The 2023 DG Movies Awards

Another year over and it was great to regularly be back in cinemas for a full year after the pandemic effecting the last two.

It's been a much more varied year then ever with many favourites coming from all types of routes of distribution. They have come from the multiplexes, the indie picture house's, multiple streaming platforms, film festivals and even some from regular TV.

We still have the usual 17 awards that are up for grabs this year. Nothing flashy in the form of a video this year due to my lack of available time to make one. So it's back to basics again this year.

Below is the full list of the nominees for each award and the winners in bold.

BEST EDITING:

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Fast & Feel Love

The Bad Guys

The Northman

BEST COSTUME DESIGN & MAKEUP:

All Quiet On The Western Front

Babylon

Blonde

Crimes Of The Future

Elvis

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

All Quiet On The Western Front

Blonde

Elvis

The Batman

The Northman

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

Avatar: The Way Of Water

Black Adam

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore

Thor: Love And Thunder

BEST SCORE & SOUNDTRACK:

Blonde

Elvis

Please Baby Please

The Batman

The Northman

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Babylon

Bardo

Blonde

The Batman

The Northman

BEST SCREENPLAY:

Bros

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Good Luck To You, Leo Grande

Tar

Women Talking

BEST POSTER:

Please Baby Please

The Batman

The Outfit

Thor: Love And Thunder

X

BEST TRAILER:

Avatar: The Way Of Water

Elvis

The Batman

The Northman

Triangle Of Sadness

BEST SCENE/MOMENT:

Before The Light Goes - Babylon

The Mask - Emily

Do Something Weird - Everything Everywhere All At Once

Siege At The Palace - RRR

Batmobile Chase - The Batman

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE:
Babylon

Everything Everywhere All At Once

The Northman

The Whale

Women Talking

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE:

Stephanie Hsu - Everything Everywhere All At Once

Nicole Kidman - The Northman

Sadie Sink - The Whale

Jessie Buckley - Women Talking

Brittany Snow - X

BEST SUPPORTING MALE:

Tom Hanks - Elvis

Barry Keoghan - The Banshees Of The Inisherin

Colin Farrell - The Batman

Paul Dano - The Batman

Martin Henderson - X

BEST LEADING FEMALE:

Margot Robbie - Babylon

Ana De Armas - Blonde

Cate Blanchett - Tar

Danielle Deadwyler - Till

Andrea Riseborough - To Leslie

BEST LEADING MALE:

Billy Eichner - Bros

Eden Dambrine - Close

Austin Butler - Elvis

Bill Nighy - Living

Brendan Fraser - The Whale

BEST DIRECTOR:

Baz Luhrmann - Elvis

Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert - Everything Everywhere All At Once

Martin McDonagh - The Banshees Of Inisherin

Matt Reeves - The Batman

Steven Spielberg - The Fabelmans

BEST FILM:

Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Adventure

Avatar: The Way Of Water

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Fast & Feel Love

Nothing Compares

RRR

The Batman

The Northman

The Tinder Swindler

Total list of winners

5 - Everything Everywhere All At Once

2 - All Quiet On The Western Front

     Blonde

     The Batman

1 - Avatar: The Way Of Water

     Bros

     Elvis

     The Banshees Of Inisherin

     The Outfit

     The Whale

Total list of nominations

10 - The Batman

9   - Elvis 

8   - The Northman

6   - Everything Everywhere All At Once

5   - Babylon

       Blonde

3   - Avatar: The Way Of Water

       The Whale

       Women Talking

       X

2   - All Quiet On The Western Front

       Bros

       Fast & Feel Love

       Please Baby Please

       RRR

       Tar

       The Banshees Of Inisherin

       Thor: Love And Thunder

1   - Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Adventure

       Bardo

       Black Adam

       Close

       Crimes Of The Future

       Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness

       Emily

       Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore

       Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

       Good Luck To You, Leo Grande

       Living

       Nothing Compare

       The Bad Guys

       The Fabelmans

       The Outfit

       The Tinder Swindler

       Till

       To Leslie

       Triangle Of Sadness

My Top 10: Films Of 2022

2022 saw quite a variety of films shine and capture audiences imagination. Everything such as mainstream blockbusters, indie darlings, emerging international releases that caught the eye of the general audience and effective documentaries. In my view, each genre seemed to manage to give us a big success whether it was from a critical or financial perspective.

So if you feel films aren't giving enough variety these days, you clearly are not looking properly.

So my journey of getting to what I felt were the ten best films of the year was a very positive one as it made me realise how rich in content this industry is right now.

Below is my ranking of all 2022 films that I have seen along with a short review of each of my top 10:

195) Moonfall
194) The King's Daughter

193) Jurassic World: Dominion

192) Deep Water

191) No Bears

190) Flux Gourmet

189) Pinocchio

188) Pacifiction

187) Please Baby Please

186) Crimes Of The Future

185) Disenchanted

184) Morbius

183) All The Old Knives

182) Unwelcome

181) Halloween Ends

180) Slumberland

179) Against The Ice

178) The Lost City

177) Bardo

176) Watcher

175) Scream

174) Doctor Who Am I

173) White Noise

172) Rise

171) Hocus Pocus 2

170) Star Wars Kid: The Rise Of The Digital Shadows

169) Myanmar Diaries

168) Holy Spider

167) Roald Dahl's Matilda: The Musical

166) Ambulance

165) Uncharted

164) Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore

163) Return To Seoul

162) The Railway Children Return

161) Ticket To Paradise

160) Tommy Guns

159) Sword Art Online The Movie: Progressive - Scherzo Of Deep Night

158) The Son

157) Monica

156) Strange World

155) Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.

154) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

153) The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent

152) Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted

151) The Bubble

150) Sonic The Hedgehog 2

149) Rodeo

148) My Father's Dragon

147) Bodies Bodies Bodies

146) Dual

145) Allelujah

144) Call Jane

143) EO

142) Emily The Criminal

141) The Sound Of 007

140) The Adam Project

139) Fireheart

138) Death On The Nile

137) Violent Night

136) Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

135) Black Adam

134) The Swimmers

133) A Love Song

132) Loving Highsmith

131) I Wanna Dance With Somebody

130) Saint Omer

129) Good Night Oppy

128) Smoking Causes Coughing

127) Triangle Of Sadness

126) We Might As Well Be Dead

125) The Lost King

124) Men

123) Super Pets

122) The Gray Man

121) M3gan

120) Pearl

119) Corsage

118) Thunder

117) The Pale Blue Eye

116) See How They Run

115) Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris

114) Fall

113) Don't Worry Darling

112) Decision To Leave

111) Wendell & Wild

110) The First Slam Dunk

109) Prey

108) Causeway

107) Enola Holmes 2

106) The Novelist's Film

105) McEnroe

104) Brian And Charles

103) Bullet Train

102) Thor: Love And Thunder

101) Name Me Lawand

100) Lightyear

99) Nope

98) America

97) Enys Men

96) Lady Chatterley's Lover

95) Matter Out Of Place

94) Sisu

93) The Eternal Daughter

92) Devotion

91) The Quiet Girl

90) Getting It Back: The Story Of Cymanda

89) A Man Called Otto

88) Love Life

87) Top Gun: Maverick

86) The Bad Guys

85) Dog

84) X

83) Turning Red

82) Bones And All

81) Empire Of Light

80) The Eight Mountains

79) How To Blow Up A Pipeline

78) All The Beauty And The Bloodshed

77) God's Creatures

76) Next Sohee

75) The Plains

74) Joyland

73) Incredible But True

72) The Wonder

71) Hatching

70) Emily

69) Viking

68) Karaoke

67) Barbarian

66) The Good Nurse

65) Hustle

64) Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

63) Thirteen Lives

62) Amsterdam

61) Three Thousand Years Of Longing

60) You Won't Be Alone

59) Emancipation

58) Blue Jean

57) Till

56) The Sea Beast

55) The Outfit

54) Where The Crawdads Sing

53) Good Luck To You, Leo Grande

52) The Woman King

51) Unicorn Wars

50) The Inspection

48) Puss In Boots: The Last Wish

48) Aisha

47) Armageddon Time

46) Return To Dust

45) Tori And Lokita

44) Alcarras

43) Aftersun

42) Blonde

41) Navalny

40) Talk To Me

39) Hostile

38) Fire Of Love

37) That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime The Movie: Scarlet Bond

36) Stutz

35) Pinocchio

34) Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness

33) Tar

32) The Whale

31) Women Talking

30) To Leslie

29) Hundreds Of Beavers

28) The Fabelmans

27) The Banshees Of Inisherin

26) The Volcano: Rescue From Whakaari

25) The Menu

24) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

23) My Imaginary Country

22) Sick Of Myself

21) Bros

20) Hello, Bookstore

19) Girl Picture

18) Living

17) Babylon

16) All Quiet On The Western Front

15) She Said

14) Broker

13) A Bunch Of Amateurs

12) Suzume

11) Close 

10) Fast & Feel Love - An absolute hoot of an over-the-top comedy that involves the strange world of sport stacking.

The comedy is cleverly silly and there are a number of pop culture references which many will appreciate.

In the middle of all the silliness, there is also a solid heart to this story of learning how to come of age and become an adult. It didn't a big distribution. So I urge you to check this out and deservedly boost its coverage.

9) Nothing Compares - An absolutely gripping and raw viewing experience of how one of the most talented singers of 1990's was rejected by the mainstream world.

For those that remember the story will jump back into all that high-octane story of how people reacted to her actions.

If you are not aware of this moment in music history, prepare yourself.

8) RRR - A glorious Indian epic that managed to catch fire in America via Netflix, and deservedly so.

This 3hr+ period action drama has so much going for it. The action has high-energy and imagination to it, the emotion is nicely over-the-top and it has its moments of vintage Bollywood music set-pieces.

7) The Northman - A beautifully brutal action drama set in Viking times where a young prince is on a path to avenge his father's murder.

Director Robert Eggers continues to make highly impactable films that are beautiful to look at, contains strange yet engrossing imagery and has an energy to it that is hard to resist.

6) The Tinder Swindler - One of the first film documentaries that grabbed the attention of many people that reminded me of when I saw 'Catfish'.

The story is incredible and nicely cut, the interviewees present their side of the story very effectively that make it a highly satisfying viewing experience.

5) Avatar: The Way Of Water - The first of hopefully multiple sequels to James Cameron's beautiful looking franchise that gives us pure escapism.

It's great to be back on Pandora, the visuals have moved on in such a way I never thought possible and the story and action gives us something highly entertaining. Cameron can still do it.

4) Elvis - Another vintage visual spectacle by director Baz Luhrmann about the most successful musician of all-time.

Lead by the amazing performance of Austin Butler, this was highly-satisfying wild ride that you can't help but want to watch again straight away.

Also some of the vintage modern touches to the soundtrack that Luhrmann always does works perfectly.

3) Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Adventure - Another wonderful coming-of-age story by director Richard Linklater. This one could well be his most personal.

Linklater's always amazes me as to how to sucks me and many others in. It goes at a gentle pace and the strong family connection and sense of adventure just captures the imagination perfectly for the viewer.

2) The Batman - When you thought we didn't need another Batman film, director Matt Reeves gives you another reason why.

His dirty and intimate style along with a cast list you wouldn't normally expect gives us a Batman story that while has those classic tropes is more of a detective story.

It also gives us a Batman at a very interesting point in his life. The complete package for me pretty close to competing with the Dark Knight trilogy.

1) Everything Everywhere All At Once - A film that truly lives up to its title.

Relentless pacing and energy, charismatic characters, consistent comedy and imagination of the highest order gives us something you have never seen before and that you won't be prepared for.

An absolute game-changer.

Review: Tetris

For people going in expecting a film based off the game, that's not what this is. For this I am very grateful for, as that version would be similar to the pretty unremarkable Emoji Movie.

