The Film Angle Podcast

 Wow, it has been a long time since I have written anything on this blog...

If you still come here or have merely stumbled across it, well you can no longer read my film reviews for the latest movies but you can now LISTEN to them!

That's right I have a podcast now that I co-host with my friend and film fan Kris Steed. Think of it as the new and improved Alex's Essential Movie Blog.

You can listen below, but we're also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and more!

Thanks for reading/listening! 

Top Ten Films 2019

Here are my top ten films of 2019.

10. High Life

It's really difficult to put how I feel about this film into words. It's not a film you enjoy as much as one that you just take in. It's existential dread as atmosphere, relationships as a lifeline and a curse. It's horrible and hopeful. It's human. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it

9. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum 

This has the best action of all the John Wick films, maybe even some of the best action in all of cinema. The simplicity of the storytelling helps elevate everything surrounding the film as the world around Wick gets larger and the stakes higher. It’s very creative in the way it keeps the action interesting and not repetitive. The John Wick films ooze coolness, I love that they exist and I hope this series never hits a low point.

8. Avengers: Endgame

This film truly is the culmination of 22 films, its the end of an era and Marvel knows it, closing this chapter of the MCU with a victory lap of fan service of epic proportions. If you're not a fan, you're probably going to hate it. If you are a fan, then like me, you're going to be grinning so much it will probably hurt.  I was 14 when Iron Man came out, I'm now 25, I've spent a big chunk of my life watching these films, being obsessed, being hyped. It's a very satisfying conclusion to just over ten years worth of storytelling, it has the right to pat its self on the back, though maybe at times a little too much!

 7. The Last Black Man in San Francisco

The thing that I loved most about this film was its unique story of a man and a house, which acts as the stepping stone for the portrayal of change, gentrification, generational clash, but above all, the love for the city in its title. The colours pop off the screen, the characters are extremely interesting to watch and the score might just be the best of the year with an emotional punch at every needle drop. It is a film that wholly immerses and is a completely original cinematic experience.

6. Paddelton 

I was triggered by this film. This film brought up old memories and emotions that I have not felt in a long time. I was an emotional wreck by the end of this film, what a ride it took me on. The story is simple but beautifully portrayed with two stunning performances from Mark Duplass and Ray Romano. It’s powerful, touching, manipulative and it all works together to create a very human story of friendship and heartbreak. It’s just one of those films that shows that you can do so much with so little. I can’t wait to watch it again... at some point.

5. Bait

The themes of Bait are worn in the fabric of the film stock it was made on. It's a beautiful film, depicting the cornish coast in a way that is rarely seen on film. Having lived in Cornwall for a large portion of my life, the constant struggles between the locals and the tourists is one that rings true, but also one that will resonate with audiences unaware of county's issues because the issues run deeper than Cornwall; The fight between old and new, tradition and innovation, industry and community. I loved this film, it's refreshing and original and I was constant struggles hypnotised by its style and swept up in its world.

4. Booksmart

It’s rare that a comedy film comes out that’s as consistently funny as Booksmart. Straight away you recognise the influence, its colourful cast of characters with their many comedic quirks harkens back to the likes of Fast Time at Ridgemont High and Clueless. Like them, Booksmart will transcend generations as the emotional gravitas it has will hit home with all. The characters feel human, their relationships feel real and the story of their night before graduation will make you laugh and cry all at the same time. Olivia Wilde’s feature directorial debut is an absolute surprise of a masterpiece, not merely another high school comedy, but one full to the brim of humanity, growth and love.

3. The Irishman

Hindsight is the key to everything. Martin Scorsese’s latest feel like a look to the past with all the lessons learnt from the future. Yes, it may not be as fun as Goodfellas was but it’s a more mature and sombre take on the world of Gangsters. It’s long but it’s a look at life through the eyes of the reluctantly conflicted Robert De Niro, giving one of his best performances alongside Joe Pesci and Al Pacino, who all deserve awards for their incredible performances. I can’t stop thinking about this film, that feeling of growing old and thinking back on past decisions, good or bad, it’s just a painful but fulfilling experience to watch on film. I don’t think Scorsese will ever phone in a film, the man is a master of cinema and whilst the way we watch films is changing, his attention to detail and the craft of storytelling is not. Another masterpiece.

2. Midsommar

The fact that this came from someone’s mind, made it to the page and then made it to the big screen baffles me. This film is messed up and completely disturbing and I loved it. I thought I was on the fence with Ari Aster but this has solidified him as the next big thing, I won’t be missing any of his films in the cinema from now on. So much attention to detail is put into every frame, every camera movement evokes an emotion, hypnotises or creates even more unease than the last. I feel like the film only scratched the surface of the cult but you just know if you wanted to look deeper, you wouldn’t be disappointed, this is not a film that was made with a half-arsed attempt at lore. Each character created intrigue, you loved them, you hated them, you wanted to see some of the dead and you wanted to see some of them thrive. I am in awe of this film.

