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

The Trial Of The Chicago 7: Down With The System

The Trail Of The Chicago 7 is a historical courtroom drama directed by Aaron Sorkin. The plot recounts the real-life story of the Chicago 7, a group of people who lead a protest at the Democratic National Convention in 1968, who were then falsely accused of plotting to start a riot. The film depicts the highly suspect trail.

This film is effecting, I will say that up front. It is very hard to watch this film and not feel something, whether it is horror at the issues shown, sympathy at the plight of the defendants who were guilty of nothing more than wanting a better world, or sheer hated and frustration towards the clearly bias judge; you will leave the film having been emotionally impacted.

The dialogue is short and punchy, I would expect nothing less from Sorkin. It leads to many terrific exchanges; I believe of all the cast that Sasha Baron Cohen lends himself best to Sorkin’s particular style and really shines here. Michael Keaton also gives a fantastic performance later in the film though he is more of an expanded cameo role, so he doesn’t have as much time with the audience as some of the other cast.

The film is beautifully paced, a real master class. You are gripped for the whole runtime; you become absorbed in the trail and can’t tear yourself away. The time really files by.

Overall, a moving, frustrating protest ballad that is guaranteed to make you feel something.

Pros.

Sorkin’s trademark punchy dialogue

Great pacing and structure

Sasha Baron Cohen

Michael Keaton

Cons.

Eddie Redmayne is miscast and is not very good

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Eastern Promise: Viggo In The Russian Mob

Eastern Promise is a gangster film directed by David Cronenberg. The plot tells the story of an abandoned baby from a 14-year-old drug addict. Anna (Naomi Watts), delves into the Russian underworld to try and trace the roots of this now dead junkie, so that her baby can have a chance at a future.

I loved the world of the Russian mob that this film dives into, it is so deep and layered, there is so much to it and all is explored in great detail. Furthermore, this film teaches us the audience a great deal that we might not know in this regard, such as the importance of tattoos within the mob.

Watts is fine, serviceable but not much more, however the real star here is Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen). Mortensen gives a very strong performance that feels nuanced and well delivered, he is so much more than the thug character type he has so much more personality than that. The twist with his character, that I won’t spoil here, is quite obvious but it still works well.

The ending of the film does set it up for a sequel, which I think could be great if it continues to dive further into this world; however according to Cronenberg himself it is dead.

Overall, a bit more thinky than most Gangster films, the plot and the themes are just as important as the violence.

Pros.

A deep world

An intriguing story

Viggo Mortensen

The twist works

Cons.

Naomi Watts is very eh

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Hail Caesar: In Hollywood Commies Lurk Around Every Corner

Hail Caesar! Is a comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The plot follows a fixer in the Golden Age of Hollywood as he fights to keep everything running smoothly at a movie studio, this involves finding the star of the studio’s big sand and sandals epic who has gone missing.

This might be one of Josh Brolin’s finest performances to date. Brolin play’s the fixer, as you might have guessed, and he plays the part with such gusto and relish that you can’t help but be transfixed by him for the entirety of the movie. I believe no other actor could have done as much with the part as Brolin.

Obviously this film is a love letter, and some what of a scolding critique on the Golden Age of Hollywood as well as it’s contemporary incarnation. While that can sometimes feel a bit smug and cliquey, I believe the love here, and I love the version of the Golden Age this film portrays. I easily got lost in the world and would like to see more content set therein.

The supporting cast all have their moments to shine which I enjoyed, even though most are only relegated to glorified cameos they still leave a mark, which I find impressive. Channing Tatum is especially good in this regard and his musical number might be one of the best I have ever seen.

Overall, a fun ride for those who love the Golden Age with enough interesting goings on to entertain those who might not be so enamoured.

Pros.

Josh Brolin

Channing Tatum

The world

The cameos

Cons.

If you aren’t hugely into the time period or film history you might not like it

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Everybody Wants Some: The Life And Times Of 30 Year Old College Freshmen

Everybody Wants Some is a teen comedy film directed by Richard Linklater. The plot follows a group of fresh and returning college baseball players on their first days of the new college year.

