The Lost City Of Z: Madness Under The Sun

The Lost City Of Z is a historical biopic directed by James Gray based on the book of the same name by David Grann. The plot follows the life of legendary British explorer Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), as he searches for what he calls ‘Z’, a lost civilisation located somewhere in the Amazon.

I had high expectations going into this, I have read the book and I enjoyed it. This film very much captures the spirit of the book whilst also changing key parts. An example of such a change is the ending, in the book Grann concludes that Fawcett and his son Jack (Tom Holland in the film), were killed by native tribes. Whereas the film ends on a happier note and suggests that they might still be alive living amongst the natives.

For the most part I enjoyed this film, I think it told the story of Fawcett’s life and disappearance well. I thought Hunnam was a solid leading man, he convincingly pulled off the soldier turned explorer look and never broke my belief. He was however upstaged in the acting department by Robert Pattinson who played Fawcett’s faithful right-hand man Henry Costin. Pattinson clearly lost himself in the role and was borderline unrecognisable, another great performance by the young actor.

My main issue with the film was how long it was, at almost two and a half hours this film feels like a slog. It frequently lost my interest and felt incredibly self-indulgent.

Overall, a solid adaptation that has a very issue.

Pros.

A faithful recreation

The performances

The twist on the ending

Cons.

It is too long

It is badly paced and therefore boring

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Maleficent, Mistress Of Evil: Hang Up The Horns

Maleficent 2 is a family fantasy film directed by Joachim Ronning. The plot follows an evil ruler go to war, wanting to wipe out supernatural creatures using a misunderstanding as justification to do so. Wait a minute, I am getting déjà vu, isn’t that basically the same premise as the first film?

If there was ever a needless sequel this is it. The plot rethreads most of the same beats of the first film, very little of substance is established and overall it feels hollow and made for the money. That would be my two-sentence description of this film.

The main issue with this film is its tone. The first half and hour and the last fifteen minutes of this film seem to think it is a light breezy affair where nothing it taken too seriously, however the rest of the film seems to be direly serious and bleak; did someone not get the memo? This tonal mismatch makes the film feel very jarring and hard to watch.

A lot of the new elements introduced to this film leave you feeling meh. This film introduces a lot of things to this world and this story and a lot of these things you’re supposed to care about, but the film in no way makes you care about them and makes most of them appear flat and boring which is a bafflingly stupid decision.

Jolie is okay here, she is a lot better than in the previous film and actually has some funny lines, sadly however she is kept away from the action for the most part and underused in her own film. Michelle Pfeiffer gets a lot of screen time as the new evil queen, but she is so one note and cartoonishly evil that her character sticks out for all the wrong reasons; clearly the writers don’t understand subtly or nuance.

Overall, this is generic, it adds nothing to the first film and might even undone some of the good things about the first film. Hopefully Disney doesn’t curse us with a third film.

Pros.

Jolie is better

Cons

The one note villain

The weird tone

Nothing new of substance added

Doesn’t justify its own existence.

1/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Gentlemen: Ritchie Is Back

The Gentlemen is a crime film directed by Guy Ritchie. The plot details the British criminal underworld and one man’s fight to stay on top of it against rising factions.

I enjoyed Ritchie’s foray into blockbusters, they were enjoyable enough, but I am glad that he has returned to his roots in the crime genre. No one and I mean no one makes a stylised crime drama film like Guy Ritchie and this film proves that.

My one issue with the film is the way it is structured, there is a lot of jumping around in the timeline and a lot of the film is set to a conversation between gangster Ray (Charlie Hunnam) and tabloid creep Fletcher (Hugh Grant). Now all this jumping around does have a great pay off at the end that brings everything together nicely, the time jumping is not my issue. What I think the problem is, is that the interacts between Ray and Fletcher get boring after a point and feel repetitive, they weigh the film down.

Fletcher is by all means the worst character in the film, incredibly one note and annoying and Grant is given the least to work with of all the cast.

However, this is offset by the fact that most of the other characters are great and leap off the screen at you. Hunnam is magnificent and has a few very memorable scenes, but the two that really steal the show here are Matthew McConaughey as the man who has it all Michael and Colin Farrell as Coach. Farrell’s performance is easily the highlight of the film and he is the most interesting and intriguing character by far; his fight scene in the kabab shop is also fantastic.

Overall, this is a return to form for Ritchie in a big way. The pay off makes the film and solid performances from most of the cast back it up. A must watch for genre fans!

Pros

Farrell, Hunnam, McConaughey

The style of it

The pay off

The kebab shop scene

Cons.

