Reminiscence: This Is Why Westworld Isn’t Good Anymore

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Nick, Hugh Jackman, analyses his memories of the one who got away, Rebecca Ferguson, and realises that he has been played. Nick then sets out to track her down to get answers.

My this one was bad.

Before I slate it I’ll say this, Ferguson and Jackman have great chemistry together, really its electric, and they need to make more films together and carry this thing on as their seems to be a real passion there between the two, they play off each other really well.

Ok, moving on to the bad.

This is what happens when you have everyone praise your deep intellectual show, Westworld, for years and you have a brother who is known by some as one of the best working filmmakers in the game, and you try to rip-off his style. To be blunt, you make pretentious tosh that is about as deep as a puddle and is laughably bad.

The narration throughout the film is the best example of this, it asks all these deep philosophical questions about humanity and the self with all the intellectual sincerity of a teenager going through an emo phase. The writing is really bad.

The mystery is passably okay, however the longer it goes on for you realise all the ways it doesn’t make any sense and how the memory tech writes the film into a corner. Almost everything Nick does in this film is superfluous by the rules and laws set up by the tech, he didn’t need to do anything, yes he would have lost the memory card, but would that really have changed much?

Overall, bad science fiction.

Pros.

Jackman

Ferguson

Cons.

It makes no sense

It is so utterly pretentious

It is poorly written

The ending

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Annette: The Strangest Musical You Will Ever Watch

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The film charts the life of a stand up comedian, Adam Driver, and an opera singer, Marion Cotillard, after the birth of their first child.

I will say this for the film, I take my hat off to it for committing to being strange, quirky and unique.

Personally, this film wasn’t to my taste. Though I enjoy Sparks I thought the music in this film was a bit overdone. I understand that the film views itself as a rock opera type musical, and that really isn’t my problem with it, my problem is that nearly every line is sung. This reaches such a point where you just want it to stop, and then the film just keeps going.

This film is on for far, far too long.

Moreover, though I admire the quirky elements of the film I find some of them to be clashing, and sometimes off-putting. Maybe it is my sensibilities, but there were certain more interpretive scenes where I had no idea what was going on or how it fit into the story in any real way, yes they were singing about how it fit in no doubt, but by that point my mind had found a way to drown out the singing.

The performances were all fine, though I would say they didn’t feel like real people or characters rather they felt like some sort of twisted, warped idea of what humans are like as viewed by aliens. However, I am sure that was a deliberate choice.

Overall, it was not to my taste.

Pros.

I enjoyed the strangeness

You have got to love Sparks

Cons.

Too much singing, that often isn’t very good

Some of the elements clash

The characters didn’t feel like real people

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Free Guy: Stop Killing NPCs

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A non-playable character Guy, Ryan Reynolds, figures out that his whole world is a lie and has to come to terms with that whilst also trying to stop it from ending.

The trailers for this film miss-sold it. They make the film look like a blockbuster action film, and whilst there certainly are action elements within the film, it often happens in the background. The film instead is far more character driven with the bonds and relationships they form being front and centre throughout. If I had to categorise this film I would say a comedy, possibly a romantic comedy.

I thought the film was very wholesome to watch and that this overriding sense of positivity made the film feel very watchable whilst also giving it a rootability. You quickly become attached to Ryan Reynolds’ Guy as well as the real world game designers that are trying to help him, these characters are played by Jodie Cormer and Joe Keery. The romance at the heart of this story, originally between Cormer’s Millie and Reynold’s Guy and then between Cormer’s Millie and Joe Keery’s ‘Keys’ is really the heart of the film. Personally, I thought the romance was sweet and well done, it made me feel something.

The Truman Show esque moments are easily the most fascinating of the film as Guy and his fellow NPC’s have to come to terms with being ‘not real’. I think the real strength of the narrative here is that the film leans into this and shows different characters processing this information in different ways. It would be very easy for the film just to show everyone freaking out, but it doesn’t do that.

I understand why the film features so many streamers, but it does get to feel a little like overkill by the end of the film. It would be better if the film only featured one or two streamers and used them sparingly throughout the film, it goes in the other direction for I think rather obvious reasons.

Overall, a good film to watch once. Does it need to be seen in the cinema? Probably not.

Pros.

Reynolds

The love story

The comedy

The Truman Show vibes

Cons.