1. Marriage Story

Heartbreakingly beautiful. Seriously, I’ve never seen love portrayed in such a bittersweet way. The story is so well put together, every edit feels monumental, every shift in perspective is subtly powerful, each quirk and flaw laid out bare by both lead actor’s stunning performances. I couldn’t look away, I loved every minute of it, almost like I was torturing myself, but this is an absolute masterpiece, Noah Baumbach’s best film to date. I do think it leans more into Adam Driver’s character more than Scarlett Johannsen’s despite laying out the groundwork for a 50/50 split in perspective. It doesn’t bother me though; your allegiances change throughout before realising that no one is perfect, and each character is just trying their best in their own flawed ways. It was terrifyingly relatable. We all need to take a step back at times and get through our own stubborn human nature to realise that we can hurt people without even realising it.

Keep an eye out and I will post my favourite films of the decade soon!

Thanks for reading!

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

I love Star Wars and despite feeling disappointed by this film, I still wanted to find something to love. Unfortunately, there was not much. I have really enjoyed seeing these new characters over the last four years but here they felt distant, remnants of their former selves even. It’s partly the fault of the film's pace, it doesn’t take a breath, ever. It’s all go from the start of the film, even the opening crawl contains a plot point that I would much rather have seen unfold in real-time.

You never get a moment to let the characters breathe, to feel their pain and their struggle as they fight their way to what the film tries to make an emotional climax. I feel here like Disney got scared, scared of the loud minority of toxic fans that hated The Last Jedi with a passion and, instead of ignoring them, they pandered to them. Here JJ Abrams tries to please everyone and inevitably will probably annoy more people because of that. You can’t please them all and trying to forgive certain plot points of previous films without ever thinking about how it actually relates to the story left a sour taste in my mouth.

Here we get action for action’s sake and never any build-up to those moments that could have been epic elsewhere. I remember getting goosebumps throughout The Force Awakens as it led up to a climactic and powerful battle on Star Killer Base, same with The Last Jedi as we only see relationships develop in unique ways, making the pivoting of Kylo Ren's morality in that film even more emotional in its conclusion. Here we get lightsaber fights aplenty but they don’t have the emotional weight that we’ve seen before and they’re even mainly shot in close-ups making it difficult to follow the action.

The film feels rushed, I’m sure a lot of effort went into it but it lacks the love and affection that the previous films in the trilogy oozed. Even the special effects don’t feel so special, Leia’s part in the film feels disjointed and you can tell she’s not there. It only works to undermine her incredible performance in The Last Jedi as here she serves little to no purpose other than saying lines that feel better placed in a fortune cookie. I feel like it would have been better just to leave her out entirely than to shoehorn old footage of her into the film. They make the effort this time to turn Maz Kanata into a puppet and she feels like she’d be more at home in a theme park than a movie.

The dynamic between Kylo and Rey still remains the high point of this trilogy and there’s some fun to be had with them here. However, nothing feels as nuanced or as human as the interactions we saw in the last film. The whole film is just plain lazy at times; with its awkward dialogue, a multitude of MacGuffins and five or six death fake-outs that render any of the peril you are supposed to feel useless.

I would have happily waited longer to see a more carefully created and original closure to the Star Wars saga but instead, we get a rushed sprint to the end: a lazy attempt to link everything together and the characters we’ve seen grow throughout two films reduced to stereotypes of their former selves. Love or hate The Last Jedi it opened doors for an exciting new universe for Star Wars but instead, the studio got scared and backed away into a conclusion that takes no risks and ultimately feels bland and lifeless. I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed.

2.5/5

Thanks for reading!

Spider-Man: Far From Home

I had been cautiously optimistic in the run-up to Spider-Man: Far From Home. I had a similar reaction to the run-up to Homecoming’s release as well, where I didn’t like the trailers and thought there was too much Iron Man in my Spider-Man but then ultimately the film turned out pretty great. Same feeling with the trailers this time around but unfortunately the film pales in comparison to its processor. Read on to find out why.

CAUTION: AVENGERS: ENDGAME SPOILERS AHEAD!

After the events of Endgame and the death of Tony Stark, Peter is feeling the pressure from both the public and his family to become the next Iron Man. He’s still feeling the loss of his mentor and doesn’t really want to have to think about it too much, and with his School class about to go on a trip to Europe, he wants to take a break from Superhero-ing and just be a normal teenager for a few weeks. This doesn’t go to plan as Quentin Beck aka Mysterio, a superhero from another multiverse has teamed up with Nick Fury and Maria Hill to stop the threat of the Elementals destroying the world and they just happen to turn up on Peter’s first leg of his European trip.

My biggest problem with this film is that it’s far from (sorry) just being a Spider-Man film. It’s also an epilogue to Endgame, picking up some of the plot holes created by the Snap (now called Blip) and jokingly tries to sweep them under the rug. Any double bill with Endgame might render the emotional core of that film obsolete… It’s also a sequel to Iron Man, with the big question of who’s going to fill his shoes and despite trying to make Spider-Man his own character they keep making him do Iron Man like things, even turning his villain into one semi created by Iron Man…yet again. And then it’s a Spider-Man sequel, the supporting characters get a few more jokes, Ned probably has less to do and then there’s Michelle, seemingly the MCU’s Mary Jane; she gets fleshed out a bit more here thankfully but be warned, she still doesn’t act like her comic book origins and maybe if they didn't refer to her as MJ we wouldn't have to keep the comparison going.

Taking Spidey out of New York does a lot to establish this as something new within the many films made with him. I admire the originality, I enjoyed the fresh backdrop, but I’d be lying if I said that it still felt like Spider-Man film. You just can’t take the boy out of the concrete jungle… Still, kudos to them for attempting it, it’s still fun and the story overall is quite light and breezy and works within the high school genre it's going for. Everybody looks like they’re enjoying themselves, especially Jake Gyllenhaal who gets to ham it up as Peter’s new mentor, Mysterio. I love Gyllenhaal, he’s great in most things and he brings the spirit of Mysterio to the character despite not being the most accurate to the comics. His powerset also brings about some really stunning and trippy visuals scenes which also allow for some of the best Spider-Man action scenes.

When Peter dons the suit and heads into action, that is where this film soars. When he’s out of it that is where film misses a beat. The emotional core of this film just doesn’t land, which is odd because it doesn’t take much for me to be emotionally invested in Peter Parker, but here I just wasn’t fussed. Even the post-credit scenes on this one, as big as they are, don’t really work with what was trying to be said within the main arc of this film. Everything feels a little too far from (sorry again) the core of the character, and I could forgive it last time because the film was really well done, but here I was less charmed by it. It just never settles into its own, as I mentioned earlier, it’s just trying to do too much when it should just be a Spider-Man film. There’s an element of myself having to grow up and realise that this film wasn’t made for me, and future instalments are not going to be either. Even the audience I watched this with on opening day had a lot lower average age than other Marvel film audiences I’ve seen recently. And if they’re enjoying it then that’s great, the more Spider-Man fans the better. However, there is no doubt that my nostalgia of what Spider-Man is and means to me lowered my enjoyment of this film. Sometimes I can separate my comic book fan brain but this time evidently not.

There’s no doubt it’s a lot of fun and the characters are a joy to be around. The film itself embraces the breeziness of a high school comedy that’s mixed with the aftermath of the stakes of one of the biggest films of all time. Despite the action scenes feeling on point, the story and emotional weight just doesn’t feel like Spider-Man and I’m not particularly excited to see where they go next with it. The further we move away from Endgame and Tony Stark, hopefully, the more Spider-Man starts to settle into his own films. We’ll see but for now, Spider-Man: Far from Home is far from (this is the end I promise) what I wanted but it’s not a total disaster, I imagine most audiences will get a good kick out of it. I’m rating it a 3/5.

Let me know if you think I'm absolutely wrong in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Quick Reviews #23

It's been a while... So here's another round of quick reviews, this time looking at Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Bookmart and Detective Pikachu. 

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

I don’t hate the 2014 Godzilla, but it’s easy to recognise that its fault lies within its human characters and the lack of its main Kaiju for most of the film. However, King of the Monsters has a lot more Godzilla in it but hasn’t really learnt its lesson from its predecessor as its human characters, apart from maybe Kyle Chandler, are dull as dishwater. Yes, there are big Kaiju fights but they’re mainly left for the supersized final act and usually covered smoke, water and darkness making it somewhat difficult to follow the action. My fondness for Godzilla means there’s a lot still to love here and I really enjoyed the journey into ridiculousness, but I can’t help but think that if you’re going to spend this much time with the humans then you’re going to have to make them a lot more interesting.

3/5

Booksmart

It’s rare that a comedy film comes out that’s as consistently funny as Booksmart. Straight away you recognise the influence, its colourful cast of characters with their many comedic quirks harkens back to the likes of Fast Time at Ridgemont High and Clueless. Like them, Booksmart will transcend generations as the emotional gravitas it has will hit home with all. The characters feel human, their relationships feel real and the story of their night before graduation will make you laugh and cry all at the same time. Olivia Wilde’s feature directorial debut is an absolute surprise of a masterpiece, not merely another high school comedy, but one full to the brim of humanity, growth and love. It might just be my favourite film of the year so far.

5/5

Detective Pikachu

I'm surprised by just how much I enjoyed this one. I haven't cared about Pokemon since I was 10 maybe? So going in I had a very basic knowledge of the whole world, and despite the fact it just drops you straight in, I could very easily follow along. I loved the world, it was so interesting and different and it looked absolutely great, so great in fact that I can't believe this is the first time they've done this. It's such an odd/brave choice for the first live-action film into this world, a noir film without the classic characters and a Pikachu that sounds like Ryan Reynolds, yet it absolutely works. Well pretty much any way, the emotional beats don't fully land and it does away with its noir charm in the final act but overall this film works really, really well. I had such a blast with this film, I can't wait to see what they do next!

4/5

That's it for now. What did you think of these films? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Avengers: Endgame

11 years in the making, the Endgame is here. After this, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will never be the same. I want to start this review by saying that it is fully SPOILER FREE, no story points, nothing. Which means it is quite vague and a bit short, maybe I'll write something about with spoilers in the future but for now I just wanted to give you my initial thoughts on Avengers: Endgame, despite knowing full well that this epic of a film is going to need a rewatch before any thought is solidified in my mind!

This film truly is the culmination of 22 films, its the end of an era and Marvel knows it, closing this chapter of the MCU with a victory lap of fan service of epic proportions. If you're not a fan, you're probably going to hate it. If you are a fan, then like me, you're going to be grinning so much it will probably hurt. However, fan service only goes so far, this film is not perfect, in fact, Infinity War was much more complete and satisfying on a story level compared to Endgame, which is more satisfying on a fan level. This film is bursting at the seams with everything it has to handle, walking the line between a sombre film about grief and a hokey superhero movie, occasionally not getting that balance 100% correct. There are some choices made with some of the characters that kind of work, but at the same time, they're quite the choices! Either way, as always it's great to see these colourful characters interact with each other no matter what the circumstances.

What I like most about the Russo Brothers direction is how they are able to get the best performances out of their actors. Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans in particular, work so well with the Russo's, really sinking their teeth into the performances and giving some of their best yet within this film. The whole ensemble cast is working hard, the original six truly showing how far they've come since 2012's first Avengers film.

This film gets nuts, like absolutely bonkers and ridiculous at times, like I said, choices are made, some odd, some that will get you punching your hand in the air out of pure geeky joy. I was 14 when Iron Man came out, I'm now 25, I've spent a big chunk of my life watching these films, being obsessed, being hyped. It's a very satisfying conclusion to just over ten years worth of storytelling, it has the right to pat its self on the back, though maybe at times a little too much!

The special effects are great, not one character seems to have been shortchanged, every single one feeling part of the world, no matter how or small the task of bringing them to life was. Other technical achievements include the music, it feels like a long time since the criticism of the MCU's melodies, I think everybody can hum The Avengers theme tune now and it is used to great and emotive effect in Endgame.

The MCU will carry on, but it won't be the same. It's an odd feeling. I 100% need to watch this film again but for now, this is how I feel. Endgame is far from perfect but it's a very satisfying conclusion and film unlike any before it and most likely after it as well. I'm rating Avengers: Endgame a 4/5. I'm going to miss being excited for this film.

Make mine Marvel!

What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Captain Marvel

Here we are, film 21 one of the MCU and there is no denying, it's a little bit embarrassing that this is the first film in the franchise with a sole female lead. I'm happy it's here now but there is no doubt it has been a long time coming.

Captain Marvel follows an extraterrestrial Kree warrior who finds herself caught in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skrulls, whilst simultaneously fighting with the recurring memories of her - unknown to her -  former life as an Air Force pilot on earth.

The title character is played by Brie Larson and she is joined by Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening, Lashana Lynch and with it being set in the '90s, a digitally de-aged Samuel L Jackson and Clark Gregg reprising their roles as Nick Fury and Phil Coulson.

You can tell Marvel no longer want to do origin films but with a character like Captain Marvel, it's hard to do without one because her story is a mix of the earth and cosmic based lore, which is unlike anything we've seen before. It's also quite confusing; I didn't actually know that much about Carol Danvers going in so I can't comment on comic accuracy but I can say that it takes a little while to get your head around everything going on. You can tell the film is struggling as well, exposition is clumsy and contrived, the opening is just a little more disorderly than we're used to from a Marvel film.

When we get to Earth things are a lot smoother, it feels a lot more familiar, reminiscent of phase one of the MCU. However, I think I might be as torn as Marvel must have been on this film. I want something different, and they definitely cater to that but it's confusing and messy, but when it's familiar it feels bland and too much 'been there, done that'. It comes together in the third act, which makes the good parts of this film quite difficult to talk about without spoilers, but I will say that when certain story elements are revealed, it really elevates the film to something quite different and something a bit more poignant.

Brie Larson is a great addition to the MCU, though I think we've just seen the tip of the iceberg of her potential in her first outing. She clearly has the acting chops, but the writing did sometimes let her down (this is not Marvel's funniest film) and despite her doing a lot of training for the action the editing and camerawork does not showcase just how hard she worked. That being said, she plays the stoic hero very well and her more human moments are touching. It'll be interesting to see how the Russo brothers handle her in Endgame, as they really seem to have a handle on character, story and structure within the confines of a feature film. Not that this film handled it badly, it was just a lot of new and complex balls to juggle. With the information dump out the way, the future can only be less complicated.

One element of this film that was great to see, was the Skrulls faithfully realised on the big screen. The make-up and costuming look awesome and Ben Mendelsohn absolutely kills it as Talos, making for yet another unique and complex antagonist. Marvel really seems to have a handle on that now. They've also got a handle on the de-aging CGI process, with younger Nick Fury looking pretty flawless. Coulson looked a tad smooth at times but I'd be surprised if general audiences would even notice. It's a cool technology that's well used here.

Overall this is quite a middle of the road Marvel film, it's quite the complex story to tell and it does struggle but it's an okay start for the new Captain. The stuff it does well, which is unfortunately spolier-y, is very good; you've just got to sit through some pretty so-so stuff to get there. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, it was okay. I'm rating Captain Marvel a 3/5. I'm still excited to see where they go next with the character.

What did you think of the film? Love it or hate it, let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Quick Reviews #22: Oscars 2019

With the Oscars tonight, I thought I would share my thoughts on the films nominated that I've seen (and haven't already reviewed on here). So read on and enjoy my reviews of Shoplifters, The Favourite, BlackKklansman and If Beale Street Could Talk.

Shoplifters

The film's vagueness takes a moment to get used to but once you're invested you won't want to leave the beautifully layered characters portrayed on screen. This family of misfits are flawed, they make mistakes, they are human and you are completely suckered in by them. It's a slice of life film unlike any I've seen before and although it may not be action-packed, the emotions run high and really stay with you, this is also helped by an amazing final shot that still lingers in my mind.

