Review: The King's Man

It doesn't feel like seven years since the first Kingsman. But I do remember enjoying them, and so far, this growing franchise seems to be doing alright in every aspect.

So I was kind of surprised that the third installment is going to be a prequel. However, I remained excited as director Matthew Vaughan was still involved as well as it containing a whole bunch of new cast to this series.

While I have only seen the Kingsman films at the cinemas, seeing this one certainly made me want to check them out again.

I was surprised at how drama filled it was. It felt more like a war drama than a spy action comedy blockbuster which we associate with this franchise. 

Don't worry, it still has those over the top moments that you expect in Kingsman. But Vaughan and his team certainly concentrated more on the drama side of the story. Thankfully, I was kind of fine with these tonal shifts as they felt they blended in well for the most part.

I'm not sure it will work for everyone as there is a lot of ideas overlapping themselves. I was certainly on board with it.

I liked how they were using real world moments in history to incorporate the story and the way it ended has me really intrigued as to where the follow-up will go.

I will say that there were some scenes that shocked me in both a good and bad way and the final act had one big let down. But thankfully, it didn't effect my overall views on the film.

In fact, I think it can work as a standalone film and so doesn't force you to watch the first two Kingsman. But there are the obviously references that fans of the franchise will get.

One aspect that I think helped with the changes in tone was the cast, who were solid all-round. Ralph Fiennes is as great as you would expect, carried the film well and was believable at kicking some ass. Another that continues to show how underrated they are as an actor was Djimon Hounsou. Not only does it look like he hasn't aged a day since his breakthrough in Stargate back in 1994. But he can still hang it with the best and he deserves to be in more major studio projects.

Harris Dickinson was an unexpected surprise. The newcomer has been going from strength to strength in the last couple of years, and this could be a career best for him. A portion of the film that ended up being the most emotional for me, was down to him. So seeing the weight that Dickinson gave to this film shows that he is ready for bigger projects.

As for the majority of the rest of the supporting cast, there were some casting choices that really pleased me. Gemma Arterton is as solid as ever. Plus, I was pleased to see the talented faces of Matthew Goode, Charles Dance, Rhys Ifans, Daniel Bruhl, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Tom Hollander, the under appreciated August Diehl, Valerie Pachner and Stanley Tucci.

One aspect that is important to work in a Kingsman film, is the action and the way it is shot seems to be unique to this film series. While I felt it was a bit much in The Golden Circle, this felt a bit more held back whilst still feeling like a Kingsman. That felt like the right move as it gave more coverage to the characters and paid off from my point of view.

The visual effects are still great and apart from one moment, never took me out of the film and felt seamless with the practical parts.

I think the only I felt was a let down, was the attempted comedy. While it did concentrate more on being a drama, there was some comedic moments in there. But I just felt none of them hit, and yet didn't downgrade my enjoyment. They were just obvious and there.

In the end, I was really pleased at how much I enjoyed watching it. It was a lot of fun, the story blended well with the action and flowed nicely, the story was well developed, there were strong surprises that were bold yet rewarding and it felt instantly rewatchable. It is definitely one of those films that while it won't break any new ground with its genre, you can have a fun time with this one.

Finally, I must mention that there is a mid-credits scene and it is worth staying for. It certainly has me intrigued into where this series will be heading.

Rating: 7/10

Review: The Matrix: Resurrections

With it being almost 20 years since the last Matrix film, my anticipation for this has been a strange one. While I am obviously excited to go back to this ground-breaking franchise, there is a part of me that is expecting something that feels out of touch.

The Wachowski's that created this world always get my appreciation. The way they subvert their audiences is great to watch. It may not work all the time like in Jupiter Ascending. However, they have been part of some of my all-time favourites like Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas, V For Vendetta and of the course The Matrix franchise.

With only Lana Wachowski involved in this one, I was intrigued to see how this would follow on from the event of Revolutions.

The first 20 minutes or so was strange, intriguing and quite meta all at the same time and I was surprisingly enjoying this opening act. It was quirky, it caught me off guard and had me thinking what was the reason for all of this happening in that typical Matrix way. Some of the additions that was linking in with past events I was on board with. As for the rest that I was unsure of, I was hoping that it would eventually win me over.

Sadly for me, I don't think it did. The longer the film went, I more I realised that I just wasn't getting into it despite some interesting aspects that the story had to offer. Some of the choices made in its story as well as its general style just felt the wrong thing do for a Matrix film.

There were some bold yet off-putting changes and choices that didn't have much of a journey to warrant the respective destinations. It felt it confused itself with its own lore despite having moments of clever self-awareness.

Plus, some of the performances of new or reprising characters didn't help either. That being said, Keanu Reeves I felt did a decent job at carrying the film. The world loves Keanu in every way and you can see his commitment to the material and that he wanted to give this story the best chance possible.

It was nice to see Carrie-Ann Moss again. It is a shame she isn't in enough films as she has a strong and powerful presence that many films could use to their advantage.

The way Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was used didn't feel justified for me and his performance wasn't strong enough to mask that initial distraction. The same is said for Jonathan Groff, who was always beginning with an uphill task. He gave it his best shot. But he never felt threatening and the way his character was used felt like a side note or annoying pest at best.

However, I think Neil Patrick Harris was a fun addition. His character was the most interesting, he gave the most charisma and engagement to the story and was clearly the best part of the film.

I'll give credit to Jessica Henwick as well. It was a solid performance and her character was interesting enough to have me wanting more.

There were some other nice unexpected surprise appearance that I won't spoil. But overall, the acting felt below average. It wasn't helped that there were plenty of forgettable minor characters.

I was sad to come to the conclusion that even the choices made in the technical department didn't work. While the visual effects served its purpose well, the camerawork was disappointing. The previous Matrix's just stood back and let the action speak for itself and it made you appreciate the large amounts of training involved for the combat sequences. It also paid homage to the martial art genre in its choice of camera positioning.

However in this, it felt too close to the action, with many cuts and even some shaky-cam moments which should not be at all considered in this particular franchise. The cinematography for me was the biggest disappoint, as it was this aspect that for me made it fail to be a Matrix film.

