Reviews

As far as coming of age stories go, 'Coda' is one of the best I've seen in a long time. It certainly has the cliche elements of a story that involves someone finding their identity, but the way the film truly focuses on heartfelt themes like family, love and friendship is the key to the success this film has garnered since it's August release last year.

I am writing this at the time of its recent awards success (BAFTA and SAG awards) and the supporting actor winner for Troy Kotsur really was deserved for the uniqueness of his performance. He evokes humour, love and passion throughout the film and all that is made even more incredible due to him being deaf. Emilia Jones as the central character Ruby was equally as good, she will be a fine actress no doubt and her music tutor Mr Villalobos played brilliantly by Eugenio Derbez was a hilarious gem consistently throughout.

Likewise, the score by Marius De Vries compliments the film perfectly. The various tracks produce a variety of feelings that elevate your emotions towards the characters. It's exactly what a soundtrack should do and it played a major part in me loving this film as much as a I did.

As most films though, it's not perfect. Perhaps it is predictable come the end, but it's narrative is simple and for me it works well. It was slamming any message down your throats, it's a film you can just observe and learn from, as films should make you feel.

A really enjoyable film with many memorable moments, I'm so glad to see it doing well in awards season and while it might be a long shot for Best Picture, you just never know.

The most pleasing aspect of this iteration of the famous comic character, is I think director Matt Reeves provides a story that focuses on the best qualities of the Batman, the detective. It's not a theme that has been succinctly explored on screen before with this character, which I think will please any type of cinema goer when they watch this.

I loved the blend of genres that the narrative uses, the horror and crime tropes both working hand in hand to delightful effect as the films noir-ish atmosphere had such an immersive impact on my experience watching it. 'Se7en' was a film that was definitely referred too during production because the similarities were so apparent. The 'noir' elements of the film were my favourites, worked so well.

However the outstanding positive from the film was Greg Fraser's cinematography, simply beautiful art. The intimate close ups, the pristine landscape of Gotham and the gorgeous colour palette all shot with Fraser's expertise.

Performances were all to a great standard. Pattison's portrayal suited this film and its theme really well. His voice, persona was typical of the character, but I'd love to see his Batman again. Zoe Kravitz was a great Catwoman, Paul Dano was typically excellent as the Riddler and Colin Farrell was AMAZING as the Penguin, such an underrated actor.

An excellent film that excelled in many aspects. Can't wait too see more, while it might not be anywhere near The Dark Knight, it still provides high levels of entertainment that left me wanting more.

LA Confidential is as brilliant as you perhaps expect it is. From the thrilling screenplay to the aesthetically pleasing cinematography, there is a lot to like about this 90's noir showpiece

The performances from all involved are brilliant. I particularly enjoyed Russell Crowe's intense and ferocious portrayal of Bud White, while Guy Pearce provided the intelligent and calculated base to play Edmund Exley, and finally Kevin Spacey brought the sly and wise humour that embodies his character Jack Vincessens. These are all heavyweight actors who all produce a career best performance, they all bring something richly different to a heavy narrative that requires attention. Couple these with the psychotic nature of Cromwell's character, Dudley Smith, and this film has about just everything a detective narrative needs. Kim Basinger's performance alone is great

The screenplay from Brian Hegeland and Curtis Hanson is perfect, a very precisely told neo-noir story that has its twists and turns placed brilliantly.

This is an essential noir film to watch, it's paced very well too meaning the runtime rarely drags, a brilliant film from Curtis Hanson.

This may not go down as one of Fincher's greatest achievements and the Swedish version may also be revered in higher regard, but there's lot to enjoy still.

The performances from all involved are exactly what you'd expect, the film has top class actors, Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer and Stellan Skarsgaard. But it's Mara's performance that captivated my attention throughout the film, she is excellent as Lisburn Salander, the troubled computer hacker whom Criag's character, Mikael, hires to assist with the investigation. She brings a quite intensity that slowly builds up as the film progresses, leading to a climax I thought reflected her whole journey in the film.

