Films round-up
Oops, I've left it far too long again between film review posts, and the backlog has got massively out of hand. Again. I'd better attempt a round-up:
Saltburn - Working class student Oliver (Barry Keoghan) is invited to spend the holidays at his wealthy classmate Felix (Jacob Elordi)'s country mansion. You might think you know where this is going; you're probably wrong. This black comedy thriller is at times psychologically disturbing, occasionally icky, and has a few surprising twists and turns before its memorable finale. It's not the must-see film some claim it is, but it's still well worth a watch.
Napoleon - Well, it's definitely a film about Napoleon. A disappointing Ridley Scott epic which outstays its 2h38m running time. It tries to cover too much, never settling on any event long enough for us to feel engaged. From the Terror to Waterloo, Scott's gift for brutal historical spectacle is always impressive (if not entirely accurate), and he tries to ground his film around the relationship between his 19th Century power couple (played by Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby), but even the dictator himself often feels like a bystander in his own story.
Wish - The critics were very down on this latest from Disney, and I'm not really sure why. Sure, it's very by-the-numbers, and isn't up there with the best. But it's a decent enough fairy tale with some interesting ideas (the premise is a kingdom where the population's wishes are all carefully controlled), a rounded villain, a fun gang of heroes and possibly Alan Tudyk's best sidekick character to date.
The Three Musketeers Part II: Milady - Eva Green was the star of the first half, so it's fitting her scheming villainess lends her name to Part II of this French-language epic. It works well enough as a standalone adventure, with D'Artagnan (François Civil) and co. out to foil a fresh plot to drag France into war, frame Captain Treville (Marc Barbé) and, of course, give our hero cause to rescue Constance Bonacieux (Lyna Khoudri). Swashbuckling fun.
Wonka - "Oompa-loompa-doompety-doo, they've got a Roald Dahl prequel for you. Oompah-loompa-doompety-dee, it's a delightful comedy." I really enjoyed this, more than either of the "proper" Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film adaptations to date. Timothée Chalamet seems perfect as (for once, a not creepy) Willy Wonka, Hugh Grant has a fun (ahem) small role, and many of the Horrible Histories/Ghosts cast turn up in various roles. The musical numbers set the feel for the whole film, which is a good, old-fashioned musical stage show.
The Boy and the Heron - Haunting, beautiful, surprising, visceral, whimsical, enchanting and mad as a package of parakeets. Miyazaki's latest "final film" proves he's still got it. This was my favourite film of 2023, without a shadow of a doubt. It starts out grounded in reality, with shades of Ghibli's more serious WW2-era output, but becomes steadily more whimsical and fantastical as the story unfolds. The best of both their worlds!
One Life - This biopic of Nicholas Winton, who helped evacuate hundreds of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslavakia, is less "the British Schindler's List", more a down-to-earth study of a very practical man trying to get things done. It's possibly the only film ever to feature a quick-cut visa application montage. That's probably not selling it, but it is a good watch. Johnny Flynn plays the young Nicky, ably aided by his no-nonsense mum (Helena Bonham-Carter). Anthony Hopkins plays the elder Winton, clearing through his old documents and going on a journey which will end with him appearing on That's Life!.
Next Goal Wins - This got terrible reviews, and I honestly don't understand why. I suppose it depends to an extent how much you appreciate Taika Watiti's madcap brand of humour, although he has reigned himself in a little here. There's a bit of a Cool Runnings feel to this story, loosely based on true events, of a loser football coach (Michael Fassbender) sent to turn around the fortunes of American Samoa's disastrous national football team. Sports underdog films are never going to win awards for originality, but this one has an awful lot of heart, charm and genuinely funny gags to carry it through.