It doesn’t make the most of all of its characters as Grant and Golding’s characters are cut short.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The High Note: That Is Inaccurate

High Note is a music romance film directed by Nisha Ganatra. The plot follows Maggie (Dakota Johnson), a personal assistant to a former worldwide star who dreams of more. Then one day she meets David (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), a young talented musician who might be her big break. A romance follows.

To me this is A Star Is Born but without the chemistry. We have seen this before, similar films that show a romance blossoming to the backdrop of the music industry and I don’t know why, but I expected more from this film, the first half an hour told me to expect it, but it just feel apart.

The only two good things about this film, that I almost turned off three times, are Johnson and a rare great performance from Ice Cube. Johnson and Ice Cube are both trying to make something out of what they have been given, but they can’t change the fact that what they have is cliché tripe that is so laughably predicatable you can turn it off after 15 minutes and know the ending.

It gets worse, this is one of the most melodramatic, overly mushy films I have ever seen. The filmmaker and writer seem quite set on making every little thing into a huge dramatic event, in such a way that it would put the finest soap opera to shame.

Overall, this is contrived and overly familiar with no charm or chemistry to make it worthwhile. Much like Johnson’s 50 Shades films there is no chemistry here and the romance and plot fall apart.

Pros.

Johnson

Ice Cube

Cons.

It is too mushy

It is too melodramatic

The leads have no chemistry

It feels like a retread of about 100 different rom-coms

1/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Peanut Butter Falcon: The Next Champion Of The World

The Peanut Butter Falcon is an adventure film directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz. The plot follows Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young boy with down syndrome who dreams of becoming a professional wrestler just like his hero. However, in order to do that he needs to escape from the old people’s home that he has been forced into and venture into the great unknown on a voyage of self-discovery.

This is one of the most touching films I have ever seen, I kid you not there were a good few time when I had a tear in my eye. This one will hit you right in the feels. I think part of what makes this film so easy to connect to is its characters. They’re unlikely heroes, in a more simplified sense underdog.

I think Gottsagen was great throughout, he was easily the most loveable character and you will want to see him become a wrestler so much. I also thought this fatherly connection with Shia LaBeoufs’ character of Tyler was also incredibly well done. The two make a great pair and are incredibly endearing together. This was the film that made me stand up and take notice of LaBeouf as a serious actor.

Overall, I think this is a very lovely film and is the sort of film we need right now when times seem so dark. It will have you smiling and cheering throughout. A must watch for sure.

Pros.

Gottsagen

LaBeouf

Johnson

The relationships between the 3

A small appearance by Yelawolf

Cons

None

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The King Of Staten Island: Oscar material?

The King Of Staten Island is a semi-biographical comedy film directed by Judd Apatow. The plot follows the life of Scott (Pete Davidson), a slacker whose life is thrown into upheaval when his mum Margie (Marisa Tomei), becomes involved with a new man Ray (Bill Burr). The twenty something year old must finally get his life together and find some sort of closure for this father’s death.

Now before I watched this film, I had no real idea who Pete Davidson was, I don’t watch SNL. I had heard good things about the film overall, so I decided to check it out and I was quite impressed. I left the film really liking Davidson and excited to see what he does next.

I think Davidson’s Scott is one of the easiest to root for characters from throughout cinema history, he is just so likeable, and you really emotionally connect with him as a character. Scott’s relationships with those around him are all really heart-warming, but his relationship with his stepfather Ray is the one that hits the hardest.

I wouldn’t call this film a comedy, I would call it a drama with comedic elements. It never made me laugh, but it did make me feel. As a comedy it is a failure, but as a drama film it is transcendent and could have a good shot at the Oscars next year. I think this film also shows that Judd Apatow still has some life in him, and this is a big comeback for him, as his last few films weren’t very good.

Overall, one of the best films I have seen in a long time, the way it connects with you and makes you feel for the characters is unrivalled, however, it is also not funny so it can’t get full marks as a comedy film.

Pros.

The characters.

The relationships.

The expert use of emotion.

Steve Buscemi.

Cons.

It is not funny, didn’t make me laugh once.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Shirley: The Rise Of Elizabeth Moss

Shirley is a biographical drama film directed by Josephine Decker. The plot recounts the life of Shirley Jackson the famous horror writer, showing her struggles and her triumphs as she writes a novel and battles the world.

This film is good for two main reasons: the writing and Elizabeth Moss.

Moss is quietly making a name for herself in the horror/ thriller space, and for good reason to. She is captivating to watch on screen and her face conveys emotion with ease. We believe her characters mental struggles, we believe the genius and it is all because of Moss who shows us a myriad of emotions with ease.

