Film Reviews by GI

This action thriller, one of the cycle of action espionage narratives, is vaguely a little underwhelming and ultimately disappointing. This is a shame because there are elements of this film that are rather good and the action, especially the fight sequences, is well choreographed and exciting to watch. The film is a series of highs and lows in many ways and in what is basically a chase thriller this has the effect of slowing the film down just after it's achieved a good pace and level of excitement. Saoirse Ronan, who is absolutely superb here, is the title character. A young girl on the cusp of womanhood who has been raised in a remote forest by her father (Eric Bana) a former CIA agent hunted by his former bosses for years. He has prepared her by training her in a whole host of Jason Bourne style skills ready for the tests that soon arrive and hark back to her mysterious past. As she escapes the clutches of the baddie (Cate Blanchett) Hanna is set on a journey of discovery that includes learning about relationships, friendship and where she really comes from. There's a gritty and realistic look to the film which globetrots around Europe and North Africa and has a good support cast including Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams and Jason Flemyng. Very watchable but it could have been a whole lot better.

A really interesting and well acted, competently directed historical drama set during the American Civil War and based on real events. It tells the story of the forming of a regiment of all black soldiers with white officers led by Robert Gould Shaw played by Matthew Broderick. Essentially it's a tale of heroism and courage within the intensity of battle but with a narrative that deals with the difficult American social issues of racism. The black soldiers, having volunteered to fight against the Confederacy, face discrimination from white soldiers on their side, the threat of instant death if captured by the enemy and ultimately an attempt to treat them as lesser valued troops by the Federal government who try to pay them less, despite promises of equal pay, and even fail to equip them properly. The film builds to a climactic battle where the bravery of these soldiers is finally recognised via the tough training and the struggles of individuals to accept white commanders. The battle scenes are gritty and realistic and somewhat bloody too. Morgan Freemen excels as the father figure to the soldiers that includes Denzel Washington as a troubled and rebellious volunteer with one very difficult and traumatic scene that involves his character receiving a flogging. This is a very watchable and entertaining film and certainly worth seeing if it's passed you by.

This intense and quite chilling drama is a masterclass in screen acting. Judi Dench is a malevolent and conniving woman who sees an opportunity and exploits all others to get her way. It proves Dench's versatility as she's quite horrid here and seeing her in a role like this jars the senses. She plays Barbara, a London teacher, who runs her class with an iron fist but outside the school is a lonely cynical spinster. When young art teacher Sheba (Cate Blanchett) joins the school Barbara manipulates a friendship with her which causes a little consternation with Sheba's husband (Bill Nighy) and her family. Sheba begins an ill advised sexual relationship with a 15 year old pupil which is discovered by Barbara who confronts Sheba but agrees to keep quiet about it much to Sheba's relief. But Barbara has her own warped agenda and reason in covering for her. The screen dynamic between Dench and Blanchett forms the centre of this narrative. It's a story of jealousy, rage and sexual longing that spirals into a complex web of relationships, all of which ends in dire consequences. It's certainly a very compelling drama that doesn't shy away from the issues and refuses to excuse any of them. It's well written and directed and definitely a highly recommended drama.

Kenneth Branagh brings a sprightly, somewhat original take to Agatha Christie's iconic detective Hercule Poirot but once again having hoped for a neat whodunnit I find I'm once again bogged down in a sluggish uneventful narrative that ultimately begins to bore. This was the same with the previous Branagh adaptation Death On The Nile (2022) but at least Branagh, as director, has opted for less big effects laden scenes for the claustrophobia of a haunted house vibe. But unfortunately no amount of raging storms, jump scares and sudden sideways glances makes for a compelling drama here. Set in 1947 and Poirot is now grumpily retired in Venice refusing all efforts to get him to investigate any new cases. But his friend, a mystery novel writer (Tin Fey) persuades him to accompany her to a seance at a big old venetian house in order to debunk the famous spiritualist (Michelle Yeoh). And yes of course a murder or two occurs and Poirot is on the case basically because everyone is trapped within by the storm outside. The film relies on lots of little events that eventually get explained in the lengthy denouement that Poirot delivers after having run around the creepy corridors for much of the screen time. Adding dollops of supernatural, horror film stylings hasn't aided the film, indeed it's made it seem a bit silly. There's no doubt the huge cast are having great fun but the viewer has to sit back and hope the answer gets revealed sooner than it actually does. Tina Fey, despite a major role, is largely sidelined; Kelly Reilly, Jamie Dornan and others look shocked, scared or confused at various times but overall the film is a letdown.

