Review: Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris

There are usually several films aimed at an older audience being released each year. But it's not often I see one with such joy and happiness.

With a strong and likable cast also involved, I was excited to see how much of a delight could this be.

It's a winnable, simple and unchallenging story that general audiences will instantly like with relatable goals for our main character who is also easy to root for.

With the trailer suggesting a heavy number of lavish costumes, the imagery is most definitely pleasing on the eye.

With the tone giving off a charming and harmless vibe, you feel in a safe place and are enjoying the experience.

Lesley Manville in the lead is great as always. The presence she has on-screen is strong and utterly charming and you just want her to succeed.

It was great seeing Isabelle Huppert in something like this as her experience of being in more serious films worked to her advantage with the character she was playing.

Lambert Wilson had such comfort in his performance and had such sweet chemistry with Manville. I also like the energy Ellen Thomas gave it is always seeing Jason Isaacs be part of an ensemble cast.

The colour palette is largely bright and soft and that help the many glamourous costumes shine on screen for it to be the films strongest aspect.

I could be harsh and say that the film was never challenging and some of the coincidental moments were overused at times. But not every film needs to test you. Sometimes you just need something simple to lift your mood and make you smile and that's what this film does best.

It's a lot of fun with plenty of likable people on screen and a story with relatable themes that is well structured. It's like eating your favourite snack. You exactly how it will taste, but you still enjoy it and feel satisfied.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Hocus Pocus 2

Even though this is unfortunately not getting a cinematic release, my excitement remained at an all-time high for this long-awaited sequel of this popular modern family classic. So apologise if my review sounds like I'm gushing all over this.

I have always said that the first 'Hocus Pocus' is the best Halloween film for kids. It's a lot of fun, exciting, has a good amount of energy, has the right amount of horror to not put the kids off it and just makes you smile.

The love for the 1993 original seems to have grown over time as people from my generation have expressed our enjoyment of it through social media and future generations continue to discover it. So the demand for a sequel was becoming more and more warranted.

As usual, I have avoided any kind of promotion so I can experience it in full. With the excitement comes the caution as sequels from 80's or 90's originals have a low success rate. But like with something like 'Top Gun: Maverick' I knew that in the right hands if they committed to the concept rather than try and make it contemporary to keep the interest of modern audiences, then this could be as fun as the original.

There is a promising start that will certainly engage the fans of the original and while the structure as a whole is very familiar, it still never felt like cash grab. There was enough to keep the story going while paying homage to its predecessor which is fine as that is the reason why this film finally exists.

The action isn't really as physical as before. But as a few of our stars are a bit seasoned now, some of the changes that they made to accommodate that never made the film drag for me. The 'fish out of water' concept was well utilised again with encounters with new technology managing to also be call backs to memorable moments from the original which impressed me.

The finale is certainly the film's high point as there is one moment that will get the fans emotional. It certainly caught me off guard. It left me very satisfied, and I think it will get a strong positive response with other loyal members of the fandom also.

Seeing the trio of Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker was just great. They have not lost their touch, charisma or chemistry and Midler in particular can still put on a great show. But she also gave her character some depth which surprised me and it worked really well. It never felt they were phoning it in. It felt like they wanted to give something back to the fans which was wholly satisfying. It was also great seeing Doug Jones return. Jones is someone that does not get enough credit from people outside of the industry. You probably don't realise how much work Jones has done and his signature physical acting was put to good use once again.

As for the new cast, they weren't as instantly likable, enigmatic or as well written as the ones from the original. But they did a perfectly functional job to help the story move along and were thankfully never annoying.

It was great seeing parts of the original locations used and bringing back John Debney for that memorable score to be put to use once again. Some parts did look a bit too polished, too much like a set and never felt as dirty or authentic as its predecessor. The pacing is solid but could have been a bit more rampant to give it some adrenaline. The slightly longer running time doesn't help.

Other minor negatives to speak of was that the stakes never felt that big or consequential. I'm not totally surprised at this as Disney don't try to make things too scary or risky these days. So there was a sense of the film-makers being afraid to be edge and it's most noticeable in the script.

But that being said, the fun factor and energy is still there and despite its flaws I had a blast watching this. There is enough of a story that you can appreciate that it's trying to be its own thing and give this film a purpose whilst paying homage. It's not game chaning and it doesn't have to be.

As a fan, it was great to see the gang bang together. While some of the nods, call backs and gags didn't all work, they largely were well executed. For non-fans, I feel this will remain a pleasurable watch. It does a good job celebrating its legacy and never tarnishing it. The emotional and highly satisfying finale proved that they were basically saying thank you to the fans for celebrating the original for so long.

I really hope I'm not the minority as I try to avoid seeing beloved projects through tinted eyes. But I think as a film it's perfectly fine with some nice moments that anyone can be invested in. But this will clearly satisfy the fans.

I must mention that there is a post credits scene. It's hard to not give a hint without spoiling it. So that's all say about it. It's there for you to discover yourself.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Blonde

Not only do I love films, but I always look into the history of film and some of its pioneers. Marilyn Monroe is something else entirely. While she was a pioneer of sorts, Monroe's story fits closer to more like the celebrities we have these days.

For me as an actor, Monroe was under appreciated as she was more than just a ditsy blonde. You can tell she wanted to branch out and push boundaries. But there wasn't enough interest from the studios casting her for anything other than comedic relief or simply being a pretty face.

It amazes me that Monroe is still very much loved, and it is a shame that she is not around to know that her legacy lives on.

When I heard about this film being made and some of the people that were part of this project, I was very excited to see what would come of it.

I was certainly not prepared for this. I knew Monroe's life had dark parts to it. But director Andrew Dominik decided to fully concentrate on those parts and make it largely down beat and grim. Sometimes even shocking, dark and gruesome.

There are some amazing reconstructions of famous moments in her life whether from film footage or photographs. There were honestly times where I couldn't tell if it was archive footage or something that was shot for the film. The production team have done a grand job and it deserved to be applauded.

The content and some of the pacing gets pretty full on in so many ways. From the graphic imagery to the camerawork making you feel like you are crammed in with a large uncontrollable crowd, you are most likely to feel mentally exhausted afterwards.

There is a scene in the final act that I felt really uncomfortable watching and that is rare for me to feel like that. I get what they were doing. But I'm not sure if it needed to be on screen for that long. That scene may put some people off.

It's interesting that Andrew Dominik was directing this as he also did 'The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford' which is an effective slow-burner about the perils of fame and explores why we are obsessed with celebrities. This clearly has his touch. However, the pacing is very different.

It actually plays out more like a psychological horror which I was not expecting. It has themes of childhood trauma and it being revisited in adulthood. There are many unsettling and nightmarish sequences that would sit well with a David Lynch or Darren Aronofsky feature.

You can partially see aspects of media's abuse of the celebrity culture. But it is psychological more than anything else.

Ana De Armas gives another great performance and truly transforms into the Hollywood icon. The mannerisms, the voice and just the looks De Armas gives really shows that she has done the work and given it everything to make us believe we are seeing Monroe and not De Armas. I have been a big fan of hers ever since I first saw her in Blade Runner 2049. It is only a matter of time before she receives a major award for something. If this performance was not on this level, then I fear this film would not work.

The only other performances that I felt were worth mentioning were Xavier Samuel and Evan Williams, whose chemistry with De Armas gave the only bit of brightness to the story.

The overall production is pretty phenomenal. As mentioned before, it looks fantastic. The recreation of some iconic moments are flawless. I actually forgot for the most part that it changed between 'black and white' and 'colour' on screen as well as changes to the aspect ratio to make it line with the time period.

The score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is wonderfully haunting and reminded me of Angelo Badalamenti's work for 'Mulholland Drive' or Hildur Gudnadottir's music for 'Joker'.

Now after seeing it, I think this film will be a tough sell for a general audience. When the mainstream thinks of Monroe, they imagine glitz and glamour. This is far from it. It focuses on a particular aspect of her life and it is the gloomy, unsettling, abusive and nightmarish part with additions that are based on rumours. There is a barely anything to feel-good about. What it does have however is a strong performance by De Armas and eye-catching visuals and camerawork that make it extremely immersive.

A recent similarity could be 'Spencer'. However, that at least had some empathy. I could even say this would make a great companion piece with 'Joker'.

There is a lot to like from a production standpoint as well as De Armas' performance. But I cannot quite move into an exceptional rating as the almost 3hrs runtime just made it a bit too much doom and gloom for me. It did get repetitive at times with certain scenes and it would have been to have some hope. So I am currently conflicted. I could possibly appreciate it more over time now that I know what to expect. But all I will say is that this will be a divisive film. 

I think the important thing going into it is knowing what kind of film it is supposed to be and which piece of reference the director is basing the film on. This is a fictionalised biopic. So if you want to see something purely based on truth and facts, I would recommend looking for one of the many documentaries about Monroe.

However, if you don't mind having some additions that aren't necessarily true, then you'll have something that is very well crafted and shot with a strong leading performance and some tough to watch sequences that will certainly make it unforgettable.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Inu-Oh

The films that I have seen of anime director Masaaki Yuasa have had a lot of energy in them with an animation style that feels really loose, incomplete, almost childlike and yet very pleasing.

In the past I have seen 'Lu Over The Wall' and 'Ride Your Wave'. Both enjoyably wacky stories that commit to its ideas and work really well.

Now we have something that is more music centred and has some historical importance to it.

I wasn't sure what to expect at first. You get introduced with some Japanese folklore with a musical presentation. Then you get a story with a bit more of a conventional structure. But gradually, you do see all of these styles meshed together for something quite interesting.

I liked the variety of the animation. From your typical anime style, to something we expect more from Yuasa. It's soft, fluid and never clear. But the visuals remained very pleasing on the whole.

The story was really interesting and giving it a modern edge reminded of when I saw 'Elvis' earlier this year. The way it modernises revolutionary moments to make them relatable rather than showing it in a literal sense that would make it look rather tame for today's audience. The way it also brings in fantasy and fairy tale qualities to it keeps Yuasa's imagination cooking up new ideas.

The music plays a heavy role. For a large part it was very effective, and it was like watching a rock concert at times. It did however overstay its welcome I felt. There were moments in those sequences that dragged sadly. It almost felt like it was giving us too much of a good thing.

On the whole, I liked it. The imagery is its strongest aspect, the two leads are likable and have solid development and the way reimagines a certain part of Japanese culture and history instantly made want to know more about it.

The lack of depth for me doesn't make it Yuasa's best work. But the topic chosen could make this his most important creation to date.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Girl Picture

When a film wins an audience award at any major film festival, that usually indicates that it is going to be worth a watch.

I also noticed that this would be the first film I will be seeing from Finland. In my previous film watching experience, Scandanavia usually produce some very memorable dramas. This is another one to add to that list.

There were clear early signs of similarities of Booksmart and Superbad. But with a continental flavour that give the coming-of-age sub-genre a refreshing look.

So while the concept and structure of the adolescence of young adulthood is nothing different, what made it get my attention and investment was the characters. The struggles of fitting into the big city lifestyle, the wanting of being accepted, the fear of going into the unknown and learning to deal with unexpected changes to your career choices. All of that is here and it is done with solid authenticity, great innocence and with a wild attitude that many of us can relate and that awkward age.

You will initially feel that you will have seen this sort of thing before. But the destination of our main characters never felt set in stone. Despite their complex personalities and flaws, they are very likable and easy to root for. You believe in their desires and want them to succeed in their ambitions.

This film is in debt to the performances of a very talented cast. The main ones in the story that deserve particular praise are Aamu Milonoff, Eleonoora Kauhanen and Linnea Leino. Their believable chemistry, their performances both from an emotional and physical aspect and that natural innocence that works so well in for a story like this one. I really hope this isn't the only time we see them on the big screen.

There is a purposeful aspect ratio chosen and I think it is meant to resemble our main characters emotions and current situation. I honestly noticed this in this first scene. But after that, I totally forgot about it and the strength in its character development had me invested.

Even with its unoriginality, its strength in its casting choices, writing, directing and pacing made it another memorable addition to coming-of-age films. It has energy, attitude, heart, passion, love and satisfaction. A very enjoyable watch with multiple breakthrough's that I hope get fulfilled.

Rating: 8/10