Film Reviews by Timmy B

After the incredible The Kingdom & Lone Survivor, Peter Berg & his go-to actor Mark Wahlberg once again went back to a real-world deeply traumatic incident; in this case, the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill. But this is far from a standard, schlocky & by-the-numbers docu-drama, transcending the genre & proving once again how incredible a talent Berg is.

The film follows Mike Williams, a real-life chief technician who worked on the Deepwater Horizon rig. As the film opens, there is massive pressure from the higher up management to start the drilling of the well, due to multiple delays. This extends to sending home early the safety team who should have tested key parts of the cement foundations of the well. After multiple disagreements with the management, the drilling starts but there is then a catastrophic failure & explosion, leading to one of the worst oil spills/natural disasters in history, as well as a desperate battle for the surviving crew on the rig.

For me, the main reason this film is a flat-out 5 star masterpiece is down to the preparation & research done on this film, which is then perfectly translated for us as the viewer. The filmmakers have here created a story with Paul Greengrass-levels of detail, guiding us flawlessly through the various processes & preparation of oil drilling, as well as making the people we meet feel genuinely real. There is nothing "forced" about anything you see on screen, like so many of these dramas have a habit of doing (effectively the writers/director going "Let's spend 3 minutes with some of the workers who will be in hell in a short while, to try & make the audience have a flicker of care for them.")

But if that last paragraph about detail puts you off, please don't let it. It is never boring, plus if you know anything about the barebones of the story (which you should do if you read the blurb before renting it,) then you actively want to know all this detail as the tension gradually gets ratcheted up. And an oil rig turns out to be an incredible place to place this level of tension. Every odd noise you hear, from a machine misfiring or the clunk of the drilling, makes you flinch & be on edge.

It also has to be said, in terms of production, just how well this film is shot & directed. After the success of Lone Survivor, Berg had a massive budget to play with, and every single penny is up there on screen: sets, stunts, colour palette, location, literally everything is like being on a functioning rig.

And finally, the performances are top-level as well. Wahlberg has really eased into his collaboration with Berg & his Mike Williams is a salt-of-the-earth decent & brave man, who finds himself thrown into the most horrific & traumatic situation imaginable, not forgotting that all the time he & his colleagues are also on top of a potential fireball. Kurt Russell is also outstanding, his character Mr Jimmy the other moral core at the heart of this film.

This is a towering triumph, combining all the essential elements of filmmaking, but perfectly translated to the screen. As a final note, if you are interested to find out more, especially about the battle to bring this film to screen, there are some excellent articles recounting this backstage drama.

When Toni Erdmann came out, it was pretty much the top film of every major reviewer that year. Then, pretty much consistently since, it is near the top of any list compiled of the greatest films ever made. I heard about the buzz but was never that interested, because of the description of the film. Finally, I added it to my list more out of curiosity than any actual interest.

I managed to get through about 2 thirds of of. There were a couple of funny visual jokes, hence the 2 stars, but as a film overall, it just didn't work; but more than that, it seems to revel in just being a movie that features cold abrasive characters who never really click.

I can't really get angry with it, like some of the other reviewers have, because I never was emotionally attached or even particularly interested in it. My mind just started to wander and then after dipping in & out, I switched it off.

For a clearly very large section of the media & film watching population, this film is many things to them. For me, it was pretty much a total waste of time. Unless you like lots of long shots of hotel rooms & concierges, plus the same sort of practical jokes endlessly repeated, there are much better comedies out there.

One of my all-time favourite films is Saving Private Ryan. Growing up, it was one of the primary things that fuelled my interest in WWII history, as well as having action scenes that had been shot in a way I'd never seen before. Still to this day, for many people, it is a seminal & incredible war film, which has almost never been equalled.

So when it was announced that Christopher Nolan was going to be making a WWII film, focussing on the Dunkirk evacuation, I was absolutely pumped for it. I adore Nolan's use of IMAX cameras, as well as his ability to craft incredible actions scenes around strong characters and plot. So everything was in place for another stunning film to add to the list of great war films.

However, despite my 4 star rating, in many ways I didn't enjoy this film, primarily because of the story/plot. That might sound like a moronic thing to say, but I'll explain why. We are given 3 different timelines, with 3 different protagonists, in the very loosest sense of the word. We then follow these characters as their stories interweave in the evacuation, with a soldier on the land, a captain on a ship/the sea & finally a pilot with a miniscule squadron as part of the RAF.

But none of these characters are anything more than ciphers. We never find out much about them, and the direct byproduct of that is that you start not to care or become invested in their plights. Now, at this point, there will be some who love the film who will come back saying "They are meant to be people who you barely know, so it feels as real as possible." But that to me is a cop-out. What I wanted was SOMETHING, ANYTHING to relate to & root for in these characters. And I know that Nolan can write incredible dialogue.

But this is one of those films where the spectacle is so stunning, the action so incredible & the production so monumental that I could largely overlook these issues, hence my 4 stars. I saw this at the BFI IMAX in 70mm film & it was like nothing I have ever experienced. Within the first 2 minutes, the sound just crushes you, whilst the imagery is seared onto your memory. The bombs hitting the boats, the scream of the Spitfire engines, the explosion of a plane crashing into the sea, all of it was almost undescribable in terms of impact.

Alongside this, Hans Zimmer's score is a work of art: screaming strings one minute, beautiful brass & warmth the next.

But I do need to finish by saying that only Nolan could make a film where I didn't like it that much, but at the same time it blew me away. Dunkirk is in many ways a miss-fire, but I defy you not to be stunned by it.

Doug Liman has, for me, been a mixed bag. The first films of his that I saw were not particularly enjoyable, as well as having a dour & grey colour palette, even when the locations were sunny. The Bourne Identity, whilst it absolutely was vital in getting the ball rolling & setting the series on its way to become an often brilliant espionage franchise, was often a grey & not particularly enjoyable affair. Then Mr & Mrs Smith was again a film which never really clicked for me that much. Pitt & Jolie never really had amazing chemistry & the traction/tabloid headlines the film got was for me as much about the romance the two stars had, resulting in the collapse of Pitt’s marriage, as any merit that the film had. 

But then Edge of Tomorrow came along, and it was a total & welcome change. Joining forces with Tom Cruise turned out to be a stroke of genius, their styles perfectly compensating each other. Edge of Tomorrow was light, fun, serious & silly all at the same time, whilst also showing another side of Cruise which hadn’t really been shown before: cowardly & being killed multiple times, not the usual Cruise schtick of unflappability with a permanent bright smile. After the success of that film, Cruise & Liman joined forces again, this time for one of those “Based on a true story, which is so crazy & far-fetched you wouldn’t believe it could happen.” And yet again they strike gold, this time in a very different way.

Barry Seal is a commercial airline pilot who becomes bored with his monotonous life & is then offered the chance by a shady CIA officer to run missions for the intelligence agency, for a healthy payday. Whilst on one of these missions, a drugs cartel makes him an offer he can’t refuse, transporting their drugs whilst he is flying under the cover of running CIA missions, for warehouse-size amounts of cash. However, whilst everything threatens to collapse in on itself, Seal manages to stay one step ahead of the game… 

The best thing about this film is just how damn funny & enjoyable it is. As in, it is so silly, so stupid & so crazy that you most of the time have a great big smile plastered across your face. For me, it recalled the best of the Roger Moore Bond films, where he literally is saying to you as the audience “I’m having a whale of a time. Come and enjoy it with me!” Cruise is a fascinating & great actor to be with in these scenes, really bringing you along. 

But I also want to draw attention to the stunts, in particular the flying scenes. For most people who watch a lot of films, particularly Cruise’s films, they are aware of his insistence to do his own stunts. In this film, he does ALL his own flying. And the zenith of this is a scene where he put the plane he is flying on autopilot & then gets out of his seat & starts to make the drug drops. In that scene, as the camera flies alongside him, there is no digital trickery or another pilot who has been CG’d out. That actually was done exactly as you see it. And that is the theme throughout this whole film, using practical stunts & effects. 

