Film Reviews by GI

This is part sequel and part reinvention of the Mad Max series and it's a hi-octane thrill ride that doesn't disappoint in any way. Tom Hardy brings the character back to life and emulates Mel Gibson's hint of madness in a great physical performance and subtle facial acting that sets him apart from most action actors today. Set again in a scorched wasteland, made here extremely vivid in contrast to the washed down colour palette you often find in post apocalyptic movies, and warlord Immortan Joe, (Hugh Keays-Byrne returning as a baddie) controls the water and enforces his rule with a tribe of vampiric like warriors including a great performance from Nicholas Hoult as one. When one of his most trusted lieutenants, Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron in fantastic role) steals his precious harem of beautiful women Joe gives chase but she is aided by Max who has been forced along for the ride! The Mad Max films are built on chases, the lack of a decent one in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) is why it's the weakest of the films, and Fury Road is essentially one huge, exciting chase. The action barely lets up and it can be a drain on the senses but boy is it good. This is a film to redefine action cinema, it's full of marvellous detail in it's depiction of a wasteland and the people left to inhabit it. Hardy could take the character into some brilliant new adventures so here's hoping we get more. Director George Miller has released a black & white edition of the film which is most interesting and worth checking out. It gives the film a more abstract, artful look and works superbly. A film that will become a cult favourite and recognised as a modern masterpiece.

There's no doubt that Jennifer Lawrence can do comedy and can do it well. This is clearly a star vehicle for her and she clearly relishes the chance to be the sexy, older woman tasked with seducing a younger lad and get to fight naked on a beach - a particularly hilarious scene. Yet this film seems to have difficulty with itself. The very premise of Maddie (Lawrence), a thirty something, aimless woman, being hired by the silly parents of a quiet, introverted young man to seduce him and bring him into the world as it were, lends itself to a narrative that looks into the issue of sex for money (Maddie needs the car that the parents are offering as payment for the deed and she need it to earn money as an Uber driver). But this film doesn't explore that and simply goes for a romcom type story as the relationship between Maddie and 19 year old Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) develops in ways that she is unprepared for. Don't get men wrong this has its moments but it's an inconsistent and slightly disappointing film and ultimately quite predictable and it's all done with a sheen of unreality to the concept. I like Jennifer Lawrence and enjoy her films but I was left a little underwhelmed by this.

Maggie is a horror film that aims at emotional effects rather than gore or scares. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Wade, in a surprising gentle performance considering his action credentials, who goes in search of his wayward teenage daughter Maggie (Abigail Breslin) when a worldwide pandemic spreads rapidly. Finding her infected he takes her home to his new family with second wife (Joely Richardson) to spend her final days protected despite the insistence of the authorities that she must go into quarantine. The narrative fits into the zombie sub-genre but the very description can cause a false idea of how this film plays out. Certainly the disease gradually renders the sufferers as uncontrollable and obsessed with meat resulting in attacks on unaffected people. But this is a family drama with Breslin very convincing as the young girl who sees and feels herself changing but equally fearful of being taken from her family. But the big surprise here is Schwarzenegger showing a range that you could be forgiven for thinking was beyond him. He plays the loving and protecting father extremely well. A horror film with a difference and certainly one that is worth your time.

Visually beautiful and a stunning central performance by Emma Mackey in an imagined story of the life of Emily Brontë. There's a gothic vibe to this film that dips into surrealistic ghostly atmosphere and portrays Emily as an either misunderstood and gifted person or maybe a slightly disturbed one. The two mixes combine to make interesting biopic style narrative which has an all consuming passionate romance thrown in for good measure. Set in the Brontë's Yorkshire home dominated by their patriarchal father (Adrian Dunbar) the three sisters and the wayward brother have a complex relationship with one another. Sister Charlotte is portrayed as a somewhat severe and certainly jealous one constantly disappointed and critical of the sister she refers to as 'the strange one'. But it's Emily's relationship with her opium addled brother (Fionn Whitehead) and eventually her passionate affair with a high minded curate, William (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) that is the focus of the story. This all surrounds her final decision to write the one novel for which she is famous and her early death. Much of the narrative is not based on true events and first time director Frances O'Connor seems to be more interested in using the central character as a theme for creativity and 'otherness' and there is certainly an unearthly and strange feel to the film. Worth checking out.

There's no doubt this is a passion piece from Steven Spielberg, a semi-autobiographical melodrama that ebbs and flows in its narrative making it at time absorbing and others as a tad tedious. Drawing on his own memories this is a coming of age story focused on the son of Mitzi (Michelle Williams) and Burt Fabelman (Paul Dano) growing up in 50s America. Sammy becomes an early cinephile and gravitates to making ever increasingly good home movies. It's through making a holiday film that he uncovers his mother's affair with a family friend, 'Uncle' Benny (Seth Rogan). The breaking up of the family is a device that drives the young Sammy's life as well as dealing with bullying and anti-semitism at his school. There's a quite marvellous episode where Sammy makes the main bully look super cool in a film he makes of the school day out to the beach effectively countering the bully's attitude and rendering him weaker. My main issue with the film is it's overly long and I found it dragged somewhat especially in the early parts of the film but there's a great scene at the films ending where Sammy meets the iconic director John Ford played brilliantly in a cameo by David Lynch. Definitely a film to see as there's much to admire here and in many ways you can see the roots of Spielberg's choices over the years.

The third film in the Mad Max series lacks the hi-octane energy of the first two films and suffers from the increased production values that occurred owing to the injection of Hollywood money. Hence the film has become considered as the weakest of the Mad Max films. The story was not originally conceived as a Mad Max film at all and the intention was to make a post apocalyptic film about a man who finds a group of tribal children in the wilderness - a sort of a Lord Of The Flies narrative - but director George Miller suggested making Max the man who finds the children and hence we have a Mad Max film. So what we have is set about fifteen years after the events of Mad Max 2 (1981) and former cop Max is still roaming the wastelands of nuclear war destroyed Australia. His supplies are stolen (by a returning Bruce Spence as another devious aviator) and Max finds his way to a sleazy desert based den of iniquity called Bartertown run by Aunty, played by Tina Turner who turns in a commendable performance. Max makes a deal with her to rid Bartertown of her rival's bodyguard, he gets double crossed and ends up stranded in the desert to die where he is rescued by a bunch of tribal children. Where Mad Max 2 utilised myth and legend so well to enhance the story Thunderdome attempts to to do similar with religious iconography and this doesn't fully work. The climactic chase scene is a poor copycat of the previous film's and Max is left without a fulfilling story arc. Having two directors can't have helped but as a fan I can see that in there is an interesting film trying to get out and it certainly has some moments. As part of the Mad Max cycle it can't be ignored but you sort of have to tolerate it's cackhanded story and weak action.

A sweet natured, likeable comedy that is totally predictable with the odd surprise. It's just a pleasantly entertaining film and even if you don't like sports films or basketball it will still give you the intended warm hearted feel. Woody Harrelson is minor league basketball coach Marcus. After being fired from his job he gets arrested for drunk driving and to avoid prison accepts community service where he has to coach a team of adults with learning disabilities. Of course he starts out resenting the job and feels its beneath his skills but gradually comes to a life affirming change as the bond between him and the team forms. He's helped along the way by a romance with Alex (Kaitlin Olsen - in a funny and clever performance). You know exactly how the plot will progress but that takes away nothing from the feel good nature of this film. The script avoids over sentimentality for a hilarious realism that has the result of making everyone involved seem very real, the film is a remake of a Spanish film that itself was based on a true story. Great soundtrack too.