4/5

The Favourite

It’s no doubt a Yorgos Lanthimos film with its weird offbeat tone, jarring visuals and witty comedic writing. However, this does feel a little safer than the director’s previous works, still not conventional but definitely less out there. It’s a solid film, the story works, the jokes hit and the performances are amazing but it just lacked that extra something that I was looking for from the director to make it a true masterpiece. 

4/5

BlackKklansman

One of the only things (if any!) to look forward to from the Trump presidency was the art that would be made in response to it. This is one of those stories that really needs telling right now and it really hits a nerve that I don’t think could have been hit at any other time. The film isn’t subtle about its approach but for the most part it works, it tells a very interesting story, suckers you in and then knocks you out with its ending, which is one of the best of the year for me. Great performances, cool music, a resonant story and a good balance of humour and emotion, this film is very well rounded and it’s a hell of a ride.

4/5

If Beale Street Could Talk

The film is just a mix of so many wondrous elements. I’m a romantic at heart and I absolutely loved the flashback sequences, they’re overly sentimental and gorgeously shot, fully capturing the relationship on an emotional level before pulling back the curtain to the tragic present of the story. The supporting cast truly supports the film, the characters feel real and you want to see as much of them as you do the leads, it’s a marvel on both a writing and a performance level. There’s so much great in this film it can barely contain itself, not to mention the score which is absolutely beautiful and has not left my head since the film finished. I think I actually preferred this to Moonlight, so it’s crazy to wonder how this wasn’t nominated for more Oscars.

4.5/5

What did you think of these films? Good, bad, okay, let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Top Ten Films 2018

Another year and another "Top Ten" list. 2018 was a great year for film, both studio made, independent and everything in-between. It was actually relatively difficult making this top ten list because I had to leave so many great movies off. So to start I just want to list some honourable mentions that you should really check out if you haven't already: Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Upgrade, BlackKklansman, The Rider, Mandy, Shirkers and Shoplifters.

Now onto the big ten, the films that were my personal favourites of the year 2018. Read on and enjoy!

10. Dogman

This story of a dog groomer being reluctantly dragged into the crime world had me sitting on the edge of my seat. The main character, Marcello is one of this years most lovable characters whilst simultaneously being one of the most infuriating. Nearly every choice he makes is a bad one, setting him down a tragic path. It's not all doom and gloom, there's still a lot of humour to be had with the story that will really surprise you with the places it goes. Read my full review here.

9. A Quiet Place

John Krasinski's latest film is also his best. Every element of this film is so well done, every element of filmmaking working to tell a simple story of family and love. It was also the scariest film of the year, yes Hereditary was creepy but I've never heard a packed cinema crowd be so silent, every slight noise scaring the crap out of everyone in unison. It's a masterclass in how to build tension, my body exhausted after viewing it, every muscle tensed in anticipation of what was going to happen. Read my full review here.

8. Roma

Easily the most beautiful film of 2018. Every shot is a masterpiece, every camera movement used to tell the story and reveal more about the characters. It's a slow burn but it crescendos to a climax that feels like an outburst of emotion, even the coldest of people would have a hard time keeping a dry eye. It's a love letter to a person in the directors own life but also to cinema itself. Despite wanting to see it on the big screen, you will not be killing cinema if you see it on the small screen (it is a Netflix release.), I saw it at home and it still made it's way on to this list. Read my full review here.

7. Blindspotting

When the world is in political turmoil our art reacts but rarely does it react so thoughtfully and as well as it does in Blindspotting, a timely story that delivers a powerful message whilst traversing the the dark and gloomy with joy and humour. It will take you through the whole scale of emotions and leave you completely satisfied on the way out. It's creative, unique and totally original. It's one of the most poignant films of the year and a must see if you haven't gotten around to it yet! Read my full review here.

6. First Man

A somewhat overlooked gem of 2018 despite its wide release. To be fair Damien Chazelle taking on a biopic was a strange turn for the director who's last film was La La Land but he managed to take this epic tale and wittle it down to a singular emotional beat; grief. Not stopping at the story, the film is also incredibly shot, with its own look, taking it back in time. The space scenes were incredibly done, grounding the action within the spacecrafts, grounding the story and creating spectacle by surprising the audience rather than just going for the obvious; it's an incredible film. Read my full review here.

5. Sorry to Bother You

Boots Riley appeared as one of the freshest voices in cinema this year, debuting his feature film that was totally original, creative, unique and yes, absolutely bonkers. Sorry to Bother You holds a mirror to our own society and reflects an askew but familiar version of it back to us. It's rebellious and anarchistic and revels in the joy of its own creativity. No doubt it will split it's audience down the middle with its crazy twists but it's rewarding if you stay on board and I for one definitely had a hell of a time with it. Read my full review here.

4. Black Panther

2018 was the year I started (and finished) working in a cinema and the first big film of my new job was Black Panther. It was amazing to see how much joy this film brought to a lot of people but it was also amazing, as a fan, to see Wakanda brought to life on the big screen. It was a breath of fresh air in the superhero genre and sign of the future, to know that Marvel was learning from past mistakes and were pursuing a more diverse and unique future for their franchise. No film made a bigger stamp on the cultural landscape this year, and it helps that every element works so well together, creating an amazing story of power, race and family. Read my full review here.