The other strength is the writing that seamlessly merges different plot lines and sub plots to create a very dense layered overall narrative. The character dialogue is tense and snappy, it reminds me of Sorkin in a way. The thrills don’t come from anything scary or from any intense action, but rather from the subtly of the dialogue and the jagged barbs hidden within.

My one complaint of the film is that it is too long. The last act drags, and I would say the film as a whole is about fifteen to twenty minutes too long, as I was losing interest towards the end- this is the films fatal flaw.

Overall, this is a very tense emotional ride with a great performance from Elizabeth Moss.

Pros.

The dialogue

Moss

The mystery and the drama

The trippy sequences

Cons

The third act is poorly paced.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Night Moves: Modern Day Hitchcock?

Night Moves is a drama thriller film directed Kelly Reichardt. The plot sees a group of environmental terrorists blow up a damn to raise awareness of their cause and steal the eyes of the world for just one night. Everything goes well and falls into place; that is until it is revealed that someone died in their bombing, something no one wanted, this causes fractures in the group.

Before I get into the review I just want to say from a cinematography point of view this is a beautiful film, some of the shots of deserted backstreets and American wilderness look exquisite. Watching this film made me really appreciate what a beautiful country America is.

I think the performances from across the 3 main actors Jessie Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning, Peter Skarsgard are all great. Eisenberg especially does a lot with very little; his facial acting is really top notch in this film. I think the ending and the way his character handles it feels very natural and believable and that adds to the brilliance of the film.

I think the messages and themes of the film are multi-layered, as you question the morals of the both the characters on screen as well as society at large. It does not pick a side; you can see fault in both. It handles the topic in a very nuanced way.

My one complaint would be that it is about twenty minutes too long and could do with a tighter edit, there were moments when I was gripped and there was also moments when I was bored and looking away.

Overall a very compelling film with great performances very worth checking out.

Pros.

The cinematography.

The performances.

The tension.

The manhunt.

Cons.

A little too long.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Florence Foster Jenkins: Streep Can’t Sing?

Florence Foster Jenkins is a comedy drama biopic directed by Stephen Frears. The plot follows Jenkins (Meryl Streep), an aging amateur opera singer, as she dreams of success on the stage, the only issue is that she can’t actually sing.

I thought it many ways this was a surprisingly touching film, the final scene of the film between Jenkins and her husband made me feel something. I cared about the characters and I wanted her to achieve her dream and become a serious singer. The performances from Grant and Streep are also excellent as well, both of them are so clearly in love with one another and care so deeply it is very endearing. From a character point of view this film is a triumph.

However, from a pacing perspective it is not. Oh god no. This film is on for just shy of two hours, but it feels a lot longer. For long stretches of time very little happens, and it feels as though the film is being padded out, I firmly believe there is no reason a good half hour of this film couldn’t have been cut. To that point we also have a whole collection of side characters and sub plots that lead nowhere and achieve very little making you question their need for inclusion within the film.

Overall, emotional this film is something it has strong moments that make you feel, but these are few and far between and for the most part you’re left bored and wondering how much longer is left.

Pros.

Streep and Grant.

The emotion.

Cons.

Too long.

Too many characters.

Not enough to keep your interest.

2/5

The Kings Of Summer: Coming Of Age

The Kings Of Summer is a coming of age comedy film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts. The plot sees two boys become fed-up with their homelives and their parents and seek out a life in the woods. What starts off as a modern-day Garden Of Eden, quickly descends into petty jealously, loneliness and despair.

This is a fantastic film for so many reasons. It feels personable, it feels relatable in a way that very few films are. Yes, the plot line of kids escaping from home, building their own sanctuary and then something coming between them is nothing new, but here it is done in such a way that it hits you emotionally and feels fresh.

Nick Offerman’s turn for the dramatic in this film as Joe’s (Nick Robinsons) father surprised me in the best way. I love Offerman’s comedy and his character in Parks and Rec, but this film proves he has serious chops as a dramatic actor as well, he really sells his character and has a number of captivating scenes.

I also think the younger cast give terrific performances as well. Robinson is proving himself to be quite the talented newcomer with the likes of this and Love Simon. Erin Moriarty is also terrific and does a lot with very little, her character could easily have been two dimensional, but thanks to the performance feels rounded.

Overall, this is a touching film that connected with me. I think all involved are giving it their a game and it shows. If you have not seen this film you should.

Pros.

Offerman

Robinson

Moriarty

The emotional connection

The inter-character relationships

Cons.

None.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke