This site will remain intact for another couple months.
September 1st 2020
It’s been strange trying to navigate the covid-19 world. In the past month I’ve been to restaurants, shops, supermarkets etc. and experienced vastly incomparable situations. I’ve been refused entry at the petrol station for forgetting my mask, been uncomfortably close to strangers who appear to think they’re immune while wearing one, even seen hordes of conspiracists demonstrate against the idea of them. Then I’ve sat in restaurants, not had to get up to order and at the end of the meal been told my bill had been halved in order to save the economy. It’s been confusing to say the least.
One place that wasn’t so confusing however was the cinema. After some umming and ahhing about whether it would be okay. I recently decided to bite the bullet (a non-inverted one, mind) and buy tickets for Christopher Nolan’s mindboggling new spy epic ‘Tenet’. Compared to some sticky floored multiplex experiences I’ve had; this was overwhelmingly positive. For a start our tickets, purchased online and scanned via QR code, exchanged no hands whatsoever, not even our own. Then, the kind cashier asked if we would show the bar code of our snacks so that she could prevent excessive touching of the packet. Once we found our seats, well let me tell you about that socially distanced cinema experience.
The room was filled to about 1/3rd capacity with easily more than 2 metres between groups. We had enough space to ourselves to even discuss the movie without disturbing others (granted it was mainly ‘Do you have any idea what’s going on? No, me neither.’) and all in all everyone had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Besides a man with night vision goggles entering to scan the room (for the seating arrangement, or capacity I’m not sure!?) we were undisturbed throughout. In retrospect there are probably more appropriate films to execute Splinter Cell impersonations in than a high-octane spy thriller, but we were clearly enjoying ourselves too much to really care.
The experience might well have been enhanced by the fact that this was my first time in a cinema since seeing JoJo Rabbit back in February and I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed it. I take my hat off to Cineworld Poole who had their operation down to a T and I’m sure I’ll be booking for a similar experience again. It’s great to see that some of the smaller venues are slowly opening up again too. The Lighthouse in Poole has screenings in September and The Regent reopens in October with a focus on cinema so keep an eye on that, I know I will!. I’m sure many of you are itching to get back out there as am I. I’m happy that my first experience back was a good one because they’re really going to need our help to survive. If they keep on like they did last week, they deserve to even more so.
Oh… and the film, despite its foreseeably complex and confusing plot, was very, very enjoyable. In its essence it’s a blockbuster spy thriller told alongside a dizzying Nolan narrative structure that I’m sure requires extended viewing! John David Washington’s performance breathes coolness, if there was ever an audition for the next 007 this might be it. Alongside the accomplished Robert Pattinson, who sometimes looks as if he’s walked straight off of a GQ shoot, the pair are perfect as a couple of charismatic youthful protagonists. With them Kenneth Branagh plays a fearsome Russian villain (perhaps written a bit too cliché) and a fragile and muted Elizabeth Debicki is superb despite her story almost entirely orbiting the men around her. Just to top it off Nolan’s old buddy Michael Kane appears for a few minutes as a character called Sir Michael Crosby, whodathunk?
8.5/10 for the movie 10/10 for being back in a cinema.
December 11th 2019
Night on Earth is a film that takes place almost entirely within five different taxi journeys. These seemingly unrelated tales occur irrespective of the plot, if there even is one...
This story is rich in character and also rich in acting. Various figures from world cinema pop in and out, amazingly they're all cast in locations they learnt their trade in. Winona Rider and Gena Rowlands ride the highway in LA, Giancarlo Esposito and Rosie Perez are seen lambasting in the streets of New York City and foreign film icons, some of whom you're bound to recognise depending on your persuasion, play their part in the final three tales. It shows Jarmusch's commitment to realism, but it also shows how well respected he is world-wide that actors and actresses from so many different places take part in his mash-up.