Considering the talent on show here this comedy heist film should be a wisecracking zip along treat but the script and tired narrative makes it a plodding affair. It's underpowered and despite a couple of action set pieces including a robbery and car chase through Boston the film is a disappointment. Matt Damon plays a depressed ex soldier undergoing therapy and in dire need of cash to pay back alimony to get access to his son and Casey Affleck is the cocky ex con. They join up having been recruited by some shady businessmen to rob the victory gala of the corrupt city mayor (Ron Perlman). Of course this all goes awry and the pair end up being pursued by the cops and other bad guys. The plot is hackneyed and offers nothing new and the two stars lack any real chemistry. Other talent on show here is woefully underused including Perlman as the corrupt politician, Toby Jones as his cowardly lawyer and Alfred Molina as one of the bad guys. Ving Rhames character of the scary cop doesn't really convince either. Really it's all relies on the cast because the script is weak and these ingredients just haven't worked here. What's left is a mildly entertaining film that is instantly forgettable.

A British produced western that shamelessly rips from Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah and is one of a cycle of violent, somewhat exploitative westerns of the early 70s that followed the revisionist view that Leone and Peckinpah both began. It's also a star vehicle for Raquel Welch who plays the title role and plays on her playboy sexuality. It's a simple revenge western with Hannie raped by three outlaw brothers who have murdered her husband. The baddies are played by Ernest Borgnine, Jack Elam and Strother Martin who had all been in Peckinpah or Leone westerns, indeed Martin basically mirrors his character from The Wild Bunch (1969). Hannie meets bounty hunter Thomas (Robert Culp) who teaches her how to shoot ready for the eventual showdown with the bad guys. Christopher Lee supports as a gunsmith and Diana Dors and Stephen Boyd add to the token British presence. The film boasts plenty of blood squib violence, a dusty Mexican border setting including some nice sunsets vistas and basic western trope characters. It's all a bit dated and not the best example of 70s westerns although it probably exemplifies the cheaper end of the genre in this period. Directed by Burt Kennedy, who is more famous for his much more light hearted westerns he made in the 60s with James Garner and John Wayne, but here effectively gives us a spaghetti western vibe with hints of John Sturges.

This is a great British social drama set around a youth culture centred around a contemporary music following in the 1970s. So you can firstly expect an unbelievably good soundtrack in this film but also a compelling drama that is about isolation, friendship and self-discovery. John (Elliot James Langridge) is a loner and under achiever trapped in the education system of 1970s northern England. His path to finding a purpose in life comes from a chance meeting with the free spirited Matt (Josh Whitehouse) who introduces him to northern soul music and eventually to drugs. They are dreamers but the narrative is about how music becomes the conduit to freedom and redemption via teenage rebellion. There's a host of great characters to be found here and whilst the story will be familiar from other similar dramas it is great entertainment. The influence of Ken Loach and films like The Commitments (1991) is evident in what is an interesting and ultimately feel good film.

