West Is West: Cultural Identity

West Is West is a British comedy drama film directed by Andy DeEmmoney. The plot follows up on the events of East Is East several years later with Sajid (Aqib Khan), now fully grown and in a full-on rebellion against his and his father’s culture. So in an effort to straighten out his final son George (Om Puri), takes Sajid to Pakistan with him, to try and get his son to embrace the culture and become what he wants him to be.

So, normally I am adamantly opposed to belated sequels I find them to be needless and serve no purpose beyond exploiting a vaguely known IP for some quick cash. That, I am happy to report is not the case here. This film feels like a genuine follow up to the first film that furthers the characters and the arcs set up, allowing us to see these characters more clearly.

I found this film to be quite touching at times. I liked that it explored George’s two identities, showing how both can’t exist and that he is basically a man of two lives or two worlds. I thought George having to confront the family that he has left for thirty years made for a genuinely brilliant emotional scene that worked on multiple levels. Puri of course shines in the role.

I think this film does really interesting things with the idea of cultural identity. Suggesting that it might not be a fixed concept, more so an adaptable ideal.

Overall, a very worthy follow up that carries the first one on nicely

Pros.

The focus on George

Showing George’s first wife and the emotion of their scenes together

A legacy sequel that justifies it existence

A beautiful concept and message

Cons.

A large amount of George’s family from the first film do not return for this.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

A United Kingdom: One Of Africa’s Greatest Romance’s

A United Kingdom is a British biographical romance drama film directed by Amma Asante. The plot follows the real-life story of Sir Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo), and Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike) Khama, a king to be who defied the world and married a common English women. Their love was met with hate and strife at damn near every turn, but they kept fighting.

I think this film is a triumph, it was sweet, compelling, and also infuriating and a bit sickening at times. Film’s like this highlight how far as a society we have come, but also how much further we have to go.

I found the romance between Oyelowo and Pike to be entirely believable, they had a strong chemistry that carried throughout the film. Both actors gave incredibly good performance with Oyelowo’s maybe taking the cake. The part when he is speaking to his people and trying to convince them why he has brought an English woman to be there Queen and he has tears rolling down his face is nothing short of powerful.

My one complaint of the film would be that it has pacing issues, as is often the case with biographical film, I understand that it has a lot of history to tell as it doesn’t want to leave anything out, but it feels a lot longer than 111 minutes.

Overall, a strong film that you need to watch. The love on display is compelling and proves that if we are ever to overcome hate we must all embrace the love we have for each other.

Pros.

Believable chemistry

David Oyelowo

Rosamund Pike

Powerful and effecting

Cons.

It feels much longer than it actually is

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Blue Iguana: Sam Rockwell and Ben Schwartz Are The Pairing You Never Knew You Needed

Blue Iguana is a crime comedy film directed by Hadi Hajaig. The plot sees two American bank robbers get drawn into a plot to steal from a UK gang lord and his underlings.

This film is held together by the sheer star power and likeability of Sam Rockwell, without his involvement this would surely have faded into the background becoming yet another forgettable crime film. The on-screen chemistry Rockwell has with his heisting partner Paul (Ben Schwartz), is magnetic and keeps you invested throughout, the two play off each other nicely.

The film itself is not as clever as it thinks it is, or even as smart as a lot of better crime/ heist films. Everything is fairly predictable and there are no real twists and turns. That said there are a few memorable moments mostly steaming from the films antagonist Deacon (Peter Ferdinando), who is definitely an asset of the film.

This is definitely more of a comedy film than a crime film, as the drama often takes backstage to the jokes. For me this is a problem as often the jokes don’t land and only serve to take away from any sense of tension. Whenever, the characters feel in danger you know they will be fine, because it is that sort of the film; one that has no stakes.

There are some neat visuals towards the start of the film that feel very Edgar Wright inspired, it is a promising start, but said visuals disappear midway into the film leaving a void and disrupting the style of the film.

Overall, a visually interesting if lacking comedy crime film. Boosted by the talents of Rockwell and Ferdinando

Pros

Rockwell

Swartz

Ferdinando

Cons.

No stakes or tension

The jokes didn’t work at all

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

Postman Pat The Movie: Do The Kids Love Simon Cowell?

Postman Pat The Movie is an animated family film directed by Mike Disa. The plot sees everyone’s favourite postman enter a singing competition to win his wife a trip to Italy.

So, I haven’t watched the show since I was about 3 years old, but the other night I was looking through Prime and I found this; the nostalgia hooked me I sat and watched the whole hour and a half.

First off, the animation is hellish. I can’t decide whether it looks to real or too cartoony, but it looks cheap whichever verdict is reached. I don’t remember the show looking like this when I watched it.

