Proud Mary

Proud Mary is an action thriller starring Taraji P. Henson as the titular Mary. Focusing on a relationship between a mob hit woman, (Mary) and a child of one of her previous targets. Henson however, is woefully miscast: not selling any of the emotional delivery; with her performance being quite standard and at times bad. Jahi Di’allo Winston is similarly boring; even at times being downright annoying; with the relationship between his character Danny and Mary being so forced it is in no way believable. However, these bad performances are a result of a very poor script. Further shown through the fact that the characters feel like tired action movie cliches, rather than real people. Said cliches can be best represented by Mary and Danny’s relationship; the adoptive mother-son thing feels played out; with the reasoning behind it not making sense at all. This film has plot holes of all shapes and sizes; that range from the ridiculous to the so dumb it will make you groan; with it becoming frustratingly apparent that this film wastes a good premise. The supporting cast with Danny Glover and Neal McDonough are wasted entirely. It is a sad state of affairs to see an actor of Danny Glover’s status being in a film like this; he tries his best elevate the film failing at every turn. Glover’s character is woefully underused and underdeveloped. The rest of the supporting cast has it surprisingly worse, with actors like the previously mentioned McDonough being nothing more than glorified cameos; so that Mary could have a mildly famous face to shoot. The direction by Babak Najafi is a strong disservice to the film; as he never manages to raise it beyond a generic action film. The cinematography is also dull and lifeless, with it being perhaps the most forgettable cinematography of recent memory. The only shallow praise I can afford this film is that the score is a welcome treat in an otherwise uninspired film; with it being memorable after the credits roll. To put it bluntly, this film is the most generic action film so far this year with nothing elevating it beyond mediocrity; with performances so hollow and wooden that you would question if the actors were forced to do it. Don’t go and see it!
1/5
Reviewed by Luke

Unsane

Unsane is a psychological thriller film starring Claire Foy as a person who is wrongfully committed to a mental health institution; whilst there she is terrorised by her stalker. Unsane is one of the most menacing films I’ve seen it a while: due in no small part to the real-life nature of the threat. This is because this isn’t a ghost or a ghoul or something mythical, but rather something very human. The initial shock of Foy’s character, (Sawyer Valentini) being by all intensive purposes tricked into voluntary commitment is quite substantial on it own: however, it is the introduction of the stalker into the mix that really raises the threat level. Joshua Leonard’s performance as David, (the stalker) is outstanding: particularly as his obsession with Foy’s Sawyer reals so genuine and real. Unsane is a foray into mental illness at it’s most disturbing, as it easily manages to get under your skin. The script has you at times both rooting for Sawyer and, at times rooting against her: as you are never quite sure whether what is happening is real or in her head. It is this sense of ambiguity that really makes you reflect on the idea of mental illness. This film is directed by Steven Soderbergh; with each shot giving you a further insight into Sawyer’s state of mind. Soderbergh shot this film on an iPhone, which I truly believe is quite a novel thing as it shows a whole new frontier for filmmaking: demonstrating how you don’t need an expensive camera to make a stunning piece of art. Filming Unsane on an iPhone gives it a raw feeling, which truly adds to the believability; making it strike a lot closer to home. The film itself has quite a Hitchcockian tone to it: which on more than one occasion caught my attention. The performances are all very well used with each actor squeezing every bit of life from the script that they can. Juno Temple’s performance as Violet; one of the other patients at the facility along with Sawyer is exquisite as she completely loses her self in the role. At points this film made me quite uncomfortable as it really got under my skin, this is truly the best praise I can give it. Unsane is not like a lot of modern horror/thriller film out there being reliant on quick scares and twists: being instead far more into building atmosphere and tension to a satisfying climax. This is a superb thriller and will really give you something to think about; definitely not for the faint of heart.
4.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Mom and Dad

Mom and Dad is a horror film focusing on a television signal that turns the parents into murderous monsters. The film is a study about growing old and accepting change. However, this character study is conducted with the nuance of an atom bomb. This lack of nuance isn’t a detriment because this film is wonderfully tongue in cheek throughout, it revels in the sheer insanity of the plot. The plot is ridiculous from the get-go with a scene in the first act about a group of parents climbing over the walls of a school to kill their children. The slow-motion editing that follows this scene is very well used, really adding to the graphic nature of the scene. Continuing on, the film is paced very well with every second of screen time being used to full effect. The characters are quite two dimensional overall with only a few scenes and flashbacks serving to develop them outside the craziness. Nicolas Cage is in top form as Brent, with each manic action his character performs being elevated by the insanity in his eyes. This film features a performance by Cage at his most manic, and if that is what you’re into then this film has you covered. Selma Blair is similarly fantastic with her matching Cage’s insanity in every scene. Blair’s character of Kendall probably has some of the best emotional beats of the film, showing what it’s like for a mother having to let their child go. In this way I found myself feeling quite sorry for her for the first act of the film. However, the main issues of the film come from the performances of the children. To preface my complaint let me first say that the children are the protagonists and the parents are the antagonists, as such, I shouldn’t have been rooting for the parents. In that lies the problem the children just aren’t likeable. Annie Winter’s character of Carly is incredibly annoying throughout the first 30 minutes of the film and, is seemingly written as all the worst stereotypes about teenage girls rolled into one. Furthermore, Zachary Arthur’s character of Josh is just dull never really adding much to proceedings and feels like he’s just there for the sake of it. I don’t think that these are the faults of the actors but, rather the faults of the script. The script is good in a lot of ways which helps to boost the crazy on-screen visuals, but at the end of the day, it’s more spectacle than anything else.
Overall, I would highly recommend even if some of the performances are bad.
3.5/5
reviewed by Luke.

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