The story reminds me of a couple other films that had an effect on me like The Cohen Brothers 'Ballad of Buster Scraggs', or other anthological stories such as 'Waking Life'. There's something unusually entertaining about a film with no obvious plotline. I reminds me of reading a short story collection. It's somewhat dreamlike. It's easy going and there's no pressure to commit, but this film goes further than that. It's not an exercise in story writing or film making, It is a complete film and it contains something deeper that evolves while you watch. I'm still not totally sure what the links are, I'm not even sure Jarmusch could tell you exactly what they are. They kind of just exist there not necessarily tied down to anything. There's something in there about realism, about existence, about gratitude and probably a whole load of other values people feel in the depth of a night on earth. Maybe there not to be described too explicitly. I'm sure they'll pop up again when I watch next week. Its because of this that I've chosen it, I think great films make you want to watch them again. This one certainly does.
December 11th 2019
This one seems to have had a really good reception since it came out (somewhat under the radar) last week. Agatha Christie style whodunnits don't usually do overly well in wide audiences but this one has a completely original screenplay and a modern setting and apparently it's doing well enough to get bums on seats. It features Daniel Craig as a Private Investigator, regrettably I believe he does affect an American accent but I've also heard the character profile is very strong, similar to Poirot or Columbo or other imperfect, self inflated, almost clownish yet brilliant detectives. If it's got as clever writing as other Rian Johnson films it should be pretty good. Johnson was unfortunate enough suffer the aftermath for his Star Wars film - The Last Jedi but I actually thought it was one of the better ones from the new generation! His film Looper is a great timetravelling thriller, dark and brooding with Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, highly recommended.
December 11th 2019
Released on Netflix this week, Scorsese returns to crime glory putting De Niro, Pacino and Pesci on the screen together for the first time ever! It's the second role De Niro has been in this year after Todd Philipps' Joker. Joker takes massive influence from Scorsese's New York films, in particular Taxi Driver & King of Comedy which both star De Niro. I recently added King of Comedy to my must-watch list under recommendation from another Scorsese fan. In response to Joker, which continues to provoke varied opinions, critic Mark Kermode explains that De Niro's character can be read as a direct extension of Robert Pupkin in King of Comedy. De Niro plays a struggling lone comedian often seen practising his act at home hoping to get his chance in the limelight. If you've seen or plan on seeing Joker I would suggest watching these two as supplementary to your viewing!
November 4th, 2019
Happy post Halloween Monday film enthusiasts! Remember, remember we have a spooky screening of the A24 horror 'The Witch' tomorrow (5th Nov) The movie will start at the regular time of 8pm.
This film has been described as New England Folk Horror (how's that for niche!?) with occult overtones and themes not too dissimilar to films such as 'The Blair Witch Project' and 'The Wicker Man'. The Director Robert Eggers is part of the talented young crop working for A24 films, keep an eye out for his new film 'The Lighthouse' coming out early next year.
Horror films and I:
I never used to like horror films. Like many I feel that there are far too many slasher happy examples out there. You know the type, usually found occupying good screen space around the end of October, often riddled with bad writing, bad acting and in general they can be pretty insipid watches. Also, in simple terms I don't particularly like being made to feel scared! At least I thought I didn't.
When I saw 'The Ring' (far younger than I should have retrospectively) and watched that creepy ghost crawl out of the TV... and into my nightmares. I didn't like horror. Equally as a young child after seeing Angelica Huston reveal her true self in 'The Witches' I had to turn off the video and bury the memory in haste! I didn't like horror. Later, when I watched a plethora of rentals from the DVD racks marked 'scary movies', with underwhelmed eyes, I didn't like horror.
But on one of these fateful trips to the movie shop, a copy of 'Silence of the lambs' found it's way into the basket. I thought I didn't like horror. I thought I didn't like horror but when Anthony Hopkins muttered the name Clarice from behind reinforced glass my thoughts began to change. It happened again with 'The Shining' and then with 'The Omen' and even with 'Paranormal Activity' and especially with 'Under The Skin'. It happened with 'The Descent' which despite it's b-movie appearance, was thoroughly enjoyed with a group of friends who couldn't decide whether to laugh with nervous agitation or scream from behind the safety of their cushions. It got to the point where i found myself castigating a friend for watching the 'Blair Witch Project' in broad daylight with the curtains wide open, he claimed 'It wasn't that scary.' After he watched 'Rosemary's Baby', i made extra care to play 'that music' around him in every unsuspecting moment.
As the years went by, i discovered there is an awful lot of fun to be had watching a good horror, And watching it in the right environment. You must make sure you're comfortable (to begin with), you must turn the lights off ,and you must be in good company, so that you can share both the laughs and the screams.
If you feel that the genre is often littered with ill traits, I tend to agree but i urge you not to distance yourself from the experience, for the sake of a few bad examples. If you don't like horror films because you don't like feeling scared, then I believe you just haven't discovered the joys of being scared yet!
The Witch definitely avoids these awful traits. I can almost guarantee it will be the best New England folk horror film you'll see this year. so i encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and come join a group of friendly if ever so slightly masochistic horror-film lovers!
October 12th, 2019
Have you ever thought 'I should watch a Hitchcock movie' and been put off by the sheer volume of his work? Psycho is great but somehow you know that before you've seen it, Vertigo is a masterpiece but it's complexity requires a deep focus, North By Northwest is considered his ultimate American contribution but are you ready for that!? All are great, but Rear Window is simple, clever and fun. Where better to start?
September 26th, 2019
Hello Film Enthusiasts! Hope you're all doing well. Next Tuesday (1st October) we have a screening of Park Chan-Wook's 'OldBoy'. It's a great flick from a Korean director that has really struck a chord with mystery/thriller film fans over the years. It tells the story of a man who is kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years, and then goes on a journey to piece together the events that have happened to him. Comparisons with the Japanese Battle Royale should definitely be made. Although BR belongs to a more chaotic dystopian sci-fi ilk, they share equally intriguing premises. They both get their dramatic roots from manga stories and are two of the most memorable and popular cult films to come out of Asia in the last 20 years. perhaps I'm more of a sucker for melodrama but I prefer them to the modern thrillers of David Fincher or Christopher Nolan.
Do you ever feel that despite an ongoing search for the great, great, Roger-Ebert stamp of approval, well rounded, all encompassing, life-affirming, movies, sometimes you just want to watch a solid, fun film and not care to question why? I remember seeing Taken for the first time and having that simple thirst quenched. There's something real about an unpolished film where the strengths outweigh the faults, something that harks back to the great 90s action movies where melodramatic dialogue is met with celebration and not grimace. Easy to recommend duo-syllabic titles like Point Break, Face/Off or Die Hard, that are just as easy to remember as they are to recommend. The ones you can brand 'Good Film!', hand off to a friend and know they will return to say 'Hey, that was a good film!. They're not especially rich, but they're straight up, polished enough, don't play tricks and tick enough boxes, and that's great.
Other times you watch a movie that tries to go that little bit deeper but disappointingly falls short. It might dig around interesting ideas but later on they seem to just disappear completely. There's nothing worse than going the distance with a film waiting for a resolution, just to find that the story just peters out. There's nothing worse than a bad ending.
Well OldBoy is a rare kind of film, in the fact that it pushes deeper and hits it's marks. It raises lots of questions but they come back around answered. Yes it's full of gore, great fight scenes, action, and all those lovely trimmings. But it's a dense and richly emotional drama too. The story is well crafted and well paced. It throws out ideas that seem to linger at back of your mind craving closure, then they fall into place and come together wrapping you up in warm lovely satisfaction. There's nothing better than a good ending.
September 9th, 2019
Hello Film Enthusiasts! This Tuesday we have a screening of Mike Leigh's Mr. Turner, a film from a magnificent director and a wonderful biopic of Britain's beloved landscape painter. The film details Turner's eccentric work habits, his life at the end of his career, and his impact on the art world and his contemporaries.
I'm hoping this one will be popular among those who like their biopic. It captures Britain and the art world in the early 19th Century baring some reason resemblance in aesthetic to Mr. Holmes which was released around the same time. However, the fact that it's being told by such a rich craftsman means it has that little bit extra personality too.
Mike Leigh seems to be one of those directors who doesn't make a bad movie. He has films which are undeniably brilliant, then he has films which are less familiar but strike different notes with different audiences. His storytelling is powerful in a personal way. Depending on what you like, you can always find something to read that others might not see.
I find for a Leigh film, Mr. Turner is actually really well rounded. unlike his raw early work, (for the dark and daring I can recommend 1993's Naked in a heartbeat) it seems to have been made with more commercial audience in mind. Which is refreshing as the production offers a polished big budget aesthetic in comparison to his minimalist early dramas. What makes Leigh films great is the fact that they are real stories, with real drama, told through powerful character performances. These tropes can definitely be found in Mr. Turner if not quite as raw as some of his other films.
August 19th, 2019
It would be irresponsible of me, as an obsessive categoriser, to pile all of the 'coming of age' films into one tidy box. I think using this phrase as a genre creates too vast a collection of stories. It takes away too much nuance.
Also when I hear it, I picture an audience of pre-teen mallrats, or spotty no-hopers that you might find in something like The Breakfast Club, or Dazed and Confused. That's not to say these aren't good movies, even personal favourites to some (I can highly recommend Heathers if you're headed down that route) but it's rare that these kinds of films actually relate to their audiences of the times. More often than not they're watched in retrospect as films that captured an era. I find that generations will more likely bond to films that aren't actually about coming of age. You wouldn't put 'American Graffiti' alongside 'Life of Brian' but who's to argue with the group who says, 'Hey man, that movie spoke to my generation!' ?
Good coming of age films are relatable because they're inclusive to something we've all experienced, or will all experience. Because we all come of age at different times to each other. The reality is these films aren't really for a group of teens who nobody but the director understands. If they're good, they'll be relatable to all ages. They should be timeless.
You may know him as the director behind dystopian thriller Children of Men. Perhaps you were wondering who to account for the recognisably dark turn the Harry Potter films took with The Prisoner of Azkaban. Maybe you even watched the subtitled epic Roma on Netflix last year. Or maybe you've never heard his name. Regardless his early film Y Tu Mamá También is great. It's what you might expect alongside The Motorcycle Diaries, Wild Tales or Amores Perros if there was a South-American section in the video shop. It's raw and it's heartfelt, it's grubby in it's youthful innocence, it's risqué and fun. Whether you want to call it a coming of age film or not, that's up to you. I think it's no to be missed.
October 12th, 2019
Tonight we have our screening of Barry Jenkins' 2016 Oscar triumphant 'Moonlight'.
This is the one that infamously trumped 'La La Land' for best picture at the 2017 academy awards, bringing some of the Gosling-Stone hype down to earth. Bandwagoning aside I actually enjoyed 'La La Land' immensely. Maybe I was still chasing some of the jazz crumbs that Whiplash left behind, but as somebody who doesn't particularly go for musicals I will gladly say it was a great movie. Who really cares for academy awards these days anyway?
Well maybe Barry Jenkins does. Moonlight won him three that year and he became the second black person to direct a best picture winner. He then went on to make If Beale Street Could Talk in 2018 (which I shamefully still haven't seen) to perhaps even greater critical acclaim. If it's anything remotely as powerful as Moonlight im'm sure it's worth a watch.
I'm not going to say much more about the film. I haven't seen it since it came out, so I'm very much looking forward to re-watching something that was deeply rewarding the first time. It's A24, it's great acting, it has a nice balanced three act structure, and it's beautifully shot. It's remained fresh in my mind since that first viewing if that's anything to go by. If you're on the fence maybe watch a trailer but honestly it's one of those enigmatic movies that unfolds better with no expectations. Give it a go.
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