Review: Waves

Seeing who was part of this project showed a lot of promise. With Trey Edward Shults at the helm who made the hidden gem Krisha and the very divisive It Comes At Night, I was hoping for another ideas driven feature.

But when I noticed Lucas Hedges was in the cast list, cries of 'Oscar bait' started to fill my head. Don't get me wrong, Hedges is a great actor that anyone would be proud to have him in their cast list. It's just that everything I see him in is the type of film you expect to fill the formula of a typical Oscar film. Plus, when he is part of one that is a genuine contender, it ends with little or no success.

After seeing the film, his appearance was quickly forgotten as there was much more to talk about.

This seemed to be a film of two halves. The first half was very effective. It covered interesting subjects such as America's push for perfection within its kids and the consequences of that. If moved along nicely, all the characters felt integral and I was caring a lot for what was happening. Especially when done parts felt like I could relate to them.

Then the film seemed to almost turn the opposite way in its tone and ideas. While I was fine with the subjects of grieving being the focus of the second half, the execution and paths it took was strange. It just ended up feeling like two totally different films by the end of it.

All the acting were of the biggest quality. There was a lot of passion in their performances and I think that will transcend well with audiences.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. continues to be a huge talent and his contribution to this film was very memorable. I was fascinated by the chemistry Sterling K. Brown's character, who also did a good job.

Taylor Russell's character showed great talent in her role and I hope to see her in more projects.

As for Hedges' contribution, it was fine. It was nothing exceptional. But it did the job and he hadxsome nice comical moments with Russell.

In terms of the craft, I noticed certain tropes in the cinematography that reminded me of the directors feature debut Krisha. With many 360 tracking shots, it was great to see this unique style back again. While I don't think it was as effective compared to Krisha, it was still nice to see.

As mentioned before, I could be cruel and call it pure 'Oscar bait' due to the subjects it's covering and that it has Lucas Hedges as part of its cast. But there was plenty of effective sequences that contained a lot ideas that can be discussed at length long after seeing this.

But I still the way the second half, it just seemed to slow the momentum down or take a tonal shift that just did not fully work for me. But I admire the ambitious structure vto the story and I still think people should check this out.

Rating: 7/10

Review: House Of Hummingbird

Portraying teenage adolescence to film can be generation defining when done right. This is what director Bora Kim is looking for is this particular project.

While the tone is pretty sad and bleak, this felt like a refreshing take on the coming-of-age genre.

Having that mix of discovering life, the central character finding her place in this world, finding her true friends whilst coping with the struggles of life at home

I was interested as to why they chose 1994 as the time period and to use real-life events within this story. It does make me suggest that the director might have lived what we saw on screen and make the story semi-autobiographical. 

The cast overall were pretty solid. But this all about Park Ji-Hu's performance as the lead. Park showed wisdom far beyond her years. I found it very relatable and tough to watch at times as I and people I know have had similar experiences at that age. By the way she was directed, I could tell this was a deeply personal story.

I feel that if you liked last year's film Eighth Grade, then I feel you will be as affected by this similar story. But told from an Asian perspective.

For me, I got a lot out of this and found this to be a memorable watch. It was probably a bit too bleak for my personal taste and it didn't feel as impactful as previous films within this genre.

But it was still worth my time and while the tone and pacing might not work for a mainstream audience, certain demographics will love this.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Atlantics

When I heard this was set in Senegal, I was intrigued to see this part of the world.

It's great seeing films like this to increase more awareness of countries like Senegal and put them into the spotlight.

As for the story, it felt a rather appropriate one. But the path they took was creative, ambitious and I feel they pulled it off for the most part.

As first it looked like it would be a Shakespearean romance drama. But then that eventually quashed as it went more Charles Dickens in fact with some added current topics that I have not seen often on film.

For me, this film was all about the strength of its ideas and the environment the story was playing out on.

The Senegalese coast definitely played its part. So I would say props to the cinematography for exploiting that.

The performances I don't think we're that exceptional. But they were pretty solid overall. Particular credit has to go to Mame Bineta Sane, who did a good job in the leading role. I hope to see all of the cast be put into further projects that get a big enough release to further push that awareness.

Only one negative to speak of. The main crux of the film did not feel fulfilled as I don't feel it never was fully explored.