This feels very similar to Dazed and Confused which makes sense as this is a spiritual sequel of sorts, and while that film was great this one does just feel like more of the same, which is or isn’t a bad thing depending on your viewpoint. Personally, I was looking to see some growth and evolution that this film didn’t end up providing me with.

On an acting front, the film is a mixed bag. Lead character Jake (Blake Jenner), feels like a wet blanket, he doesn’t have much personality and what he does have he has through osmosis with the other characters, who are much better developed and are much more interesting.

For proof of my point look at Wyatt Russel’s Willoughby, we see him go from a stoner to a fraud over the course of the film, it is a sudden change admittedly, but it results in his character having an arc. Whereas Jake starts and ends on pretty much the same note.

I did enjoy the romance between Jake and Beverly (Zoey Deutch), I thought that was touching and sweet, however I again would have liked to see more of it, and or it developed further.

A pro I will give this film, is it is a star making turn for Glen Powell he is terrific as Finn and basically steals the entire film.

Overall, it is more of the same which personally I find underwhelming. However, it does showcase some great upcoming talent, so worth a watch on that basis.

Pros.

Glen Powell

The romance

The jokes were funny, if a little repetitive

Cons.

There is nothing new here

It lacked depth and a lot of the characters were deeply underdeveloped.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

High Rise: Anarchy In The Flat Block

High Rise is a British Dystopian film directed by Ben Wheatley. The plot follows the goings on in a high-rise tower block that has become dived along class lines. We see Laing (Tom Hiddleston), try to adjust to life here and he becomes wrapped up in the class conflict.

So yes, the political and social commentary are very on the nose, there is no subtly here. Though usually I find this to be a sign of poor writing I go the other way here, as I believe it was Wheatly’s intent all along to be very blunt and in the audiences face with the film’s themes and messages. Furthermore, I find the points drawn therein to be well thought out and have surprising depth.

I enjoyed the absurdist nature, that is very present in the beginning, that quickly turns to a more threatening and violent edge. I find this film, much like a lot of Wheatley’s other work, straddles the black comedy line so well. At first these ideas might seem funny, but you quickly become aware of the bite behind them.

I think Hiddleston does well in the lead, he is a very serviceable stand in for the audience. That said he is blown out of the water by Luke Evans. Evan’s Wilder goes through an entire mental break over the course of the film and becomes a man possessed by the end in what can only be called a tour de force performance.

Elizabeth Moss is also in this film and she pulls off a pretty convincing accent, so props there to.

Pros.

The in your face messages

The black comedy/ dystopian mixture

Luke Evans

Elizabeth Moss

Cons.

It might be too absurdist at times, it can be confusing

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Way Back: Ben Affleck’s Painful Return

The Way Back is an American sports film directed by Gavin O’Connor. The plot follows Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck), a basketball player who turned to drink after his child died, now he is resigned to drink himself to death. That is until one day his old high school ask him to coach their basketball team, after their old coach unexpectedly retires, this gives him a reason to carry on.

This is a very generic film, there have been, are and will be so many other sports dramas that follow this same plot outline. A has been who has personal problems, coming back from obscurity to help the next generation. The plot did nothing for me as I already knew where it was going.

However, though the plot is generic Ben Affleck saves this film and elevates it far beyond what it would be otherwise. Ben Affleck’s performance here might be one of the best of the year, he plays the broken man who has given up so well; it is frightening how convincing he is. Obviously, he is drawing on his heavily publicised substance abuse battles, for this role and you can tell that, and it really adds to the performance.

Overall, the film really isn’t anything special, you have seen it countless times before, but you haven’t seen Affleck this raw and vulnerable and it is worth a watch for that alone. Affleck really does save this film.

Pros.

Ben Affleck and his raw performance

The feel-good story

How well Ben Affleck sells the character and his journey

Cons.

The plot is very generic

You know exactly what is going to happen

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

Kajillonaire: Icky And Problematic

Kajillionaire is a drama film directed by Miranda July. The plot centres around a dysfunctional family of three that defy the rules of modern society and live outside of the system. However, one day an outsider comes into the family’s orbit and old festering wounds are opened and abuse is brought to light.

