Tomb Raider

I am going to open this with a very bold statement I think that Tomb Raider may be the film that breaks the cycle of bad video game adaptions. First off let me just say that this film is not without its problems, some problems were just little things some were fundamental issues. The most prominent being the pacing, the film itself is far far too long. Some sequences feel needlessly drawn out and, others feel rushed. Additionally, whilst the screenplay is mostly quite good in parts it does feel a little too familiar to the games in a way that makes certain sections quite predictable. Furthermore, some of the dialogue seemed quite cliched and stilted, really taking me out of the film. On the positive side, Alicia Vikander is a great Lara Croft.Vikander captures the look of Lara Croft perfectly, (especially when you compare her to the new Crystal Dynamics Lara Croft). Vikander also manages to capture that sense of adventure that so drives Lara as a character. What’s more, Vikander’s heroine is incredibly likeable, charming and warm. Continuing on, the theme of fathers and daughters in this film is quite touching, yes it is somewhat predictable and has been done before but, I think it is done quite well here. Unlike in the recent games, her father Richard Croft is quite a big part of the overall story. Overall Lord Richard Croft is quite a memorable character thanks to a well-acted performance from Dominic West. West manages to elevate a lot of the dialogue and really sells this emotional bond between Richard and Lara. The film has a lot of nods to things fans of the game series would recognise, some subtle some not so subtle. All of these fan service moments feel quite natural and not forced in for the sake of it. The comedy of the film comes from Max played by Nick Frost. Frost’s character is a welcomed change of pace in the few scenes he’s in. Another good aspect of the film is the score which is incredibly well done with a lot of the music adding to the themes and message of the film. Furthermore, the non-diegetic sound for this film is also brilliant with all the grunts and moans from Lara being very reminiscent of the recent games where we can see the physical toll that adventuring has on her. Walton Goggins’ character of Vogel is a menacing presence for the films second act if a little two dimensional. However, by the third act, he starts to unravel and makes baffling choice after baffling choice. Though the ending of the film was shameless sequel bait, I believe it was quite well done as it sets up a whole lot of directions that the series could move in if this film proves popular. I would recommend this for fans of the game series and newcomers alike.
3.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Gringo

Gringo is a comedy film centring around a trip to Mexico to look into the development of a weed pill that is the next breakthrough in medical marijuana. The company who is developing the marijuana pill has been selling to the cartels and, the trip is also to stop that much to the cartel’s annoyance. That is the main summary of the plot which is at times baffling with aimless subplots and pointless characters running amok throughout. The subplot that is particularly egregious is the love triangle between Charlize Theron’s character of Elaine Joel Edgerton’s character of Richard and, Thandie Newton’s character of Bonnie. This subplot adds absolutely nothing to the main plot and, feels as though it should have been cut out. Whilst it adds a small amount of character development for Theron’s character, it just feels completely unrelated to the rest of the film and, shows a complete lack of focus on the part of the director Nash Edgerton. In many ways, you can tell that this is Nash Edgerton’s first dive into the world of directing because the inexperience rings true throughout leading to a lot of problems. Theron is completely wasted in her role though she does have a few memorable moments. Furthermore, Amanda Seyfried’s character of Sunny is just pointless only really serving as a girlfriend character and, as an optimist to balance Harold out when he gets down. She is given no agency here and has very little to do, making it almost head scratching why Seyfried signed on for this project in the first place. Then there is the titular character of Harold played by David Oyelowo who whilst more likeable and, flushed out than the others is still nothing more than average. The main issue with the cast is that at there best they are nothing more than average with none of them having satisfying arcs and mostly just being wasted. Really this genericness is the issue of the film with it being very familiar in a bad way. The cartel boss who could have been a good and memorable villain is reduced to nothing more than a stereotype with bad jokes. The fundamental problem with this film is that the script is just very poorly written and, that is clear to see in the final product. Sharlto Copley does his best to save the film and, gives probably the best performance of the whole film but it just isn’t enough. The cinematography and score are just further examples of how the film squanders it’s potential with there being moments of greatness in both.
To conclude really other than Copley’s performance as the ex-mercenary Mitch there really isn’t a reason to go and see this. This film is simply a bad lazy comedy film and, not worth your time.
1.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Walk Like A Panther

