Film Reviews by Old Devonian

I am a sucker for these modern musicals. Similar to Yesterday and unlike the Elton John and Freddie Mercury biopics, this film weaves Springsteen’s lyrics, into the narrative To illuminate the mixed up feelings of our hero, a second generation Pakistani Moslem, who wants to fit in with the world around him and follow a different path from that identified for him by his Pakistani culture.

 The unfolding story is all the remarkable for being based on the life of one of the writers.

The music is not dominant so even non Springsteen fans can enjoy the story which is uplifting.

A hackneyed ending but well worth watching. 

I found this film boring and depressing and failed to see the positives written in so many of the reviews herein. However I have rated it three because other viewers in my household liked its gentleness, pathos and cinematography and the underlying messaging. Perhaps I just wasn’t in the mood to watch old people living out of vans in the desert.

As the film progressed it was left to the characters in dialogue to try to explain the premise of the sci-fi nature of this film. However the degree of mumbling and walk and talk zippy dialogue made it very difficult to keep up. Ordinarily I can catch up whilst enjoying other aspects of the film but, apart from the shots on the Amalfi coast, there was nothing else to enjoy. 

  I wouldn’t recommend  

The 1960s are close to ancient history now but the decade was very important to the social history of the liberal democracies. This documentary nicely deals with one significant character and through the use of contemporaneous tv interview segments and newsreel shows MLK ‘s charisma and contrasts this with the paranoid, white supremacist view of the FBI as an instrument of government. The FBI attempt to taint the civil rights movement with links to communism are clearly shown and ultimately failed.

An enjoyable documentary shedding more light on an important moment in history.

I wonder how MLK would view the state of Black Lives in USA now and feel his death was worth it.

I agree with the insightful analysis of “PD” although I think I enjoyed the film more.

Annette Bening’s character and her portrayal was unusual. She played it with gusto but I felt the conclusion needed something more like a bunny boiler than the anticlimax we got. Did they run out of money. Why did she cave so quickly.

Much of PD’s criticism could be dealt with in a 5 episode tv series which might  allow a more satisfactory ending and deeper understanding of what had gone so wrong. It just didn’t work as a film perhaps.

I gave it 30 minutes. It was just plain dull. There were no redeeming features. The soundtrack was just depressing noise. The sepia like look and Kidman’s make up was unattractive. The storyline flitting between characters and timelines failed to allow the viewer to get to know and empathise with the character Kidman had become and the script was... well dull. The scene with Bradley Whitman brought the film to life but when Kidman’s assailant gave her a beating and put her in the loo and then knocked politely to see if she was OK, I just thought, you know what........ this is dull.

If I am still thinking about a film 2 days after viewing it must have been interesting and thought provoking. I enjoy plays set to film and this felt like a play but was not as wordy as others I have seen.

Susan Sarandon is going to die....... this weekend, but perhaps not everyone is ready for it or sees it as necessary. Halfway through it is difficult to see where or even why the film maker is progressing with the film other than to provide a canvas for excellent actors to strut their stuff, which they do well. I am still not even sure now that the denouement was  worth waiting for.

But the concept of wanting a good death was nicely explored in the time available. I just felt it needed more depth but I guess this would reduce the viewing demographic which would then be too narrow to make it commercial. 

Great to see Hugh Grant playing a slightly sleazy character for a change. Loved the Essex accent. Colin Farrell provided lighter moments with his unlikely crew known as the Toddlers. McConaughey was excellent but the star is Hunnam, an actor I am unfamiliar with.  Great scene where he has to deal with some dead beat punks. Violence is inferred rather than a la Tarantino and thus acceptable to the squeamish. Very entertaining. Recommended and a lot better than much currently available.

Renee Zellweger gives a stellar performance in an absorbing mini biopic. At times depressing, Judy’s tragic early professional life is laid bare in short flashbacks which enter the narrative seamlessly and her damaged psyche is thoughtfully explained. The on stage performances presaged the tragedy that lay around the corner. A good watch.

I guess, 30 plus years later, the original is due a remake for a new young audience. I would have expected more. This is a pale imitation full of cliches, in jokes and hackneyed storylines. Watch the originals.

I agree with the final paragraphs by the reviewer ‘DS’. A TV Series in 6 one hour episodes would have allowed a more faithful rendition of the novel, but as Armando  wanted to do a film he had to decide on style I guess. What you get is two hours of , mainly manic, fast moving storyline with modern editing against a background of pseudo CGI enhanced Dickensian Britain played by some great household names who put in very good performances. Particularly enjoyed Peter Capaldi as Mr Micawber. Some have commented on the diversity of the acting ensemble. Yes it was weird to square it away to begin with but that didn’t last long. I read that Armando wasn’t making any point, as others have mentioned, but he just thought ‘why not’ and select from 100 pc of the available acting talent.

It is an interesting casting issue and I, for one, salute Armando for going for it big time in this production.

I gave it 20 minutes. Absolute garbage I am afraid. How could Anne Hathaway have given her name and talent to such a lamentable film. Laughs were few and far between

Wow! What a superb film in the desert that is Hollywood at the moment. No sentimentality or mush here. The central character is acknowledged as the DC character living in a bleak, decaying Gotham City. But the similarity pretty much ends there. There is no Batman and no Robin. This is a powerful portrayal of how Someone living in the margins, with a chequered history and abusive childhood turns from punchbag to madman.

Phoenix delivers a compelling performance. The score adds to the mesmerising narrative. There is no padding. The film moves along at a good pace and there are some scenes that will live long.

Be warned there is some graphic violence that some viewers will find shocking; the director holds no punches but it isn’t Tarantinoesque.

If you want to see a proper film and can cope with some realistic violence, you won’t regret watching this one. It deserves all the critical praise that has been heaped upon it.

Di Caprio and Pitt are awesome in this, at times, quite thoughtful piece. Di Caprio has to play two very different characters effectively and pulls it off like the veteran he is. Pitt is Di Caprio’s character’s gofer and close friend and Pitt excels as the nominal support act. In fact his role and performance is central to the plot and the scene at the hippie camp was mesmeric. It is a long film and at times the point of some scenes was not immediately clear. I can imagine some viewers getting bored and Tarantino aficionados wondering when the real action is going to start.  Have patience. 

In summary, not as enjoyable as the Hateful Eight and  inglorious Bastards, perhaps close to the pace of Django but with far less blood and gore. I enjoyed it and reached for Google immediately to discover the historical context.

We discover through a series of cameos that Mellor (Nighy) brought up two boys on his own as best he could and is a Scrabble fiend and imbued his kids with a love hate relationship with the game. Tragedy hits and the film explores his character and how he is dealing with living with the tragic circumstances and the impact on his extended family. The film is probably low budget, as other commenters have said but so what. The film is beautifully lit to enhance the colorisation which, together with the camera angles gives it a Comic and at times surreal feel. If you go with it and enjoy it as art, you can concentrate on the performances. The cameos by Tim McInery and Jenny Agutter are particularly memorable. The relationship of the Grandson with Mellor and transformation of the grandson is charming. Based on some of the reviews I imagined I would be wasting my time. I am so glad I ignored them. Loved this film.