That is why I cannot give this a pass which I am really sad to say. Like with all Wachowski features, there's great ideas in there. But for this one, not all of them stuck the landing for me. I think on paper, it sounded better. But the finished product just didn't seem like the right one in the end.

You can see that it's really trying to be something and I do like a fair amount of it to stop seeing this as a total loss. So I won't be surprised if it gets some love. Just not quite from me I'm afraid.

I still believe in The Wachowski's. Not everything they make works. But I always appreciate their ideas and never going down the typical blockbuster formula. Despite now making consecutives misses now, doubt is creeping in that they could be past it now. But hope does remain. Their vision still has a place for modern audiences. With the right people, we can still have another cult classic.

Rating: 6/10

Review: Spider-Man: No Way Home

For someone who has been brought up with the 90's animated series, my excitement was pretty high for where this next installment of Spider-Man could go.

So far, I've enjoyed this current incarnation of the masked web-slinger. It's been fun, exciting and has given us some solid villains. I was particularly pleased with how they did Mysterio in 'Far From Home' as he was always my favourite villain.

As always, I hadn't seen the trailers. But I was aware of what it involves, and the concept they are going for had me as excited as the rest of the target audience.

I was expecting an action-packed fan-service filled extravaganza, and I certainly got that. But it wasn't without some added emotional depth and a story that was character driven to my amazement.

It comes hard out of the blocks and you are in the thick of it straight away. But even with the amount of characters involved, time was given for familiar characters to be developed and make us feel the emotions and stakes involved.

I was certainly caring a lot more then I was expecting for what was happening on screen. That I feel could the be the films biggest strength. For a story that is filled with fan service, it is not of the usual kind. It is all given a purpose and helps the story and its themes give us that pay off worthy of the journey that got us there.

With this surprisingly character driven story in place, the cast was obviously great in this. Tom Holland gives a much wanted amount of maturity to the character and it gave us probably the best Spider-Man we have seen in the MCU. The emotional drive he gave has made me excited to where the current Peter Parker will go next.

His chemistry with Zendaya is probably given the most development it ever has. I'm still not getting Zendaya as this beloved actor by the young generation. But she is still doing solid work in this franchise.

For the rest of the cast I'm going to mention, it will only be the ones that have been seen in the trailers. So if you literally know nothing about it before seeing it, avoid the next paragraph or two.

Willem Dafoe was a huge standout. Despite giving us a great Norman Osborn from the early Spider-Man films, he managed to give us a new personal best. Dafoe is still at the top of his game and elevated the disturbing and fearful aspects of his character and he gave us a terrifying and rewarding Green Goblin that I did not think was possible. You'll fall in love with Dafoe all over again.

Alfred Molina continued his brilliant Otto Octavius in this one and contributes well to the story and bounces off Holland really well.

It was nice to see Jamie Foxx's character of Max Dillon give some much needed depth from his previous appearance. Like the majority of his colleagues, his contribution felt important and was given a purpose rather than being just fan-service.

Last mention goes to J.K. Simmons. This is purely just go to still mention that he is and forever will be J. Jonah Jameson.

The technical side also elevated their game. Director Jon Watts and his team gave us a great mix of strong story-telling and paid great homage to several eras of Spider-Man that will please fans of the source material as well as general fans who won't be fully aware of Easter eggs to nods to various references.

Michael Giacchino did a great job with the score, added to the emotions well and mixed in familiar themes from previous films to great effect.

With their being certain characters involved, the visual effects have to be spectacular and they certainly pleasing to the eye, no matter how mind-bending they get.

I also have to give credit to the editing team, who paced a lot of it really well. With a lot going on, this could have been chaotic and confusing. But it never felt too much to process or incoherent.

The only gripes I had with it, was that there were some moments that lingered a bit too much for me and therefore dragged. Also, some of that vintage Marvel comedy didn't quite work for me and also felt forced to balance some of the downbeat moments.

With those thankfully being minor drawbacks, I was pretty satisfied with what we got in the end. The marketing definitely does not prepare you for the emotional side of this story and that's a really good thing. I love how they give the story some weight and this it is about the characters rather than depending on the action.

As mentioned, the fan-service I felt was given a purpose and never felt it was added for cheap thrills. All of that gave us a well developed story with many well rounded characters. This is a wonderful tribute to many eras of Spider-Man we have had in comic, film and TV mediums and all types of Spider-Mans fans I feel with will the same amount of enjoyment.

If I had to rank it with the rest of the Spider-Man films, it makes the podium. I still feel Into The Spider-Verse remains at the top, but No Way Home is right there with Spider-Man 2 for me. But while I don't have it at the top of my ranking with the other Spider-Man films, this particular one could well be the most important.

There is the usual mid and post credits scenes to stay for. Both are worth seeing and they give you enough ideas of where the Spider-Man series is going as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Rating: 8/10

Review: West Side Story (2021)

When you see something so beloved and cherished by millions of people be remade, the pressure is certainly on in many ways for the remake of West Side Story to be a success.

Does it need to be remade? What else can a near perfect film do to improve? Will this story still appeal to the next generation?

For me, I think it's a brave choice to remake a film that is important to multiple industries, treasured by so many and seen as a landmark and incredibly influential.

But when I saw it was Steven Spielberg directing this, I knew it was in safe hands. Spielberg needs no introduction and has a back catalogue that has seen him triumph in almost every genre possible from the late 1970's onwards.

However I did remain sceptical, as while he has made some well crafted pieces in the last 10 years or so. None have had that instant magic like a lot of his work from the 80's and 90's.

Those worries were quashed fairly quickly as Spielberg has showed everyone he can still make movie magic.

It was like I was watching the original all over again. They knew what to not change and the changes made never detracted from what this story is about. Some changes gave the familiar bits new life and the few necessary touches improved certain aspects that now feel dated.

I was also watching stars being made in the form of multiple cast members making their on-screen debuts. It was like watching those musicals of yesteryear where the cast have more a theatre background that can also have that natural transition into the medium of film.

