Film Reviews by jc

This must have appealed to me at some point because I added it to my list.

So firstly, I acknowledge that not all films are for all people - we all have preferences and just because one person doesn't like something, doesn't mean the next won't love it.

But about the movie.

There's the style of how this is shot - it's gritty and dark and cold and black and white (presumably because it's set in the 19th century, before colour cameras?). I can see how they're trying to set a mood, but it feels quite forced and over the top - unfortunately to the point where you're expecting Dawn French or Jennifer Saunders to turn up in the next scene doing one of their spoofs.

Then there's the accents - it's definitely one of those where it takes you a minute to tune in, but bless poor little Robert Pattinson, I got an hour through this and I still had no idea what accent or nationality he was going for.

Onto the plot - two men looking after a lighthouse in a constantly flushing toilet with only each other and a few feathered rejects from an Alfred Hitchcock film. They grimly push wheelbarrows full of coal about, tend a steam engine, eat salted fish and generally start to get on each others nerves.

So they inevitably seek some escape in the bottom of a bottle, which provides them with an opportunity to loose their inhibitions and bond a bit (not like that, that would have made the whole thing a lot more interesting - Brokeback Lighthouse is wasn't) - it was a way of creating jolly tension anyway.

But with such over indulgence comes the paranoia, which is probably what the film is all about, I don't know I couldn't justify another 50 mins to find out.

From what I did see there was a lot of drinking, quite a lot of farting (not sure what that added but it was there), some furious masturbation by the steam engine and a bloody fight with a seagull. Oh and there was a mermaid too at one point - presumably the drinking and paranoia are to blame.

It wasn't the movie of my dreams it just didn't resonate. The two of them probably put in the performances of their lives, but unless you're sure this is your cup of tea I'd probably avoid it and suggest you use the two hours to delete your old emails and texts - a good clear out can be so cathartic.

To me there's something quite sentimental about this film, but I like that kind of thing.

It's beautifully underplayed and offers an insight into a period of their careers that wasn't necessarily what most people remembered.

In some ways I found the highlight of this film to be the glimpses of their comedy that still works and translates today - maybe there's a gap in the entertainment market for a re-imagined version of what these two were so very good at.

Perhaps I just don't get this film and it pains me to criticise someone else's art, but this is utter drivel.

By my judgement this should also be Claire Denis last English language film. The whole thing from start to finish offered me nothing - if there was a plot worth following it clearly passed me by.

After it had been on for about 20 minutes I thought seriously about switching it off - in hindsight I should have gone with my gut!

Overall it's a great concept that is brilliantly delivered.

The start was a little shaky for me, but it soon got into it's stride and is definitely above average for this genre of film - and I watch a lot of these LGBT+ type films. Some excellent performances and some lovely touching moments of how these issues can affect families. It's really very well thought out - the relationship between the main character and his father is nicely developed.

I really, really liked it.

The acting is hammy, it's filmed on a shoestring and it's entirely predictable, but it didn't stop me laughing at some of the funnier lines. Just like James Bond, it shouldn't be taken too seriously.

If you're not enjoying it the good news is that the main feature is refreshingly short. But this does mean there's room for a couple of other films of Mexican origin - I love world cinema, but these aren't the best examples.

The plot and characterisation in this film take it way beyond the LGBT+ genre into something far more thought provoking.

Entirely believable, well thought through and an excellent reflection of teenage dreams and aspirations struggling to come to grips with an imperfect world. I really enjoyed it.

This is the kind of three dimensional film more people should aim to make.