The performances are aided by a solid script from Steven Zaillian. Usually this is the case with Fincher's films, think of Fight Club and The Social Network as prime examples. The cinematography from Jeff Cronanweth is equally immersive as he manages to stylistically combine the dull Scandinavian landscapes with the films menacing narrative.

The films pacing is perhaps the consistent Achilles heel, particularly in the opening half of the film, but overall it wasn't a huge distraction

I truly enjoyed this adaptation, Fincher is without one of the great American filmmakers there has been, while this won't stand at the top, it can still be appreciated and stand alongside others in his ever growing filmmaking memoir.

A documentary that isn't spectacular in its execution, however it's subject matter is mind boggling throughout. Some very integral life lessons to be learnt when watching it. Just staggering what goes on in this world. A riveting watch.

Belfast (2022) dir. By Kenneth Branagh. 4/5

Films don't get more charming than Belfast.

Virtually from the outset, I knew I was going to have a pleasant time watching this and that's exactly what it was. The black and white cinematography (shot by Haris Zambarloukos) is gorgeous and immersive as it captures the raw emotion of national conflict as well as the inner comradeship of community and family spirit. This choice of filmmaking is perfect for its time period and highlights Kenneth Branagh's resonance to the narrative.

The performances are heartfelt and enlightening. The film's central character, Buddy, is play with complete heart and delight by young Jude Hill who is joined superbly by Jamie Dornan (Pa) Caitriona Balfe (Ma) Ciaran Hinds (Pop) and the always endearing Judi Dench (Granny). All excel and create the perfect family dynamic, despite the troubles they all face.

Some scenes were perhaps slightly overdramatised and weren't needed in my eyes, but this didn't detract from the overall story that was told.

This is a film that is extremely close to Branagh's heart and I'm so glad he's made this. It's a film containing arguably the most contentious time in Northern Irish history but that is the backdrop for what is a heartwarming tale of love, hope and togetherness, but also of the Irish spirit of its people. Very enjoyable. Guinness anyone?

After becoming slightly disillusioned by most of the Marvel TV shows thus far, WandaVision being the only one I truly liked, I wasn't expecting much from Hawkeye.

But I'm glad I didn't expect much because I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this 6-part series. The characters firstly are more likeable as the show progress. The relationship that Barton and Kate forge never gets annoying in any way, there both very entertaining and humorous to watch on screen. Hailee Steinfeld was an excellent casting decision for Kate, she is brilliant. Add in Yelena and the cutest dog in TV history and this show had me in.

The action is typical Marvel, over the top but extremely satisfying. Hawkeye's use of stylistic precision with his arrows has always been a favourite of mine and adding Kate's talents also makes for a great watch. I liked the various genres each episode employs. Thriller/Mystery, Action and adventure dominant in relation to genre and that fitted perfectly with the narrative that was forming through each episode.

Introducing the Echo character, as well as bringing Kingpin into the MCU again brings more questions into the mix. But Hawkeye makes new ground for new characters which forwards the never-ending Marvel story, this was a solid show that kept my attention better than others.

There's so much to admire about this film that is plain to see. It's an historical mission in the timeline of the Second World War that is brought to life by Christopher Nolan's monumental filmmaking.

The cinematography from Hoyte van Hoytema is truly exceptional and beyond realism in stages. The camerawork was so immersive that it made the viewing experience considerably riveting. The shot of the solider lying down as the bomb explosions came nearer and nearer to him is arguably the best shot in war film history. Incredible filmmaking from one of cinemas mighty directors.

People may criticise the film for whatever reason, but Dunkirk is a masterful film that will be appreciated the more you watch it. I still consider The Dark Knight Nolan's Everest. But Dunkirk has climbed high.