By the end of it, I was thoroughly satisfied and felt as moved as I did when seeing the original. This remains an effective tragedy.

The cast is incredible in every way. It has a very strong ensemble full of newcomers with the right background that reminded of those classic musicals with more of a musical and theatre background than film. But there is also the odd familiar face that was nice to see.

From a physical perspective, the dance sequences are insanely good. The drama they bring to each set-piece was spot on and helped the music come alive like it did back in 1961. But also like the original, the acting side also shines.

Ansel Elgort was good in the lead, showed off his natural charisma well, looked the part and gave his character a harder edge to the original. Mike Faist had a strong presence about it and was constantly engaging. David Alvarez gave solid support and bounced off his colleagues well.

While the boys were definitely good, it was the ladies that gave us the wow factor. Rachel Zegler was great in the lead, an amazing talent and felt so in control of the screen whenever she was the centre of it. That natural innocence came through well on screen and was a great casting choice. 

Ariana DeBose for me was the star of the show and deserves to be an awards contender. The power and confidence she had in every scene was incredibly engaging and vital for such an important character. DeBose as well as Zegler have potential to be huge stars. Both gave wonderful breakthrough performances.

It's no surprise that the technical side is absolutely fantastic. The way it is shot and the tint it is given makes it looks like it was filmed back in that time period whilst also feeling new at the same time. There are even some techniques of that time that are used in this. With all of that and still feeling completely new is quite an impressive skill to have and that just made the viewing so much more memorable and impactful.

The explosive colours used in the palette as well as the costumes gave this film such life and soul, especially in the songs. Speaking of songs, the soundtrack is as rich and powerful as the original was. The cast gave the Leonard Bernstein score and Stephen Sondheim lyrics a new dimension and felt refreshing with the added Spielberg filmmaking style.

The sweeping cinematography by Janusz Kaminski is wonderful. You can get feel the scale and grandeur in the camerawork and he lets the cast do their thing so we can appreciate the talent and artistry.

The duration is pretty much the same as the original and it flowed really well. It never dragged for me, had a nice flow to it and had a nice variety in its cuts. It's gracefully flows when needed and it is also never afraid to be frenetic and sharp.

If I did mention any flaws, it would only be when comparing it to the original.

While I cannot quite match it to the original, it most certainly can stand alongside it. That I feel makes it fine for someone to see it without having seen the original. This is a strong portrayal of this story and Spielberg continues to show he can dab his hand at any genre and make a success.

It's constantly engaging, full of energy and drama and produced in an that classic cinematic way that you just don't get that often these days.

I did have my fears that this could have gone through the motions and just be a shot-for-shot remake that would feel hollow and lifeless. But this felt like the story was given a brand new motor for a new generation to enjoy and still be relevant.

I also liked some of the changes and additions Spielberg and his team made. They're all fairly subtle that never ruin the main themes of the film. But I felt the changes made sense in terms of the content from the original that now feel dated. Those little updates giving it a slight modern sheen to it shows why this deserved a remake.

Rating: 8/10

Review: House Of Gucci

From four years without a Ridley Scott directed feature, we suddenly get two in the same year. The first being an impactful medieval drama, the next  focusing on one of the famous fashion family brands in history.

To be brutally honest, apart from the name and some of its signature products, I know nothing about Gucci. So based on the strength of the people involved in front and behind the camera, this had the makings of a film shooting for the major awards.

It does start off well. The foundations are built with plenty of intrigue and enough characters with solid instructions to give us an idea where we could be heading. In terms of structure of character arch's, there was a hint of 'The Godfather' in many areas. It also hinted a few satirical moments which got the odd laugh out of me.

As the film takes a darker turn, the less interested I was in the film. In fact, I was close to nodding off and I rarely do that. While there was still some interesting developments occurring, the films duration started to drag and certain choices and directions it took slowed the momentum down.

One part that kept me going to the end was the cast. Lady Gaga did a good job I felt. She continues to show us all that she can make an established acting career in major films.

Adam Driver was a standout for me. It takes quite a talent to have many face expressions where some may feel he's not giving emotion, where in fact he is giving it everything. His talent knows no bounds and I continue to be impressed by outings in feature films.

Both Gaga and Driver together really worked elsewhere. Two contrastic personalities, who together gives us some of the films most memorable scenes.

Jeremy Irons utilised his experience with solid support and a performance that elevated what his character was given and Al Pacino was being Al Pacino, but in Italian.

As for Jared Leto, he gives a performance that will most certainly divide people. For me, it felt out of place with the rest of the film. But I can see others love this in a guilty pleasure way. While the prosthetics are impressive to make him unrecognisable. The character that he gives us felt as if it would be better suited to a sketch show. I was certainly entertained by it. But not always in the right way.

The technical side was pretty strong. It looked great, there it was shot was pretty satisfying and the costume design and make up is obviously strong for a film involving one of the most famous fashion lines in the world.

It was a bit more withdrawn than I expected. I think for a story involving these particular people, I think it should have been a more impactable then it ended up thing. While it is a solid piece of work, the source material used and the people involved, you naturally something special. The duration was also noticeable. At over 2hrs 30mins, it does take a while to tell its story and could have easily been cut by half an hour.

I'm a bit lukewarm with this one. There's a solid stuff in here. But as it's the type of film that I rarely go nuts for, I sadly cannot see myself watching this again and throughout most of the film, it just made me want to see far superior films of a similar genre.

I can see personally see general audiences getting bored by it. But I will be interested to see how this fairs in terms of the box office. If it does better than The Last Duel, I will be disappointed as The Last Duel deserved better financial success.

Rating: 7/10

Review: King Richard

As a person who watches Tennis virtually every week and has done for the past 15 years or so, the story of the Williams sisters as well as their father Richard is one I know fairly well.

I've seen enough of their numerous documentaries to feel that there's nothing else I need to know.

So with a film coming out about those three, I was intrigued to see what direction it would go. I was also unsure how I may approach this film. I was therefore a bit nervous I would put my nose up to it as it may not give me anything new.

I was actually quite surprised in the end at how they made a familiar story for followers of the sport still be very engaging and refreshing.

From a film perspective, I liked how it went for the 'Rocky' route of story-telling as its the type of story we don't often see in Sports films and I felt it fitted well with the people and events it was focusing on.

As a Tennis fan, I thought it was pretty strong in its accuracy and how they used other moments in Tennis at the time to enhance the main plot. I also liked how much they covered the Williams family and how strong they are as a unit and how important that was to their success.

I was honestly never a big fan of the Williams sisters. But I always appreciated and respected them and seeing this film further proves why they should be.

This was mainly thanks to the performances. They were all amazingly on point. It really was like seeing the actual people.

The star is of course Will Smith, who perfectly transforms into the infamous Richard Williams. From the voice, to the mannerisms, to the peculiar actions we've seen in archive footage. It was the perfect portrayal of the man himself. I was astonished at how well Smith did with his role. I didn't think I would ever see Richard Williams portrayed on the big screen. But I totally believed I was seeing him.

I also have to give props to Saniyya Sidney and Dem Singleton, who like Smith portrayed their characters perfectly. The hard work of even playing like Venus and Serena Williams was noticeable to this Tennis fan and I was expecting to see that.

Jon Bernthal was a surprising stand out as a support. Like the performances, it felt very believable With it being a role that would not see Bernthal play, this made it a more impressive showing.

From a technical perspective, the production and costume design was on point also. They matched the archive footage as well as the time period perfectly. So props to everyone involved that helped with the authenticity of this story. It will certainly please my fellow Tennis fans.

I was surprised at the duration being close to 2hrs 30mins. Thankfully, the length was never noticeable and the pacing was pretty smooth. Even if I tried to trim this film down, I would struggle to know what I would cut.

Films where I know the story inside out before seeing it is always tough to rate. But knowing where it was going, I was pleasantly surprise at how this turned out. People that don't know this story will most likely rate this higher than I will and that gives me great confidence in how general audiences will view this.

I have to give props to director Reinaldo Marcus Green and his team for giving us an entertaining and engaging piece of work that I hope gets an audience. The performances are great, Will Smith could possibly be an awards contender, and the entire look of the film was faultless. 

There are not many Tennis films out there. But this could well be the best one in all aspects. That is if you don't count Strangers On A Train.

If you're going into this film expecting it to be about the Williams sisters, there is a reason why the film is called 'King Richard'. If you already know their story, you know exactly why their dad Richard is the main character in this story.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Encanto

Producing a 60th feature film should be commended, and it hasn't been the easiest ride for Walt Disney Animation Studios.

But despite a few moments in its almost 100 years of history where it almost went out of existance, it continues to bring smiles to people of all ages and give that sense of wonder and imagination.

This current era of Disney animation is pretty strong. Since its resurgence in the late 2000's, almost every feature film release has been an instant classic. So that expected quality and satisfaction can bring an almost unfair amount of pressure. Especially when we get to its 60th feature. Like myself, there are many dedicated fans that want that Disney magic that Walt himself would still approve of.

It felt a bit of a chaotic start for me. There is a lot to introduce in the opening act. But if you can keep up, it will give you a rather interesting concept with a lot of potential as the accompanying visuals are so dazzling and help us understand our characters. The songs also add some strong positive vibes to what is a very vibrant production design.

The development gives us some solid depth, we've got lots of characters to know about, there all having a good enough amount of screen-time to at least give us an idea and I felt pretty invested and intrigued with this idea.

Plus, the themes of empowerment within yourself, family, community, pressures of family expectation I felt would resonate well with its target audience. I felt on the whole it was well executed. But also a bit on the nose and predictable on some occasions.

Towards the end of the second act and the whole of the final act was where it was partially losing me as I was starting to feel unsure about the story as being a complete package. The threat and stakes involved felt a bit rushed and just there for the sake of seeing our main characters at a low point. I felt I never had time to feel the impact as before I knew it, it was resolved, we were back to the bright colours and music and the credits rolled.

But with even with my issues, there's still a good amount to like that I feel audiences will eat up.

It truly amazing to look at. The colour palette is so bright and the animation is wonderfully creative and the level detail continues to amaze me. With how animation is right now, I cannot believe it continues to still up its game. How far can this genre go?

The voice work is solid. They all gave great personalities to their characters. There's plenty to find a favourite in and the added singing will give this film a soundtrack that will be on repeat in many households.

So while I'm not calling this an instant classic in my book, it's still an entertaining piece of work that the studio can be proud of. I like ideas it has and the mix of South American culture and fantasy worked well. I can see crowds enjoying this. This is pleasant viewing with a lot of positivity to warm your heart. 

If I ranked it with other films from the studio that were released over the last 10 years, I would honestly put it near the bottom. That just shows how successful this studio has been lately and this release I feel will continue to keep the momentum going.

I must mention that like a lot of other recent releases, there is a short before the main film. It's a delightful story that teaches you the dangers and rewards of parenting.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Ali & Ava

It's not often I get to see films set in Yorkshire. But I usually enjoy them as the stories are interesting and well told. They also portray the Yorkshire lifestyle rather well, whether it be in the city or in the countryside.

For this film, we'll be using the former as our backdrop.

It's directed by Clio Barnard, who has also made 'The Selfish Giant' back in 2013, which is also set in Bradford centred on the working class.

I think it's safe to say that this setting is Barnard's wheelhouse. It shows Bradford in a very honest way and it gives you a similar vibe that I got out of the city whenever I've been there.

The story itself is one of those romance films we've seen before. But I think what made this worth watching was the performances and chemistry of our two leads. While the experienced Claire Rushbrook gives us the emotion, Adeel Akhtar gives us the comedic relief and feel-good and together they work.

The supporting cast do a good job and just add those little touches that complete the entire mood of the film.

It touched on moments that are topical and relevant in that part of the world and dirty colour palette was the right choice.

While I did enjoy it, it barely did anything new to the genre and you could see where it was going. But sometimes, you need films like this to remind you of those supposed tired story archs that can still work with the right people. That for me what is makes film successful for a general audience.

Overall, this is a solid romantic drama with a feel-good vibe that makes it a rewarding crowd-pleaser.

As mentioned, the two performances by the leads work well.. The pacing does feel slightly uneasy at times. But it never detracted my overall view of the film.

As someone who has visited Bradford enough times to get a sense of the vibe and culture, it portrays that part of the world rather well. The noticeable passion showed that the filmmakers wanted to do the city proud with an honest working class story. I hope the director makes another so we can have a Barnard Bradford film trilogy.

Rating: 7/10

Review: You Resemble Me

It's not often when a film takes multiple turns in its shifts in tone. But this film did do things that took me by surprise.

The way it started showed some promise of a story of determination, redemption, freedom and the power of sisterhood etc.

But with themes of identity looking to be centre stage as the film goes on, I was a bit unsure how this would end.

When it suddenly took a major shift in its story, I felt almost uncomfortable where we potentially were going. Then came another twist that reminded me of American Animals in its style. That final change in tone and structure made the film as a whole better to relate and engage with after briefly thinking it was going down a route that I fear would lose the audience.

However, I feel they could have stretched the emotion of the final given what was involved.

The performances are fairly solid. The stars were child actors and real life sisters Lorenzo and Ilonna Grimaudo. Their natural bond and charm really worked and became really infectious by the end of it.

Dina Amer did a decent job with what she was given. But I feel I would have liked more out of her given what this film ended up being about.

Despite some of the revelations, I think this remained a decent watch overall that surprised me and I think it is best to go in not knowing anything.

However, I think under different hands, this could have gone into depth and been more impactful given the subject matter involved. I would like to now see a remake of this.

Rating: 7/10

Review: The Souvenir: Part II

I don't remember enjoying much of the first Souvenir to be brutally honest. I recall it being quite flat in its general vibe and strangely structured for me. But I know it found an audience and there is enough evidence to warrant a sequel out of it.

To my surprise, I really enjoyed Part II. I'm not sure what's happened that has won me over. But it's like almost every aspect has been given some life and colour.

Whilst things such as that bright hazy tint to its shots, smaller screen ratio and random pockets of music dropped in is still there, it felt as if they've been somewhat reinvented.

It feels like more chances were taken with this one. The content feels richer, the imagery feels more ambitious and certain sequences are quite gripping to listen to and the imagery is more adventurous.

The cast do a great job with the script given. Honor Swinton Byrne carries the film well. The way she explains her emotions through her face without saying anything is all you need.

Notable supporting performances came from Tilda Swinton and Richard Ayoade. Swinton is great as always. That country estate way of life oozes out of her character and it makes it pleasant to watch and hear.

As for Ayaode, you can tell he had fun with this role. I definitely don't remember his contribution from the first film. But this portrayal of demanding director was great to see. The eccentricness and energy he put into his character was the right amount this film needed.

The transformation between the two films is quite astonishing. In fact, the way they execute Part II means you don't even need to watch Part I to be fully invested in this.

This is a surprisingly gripping story about grief, moving on and also gives you a great insight into student filmmaking.

It's not for everyone as the style may alienate some demographics. But if you like your indie and arthouse films, you will agree that not a minute of this is wasted.

Props to director Joanna Hogg and her team for this installment. This won me over in the most dramatic way. I live being proved wrong, and this achieved it and then some.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Ghostbusters: Afterlife

While I don't hold the Ghostbusters franchise as high as the majority, I do agree they were fun films with good re-watchability.

I actually prefer Ghostbusters II and this was probably caused by me seeing the sequel before the original.

In a weird twist of fate, I didn't mind the all-female reboot. It felt like a Ghostbusters film for me, and it was passable entertainment.

For this latest installment, I was apprehensive more than excited as I just didn't feel confident it would capture the same magic or even do something interesting with the concept.

My fears were kind of met.

The first two acts are pretty solid. We have some engaging characters with interesting backstories and plenty of nostalgia to keep the fans happy.

The homage I was felt was overflowing before the final act and plot development kind of went out the window and decided to go full nostalgia.

Sometimes, they just weren't even trying and virtually did identical scenes from the original.

The only thing I felt they struggled to match, was the comedy. It's hard to match the writing of Ivan Reitman and style of Bill Murray and Harold Ramis. It did give me some chuckles. But sadly a few lead balloon moments.

While the fan service was a bit much for me, I was thankfully having fun with it. The pacing is rampant enough to make the action and dialogue flow nicely.

One big reason that made it fun was the performances by the young cast. I was happy to see McKenna Grace take the lead as I've always enjoyed her performances, ever since I first encountered her in the really good 'Gifted'.

Finn Wolfhard felt underused as I don't feel he was given enough development to be memorable.

Logan Kim was good comedic relief and Carrie Coin was serviceable support.

Paul Rudd I feel could have been better utilised as he was heavily featured in the marketing.

There are a numbers cameos in the final act. One was a very random and proper confused me. It involved a very minor sub plot that never went anywhere as soon as it got introduced.

Another cameo I was proud to notice as they are fairly unrecognisable.

The other cameos I don't really need to say as you should know who I'm referring to.

While I did have fun watching this, I was also somewhat disappointed by this. It relied too much on its nostalgia and went for a safe storyline that neither expanded the franchise nor diminished it.

I will say though they pay great tribute to a certain Ghostbuster.

So with that in mind, fans will obviously enjoy this as it just does everything that will make them remember why they enjoyed the 1984 original and sequel in 1989. If you're expecting a fine balance of the film being a standalone whilst paying homage, you will flat out not get that. It wouldn't surprise if they make a sequel and just give us Viggo The Carpathian, the pink slime and a moving Statue Of Liberty all over again.

There is a mid credits scene that both pay more homage and hint at where we're going next.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Paris, 13th District

While I have had love-hate relationship with French cinema, one talented filmmaker has got me having this country in my good books for now. The person in question is Celine Sciamma.

With her success in directing attracting my attention, this particular feature has Sciamma solely in the writing department.

I can directly see that Sciamma isn't the director, as the pacing is a lot more frenetic than her works and the style is totally different, but equally impactful.

It's a very modern look at relationships and dating, and we get great performances from a strong young cast that make this story very believable.

Lucie Zhang gives a breakthrough performance. She showed great maturity and strength in her character and gave authenticity that made her very watchable.

The same goes for Makita Samba. His performance felt very natural and real with solid development.

Following on from her success in 'Portrait Of A Lady On Fire', Noemie Merlant continues to show what a talent she is. Her story was probably the most interesting, and her performance really helped made this story work and her chemistry with the underrated Jehnny Beth may have stolen the show late on in the film. Despite being more known for her music, Beth's contribution to this film gave it that edge that I think made this more than just good.

So with the strength of the performances as well as it's slick style, efficient pacing and a high energy soundtrack made this a very enjoyable viewing experience.

This is very well made modern love story that covers the topic of modern dating rather well and gives such style that makes it addictive viewing and great re-watchability. It was almost like watching a modern Woody Allen as it certainly captures the spirit of his style. It will be interesting to see if director Jacques Audiard goes for more romance films.

Rating: 8/10

Review: What Do We Do When We Look At The Sky?

I honestly don't recall any film from Georgia. So I was intrigued to see this to what stories come from Georgia.

This was honestly a peculiar one, and yet it had something that I found rather charming and mystical to it.

For the most part it plays out like fairytale. Then every so often, random sequences and subplots intertwined that gave an idea of the vibe and atmosphere of a community proud of its traditions, but also hopeful of the future.

There was an unexpected subplot around Football that played out like one of those official FIFA World Cup films from the 50's or 60's.

The ending didn't go as I expected. It seemed to focus more than it's themes and all plots as one rather than main plot. Which considering the themes involved kind of makes sense.

While none of the performances were outstanding, they all played their part in a more ensemble fashion to fulfill the directors vision.

I was surprised how enchanting the location was. Despite it being in Eastern Europe, it felt more like central or Western Europe. A very enchanting setting it was.

It's definitely not for everyone as the duration will test people. But if you give a chance, you can get absorbed in this one without realising. The way it changes its vibe, genre and even audience participation which I have never seen before makes this this stand out and I'm sure will give it some longevity over time.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Lingui

I can now tick Chad off my list of productions from that country.

It's not often that I see African films and I still feel this part of the world is trying finding its own identity and style to the industry.

I hope to see this continent flourish as there's probably countless stories that the world deserve to know about.

For this one, it's covers topics that many are aware and has been covered in films before. But with the added customs of this country, I was intrigued to see how this would work.

It ends up being surprisingly straight forward and standardised in its execution. I wasn't sure if it was the directing, acting, writing or all three. But something was missing to give this something to stand out or at least be memorable.

What I did like was the look of it. The bright colour palette thanks to lovely costumes, nice mix of desert and jungle surroundings made this a pleasing film to look at.

Sadly, I had issues with almost every other aspect.

I wasn't sure if the acting was purposely subtle or I just wasn't buying it. Achouackh Abakar and Rihane Khalil Alio were solid for the most part. But I'm not sure if it was the directing or editing that seemed to make them feel amateurish.

The dialogue they were given wasn't great. It just felt as if they were given the necessary information to move the plot along without giving it any weight or emotion.

It started to become noticeable towards the end.

Also, a lot of the scenes felt abrupt and never gave the audience chance to get invested with it. So despite a promising start, the execution of the film seemed to be getting clunky and messy.

With all those issues, I sadly cannot give this a pass.

I hope all the people involved learn from this film and go on to make more impressive pieces of work. Despite the underdevelopment, lots of aspects have people with potential to go far in this industry.

Rating: 6/10

Review: Compartment Number 6

It's not often these days that we get that simple classic story in new releases.

But I feel the less we see of those type of stories, the more refreshing they become when they do get used.

That's the type of feeling I got seeing this Russian-Finnish production. On paper, it sounds like 'Before Sunrise', but with a Russian touch. For the most part, we get that.

It's a more off beat than your usual romantic drama and the surroundings make the story feel more grounded and authentic.

What makes the film work is the natural chemistry with leads Seidi Haarla and Yuriy Borisov. Their development is strong, natural, touching and consistently funny. Seeing people from totally different backgrounds and interests catch fire makes it a charming watch.

Almost a character themselves is the Russian setting. The brutal temperatures and roar of the winds makes you find a few more layers of clothes to wear to make it to the end.

It is hard to disassociate this film with 'Before Sunrise'. So to compare it in my conclusion, it's not the gold standard quality of the 1995 Richard Linklater feature, but there is plenty to enjoy.

Despite the frozen setting, the comradery between Haarla and Borisov is the warmth that is much needed. A very sweet and funny watch.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Ascension

This managed to be both a fantastically gripping watch, whilst also being terrifying viewing.

Seeing how China work economically at ground level was just fascinating from start to finish.

The content they were showing in the first half had me thinking this should should have been renamed 'Made In China: The Movie'. Just seeing how they all worked really gives an idea of the juggernaut that is the Chinese economy.

There are some surreal sequences with the added choice of shots used to further enhance those moments.

We also get an idea of the Chinese way of working in all aspects, such as seeing how militarised everything seems to be.

When it comes to the more terrifying side of the story, seeing how much as a society we as a species consume but also waste was startling on a scale of China's level.

I liked how the camerawork just observes and never makes the audience choose how to judge what we're seeing.

Lots of wide shots from angles that make it very pleasing for the eyes could well be the films strongest aspect.

While it doesn't have the depth some other documentaries have with its conventional talking head structure. It's visual style felt refreshing and rewarding to see and it I felt director Jessica Kingdom and her team did what they set out to do. Surprisingly enjoyable.

Rating: 8/10

Review: The Justice Of Bunny King

Having a film with Essie Davis with support from Thomasin McKenzie is enough to sign me up to check this out.

These are two of the best female actors out there right now and I feel they could make any story turn into gold.

While the narrative is something we've seen before, it is one of those that when done right can still be an effective watch.

Making it still feel refreshing I felt was Davis' energy and commitment to her role. Portraying that love and determination of a mother doing the best for her kids made her an easy character to root for.

The support of McKenzie was solid when it needed to be and I hope she has gained valuable experience from Davis if how to lead a film.

As mentioned before, it is a story we have seen before. But every aspect still made entertaining, gripping, tense and funny when required.

This has relatable themes that makes this film very accessible and is a satisfying watch.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Faya Dayi

It's always interesting seeing a film from a particular country for the first time.

It could give you an idea on that country's style of filmmaking. It could also show off that country if the film is set there. That is the case for not just this film, but it's narrative.

This documentary-drama hybrid tries to immerse you into this part of the world with an almost Terrence Malick-esque dreamlike approach.

It felt like the closest thing to a poem manifesting into a feature film.

While the imagery was hypnotic, and the dialogue scenes giving you an idea of the mood Ethiopia's society, the pacing was a bit sluggish for me.

With a duration of 2 hours, I would liked a shift in the pace every now and then. But it remained the same throughout.

That drawback did not quite effect my overall view of the film. But in terms of re-watchability, it's not strong.

Overall, this is an atmospheric and dreamlike look at life in remote Ethiopia.

I will praise it for its craft, themes of isolation, vibe and imagery.

It certainly gave me an idea of that part of the world and the struggles of trying to get out of it for a better life.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Alien On Stage

I don't know much if anything about amateur dramatics. I'm not sure how amateur it is in all aspects. But when I read the synopsis of this, it sounded so crazy that I just had to check out what's what.

From the very beginning, you can already tell how amateur it is and the cast and crew are just regular people with ordinary jobs and on paper it sounded like something from a sitcom.

Whilst consistently laughing at their realisation of how ridiculous this all is, and cringing at how awkward the scenes are, I was also incredibly nervous. When it suddenly becomes so real, you just can't help but want them to succeed so much.

As the credits rolled, I instantly wanted to watch it again.

It was like 'This Is Spinal Tap' but for real. Seeing just how ordinary the people involved are gave them some such a natural presence that they were all so endearing.

This is a hilarious and heartwarming watch. My face was so sore after laughing and cringing so much. That and along with the strong feel-good vibes it gives off makes this such a rewarding viewing experience that makes this a wonderful accompanying feature to the actual 'Alien'.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Junk Head

It's not every day that you encounter that took 7 ears to make and is literally a one-man show. Yes, every aspect was made by one person.

Of all the type of films for one person, it had to be stop-motion animation, the style of filmmaking that takes the longest to create.

This achievement alone has to be commended and thankfully the film is as crazy.

The setting is very impressive, the character design is inventive and almost child-like and the general creativity makes it a really fun watch.

It actually reminded me of watching Rex The Runt mixed in with In The Night Garden.

It's not for everyone that's for sure. Some demographics will just see this as total nonsense. But if you open yourself up to this, you can find a fun narrative with engaging characters that you just can't help to be invested with.

The ending is abrupt as I felt it wasn't va complete story. But after reading afterwards, that creator Takahide Hori is tending to make this a trilogy.

With that being said, I will give it the benefit of the doubt. I also fear if it making the second and third installments will take the same time to create. If so, we may have to wait a while before we see the conclusion of this mad story.

For now, I hope you can check this out. It needs to be experienced mainly to show what can be done by one person.

It's an impressive piece of work that you can't help but get sucked into and enjoy.

Rating: 8/10

Review: The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

Seeing this film as someone who was born and raised in the UK reminds how America uses the media. I've always felt it more political and religious driven than our TV. Also, the style comes across more brainwashing and cooperate that as an adult feels too much. I didn't even know that they channels dedicated to Christianity which feels insane for an outsider like me.

So my viewing experience I feel could be different compared to someone who was fully aware of this story or saw it happen in front of their eyes.

I even think depending whether you lived through this or are discovering this story for the first film could also determine what genre you would fit this under.

Some would go a by-the-numbers biographical drama that twists some bits to help the film. But others could see this almost as a crime drama with a satirical touch.

It really is quite the story and with the film almost making fun of itself made it consistently funny, but in more of amazement then actual comedy. It also raises the questions, that were the people involved highly gullible and believing they were doing God's work, or were they were getting rich through blind faith and abusing how America uses religion in the media.

What makes this a very entertaining watch is the performances and the costume design and makeup.

It's a very 'hair and makeup' film and through all of that may see an Oscar contender emerge in the form of Jessica Chastain.

They really got lost in the performance and truly transformed into the titular character. Once you get into the second half and as the makeup gets heavier, it's really hard to see Chastain. It's almost as if she has been replace by someone else. It's quite the transformation and the commitment she gave to the role deserves to be awards contention.

Andrew Garfield is also a big standout. His character reminded of Mr. Rogers or Ned Flanders if he was consumed by greed. Much like Chastain, it's another transformation performance and their chemistry was great value.

While the rest of the cast do a great job with what they were given, it really is all a out Chastain and Garfield.

The look of the film fitted the period and tone of the film well of bright colours and everything looking fake.

As biopics go, I think it does everything on a surface level really well. They don't go in enough depth in certain aspects of their story for me to make it more then what some people already know. This felt more like an introduction for people like myself and a reminder for people who lived through it.

That drawback only stops it from being great rather than good.

This is a fascinating story that is made into an entertaining film. Chastain deserves all the praise for a highly memorable performance.

In a nutshell, this is Christianity's answer to the Wolf Of Wall Street and while it's not as crazy as Scorsese's modern epic, the story still needs to be seen to believe.

Rating: 7/10

Review: In My Own Time: A Portrait Of Karen Dalton

The best thing about film documentaries, is that it can help you discover supposedly infamous stories or people that you're not aware of.

Seeing documentaries like this can shock you, move you and most definitely get you asking friends or family if they were aware of this story or person.

In this case, I know nothing about Karen Dalton. So I was intrigued to see what her story is.

It's a very interesting story of a person that only seems to have grabbed the attention she deserved in recent years. Hearing similar stories is always sad to watch as they never got their fame when they were alive. Obviously the best example of this Vincent Van Gogh.

For Dalton, it is interesting that her style within the music industry was perfect for the time period. But in the end, it almost seemed too perfect and authentic.

Hearing interviews describing how it just didn't quite work for our central subject was quite surprising.

I enjoyed the style used as it perfectly matched the heavy archive footage used.

For someone who knew nothing beforehand now feels they can hold a conversation about this topic. What they covered felt thorough and complete.

With the structure being straight forward, it was enough to stop me from calling it great rather than pretty good.

But it's still definitely worth watching. I'm sure fans of Dalton, folk music and 60's music in general will feel this to be a definitive account of her career and life.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Final Account

With their being countless films and documentaries around about World War II, it's hard to find that hasn't been told before.

For me personally, I can't recall seeing any where it's from the German perspective. So I was intrigued to see what would be covered and said.

While the first two-thirds of the film documentary is more on the informative, it's the pay-off is where it gets juicy and raises many discussions.

Seeing some interviewees continue to flat-out deny the actions of the Nazi's shows the power that organisation were at brainwashing their nation from an early age. But it also shows the fine line of feeling like a criminal as you knew deep down what was happening was wrong or not as you felt the actions were just and you felt part of an efficient team and representing your country.

This ended up being deeply fascinating thanks to some well chosen people to interview as some gave a lot of passion that was resonated well on screen.

But I feel with a stronger editor and more hard-hitting questions early on, this could have been more.

I would still recommend this, as it raises a lot of interesting discussion topics and at times is a tough watch in an eye-opening way.

For someone of my generation, seeing how the power of the Nazi propoganda still work for those survivors is the stuff of nightmares.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Valentina

Its only natural that certain films get made due to particular topics being in hot circulation in society.

This new release feature from Brazil is no exception. But while it does send an inspiring message in the end, it just felt a bit too predictable and straight forward for me.

However, it is the performances that make this watchable. Standing out was lead Thiessa Woinbackk who gave a believable performance, carried the film and had a natural charm that made her easy to root for.

There was solid support from Ronaldo Bonafro in particular.

So while everything is done to a serviceable quality, it was all done on a surface level and therefore lacked depth.

I've seen similar films go deeper in it's themes and be more adventurous in its technical side.

Despite all that, it still gets a pass from me. As mentioned before, it is a functional piece of work that does everything to a serviceable and very little felt like bad filmmaking.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Zahori

I don't often see films from Argentina. It is a country that does interest me and I make the most of any film from this part of the world that comes my way.

I felt this was a fairly enjoyable watch. I wasn't sure what to expect at first. But I got themes of isolation, breaking barriers and coming of age.

The performances across the board worked really well the tone of the film and have some standouts. Most notably, lead child actor Lara Tortosa. This is a very mature performance and she had a very natural screen presence that was very effective. This is made even better given the fact that this is their acting role of any kind.

Santos Curapil gave a memorable subtle performance. That feeling of loneliness was perfectly portrayed and became an unexpectedly memorable character.

From a technical side, I must commend the cinematography that made the most of its surroundings and the choice of soundtrack used to give the story a Western touch.

I don't have many gripes with it. It could have been a more impactful and slightly faster paced.

But other than that, I felt this was a solid coming-of-age story that turned the almost baron landscape into a dreamlike setting.

The performances are pretty good, and the child actors shine the most. It gives you a glimpse of isolated life in that part of the world and is given more of a spiritual vibe.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Titane

Going into a film knowing that they won the Palme d'Or has me somewhat cautious. The variety of their winners have been really unpredictable. You could get something slow, arty and subtly vmeaningful. But you could also get something that is loud, relentless and totally bonkers.

For the most part, this strange film is more of the latter. The start really throws everything at the screen and sees what sticks. With the amount of shock factor involved, I wasn't sure if I was watching a Paul Verhoeven flick.

But despite the amount of brutality,  random set-pieces and random Cronenbergesque body horror I was seeing, there was something about it that had me emotionally invested.

There was a decent amount of effective comedy and whatever my view was going to be in the end, I was certainly not bored throughout.

In terms of performances, this film is all about Agathe Rousselle. It's a very physical performance and she dominated the screen from the very beginning and created quite a presence that fitted the vibe perfectly. It is hard to imagine that this is her first film. This has surely given her the building block of being in a major action blockbuster.

Her chemistry with Vincent London is what gave the emotional investment that this film needed to make it more than just brutal violence and body horror.

Thanks to these two, they made this film work for me.

What I got from it was showing multiple dysfunctional people learning to accept themselves for who they are and find their place in this world. It explores childhood trauma and the love mankind has had for machine.

It's shot beautifully by Ruben Impens, the soundtrack makes it fun and the practical effects were well constructed and utilised.

I'm still a bit unsure about this one. But it sparked a reaction out of me, in a way that may make it a bit of a cult film.

There's definitely an audience for it. But mainstream might not be one of them.

I admired it for its commitment in all aspects and it went for the big swings. It got enough for me to give it a pass via benefit of the doubt.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Clara Sola

If I was to compare this film to another, this will sadly give the game away.

So all I'll say is that it felt less unsettling and not as allegoric as the unsaid comparison.

What I got in the end was an interesting metaphor for breaking away from your family or your religion.

While it isn't as impactful as the material and themes suggest it to be, it is still a solid piece of work.

Wendy Chinchilla Araya gives a strong performance as the lead. That mysterious presence she constantly gives off as well as her natural chemistry with nature made her a very engaging character to watch and easy to root for.

The camerawork is solid and executed the chaotic scenes well with very intimate zooms. This was particularly well utilised in the final act.

So as mentioned, it's not as strong as it could have been. But it's message it's putting across is well communicated and certain demographics will enjoy it.

Rating: 7/10