Based on a true story that was no doubt not at all funny to those involved this drama plays it for the laughs and whilst the humour comes from swearing, indicating that it might be a bit puerile, it mostly works very well mainly due to the stellar cast and the period in which the narrative is set. However the comedy is often clunky and the film gradually drifts into farce bordering on silliness with a strong influence of the Carry On style. That is a shame because in here is an interesting tale that, arguably, would have been better served by something more nuanced and semi-serious. Set in 1920 in a small English seaside town which is rocked by a scandal as several locals begin to receive letters in the mail that are sexually graphic and insulting. One of the recipients is Edith (Olivia Colman), a devout and sanctimonious spinster, who lives with her domineering father (Timothy Spall) and timid mother (Gemma Jones). When another such letter arrives the father heads off to the police station and accuses their neighbour, the Irish immigrant Rose (Jessie Buckley), who has a reputation for coarse language and behaviour. The police are convinced they've caught the culprit and Rose is jailed awaiting trial. But one police officer and some of the local women are not as convinced and start their own investigation. There are broad characters portrayed here from the patriarchal and christian men to the uptight and sexually repressed women who are shocked by the antics of Rose. In that sense this is very much a British style comedy and very reminiscent of 50s Ealing style and early 60's farce. But the film is entertaining for the most part and worth checking out especially as Buckley and Colman are always worth watching.

A slightly whimsical coming of age comedy drama set in Scotland in the early 1980s and a film that was popular as a sexual awakening narrative but is very much of its time and viewed today does seem very dated. Gregory (John Gordon Sinclair) is a lanky teenager who has an easy going nature but he becomes infatuated with Dorothy (Dee Hepburn), a girl at his school who successfully tries out for the boy's football team where she is soon the star player. As Gregory fawns around her he fails to notice that another girl, Susan (Clare Grogan) really likes him until she hatches a plan with Dorothy to get on a date with Gregory. A film where the boys are incompetently sex obsessed and the girls have a new maturity that allows them to manipulate accordingly. There's a charm to this gentle comedy which is worth checking out of you've never seen it.

I'm unsure whether there was any audience expectation here but this is a ridiculous film in a fairly ridiculous and struggling series. I couldn't help thinking that here we have a Jurassic World meets The Planet of the Apes and to be honest its all totally laughable and not for the right reasons. I actually enjoyed 2014's Godzilla for its serious take on the Godzilla story but beyond that initial film nothing of the sequels has any real meaning. Basically the costs here do not merit the result and I ponder how many more interesting films could've been made with the budget. In short what is here is a battle between various giant apes and other monsters that dwell in the weird world beneath our feet. It's mostly giant creatures slogging it out in a huge punch up whilst they manage to destroy/damage various world heritage sites ie the pyramids, the Colosseum and knock down huge amounts of skyscrapers etc (the film casually glosses over the human body count!). The actors especially Rebecca Hall have little purpose other than to give exposition to explain a story we can understand and Dan Stevens and Brian Tyree Henry are the comedy suppliers although that's weak too. I suppose youngsters will enjoy this on a rain sodden afternoon but otherwise it's dull stuff.

If you are a fan then this new film in the 'Alien' franchise is not a disappointment. It can be accused of relying on too many homages to the original films especially the first and second but that can be forgiven because the film is an exciting, tense, gory and at times shocking science fiction/horror that recreates the dirty, exploitative future that made 1979s Alien so impactful. A group of young mineworkers stuck in company contracts on a distant planet see a way to escape their destiny when they discover an abandoned space station has drifted into the orbit around the planet. Taking a small spacecraft they intend to take the equipment from the station in order to be able to travel to a better life. However once board they find that the station is an abandoned laboratory where an alien life form has been unleashed. There's everything you can want from an Alien film here in a narrative that sits chronologically between the first and second films of the series and with references to the prequel Prometheus (2012). The film doesn't have the grandiose plot and structure of Ridley Scott's two prequels as it goes for a fast paced chase story with some good suspense. Cailee Spaeny is the main character with the clear similarities to Sigourney Weaver's iconic Ripley and David Jonsson is rather good as a synthetic android who changes during the story from friend to potential threat. The reprise of the character played by Ian Holm in Alien using effects technology has been much criticised but I thought it worked well. Overall an entertaining new 'Alien' film that hits the spot.