The performances are solid enough, the cast is a whose who of British actors and familiar voices. Stephen Mangan does a good job as Pat; he has the right amount of wholesomeness for the family demographic whilst also having a few good jokes for the adults watching.

This is the second kids film this year that I have watched that has a Simon Cowell type character, this one couldn’t seem to get him so Robin Atkin Downes plays the part of Simon Cowbell, but it is basically the same character. Did I miss the memo? Do kids really like Simon Cowell or something I don’t get it. It is an alarming trend, please let me know if you know.

Overall, a very passable watch, very much a one and done sort of film.

Pros.

Mangan

Familiar voices

A few jokes for the adults

Cons.

The animation is awful

Do kids really like Simon Cowell?

It is very average

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

I Give It A Year: Don’t Give This 5 Minutes

I Give It A Year is a British rom com directed by Dan Mazer. The plot sees a couple’s relationship become tested as their family and friends debate whether they can last.

Strap in this is another one I strongly disliked.

So call me old fashioned, but being in a couple isn’t the worst thing in the world? Maybe I am alone in this, if this film is to be believed I am. This film is constantly telling you how bad being in a relationship is, every minute, characters are often encouraging the leads to cheat and worse. Yeah it’s a real bad message all round.

This film is one of the most cynical pieces of trash I have ever watched. It seems to revel in ripping down each of its character joy and likes to punish its leads for even being in a relationship. It does this all through the medium of really poor jokes that are of highly questionable taste, I was under the belief that jokes are supposed to be funny. Clearly this film never got the memo.

All of the characters are the worst kind of people and are gratingly unlikable. The distinct lack of any kind of charm really makes this a hard watch, there were multiple times when I wanted to turn this off.

Overall, this film reads as someone who is bitter and resentful towards relationships so has created a film designed to mock them with such blinding cynicism that it is hard to watch. This one should be avoided at all costs.

Pros.

None

Cons.

The characters are awful

It mocks people for being in a relationship

The cynicism is unbearable

It is not funny

You want to turn it off after the first ten minutes

0/5

Reviewed by Luke

Swimming With Men: A Real Poo In The Pool

Swimming With Men is a British comedy film directed by Oliver Parker. The plot sees Eric, a man unhappy with his life looking for an escape from it all; that escape synchronised swimming. He joins a club and they compete for an international title, learning what is important along the way.

This film is an unfunny comedy film, that is all I need to say. It failed to make me laugh once across the whole runtime, there were moments that made me smile, but it wasn’t funny.

As far as ‘heartfelt comedies’ go (that is what I am calling things like Finding Your Feet and Fisherman’s Friends), this film is not deep. The others try and tell you something about life, usually a lesson, to varying degrees of success; this one has no such message. Basically the message of the film is don’t be a dick to your wife, because then she’ll chuck you out and you will be sad.

Rob Brydon’s character is a dick throughout most of the film and he is very hard to root for or empathise with, even by the end of the film when he has supposedly changed his mindset because of his emotional journey, brought about by swimming, he is still only marginally better. What I believe dooms this film is the writing; it is poorly written. It tries and fails to pull on our heart strings and really just wastes your time.

Overall, this is on the bad side of meh, if you have a soft spot for these sorts of comedies you might like it, but don’t hold your breath.

Pros.

Its watchable

It isn’t too long

Cons.

The lead is hateable

The emotional journey doesn’t work

It fails to make you feel something.

It is aggressively average.

1/5

Reviewed by Luke

Slumdog Millionaire: Love Finds A Way

Slumdog Millionaire is a drama romance film directed by Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan, it is based on the book Q & A. The plot follows Jamal (Dev Patel) and his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal), throughout their lives. Starting off with them as young orphans on the streets and showing them grow into men.

This film is a gut-punch. A lot of sad thing happen across its runtime that might be a lot for some people, the scene when the kid gets his eyes scooped out is particularly hard to watch, but it makes sense as it is reflective of life. The struggles we see our characters go through only makes us the audience root for them more, which is rewarded in the third act when Jamal wins twenty million rupees.

The central romance between Jamal and Latika (Freida Pinto), is one for the ages. We almost see them get together so many times, but it always seems as though a romance for the two is just out of reach. Jamal, however, never gives up as he keeps trying and trying until eventually a world exists where they can be together; if that doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, I don’t know what will.

Overall, this is a triumph for Danny Boyle in so many ways he manages to create a film that makes you feel a wide array of emotions very deeply all while being completely engaged by a tight, well written story. Also we get a lovely dance number at the end. What more could you ask for!

Pros.

The love story.

The performances from the main three actors.

It is tight and compelling.

You care about the characters.

The dance scene at the end.

Cons.

None.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Made In Dagenham: Fight For What’s Right!

Made In Dagenham is a British biopic drama film directed by Nigel Cole. It tells the real-life story of the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham Car Plant and the fight for equal pay.

