Review: Mary Queen Of Scots

Bit of a strange build-up as there wasn't a large amount until probably within a month of its release.

A film with a historical story rich in discussion and research over the years, I was expecting a mammoth sized marketing for it for months on end.

That for me means that it has not captured the critics imagination enough to be one of the years best.

That being said, with the always amazing Soairse Ronan and Margot Robbie leading the way, I still felt that this could be another feature where the fans saw what the critics never got.

Now that I've seen it, I can see why there was not that critical hype surround it.
While I thought the film was pretty solid, I did end up somewhat disappointed at the same time. With the calibre involved in this famous story and the release being in the hotbed of awards season, I think the hype had me expecting so much more.

There was nothing wrong with it at all. The production is strong, the Scottish settings were gorgeous to look at on screen and the score gave it some grandeur and enhanced the importance of certain scenes. But outside of that and maybe Soairse Ronan's continuing high quality of executing accents, I felt nothing else was exceptional, just serviceable.

The story just moved along at a perfectly fine pace, and as soon as the credits rolled, I would probably struggle to recall scenes from the film.
Even when they bent some of the historical accuracies, I felt nothing towards them. I just took it for what it was and carried on.

Despite my disappointment, I do think certain audiences will like this, and possibly love this. For me, I felt this was a perfectly fine historical period piece, but with few strengths to make it a memorable watch.
I think I'll stick to the 1971 version with Vanessa Redgrave.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Boy Erased

We do occasionally have almost identical films get released by different studios in the same year. Like for example, I remember 1998 saw two end-of-the-world films get released at the same time in the form Armageddon and Deep Impact.
I also recall two Snow White films coming out in 2012 in the form of Snow White And The Huntsman and Mirror Mirror.

Now in 2018, we get the most random coincidence of the lot. That's right, we have the release of two films involving conversion therapy.
This controversial practice seems to be associated more with America then anywhere else. I'm not aware of any in the UK. But I am aware that this is a big thing in certain regions of the United States.

Earlier this year, there was The Miseducation Of Cameron Post which I felt to be a very good indie with strong and honest performances and having a profound feel to it throughout.

With Boy Erased, this looks to be a more serious and impactful take on this topic and that is gunning for Oscar success. One notable giveaway is the casting of Lucas Hedges who seems to be the face of any Oscar contender. Recent examples include Manchester By The Sea, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and Lady Bird.

The execution of seeing a highly religious family slowly fall apart was very well executed. With the mix of seeing this particular conversion therapy camp, you get to hear many dramatic stories and minor characters have their moment. Some with more emotional results than others.

I think director and actor Joel Edgerton has a done a great job and continues to show what a fine actor-turned-director he is becoming and that he is not afraid to do different genres. He did a great job with The Gift, and he has another top piece of work with Boy Erased.

Lucas Hedges shows that he can carry a film as well as support with this very memorable performance. Nicole Kidman continues to showcase her A-level talent with a top support for Hedges' character and shone more and more as the film went on. Sadly, I felt Russell Crowe to be a bit wasted and I was unsure in the end as to the reasoning for his cast except to just up the calibre of the ensemble when it came to Oscar season.

If I had to compare with Cameron Post, it's a tough call. I have many aspects favouring either film. But while I would rather watch Cameron Post again, I would give Boy Erased the edge. The performances are stronger, the tone and vibe of the film is more showy and portrays the world of conversion therapy to how I think many expect it to be.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Green Book

Like most people, the buzz from the film festivals is what had me first hearing about this film.

When I heard of the calibre involved in the cast and one half of the Farrelly brothers as director, this had me convinced of seeing this sure-fire Oscar contender.

To put simply, without the performances of Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali, this highly entertaining comedy drama would no be where it is today.

The themes and story structure all scream Oscar-bait, and unlike some people, I am fine with that. If it's Oscar-bait it usually means that it plays to the masses with broad-strokes in its story-telling and when it done it rightfully deserves to be part of awards season.
This particular film does rather well. That added level of serious topics it covers while giving it a light-hearted tone made it a very pleasant viewing.

The introduction of Mortensen's character sets us up nicely for where his character is heading. But it is the arrival of Ali's character is when this film catches fire, and their comradery is terrific to watch.

Fans of the Farrelly brothers will notice that director and co-writer Peter has given enough of his style of humor to please fans of his previous work.

It may be one of the least radical films in recent memory. But its a pretty universal film with timeless themes and is presented in way that can make easily successful with the general cinema-goers.
This is a very enjoyable piece with Mortensen and Ali giving us incredible performances that more than carry this film. Along with sharp and funny dialogue, everyone should check this out.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Mid90s

We have a London buses situation in regards to skateboarding films. I can recall very few skateboarding related films I have ever seen. Then suddenly in the space of just a few months, I see the pretty good Skate Kitchen and now Mid90s.

From the opening scene, it was already showing enough references to let you know that we were heading back to the 1990's.
It was great seeing all the trends and pop culture plastered all over the screen.

But that was quickly sidelined for a pretty powerful, funny and sometimes brutal story about adolescence, friendship and underestimation of judgement.
Leading the way is youngster Sunny Suljic, who I remember playing a minor role in The House With A Clock In Its Walls last Autumn. He truly portrayed the struggles of a young boy wanting to just age a few years to experience what all of his peers are experiencing.

I think that was helped massively by the direction of Jonah Hill who is making his debut behind the camera as director. Even though Hill has found plenty of success as an actor over the last decade, it looks director could be his true calling card.

As well as Suljic, there were plenty of impressive performances from fellow youngsters Na-Kel Smith, Olan Prenatt, Gio Galicia and Ryder McLaughlin. I have to mention the casting of Katherine Waterston and Lucas Hedges. Waterston showed great maturity in her role and gave a nice little sub-story of her characters struggles throughout the film. As for Hedges, while he may not have had much screen-time, his impact was noticeable that helped the themes of the story enhance even more.

I thought this was a very well made piece of work with many rewarding results, especially a final that will just make you smile. The story may be one we have seen, but the large amount of well developed characters on offer with strong performances by young actors along with the beautiful cinematography gave it a refreshing edge that I can see this becoming an indie favourite.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Eighth Grade

It's taken a while for this film to head over the Atlantic and be released here.

For what seems like almost a year, I have heard nothing but great things about this American coming-of-age drama. So I was psyched when I managed to catch an early screening of this.

I have to say, I was pretty impressed by it and can see what all the fuss is about.

Throughout, there were constant moments that reminded me of when I was at high school and the many situations I experienced and encountered of social awkwardness and the struggles we were facing at that age as our body, behaviour and attitudes were changing.

Perfectly portraying all of that on screen was Elsie Fisher as our central character. At first I was dreading having to supposedly feel sympathy for her. But when the film delved into how she truly thinks and lives, then it was pretty easy. It was a wonderfully executed look of the modern teen.

While I don't think the other performances were exceptional, they all played their part in helping the story of our central character. However, I will give particular props to Josh Hamilton, who gave a particularly strong contribution in the final act that will melt hearts.

The level of authenticity is clearly the films biggest strength. With that added modern edge, it gave a pretty genuine and honest look at the current state of schools and how kids behave and feel about the world around them.

I felt the viewing experience to be a pretty memorable one. The story-telling was strong, with memorable characters, with very believable dialogue written by a team that knew how kids speak and there were plenty of powerful moments that never felt afraid to add a bit of occasional comedy as well.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Suspiria

For quite some time, I have been aware of the 1977 original by Dario Argento. But it wasn't until last year when I heard that it was being re-made by director Luca Guadagnino who was at the helm of the brilliant Call Me By Your Name.

That obviously prompted to check out Argento's version to see what's what. I felt the story to be pretty solid and the look of it to be very stylish with many intense imagery. While I think the story never felt totally fulfilled, I remained excited as I know Guadagnino has a style that I feel can make this memorable viewing.

Was it memorable? Definitely. However, like the original, there were still aspects missing for it to be the total package that I feel this story could be.
From the beginning, I could tell the production was of the highest quality. The image looked gorgeous, I was enjoying many of the performances both from its dialogue and from its psychical aspects and throughout I was seeing many evocative images and scenes with disturbing results.
However, the story was losing me. While it may have added a somewhat unnecessary sub-plot, it managed to further lose its way with the story.
It starts off well with laying the foundations and the at-time graphic imagery really helped the narrative move along. But the longer it went, the weirder it got and more the story was losing me. In the end, I was just appreciating its style more than anything else.

Other positives I wanted to mention were the performances and dance sequences. It was great seeing Dakota Johnson continuing to do well after the Fifty Shades trilogy. First Bad Times At The El Royale, and now this. Her performance was pretty solid on the whole and her physicality she put in was terrific to see.
Another strong performance worth mentioning is Tilda Swinton, who as usual can do no-wrong. That sense of mystery she gave to her character really made her very watchable. Plus, it turns out Swinton played two other characters. I wasn't surprised with one, but the other totally fooled me and I reckon everyone else.
I also have to mention the efforts of Mia Goth, especially in the final act. Her physical side of her acting contributed beautifully to the ending.

As for the dance sequences. They are totally worth checking out. With the added camerawork, editing and production design, these moments during the film were pretty atmospheric, evocative and unsettling at times.

I think in the end we have a clear case of style over substance. Thankfully, I'm partial to fair amount of that. But with my excitement being pretty high for this, I did end up being disappointed with this.
Technically, it's terrific. The cinematography and editing made for quite the atmosphere for the majority of the film.
But I think the just-over 2hrs 30mins duration emphasized the narrative problems it had and forced me to downgrade my enjoyment of it.

I think if we had the story structure of the original and the look, style and performances of this one, we may have the film I am still waiting for.

Rating: 7/10

Review: The Favourite

Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos has become quite the favourite with indie fans. While his tone may be dark and strange, the end result has been especially impactful and effective over the last few years with The Lobster and The Killing Of A Sacred Deer.

For me, I might not have given an exceptional rating to any of his films yet, I always find any of his new releases a treat as it always stays in my mind much longer any common blockbuster.

With this latest project, in terms of the level of hype, marketing and high calibre cast, this is easily Lanthimos' biggest film that will see many general cinema-goers see one of his films for the first time.

It doesn't take too long when watching this to realise the high-quality craft in so many aspects. From the on-point period set locations, to the outlandish costumes and the almost 'candid camera' style of camerawork with its fish-eye lenses.
But most importantly, the story sets itself up nicely in the opening act. Then once we see the intentions of our main characters, we just sit back and enjoy numerous attempts of betrayal, obsession and basically a classic cat-and-mouse type story structure with some dark humor to mix it up.
The way it ends may disappoint mainstream viewers. But I think if your a fan of films of Paul Thomas Anderson, I felt this to be a similar type of ending you would normally associate with that particular directors films.

As we've all been hearing, it is all about the performances of Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. You would be absolutely right. They are all on their A-game and their chemistry together is completely engaged and exciting to see develop throughout. Colman continues to do no wrong and for me is one of the strongest acting talents anywhere in the world right now. Her historical character is not well known and her performance certainly gives quite the insight on how this former British monarchy figure behaved and lived.
I was intrigued to see how Stone would do as Lanthimos story-telling style does not seem the type I would associate with the American actor. But she embraced beautifully and the content she was given really made it an essential ingredient and was integral in many memorable set-pieces.
While the buzz seems to be more towards Colman and Stone, I honestly felt Weisz stole the show for me. The rich content and story-arch she was given and the execution of several scenes was done brilliantly and for me made her the most memorable aspect from an acting side.
Another performance that I don't feel is getting enough credit is that of an almost unrecognisable Nicholas Hoult. You can tell from his opening line, that he totally got the tone Lanthimos was going for and his performance was gradually enhanced and was a nice surprise.

No real negatives to speak of. As mentioned before, I haven't rated Lanthimos highly yet. But I feel the strength of this story has made this his most accessible film to date.
The pay-off may not have been particularly strong and could lose many viewers interest by it. But for me, it still felt pretty impactful and poignant enough for me to see this as truly one of the best from 2018 and well deserving of its buzz in the major awards.

The performances are terrific, it looks great, the location choices become a character in itself and I almost forgot to mention the score that at times was scary and very atmospheric.
If you enjoyed this as much as I did, then it would be interesting to see what you make Lanthimos' previous work as they are much more genre-concentrated.

Rating: 8/10