However, what we get is more of a biographical drama that happens to have the iconic video game in the middle of it.

I knew a bit about the origins of Tetris going global and how influential it was in effecting major changes to parts of the world in the late 20th century. But I didn't know how tense and crazy it was going to be until I saw the film.

It starts at quite a pace that certainly caught me off guard and it took me a while to catch up to it. But once that set-up is done, we get a new environment to deal it. Eventually, a number of other genres are introduced. It becomes a business drama and even a spy thriller whilst still being a biopic at its heart.

The tone is surprisingly light despite the colour palette being dreary. The clever uses of Tetris itself within its visuals gave it those finer touches to what was a surprisingly pleasant and enjoyable watch.

By the end, they managed to create some genuinely tense and exhilarating moments that makes you have to remind yourself that this is a film about the breakthrough of a video game involving building blocks.

Taron Edgerton is the lead and he continues to showcase his talent and gives a great amount of energy in his role and he quickly makes you want his character to succeed.

Toby Jones is as solid and reliable as ever, Anthony Boyle was wonderfully annoying and Roger Allam continues to chew the scenery with every role that is given to him and just like what he did in V For Vendetta and Speed Racer, it is so entertaining in the most pantomime way.

I loved the style choices involved. With the game of Tetris being involved in the story, there are some cool cuts between scenes and other moments that have an 8-bit look about them which pleased me a great deal. I'm sure I won't be the only one feeling that. The score by Lorne Balfe is techno-influenced with riffs of the memorable Tetris theme being sewn in, which was also pleasing to hear.

I don't really have any drawbacks to mention as the surprise factor this has currently have been feeling quite strong about. But it is possible on future viewings some negatives might come out now that I know what to expect.

On paper, this does not sound it work well as a film. But this was a lot more fun then it had any right to be. When it focuses on the actual story, it works very well. But it does amp it up to help with the drama to make it more cinematic. Sometimes it works, the other occasions it has some unnecessary action sequences that felt out of place. Nevertheless, they were still fun to watch.

But when it tell us what really happened, that's when it becomes its most engrossing and engaging and it balances the light and the serious parts of the story perfectly. 

If you feel you won't enjoy it because you never played or cared for Tetris, that won't matter. The fascinating story surrounding the game is what is being sold and it's a shame it never was released on the big screen.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

With the amount of times the release date for this new project has been pushed back, it feels like the world has already seen this latest mainstream release.

But after 20 months of delay from its initial date, we finally get the latest adaptation of a beloved game being put onto the big screen.

I honestly wasn't expecting much from this given the track record of its previous film adaptations and the delays made my anticipation levels naturally sink.

However, the initial buzz from major critics did give me hope we could have something worth watching here. Especially when it is being directed by the same duo that made 'Game Night', quite possibly my favourite comedy of the past 10 years.

It was gradual process before I realised that the hype and buzz for it is real. It introduces and builds-up the world at a nice pace and never makes it overwhelming for outsiders like myself.

You can tell there are references that the fans will go nuts for and a gentle nod of knowing that that was for them. But there is a story that anyone general cinema-goer can be interested in and care for.

Also when you've got Chris Pine as your lead, you feel reassured that he will make this work. His has such effortless likability, that he can make anything functional. Amazingly, it wasn't just him that I was getting invested with. Pretty much everyone had enough depth and development to care and be invested with. Also the chemistry they all have with each other gives it a funny and pleasant vibe to experience.

All of that aspect gave me 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' vibes as they had a 'band of misfits' feel about them. The general tone is similar also. There is plenty of fun, but it can be emotional when it wants to be. You can tell that that was the intention of the film-makers and while I felt it was a bit stretched by the end, it was worth my time.

The cast all do a pretty good job. As mentioned, Pine continues to ooze his natural charisma in whatever he does. It's just a shame that I don't think he's in enough big projects as he ought to be. He's always had a very likable presence and this is no different. His partnership with Michelle Rodriguez has solid depth and her signature physical style of acting made her a top choice in casting.

Justice Smith comedic execution balances the action well and makes for a memorable support. Same goes for Sophia Lillis as well as Rege-Jean Page, who makes great use of his small amount of screen-time.

Hugh Grant virtually channels his character from Paddington 2 in this and that is never a bad thing. You can tell he is having fun and will resonate well with the audience.

I would have liked Daisy Head's character to have more threat that could have made this a great film rather than pretty good. Instead, Head is fairly generic. But at least she had one solid action sequence to work with.

This type of film naturally requires a lot of CGI and they blend well with the practical parts of the production design. Lorna Balfe's score ramps up the film even more. All of that along with a fluid fast pace gives us a surprisingly enjoyable fantasy adventure that is worthy of its early praise.

It's not a common find in film these days that are genuinely fun to watch and this does it rather well. It was like going back to the 80's or 90's with the vibe it was giving off.

It never takes itself seriously, the characters are solidly developed and it makes you care for all of them, the action is pretty solid, the comedy is consistently effective and while there is a lot of CGI being used there is a sense of weight to its environment.

All that being said, the antagonist side of the story felt a bit weak and lacked any genuine threat. But thankfully, there's plenty of positives to forgive this drawbacks. The 2hrs+ duration flew by and I would happily be up for a sequel and it is clear there is more to explore.

I must mention that there is a mid-credits scene. It's not like the ones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that hints at what is to come. But rather a nice light-hearted end note to further cement the fun vibe the cast and crew wanted to give this story.

While I have never come anywhere near the board game, I am getting a sense that their fans have given it their seal of approval. So I am hopeful that this resurgence in popularity for the game as well as the solid amount of positive reviews for the film will give us another worthy fantasy franchise.

Rating: 7/10

Review: The Whale

You always have to prepare yourself for a new Darren Aronofsky feature.

With many of his projects designed to purposefully unsettle the viewer, this talented director still makes them in such a way that we can't help ourselves but get more from it as they are very well made and usually produce award-winning performances.

