentary film based on real events. The plot follows the fall of one of Canada’s most beloved comics at the hands of drug and alcohol abuse, and also how he managed to come back from his darkest point and turn his life around.

Inspiring, is a word that gets tossed around a lot. Often people use it either hyperbolic-ally or falsely when talking about feel good films they have seen, as few films are truly inspiring; though I suppose different films are inspiring to different people. However, this is one of the few films I would truly use that word to describe.

This film is a roller-coaster of emotions we go from dizzying heights, to soul crushing lows and all the while we follow this man and his struggle. The film does not shy away from showing the unpleasant side of addiction, in fact it displays it in all its infamy and for that I applaud it. Due to this we form a real bond with Richard as well feel like we are right there along with him.

I have to say this film brought me close to tears a number of times, it is not for the light of heart, or the easy to tears as there are some really harrowing moments here. The tears, I believe are proof of how much you end up caring about this man and his struggles.

Overall, this is a beautifully made film that is honest and raw and leaves you with a lot to consider afterwards.

Pros.

The beautiful message

The journey

The connection we form

The emotional impact

It is not afraid to show the dark side of addiction

Cons.

None

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Hippopotamus: A Special Kind Of Miracle

Hippopotamus is a British film directed by John Jencks. The plot follows jaded writer/ poet Ted Wallace (Roger Allam), as he is payed to go and investigate claims of a miracle healer that can cure people of any disease with just a touch.

This is a mixed bag, Allam is strong and makes for a likeable protagonist, but his character is nothing new. In the leagues of jaded detective characters that have come before him Ted just can’t hope to match up. He is a walking cliché.

The mystery itself is fun, part of you wants to believe that their really is a faith healer, but another part of you knows it is all fake. When the reveal scene finally comes and Ted lays everything out, it all makes sense and feels incredibly satisfying.

My main issue with this film is that it has incredibly bad pacing. There are parts of this film that are almost unwatchable because of how slow they are, by the time the film graces us with an ending you have long since stopped caring.

Overall, though it has a intriguing premise that lends itself well to investigation and mystery the film is far too long and the pacing issue destroy the film and make it borderline unwatchable.

Pros.

The mystery and reveal

Wallace is likeable enough

Cons.

The pacing issues

Wallace despite being likeable is incredibly generic

You stop caring at all by the end

1.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Nativity 3: Taking Christmas Away From Kids, The Further Rise Of The Sociopath Known As Mr. Poppy

Nativity 3 is a British Christmas comedy film directed by Debbie Isitt. The barely comprehensible plot follows Jeremey Shepard (Martin Clunes), an Ofsted inspector who comes to St Bernadette’s. Whilst there he is knocked unconscious by a donkey and loses all of his memory, they then go to New York for a flash mob competition, or something, and Jeremey is also getting married and can’t remember his bride that is also going on.

It is fair to say just from that brief description that this film is far too busy. Not only that, but it is trying to be and do so many different things at once whilst failing at all of them. None of it really makes any sense, and the flash mob storyline feels incredibly dated and more than a little cringe.

Clunes can’t hold a candle to Freeman and Tennent who came before him and passes through the film with as much enthusiasm as someone who has just found a new parking ticket on their car. Mr Poppy (Marc Wootton), the bane of the previous films and easily the worst part of the series is even worse here. We get that he is supposed to be a man-child, but here he is straight up malicious blatantly not caring for others as long as he gets his way.

Whilst watching this film I had one thought in my mind, ‘how long is left’, that says all you need to know.

Overall, give this a wide birth.

Pros.

It makes good background noise

Cons.

It is not funny

It is not charming

The story is incomprehensible and cringe

Mr Poppy might be my most loathed cinematic character

0.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Little Miss Sunshine: Beauty Pageants Are CREEPY

Little Miss Sunshine is a comedy drama film directed by Johnathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The plot sees a family travel across the country to enter their daughter Olive (Abigale Breslin), in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant.

There is something special about this film as it captures the messy often quite unpleasant nature of family but shows that deep down it is a force for good. The family we meet here are atypical to the Hollywood norm, they are not incredibly wealthy, and they are dysfunctional in a way that most other ‘dysfunctional’ families you see on the big screen are. There is a hostility and a world wiriness that underpins them and this whole film.

Much can and has been said for the performances of Paul Dano and Steve Carell in this film, so I will not waste time telling you how sublime they were in their roles. No the person I want to focus on is Greg Kinnear. Kinnear plays the patriarch of the family, who starts off the film almost as an antagonist to most of the main cast but turns cheek during the film. What works so well about the character arc of Kinnear’s character is that it is understated, as we see more of him and see how he changes we question our first assumption about him and ask ourselves if we were wrong?

Finally, I enjoyed the ending of this film and the stance it took against beauty pageants. Somewhat predictably, the family realises at the end how sick and messed up the pageant world is and defy it and learn that the bond they have all formed over the course of the road trip is more important. Regardless, of predictability I liked seeing them stick it to the pageant industry, which in my humble opinion is one of the worst industries that we have left, can it be cancelled soon please!

Overall, a classic.

Pros.

Kinnear’s arc

The ending

Dano

Carell

Cons.

A little too familiar

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Love The Coopers: All We Need To Unite The Left And The Right Is A Family Christmas

Love The Coopers is a Christmas comedy drama film directed by Jessie Nelson. The plot focuses on a dysfunctional family coming together to celebrate Christmas.

Someone turned the sentimentality up to critical with this one, there are some parts of this film that are so soppy and over the top that it would make a Hallmark Christmas film question the taste.

The plot is delivered in vignette style, very reminiscent of something like New Years Eve with the key difference being that all of these people we are following are part of the same family. We get the old couple who have drifted apart trope, we get the angsty teen try to impress a girl trope, but hey it is Timothee Chalamet so some people will say it is Oscar worthy, and more; besides, all the stereotypes you could want are all there.

The most cringe storyline of all was the Olivia Wilde one, about a daughter bringing home a random person from the airport so she didn’t get judged by her parents. Of course she ends up falling in love with his guy despite him the opposite of everything she thinks and cares about.

The greatest crime of this film is how badly it wastes its cast of talented performers.

Overall, a step up in some ways from the usual Hallmark/Netflix trash, but in other ways namely wasting its cast it is a big step down. What a missed opportunity.

Pros.

It is watchable

There are a few good moments

Cons.

It wastes its cast

It is the definition of overly sentimental

It is cringe

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

Manson Family Vacation: Is Blood Thicker Than Water?

Manson Family Vacation is a dark comedy drama film directed by J. Davis. The plot centres around the troubled relationship between two brothers, one adopted the other not. One day Conrad (Linus Phillips), shows up at his brother Nick’s (Jay Duplass) door asking to spend some time with him as he is passing through town on his way to a new job. Nick soon starts to uncover Conrad’s building fascination with Charles Manson and the film goes from there.

This is not a comedy film, I didn’t make me laugh, so if that is what you are judging this film on that then it is an abject failure. However, if you instead view it as an intense scrutiny of the brotherly dynamic and a comment on who your real family is then it becomes a lot more interesting. As a character study it works wonders.

Throughout the film, we are never quite sure just how far Conrad has gone with his new found obsession, that is until the end. The reveal that we get recontextualise the whole film and adds a new element to the story. It is fascinating.

Both Duplass and Phillips give good performances and you never end up loving one more than the other, both have moments where you root for them and moments where you despise them, they feel rounded. Tobin Bell also has a small role in this film and leaves quite a mark with his short performance.

Overall, quite a strange film on a number of levels, depending on how you view it and what you are looking for you will either think it is genius or pretentious trash.

Pros.

The reveal

The dynamic between the brothers

The Lead performances and Tobin Bell

Cons.

It is not funny

It has pacing issues

3/5

Reviewed by Luke