Poor Things - From the same writer/director team as The Favourite and, if anything, even more delightfully bonkers and outrageous. Poor Things is a steampunk Frankenstein-esque fantasy about a young woman (Bella), brought back to life with no memory (and no social proprieties), finding her way in the world. Stone is terrific, and Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe also put in memorable performances. An awards contender worth the hype and the best film of 2024 so far. Avoid reading anything about it (spoilers are everywhere), just see it.
All Of Us Strangers - A sleepy little film. Adam (Andrew Scott) lives in a near-empty tower block, his only company being his new boyfriend Harry (Paul Mescal) and visits to his childhood home, where somehow his parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy) are still living, the same age they were when they died during Adam's childhood. With their old-fashioned attitudes and being younger than Adam is now, he questions how much he ever really knew them. There are some interesting ideas, well explored, though it's a film in which not a lot actually happens.
The Holdovers - The concept didn't grab me - Paul Giamatti plays Paul, a grumpy professor, stuck minding a group of students over the holidays, including troubled Angus (Dominic Sessa), along with grieving school cook, Mary (Da'Vine Joy Randolph). But it's a surprisingly engaging watch, brilliantly written and acted, as the three lonely leads gradually come out of their shells, bond (or fail to) with one another and tackle (or fail to) their various inner demons. Well-judged comedy balances the more serious subject matter.
American Fiction - Monk (Jeffrey Wright) is a serious author. Frustrated at the media obsession that "black literature" has to mean street slang, drugs and gang violence, he writes a spoof "black" novel under a fake persona. Naturally everyone loves it as the next big thing, and the joke spirals way out of Monk's control. There's obvious comedy in the premise, though the film looks at more serious consequences too. The script is equal parts funny, smart, and scathing social commentary. I really enjoyed this.
The Zone of Interest - "The Zone of Disinterest", more like. The problem with contrasting the mundanity of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller)'s everyday lives with the horror of Höss's job, is we get a lot of mundane, everyday scenes. There are occasional moments of sharp relief - children watching burning chimneys or prisoner shootings, a death threat to a Polish servant; Höss idly working out how he'd gas a whole room; a striking flash-forward to the modern Auschwitsz museum - but, for the most part, the Holocaust is muffled sounds in the background. It's an intriguing concept, but doesn't realise its potential and is occasionally too artsy for its own good.
Bob Marley: One Love - I don't know much about Bob Marley, but Kingsley Ben-Adir seems to play him well in this biopic. Despite shootings, life in exile, creative struggles and a losing battle with cancer, this is, at heart, a feel-good film - thanks to Marley's irrepressible optimism and uplifting songs. It is, after all, about a man who believed he could unite the world through the power of music. That may be cheesy, but wouldn't it be nice if it were so?
Wicked Little Letters - When obscene letters arrive on the doormats of Edith Swan (Olivia Coleman) and other residents of Littlehampton, suspicion naturally falls on potty-mouthed Irish neighbour, Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). But PC Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) isn't so sure. There's not much mystery and few surprises to this very British black comedy, but that's not really the point. It's very funny, anti-establishment, full of entertaining characters, and features some truly outstanding swearing.
Dune: Part 2 - Part 1 was big, loud, epic and a tad impersonal. The same can be said of Part 2, but I felt a lot more engaged with this one. It's more character-driven, focussed on Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya), and - to a lesser extent - Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler). Liberties are taken with the book, but I was surprised how much the theme of religion, weaponised by the elite to control the masses, came through. Of course, the film is still mainly about spectacle, and the sound design is excellent, particularly the beat of the thumpers and the rumble of approaching sandworms. Definitely not one to wait for streaming - go see it in IMAX!
Little Miss Sunshine - I missed this 2006 comedy the first time round, but was glad I caught it on a random cinematic repeat. It's deceptively well-written, following an utterly dysfunctional family who we instinctively dislike every one of to begin with, and can't help but love them all by the end. A reminder not to judge too harshly until you've walked a mile in someone's shoes. Or, in this case, driven 700 miles with them in a clapped-out VW camper van with a broken clutch. Also a reminder that there is nothing in this world quite so creepy and wrong as American child beauty pageants.
Saltburn - Working class student Oliver (Barry Keoghan) is invited to spend the holidays at his wealthy classmate Felix (Jacob Elordi)'s country mansion. You might think you know where this is going; you're probably wrong. This black comedy thriller is at times psychologically disturbing, occasionally icky, and has a few surprising twists and turns before its memorable finale. It's not the must-see film some claim it is, but it's still well worth a watch.
Napoleon - Well, it's definitely a film about Napoleon. A disappointing Ridley Scott epic which outstays its 2h38m running time. It tries to cover too much, never settling on any event long enough for us to feel engaged. From the Terror to Waterloo, Scott's gift for brutal historical spectacle is always impressive (if not entirely accurate), and he tries to ground his film around the relationship between his 19th Century power couple (played by Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby), but even the dictator himself often feels like a bystander in his own story.
Wish - The critics were very down on this latest from Disney, and I'm not really sure why. Sure, it's very by-the-numbers, and isn't up there with the best. But it's a decent enough fairy tale with some interesting ideas (the premise is a kingdom where the population's wishes are all carefully controlled), a rounded villain, a fun gang of heroes and possibly Alan Tudyk's best sidekick character to date.
The Three Musketeers Part II: Milady - Eva Green was the star of the first half, so it's fitting her scheming villainess lends her name to Part II of this French-language epic. It works well enough as a standalone adventure, with D'Artagnan (François Civil) and co. out to foil a fresh plot to drag France into war, frame Captain Treville (Marc Barbé) and, of course, give our hero cause to rescue Constance Bonacieux (Lyna Khoudri). Swashbuckling fun.
Wonka - "Oompa-loompa-doompety-doo, they've got a Roald Dahl prequel for you. Oompah-loompa-doompety-dee, it's a delightful comedy." I really enjoyed this, more than either of the "proper" Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film adaptations to date. Timothée Chalamet seems perfect as (for once, a not creepy) Willy Wonka, Hugh Grant has a fun (ahem) small role, and many of the Horrible Histories/Ghosts cast turn up in various roles. The musical numbers set the feel for the whole film, which is a good, old-fashioned musical stage show.
The Boy and the Heron - Haunting, beautiful, surprising, visceral, whimsical, enchanting and mad as a package of parakeets. Miyazaki's latest "final film" proves he's still got it. This was my favourite film of 2023, without a shadow of a doubt. It starts out grounded in reality, with shades of Ghibli's more serious WW2-era output, but becomes steadily more whimsical and fantastical as the story unfolds. The best of both their worlds!
One Life - This biopic of Nicholas Winton, who helped evacuate hundreds of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslavakia, is less "the British Schindler's List", more a down-to-earth study of a very practical man trying to get things done. It's possibly the only film ever to feature a quick-cut visa application montage. That's probably not selling it, but it is a good watch. Johnny Flynn plays the young Nicky, ably aided by his no-nonsense mum (Helena Bonham-Carter). Anthony Hopkins plays the elder Winton, clearing through his old documents and going on a journey which will end with him appearing on That's Life!.
Next Goal Wins - This got terrible reviews, and I honestly don't understand why. I suppose it depends to an extent how much you appreciate Taika Watiti's madcap brand of humour, although he has reigned himself in a little here. There's a bit of a Cool Runnings feel to this story, loosely based on true events, of a loser football coach (Michael Fassbender) sent to turn around the fortunes of American Samoa's disastrous national football team. Sports underdog films are never going to win awards for originality, but this one has an awful lot of heart, charm and genuinely funny gags to carry it through.
Poor Things - From the same writer/director team as The Favourite and, if anything, even more delightfully bonkers and outrageous. Poor Things is a steampunk Frankenstein-esque fantasy about a young woman (Bella), brought back to life with no memory (and no social proprieties), finding her way in the world. Stone is terrific, and Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe also put in memorable performances. An awards contender worth the hype and the best film of 2024 so far. Avoid reading anything about it (spoilers are everywhere), just see it.