One of the best examples of where a sequel is superior to the original film. Set after a nuclear holocaust and former cop Max (Mel Gibson) now roams the Australian wasteland forever in search of precious fuel, the new gold. He helps a struggling band of survivors who have refined a large amount of petrol but who are besieged by a horde of violent thugs intent on stealing it. Director George Miller had a bigger budget after his first film became huge in Australia although failed to find an audience in the USA (it was a modest hit in the UK though). With an interesting vision of a post apocalyptic future and incorporating mythological storylines Mad Max 2 (also known as The Road Warrior - the American title) is the ultimate action movie, probably only surpassed by 2015s Mad Max: Fury Road. The final chase sequence itself lasts 13 minutes and with a downbeat ending this is a film with little dialogue but builds on legend by utilising western genre tropes. This certainly launched Gibson's international career and has become an example of narrative structure in film analysis. It's a mini masterpiece and remains as exciting as it was on initial release.

A satirical drama that kicks off with a shocking domestic murder setting the bar very high and peaking your interest but then ultimately heading down some wrong roads. As a condemnation of a branch of American society where sycophantic executives essentially prostitute themselves to get a good deal or secure a promotion this, for the most part, hits the mark. But when it eventually drifts into mystery story territory it loses its way and the conclusion is disappointing. Jim Cummings, co-director and co-writer, stars as Jordan, a shallow executive constantly putting on airs and graces to ingratiate himself with clients and bosses but who carelessly puts down his employees. He's engaged but still becomes increasingly interested in a strange letter he receives inviting him to a mysterious sexual encounter in a hotel room. Eventually of course he weakens and goes along for a bit of illicit sex but soon the experience has him obsessing over who arranged it all and who was the mystery woman. As an attack on the 'system' and those in thrall to it this has some interest but it's a flawed film that pushes the reactions to infidelity a little too far and deviates into a plot that is unsatisfying.

What with the success of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and the critical acclaim of Mad Max 2 (1981) it's easy to forget the brilliance of the low budget first film. It's the ultimate in action car chase movies, now rightly a cult film, it sets up a deliriously simple yet effective world where law and order has broken down and society is on the brink of collapse (it's never stated why but the next film references a nuclear world war), nomad bikers roam the Australian outback terrorising local folk while a few tough cops in high speed pursuit cars chase them down. The film boasts the start of Mel Gibson's career, has a great villain in Hugh Keays-Byrne as The Toecutter and has that gritty realism that makes Aussie cinema so unique. When cop Max chases down and kills an escaped prisoner known as the Nightrider he becomes a target for his gang led by the psychopathic Toecutter. With the stylish and unique cars, loads of gritty chases and its comic book stylings this is a marvellous little dystopian set film.

Zany, anarchic and downright hilarious this black comedy is one of the greatest anti-war films ever made. It may surprise someone watching today how innovative it was back in 1970 with it's random structure, overlapping, improvised script and boundary pushing with sex and bad language. Although set during the Korean War it's clearly intended as an allegory for the Vietnam War and it launched the careers of Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould and Tom Skerritt and spawned a long running TV series. Sutherland is a drafted army Captain and surgeon assigned to a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital near to the frontline. Daily treating severely wounded men he and his friends, Trapper (Gould) and Duke (Skerritt) deal with the stress of their lives by rejecting strict army discipline and getting up to all sorts of antics. The film concludes with a football game to finally sum up the war if you haven't by then got the message. Intermixed in the scenes of their pranks are some quite bloody and realistic scenes of surgery to underpin the serious message the film is portraying. This is a real classic and set a benchmark for subversive and adult cinema throughout the 70s. A must see film at all costs.