3. Suspiria

I would never moan at the word "remake" if all remakes were treated with this much love, care and affection. Director Luca Guadagnino is speedily becoming one of my favourite filmmakers around, his eye for detail and love for the craft can be seen in every frame of this film. It's a love letter to the original film whilst also being it's own unique thing. This is how remakes should be done and there is no doubt that this film will be being studied in the years to come. Tantalising, breathtaking, creepy and beautiful, this film will lure you in and not let go. On a side note, Tilda Swinton deserves all the awards possible for her role(s) in this film, she won't, but she should. Read my full review here. 

2. First Reformed

This film came very close to being first... From the moment it started I was transfixed to the screen. The academy ratio draws you in and the crisp and clear imagery allows you to get up close and personal with the subject, studying their every move. The subject in question is Ethan Hawke, a lesser actor would not be able to pull off a performance quite so intimate and personal, the struggle between faith and environment so perfectly portrayed in every frame of the film. It's an incredible film that creates discussion, takes you on journey and then leaves you hanging on an ending that will definitely not please everyone but it left me thinking deeply about this film since the first time I saw it. It could have been the best film of the year but that fanboy in me got the better of me... Read my full review here.

1. Avengers: Infinity War 

The geek fanboy in me has seeped it's way into this top ten list and yes, Avengers: Infinity War is my number one film of the year. Many of you may close this page when finding this out but no other film brought me so much joy in the cinema. I could't believe what I was seeing, it was like a comic book come to life and it wasn't a mess. It baffles me how well this film is structured, edited and actually makes sense when there is so much going on with so many different weird and wonderful characters. This could have so easily fallen on its face but not only is it good, it's a downright masterpiece, delivering some of the most jaw dropping moments of the franchise yet, with real stakes and emotion. It's my favourite film of the MCU and yes, even with a lot of contemplation and multiple viewings, it definitely is my favourite film of 2018. You can read my full review here.

Not a bad list even if I do say so myself. If you want to know my ranking of every new release in 2018 then you can check out my list on Letterboxd here.

What were your favourite films of 2018? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy New Year and thanks for reading! 

Spider-Man VS Aquaman

Another day, another superhero movie, well actually two this time. It's Marvel VS DC, Spider-Man VS Aquaman. Who is going to win? Or are they both just good films? Read on and find out!

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Apart from Miles Morales, the comic books have never made me fall in love with another Spider-Man that wasn’t the original - Peter Parker. Although ‘love’ may still be too strong of a word for Into the Spider-Verse, I actually did want to spend more time with the crazy cast of characters the film put on the big screen. It was a Spider-Man fan’s dream: a film that gives a fresh take on the superhero whilst keeping true to what makes Spider-Man, Spider-Man and opening the character up to the whole world - anybody can be Spider-Man. It’s crazy to see an animated superhero film treated with such love and creative flair, balancing different and unique animated techniques with crazy characters, stylised action and a great story. Through all the weird multiverse stuff that goes on, the film still manages to adapt Miles’s origin relatively faithfully and continues to bring the story back to him and his place in the world as a new Spider-Man. I think it would have been cool to see even more Spider-People - even if just for brief cameos or jokes like the post credits scene (make sure you stay, it’s hilarious!). However, the film still works and is a lot of fun with just handful. It’s so strange to see this work, especially after reading similar comics come out over the past couple years where it hasn’t. We got Spider-Ham on the big screen and it actually worked and hell, this film might even get an Oscar. Between this, the PS4 game, Homecoming and the latest run of comics, Spider-Man really is making a resurgence after a bumpy few years! 

4/5

Aquaman

I think I need to apologise to director, James Wan and DC for being quite negative about this film up until its release. There was nothing in the marketing that made me think this film was going to any good and yet I was proven wrong when I finally sat down and watched the actual film. Aquaman is a weird, bombastic, all over the place, completely out there and absolutely tonnes of fun. Now for the first twenty minutes or so I thought I had been proven correct: the film was full of exposition dumps, melodramatic acting and contained every superhero trope in the book. I can’t pin point the exact moment this changed for me, but I settled into it and the ride the film took me on was one that never really let up. It’s like DC thought they might never get a chance to make an Aquaman film again so decided to make seven in one. There’s so much going on in this film that I’m surprised that it actually flows quite nicely - balancing all the action, story and world building so that it’s accessible and mesmerising all at the same time. The film could have very easily been thrown in with this year's Venom as yet another awful superhero film, yet somehow keeps itself afloat - despite the fact that it contains a slow-motion sequence of its leads walking out of the sea set to a cover of Africa by Pitbull. It’s bizarre that this film works at all really - every idea seems to have been thrown in and yet the bizarreness is endearing - I walked out of the cinema with a massive goofy grin. DC seem to be getting it now - the source material is weird, and we should embrace it, less Disney Channel show dialogue would have been great but the absolute balls to the wall craziness this film gets up to and relishes in is a joy to watch. 

4/5

It's good to see the studios finally grasping that if they want comic book movies to stick around then they need to make them completely unique. These two films came out on the same day, both center around superheroes and both are completely different to each other. Most importantly though, they are both good films. 

What did you think of either of the films? Agree or disagree with my opinion? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Widows & Suspiria

A double bill for this post, with a review of both Widows and Suspiria. Enjoy!

Widows

Director Steve McQueen has taken an interesting route in his career, having started making films like Hunger and Shame before heading towards Oscar territory with 12 Years a Slave and now into genre filmmaking with Widows. The film was advertised as a heist movie, so be warned that - although the very basic premise is that four thieves wives finish of heist after their husbands are killed - this is not a heist movie. There’s a whole lot going on here: political tensions, class tensions, racial tensions, all set to the backdrop of Chicago. When the film first finished I was satisfied with the result, I had enjoyed the ride. Upon further thinking I realised that there was a lot of stuff in the film that either didn’t make sense, or just didn’t add anything to the story. This film almost has too much going on, it wants to say too much and in doing so, certain elements feel like they have been dropped in order to be topical rather than add anything to the story. We spend large chucks of time with characters only for them disappear for forty minutes and then reappear later. I felt like the widows themselves didn’t actually become the protagonists of the film until halfway through and even now I would argue this was presented more as an ensemble piece. Performances are fantastic; with the stand outs being Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Daniel Kaluuya and Colin Farrel. Though I feel like I rarely found out anything about the characters, Farrel seems to the only one with any sense of history. Debicki is the only character with an arc because we have no idea what kind of person Davis’s character was before the events of the film and despite how good Kaluuya is, his character just ends up being a footnote. McQueen obviously knows what he’s doing; there are shots and angles in this film that would never have been done by someone less artistically inclined with this kind of script. Despite the great cinematography and brilliant performances, this film just doesn’t hit all the high notes it sets out to reach.

3.5.5

Suspiria

It’s been a few days since I saw this film and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it, but I’ll try. It’s a remake of the 1977 Italian film of the same name - I liked the original but didn’t love it. I came to it late and although it looks gorgeous, certain elements felt dated and I had a hard time investing in any of the characters. The 2018 remake has the same basic premise but is more Suspiria in vibe and atmosphere than name. It completely sucks you in with its cold yet beautiful scenery, slow pace and hypnotic score composed by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. There’s no mistaking it as Suspiria; it might not be brightly coloured but the experimental camera movements that catch you off guard create that eerie vibe and the creativity that comes with the visual elements really go against everything you expect. It’s a horror film that really unsettles you, something feels off in every scene but not in a bad way. For the long running time I was completely enthralled, totally mesmerised. I only remember one or two moments when I wanted the film to hurry up a bit - not bad for the two-and-a-half-hour experience. My favourite addition to this film was the emphasis on the dance scenes, this time they are staples of the film. The witchcraft is fully on display as they usually depict two scenes at once - one mesmerising, one horrific - they are a marvel to watch and are the best moments in the film. It takes the original and makes it more polished, gives it more to say and leaves the audience with more to think about. You can tell everyone involved is working their hardest to make this film worthy of the original. Director Luca Guadagnino oozes creativity into the narrative whilst his cast work wonders on the performances. If you thought the Fifty Shades series would ruin Dakota Johnson then think again, she’s never been better than in this. Tilda Swinton better get some Academy recognition for playing what could have been most of the characters in this film and just being utterly incredible. The film is absolutely nuts at points but is an absolute blast to watch; it will leave you in a state of confusion as you try and process what you’ve just witnessed but I think I loved it...

5/5

What did you think of the films? Love them hate them, let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Quick Reviews #21

Earlier this week I had quite the few days of catching up on the new releases in cinema. Sunday I caught A Star is Born, Monday was First Man and Tuesday I was taken on a ride with Mandy. Three very different films and I've reviewed them all for you in another Quick Reviews post. So please read on and enjoy. 

A Star is Born

This is my first time seeing one of the many versions of A Star is Born and I can see the appeal. A drunk rocker living like there's no tomorrow, bringing a new musician into the world. What I didn't consider was that despite not seeing the original version, I feel like I've seen this before. I guess that's kind of ironic that the original premise now feels tired and clichéd. It runs a lot like a typical musical biopic; where the rise is a lot more enjoyable to watch than the fall. And there is no doubt that the first half of this film is great; a building crescendo of emotion until that powerful duet between Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper blows you away. Gaga really does have an incredible voice and now we know that she can act pretty darn well too. In fact, this whole film is full of powerful performances. They'd have to be as well because it's semi-obvious that this was directed by an actor as the camera rarely leaves a close-up position; it's all face and emotion. I don't blame first-time director Bradley Cooper for doing this - he's got hell of a cast to work with - but I would have appreciated a little more creativity at times. I had fun with this film, the second half feels a little too long and I wasn't as moved as I think the film wanted me to be. Overall though I liked it, even though nobody ever says that they’re “gaga” for Ally…

3.5/5

First Man

I wasn't particularly excited for this film: it felt like a strange route for Damien Chazelle to go from La La Land to a biopic about Neil Armstrong. I should never have doubted him though, as he takes a massive part of history and turns it into an intimate story of grief and achievement. Not only is this an interesting way to present the story, he also gets a lot more experimental behind the camera. The camera is shaky, the use of zooms and even the graininess of the footage gives you the sense you’re watching an old documentary at times. It's got such a human atmosphere, making something big feel very small and personal. There's even a sequence in the film, a mission to dock two ships together in space that shows the lift off from inside the rocket only. Inside a small pod, nuts and bolts shaking everywhere under the extreme thrust: it's very claustrophobic and I could barely breathe throughout the whole sequence. It was quite something. Ryan Gosling plays the stoic Neil Armstrong and Claire Foy plays his wife Janet; both incredible in their roles and no doubt will be getting some Oscar attention for it. At times I felt like I needed some more meat to their relationship, I was not as satisfied with their final scene together as I would have liked to have been. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of their scenes; the children running around the house and playing cut with NASA figuring out how to get to the moon - really hammered the point that they themselves were just playing, the game just costlier. Don't sleep on this one, Chazelle really knows what he's doing, a very powerful film.

4.5/5

Mandy

Having gone in blind I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this film, except that it was going to take me on quite the ride. The film follows Nicholas Cage as Red Miller and his wife Mandy played by Andrea Riseborough, whose haven is destroyed by a cult led by the sadistic Jeramiah Sand played by Linus Roache. You may not have heard of this film and - unless you’re ready for a gore filled psychedelic revenge thriller - you might not want to either! If that sounds like your thing then you’re in luck, this film is quite something. It’s a slow burn, completely capturing you with its synth-y soundtrack and gorgeous visuals. The atmosphere is almost dreamlike: the slowness is rarely a problem as you are almost put into a trance throughout the running time. I did think some trimming could have been done to tighten things up but the first-time experience of seeing this was unlike anything else. As things heat up in the second half, it almost turns into a different film. Cage is unleashed and allowed to do what he does best; creating some terrifying and hilarious moments of badassery. You could freeze frame the film at any moment and make an awesome metal vinyl from it and stick on the side of van. The revenge story is one that has been done before but never in this approach. This is cinema at its best; knowing the experience is one unlike any other you will have again. Striking both visually and audibly: this is easily the most insane film of the year.

4/5

What did you think of any of these films? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Venom

There’s been a lot of negative reviews for Venom, the new comic book film based off of the villain of Spider-Man, but is it as bad as everyone is saying? NO, YOU’RE ALL WRONG IT’S A MASTERPIECE!!!

Who am I kidding, it’s bad, like really bad. Read on a find out why.

Venom follows Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist who’s trying to take down the head of the Life Foundation, Carlton Drake. While investigating one of Drake’s experiments, Eddie’s body merges with an alien symbiote – Venom - leaving him with superhuman powers and a twisted alter ego.

The film was produced by Sony who have had a bit of trouble with making Spider-Man films over the last few years. With Spider-Man now semi back with Marvel Studios, the company have now gone down the route of making money from the villains of the superhero instead. Now producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach have had a boner for the character of Venom for a long time, trying to greenlight a movie since the 90’s and shoe horning him into Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 despite the director’s doubts. I’m going to assume that the producers are like most people who say they “like” Venom but they don’t actually know that much about the character - instead just like how cool he looks. Personally, I don’t think Venom is that good of a character, I find him quite boring. His origin is pretty cool and is well done in the Raimi films but overall he’s not that interesting. He’s just a bit of a zombie Spider-Man and it wasn’t until recent times in the comics with new hosts that his stories became less repetitive. So, as you can imagine, I’ve not been that excited for this film.

Despite my lack of excitement for the character or the film, my interest was piqued by the cast. Tom Hardy plays Eddie Brock/Venom, he’s joined by Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed and Jenny Slate. That’s a pretty stellar cast and if you’re into your films you might be suckered into thinking that there must be something in Venom that grabbed these high-class actors’ interest. Well let’s just say there must have been a lot of money on the table for this one… Michelle Williams especially looks like she’s so bored with the film and her chemistry with Tom Hardy is so non-existent. It’s uncomfortable to watch. Only Tom Hardy looks like he’s having any fun with character and you can tell that he definitely puts his all into the character - it’s enjoyable to watch and despite the lack of comic book accuracy to the Eddie Brock character. He is actually a solid choice and it would be good to see in a more thought out film. I don’t blame the cast, they all have done and will do better.

So, the film is bad you get that but unfortunately, it’s not even one of those films that’s so bad it’s good. The whole thing just feels so uninspired and dull: the story is choppy and the heroes/villains seem to have little to no motivation for their actions. It takes way too long for Venom to actually come into play and although the film perks up a little when he does, the character just feels messy and incomplete. His powers are all over the place and his changing intentions come out of nowhere. The film feels like it was made in the early noughties, when studios weren’t as sold on superhero films and we got dumps like Daredevil and Catwoman. This film even comes complete with dodgy CGI and messy visuals that disorientate you during action scenes. It’s crazy to think that the producers - having wanted this film made since the 90’s - did not give any reason as to why this film should be made other that it being a cash grab for the suckers who think Venom looks cool and believe they’re in for a more adult take on the character. It’s dark alright but I’m talking more in terms of the lighting.

This film frustrates me because it feels like uninspired and lazy filmmaking personified. No offence to the crew that no doubt worked their butts off to try and make something out of this but it was tainted from the get go. I think it deserves this scathing review because it gives superhero films a bad name. When made with love and effort superhero films can soar - look at Black Panther - but when these films are made with no other thought than greed, well they look like Venom. As a fan of comic books and Spider-Man in particular, I should be the prime target for this film; but I couldn’t care less. I also really don’t care for the Spider-Man Villain universe without Spider-Man that Sony are trying to set up, leave the characters alone.

Venom is not a film, it’s a product. A product that looks cool but when you bite into it, it’s mouldy and makes you ill. So yeah, I’m rating it a 1.5/5. Give it a miss.

So what did you think of the film? Am I right or am I wrong? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!