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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Interview With Tom Heard: Actor/ Filmmaker Getting It

Written by Luke Barnes

I recently had the chance to talk to actor/ filmmaker Tom Heard about his romantic film Getting It, which follows a selfish man as he opens himself up and finds love. We talk about, representation, love and Call Me By Your Name.

Q: How would you describe the film in a word?

TH: Hope. (That people can change).

Q: Who are your filmmaking inspirations?

TH: Well, Mike Nichols has always been my hero. And now Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) is right up there.

Q: What was your catalyst for making this film

TH: I wanted to make a love story about two gay men where being gay isn’t the story. Just two

people who fall in love who happen to be gay.

Q: Any funny on set stories?

TH: The campfire scene was shot on pastureland owned by a friend of mine where it had just poured rain and we had to dodge puddles and cow patties all night long!

Q: How would you describe the process of trying to get an LGBTQ+ romance film made?

TH: I met no resistance at all. Only support. Everyone thought it was a great idea and loved the story!

Q: How do you feel about the current state of the romance genre?

TH: Well, because of films such as the aforementioned, “Call Me By Your Name,” as well as others like, “God’s Own Country,” I think we’re in a great place at present!

Q: Would you say Hollywood is more progressive now than it has been in the past few years?

TH: I think Hollywood has jumped light years recently and has really embraced alternative storytelling.

Q: What was the message of your film? What did you want to say?

TH: That the most selfish thing anyone can do for themselves…is to be unselfish. In other words, the more you give of yourself, the more you will receive in return.

Q: If you were to go back in time to when you were a younger filmmaker first starting out what advice would you give yourself?

TH: The same thing I’d say to anyone. Believe in yourself. What have you got to lose?

Q: If you film ever won any awards who would you thank in your acceptance speech?

TH: My best friend, Michael. His constant encouragement gave me the confidence to embark on this journey.

Q: Future filmmaking plans?

TH: I am currently writing, “Comeback” about two actors who give each other’s careers and lives new life!

If you enjoyed Getting It you can find it on all good streaming platforms and on DVD, and as always you can head over to my site to find my review of the film.

If you enjoyed this interview, then please head to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts and the ability for you to tell me what to review next. Check it out!

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Getting It: Modern Love

Written by Luke Barnes

Getting It is a romance film directed by Tom Heard. The plot sees a previously selfish man, who only ever cared about himself, opening his heart to others and finding love in the process.

I think there is something so needed about this film, I won’t go on at length about it as I have already covered the point I am about to make in other reviews, but there just aren’t enough romance films that feature solid LGBTQ+ representation. It is shocking to think that in 2021, in the society we live in, where all kinds of romances are common place, that the romantic genre is so heavily dominated by heterosexual romance.

Moreover, the romance in this film felt very real and personal. By that I mean, it doesn’t feel like you are watching a film it feels like you are just observing life around you and seeing people fall in love. Again, that speaks to the charisma and the believability of the leads who sell the romance entirely, and palpable their on screen chemistry.

This film really does run the emotional gambit, having moments to laugh with, moments to cheer to, and moments that will make you cry, it excels at all 3 which is a real testament to the power of the writing.

Overall, a sorely needed and well executed romance film.

Pros.

The chemistry

The believability of the story and the romance

The emotional resonance

The ending

Cons.

The side characters

A few pacing issues.

3/5

If you enjoyed this review, then please head to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts and the ability for you to tell me what to review next. Check it out!

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Interview With Jimmy Kustes: Writer and Actor Body Swap

Written by Luke Barnes

Hey Everyone! I recently had the chance to chat to Jimmy Kustes the writer actor star of Body Swap, a film about two very different people who swap bodies and have to experience things from the other’s point of view. We talked about the art of writing good dialogue, fixing up houses and Napoleon Dynamite

Q: If you were to describe body swap in a word what would it be?

JK:Independent.

Q: Who is your filmmaking inspiration?

JK: My two biggest are John Hughes and Billy Wilder. But I like the Andersons, PT Anderson and Wes Anderson. With a limited budget the one thing you need to focus on is the dialogue. I envy filmmakers that can make a film with just visuals. Ghost Story has very little talking but I’m not sure if I have that skill.

Q: What was your catalyst for making this film?

JK: I had the script lying around and had already done a small movie with the director Tim Morton called New Cops. My parents and brothers have been fixing up houses since I was a kid so making something that gets everyone involved and proud of their work that you can give to someone else is a great feeling. Unlike houses, making money off films is something not many people have figured out. There’s a reason New Kids on the Block and Vanilla Ice have HGTV shows.

Q: What is your favourite Body Swap film, other than this one of course?

JK: 17 Again is good. It has a 90s style trailer even though it came out in 2009. We actually released 1990s, 1980s, and 1970s style trailers for Body Swap in addition to the modern one. It just so happened that Wandavision was released with a similar concept where each episode was based off of a different era.

Q: How important was the balance between romance and comedy here, and how did you manage it?

JK: Well it’s not a sappy romance but you can’t free base comedy, it gets exhausting. Step Brothers and Napoleon Dynamite might be the only movies to pull that off. You have to dilute it with a genre like Ghostbusters or Black Dynamite does. The go-to genre to mix it with is romance. And I’m a big fan of how Billy Wilder does that so hopefully we pulled off something close.

Q: Why did you choose to structure the film as a body swap?

JK: There aren’t that many entries in the genre even though there were three in 2020 with Body Swap, Possessor, and Freaky. I thought the romantic comedy where the slob meets the career woman had been done quite a bit so maybe adding two worn genres would be original if they body swap as well. Just so happen, Freaky made a horror movie where the final girl and killer swap bodies so we have a bit of a twin movies situation. I’m not complaining because it’s free advertising.

Q: Do you have any funny on set stories?

JK: The scenes in the cafe were fun to shoot because we had a lot of extras and they bring their own dynamic and make it fun.

Q: Sequel ideas?

JK: One of the characters is watching a Christmas movie on TV in Body Swap so maybe a sequel where the Christmas movie is the whole thing, and they watch pieces of Body Swap 2 from the other side.

Q: What is your personal favourite moment from the film?

JK: I enjoy the ending; it ties the whole movie together. It took awhile to find a satisfying ending.

Q: If you won an award for this film who would you thank in your acceptance speech.

JK: That actually did happen! It won best feature awards at Louisville International Festival of Film and Peachtree International Film Festival. One is headed by an Academy member Conrad Bachmann and one is Academy Award-qualifying so that’s basically like winning an Oscar. Isn’t it? I like to thank Tim the director, my friends Worth, Brent, Sean, Laura, and Tracy who worked on it. Matt, Evan, Allie, and Ella and the rest of the cast and crew. I mean our lead actress filmed and cut together a “behind the scenes” video so everyone pitched in more than they had to, to get it done.

If you want to check out Body Swap it is on Amazon, the Google Play Store and Youtube, and as always I have a review of it up on the site now!

Body Swap: Switching Places For Love?

Written by Luke Barnes

Body Swap is a comedy romance film directed by Timothy Morton. The plot sees CJ (Ella Jordan), a powerful business woman and Casey (Jimmy Kustes), a slacker switch places- hijinks ensue.

Whilst this may not be the most original premise, there is still a lot of fun to be had here. Body swap films are quite rare these days, yes you have your Freaky’s and your Princess Switches’ as recent examples, but when you look at the genre as a whole there really haven’t been a lot recently. I for one am glad to see any film bring the concept back, it always makes for great fun.

Fun would be the word I would use to describe this film, as though it is not side splittingly funny it does provide a few laughs and more than enough smile inducing moments: from start to finish I had a smile on my face. I think both the comedy and romance elements work well, and nicely compliment the film.

Moreover, I thought both Jordan and Kustes played their respective roles with enough charm and awkward comedy that they sold it, with each making their character feel likeable.

However, my biggest compliment has to go to the writer as this film knew how to use the body swap premise to its fullest.

Overall, a fun film that is a blast to watch.

Pros.

Body swapping madness

Strong leads

Very easy to smile at

A wholesome romance elements

Cons.

We have seen this before

4/5

Luz: Romance Behind Walls

Written by Luke Barnes

Luz (directed by Jon Garcia), is a romantic drama film about the friendship and romance between two men, which blossoms within the walls of a prison.

This is a heart wrenching film for so many reasons. It is both beautiful and soul crushing.

I think in terms of representation this film is very needed, as LGBTQ+ love stories are often sorely over looked in the romantic drama genre, and yes to a degree that is being rectified in recent years, but there is still a noticeable gap, and films like this are filling that- and I for one think that is commendable. Hopefully, soon the romance genre will be more reflective of all kinds of relationships.

The love story was very powerful and effecting, I thought the writing was just right as it managed to walk that line between expertly playing with your emotions, but also never feeling overly sentimental.

The leads have a great deal of chemistry, and you do believe that they are genuinely in love, which adds to the emotional impact of the film. I thought both performances, commanded my attention and impressed me.

Overall, a fantastic and powerful romance film, with a real heart and soul.

Pros.

The chemistry

The representation

The emotional weight

The performances

Cons.

The side characters are a little underdeveloped

4.5/5

Enchanted: In The Real World Disney Princesses Are Surprisingly Boring

Written by Luke Barnes

Enchanted is a family fantasy film directed by Kevin Lima. The plot sees fairy-tale princess Giselle (Amy Adams), become trapped in our world, after suffering a deadly trick from the Evil Queen (Susan Sarandon).

Amy Adams really does prove her range here, we already know that she can do heavy dramatic fare well, but this proves she can also pull of family friendly comedy too; she really is a multi-talented performer.

Adams definitely is the acting highlight of this film, as the rest of the cast range from serviceable, Patrick Dempsey, to underused, James Marsden, to confusingly handled, Susan Sarandon. Adams and Dempsey have good chemistry and it is nice to see a wholesome romance, that doesn’t actually have any toxic elements, from a Disney film.

Marsden is underused, but it more than that- there is no need for his whole character. Marsden plays the Prince Charming character and quests after Giselle into our world, falsely believing she is his soul mate; though this film doesn’t call it soulmates, instead something weird and vaguely annoying. Anyway, his whole character serves no real purpose beside a slight threat to the central romance and even then not really. Everything around his character and those parts of the plot are weak.

Sarandon seems woefully miscast and takes the role way to over the top in terms of camp.

The premise itself, the idea of an animated princess coming into our world is in itself strong and ripe for exploring, and the film does use it for several good jokes and moments, though I would say the ultimate execution of ideas does leave something to be desired.

Overall, a strong idea and performance from Adams, sadly the rest of the cast drag the film down.

Pros.

Adams

The premise

Cons.

The cast are either underused or miscast

The villain is awful

It is repetitive

2/5

Spontaneous: Exploding Into Red Goo

Written by Luke Barnes

Spontaneous is a science fiction romantic black comedy film directed by Brian Duffield. The plot sees two teens (Katherine Langford & Charlie Plummer), fall in love as a mysterious virus is spreading between themselves and their peers that causes one to spontaneously explode.

Much like Love and Monsters this film has a huge heart. The emotional stakes for this film are damn near perfect, you become really quite invested in their relationship, and my my how you are played with thereafter.

Langford and Plummer have strong chemistry, and make for a believable on screen couple, also where other films fail to capture the snarky teen well, or make it incredibly cringe worthy, this film manages actually do it justice. I think the, lets call it teen dialogue, of this film was quite on point and made me laugh several times with its wit.

I am careful to say too much about the film for fear of spoiling it, but I will say this: be prepared for a ride on an emotional roller-coaster

Finally, I just want to spotlight the premise itself which is surprisingly hilarious in a dark macabre sort of way- it makes you laugh and then feel very bad for laughing

Overall, a wonderfully original film and a touching romance.

Pros.

The leads have good chemistry

It is funny

The premise is novel

Good emotional stakes that make you invest

Cons.

It really does an number on your emotions

4.5/5