So, before I get into this review I want to talk about the central romance that I found to be deeply troublesome. So the central character Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood), has been neglected by her parents and ignored and is basically learning challenged and seems to have the mental age of a much younger person, and as the film goes on we see that she is craving maternal affection. This maternal affection comes in the form of Melanie (Gina Rodriguez), the outsider that takes Old Dolio away from her abusive parents. At first the friendship they have is sweet, but it is clear from early on that Melanie has sexual feeling towards Old Dolio, which later come to the forefront. Now my issue with this is that it feels very much like Melanie is taking advantage of Old Dolio, who is in a deeply troubled mental state, the romance feels icky and problematic. The choice to make it a romance rather than a friendship is my key issue here. Also the film makes Old Dolio an incredibly stereotypical butch lesbian, which again is also troublesome, it doesn’t bother to have any real nuance at all.

That aside, there were parts of the film that I enjoyed. I thought that Wood did a lot to make her character feel very rounded and warm. Her performance was both endearing and also heart-breaking at the same time.

I also enjoyed the film’s exploration of abuse and the many forms it can take. As it looked at how parents can sometimes be incredibly toxic and harmful towards their kids. I thought the parent child dynamic in this film is fascinating and well done, it raises many interesting questions that I was left thinking about after the credits rolled.

Overall, I could give this film a much higher score if it wasn’t for the hugely problematic romance that didn’t need to be the in the film, a very poor choice.

Pros.

Wood

The exploration of the parent child dynamic

Cons

The romance

The use of stereotypes without any nuance

The odd sense of humour really doesn’t fit with everything else

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

IRL: Modern Dating, Pandemic Adjacent

IRL is a romantic drama film directed by Ricardo Perez-Selsky. The plot serves as an observation on our modern online dating culture. Telling the story of one long distance couple who meet online and their struggle to stay together despite not having met.

Frankly, it is refreshing to see a romantic drama/ comedy film tell it like it is, with no fluff, no ignoring the hard parts, and crucially no over idealisation. This film feels real, and though that is an overused turn of phrase it is nevertheless true here. Most people will be able to find at least one moment that they will be able to relate to.

I applaud this film for not being afraid to get dark when it needs to. It shows how you never really know what is going to happen in life, the best laid plans often come awry. It adds to the realism which is crucial to this film.

The acting is strong and the romance between the two leads is likewise despite mainly happening over the phone. You want the two to be together desperately. However, my one critique of the film would be when Ian (Chase Hinton), very nearly (or does depending on your definition) cheats on his so far online girlfriend when he goes back home to visit his parents. Yes, I understand why structurally from a character point of view why he does this, but it then causes him as a character to become far less likeable and rootable; which maybe is the point?

Overall, this film will punch you in the face with real earned genuine emotional impact and you will thank it for it.

Pros.

The acting, especially Hinton

The romance

The real take on love and relationships

Relatability

Cons.

The cheating scene derails Ian as a character somewhat
4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Personal History Of David Copperfield: A Modern Take On A Classic Tale

The Personal History Of David Copperfield is a comedy drama film directed by Armando Iannucci, based on the novel David Copperfield written by Charles Dickens. The plot follows the life of David Copperfield (Dev Patel), we see his struggles, his triumphs and the events that define him.

I enjoyed the clearly satirised tone of this film; it doesn’t take itself too seriously which is nice as it allows the film to not get too bogged down. It walks a difficult tightrope as it tries to stay true to the source novel while also reinventing it, that sounds like a very difficult task, but this film does manage it.

I also enjoyed the quirky cast of characters on display here, they each feel so vibrant in their own personality which I liked. I thought all actors involved gave strong performances, from the veterans to the relative newcomers, even though most did not get a lot of screen time they still manage to remain memorable.

My issues with this film come from the dryness of it. I didn’t find the films sense of humour funny; it has a very specific sense of humour that will not be to the taste of a lot. Also the film does have quite a bit of drag that is quite noticeable in the second and third acts that really weigh the film down to the point of you losing any kind of interest.

Overall, a quirky daring film that quickly wears out its welcome

Pros.

The quirkiness

Strong Performances

Keeping true to the novel whilst also innovating on it

Cons.

The humour didn’t work for me

Pacing issues galore

Dev Patel left me cold

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke