Mr Right: A New Type Of Killer Clown

‘Mr Right’ is a romantic comedy, action film. The plot follows Martha (Anna Kendrick), a recently single women who meets Francis (Sam Rockwell), a man who seems perfect for her, until she finds out that he is a hitman. From there the story goes down the lines of Francis’s old partner wants to get him back in the game, a gang hires Francis, but then tries to kill him; as Francis has a rule of killing those that hire him after a shift in his morals, as well as the will they wont they romance of Martha and Francis.

I have to say this film was far more enjoyable than I thought it would be, this is mainly due to the fact that Rockwell is a terrific and naturally charming lead. There is a real heart to this film that prevails all the killing and the shooting and at the end of the film you are glad to see the pair end up together.

The action scenes of the film are mostly fun there are some good moments that have strong choreography, but the rest are just either Rockwell or Kendrick shooting someone which after a while gets boring.

I’m not saying Anna Kendrick can’t act but, she is playing the same character she always plays the loveable goofy oddball. The opening act of this film that sees her crying in a closest and being drunk rambling about her ex could be from any of her films. That is not to say she isn’t good in this film she is fine, but it would be interesting to see her play a different type of character.

The humour of the film I found to be a mixed bag, at times it made me smile and elevated the scene it was used in, other times it made me groan and felt like bad cringe. I would say that a lot of Rockwell’s comedy lands as he has very good delivery and timing and seems to know when to play it straight and when to crack a joke. The same can’t be said for everyone else, however.

Finally, it is nice to see Anson Mount in something, it has been too long, and he always gives a good performance even if he is only on scene for a matter of minutes.

Overall, this film is on the better side of average this is owed wholly to Rockwell. He elevates this film past the mediocrity that it could easily have fallen into. Kendrick is serviceable and the romance is sweet, it’s good but, you won’t remember it.

Pros.

Rockwell.

Some Of The Action Sequences.

The Humour.

Cons.

The Humour.

Kendrick Is Playing The Same Character As Always.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

True Romance:A Story Of Love and Crime

‘True Romance’ is a romantic crime film, written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott. The plot follows an ex call-girl called Alabama (Patricia Arquette), and her husband Clarence (Christian Slater), as they go on the run from the mob after Clarence accidentally steals a large amount of cocaine from Alabama’s ex pimp.

This film feels very Tarantino esque despite only being written by him, all the hallmarks by which we would come to know his work are all present here; much like all of his pictures this film is glorious. Yes, my thoughts on current Tarantino have been noted in previous reviews, I don’t think he has made a film that was of the same caliber as his early works since ‘Django Unchained’ back in 2012; I think he is on the decline as a director.

The tone of the film again is familiar to Tarantino fans as it has moments of extreme darkness and moments of levity, it has moments of gritty realism and moments of fantasy oddness. One such odd detail which also happens to be one of my favourite bits of the film is how Clarence has Elvis (Val Kilmer) as an imaginary friend; a lot of these wacky details add to the film’s manic sensibilities.

That said the film also pulls off slow meaningful moments well, there are a lot of scenes between Alabama and Clarence that have genuine warmth and emotion to them. The relationship between the two grows throughout the runtime of the film in a real and organic way; you can feel the love they have for each other.

The performances in this film are also excellent, Slater and Arquette do a great job as the leads, but the supporting cast also give great turns. The late James Gandolfini is terrific as a mob hitman called Virgil, though his character isn’t in it a huge amount he shines with what he has. There is a brutal fight scene between his character and Alabama and the monologue that Gandolfini delivers before and during it can only be described as chilling.

Christopher Walken is also instantly memorable as Don Vincenzo Coccotti. Though Walken’s character only has a scene he brings such a presence to the screen such as sense of gravitas that he is immediately captivating.

Overall, this film is phenomenal it a testament to Tarantino as a screen writer as it is a film that features a lot of characters, but each one feels unique and special.

Pros.

Tarantino Magic.

Great Leads In Slater And Arquette.

Gandolfini Is A Scene Stealer.

So Is Walken.

Cons.

A Little Slow At Times.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Lost In Translation: Wandering The Streets Of Tokyo

‘Lost In Translation’ is a comedy-drama film. The plot revolves around washed-up actor Bob Harris (Bill Murray), who befriends a young college graduate called Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), the film details their growing friendship; with possible romantic undertones.

This film explores a lot of very heavy themes such as ideas about loneliness, and the lack of a clear direction in one’s life. As a result of exploring these themes, this film feels like an exercise in self-reflection. Despite dissecting these strong themes, the film never goes into being depressing as there is a good amount of humour to balance out the more contemplative moments.

Though Bill Murray mostly plays it straight here there is still an element of awkward comedy in his performance, as he finds it hard to adapt to certain situations. The humour of this film is often very quirky and off the wall, I don’t think it will make you laugh out loud very often, but there are quite a few chuckles to be had.

The performances are the high point of the film as both Johansson and Murray give it their all. We can see that both of these characters are unhappy in their lives and are waiting on the next big change to make sense of it all. Both characters are unhappy in their marriages, but still decide to stay in them. This is what this film does so well, there is a great sense of not knowing what to do and being lost, which can be found throughout the film.

A lot of the cinematography, editing and sound choices give this film almost a dream-like feel to it or, maybe a distant memory. These choices help the film to feel unique and give it a strong sense of identity.

Anna Faris is in this film as Kelly, someone who is positioned to be a love rival to Charlotte, but she is mostly wasted. With Charlotte’s Husband this film goes for the whole he is never there angel, suggesting that they are growing apart and maybe that he is cheating on her. I think this plotline could have been achieved just as well through mentions of another woman, they didn’t need to create this largely pointless character.

Also, my major complaint is that the relationship, or supposed relationship, between Bob and Charlotte by the end of the film feels a bit icky. Throughout the film, I liked the two as friends and I wanted it to stay that way. Charlotte is so young, far too young for Bob and I know the heart wants what it wants, but in this modern climate, it feels a bit off to me.

Overall a very nice film to watch it has a lot of very interesting things to say and the way it is filmed deserves praise as it is a clear example of a director having a beautiful vision and sticking to it.

Pros.

The Themes.

The Performances.

The Film-making Process.

Cons.

Anna Faris Wasted Character.

Icky Romance.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Little Women: Oscar Bait In Its Most Obvious Form

‘Little Women’ is a coming-of-age, drama, period film based on the book of the same name. The plot follows the lives of the March’s a family of young women who live with their mother while their dad is fighting in the Civil War. We see it all from sisterly pranks and hijinks to death and, mourning.

As someone who has read the seminal novel, I had an idea where the film was going and, a lot of the surprise reveals were not all that surprising to me. However, the two things I will give this film and Greta Gerwig props for are that they nailed a lot of the key scenes from the novel: they capture the emotion perfectly, this is in no small part thanks to the performances but, I will come back to those later. The second thing I will give this film credit for is that the new additions to the narrative help to make the film feel more rounded and, whole.

The performances for me were a mixed bag Saoirse Ronan was terrific as Jo, proving once again that she is an aspiring actress to watch out for. Likewise, Florence Pugh was equally as good as Amy, the often overlooked sister, I found that her character captured the love-hate relationship sometimes found between sister really well. The rest of the cast didn’t do much for me, Emma Watson was fine, but I believe any actress could have played her role and, the rest of the cast including Laura Dern and, Meryl Streep is mostly wasted. Timothy Chalamet is also in this film and, I still don’t understand why people like him or, think he is a good actor.

I had several issues with the film, the most egregious of which is how in love with itself this film seems to be. ‘Little Women’ has a very smug sense of self about it, it seems to think that it is high art and, is worthy of all the awards simply for being I found this off-putting. This is reflected in how this film is paced, often scenes will feel drawn out, trying to play up their importance, when nothing has actually happened. The third act of this film is definitely too long in the tooth as there are multiple times you will find yourself saying, “is it over yet”.

A final thing I find odd and, distracting about this film is the non-linear way it chooses to tell its story, the scenes don’t follow any kind of pattern and, will generally be out of sync. An example of what I mean is in the second act a character dies and, there will be a scene of the family mourning the loss and, then another scene of this character alive and well. There is nothing wrong with telling a story like this, but the film doesn’t make clear what is a flash-forward, what is a flashback and, this makes for a jarring viewing experience.

Overall this is a solid effort from Gerwig however, it pails in comparison to her debut effort, with some of the stylistic and, editing choices in the film really ruin vast sections of it for me.

Pros.
Captures The Emotion.
The New Stuff.
The Performances.

Cons.
The Editing.
The Pacing Issues.
How Smug It Is.

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Princess Switch: The Hudissance Begins!

The Princess Switch is a Christmas romantic comedy film serving as part of the wider Netflix shared universe existing with the likes of ‘A Christmas Prince’ and, to a lesser extent, ‘The Knight Before Christmas. The plot of the film revolves around Stacy DeNovo, (Vanessa Hudgens), a young baker, who is invited to take part in a baking competition oversees, while there she crosses paths with The Dutchess of Montenaro, also played by Hudgens, and, the Dutchess seeing Stacy as a way to escape her royal responsibilities, talks her into switching lives.

As you can probably guess this film is chocked full with over the top romantic melodrama, the Dutchess is supposed to marry Prince Edward, (Sam Palladio), but she doesn’t really love him. Stacy hasn’t allowed herself to fall in love, after a personal tragedy, which is almost beat for beat the same as her other film, ‘The Knight Before Christmas’ although the reason is slightly different. Stacy is also oblivious to the fact that her fellow baker Kevin, (Kevin Richards) is in love with her; spoiler she doesn’t love him back. Can you guess what the resolution to all this drama is? Yes, Stacy, the baker ends up falling in love with the Prince and, marries him, with the weird if you still feel this way in a year rule from ‘A Christmas Prince’ coming back. The Dutchess, on the other hand, gives up the royal lifestyle and, falls in love with Kevin.

There will be plenty of people out there who will tell you that these films are trash and, to an extent they’re right but, the reason why I like them, this one especially, is because they throw any kind of logic out of the window and, random things happen and, you have to go with it. It is like a beautiful disaster you know you should look away but you can’t.

I truly believe that Vanessa Hudgens is in the midst of a career renaissance this and, ‘The Knight Before Christmas’ could both be so bad but, her performance saves both. She is lovable and, warm and easy to root for she places the every-woman incredibly well. What’s more she is convincing as both Stacy and, the Dutchess so much so that after a while you forget that both are Hudgens; you see them as entirely different characters. She is the heart a soul of these films.

Overall this film is more fun than it has any right to be, a great performance by Vanessa Hudgens and, throwing logic out of the window make this film surprisingly good.

Pros.
The Ridiculousness
Vanessa Hudgens
The Wider Shared Universe

Cons
It is drunk or, hungover trash viewing, but you knew that

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

A Christmas Prince, The Royal Baby: A Scroll, A Curse And, Two Families

‘A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby’ is a Christmas romantic comedy as well as the third instalment in the franchise and, as you can guess centres around the birth of now, Queen Amber, (Rose Mciver) and King Richard, (Ben Lamb) first child. The plot this time around seems to go in the complete opposite direction to the last entry, serious and lacking in whimsy, being once again over the top and, ridiculous much like the first film; hell not to spoil anything but, ghosts and a curse play a part in the plot this time around.

I think this third instalment is a return to form for the franchise, going back to its trashy over the top roots, and I think the film as a whole benefits from this; there are not multiple subplots that are all boring and, trying to take away from the main narrative in one way or, another, everything is relatively straight forward this time around.

*There is one subplot about Melissa, (Tahirah Sharif), Amber’s best friend who has been a background character, thankfully, for most of the series thus far, questioning her relationship with Simon, (Theo Devaney), Richards’ cousin. Simon has quietly become my favourite character in the series over time, but he works well in small doses both the first and second film seemed to understand that but, this film gives both he and Melissa far too much screen time. I have never cared for Ambers’ friends in these films they’re forgettable and, throwaway so to see Melissa get a subplot of her own made me groan. All of these scenes drag on and, on and feel like the film trying to buy itself time; what makes it worse is the acting and, the plotline itself could and, have been done better in a soap opera.

I think the film greatly benefits from suddenly remembering what it is, a trashy, made for TV movie people might watch when they’re drunk. By throwing any sense of seriousness or, sense out of the window it allows the film to be what it once was again, fun. The idea that if they don’t find the missing scroll by midnight Richard and, Ambers’ baby might be cursed is wonderfully silly and, daft. I appreciate and, applaud this film for not taking itself too seriously, as that was my issue with the second film.

Overall I think this should be the last entry in the ‘A Christmas Prince’ franchise as I don’t see where they can take it from here. This film is a high note for the series being just as good as the first film and, being made that much better by embracing the wackiness and, not taking itself too seriously; definitely good drunk viewing.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

A Christmas Prince, The Royal Wedding: Is It A Nice Day For A White Wedding?

‘A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding’ is a Christmas romantic comedy film that serves a continuation of the Christmas Prince saga, carrying on directly from the first film. The plot this time around focuses on yes you guessed it a Royal Wedding, as well as an embezzlement scheme; because why not I guess.

For me, this is a weaker film than the first in many regards, mainly in terms of plot. The first film knew what it was, a romantic comedy, the main event of the narrative was Amber, (Rose Mciver) and Prince Richard, (Ben Lamb), getting together; yes there was the subplot of Richard being adopted and, him having a will they won’t they sort of relationship with the crown but, at the end of the day, these were never more than subplots, dressing to go along with the main romantic journey.

However, this time around the titular Royal Wedding seems to be an afterthought, the two main plots of this film are that Amber doesn’t feel like she belongs in the Royal Family, yes I know can it get any more cliched, and the other being that King Richards’ economy-boosting initiative is failing and, they have to find out why. My issue with this is that both of these plotlines take up the majority of the film and, one is boring and, the other annoying; they both feel like filler, almost as though they didn’t have the budget to shoot a Royal Wedding sequence.

The Amber doesn’t fit in storyline and, her feeling like she is losing control of her own wedding has been done to death and, is completely unoriginal. Not only this but, it turns Mrs Averill,(Sarah Douglas), from a passive background character to almost a loathsome sub antagonist, which would be a bold move if you actually cared about the character but, you don’t. Moreover, these films like to flip flop when it comes to her character because sometimes she is supposed to be likeable other times she is the bain of everyone’s life this tonal split personality is present in all the films but, especially here. The other plotline about the embezzlement can be summed up in two words, boring and predictable.

Finally yes the they know they’re trash tone of the previous film is still here and, everything still looks just as cheap, but the charm just isn’t here. This is no longer something easy to watch when you’re hungover something to turn your brain off to; it is simply boring and, drab.

Overall this is a step back in many different ways for the ‘A Christmas Prince’ franchise as it is a film to bogged down in all its different plot threads to ever be entertaining.

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Miracle on 34th Street: The Reason For The Season?

‘Miracle on 34th Street’ is a Christmas comedy drama about the time when Santa Claus himself started working in a department store all goes well until the Macy’s psychologist Granville Sawyer, (Porter Hall), takes old Kris Kringle to court, believing him to be delusional and, wanting to see him locked away.

A ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ is a Christmas classic it is in known throughout the world for being the embodiment of the Christmas spirit with it being almost synonymous with the season itself. It has been remade and reimagined but, nothing is as good as the 1947 original.

The reason why this film is so well regarded at least by me is its excellent performances. This is perfectly captured by Edmund Gwenn as Father Christmas himself, he is so lovable and warm and, his performance reflects this even down to the last detail. The moment when he converses with the little Dutch girl in her own language is touching. There is such a good nature to this film it is almost palpable.

The courtroom scene in the films third act is a fantastic sequence, as Kris has become so ingrained in our hearts by this point in the film the idea of him becoming institutionalised devastates us. Each development in the case has us more and, more on edge as we want to see him a freeman. Also, Hall does a great job as the villainous Sawyer, he is a villain you love to hate and, he epitomises everything wrong with the season.

The best thing with this film is its message it shows the reason for the season and, just how far a little bit of Christmas magic can go.
This is shown through the transformation of the leading lady Doris Walker, (Maureen O’ Hara), who goes from a Christmas cynic to fully believing Kris is who we says he is, even going so far as to tell her daughter to believe in him.

Another key component of this film is its romance the love story between Doris and, Fred, (John Payne), is sweet and well done. Their journey from strangers to friends to a couple is perfect and, you really see how much they care for each other which is endearing. The romance as well as the film as a whole can’t help but make you smile.

Overall ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ is a rare kind of film the kind of film that perfectly captures a season or a holiday in this case. This film is the definition of the reason for the season and, is by far a must watch this holiday season. Does this film show that we need to return to an old sort of Christmas before it became so commercialised? You watch and, decide for yourself.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Knight Before Christmas: The Knight We Deserve!

‘The Knight Before Christmas’ is a Christmas comedy film the plot follows Sir Cole, (Josh Whitehouse), a 14th-century knight who arrives in modern times to fulfill his life’s quest, what that is he doesn’t know. In present-day Cole meets Brooke, (Vanessa Hudgens), a woman who has given up on the chance of ever finding her happily ever after, she takes him in after accidentally hitting him with her car and, sparks fly.

I had heard nothing good about Netflix’s holiday rom-coms and, after seeing ‘Let it Snow’, which was awful, I was expecting the worst. However, I was pleasantly surprised by ‘The Knight Before Christmas’, it was sweet and, lovable, and yes it might not reinvent the wheel or, be something that hasn’t been done 100 times before, but it leaves you with a pure smile on your face at the end of the film, and that is more than I can say for a lot of other films.

The plot is the standard ‘fish out of water’ story line, all the beats are there, the ending is Cole having to choose between returning to his own time, or staying in 2019 with Brooke; there are quite a few good laughs thrown in across the runtime that make the characters warm and, it makes you as the audience care about them. By the end of the film, you want Cole and Brooke to get together. There are moments that are laughably ridiculous, like a scene where Cole saves a young girl from falling into a frozen lake; these scenes are good goofy fun though and, help to sell this as a larger than life popcorn movie: because ultimately this film knows what it is, it is very aware of it and, it revels in it.

It is nice to see Vanessa Hudgens back on- screen the last thing I think I saw her in was ‘Spring Breakers’, in that regard this is a return to form. She plays the sweet innocent characters, basically the Disney esque characters really well and, she is fantastic here.
After watching this film, I can see why Netflix spent a lot of money to sign her to a multi-picture deal, she is a very good audience surrogate and, it is almost impossible not to root for her.
Whitehouse has some good moments and, he is believable as a 14th-century knight in 2019 however, he is greatly upstaged by his female co-star but, both do a great job anyway.

I hope very much like the ‘A Christmas Prince’ films, that ‘The Knight Before Christmas’ can become a yearly Netflix Christmas tradition, this film is far better than it has any right to be, and I would say it is a Christmas must-watch. Turn your brain off, settle down on the sofa with a nice cup of something warm and, enjoy this festive treat!

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Destination Wedding: Keanu Goes To A Wedding

‘Destination Wedding’ is a romantic comedy-drama film about two very messed up people, who find out they’re attending the same wedding. The premise may seem simple and, cliche enough but, there is something about this film, a charm, a heart, that kept me smiling throughout and, made me laugh out loud several times; this film is far better than it had any right to be.

First off it is nice to see Winona Ryder, (Lindsey) and Keanu Reeves, (Frank) on-screen together, it has been too long, they have always had great on-screen chemistry together and, this film proves that it is still here all these years later. Both give utterly fantastic performances Reeves made me laugh out loud multiple times, this film shows just how well he does comedy. While, Ryder is also fantastic she is so relatable and, very endearing, you understand that her character and Reeves have been through a lot and, both want to be happy however, they’re too afraid or, stubborn to take a chance, both actors give wonderfully vulnerable performances.

The best thing about ‘Destination Wedding’ is that it doesn’t feel like a rom-com would normally feel; there are times where it feels like the opposite. I love romantic comedies a lot, but I am glad to see this film try and, have its own spin on the genre to do something new, the originality of this film is refreshing. This film gave me notes of The Favourite I think it was something to do with the style and, the comedy of the film, both seemed familiar to me.

The romance of the film is heartwarming as you can see these two very inwardly protective people slowly start to open up, bit by bit, to each other. There is something about the way both actors play it that makes it seem almost real in a sense, needless to say by the end of the film, you will be clamouring, just as I was, to see these two embrace the love they have for each other and, become a couple. Another thing I will tip my hat to is that this film doesn’t show them become a couple, it is not straightforward like that, the way the film chooses to end is filled with ambiguity and, you are left thinking after the credits roll; will they stay together, will they be happy.

Overall I think this film is a gem, I think it was incredibly overlooked when it came out in 2018 and, that it deserves far far more love than it got, there is something special about this film and, if you give it a chance I promise you won’t be disappointed, in every aspect this film is superb.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke