Film Reviews by GI

This latest addition to The Conjuring franchise is a real damp squib. Full of the usual attempted jump scares that don't make you jump it's a simple camera track down lots of gloomy corridors and rooms, all very dull and boring and the actual 'Nun' makes very little actual appearance. Here we have a horror that has nothing to say and has nothing very original to see either and is best avoided. Set in France in 1956 and the demonic nun from the 2018 film is still on the loose in a girl's boarding school. A young nun is sent to sort it out. Oh and there's some ancient artefact that she has to find but sadly Indiana Jones is not around to help with that. Give this a miss.

A baffling, enigmatic, enthralling and mystifying film from director Nicolas Winding Refn. It's certainly Lynchian in style and narrative structure and any fan of David Lynch will, I suspect, really like this. It's a film that needs a few viewings to appreciate and perhaps unravel and even then it may remain a 'marmite' film, you'll either hate it or be thoroughly engrossed and in admiration. The story is actually very simple. Julian (Ryan Gosling) runs a boxing club in Bangkok. The club is a front for a major drug dealing business that he runs with his elder brother, Billy (Tom Burke). Psychopathic Billy viciously murders a young prostitute and is in turn killed by the girl's father at the insistence of a police officer, Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm). The brother's mother, Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas) turns up wanting revenge and insists Julian kills all responsible. But not only is Julian reluctant but Chang proves a complicated adversary. Thematically this is a tale of good vs evil. Crystal is a monstrous character and the film strongly hints at incestuous relationships with both her sons and Chang is a dark avenger with a supernatural ability. The bold colours of the film and the dark, sinister lighting gives the whole film a sense of a hallucinogenic trip. There is little said by the characters and there is an all pervading sense of depravity and foreboding. There's some disturbing scenes and lots to unravel not least the emphasis on hands as symbols of sin. I find much to admire here and I'm constantly drawn to the film looking at the various clues on offer but it is a challenging film and definitely not for all. However cinema like all art needs to be challenging and complex and open to conflicted interpretations. This fits that idea very well.

Midnight Run is a superbly entertaining adult crime comedy/thriller from director Martin Brest who was very lucky to get Robert De Niro who was looking for something a bit lighter after The Untouchables (1987). Even more great casting came when Brest cast Charles Grodin after objections from the studio who actually wanted the character changed to a woman and for Cher to take the role. Brest refused and he was right because the screen buddy chemistry between De Niro and Grodin makes this film so wonderful. De Niro is Jack, an ex Chicago cop now working in LA as a lowly bounty hunter tracking down bail jumpers for a seedy bail bondsman. He lost his job, his wife and family when he refused to take corrupt payments from a big time mobster and now he dreams of getting out of the grubby world he now works in. So when he's offered a $100 grand to bring in Jonathan (Grodin), a humble accountant wanted for embezzlement of mob funds, he sees his way out. Jack soon tracks him down to New York and he has 5 days to get him back to LA, hunted by the FBI (a brilliantly sinister and funny Yaphet Kotto) and the mob (in the form of Dennis Farina) and with Jonathan turning out to be far cleverer than Jack anticipated, they have to go on a long road trip. The journey proves very adventurous. This is an absolutely great little film and I highly recommend it. And it's really good to see De Niro clearly having fun away from playing nasty gangsters!

The MCU cinematic universe adds another rather pointless and at times dumb down antihero in a fairly uninspiring film. Maybe MCU fans all rave about this but it doesn't add anything very original nor has any particular entertainment value. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) has a genetic blood disorder along with his best childhood buddy Milo (Matt Smith). Michael dedicates his life to finding a cure before early death strikes and ambitiously mixes the DNA of vampire bats with his own resulting in his developing vampiric superpowers and the inevitable bloodlust. Trying to control his new body and urges he ends up having to battle with Milo who also tries the new 'cure' and loves the power and ability to kill a little too much. It's all very silly and it is very similar to Venom (2018) and, of course, we've already had a vampire superhero in Blade (1998) and there are hints of Underworld (2003) here too. It's a film strictly for fans of the comic books, all a little hackneyed and taken far too seriously.

This is a bold, visually spectacular science fiction extravaganza from director Gareth Edwards. It really is impressive, influenced extensively by Blade Runner (1982) and a host of other films not least the Star Wars series. In a future about 40 years from now the developments in robot technology have led to Artificial Intelligence on a grand scale but a nuclear disaster in the US has led to the banning of all AI. In the east however AI is welcomed and has integrated into human life and this has led to a global war with the US who have developed a massive weapon with which they plan to wipe out AI once and for all. Former ex Special Forces Joshua (John David Washington) is persuaded to return to the east on a mission to destroy a dangerous weapon that will lose the war for the west. Joshua is a traumatised soldier having lost his pregnant wife on a previous mission. When he finds this new AI weapon it's not what he expected. There's been quite a sub genre of man vs machine narratives such as The Matrix (1999) and the Terminator series (1984 and others) and this latest has some clever twists on the story form especially around the good v evil idea. Edwards has created a really impressive film here and whilst I felt the story was a little rushed towards the end and perhaps a little underwhelming the overall structure, vibe and entertainment values are all superb. A film to catch on a big screen if you can, the futuristic scenes are extremely good, but definitely one to enjoy at home too.

Considering this was director Tony Gilroy's first film, which he also wrote, it's a remarkable achievement. A really gripping conspiracy thriller with a dark, convoluted plot that keeps you hooked all the way through aided by great performances. George Clooney is the titular Michael Clayton, a lawyer in a big New York firm which is about to merge with an even bigger London based law company. Michael is a gambler and heavily in debt but he's also a highly skilled 'fixer' for his firm, a lawyer who sorts out the mess others make! When their top lawyer Arthur (Tom Wilkinson) appears to lose his marbles and threatens the success of a lawsuit case involving a big chemical company Michael is called in. But he soon finds himself caught up in a murderous conspiracy. Tilda Swinton and Sydney Pollack co star and the film garnered Best Supporting Actress Oscar and BAFTA for Swinton and a host of nominations including direction and acting for Clooney and Wilkinson. This is one of the best thrillers to come out of Hollywood for many a year yet it's one many people have either not seen or have forgotten all about. Now's the time to seek it out because it's damn good.

This is an odd little film, a stop motion animation that has all the hallmarks of being an irritating film but which is strangely very heart warming and a little beguiling. A documentary film maker (played by Dean Fleischer Camp, the film's director and co-writer) rents an AirBnB house and discovers living there a tiny mollusc shell that walks (he has shoes!) and talks named Marcel. He looks after his grandmother (voiced by Isabella Rossellini) and the navigate their way around the house and garden in quite clever and funny ways. The filmmaker decides to make a small film and Marcel becomes an internet sensation and eventually agrees to a TV interview in the hope of finding his extended family who were caught up in the previous owners luggage when they left a couple of years ago. After awhile to begin the accept the setup here as completely rational which says a lot about how this concept has been honed into a clever little family film where the tiny shell gives his perceptions on life and happiness. Intriguing even though its a film that has to grow on you.

By now you know exactly what you're going to get and this doesn't disappoint. A highly entertaining action thriller and in this case a beautiful southern Italian setting. Denzel Washington reprises his role as the ADHD suffering former CIA black ops man who likes to right wrongs but is a troubled man due to the unbelievable amount of people he's iced over three films. He's reunited here with his Man On Fire (2004) co-star Dakota Fanning, who I have to say is a little underused but this is Washington's show. As McCall he's still out there dishing the violence on the bad guys and he's in Italy where after being wounded is recuperating in a lovely little town, befriended by the locals and ready to finally settle down for some well earned peace and quiet. Unfortunately the local mafia boss is a nasty piece of work and McCall decides to rid the town of him and his henchmen. This is done with some toe curling violence, beautifully choreographed and all great fun and what we expect with an Equalizer film. It's full on action and bloody and entertains from start to finish. If you enjoyed the first two then this will not disappoint.

A clumsy, derivative crime thriller that has a hackneyed plot and wastes Lena Headey's talents. She plays a Gypsy, an exotic dancer who ends up on the run with a neighbour's little boy after his family are all murdered by a mob boss. By a stupendous coincidence this very same mob boss used to be Gypsy's boyfriend. Want you end up with here is a road movie with a central plot of a grumpy adult and a precocious child thrust together who will inevitably and predictably bond before a final confrontation with the bad guys. The script is clunky, preposterous and all over the place, the violence when it comes is bland and there's a pointless sex scene. Sam Worthington plays the big baddie as if half asleep and a cameo from Barbara Hershey adds nothing. Don't bother with this it's awful.

This is director Michael Mann's most underrated film. Much derided by critics and audience alike it has been sadly misunderstood. Mainly because it's roots lie in the very popular almost cult TV series of the 1980s which remains famous (if a little dated when viewed today) for it's fashion, buddy cop tropes, contemporary soundtrack and violence. This modernisation of the idea into a sharp crime thriller is a contrast and this knocked peoples expectations. Watched today and with care this is a highly detailed and very intricate crime film, which admittedly lacks an element of fun, but Mann is a director who looks closely into his film worlds. This is one about highly professional undercover cops who are so close knit they act in unison without having to be asked. The early scene in a night club is a classic example; if you watch how Crockett (Colin Farrell) automatically backs up Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) as he suddenly goes after some hoodlums you can see how they are connected without the need to talk. Farrell plays Crockett with far more complexity than it may first appear and as the film was shot entirely digitally there is an emphasis on close up and the use of the cityscape to highlight danger is a Mann trademark. The violence is brutal as Crockett and Tubbs are recruited into an FBI operation after the original agents are murdered. They have to infiltrate a major drug cartel but Crockett sees an opportunity with Isabella (Gong Li), the main baddie's woman, and a relationship between them threatens the operation. I really implore anyone who was unimpressed by this to look at it again, here is a very sharp, modern crime film that deserves a re-evaluation and a fresh audience. The recently released Director's Cut on BluRay adds some scenes and is subtely different and definitely worth checking out.

Memento is beautifully crafted, aesthetically and narratively, to make it one of the great mystery/suspense thrillers of the last few years. Guy Pearce plays Leonard a former Insurance Fraud investigator traumatised by the rape and murder of his wife to the extent he is unable to retain new memories which fade away within a few minutes. In his hunt for his wife's killer he is forced to tattoo facts as he unravels them onto his body and relies on Polaroid photographs to remember people and places. However director Christopher Nolan goes one step further and presents the story backwards, so we see Leonard kill a man at the start of the film and then the narrative backtracks to earlier events with some really great plot twists. This may sound confusing but believe me it works. And it's really clever too. There's a marvellous scene where Leonard suddenly finds himself running and he cannot remember if he is chasing a man or the man is chasing him for example. Supported by brilliant performances from Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano this is a top class piece of cinema.

In it's 'unrated' form (available on the 4K UHD BluRay edition) this is a gory and at times nasty, derivative horror film that is totally predictable from the outset taking great chunks of ideas from other robot films not least AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001) and The Terminator (1984) as well as horrors such as The Ring (2002). It's also a narrative that really pushes the boundaries of credibility so even just going with it still forces a bit of a "really?" question in the mind. Robotic and toy designer, Gemma (Allison Williams) has been perfecting a robotic doll as a toy companion for children (to replace pets that die apparently!!). This is against the wishes of her boss who just wants a cheap, exploitative toy to dominate the market but he becomes suitably impressed when Gemma unveils Megan, a lifestyle robot doll that walks, talks and is state of the art. All she needs is a child for Megan to bond with. And luckily for Gemma she gets her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw), whose parents are killed in a car crash and Gemma becomes her guardian. Megan imprints her computer brain with Cady's mannerisms and moods and they become inseparable companions. Cady, who looks remarkably like Samara from The Ring, is a troubled child as you'd expect but her grief sort of evaporates once she bonds with the robot. And of course the inevitable happens and Megan becomes homicidally protective of Cady and out of control. The boundary pushing really comes from just how good a robot Gemma has invented. This one is pretty powerful, able to control just about every electronic device she wants and eventually becomes all too wilful for anyone's good as well as being able to move very fast and like Samara from The Ring!! There's some cringeworthy violence (in the unrated version) and the set up is for the inevitable sequel. This is a typical BlumHouse studio film, great for horror fans, hardly very original and at times Megan looks too obviously an actor in a clever costume but it's reasonably entertaining if hardly very memorable.

The third film from director Alex Garland and another that is enticing, unsettling and very intriguing even though it has some frustrating aspects. This is a pagan horror story concerning issues around domestic abuse, guilt and grief. The ever reliable and fascinating Jessie Buckley plays Harper, who having pushed her abusive and controlling husband out of her life then has the trauma of his sudden death thrust upon her after he falls from their apartment building.....Accident or Suicide? To aid her recovery she rents a gorgeous country house for a couple of weeks where she can find some solitude and hopefully self acquired redemption. But she is soon surrounded by the very bizarre cast of men in the nearby village including the stereotypical Tory gent and the house' owner, a creepy vicar, a local tearaway and a strange man who wanders around naked scaring her enough to call in the police. All these characters and more are played by Rory Kinnear and whilst we the audience are clearly aware of this Harper seems oblivious. This maybe deliberate and the film never reveals if she is hallucinating or if what happens actually does. This is typical Garland magic in many ways, he leaves the conundrums to you. In this case it's a little frustrating as the unsettling events gain momentum and Harper has to deal with this frightening array of men we get some very eerie body horror thrown in for good measure. This is a film that does keep you hooked throughout and Buckley and Kinnear are superb throughout. An engrossing horror film that is a little 'out there' but has some sparks of originality even if it sorta lacks a certain ingredient!

An attempt to make a genuine hard boiled detective film noir that looks good in its recreation of a 1930s Hollywood but lacks any spark. It's a rather droll and clichéd film with Liam Neeson far too old and tired looking to carry off the tough private eye. This is particularly evident in the rather poorly choreographed fight scenes and lacklustre plot reveals. The titular Marlowe is hired by the usual dodgy wealthy woman (Diane Kruger) who wants her lover found. He was supposedly killed outside a club after falling in the road drunk and getting himself run over. But Marlowe soon believes that he's not really dead. Anyway once this becomes the main thread of the story the remainder of the film plods along with nothing very exciting happening. There's the usual host of characters that have some agenda or other including Jessica Lange and Danny Huston. I'm sorry but it's about time Neeson wakes up to the fact he's no longer credible in an action role even when it's mediated by a dreary plot. A dull film and instantly forgotten.

A murder mystery and dark comedy set in the world of a hairdressing competition taking place in a labyrinthine old theatre in the north of England. It's full of outlandish and emotional characters who have some great and funny lines but the film lacks any suspense or real mystery. This is partially due to the decision to go for a one take film where the camera tracks around the maze of corridors following various of the characters. I'm not convinced this was necessary and appears to have limited the ability of the film to have any tension or story focus. Anyway the film didn't work for me and I was left feeling it was all a bit crazy and self indulgent by director and writer Thomas Hardiman. The story, for what it is, has a renowned hairdresser found dead just before he's to finish his greatest style and he's found scalped, a horror of all horrors to the remaining hairdressers! These are then shown with all their petty jealousies and emotions as the film attempts to juggle the mystery with the batshit crazy weirdness of the whole thing. A film some may love but definitely a marmite film and not for me.