Pretty much the whole buzz was about the resurgence in the career of Brendan Fraser. After making a name for themselves back in the late 90's and most of the 2000's, the internet has been pushing for Fraser to be put back into major projects. Their nostalgia for him being part of some fun mainstream films has had the people believing he has more to give back to this industry.

So when word was spreading about awards possibly coming his way through this film, I was naturally excited to see not only a new Aronofsky feature, but quite possibly the return of Fraser.

Already from the start, we're going through all the motions. The uncomfortable on-screen content, the range of emotions coming from the characters and the odd sprinkle of charm to avoid making it completely dark and depressing.

You could tell it was originally a play, as the whole design of it is very stagey. That might not be to everyone's tastes. I'm usually fine with it and on the occasion, I largely am.

The cruelty, craziness and dark humour from some of these characters made me forget how Aronofsky does not hold back on anything. It just made the whole experience more and more devastating.

The cast is small, but it is packed with some strong performances that makes it an incredibly engaging watch. Brendan Fraser does indeed meet the hype that we've all been hearing. The way he controls the screen and embodies his transformation gives us something highly memorable that hopefully begins a second career for this talented individual.

Youngster Sadie Sink really shines as a supporting role. The brutally honest personality this character makes you both hate her and be highly engaging with. Sink's aggression and confidence in this performance showed and almost stole the show for me.

The same can also be said for Hong Chau and Samantha Morton. Both of them give strong emotional moments that got a good reaction from me. With Morton in particular, it reminds me how amazing of an actor she is and yet we don't see in her in big starring roles. We definitely need more Samantha Morton in big character study projects.

Almost all of the film is in one location and I'm always up for as concept like that as that usually makes the surroundings a character in itself as this did exactly that.

The score and sound design is noticeably effective to enhances the films strongest moments.

As mentioned earlier like with most Aronofsky films, it's not for everyone. There are some uncomfortable and disgusting moments, it's on the nose in numerous ways and the very final scene is a bit too much for me.

But I think while it is a hard watch, there was enough strength in a lot of its aspects that made it work for me. It deals with tough themes that are designed to push the viewer such as abuse, forgiveness, faith, relationships as well as Aronofsky's links with old testament religion which has become a regular trope in his recent projects.

Plus, I think there will be a lot of relatable themes that will resonate with a number of demographics. The rawness and devastation in its tone will naturally bring strong reactions whether you end up liking it or not. That for me is the beauty of Aronofsky's work. He's never afraid to tip-toe around the sensitive parts, he just goes for it and see if it will work.

While I can't see myself watching this again, it still feels like a strong piece of work. The performances are great and it makes the content accessible instead of just being grotesque and avoids making the portrayal of the central character be closer to a performer at a freak show.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Puss In Boots: The Last Wish

I haven't been going nuts for Dreamworks Animation for several years now. However, last year showed a lot of promise with 'The Bad Guys'. It showed that the studio are looking into different animation styles that felt similar to 'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse'.

However, I was very cautious going into a Puss In Boots sequel which means the return of the Shrek franchise that we haven't seen since 2011.

It made me wonder why the studio is still going back to drink from this watering hole and why it has taken over a decade for a follow-up to the first Puss In Boots. The hopeful side of me had me thinking they have allowed this to be made as they have got a strong story to work with. But strong writing would be rare with this studio as I feel it is getting closer to the style and tone of the feature release's from Illumination i.e. nothing but bright colours and loud noises.

Boy was I and I'm sure many others were proved wrong. Firstly, I really liked the style of the animation. It was dynamic in both its colour palette and movement and it had a comic book edge to it. Also the pacing romps a long, but never to the levels of struggling to keep up. Those aspects combined gives us quite a satisfying visual experience.

In terms of the story, I couldn't believe that this film was dealing with death, grief and friendship in such a meaningful and profound way that both kids and adults can get a lot from.

Some of the usual strengths of the Shrek franchise are still there, such as referencing famous fairy tales and gives those particular characters an edge or new dimension to them for today's culture.

Quite possibly its biggest surprise was the character development and the quantity of it. There are numerous characters to get invested with. Some stole the stole show and some you can easily see get their own film in the future.

Also, one of the antagonists has a genuinely scary vibe to it that will haunt kids nightmares for sure. For me that is a good thing as that for me is a sign of an effective villain for a family audience.

The voice cast was not only good, but had a surprising amount of star power. As usual, Antonio Banderas can melt anyone's heart with his sexy voice. Choosing Banderas all the way back in Shrek 2 was a masterful stroke and you can tell he is still enjoying playing this character.

Also having regular collaborator Salma Hayek returning helps. With the solid chemistry, these two made for a memorable duo that felt easy to engage with.

Harvey Guillen gave us a scene-stealing side character with his combination of genuine innocence and a script with profound moments. John Mulaney and Wagner Moura contributed nicely to their antagonistic roles and the foursome of Florence Pugh, Olivia, Colman, Ray Winstone and Samson Kayo gave us a team that could easily be given their own film in the future.

I was really surprised by not only how much I liked it, but how much depth it has in its themes and characters.

There are some great characters that are well written, designed and voiced. You've got your hero, cool sidekicks that sometimes steal the show and your villains that feel genuinely threatening.

While it comes just short of getting an exceptional rating, it is still a really fun film that has a lot to say in an effective way that for me will make it extremely re-watchable.

I love films like this that could prove me completely wrong and can total jump to a level that no-one in their right mind was expecting.

This deserves to be a huge hit and that makes me wonder what will happen to the franchise now. Does this mean another Puss In Boots adventure, is this an excuse for Shrek to make a return or could this branch out films of side characters that shone in this feature?

Rating: 7/10

Review: Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania

The first Marvel film of the year is always as exciting moment for me as I feel it sets the tone for the blockbusters for the rest of the calendar.

It's usually the first big box office taker and with this franchise so deep into its timeline, the stories are just going to be stranger and hopefully more daring.

Especially with this current phase and saga is all about universes crossing over and timelines being disrupted and altered as well as our beloved characters encountering cosmic civilisations.

This latest release involves an Avenger that I think many of us never thought would get a third film as the titular character. But with Ant-Man, we somehow did. I was always sceptical about Ant-Man having his own films. I wasn't sure how you could make this character entertaining and being able to carry its own sub-franchise. But the first two Ant-Man films were surprisingly decent. I liked the backstory, how much they play with the technology used and that the tone is largely comedic.

Another thing that I've liked about the Ant-Man films, is the strong family connection. That aspect does get well utilised in this latest adventure. But the amount of world expansion and visual effects in this almost completely overshadows the family side of the story.

Paul Rudd continues to have that natural charisma and everyday man persona that works well once again.

I was disappointed to see Evangeline Lilly not be given that much to do. While she still looks great in the role. There is not so much to talk about apart from just be support.

Jonathan Majors was given a good introduction into the film franchise. That calm presence with sinister undertones has given a villain that has a lot of potential for this franchise to continue to be successful. But maybe not in the same way as it was by the end of the Infinity Saga.

Kathryn Newton was solid and believable in her role, Michael Douglas was perfectly functional window-dressing as you would expect and it was nice seeing Michelle Pfeiffer be a lot more pivotal character than originally expected.

There are a couple of surprises that I will leave for you to discover. One was unexpected but surprisingly fine in its execution. The other was odd and unintentionally funny, which was a real shame.

The production design is dazzling and highly imaginative. It continues to show how more cosmic the MCU has become. It's got flashes of Star Wars, Flash Gordon, Guardians Of The Galaxy and Valerian.

While the visual effects are spectacular in their creation, there were some jerky moments that made it too obvious that we were on a big green screen as the practical characters didn't seem to blend well with the digital.

I'm going to have to be harsh with the script as it wasn't that great. Apart from maybe some of the stuff Majors was given to say, the rest just felt like weak exposition and a lot of the vintage Marvel gags felt out of place or just not that funny.

So while the previous two Ant-Man films have had situations where the stakes have been a lot smaller and grounded. This one while small in scale from a literal sense has high stakes from a universe and timeline one. Sadly, I don't think the amount of content and cogs it had to make this story function matched for its quality of story-telling and pacing.

There is a lot that they are trying to develop here and as a piece of film it didn't feel completely engaging for me. It's most certainly not a bad film. There is enough to enjoy to a satisfactory level. But it is most definitely in the lower section when ranked against the other MCU installments.

It's clear that less is more with the Ant-Man character and his support, and it might be what this entire film series needs to be at the moment. I know that historically the source material does get sillier, which is why I have been accepting a lot of the more outlandish moments. But it still doesn't excuse the writing not taking bigger swings and the pacing not flowing as seamlessly as it could.

It's understandable why some audiences are losing interest in this current phase as it will be hard to match the satisfaction of Avengers: Endgame. But I will forever stick with it as I remain curious and I know that everything this franchise does has a purpose as the Marvel team themselves know where this is going and how it will conclude. So unlike certain other major franchises, they have a clear end goal.

In my view, the multiverse saga has been a mixed bag with its films but largely positive with its TV shows. We now move into phase 5 and I hope this concept can give us an adventurous vibe and a sense of fun as it's all been a bit too serious for its own good so far. Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness have been the exceptions and I still have a soft spot for Eternals. But with the best multiverse film to not be one made by Marvel shows that this concept is still yet to be mastered by this major studio.

As usual, there is a mid and post credits scene. Both are important as this could give us an indicator about what is in store for Marvel's next big blockbuster.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Knock At The Cabin

It's nice that we're long past the wilderness phase of director M. Night Shyamalan's career.

Since releasing 'The Visit' in 2015, Shyamalan has been on a pretty solid run of releases and it's great to see that the anticipation for his new releases is consistently pretty healthy.

The concept for this latest instalment has another peculiar concept that belongs in something like The Twilight Zone. Like with a lot Shyamalan's previous work, the way it is introduced is nice and simple to follow and is played around well enough to make it a tense experience.

However, I was honestly disappointed that it wasn't the complete Shyamalan experience that we're used to having. But there was still plenty of aspects to know that you were watching one of his films and it gave us some solidly executed sequences as well as a number of strong performances.

Dave Bautista was a surprising highlight. While it has been clear for the last few years that he is improving as an actor. This latest performance shows that becoming more than just good. The choices of projects that he is choosing are very wise and well utilised. With Bautista having the majority of the screen-time and dialogue, his presence and performance showed me that we are witnessing an accomplished actor that is truly challenging themselves.

Ben Aldridge and Jonathan Groff were good together and bounced off Bautista and his characters crew well to heighten the situation and tension. Youngster Kristen Cui was great in it. This young talent showed great presence and maturity and could easily cope with the adult actors around. I hope this is the first many of projects.

Rupert Grint was a nice surprise to see in another big screen project and his performance gave us a great reminder how good of an actor he still is. The same goes for Nikki Amuka-Bird who I know more for her TV work.

I liked how they made the most of the small cast and locations. That's especially thanks to the camerawork which was very effective and nicely varied. Even from the opening scene, you get some striking choices in the angles that already give the viewer an unsettling vibe.

It covers topics such as the influence of the media and religion and identity. However the ending did feel like those ideas were never fully fledged and only touched upon. 

It did leave me expecting more given it was Shyamalan at the helm. It concluded in a pretty conventional way. Thankfully, it didn't downgrade my overall view of the film. But you just always have that natural expectation of an abrupt or cleverly constructed twist. It just ended up being very literal by concluding with one of the two ways we were set-up with at the beginning.

I think it may have been more effective if it didn't show as much as it did outside of the characters location. I think bringing that fear of not knowing what is happening around them could have made what we saw in the end more effective.

While I did enjoy it on the whole, there were clearly parts that could have easily been better developed or executed.

But I would still recommend this. The concept works well enough, there are a number of good performances, it's shot really well and the tension mounts up nicely.

This is another solid entry by Shyamalan. He may be lacking that initial impact he had on the industry with The Sixth Sense and Signs. But he's still on the right track for potentially giving us another instant classic.

Rating: 7/10

Review: The Fabelmans

While director Steven Spielberg may be in his late 70's, he continues to produce incredibly crafted features that regularly get recognised in the major awards.

For me personally, I don't think he has made an all-time masterpiece for about 20 years. But as his back catalogue is unmatched for extremely high quality, it is easy to let that go and we can still appreciate what Spielberg continues to make.

For many including myself, he will forever be considered as the greatest film director of all-time as well as regularly collaborating with the greatest film composer in the form of John Williams.

They both return for what is simply Spielberg giving us his childhood and early life as an aspiring film-maker in the film medium.

For many that know his story of how it all began, the opening will have you giddy with excitement. It certainly had me with a big smile on my face.

Then once I got what was being told, I was then getting invested in what was a moving drama that shows the conflict between career ambitions and family life, coming of age and the love between a mother and her son. It is also Spielberg showing us how magical cinema was and still is to him and the translation onto screen was well executed and very relatable.

It moves at a really pleasant pace and gives several memorable sequences. The ending almost comes out of nowhere, knocks us back in amazement and gives us a wonderful moment that sees the beginning of an icon.

The cast do a terrific job right across the board. Michelle Williams gives quite possibly a career best performance. Granted it is a very showy role. But Williams makes the most of it and gives us a full range of the characters emotions. It certainly made for captivating viewing.

Gabriel LaBelle was a very capable lead and while he had help by the rest of the casts star power, there was plenty that solely required LaBelle and this was a breakthrough performance.

There were some nice standouts by Judd Hirsch and Seth Rogen. Hirsch may not have had much screen-time. But he absolutely steals every scene he is in. As for Rogen, he continues the trend of comedic actors being surprisingly comfortable with a more serious role. I completely forgot I was actually watching Rogen.

Paul Dano is as good as ever and gives great support to LaBelle and Williams in particular. There is one special performance at the very end that deserves props. But as it will spoil the ending, I'll just leave it there. With that mind, the final mention has to go to Julia Butters who continues to showcase her amazing talent at such a young age. Her breakthrough in 'Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood' now carries with her contribution in this. Be sure to keep an eye on Butters' future projects.

As with any Spielberg film, it's shot beautifully by Janusz Kaminski, the production design by Rick Carter is polished and the score by regular collaborator John Williams perfectly enhances every scene to the equivalent of sifted icing sugar on top of a cake.

I can confidently say that I enjoyed this. It might not quite be up there with some of Spielberg's mainstream popcorn flicks as it lacks those iconic moments and appeal for a mainstream audience. But the personal touch and heartfelt emotion this has makes it very rewatchable and another welcomed addition to Spielberg's already impressive back catalogue.

For followers of Spielberg's career, they will see a lot of what they already know. But seeing them manifest onto a big screen feature is an absolutely delight to watch and still feels refreshing.

But general fans who may not realise how to close this is to Spielberg's life, they will see a moving drama that can be as a story about the love between a mother and her son.

While I think a lot of us would prefer Spielberg to give us more summer blockbusters, these personal and more serious projects that he's been part of for the majority of the last decade still give us that magic that reminds that Spielberg for many is still the best.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Babylon

When I hear of a new Damian Chazelle film, as well as getting naturally excited, I think of that obsession for being the best at what they do and of course a lot of jazz music.

Chazelle has given us some of the most highly memorable films of the past decade. From the adrenaline-rushed Whiplash, to the dreamy La La Land and the beautifully atmospheric First Man. One thing for sure is that Chazelle gives us natural awards contenders.

The marketing for this particular new release has given us signs of something quite chaotic with some insane set pieces that certainly made me want to see it to be believed.

Well, straight away we get a few pretty disgusting moments to give us enough of an idea of what to expect for the next three hours. I was certainly getting similar tonal choices of The Great Gatsby, The Wolf Of Wall Street, Once Upon A Time In... Hollywood with crazy parties and full-on adult themes that don't hold back on its 18 rating. That along with spectacular cinematography, long-take sequences and a mass amount of extras, it certainly plenty of content to be keep your interest. There were also clear homages to Singin' In The Rain. From the time period to particular sequences being recreated and even have a scene of people watching the film itself.

While all of that is happening, there is clear signs of story arcs developing at a time period that naturally fascinates me. It for me showed the cruel side of Hollywood whilst still giving us some hope of showing how movies can extend the lives of its past stars. It also has that regular aspect of the pursuit for perfection.

The cast list is pretty strong and there were a number of stand-outs. Margot Robbie absolutely gives it everything in this role. Robbie gives a big physical presence to her character and manages match the energy of the film itself.

Brad Pitt does a good job and gives us the films slower and more moving moments. Especially in one scene with Jean Smart who gives us a few scene stealing moments. Li Jun Li also gives us a few memorable moments as well.

Diego Calva gives us a huge breakthrough performance. While he is basically playing the audience, Calva shows great innocence and a nicely developed story arch to gives us our most complete character. I also have to give props to Jovan Adepo who gives us another memorable character to get invested with.

As mentioned earlier, the production on this is pretty insane. The scale of everything is pretty large to say the least and it needs to be seen on the big screen, the costumes are spectacularly varied and the editing enhances the chaos to a point where it seems out of control.

That last bit I think could lose a lot of people though. The whole film is a bit relentless and is figuratively shouting at the audience. Also with the duration being just over 3 hours, it could make the whole experience borderline insufferable.

It's like as if Chazelle was let loose and had no-one to pull the reigns back on him. This is particularly noticeable in the very final scene that while I get what it's trying to portray, it went a bit over the top for me. But I still appreciate what it was saying and I remained somewhat satisfied with it.

Even though I felt it went off the rails at times, I personally still found it to be quite an enjoyable experience. There is simple too much to like and appreciate and it massively outweighed the bad for me. There are some spectacular set-pieces, a lot of strong performances and it covers themes that film fans like myself are a sucker for. However, I'm not quite sure the 3 hours+ runtime was warranted as there was a side story in the second half that wasn't really needed.