Too many streamers, used cynically

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13 Going On 30: Taking Advantage

1.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A young uncool teen wishes themselves into the body of a thirty year old so that they can finally have the life they always wanted.

The premise of this film is icky as hell. This film places this girl in the body of a woman in many sexual situations where she is uncomfortable and does not know what to do and then plays it off as a joke. Worse yet it gives her a romance arc, where the thirty year old version of her friend who has a crush on her, pursues a romantic relationship with her, despite her being the younger version of herself: and the film wants us to cheer for this……..

How exactly is this film supposed to be a classic?

I think these glaring issues are made all the worse by the fact that Jennifer Garner plays the character with such a sense of childlike innocents and naivety, which only compounds the problematic elements further.

The only reason this film doesn’t get lower from me is the fact that there are a few funny lines, albeit unintentionally. I found myself laughing quite a few times during the film which helped me get through the horror show that the rest of it is. A very poorly thought out idea.

Overall, troublesome.

Pros.

Unintentionally funny

Cons.

It is problematic

The central romance is icky and weird

The ending

Garner

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My Super Ex Girlfriend: Deeply Sexist Hollywood

1.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Unassuming office worker Matt Saunders, Luke Wilson, begins a relationship with Jennifer Johnson, Uma Thurman, who would later turn out to be a superhero. All seems to be going well at first and then the two suffer a bad breakup.

This film hates women. Maybe that is a touch hyperbolic but there is more than enough proof to demonstrate this film’s negative opinion of women. Firstly, the lead is crazy and becomes aggressive and manic when she feels jealous of another women, which feels sexist to its core. It furthers the idea of the hysterical woman who is controlled by her emotions and who needs a man to keep her in check.

Moreover, there is a plethora of sexist jokes coming in from the supporting cast with Rainn Wilson’s Vaughn, being perhaps one of the sleaziest side characters ever and worst of all we are still supposed to like him despite the fact he only views women as sexual objects to use for this own pleasure.

Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson are fun to watch on screen and do have the odd funny line or smile inducing moment hence this film not getting lower, but that does not make up for the fact that this film is sexist in nearly every possible way, deeply and utterly.

Overall, proof of how bad the studio comedy can be when it is not worried of being called out online.

Pros.

Thurman

Wilson

Cons.

It is sexist

It pushes harmful stereotypes

The side characters are toxic as hell

The film’s jokes mostly don’t work

It is offensive

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Good On Paper: Films Like This Are Why More And More People Are Cancelling Netflix

1/5

Written by Luke Barnes

It has been a while since Netflix has made a truly poor comedy film, there was a small part of me that was hoping that maybe they had learned what audiences want and what they don’t in a comedy film, but no- this film proves they are still as clueless as ever.

So there is an old adage that you may have heard of ‘two wrongs don’t make a right’, growing up I heard it all the time, yet never is it better displayed than in this film. So, there is a scene in the film where the female lead looks over at a would be suitor’s body and says how gross and out of shape he is, in other words she body shames him. She then turns to the camera and justifies her actions by saying men do it all the time so its fine. So yes the moral of the film is not to change problematic sexist behaviour, no rather just gender flip it because that makes it okay.

Yes, the victim of this body shaming does end up being a baddie, but the audience is not aware at the time, and even if they were does that make it okay? Surely this sort of behaviour is never okay, especially not when the lead of the film is supposed to be likeable, and the audience is supposed to root for them.

Moreover, the laugh count for jokes was quite weak. Now, I won’t spend too much time on this point as humour is subjective and what is not very funny to me might be hilarious to you, but I only found a handful of funny moments here, and these were more chuckles then strong belly laughs, for the most part I just found the film’s sense of humour predictable and oddly tame.

Overall, this is exactly the sort of the lame film that you would expect from Netflix and that’s a shame as they are starting to build themselves a negative reputation as pedlars of trash, the Mindhunter days are long gone.

Pros.

One or two good jokes

Cons.

Mostly not funny

Very predictable

A little too safe

The body shaming

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Rare Beasts: A Takedown Of The Romantic Comedy?

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This film was hectic, all over the place and oddly enthralling, there was something about this clear art piece that stopped you from being able to look away, even if you couldn’t tell what was going on.

Before, making further comments about the film I want to state and acknowledge for the record my place of male privilege. I think for me one of the biggest issues with this film is the fact that it too comes from a place of privilege, the tale of the character featured herein is not one that everyone can relate to, but rather one of a financially comfortable, professional. There is a huge degree of middle class privilege to this film that I think renders it out of touch before it even gets going.

Moreover, there are also a lot of first time director issues with this film too, such as audio issues and camera choices that not only prove distracting, but also make the film hard to follow. Whilst watching this I had to activity try and make sense out of some of the scenes that just didn’t, and also strain to hear important dialogue that is obscured over odd sound choices.

In terms of performances I think Billie Piper is strong I think is manages to capture a sense of manic energy that propels the film forward whilst also tapping into a deep well of pain and self-hate to pass comment on it. I thought the film as a whole felt very real and raw which was refreshing even if it was tinged with an unrealistic world view.

The humour for me was hit or miss, there were a few times I found myself laughing, but on the whole I was mostly unmoved by the humour of the film. Though as I often say humour is subjective.

Overall, an interesting conversation starter, but one that feels more and more hollow the further you look beneath the surface.

Pros.

Piper

The premise and the comment on rom-coms

A few funny jokes

Cons.

Clear middle class privilege

Odd framing and music choices

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Monday: The Winter Soldier’s Weekend Off

Monday

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Though Sebastian Stan is likeable, he isn’t enough to keep this film afloat. Honestly this film was hard to get through not because it was bad, it might have been more entertaining if it was, but because it was so generic: I have seen this film before with different actors set in a different place, but essentially the same film.

Moreover, I thought there was a needlessly large amount of sex scenes in this film. I am by no means a prude or anything like that, and I understand that this film was supposed to be erotic, but it felt a little needless and over the top, there was a sex scene every few seconds. A variety of spread out sex scenes don’t equate to a story.

The dialogue and the characters also feel overly familiar which makes them hard to care about or attach to. Though there are a few funny lines of dialogue that does not make up for arcs that we have seen many times before, as this film is fundamentally afraid to do anything new with its characters.

Overall, a by the numbers romantic drama film that you have seen before.

Pros.

A few funny lines

Sebastian Stan is charming

Cons.

Very generic

Gratuitous nudity and sex

The characters feel paper thin

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The Switch: Icky, Grim And Distributed By Disney

The Switch

1.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Romantic comedies have a strong tendency to be toxic, both in their characters and their messages this has both. Jason Bateman’s Wally, get jealous that his friend who he has a crush on is using another man’s sperm for her artificial impregnation, so he swaps out the baby batter with his own- and forgets to tell her. One could justify this icky behaviour by saying ‘oh he has amnesia because he is drunk’, but then even when he remembers he still doesn’t tell her right away. Wrong.

Is the character punished for his morally dubious actions, yes, but only briefly he still gets together with the girl at the end of the film, so it is okay to behave like the way he did? Trivialising if not justifying.

Both of the leads, Bateman and Jennifer Anniston have a lot of charm and are easy to root for, however, the very nature of the premise makes this almost impossible. The talents of the actors are ultimately wasted as you can’t get around the simply bad act.

Overall, what could have been a very promising romantic comedy is brought low by the plot and its warped morals.

Pros.

Anniston

Bateman

Cons.

The message

The fact that they end up together

Jeff Goldblum’s character is troublesome

We Broke Up: The Romantic Comedy Film For Swingers, Cuckolds And Anyone Else Of An Open Lifestyle

We Broke Up

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Why are romantic comedy films so toxic? Why can’t we just have one film without a needlessly nasty message? To wit in this feature the idea seems to be there is nothing hotter than your committed partner fooling around with someone else: as referenced by a scene where the supposedly broken up, but clearly not really, couple have a steamy session after the guy admits being unfaithful. What is this saying?

Moreover the leads, who are broken up for the purposes of the film and drama but are basically a couple; you know how it goes let’s pretend to still be a couple and then get back together at the end, are charmless and cliched. It is a shame as I like both the actors in other things, however here they just can’t do it for me, they have about as much believable chemistry together on screen as two paper cut outs would.

The ending is fairly predictable, and that is the case for the whole film. Though it is very watchable and not terribly bad, hence the 2, there is nothing new here it is the same old same old pumped out again to a vain and desperate effort to separate you from your money.

Overall, bland and disappointing.

Pros.

It is watchable

There are worse rom-coms out there.

Cons.

The leads have no chemistry

The cheating plot line

It is predictable and ultimately boring

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