But like I said, I admired the concept and the message the director went for. I thought it was pretty effective and it got my full attention once I got to grips with its story. It didn't quite feel like the total package as I feel there could have been a more thorough and satisfying final act. But what I got was a lot of potential from this cast and crew. Don't be surprised if their next project is an absolute showstopper.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Synonyms

It's hard to know where to start with this one because I'm not sure what I just watched.

While I could eventually find a story in here, the style of Nadav Lapid was just not for me, pure and simple.

It felt it was being spontaneous for the sake of it whilst telling a very important story that I would have liked to have seen explored a lot more.
At first, I thought the film was going for a political satire or even a Mel Brooks style farce. By the end, I had no idea what it was trying to be. I just think the tone and vibe just did not suit me at all.

I have to give credit however to Tom Mercier who gave a very committed performance. You could feel the energy he gave to his character and you can appreciate that whether or not you end up liking the film or not.

While I clearly was not a fan of the film, there is content in here to be appreciated.
As mentioned before, Mercier's performance shows what a talent he is and the themes of national identity and finding your place in this world was there to be explored.
The end result just wasn't for me I'm afraid. I can see this finding an audience and maybe doing better over time. Maybe on multiple viewings my view will change? But for now, it didn't work.


Rating: 6/10

Review: Calm With Horses

An Irish film with a lot of passion and energy in its tone is usually a safe bet for high quality storytelling within the film medium.

This one is another welcomed addition. Early on, you could feel a lot of hate and evil from the characters. That instantly puts you on edge and constantly having that feeling that something truly terrible is about to happen.

But it manages to not be too brutal in its imagery and therefore avoids making uncomfortable to watch. Even with all these nasty people on screen, there is a strong heart to this story that gives the viewer hope.

Giving that hope is lead actor Cosmo Jarvis. His characters mix of brute strength and neanderthal-like intelligence that felt very similar to Lenny from Of Mice And Men.

Jarvis was simply fantastic in this role. That feeling of a lost soul who is brainwashed and looking to do what's right for his family.

Barry Keoghan was a good support and continues to show how much of a talent he is.

There were also some nice bits of vintage Irish comedy every now and then to ease you from the evil goings on that are happening on screen.

Also, the cinematography was very noticeable. They really made the most of its environment and Irish landscape with some gorgeous looking backdrops.

I felt this to be a really strong piece of work with lots of energy. Seeing the journey Jarvis' character takes was great to watch and his performance sells the film.

This felt like a complete story and used the range emotions to tell it.

I must warn you, the Irish accents from the characters can be strong at times. There's an opening speech that will make you have to re-tune your hearing to understand. But after that, you should be fine with the dialogue.

Rating: 8/10

Review: A Hidden Life

I have a big love-hate relationship with any new Terrence Malick film. When Malick's good, he's excellent. The Thin Red Line is by far his best. But when Malick's not good, he can give spectacular imagery with not much narrative. Much like his recent projects such as The Tree Of Life, To The Wonder, Knight Of Cups and Song To Song.

While those can be a slog to get through, they are completely gorgeous to look at. That's all thanks to his regular cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. They are perfect film to have on in the background with the sound off during a classy party of some kind. Whether you think that's a good thing or not is up to you. 

This time, Malick doesn't have Lubezki this time. Instead we have Jorg Widmer, who is usually seen as a camera operator instead of head of cinematography.

Firstly, the transition felt seamless as it definitely had the look of a Malick film. With his latest film set in the hills of Austria, you have the most amazing backdrop to work with and virtually every shot looked like something I would have on my wall.

As for the story, this clearly has a narrative and is by far his most cohesive since The New World back in 2005. With it being based on true events certainly helps giving Malick some plot to work with.

Malick's style of storytelling is still there. That sense of being between awake and dreaming is still there and it can be quite a spiritual experience.

While I was enjoying what I was seeing from all aspects, the almost 3hrs duration did pull back my enjoyment.

It's was definitely too long and many sequences was enough to tell me that this should be closer to 2hrs.

The performances on the whole were pretty good. It was great seeing August Diehl again after only seeing him play a memorable minor role in Inglourious Basterds. He played the lead with a lot of believability and you can feel the risk his character was taking in order to stand up what he believes in.

His female counterpart played by Valerie Pachner have a wonderful performance for Diehl to bounce off. But in the end, I think it was her scenes without Diehl that made her stand out more.

Not much to say outside of the leads. But it was nice to see Matthias Schoenaerts make a small cameo.

It was to not only an enjoyable Terrence Malick film, but I'm confident that this will be loved by many.

His imagery still remains for me one of the strongest in the film industry and seeing the Austrian hills and mountains on the big screen was a feast for the eyes. Plus, the story was well executed and gave us a nice refreshing look at a World War II film from the enemies perspective.

Unfortunately as mentioned before, the over-long duration is preventing me from giving this an exceptional rating. Not only could I feel the length, it was clear to see what could have been taken out.

But personal preferences aside, I can see this film affecting people in a very powerful way.

Rating: 7/10

Review: The Cave (Documentary)

Films or documentaries about the siege of Syria look to be circulating more regularly. The ones I've seen so far have had differing Wats if approaching their respective project.

Some have made theirs with broad strokes and portraying the sweeping coverage of the event. Some have concentrated on one particular area or character to get a more personal and in-depth story. The latter has definitely been the more effective one.

This one may be the most impactful one yet as your right in the thick of the action with thus one.

It was incredible viewing to see a first hand account of this tragic event that ended up being brutal to watch.

With all that happening, you get to know about some of the doctors working in nightmarish environment.

Seeing the doctors reaction to what was happening around them was quite surreal. Still doing their job and having regular banter with the staff whilst effectively hell on earth is happening around them startled me.

The way the documentary developed the characters they were focusing on worked really well with the structure they went for and felt seamless while still providing incredible content.

I found this to be the best film that has covered the Syrian siege. From the terrifying opening shot, you feel you're a really there and as scared as the people on the screen.

The rawness of it is something you can not forcefully create. Everything was, natural, true, honest and that's what is going to get this film huge recognition from everyone.

It's sad that some people lost their lives making this film. But their contribution has contribution has certainly not gone unnoticed.

This a big contender within this genre for awards success and I can totally see why. A lot of recent films related to the siege of Syria have concentrated on a person's story, or give conventional structure of the events. This has the total package.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Monsoon

A film that can have a powerful opening shot can really set the tone. This one was quite the sight. With this taking place in Vietnam, traffic in its major cities are utter chaos. Especially with the Birdseye choice in camera shot, it was quite a spectacular way to begin the film.

After that, it's a bit of slow-paced drama with two interesting stories involving one central character.

Both ended up being rather interesting. On one side, you've got a lost soul looking into his own past as well as his elders history. The other is more of a romantic one that for me could be interpreted in many ways.

While the actual stories was solidly developed and throughly engaging, the real attraction for me was the sights and sounds of Vietnam. It truly showed what a country Vietnam is and the potential it has.

The strength of the cinematography really made that country a strong and integral character to this film.

Some people may feel the ending will feel incomplete given that the duration is a snappy 80 mins. While I do kind of agree with that, you can still find meaning to the actual ending that still makes this a rewarding watch.

After knowing absolutely nothing about this film, I found this to be rather entertaining. The way the story was told and the characters being very watchable really made me want to more about the characters and background to this story.

Plus, Vietnam was filmed so well that it pushed this country up my list for places that I want to go and see.

The short duration did leave me wanting more and like I said earlier, a part of me felt that this finished incomplete.

There is a more satisfying ending in there. Include that, and you've got yourself a strong hidden gem.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Ride Your Wave

Anime's that I particularly like are anything from Studio Ghibli, Mamoru Hosoda and Makoto Shinkai. Another that I'm starting to get into, Masaaki Yuasa. I saw his previous installment Lu Over The Wall a couple of years and enjoyed the quirkiness and it still managed to make it a very engaging story.

This one is definitely more of the same. The animation style is still pleasing to the eye. It's not immaculate in its detail. It's purposely jagged style seems to suit the tone that Yuasa puts into his projects.

When you get to grips with the strange and quirky aspect of the story, it's quite endearing especially when you can feel the committment the crew have put in and managing to make the audience accept this concept.

Along with the concept, it's extremely throughout. With many differing characters having different styles of humor, seeing them merging seamlessly was highly entertaining.

Also, the character development felt complete and thorough, even with the secondary characters.

No noticeable negatives to speak of. So it was just a matter of how strong the positives were.

I really enjoyed this. It's an absolutely crazy story. But when anime manages to make weird work, it is a pure joy to watch and is the reason why you watch anime.

This film has a lot of strong comedy, a lot of heart, memorable characters and solid and productive story development.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Children Of The Sea

Ever since introducing myself to Studio Ghibli, I've wanted to expand my knowledge of a genre that continues to grow in popularity.

I've always been amazed by this genre as no matter how crazy the concept sounds, it manages to work.

This one I think might have not quite hit the mark. Once again, this is an ambitious and outlandish concept and it starts off pretty well.

The characters and situation they were in was introduced well and moved along nicely with striking visuals.

Then towards the end, it seemed to get a bit lost with its visuals instead of concluding the story in a cohesive way. As spectacular as the visuals were, you need the story to keep the audience engaged.

Overall, I would say this was pretty decent on the whole. There was enough content in there for me to give it a pass. Most of the story works really well, the story was working with a few vintage anime style of comedy put in there. But there's enough notable flaws to somewhat see it as a missed opportunity, especially the over convoluted final act.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Portrait Of A Lady On Fire

I had been hearing a lot of positive buzz surrounding this film saying this is a solid contender for any foreign language success at the upcoming awards season.

Considering that it's a female lead film both in front and behind camera, this could do well, given the current climate.

After seeing it, I was highly impressed and affected by it.

It does play out like a slow-burner. But with the each little bit of added content put into the story, the investment in this story gradually builds. By the final act comes around, the build-up has been worth it as everything came together for a very strong and memorable pay-off.

The performances were very strong and integral to this slow-burner feel like gripping viewings.

It's mainly thanks to Noemie Merlant and Adele Haenel. The development they had together made it for a compelling story arch. You could really feel their emotions purely through their facial expressions and the risks their characters were taking in order to progress in life during a time that was hard to be successful.

Liana Bajrami has some scene-stealing moments and was added nicely into the mix of our leads whenever required.

The environment certainly played its part. With the accompanying wide angle shots, you had many large rooms and a wide landscape of coastal and beach backdrops to enhance every scene.

This for me was a very effective film, with strong characters and an atmospheric surrounding that helped elevate every bit of the story.

I rarely jump on the bandwagon on pushing for successful films about female empowerment, but this one certainly has me championing this film for that reason. It also examines the method of art within painting really effectively as well.

I wish this film every success comes awards season, because director Celine Sciamma and her team deserve it.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Matthias & Maxime

I'm usually unsure about a new Xavier Dolan film. They're sometimes good but also disappointing at the same time due to the high critical praise it received. But there are some that actually live up to the hype.

The opening felt really strong. I was enjoying the banter between the group of characters and the jokes they were playing on each other.

Then there was a portion of the film while it was mildly interesting, I don't think shifted the story further that much.

The rest of the film seemed to develop at a satisfactory pace with some fine moments.

The ending felt very conflicting to me as one scene would do one thing to inflict one of the main characters and then the complete opposite happens in the next scene as if the previous one never existed.

The performances were good overall by the entire cast. It was interesting Dolan himself play one of the main characters as he has did in the past and it was great seeing him back in front of the camera. His talents never cease to amaze us as he did a good job.

While I did mention about those conflicted moments, I thought the whole thing was passable enough.

It developed nicely enough, the film-making was perfectly fine and the performances were solid all-round.

In terms of re-watchability, it's pretty low as there was little content that I would look back at anytime soon.

A part of me is disappointed, as I know Dolan has made some films that I've really liked. The others are what I'm feeling with this latest project. I would recommend it to hardcore fans of Dolan. As for everyone else, there are plenty of better films out there with similar themes and tone.

Rating: 7/10

Review: White Snake

The Chinese film industry continues to grow and their animated films are certainly looking to develop as quickly as possible.

I remember seeing a very good Chinese animation a couple of years ago in the form of 'Big Fish & Begonia'. So I was curious to see what they've conjured up next.

The start look very promising which some striking imagery and a very pleasing animation voice that showcases some high-paced action that was very pleasing to the eye.
I was enjoying the animation and while the the story structure was something I'd seen, the execution of it was still making it very entertaining.

I was happy the animation style overall and I feel this could be the look Chinese animated films will have. Most of the background was very impressive. But while the design of the characters was perfectly fine, their movement at times looked dated. It was like watching an early Pixar film when I saw certain movements in the body or face. In this day an age, flaws like that in an animation will get picked on by many.

I rather enjoyed it on the whole. For the imagination, creativity, world-building, it was great to watch. Plus, the animation for the most part was very good.

As for the story. Again, the creativity was there in the dialogue in regards to the world-building. But there was something in the choice of story. Once it goes beyond the fantasy, a lot of it felt predictable. There was similarities in tone and vibe to American animations such as Shrek, The Little Mermaid and bits of Kung Fu Panda and Frozen. But this was done to a more simplified and uninspiring level.
I think this would be suitable family viewing and would be a nice insight for kids to check out some Chinese culture.

Rating: 7/10

Review: The Lighthouse

Since his directorial debut four years ago with The Witch, I and many other have been excited to see what Robert Eggers will conjure up next.

His surreal and psychological style to the horror is certainly a welcoming one as when it works, it's a type of horror that I am totally onboard with.

Plus, with the buzz and hype surrounding it already, my expectations were pretty high for this.

The story is definitely paying homage to those legendary stories you've heard of seaman telling that were probably overblown and exaggerated.

From the beginning, you can tell that Eggers has chosen a style and will stick to it. From the choice of filming in black and white, to the old school screen ratio, this directed with extreme detail.

Once you've got a small dose of the madness that is to come, you gradually embrace it and are in for the ride.

Both Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson were excellent in their roles both on their own and together. Dafoe really transformed into his role and made great use of his multiple long monologues he was given and worked the screen like only he can. The sea shanty type voice he had, sounded not far off the one he had as Green Goblin in Spider-Man.

Pattinson continues that life after Twilight has been good to him from a critical standpoint. The choices he makes in his projects in avecpaid and this could be his most successful one to date.

With this being a psychological horror and the director paying homage to similar films like The Shining, the environment has to be a character in itself.

I felt this was thoroughly utilised and really set the foundations for the nightmarish tone this film gave off.

Despite being more horror, there's actually a healthy amount of comedy in this. From the amusing visual set-pieces to back-and-forth between Pattinson and Dafoe, it got me laughing for a good amount.

While it was neither scary or disturbing, it was very weird. But in such an effective way.

The black & white colour palette and old school screen ratio was very effective and ideal for not just the setting, but the tone.

Pattinson and Dafoe may have put themselves in contention for the major awards and seeing their characters develop great to see.

The world that Eggers built was very impressive to see in its entirety and while I can't see it being as iconic as The Shining, this should be another popular addition to this horror subgenre.

Rating: 8/10

Review: I Lost My Body

It's not often we get animations that have more mature themes. It can be a surreal site for some as they usually associate this genre with kids and family.

This one is probably not suitable for kids due to some of the content. But even if it was, most of them might not understand it and it requires subtitles.

But for everyone else, this film definitely felt like a breathe of fresh air. If it was done in a linear format, most of it would be pretty formulaic. However, the way it ended up, made it for quite compelling viewing.

I liked how much of it was visual storytelling and how the animation seemed to suit the story. The style of the animation might not be breaking new grounds. But it definitely seemed to fit the narrative.

I thought the story was really sweet and yet sad and also poignant. It concentrates on some lost characters and their journey in this film was very watchable.

The ending might not be to everyone's taste. But I felt there was enough hints left in the film to make a good enough conclusion.

Not much else to say outside of the story and animation as there wasn't much budget given to this. So what lacked in production certainly was made up in storytelling.

The music by Dan Levy really added to the emotions and was rather striking at points.

I really enjoyed this. It was quite extraordinary seeing a rather strange story work so well and be very engaging. I don't think I've seen an animation that can produce such a heartfelt reaction.

This is a very accessible film and as far as I am aware, this is going on Netflix. So there's no excuse to discover this hidden gem.

Rating: 8/10

Review: System Crasher

To call this just a drama would be a misrepresentation.

From the very beginning, you are introduced to not only an utterly despicable character, but one that manages to keep you engaged.

As the film goes on, it's covering a number of topics in the most extreme way possible. It certainly got the message across with some incredibly aggressive acting style from a couple of actors in particular.

While the narrative does lose its structure towards the end, the content they're providing still makes intense viewing.

The performance by child actor by Helena Zengel is what makes this film tick. To make a character so bad and performing unforgivable acts and yet still find her highly engaging by the random acts of kindness she gives shows the potential she has. Plus, it can relate in the sympathy to some of the supporting characters.

There were also strong performances from supporting cast members Albrecht Schuch, Gabriela Schmeide and Lisa Hagmeister. Schuch especially had wonderful natural chemistry with Zengel throughout.

If I had to be cruel, I would say it's too long and they seemed to be repeating themselves with certain situations towards the end. But it only felt like a minor flaw and enjoyment levels were never affected.

I managed to find this really interesting, totally engaging and very powerful. The acting is terrific and youngster Zengel is putting on a power display of emotions in this film that has to be seen to be believed.

It might not naturally be your cup of tea. But if want something to really effect you, then I would give this a chance. Especially, if you are considering in going into specialized childcare of some kind.

Rating: 8/10

Review: The Candidate

Any political thriller always has the foundations of an exciting watch. Scandals in politics always seem to attract an audience as I guess subconsciously audiences like seeing people in high power have a fall from grace and drop down to their level.

While this one doesn't quite do that. There was still a story that you can definitely into.

That being said, it took a while for the film to actually explain itself and what the story was about. The images and dialogue might be suggesting to us where we're heading. But it didn't do it that much in my opinion. I did notice a lot of hand-held camerawork which looked really effective and it reminded of a more polished style of iconic Danish film Festen.

Once the story started to present itself, it was a pretty solid political thriller. It was developing nicely. There were a lot of characters to keep up with and I felt the film didn't present them well enough to tell each one apart.

There were however a couple of great set-pieces in the second half including a long one-take sequence and very creative car chase.

As for the ending, a part of me liked the ending being left open. But the other part of me didn't feel it deserved to end that way.

The lead played by Antonio De La Torre I felt was very believable and carried the film well. You could feel his characters passion, arrogance and natural ability within the profession that he is apart of. His style ramped up the pacing of the film quite well and made you feel the urgency.

The rest of the cast were all perfectly fine but nothing exceptional.

There was one memorable sequence from supporting actor Luis Zahera which got a couple of laughs from me and is one of the best comedic moments of the film.

Despite the opening act and other aspects feeling confusing for me, I think it was pretty enjoyable. In terms of the structure, it presented this subgenre in a different way which was somewhat refreshing. There were some nice moments in the second half that made it a tense experience.

However, there was definitely room for improvement. I think if maybe they were a bit more thorough in their content, I think it would've enhanced every aspect.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Marriage Story

From the start of the year, there had already been potential Oscar buzz for this one. So this has been firmly set in my diary for quite some time. So that air of expectation was riding on it shoulders.

Not only was it able to meet them, they exceeded in such a way that could make this a very popular watch for the masses.

The opening scene itself is a wonderful way to hook you in with these characters. It's almost to the degree of how Pixar animation 'Up' began. But on the other spectrum of emotions.
Then suddenly, they managed to flip that and we're away with the story.
With this particular type of story, you can see from so many perspectives which is a great quality for a film to have.
For me, I felt the story was gradually heart-breaking. Yet, it managed have pockets of some of the funniest moments I've seen in any film this year. The style of comedy was quite refreshing as it was almost screwball-like.
After all that, there was a pretty emotional that was executed so well and finished on a really strong note.

The acting was high-quality all-round.
It was great seeing Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson not just lead the movie well together, but show great range. There's enough to show Driver do something that we rarely see him do. That includes one scene that pretty much puts him in the ring for any future film musical projects. As for Johansson, we don't see her lead a film that often. But it was good to see her remind us that she can still do that and just be part of an ensemble.

Laura Dern was great and possibly stole the show as this ruthless character who I just hated to the core. I wouldn't be surprised if that performance might put her in the ring for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars.
Kid actor Azhy Robertson did a great job and was directed well by Noah Baumbach. Crucially, he showed the right amount of innocence to not be annoying, as that can sometimes happen with child actors.
I have to give a mention to Julie Hagerty who was wonderfully silly in her comedic relief role. A real scene-stealer whenever she was on screen.
There were also a couple of nice surprises from experienced actors playing small roles such as an almost unrecognisable Ray Liotta and Wallace Shawn.

The writing by director Baumbach made the film for me. It was creative, adventurous, never afraid to go a little over the top and yet knew where to tug at the heart strings. It constantly showed great variety and never made the film boring for a single minute.

Only negative I wanted to mention, was that one part of the story was quickly covered in an unexpectedly abrupt way. It was as if they had a duration time already agreed and they had to cut something down in order to make it fit.

That being said, this was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

It's amazing how this film can make you heartbroken, unsettled, angry and laugh hysterically in virtually a minute. This film can really use all of the emotions in a story that plenty of people can relate to.
As mentioned before, the performances and writing are top notch and the story kept me completely invested from start to finish. I think secretly think that the opening scene was the key is setting us up for the ride.

This will be this generations Kramer vs. Kramer.

Rating: 8/10