For the uninitiated, I would probably prepare by watching Singin' In The Rain first and then have an expectation of seeing moments of excessiveness in every way. It's a wild ride and I while I enjoyed most of it, it will not be for everyone.

One thing I do hope everyone's takes out of it, is the intrigue to find out more about a time period in the industry that was known as 'Pre-Code Hollywood'.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Tar

When a director is making their first feature film in 16 years and has only directed two others in the past where both got multiple Oscar nominations, you have to check it out.

Especially when it is lead by one of the greatest female actors of all-time, Cate Blanchett.

I had been hearing plenty of awards buzz. So that was enough for me to not knowing anything about going into my screening of it.

With all its firepower, director Todd Field and his team decide to take their time in developing its plot and character developments. But it is doing it in a way that is making us want to work for it and make it feel rewarding when we get to the final act.

It's certainly worth by the end as the look and tempo changes in a big way. The camerawork gets a bit chaotic to match the emotions of the central character.

The cast is really about one person, Cate Blanchett, who gives another powerhouse performance. We all know how captivating of an actor she is and this is another feather to add to the already impressive cap.

It's a strong casting choice and the film is pretty much all Blanchett. That presence, that look, the physical prowess, she has it all. No matter what character she is playing, you always believe it and this is no different. It's another performance that deserves a run at the major awards.

There's honestly not much else given to the rest of the cast. So I'll mention the appearances of Noemie Merlant, Mark Strong and Julian Glover as I always love seeing them on screen.

The film covers a number of topics. One in particular that I'm sure will be discussed at length by many is 'cancel culture'. It's certainly a topic that I was not expecting. But I like how it was used.

It also talks about power struggles and what makes someone a genius.

I liked how the script was so rich in detail to the industry the story is part of. It's clear that they've done their homework. It manages to still entice you despite moments of jargon specific to the profession covered that you have no knowledge of.

However, I'm not sure if it needed to be over 2hrs 30mins. It does prolong particular parts to its story that didn't it need to. But it does some do impressive scenes that takes its time as well. Also while it does cover interesting topics, I don't think it goes into enough depth to make it challenging.

Thankfully, those faults I had with it are only minor. I thought this was a very well executed piece of work that virtually plays out like a modern Greek tragedy and Blanchett's performance is the thing that is carrying this to become the success and awards contender that it already is. In fact, this could be Blanchett's best work and that really is saying something.

This is a memorable character study that is effectively shot, there is a good amount of growing tension and there are multiple scenes that are simply mesmerising. That is thanks to the camerawork and Blanchett's performance.

Rating: 8/10

Review: M3gan

I honestly had my doubts going into this new release as the trailer's weren't doing it for me. But the buzz I was hearing was surprisingly solid. So I thought I would give it a chance. 

I think the only thing I was clinging on to was that James Wan and Akela Cooper are the writers. Wan has created a lot of the most successful mainstream horror's of the past decade and Cooper did the screenplay for Malignant, which is a real hidden gem of a horror film that I urge you check out without knowing anything beforehand.

The history of creepy dolls in films stretches back to almost 100 years, and yet we still get attracted to it. As a kid, the first creepy doll I can recall was Slappy from the 'Goosebumps' books and TV series. Recent successes would be Annabelle from the Conjuring franchise and the Jigsaw doll from the Saw film series. Other memorable creepy film dolls would be the clown doll from 'Poltergeist', Chucky from 'Child's Play' and a classic example is Michael Redgrave's ventriloquist dummy from 1945's 'Dead Of Night'.

This one certainly has potential to be as successful. I like the build-up and foundations that are created. You can tell that is care given to the themes of the story and development of its characters and the creation of our titular character felt justified.

It builds up nicely with a lot of expected sequences to enhance the thrills and tension. But I like how it remained head strong in posing interesting questions about ourselves as well as its characters.

The final act does forget to close a few sub-plots. But it gives a nicely executed action sequence that should leave plenty of people satisfied.

The cast is pretty solid on the whole. Allison Williams carries the film well and the support by child actor Violet McGraw gives a duo that we can easily invest with. Everything they did felt believable and fitted the tone perfectly.

I liked the combined acting effort of Amie Donald and Jenna Davis for the titular character. Davis creates an effective attitude in the voice, while Donald's physical contribution was creepy and nicely varied.

While I did like Ronny Chieng in this stereotypical larger than life business owner who just wants money. Sadly I felt his character wasn't fully utilised. I was enjoying the energy Chieng was giving to his character. But it just left me wanting more. He could have stolen the show. Instead, we get what I felt was a missed opportunity.

I liked how it explores topics such as how much we rely on technology mixed in with the struggles of parenting and grief. So whilst it is being marketed as a horror film, it has elements of satire and a bit of unexpected comedy.

With that being said, it made me compare this to Gremlins. The film judges a lot of characters, there is a surprising amount of heart to it and the action is chaotic at times. M3gan may not be on the level of how the beloved 80's classic executed those aspects. But it remains a solid watch that I'm glad I went to see.

There is a fun vibe to it, it tries to do more than create cheap scares which I appreciated, the action works well and the pacing flows smoothly. There were moments in the third act where it lost a bit of steam for me and looked as if they had lost interest in parts of the plot.

But it did better then I expected and I can see getting a decent amount of love from general audiences.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Enys Men

Since his breakthrough feature 'Bait' in 2019, British director Mark Jenkin has turned many heads with his unique low-budget style of film-making and storytelling that continues to show what can be done with little resources.

It might not be a style for the masses, but it is certainly one that can be appreciated and loved by lovers of the art of film and film-making.

When I got the chance to catch a preview screening of his first feature release since 'Bait', I had to see what Jenkin has in store both in narrative and in style.

In terms of the latter, it is more of the same grainy old-school home-video look with a purposeful yet engrossing sound design. As for the narrative, there is something to be explored. It's certainly not straightforward. But what is lacking in plot is made up for in style and the atmosphere it has created.

It is hard to know whether what is happening on screen is real, a dream, echoes of the past or even hallucinations that have manifested from someone's head. What I definitely got was themes of isolation, grief and paying homage to British folklore stories.

It managed to be one of those rare viewing experiences, where you almost don't care if it makes sense or not. What matters is that it makes you drawn to it, making you feel something and you cannot explain why.

A lot of this helped by lead actor Mary Woodvine. While she might not have much dialogue or others actors to work with for the most part, her presence, expressions and reactions seem to work perfectly with Jenkin's style.

There's no real drawbacks that I felt was noticeable. So I guess it is just a matter of personal taste and it is certainly not for everyone. It actually makes 'Bait' feel completely accessible. So it might be worth seeing that out first before discovering this.

But if you like a film that it focuses more on atmosphere and messing with your senses, then this might be worth giving a chance.

It is a strange viewing experience no doubt about it. But there is something about it that is hard to ignore long after seeing it. I'm definitely a fan of Jenkin's look. From the dreamlike state the film is in throughout, to way the sound is created in post production makes it quite effectively unsettling.

Even though it doesn't play like your typical horror, this could play out as a psychological horror due to the type of reactions I certainly experienced during it.

So while I'm not surprised if people hate this, I certainly liked it and appreciated it. Jenkin is turning one of those film-makers that we didn't realise we needed. But I can tell he could be one of the most experimental directors we have right now and I'll be sure to check out more of his future projects.

Rating: 7/10

Review: The Pale Blue Eye

I might not get naturally excited for a new Scott Cooper feature. But I remain intrigued with whatever what he and his team have in store this time. 

Cooper is known for his works to have a dark image and sometimes even darker narratives. I'm usually fine with Cooper's films. Sometimes they can be a bit too serious that it forgets to be entertaining. But on the whole I usually like whatever makes. Especially his directorial debut 'Crazy Heart' from 2009.

This one might not be his most barbaric. But it still has a grim and cold colour palette and some disturbing violence. From the word go, it looks spectacular. There is a great sense of unease and with the narrative involving an unsolved mystery, the way it develops may be slow but it remains intriguing.

Christian Bale in the lead role is as captivating as ever. The way Bale transforms himself with every character he is given continues to impress me and he is no different in this latest piece.

Harry Melling does a great job. So much so that I felt he comfortably matched Bale's efforts whenever they were interacting on-screen together. Their on-screen chemistry was a big surprise and one of the biggest strength's of this film. Since his time in the Harry Potter franchise, Melling is one of the few from that film series that has further enhanced their back catalogue with some interesting project choices.

Gillian Anderson is clearly having a good time with her character and milking it for all its worth and it certainly worked for me.

As briefly mentioned earlier, the production and overall look of the film is impressive. There is a clear aim to make the atmosphere of the film as bleak and chilling as you could get whilst also giving some lavish costumes and eye-catching locations. So in terms of making it an immersive experience, Cooper and his team did a pretty solid job in achieving that. It makes you feel unsettled and never sure what's going to happen next.

However, the pacing for the most part is slow and at times it is hard to keep your interest outside of the imagery. There are moments when it kicks into gear. But if I was being cruel, you're clinging on to the atmosphere and hoping the story moves along.

Even with the slow pacing, I felt this was a pretty solid watch. The story is told in enough of an interesting way to keep you engaged, the performances are solid across the board and the atmosphere and overall production design is on point. A nice mystery thriller that while it would have looked nice on the big screen, it made the right decision of going with a Netflix release.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Till

It still amazes me that films can still give us true stories that in some regions are integral parts of their history. But for others, you have no prior knowledge to it.

This is a moment where I am most definitely the latter. To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what to expect from this new release.

I saw a solid amount of buzz and it was getting a big release. Naturally, when you see something like this come out at this time of year, it usually means awards buzz. In one particular aspect, that is true.

Considering how this films ends up, it's surprisingly bright and cheerful to begin with. The 50's setting, the bright colour palette and costumes and general happy nature of the characters gives it a pleasant beginning.  But as the threat looms, there's not much joy to be had after that.

When it turns into something a bit more brutal and hard to watch, I noticed that the film seemed to be treating the story with a surprising amount of respect for both sides. It gives a fair representation of the events and focuses more on the emotion from the people effected by it instead.

People in America are probably aware of this story due to how the news coverage was portrayed in the film. But for outsiders like me, this was something new. It was hard to watch at times. But the compelling execution of the story keeps you wanting to know more.

That is thanks to the cast, who do a pretty good job on the whole. But in all honesty, the film belongs to Danielle Deadwyler, who gives a star-making performance. There are several scenes where she takes full control of it and you can't help but be emotionally moved by it. You just get this sudden drive for her to fully succeed and it deserves some recognition during the awards season.

Jalyn Hall shows great natural innocence that makes him instantly likable and Haley Bennett reminds us how good she is as she made great use of her short screen-time.

Also, Whoopi Goldberg is in this apparently and I had no idea she was. So fair play to the makeup department for making me not realise she was part of this project.

I like how it handled the story and it just told it like it is rather being heavily biased to one side. The content speaks for itself and sometimes that's all you need to sell the film.

But while this covers important subjects, you can't ignore the drawbacks and like with any film and it has some issues. There were some sequences that felt prolonged that slowed the pace down a bit. It also contains a few of those conventional biopic tropes which they got away with as it never downgraded my overall view.

In terms of the technical aspects, you don't really see anything challenging or daring. So instead, the film-makers are basically using the strength of the story. Thankfully, I felt it was enough of a compelling watch for me to overlook those minor problems.

The content is difficult to be comfortable with. Not because of the brutal actions, but the emotional after-effects of the incident this film is focusing on. If you feel mad after watching this, then it has worked for you. Deadwyler is great in this and is worth the admission ticket price alone.

It's based on a true story and I had no prior knowledge of this whatsoever. So it was obviously shocking to see that this actually happened and I know I won't be the only one effected by this.

Rating: 7/10