This motor racing drama, unbelievably based on a true story, is formulaic but entertains. This is a sports story of the underdog who, of course, overcomes the odds, rivalry, tragedy etc etc to ultimately reach success. Much to his parents chagrin (Djimon Hounsou & Geri Halliwell-Horner) Jann (Archie Madekwe) is a dedicated player of the Playstation game Gran Turismo, designed to simulate real motor car racing. He enters a competition organised by Nissan marketing guru, Danny (Orlando Bloom) with the winner getting to be trained as a real racing driver. No one expects him to succeed least of all the cynical chief engineer (David Harbour) tasked with training him in the realities of motor racing but of course he does. The entertainment comes from director Neill Blomkamp's blurring of the lines between the artificial world of the 'game' and the real world of the racing. This involves some impressive effects and some gritty racing scenes and set pieces including crashes and close encounters. The film has the air of a science fiction film and you can't help but remember The Last Starfighter (1984) which I'm sure must have been an influence here. Harbour and Madekwe add a human touch as their relationship as mentor and student deepens but it's in the racing that fans will be enthralled especially if you're a fast & Furious series fan.

Is this an attempt at righting history here in regards the cinematic treatment of the American Indian? It certainly looks like it on the surface but I think it's actually a competent western with the wrong title. This isn't really about Geronimo (Wes Studi) but more about the men who hunted him and were responsible for persuading him to surrender. With Jason Patric and Matt Damon the main protagonists. The film dwells on deep orange sunsets in its depiction of the dry Arizona desert scapes and in between are a series of chases, long scenes of exposition and some bloody shoot outs with a narration by Damon's character to fill in the gaps. It steals from several other westerns not least the famous Ten Bears speech from The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). Ultimately this is a meandering tale that is a big anti climax despite the prestigious cast that includes Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall.

Adapted from a popular novel that spawned a series of books with the main character this is a neat and enjoyable British thriller starring Rod Taylor, an Australian actor who made some very interesting but often forgotten films during the 60s and who made a recent guest appearance in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009). In this little gem he plays Scobie Malone, a hard Aussie Detective, who is sent to London to bring back Sir James Quentin (Christopher Plummer), the Australian High Commissioner, on a charge of the murder of his first wife many years earlier. Scobie soon finds the task is a lot more complicated than he'd anticipated as he soon gets embroiled in a political conspiracy. Full of some tough fight sequences and with a twist and turn plot this is a potboiler that shows that the 60s were littered with some great little films especially British productions that used real locations for the action. A film worth seeking out as it's great fun and to see Taylor at his best. NB: The film had an alternative title of The High Commissioner in some other countries.

Burt Reynolds directorial debut and a sequel to White Lightening (1973). This is a poorly scripted film that suffers from an uneven structure and timing probably due to Reynolds inexperience and it can't seem to make up its mind whether it's a comedy or thriller. it managing to be both and neither at the same time. Reynolds made a bit of a career out of wisecracking, hillbilly style comedies with his infectious laugh and boyish good looks with characters that are on the edges of criminality but ultimately harmless and in narratives filled with zany, madcap chase sequences. Here he plays moonshiner Gator McKlusky, fresh out of jail, who is blackmailed by a cop trying to nail the crime kingpins the County who also happens to be Gator's boyhood friend. Reynolds has the boyish charm here and there's an early boat chase where he gets to flummox the inept cops setting the film as a comedy of the likes of Smokey And The Bandit (1977) but quickly drifting into crime thriller territory. There are long and dull exposition scenes, a lacklustre romance with Lauren Hutton as a TV journalist, and a rather unexciting final showdown. The film tries to be somewhat controversial with a baddie who has sex with under age girls who he likes to give drugs to but ultimately it's a very 70s style film that struggles when viewed today and lacks the sharp comedy of Reynolds other output.