The script is full of zesty & well-written dialogue, as well as really making us care about the characters, even as they become ever more immoral. The ending is also perfectly landed, not squandering the goodwill that it has built up over the 2 hours we spend with these characters.

A really enjoyable & gripping romp.

Oh Ridley Scott... When you're average, your work is indistinguishable from many other directors today, all fighting for people's attention (obviously I'm not including cinematography, sets ect; I'm talking the overall watching experience.) But when you're brilliant, there is almost no-one who can touch you, so high do you shoot into the stratosphere. For every Napoleon or Last Duel which is average, there is The Counsellor, Alien, American Gangster or Martian to provide a masterclass in sheer pleasure. And for this film, despite the controversy around it's production, this deservedly takes its place within the pantheon of Scott's finest.

The controversy I speak of was the original casting of Kevin Spacey as John Paul Getty III. After multiple accusations of sexual assault by Spacey (all since overturned, it is important to state,) Spacey was fired from the film & in a feat of organisational brilliance, Scott reshot every one of the scenes originally starring Spacey with Christopher Plummer, who was brought in at the last moment. The fact alone that Scott was able to pull that off, considering all the bureaucracy & working around people's schedules, is so difficult to do it's an achievement in itself.

But the reason I reference all of the above is quite simple: before anyone had seen a frame of it, the film was already tarred with the dreaded "production issues" brush, potentially meaning that for most people, it wouldn't be a good film/it would simply be another film known for a tortured path to release. But this film is absolutely bloody brilliant, in every way, shape & form.

All the money in the world (ATMITW) looks at the kidnapping of the grandson of Getty, who was at that time one of the wealthiest men in the entire world. Getty was also one of the most stubborn & shrewd businessmen and refused in any way to meet the demands of the kidnappers. Part of the reason, which as much as it's horrible to say, doesn't mean it isn't true, is that if he paid that ransom, it would give a green light to anyone to kidnap another member of his family. His mother Gail then has to effectively negotiate with the kidnappers, in a tense cat-and-mouse game, with the help of Wahlberg's Fletcher Chase, to free her son.

The film is unbearably tense, with a script that literally keeps you on the edge of your seat. The sets, cinematography, costumers, locations; literally everything is perfect. This film is also notable for the against-type casting of actors. Wahlberg, for example, never touches a gun or breaks out into violence, constantly being a steely presence, whilst everything around him threatens to collapse at any moment. But the real shock is Plummer. Known mainly for his family-friendly & gentle characters, here he is a cold-hearted, unsympathetic & ruthless man who may show some concerns about the taking of his grandson, but treats it almost like another business transaction.

The film, the whole way through, never drops the ball once. And when it finishes, I just sat back & said "Wow..." Both myself & my best friend loved it & it really is incredible, a stunning achievement in every way.

Ridley, when you make films like this, no-one can touch you...

Another incredible restoration, this time expertly done by the BFI for 4K Blu-ray.

The Proposition is set in Australia & tells the story of a ruthless gang, The Burns gang, and whose estranged members Charlie & Mikey are captured by burnt-out and emotionally extinguished Captain Stanley. Stanley is desperate to catch the psychotic leader Arthur Burns, who among many heinous acts oversaw the rape, murder & mutilation of a family, including the pregnant wife. As Arthur is feared & untouchable in many ways, Stanley offers Charlie a deal: he & his brother Mikey (who is extremely developmentally challenged/childlike) will be pardoned if Charlie kills & brings back Arthur to Stanley. However, this deal causes outrage amongst the Outback community that Stanley serves and sets in motion a series of brutal and bloody events...

When I first watched this film in 2006, I was much younger & didn't relate to it that much, despite being gripped at times. Now, 18 years later, it's impact is like a sledgehammer. Front & center is the look of the film: shot on location in the Outback, every sunset bathes your eyes in stunning colour, before being followed by heat that is so horrific & oppressive, you almost start to sweat. The cinematography here is masterful & on its own another character in the story.

Much attention & praise has also been given to the huge care & authenticity of the depiction of Australian/indigenous Aboriginals. The other cast are also superb, not one performance not ringing true. Winstone in particular, much in the same way as in Sexy Beast, totally subverts the archetypical caricature of how he is mostly seen. Morris Stanley looks like a man who is on the verge of either a total breakdown or heatstroke: an ex-serviceman whose humanity was destroyed on the battlefield & then whose soul was roasted to a crisp Down Under. Guy Pearce is also incredible as the man who knows he is a monster & tries everything to repay some of the debt he has built up over years of criminality & violence.

And finally, the story itself is great. And one of the main reasons for this is quite simple: there is not an ounce of fat on this film. It is a fantastically directed, tight & perfectly paced film. And welcomingly, it doesn't mess up the ending or give any easy answers. The world those characters exist in is a violent, dangerous & brutal one, where innocence is lost & life is grindingly difficult.

A gripping watch

Lars Von Trier is a man known for provocativeness & controversy. Whilst his films have often been revered for their stories & ingenuity, he is also infamous for multiple things, particularly the content of his films which includes graphic sexuality & brutal violence, to name just 2. This review is of the Director's cut, which is significantly different in tone, but not currently available for rent by Cinema Paradiso, though I hope it will be added soon.

The other thing which sets Nymphomaniac apart from pretty much any other film, especially one to star A-list actors, is the graphic & real sex which is shown. But this is also a great strength of the film to me for one reason, which was well-publicised on release: the real sex is done by porn actors, then the actor's faces CG'd onto them. Whilst this sounds silly, it really works & the CGI is perfectly done. And this totally destroys any controversy of the actors themselves doing it, instead allowing the viewer to completely accept this element of the film, which perfectly compliments the story.

Nymphomaniac is a film which is in many ways a classic Von Trier work, starting with the title. It was announced at Cannes & Charlotte Gainsbourg, who Von Trier referenced & was sat next to him, thought it was a joke. But it is a epic saga, following the life of a self-proclaimed nymphomaniac called Joe. The difference here is that the protagonist is a woman & the film delights at repeatedly challenging the stereotypes & judgements that the viewers have, particularly the notion that only a man can be a sex addict/this isn't something which women do.

The 1st chapter is great in terms of performances & script. Alongside Von Trier's trusted & multiple collaborators Stellan Skarsgård & Charlotte Gainsbourg, we have an incredible debut from Stacy Martin, playing the younger Joe. Martin is sensational & absolutely the best part of this film. She is everything you could want from the leading character & is so good that she completely eclipses Gainsbourg, who to be honest I didn't like that much in terms of performance.

There are also some wonderful cameos, the standout being Uma Thurman as a completely crackers & vengeful scorned wife, Mrs H. The 15 minutes, including an excruciatingly awkward cup of tea with the husband who dumped her 10 minutes before, their children, plus another lover of Joe's, is both wince-inducing & hysterical. Christian Slater also is profound as Joe's beloved father, who was the bedrock of her early life.

Whilst it is long, it is also excellent, although sadly things go downhill in Volume 2.

Concluding the epic film odyssey from Lars Von Trier, following the journey of a female nymphomaniac called Joe, sadly this is a bloated & often not particularly good conclusion, despite some excellent individual moments.

After the brilliance of Vol. 1, we follow Joe into adulthood. She has, right at the end of the previous film, lost the ability to feel any sexual pleasure, which then sends her on a spiral downwards. We also, from about 40 minutes in, transition from Stacy Martin to Charlotte Gainsbourg as Joe. And this for me is this film's biggest issue. In Vol. 1, we jumped back & forward in time, seeing both Gainsbourg & Martin as the different versions of Joe, which worked really well.

However, once Gainsbourg is solely on screen, the film becomes really cold & also brittle. By that, I mean that I genuinely didn't like Gainsbourg's performance when it is not offset by Martin's. Gainsbourg is an actor who never makes you that happy to be in her company, exuding a real narcissism & abrasiveness, combined with a line delivery that makes it sound like she is constantly lecturing you as the viewer, not welcoming you in to the story which in the first part, I really enjoyed.