A very impactful film that informs and entertains in equal parts. Cumberbatch gives an outstanding performance as the mathematician Alan Turing. He completely transforms into this troubled but intelligent man. An outstandingly good performance from one of the many GREAT actors working today.

Notable also are the performances from the supporting, especially Kiera Knightly who gives a warming and sympathetic portrayal of Joan that supports Alan during the enigma breaking process as well as personal troubles.

The script compelled me throughout, mixing elements of the thriller and drama genres into one. It's a very fascinating film and the script is an important cog in the machine here, excuse the pun.

An exhilarating watch and a story that needs attention for many reasons. What a remarkable man Alan was.

Classic Noir. Loved the mystery and thrill of the world that Huston creates.

Bogart is at his brilliant best with superb supporting performances, particularly from Peter Lorre.

Exquisite film in many regards. Part of the supreme library of Noir collection.

It is safe to say, 'The Social Network' is one of the greatest cinematic feats in recent memory, certainly one of the best films of the 2010's. I found virtually everything in the film perfect from the performances, the rich sound design and the impeccable script from Aaron Sorkin.

David Fincher did a tremendous job with his direction here. He nailed every scene and made it very coherent throughout. The narrative is simple to follow, but Fincher made it dramatic and thrilling just when It needed to be.

As stated just, the performances from all major cast members are spot on. However, Andrew Garfield's as Eduardo Saverin (Zuckerburg's business parter) is my standout favourite. Garfield is such an underrated actor and brought a level of intensity that elevated the film to it's peak. Eissenberg was comparatively brilliant as Mark Zuckerburg himself, adding that evil genius charm and effortless precision that made him so perfect for that role.

The performances were made extra special by the outstanding writing of screenwriter, Aaron Sorkin. Sorkin's words just compelled me throughout in every scene. He makes normal conversations even more engaging and his fast-paced style just blew my mind.

Technically also, this film hits the heights. The sound design from Ren Kylce, as well as the music from score veterans Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross make the film not only visually enthralling but also tremendously captivating from an audible standpoint.

"It is No 1 because it's the best, that's all! It crushes all the competition,". This is what Quentin Tarantino said on 'The Social Network' being one of the best films of the 2010's. There are other arguments for whether that's true, but this is modern filmmaking at it's finest.

One of cinema's iconic films. Significant for many genres including the Romantic comedy and screwball comedy.

Masterful direction from Capra, and two of the best performances from Gable and Colbert.

And one of only three films to ever win all five major Oscar awards. Say no more.

As far as directorial debuts go, Maggie Gyllenhaal can be extremely satisfied with her efforts her.

I didn't think at first, this was going to be a film I would be able to stick with, I can't really relate to its subject matter but that soon changed. The empathy of the performances, for one, are what gravitated towards me. Olivia Coleman stars in the leading role as always. Her coherence on screen is impeccable, she really makes the audience feel for her with everything she says and does here. But more so, Irish actress Jessie Buckley gave my favourite performance as a younger version of Coleman's character Leda. Jessie gave such an effortless and composed acting performance here. She highlighted the true struggles of being a single mother, one I'm sure many can relate too. She's very much a star in the making.

The writing as well from Maggie Gyllenhaal aided the narrative so well as it have that personal story from the characters. This is essentially a real life character study that as said before, many will be able to draw comparisons with. The landscape of Italy was used just right for production as well. It wasn't overused or emphasised in any big way. It was appreciated in the right ways for the narrative to progress.

I have expectations that this will do well come awards season. Honestly this is a very impressive first debut, very much looking forward to what Maggie does next.

Get to straight away, I loved this film. It certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I had a great time with virtually all aspects of 'In Bruges'

The chemistry between Brendan Gleeson (Ken) and Colin Farrell's (Ray) characters really makes this an enjoyable watch. Their banter back and forth is humorous, albeit very dark throughout. But this comes from the fantastic script, written by director Martin McDonagh. It's a very well put together dark comedy that isn't afraid to say what it says, which I admire, especially in today's society.