Walk Like a Panther is a British comedy film about a group of 1980’s wrestlers forced to don the tights one more time, to save their pub. This film actually grew on me the more I thought about it after I left the cinema. At it’s best this film is an underdog story which manages to capture the plucky spirit of something like Eddie the Eagle and, it’s in this that the film really shines. The film’s characters whilst likeable enough are mostly underdeveloped each representing a different stereotype. These characters aren’t fresh with most being a rethread of something you’ve seen better before. However, all that being said the characters are still incredibly likeable and, you root for them to win throughout the entire film with none of them being grating or annoying. The jokes most of the time don’t work or at least didn’t for me, to a point where sometimes they are cringingly bad.
However, scattered throughout the film there are occasional jokes that do work quite well and, I found myself laughing hard at most of these. The film is quite well paced which is a nice contrast to a lot of recent releases and, doesn’t suffer from any needless bloat. The editing was quite good in this film with an excellent montage sequence and, a slow-motion scene that lovingly lampoons the sports genre. Although, the choice of song during the montage sequence being Gold by Spandau I found to be quite jarring and took me out of the film. In terms of performance, a lot of the characters are quite forgettable, with the real meat coming from the father-son story of Mark and Trevor. Mark played by Stephen Graham is the most well written and flushed out character here and, Graham performance is excellent. Mark’s character motivations which are to one day following in his father’s footsteps and be a wrestler just like him always felt very genuine. The relationship between Trevor “Bulldog” Bolton and, his son Mark is perhaps the soul of the film and, personally, I found it quite relatable. Furthermore, Michael Socha’s character of Ricky is the highlight of this film every scene he is in is outstandingly funny and, he really brings something to the film. The cameo by Game of Throne’s own Lena Headey is amazingly random and, she really does bring an air of class to the proceedings. This is not the best comedy film of the year it is fundamentally flawed in a lot of different ways. In spite of that the main character and, the underdog story that is at the heart of it all really does make this film quite touching. I would recommend this even though it isn’t the best film.

3/5
Reviewed by Luke.

Last Flag Flying

Last Flag Flying is the latest film by acclaimed filmmaker Richard Linklater. The plot follows 3 Vietnam veterans played by Laurence Fishburne, Steve Carell and Bryan Cranston as they reunite to help Carell’s character of Doc bury his son. The film is very much a meditation on life. The script written by Linklater and Darryl Ponicsan focuses on different aspects of life such as mortality and loss. Managing to mix together both comedic, and dramatic elements without either detracting from the other. The film begs the question of when are you past your prime? This is best represented by Bryan Cranston’s character of Sal. “My future is behind me”, in this piece of dialogue we see how fondly he remembers his youth, with the whole thing being a commentary on age. This film in it’s truest form is a character study of these 3 men as they enter into their older years. With each one adapting to life differently we see Cranston’s character clinging to the past, and Fishbourne’s trying to distance himself from the past. This film is made beautiful by its use of juxtaposition, comedy vs drama life vs death. As I said previously this film deals with some dark themes such as a parent outliving a child an idea parents dread. These topics are treated in such a personal, and intimate way you end up truly feeling the characters pain. That pain is perfectly captured by Steve Carell’s performance as the grieving father Larry or “Doc”. Throughout the film we see Doc coming to terms with his loss in a very raw and emotional performance from Carell. The performances from all 3 men are all spot on, with the only noticeable criticism being that Sal does become a little grating at times. There are a few issues with the plot mainly plot holes and things that don’t make much sense. Furthermore, the character of Lt Col. Willits played by Yul Vazquez does feel a little bit cartoon-esque with his motivations being weak. This film will strike an emotional resonance with you and, make you laugh and cry at times. The direction is very strong from Linklater with no screen time wasted. The jokes for the most part land quite well but, this is by no means a comedy film with the dram being highly present especially in the third act. The cinematography of this film is outstanding as it captures this sense of intimacy and, makes it feel very personal. Overall, I think this is well adapted from the source material managing to relay the earnest and personal story of loss and friendship. Only really being let down by a few small issues.
3/5
Reviewed by Luke.