I think this film is riveting, I can’t say how close it keeps to reality, but I would assume quite close as the real people were involved. Watching it I learnt about events that I had no idea about, I feel like this part of British history doesn’t get much attention when it comes to films, so I am glad this got made. I think this film raises a lot of key questions about our society and the petty arbitrary divisions within it; with the takeaway being if you want change you need to fight for it.

I think from a characterization position the only character that is done well is Rita (Sally Hawkins), not only do we root for her to win, we get to see through her eyes just how unfair and plain wrong the world was, and to some extent still is. However, the other characters aren’t so rounded and that would be my major criticism of the film. Rosamund Pike’s character Lisa only really exists to give Rita a pep talk when things seem their darkest, outside of that she is not developed at all; she might not a played a vital role in the real events so that might be why she has so little development, but then why include her at all? The same can be said for a number of other characters as well.

Overall, I think the lack of character development doesn’t hold this film back as the main character feels rounded and it is through her eyes that we see this world. I think this is a must watch as it highlights parts of history we might be unaware of and exposes issues that we need to face. I think Hawkins is at her best here and I really recommend you check this one out!

Pros.

Highlight maybe forgotten history.

Hawkins.

Gripping to watch.

You care about the struggle.

Cons.

A lot of the characters other than Rita exist souly to push the story along.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Look Of Love: Coogan Takes On The King Of Soho Sleaze

The Look Of Love is a British biopic about the life of pornography/ real estate mogul Paul Raymond (Steve Coogan), directed by Michael Winterbottom. The film charts his life, the highs and the lows, the trials and tribulations. It is a cautionary tale.

This film is a testament to having it all, but also being fundamentally empty. Raymond might be rich, but he isn’t happy, he is never happy. I think this film plays out almost like a tragedy because it shows us how this incredibly wealthy man is just trying to make himself feel something and he just can’t. I think this biopic could easily have just been showy and it is to an extent, I will get back to that, but more so it dives deep it analyse the mind of this man, that is what it sets out to do.

When I say this film is showy it is a critique. This film can be gratuitous at points, I understand the nature of Raymond’s work, but the nudity is constant and not really done in a tasteful way. It almost feels a bit creepy and voyeuristic at points, almost as though it is fantasy fulfilment. I understand that it was probably done to show how the character has everything, however, I thought it could have been done better.

Coogan is on top form here. He is trying to play the character in far more of a dramatic way than he normally does, there are a few comedic moments, but Coogan mostly plays the character straight and it works. Crucially the centrepiece of this film is Raymond’s relationship with his daughter (played by Imogen Poots), and I am glad to say that is strong. Both nails the drama and craft characters we end up caring about; even though they’re terrible people.

Overall, this is more thoughtful drama than comedy it is helped by great performances from Coogan and Poots but let down by over the top nudity.

Pros

Steve Coogan.

Nails the drama.

It makes you care about the characters.

The relationship between father and daughter.

Cons.

The nudity is too much.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Greed: A Rare Misstep

Greed is a comedy drama film directed by Michael Winterbottom. The plot details the rise to power of self-made billionaire Sir Richard McCreadie (Steve Coogan). Part of the film highlights the set-up for his 60^th birthday bash, which is the main event of the film, with flashbacks showing moments from his life to paint a picture about the sort of person he is.

I was very excited to watch this film; I have been looking forward to it for a while. The cast is a who’s who of British comedic talent, aside from Coogan you have David Mitchell (Peep Show), Asa Butterfield (Sex Education), and Sarah Solemani (Him and Her); a stacked cast. With all this the stage was set for a great British comedy, however it was not followed up; it all feel apart.

The cast apart from Coogan is wasted, not a single one of them has anything interesting or meaningful to do other than tell the story. A lot of them are comedic actors/ comedians and they weren’t even funny. What makes this worse is that Coogan himself isn’t that good either, now normally I think the sun shines out of the man, but this is for sure a misstep. His character has no warmth, no personality, nothing. What he is, is a stand in for any number of big business CEO’s that this film goes out of its way to target.

That dear reader is the cardinal sin of this film, it preaches to you rather than entertains you. This whole film is an hour and a half on the evils of capitalism, I am not going to get into the topic too much, believe me I have no love for these cold corporate CEO’s, but I also don’t want to watch a film that reads as a list of base level talking points about how we all need to be better and stop people like this. This film feels whiney, all the way through, that is the best way I can describe it.

Overall, if you want a lecture on the evils of capitalism you might like it, if you want anything else like a fun film maybe look elsewhere.

Pros.

Coogan is doing his best.

The ridiculous ending.

Cons.

The preaching.

The lack of any kind of subtly.

Wasting talented comedians.

2/5

Reviewed by Luke