Performances were consistent from all. Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes are both classy experienced actors, as is Colin Farrell, but Farrell's performance was my particular favourite. You never know what he's going to do next, his persona is mysterious and hilarious, and his acting makes for great viewing.

A really underrated film. It's of course not a perfect one, but there's a lot to enjoy here, superbly done.

Films like this show the exact strength that lies within independent cinema. A simple unique narrative told in precise ways that showcase the director's creative intentions. This is indie cinema.

The performance from Rachael Sennott is brilliant from minute one. She spends the majority of the film crawling in her own skin at each passing event, but her acting is that infectious and believable, that it certainly made me feel the same way. A strong performance from her. One to watch out for.

The same can be said for director Emma Seligman, who makes her feature film debut. Her direction accompanies the narrative excellently. Specific camera shots and movements perfectly illustrate the awkwardness on screen. The latter part of the film became slightly repetitive, but overall, this is a strong, solid debut feature.

But I just loved the simplicity of the film and its execution worked very well. The tension is palpable throughout, which is heightened by the effortless score, by Ariel Marx, the writing is again simple in its form but accompanies everything so well, and the length and pacing of the film is just right. 1hr 10ish minutes spent well.

I also particularly loved Polly Draper's performance as Rachael's character's Mom.

I really enjoyed this and it's a great reminder of the strengths that lie outside the big studio bubbles. There's some astounding creative minds out there, Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott are two of those here.

Nobody (2021) dir. Ilya Naishuller. 3/5

The action-thriller sub genre is one of my favourites in film. It's my thing and you cannot beat a well crafted action sequence, ideally one that realistic. But 'Nobody' can be added to the many action thrillers I've seen that entertained.

It takes many tropes from the 'John Wick' universe, most notably the violence, and adds Bob Odenkirk as a less stylised version of Wick himself. This is co-produced by David Leitch who is a major part of the creation of the John Wick films, thus explaining its similarities to them. Yes in parts the action is not as realistic as it should be, but that does not take away the pure entertainment I had witnessing it. The final sequence in particular was extremely well done.

Performances were fine, nothing tremendous, but it's was nice to see a different acting side to Bob Odenkirk, given he is mostly known for his comedic role as Saul Goodman in 'Breaking Bad' and 'Better Call Saul'.

The film did suffer from many cliches though. Your typical Russian gangster as the protagonist, a cheesy script and weak one liners. Therefore the originality wasn't there, so it won't stand out from similar films that you've seen before.

It was an entertaining watch, but it's difficult to say anything more than that. Being as there was virtually no originality or creativity, this is essentially John Wick without the style.

No matter how insane you think Wes Anderson films are, there is no doubt they are an enjoyable watch in some way, and 'The French Dispatch' is no different. It is the perfect definition of a 'Wes Anderson film'.

The rich, unique cinematography and beautifully crafted production design are always the standouts throughout his films and the both are used to precise effect here. From the streets of France to the magazines bureau offices, every shot is meticulous in its execution to build the world that is mesmerising to behold.

The narrative is simple to follow as it is cut into three sections, representing three articles written for the magazine, 'The French Dispatch', and they are all entertaining and humorous, if not slightly slow in parts.

The writing from Wes is excellent with, again, an emphasis on detail to aid each story and the characters involved. Performances from an ensemble cast are all on top form, I particularly liked Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand and Ley Seydoux' performances, but credit to all.

A double feature viewing of this and Grand Budapest will have to happen to determine my favourite, but this is Wes' most ambitious film to date, and I loved it.

There will be no surprise here that Encanto is not the best film I've seen this year, but it is exactly what you would expect. A fun, enjoyable Disney adventure that does what it needs to do.

Disney have the perfect formula for their films, they consistently churn out well crafted films that focus on various cultures that then become part of the Disney world. In this instance, the mountains of Columbia dazzle on screen with the beautiful booming colour palettes that encapsulate the family feel of the film.