There is also, whilst I appreciate that this is Von Trier deliberately being provocative & button-pushing, a couple of extremely repulsive & verging on dispicible actions/decisions by the adult Joe which the film shows, then attempts to reason away by critiquing the society we live in. There is no society in the world that would do anything other than condemn the actions of Joe as a parent putting her infant son at risk whilst she went out to get sexually pleasured. And the fact that this attempted justification is delivered by Gainsbourg with a face that looks like a smacked arse & a tone of voice that says "How dare you pass judgement on me!!" is just vomit-inducing. It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman, those type of actions are the lowest of the low.

As the film draws to its conclusion, we do get some warmth in the shape of Joe's relationship with P, again a fantastic debut from Mia Goth. Willem Defoe also appears, after his starting role in Von Trier's previous film Antichrist, although he gets away far more lightly in this film. Finally, Jamie Bell is also great, as the punishment-obssesed sadist K. In a departure from his normal roles, he plays K as a Northern-accented, quiet psychopath, who looks more like someone who would visit your house & change your boiler rather than a person who straps you to a sofa & beats you until you are hideously disfigured.

The ending is unexpected but also well-handled, plus there is a final, excellent joke which is the best line of the whole 2 films. It's just a shame that after an excellent start, the film becomes too long & weighed down by its own righteousness & self-importance, leaving you ultimately unsatisfied, which is ironic for a film which is ultimately concerned with climaxing...

When people in the UK talk about films which actually moved the needle of change & provoked both outrage & action to change the very way of life, Cathy Come Home is almost always mentioned. First released as a television play on the BBC, it ushered in a new wave of filmmaking, using the medium of entertainment media as a way to expose & shock people into the horrors that were happening, just out of their view.

The story of Cathy & Reg, an idealistic couple who meet and fall madly in love, before a set of circumstances over which they have no control tip them into a downward spiral, is devastating. Reg's dreams of being able to live in a beautiful house & provide for his family, alongside Cathy's want for a wonderful life to raise their children in, are dreams that all young families have. It is also shown clearly that Reg is a hard worker who simply wants the chance to improve his life for himself and his family.

The scenes of people claiming to want to help, but still forcing the family further down into the straight jacket of an inflexible benefits system, is heartbreaking, leading up to the final devastating scene in a train station as Cathy attempts to flee.

This is monumental British filmmaking and prompted real change, including the founding of the charity Shelter. However, in many ways the change simply hasn't continued. Towards the end, I remember thinking of the disgusting comments made by then-home secretary Suella Braverman about individuals who were homeless being engaged in "a lifestyle choice." One watch of this shows you how hollow & dispicible those sorts of comments are, tarring hundred of thousands of decent people with the same brush.

After a successful career as a actor & then director, Peter Berg made a huge impact with this brilliant film, set in Saudi Arabia after a spate of terrorist attacks. Part of the brilliance of this film is due to the powerhouse producing & guidance of Michael Mann, whose fingerprints are all over this film in terms of tone & action.

Jamie Foxx plays Ronald Fleury, an FBI agent who is sent to the Saudi capital, along with a crack team, to root out the culprits of a series of horrific terrorist attacks on the American campuses of oil workers. They are paired up with Colonel Faris Al-Ghazi, a deeply distrusting man who initially resents the American support sent to help him, but slowly forms a bond with the team.

The tension is expertly handled, then when the action finally comes, it is a masterclass in direction, stunt work & pacing. What starts as a frantic car chase then turns into a desperate search through a nest of terrorists inside an apartment building.

Finally, what really completes this film is the ending. It is absolutely perfect in terms of showing the futility of the situation that the Middle East finds itself caught in & drives home the pointlessness & never-ending cycle that results in needless bloodshed & trauma.

A wonderful masterpiece.

This is an unbearable watch. As in, a couple of times I had to pause & come back to it. It shows in unflinching & clear detail the horrific mass slaughter of disabled & "problem" (in the Nazis eyes) people inside sanatoriums in Germany. The protagonist, based on a real boy sent to one of these institutions, is fiercely willed & free spirited, as well as highly intelligent. He very quickly sees what is happening & then works to do all he can to disrupt the evil at work.

But for me, the worst & most traumatic element of the whole film, which I also have no doubt is true, is the portrayal of the nurses & medical staff. The doctor in charge, Dr. Veithausen, is a "lovely," softly spoken man who seems to be every inch the caring doctor who you would trust to help you. He is popular with the patients & even plays games with the more boisterous children. Then he calmly goes into his office & researches the quickest ways to slaughter the individuals in his care.

And for me, this is the absolute crux of this film: whenever you mention Nazi to someone, they will almost certainly picture in their mind the most sadistic, demonic & evil looking person imaginable. However, the reality is that these were mostly completely "ordinary" people who in many cases believed fervently in what they were doing. And when that hits home in the way this film makes you feel, it is horrible to just sit there watching this barbarity committed by smiling & gentle people who you'd pass on the street without a second glance.

Essential viewing but highly upsetting

A film of incredible nuance, delicate but devastatingly powerful performances & a magnificent script.

Casey Affleck stars as Lee Chandler, a man completely broken by grief, who lives the most low-profile existence imaginable: aside from his job as a building complex handyman (where he often gets into arguments with the more difficult residents,) he spends his days alone and/or drinking to numb his trauma. He then gets a call out of the blue, informing him that his beloved brother Joe has died & has left Lee to raise Joe's son Patrick. Lee then has to return to Manchester by the Sea, where he is a pariah & outcast, to try & raise Patrick.

I won't say too much more about the story, as the less you know, the more you get out of it. All I will say is that when it comes to performances & script, this is up there with the best I've ever seen. Casey Affleck is phenomenal & richly deserved his Oscar, as is Michelle Williams. The standout sequence, when the two of them meet for the first time in years, is completely heartbreaking & flawlessly performed. Lucas Hedges is also deeply moving, as a young man trying to process his grief & a new father figure.

But don't be put off by the melancholic sounding tone: there is plenty of humour to be found here, with many laugh out loud moments. The locations (this film was partially shot in the titular town) are stunning.

This film will do many things to you: make you laugh, cry & be profoundly moved. It is also one of the best films of 2016

Whilst it has one of the most provocative & image-baiting titles you could possibly create, especially in 1974, this is actually fairly light on gore, instead going all in for mental terror & shock. Creating the set-up that has since been copied a million times (group of carefree & fairly clueless young adults on a road trip, being taken off course & then terrorised by a demonic creature,) it then proceeds to slowly kill off the group one by one in ever more horrific ways.

It is also an unashamedly low-budget film in every sense, almost revelling in this whilst also full of highly inventive camera work & staging.

However, for me, in the middle part, I just couldn't take it seriously and spent a good section of it laughing out loud. The first time we see Leatherface, it is meant to be this horrific reveal & searing onto our brains this unrestrained evil... He jumps out of the shadows, kills one of the group, drags him into a room then slams the door with a roar like Harry Enfield's character Kevin. And from there I just couldn't stop laughing.

The scenes of him then pursuing one of the women in a protracted chase sequence, consisting of an out-of-shape actor holding a blatantly fake prop with a smoke machine attached to it & finished with some massively over-the-top sound effects alongside the obligatory grunting, is one of the funniest things I've ever seen in a film. I just couldn't take it in any way seriously.

But the end scenes, particularly the dinner scene, are extremely unpleasant & nasty, bringing us firmly back into horror territory. The ending is also well done as well, really keeping us on the edge of our seats.

As much as this wasn't for me a scary horror film, I did really enjoy it in parts and it absolutely is memorable. And for the squeamish readers of this, despite the relentlessly nasty tone & atmosphere, there is amusingly very little actual violence.

Baz Luhrmann is truly cinematic marmite. His style, which is never boring & extremely distinctive, has as many admirers as it does detractors. My own view of him is equally as mixed: Moulin Rouge is a flat-out masterpiece, pretty much perfect & completely brilliant in terms of its execution & look, as well as it's musical numbers/wild experimentation of musical styles; William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet is another great film, although I did feel that it was a little overlong & frequently meandering; then finally The Great Gatsby which was actually fairly unwatchable & I gave up on, despite the pedigree casting.