All Of Us Strangers - A sleepy little film. Adam (Andrew Scott) lives in a near-empty tower block, his only company being his new boyfriend Harry (Paul Mescal) and visits to his childhood home, where somehow his parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy) are still living, the same age they were when they died during Adam's childhood. With their old-fashioned attitudes and being younger than Adam is now, he questions how much he ever really knew them. There are some interesting ideas, well explored, though it's a film in which not a lot actually happens.
The Holdovers - The concept didn't grab me - Paul Giamatti plays Paul, a grumpy professor, stuck minding a group of students over the holidays, including troubled Angus (Dominic Sessa), along with grieving school cook, Mary (Da'Vine Joy Randolph). But it's a surprisingly engaging watch, brilliantly written and acted, as the three lonely leads gradually come out of their shells, bond (or fail to) with one another and tackle (or fail to) their various inner demons. Well-judged comedy balances the more serious subject matter.
American Fiction - Monk (Jeffrey Wright) is a serious author. Frustrated at the media obsession that "black literature" has to mean street slang, drugs and gang violence, he writes a spoof "black" novel under a fake persona. Naturally everyone loves it as the next big thing, and the joke spirals way out of Monk's control. There's obvious comedy in the premise, though the film looks at more serious consequences too. The script is equal parts funny, smart, and scathing social commentary. I really enjoyed this.
The Zone of Interest - "The Zone of Disinterest", more like. The problem with contrasting the mundanity of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller)'s everyday lives with the horror of Höss's job, is we get a lot of mundane, everyday scenes. There are occasional moments of sharp relief - children watching burning chimneys or prisoner shootings, a death threat to a Polish servant; Höss idly working out how he'd gas a whole room; a striking flash-forward to the modern Auschwitsz museum - but, for the most part, the Holocaust is muffled sounds in the background. It's an intriguing concept, but doesn't realise its potential and is occasionally too artsy for its own good.
Bob Marley: One Love - I don't know much about Bob Marley, but Kingsley Ben-Adir seems to play him well in this biopic. Despite shootings, life in exile, creative struggles and a losing battle with cancer, this is, at heart, a feel-good film - thanks to Marley's irrepressible optimism and uplifting songs. It is, after all, about a man who believed he could unite the world through the power of music. That may be cheesy, but wouldn't it be nice if it were so?
Wicked Little Letters - When obscene letters arrive on the doormats of Edith Swan (Olivia Coleman) and other residents of Littlehampton, suspicion naturally falls on potty-mouthed Irish neighbour, Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). But PC Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) isn't so sure. There's not much mystery and few surprises to this very British black comedy, but that's not really the point. It's very funny, anti-establishment, full of entertaining characters, and features some truly outstanding swearing.
Dune: Part 2 - Part 1 was big, loud, epic and a tad impersonal. The same can be said of Part 2, but I felt a lot more engaged with this one. It's more character-driven, focussed on Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya), and - to a lesser extent - Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler). Liberties are taken with the book, but I was surprised how much the theme of religion, weaponised by the elite to control the masses, came through. Of course, the film is still mainly about spectacle, and the sound design is excellent, particularly the beat of the thumpers and the rumble of approaching sandworms. Definitely not one to wait for streaming - go see it in IMAX!
Little Miss Sunshine - I missed this 2006 comedy the first time round, but was glad I caught it on a random cinematic repeat. It's deceptively well-written, following an utterly dysfunctional family who we instinctively dislike every one of to begin with, and can't help but love them all by the end. A reminder not to judge too harshly until you've walked a mile in someone's shoes. Or, in this case, driven 700 miles with them in a clapped-out VW camper van with a broken clutch. Also a reminder that there is nothing in this world quite so creepy and wrong as American child beauty pageants.