The many songs, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, are catchy and entertaining as you'd expect, again aiding the narrative in just the right places. Even if I don't feel the songs will be very memorable, they did the job.

It also echoed shades of 'Coco' for me, probably through its narrative and the cultural aspects. Both are individual films so it wouldn't be right to compare but that was something I kept revisiting in my mind watching this.

Encanto does it's job, it doesn't wow me in any way and isn't amongst Disney's greatest achievement, but it sets out what it aimed to do and that's just about right.

On Disney+ now. So see for yourself.

The star-studded ensemble that has driven the hype for 'Don't Look Up' teases an intriguing viewing, however what I was left with was an anti-climatic mix bag that I don't feel achieved much.

The performances, first and foremost, from Leo DiCaprio and a return to the screen for Jennifer Lawrence were both very good and were the films best quality. Both supreme actors but a poor script let the film down in many ways.

The subject matter is a serious one, but also extremely relevant to today's matters and that's the point of it. But the satirical jokes downplay the narrative and lessen the impact it had on me. The aim of satire is to make you go away and think about what you've seen, but that was the furtherest feeling away come the end. But there were moments of humour that hit, partly because of the talent of the acting.

The political aspects of the film were just there for effect I thought and never had any logical points to aid the film. It just highlighted the divisions that are currently happening in American politics and never did anything remotely impactful to bridge that gap.

'Don't Look Up' promised a lot and delivered very little. Performances aside, this is a film that has a shelf life as long as the comet in it, 6 months and it'll be on the back burner.

As a person who isn't a huge fan of musicals or musical theatre adaptations, I had hope that I would enjoy this, mainly because of Lin Manuel Miranda, who did an unbelievably good job with 'Hamilton'. The result was an excellent, heart warming tale of passion and love for the arts, filled with catchy tunes and led by a terrific lead performance from Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson.

The mainstay of any musical is the songs, which seems obvious, but the closeness of the tunes and the narrative are the key as they both tell the story either in song or spoken word. "30/90", "Johnny can't decide" and "Come to your senses" we're personal favourites, but all the songs show the true talent that Larson had, and alongside the screenplay by Steven Levenson, the films message is clearly communicated.

No surprise to that Andrew Garfield absolutely brings his A game to this role. From the costume, to the singing, he gives arguably his career best performance, there's just nothing negative to say about him. The best compliment to pay him would be that he gave the most fitting tribute to the man the film is based on.

It's a strong first directorial debut from Lin Manuel Miranda, whose stock will only continue to rise. The only possible fault I could aim at the film was that the overall narrative possibly lacked originality, any musical theatre fan may argue they've seen similar productions beforehand.

But this is such an enlightening film, one that will definitely delight audiences for its touching subject. Solid.

It may not be many people's top film of this year, but there is no doubt a lot to admire about Spencer.

The performance, firstly, from Kristen Stewart as Lady Diana is quite remarkable. I'd imagine it's extremely tough for a British actress to play that role, so for an American to do it so well, clearly highlights Kristen's acting qualities. She embodies Diana's damaging psyche as she cuts herself away from royal life, and in turn, creates a unique, albeit sad, character study on one of the worlds most famous women.

Sally Hawkins, as royal dresser Maggie, and Timothy Spall, as Major Alistair Gregory, both give extremely strong supporting performances also. An acting masterclass would sound about right.

Beautiful cinematography is on display throughout. DP (director of photography) Claire Mathon excellently captures the murky English countryside and the elegance of the Sandringham estate. A very consuming style of cinematography that made this film more appealing to me. Furthermore, the score by Jonny Greenwood perfectly accompanies Diana on her journey through the film. It has horror style tones to it that would match the mood the narrative is trying to make. Very unique.

Perhaps my downside would be that the film's pace lacks and became slightly tiresome in parts. It's not a film that has a typical cliche narrative to it, but I knew this going in. Nonetheless though, a strong film.