But when I heard he was directing an Elvis biopic, I was actually quite excited, as this sounded like the perfect project for Luhrmann to put his stamp on: one of the most influential, larger than life entertainers the world has ever seen, who's influence not only affected music but even subjects as controversial as politics & race. Also, the massive back catalogue of Presley's music would be rich pickings for Luhrmann. But this is another big misfire in so many ways.

However, it cannot be overstated just how incredible Austin Butler is as Presley. This is a chameleonic, Daniel Day-Lewis level performance, with not one element ever feeling forced or even acted. Especially towards the end, when footage of the real Presley is spliced in with Butler's performance, you realise the masterclass in acting that you are witnessing. If Butler continues on this trajectory, we are in the presence of the next De Niro or Ledger.

But the sheer power of his performance is a completely double edged sword: Butler is so good, so perfect & so flawless, the rest of the film and especially it's shortcomings are just completely exposed. And where to begin with them.

For a start, this film is far, far too long; an obscenely bloated & never-ending slogfest. At one point I paused it to use the facilities, thinking that it was relatively near to the end: it still had over 50 minutes left & I was half-tempted to turn it off. Also, as a film it is really poorly written. Our "guide" through this movie is Colonel Tom Parker, Presley's manager & the source of significant controversy, due to multiple allegations of his exploiting & mismanaging Presley/his vast fortune. The film for the lion's share of it almost seems to be a way to try to rehabilitate his reputation, although it must be noted that later on this pretense is dropped.

But Parker is shown as such an extreme caricature that you never enjoy his company & he starts to affect the viewing. I can see why Hanks was cast, to try & make him in some way likeable, but not even he can turn this ship around.

And finally, for me, as much as lots of ground is covered in terms of events in Presley's life, not much sticks. If you asked me now to name the most impactful moment of Elvis's life from this film, I'd struggle to pick one that really resonated, despite many of them that were thrown on screen.

Some people will absolutely love this film, whether for the large amount of musical experimentation, or the huge budget being used to incredible affect in realising the world that Elvis existed in (and to be clear, the film visually is stunning, which is a given for a Luhrmann picture.) But I just didn't connect with it really at all, which is a shame given my love for Moulin Rouge.

See it for Butler but not much else.

One of Christopher Nolan's favourite films is 2001: A Space Odyssey. He is also on record as talking about how impactful the moon landings/NASA space missions were to him as a young man. His tribute to this is an often jaw-dropping & incredibly filmed visual feast with amazing performances, which then totally loses its way in the last 20 minutes.

The film is set in a world where the planet is dying. Harvests are failing, the human race is genuinely under threat & there is the constant threat of chaos/the breakdown of order. Cooper is a spit-and-sawdust Texan who was an astronaut for many years until he left following a near-fatal space mission that went wrong. He now works as a farmer, along with most of the population around him, desperately trying to exist whilst the atmosphere/ecosystem collapses due to blight. He is then recruited to lead a mission to search for other habitable planets in different solar systems.

The music, acting & general story are all excellent & powerful. Matthew McConaughey, in his first film released after winning his Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club, is a fantastic protagonist: we really root for & become extremely emotionally involved with Cooper's story arc, as well as his love for his children. The IMAX/70MM film segments are stunning, especially in the 4K UHD Blu-ray version. Hans Zimmer's score is also flawless, particularly his use of the organ.

However, the ending of this film is so stupid, so idiotic & far-fetched, that it threatens to derail the whole experience. And to be clear, I fully appreciate that the film has been scientifically researched & the series of events COULD happen. But that doesn't mean that it is likely to, or that this potential in any way makes the events any more realistic. It is just stupid.

But so much good stuff comes before it that I still love it overall & simply turn the film off before it veers into crazy territory. I would advise you to watch it all the way through once, then copy what I do. Far more enjoyment will come from it for you.