Game Night

Game Night is a dark comedy by the directors behind Horrible Bosses. The plot focuses on a suburban game night gone awry managing to be both entertaining and engaging. Subplots of which this film has quite a few are all wrapped up to a satisfying degree by the end. My main critique of the plot is that it has a few too many twists, trying to make it look more clever than it actually is. Rachel McAdams character of Annie is very funny and easily the most charming of the cast. What’s more is that through McAdams performance, you really buy the competitiveness of her character. Morris’ character of Kevin is easily the funniest for me personally. His constant state of worry around which celebrity his wife slept with, (which is a recurring gag), never stops being funny. Another standout from the cast is Kyle Chandler as Brooks. Chandler plays the cool older brother with such ease it’s as though he isn’t acting at all. Furthermore, the dramatic scenes with his character feel believable, with his character having the best arc. Bateman is the weak link of the cast because in near every scene he is in with McAdams she easily out stages him. What’s more, he was the main member of the cast who’s jokes didn’t work and fell flat. Bateman’s character did benefit from strong motivations, with him trying to become more like his impressive older brother (Chandler). The romance between Billy Magnussen character of Ryan and Sharon Horgan’s Sarah works surprisingly well. With the pair being the highlight of the film. The supporting cast outside the main gang is mainly wasted. The only exception is Gary, played by Jesse Plemons. Plemons is the scene stealer of this film and is fantastically awkward in every scene he is in. The action scenes in the film are largely by the numbers, except for one fantastic scene involving a Faberge egg. In terms of the score, there are two excellent usages of Queen songs that I feel really capture the essence of the film.
Overall I would highly recommend this film, even if Jason Bateman isn’t in top form. It is still a very enjoyable ride.
3.5/5
Reviewed by Luke.

Red Sparrow

On the surface, one could easily confuse Red Sparrow as a cold war thriller, not unlike last years Atomic Blond. The plot centres around Jennifer Lawrence’s character of Dominika, as she is brought into the world of geopolitical espionage. Lawrence perfectly captured the essences of being brought into a new world and have to adapt to survive. However, her performance wasn’t up there with her co-star Jeremy Irons’ performance. Irons who plays with relish the character of Vladimir Andreievich Korchnoi. Irons’ performance oozes menace, from the second he is introduced, whilst also bringing an air of class to proceedings. From a plot standpoint, the first 45 minutes is pretty standard genre fare, with the start especially being slow. The pacing is all over the place, really being quite detrimental to the film. However, towards the end, the film picks up and really captured my attention. The ending itself does feel well set up and satisfying, with the twists being good but not reinventing the wheel. Joel Edgerton’s Nate Nash is quite bland and doesn’t really leave much of an impression, definitely being the weak point of the cast overall. The world building here is excellent, thanks in part to the strong direction of Francis Lawrence. The world itself feels real and gritty down to the last detail. However, in many ways, that grittiness is taken too far with the film trying too hard to be shocking in many of its scenes. An example of this is shown in the films torture scenes, that come across as gratuitous. Also being shown in the themes of sexual violence throughout. The action scenes are quite standard, with only one truly exceptional knife fight sequence that was outstandingly well choreographed. The romantic subplot between Nate and Dominika does feel forced, being quite clichéd. Lawrence’s character is well written and it is hard to tell a lot of the time who’s side she is on. Leading to a satisfying end twist that I believe is the best thing about this film. The highlight of the film is the training process to become a sparrow, with the Matron played by Charlotte Rampling stealing every scene she is in. This sequence is the saving grace of the film. Overall I would only recommend this to the most hardcore of action fans but even then, temper your expectations, it is a mostly dull ride throughout.

2/5
Reviewed by Luke

I,Tonya

I, Tonya tells the true story of Tonya Harding, in a faux documentary manner. This is a very entertaining biopic and has plenty of laughs throughout its runtime, but also has great emotional stakes. My most lavish praise has to go out to the costume design for this film. The costumes that Margot Robbie’s Harding wears are simply stunning. You can tell that a lot of thought has gone into the look and feel of the film because everything from the costumes to the hairstyles is so reminiscent of the early 90’s. This makes it very accurate and believable. This believability caries over into the storytelling, as the film tries to be as accurate to the events as possible. This is shown at the start of the film when they say they’re using multiple interviews to try and put together a timeline. Furthermore, the use of fourth wall breaking adds both a sense of intimacy, as well as helping to highlight certain facts. The performances are outstanding with Robbie, in particular, a standout. Robbie manages to convey what can only be described as the troubled life of Tonya Harding with such believability, that you lose yourself entirely in her performance. Robbie is the heart and soul of the film and is consistently likeable throughout. The film itself makes not rooting for Tonya damn near impossible, and this is due to Robbie’s performance showing you the person behind the media image. Also, Sebastian Stan’s performance as Jeff Gillooly is captivating and brilliant. The fits of anger that plague Jeff’s character, are so well acted by Stan that his presence on screen is both unpredictable and genuinely quite scary. The menacing delivery that Stan employs for some of his lines really does help to elevate Jeff’s threat level. Additionally, Allison Janney’s performance as LaVona Fay, (Harding’s mother), is outstandingly cold and malicious. With her character serving as a kind of antagonist throughout the film. Janney’s performance helps to raise LaVona from a simple two-dimensional abusive mother into something much more. As we see that LaVona thinks that what she is doing is right and actually helping her daughter, making her character in a way an interesting comment on parenting. The direction from Craig Gillespie is remarkable, with not a single scene or character wasted, and with the whole feature feeling like a cohesive whole rather than just a rush to later events. The score for this film may be my favourite so far this year, so accurately capturing small-town America at least in my opinion. The final thing I want to touch on is the choreography of the skating scenes, which is just fantastic, with the cinematography lending itself so beautifully, with each camera shot; having something to say.
An amazing film, and a baffling true story this is definitely worth a watch. A real powerhouse of a film, on every level.
4.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Black Panther

Black Panther is the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the last before Infinity War. This film is the gem in Marvel’s crown, being both the most unique and stylistically different. This fresh style helps to give the film a real sense of identity, although parts of it do follow the usual Marvel formula. The direction of this film is very strong, with Ryan Coogler, making this a very distinct film, that juggles a lot of different themes and is still a coherent thought-provoking film. The script is marvellous managing to deconstruct and flip some classic tropes on their heads. The humour is the usual Marvel fare, with only a few jokes really working for me. Honestly, humour plays a much smaller role in this film than it does in other MCU films, for the most part, the tone is quite serious. The characters are all spectacular, with Chadwick Boseman making a great Black Panther delivering both humour and emotion with ease, whilst also being very believable. The two standouts from the cast, at least for me personally, were Danai Gurira as Okoye and Letitia Wright as Shuri. Gurira was fantastic as Okoye because of the sheer physicality of her performance, all the action sequences featuring her were very impressive. Wright’s performance was great because right from the first scene she was my favourite, she stole the show for the most part and had some of the funniest lines in the entire film. The other performances were also pretty solid with Martin Freeman’s Everett Ross being very enjoyable. On the villain front, this film is quite unlike the other MCU films, both the villains in the film are outstanding, with Michael B Jordan’s Killmonger, being particularly compelling. His character motivations are all understandable and believable, adding a sense of moral ambiguity to the whole preseedings. Klaue played by Andy Serkis is another returning character from the MCU, having appeared in Age of Ultron. I loved every minute Klaue was on screen he chewed every piece of scenery in the way every great villain should. Where most MCU films have no great antagonists, this film thrives and has two. This film is not very connected to the larger MCU with the returning characters and references being the main connective tissue. However, I believe that it was a wise decision as it gives the film a much more personal feel. Furthermore, this allows this film to focus on its worlds and its characters, making them feel real. Despite all this praise, there are a few issues, mainly underused characters and plot holes. Daniel Kaluuya’s character of W’Kabi is an example of this. W’Kabi’s character does things in the later portion of the film that makes no sense as he flips emotions with no real reason. Making you question why he would do that. In short bad writing. Furthermore, the film does suffer from a little blot in its second act, with it running on for a little too long. All of these negatives are completely out weighted by all the positive, so whilst this may not be in the top 5 MCU films it’s definitely important and a very enjoyable film.
4/5
reviewed by Luke

Lady Bird

Lady Bird is a comedy-drama coming of age film, directed by Greta Gerwig. This film is a wonderful contrast, being both painfully earnest and honest in its depiction of growing up. Whilst also being heartfelt, charming and deeply funny. The screenplay which was also written by Gerwig, is incredibly strong, making the film effortlessly relatable. The humour of the film all lands very nicely and I was either laughing or smiling near constantly. The drama and emotion that runs through the film also feel very genuine and real. The majority of this drama comes from the relationship, between Lady Bird or Christine, (played by Saoirse Ronan), and her mother Marion, (Laurie Metcalf). It is a testament to both actresses that this very personal relationship feels completely real, the up and downs of the pair’s interactions carry much more emotional weight as a result of this. You can feel the love, but also the teenage resentment and the desperate need for understanding, and believe every minute of it. The film covers themes such as discovering your sexuality, it does this in a genuine and heartfelt way. Lucas Hedges’ character of Danny is Lady Bird first boyfriend, he is likeable and loveable and wonderfully played by Hedges. Later on, in the films second act after Lady Bird catches him kissing another boy in the toilet, there is an interaction between the two when Danny is scared and doesn’t know what to do, this is painfully real and heartbreaking in the most genuine way. My greatest praise for the film is just so accurately the film depicts adolescents. An example of this is when Lady Bird finally has sex and is let down because it wasn’t the special magical thing she had built it up to be in her head. This so accurately captures how it is for a lot of people. The film doesn’t just tackle teenage issues with Tracy Letts’s character of Larry, (Ladybird’s father), showing how life can be cruel and knock you down. What makes Lett’s performance so rounded is that he still has an underlying sense of positivity. This film doesn’t try to make the teenage years seem overly glamours, which a lot of other bildungsroman films do, but rather shows you the reality. The score is also amazing, with the short songs from the plays being really good and well done. The film does waste some of its characters with Jordan Rodrigues character of Miguel not having much to do. This film is a triumph of writing, with every scene accurately capturing the teenage condition. Despite a few underused characters, this is a well-acted film on the part of the two female leads. I can guarantee it will have you laughing, crying and maybe even thinking back to your own childhood.

4/5
Reviewed by Luke.

The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water is a dark fantasy romance film, by legendary film veteran Guillermo del Toro. To vastly simplify this is a very strange film but in the best way possible. The uniqueness and overall sense of originality set it apart not only from most other films; but from a lot of del Toro’s other works. The score for this film is excellent exquisitely capturing the 1960’s time period and creating the feeling that you are really in it. I found myself completely immersed in this film and that says a lot about the overall quality of the experience. The cinematography by Dan Laustsen is exceptional, with a lot of beautiful shots, in particular, a low angle shot during the gunfight scene later in the film. The film is built around the relationship between Sally Hawkin’s character of Elisa Esposito, and the man-fish God-like being, simply known as the Amphibian man. As silly as this central premise sounds, it truly is the heart and soul of the film and works surprisingly well. Even the sex scene between the two characters doesn’t come off as just being there for the shock value, but instead as tender and in a way even romantic. The director’s passion for monsters shines through every scene of the film, thus making the romance not only believable but also in a very strange way relatable. The script written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, is outstanding, with each character being fully flushed out and developed into a true whole. Unlike a lot of other films, no characters here feel wasted or underdeveloped. With a prime example of this being the mainly comedic support character of Zelda Delilah Fuller, played by Octavia Spencer, her character is developed and has an interesting backstory. The film like a lot of del Toro’s other works deals with a lot of heavy themes, in this particular case homophobia. Like a true master del Toro shows these themes through his character of Giles played by Richard Jenkins; who we see being the victim of homophobia. Though the scene is only brief, you still get a strong emotional response, and it helps to add context to the time period. Sally Hawkins performance is inspired despite being mute, (except for one fantastic musical number), her character is still wonderfully complex. Hawkins manages to convey nearly every emotion in this film in a sincere and believable way and her performance is a master class. Whats more del Toro features a subplot about the 1960’s space race, which manages to be both a wonderful capturing of the cold war rhetoric of the time, whilst also adding another level of depth to the narrative. Whilst lesser directors might let all these themes and subplots distract from the main narrative, del Toro weaves them together so that each subplot and theme, compliments the main story in a spectacular way. Also, Michael Shannon’s performance as Colonel Richard Strickland manages to be menacing and unpredictable, with his character most likely being a comment on the unhappiness of the idyllic suburban American dream. To conclude this film is a love letter to the weird and the strange, and celebrates everything about it, managing to create real emotions and stakes as well as being funny and charming. This is a must-see for everyone, especially fans of del Toro, I can’t recommend it enough. This is now my number one pick for best picture, it really does deserve to win.

5/5
Reviewed by Luke.