Not all will be a fan, but I liked Spencer a lot and give huge praise to Pablo Larrain for creating a beautiful character study that focuses on mental frailty with no close support, an important focus still to this day.

Sure it'll have the awards buzz behind it.

N terms of the best entertainment I've had watching any film this year, this would win hands down. My interest in the Marvel phenomena has definitely dwindled post-Endgame and while I have enjoyed some of the Disney+ shows, the hype for this needed to deliver.

The entertainment levels are consistent throughout and it makes the experience even more engaging as the film goes on. The action sequences, the chemistry, the humour all add to the experience.

The fan service is what this film is about, but it's narrative (involving the multiverse) makes complete sense for the trajectory of the franchise , it wasn't just thrown in for nostalgic purposes. And there was an interesting climax that adds further questions to an already complex narrative. Watch this space.

Marvel delivered on a lot of levels here, it was just a great watch from start to finish. No doubt my favourite Spider-Man there's been for a long while, and just Marvel film since Endgame.

Highly recommended. Enjoy.

A very mixed bag sort of film, is the best way I can describe The Power of the Dog.

The first notable point to make is how strong the performances are from the cast. Benedict Cumberbatch, in which the film is centred around, provides the perfect showing as Phil Burbank, a domineering rancher who is very set in his way of doing things. Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons both add strong supporting performances too, and a mention for Kodi Smith-McPhee who plays a very complicated character but shines in his execution of it.

Jane Campion's direction stood out also, the choice of various shots throughout made the film appear stunning through its vast production design, no unnecessary CG or VFX work. Her choices for certain character developments is interesting and makes the final third of the film particularly intriguing. And the score, by Jonny Greenwood, matches the films tone just right.

However, the biggest distraction that was noticeable throughout, was the pacing. If you don't like slow moving films, then it's highly likely you won't like this, as the narrative doesn't make for fast action or thrill seeking moments. It's a very slow film that requires patience and that did become tiresome eventually. So one to bear in mind if you do think of watching this.

Overall, I felt The Power of the Dog was a fine film that can be appreciated many ways. Yes it has its flaws but it balances itself out. I'm certainly not surprised by its critical acclaim that it has received recently and I'm sure that trend will continue.

A film that isn't drastically different from the Netflix formula when it comes to their action palette, but it's certainly a film that entertains and does what it has to do.

The chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds does take it time to get going, but they both complement each other's talents and provide a solid outing as the films driving force. Ryan's quick witted humour is very unique and that is used to the films advantage, the writing from a comedic element hits well.

There's no doubt the action is central to the film's core and I expected it to be as entertaining as it was. The set pieces were well done and the masquerade scene is a particularly one to look out for.

But the film does suffer from consistent cliches that make the narrative predictable and lazy in areas. Besides the comedic aspects, the writing is ordinary and doesn't do much to enhance the narrative.

Nothing you haven't seen before from Netflix from a narrative point of view, but it's a good Friday night watch, and for most, that'll do.

The best way to describe Dune is that it is a spectacle, and an enjoyable one at that. It's a film meant for the big screen, which is certainly a positive for the industry itself.

The film is certainly entertaining, there's no doubt about that. The many action scenes are fun to watch, engaging too. What Denis Villeneuve does best in almost all his films, his keep the tension at a high level, which is one of Dune's strengths, he's a master at it. The cinematography again builds the world of Arrakis in a unique way, cinematographer Greig Fraser deserves praise for that. The CGI also isn't overused and doesn't affect the narrative in annoying ways.

I didn't know anything about the novels going so it takes time to get used to the world, meaning that film can be too slow in parts and may pass you by, but eventually it clicks.

The films a spectacle which impressed me, Timothee Chalamet was a good lead, but Jason Momoa and Oscar Isaac gave standout performances. An amazing ensemble.

Look forward to part 2, definitely recommend seeing it in cinemas. A blockbuster in the truest sense.

4/5.