Based on a true story this sets itself up as an erotic thriller but soon reveals itself as a true crime noir melodrama with Emilia Clarke giving a first rate performance in the central role. The story itself, one of corruption and misogyny, perhaps deserves a bigger film or maybe an extended TV series than what is delivered here but it's an interesting effort and at times quite compelling. Jack Huston is new, keen and ambitious FBI agent Mark Puttnam assigned to a small office in Kentucky. When along with the local police he busts a local coke dealer he sees an opportunity to recruit long suffering Susan (Clarke) as an informant. She in turn sees an opportunity to improve her life and perhaps get away from the small town abuse she has suffered at the hands of the men in her life. This is where the issues with the film really begin as Susan is at times revealed as a victim but also as manipulative femme fatale who seduces Mark into a dangerous sexual relationship, which threatens his career and marriage. The character of Mark is less complicated in that he allows himself to become sexually obsessed with Susan resulting in his need to be rid of her. He is ultimately a weak man, far too impressed with himself and who resorts to violence to cover his mistakes. The emotional dysfunction is what is at play here and the film never really gets to full and satisfying grip with it. Overall though this has an interesting and at times compelling story to tell and both Clarke and Huston are excellent.

This is a by the numbers, pure pulp demonic possession film that is all rather silly despite its interesting start. Considering director Neill Blomkamp's previous films this is a disappointment and appears to be a made for the money as he seems to have just made a TV movie that is really a damp squib. The set up is intriguing with Carly (Carly Pope) finding out that her estranged mother, who has been in prison for years having committed a horrific crime, is now comatose in a medical research facility. Carly is asked by the medical team if she will take part in an experiment involving entering a virtual computer simulated world and attempt to communicate with her. All so far so good but when the plot moves into its possession part it's all clichéd and daft. The researchers turn out to be Vatican exorcists and this cues lots of dark corridors, nightmare sequences, a monster of sorts and very little of it makes much sense. A very average horror film that attempts something new in a well used sub genre but doesn't deliver.

A crime comedy that's a bit of a mixed bag. There's some delights, some massive misfires and some weird casting. On the positive side Allison Janney gives a worthy performance in the lead role as Sue, a nondescript married woman with low self esteem because she's friendless and ignored by her husband, family and work colleagues. When she inadvertently catches her husband having an affair a chain of bizarre events begins and Sue finds herself the centre of attention and literally loves it. Desperate for this to continue Sue tells more and more lies getting herself in a pickle with the police and some local gangsters. Mila Kunis plays Sue's sister and while she has a decent go at it she's wasted and clearly miscast. The plot gets more and more exaggerated moving the film from situation comedy to violent slapstick and believe me at times it's very violent. Ultimately it doesn't totally work even though it's a valiant attempt at showing how a simple craving for some recognition and friendship can push people to extremes. There are laughs and Awkwafina as the daughter of the local crime lord is as funny as always. Matthew Modine, Ellen Barkin, Juliette Lewis have small roles and Regina Hall is great as the detective on Sue's case. Entertaining in parts but all a bit mediocre.

A neat crime thriller/drama that improves on second viewing. It can come across as too slow and meandering but looked at more analytically it actually is a well scripted drama with interesting characters and I suspect a more realistic look at the New York crime structures and scene than many other films of this type. Tom Hardy underplays his role skilfully making the eventual development of his character more impacting. He plays Bob, an unassuming bartender who comes across as a little slow with hints that he may not even be able to read and write, he works in a popular working mans bar run by his older cousin Marv (James Gandolfini in his last role). Marv was once the owner and a wannabe gangster but has since had to sell the bar to an organised crime gang. They use the bar as a 'drop' where illicit cash is collected. When it gets robbed by two punks a chain of events begins that reveals some secrets. Hardy's Bob is the central character with much of the film focused on his interaction with Nadia (Noomi Rapace) who he meets when he finds an injured puppy in her trash. Their friendship blossoms and Bob becomes attached to the dog which culminates in events at the bar both past and present. The way the plot gradually comes together is well structured and a tension builds which is subtle and clever. Matthias Schoenaerts costars as Nadia's ex who will play a pivotal role in the story and John Ortiz as a cop investigating the robbery and other things! A far better film than perhaps it appears and certainly worth a revisit if you weren't convinced the first time.