Film Reviews by GI

Whilst this is clearly intended as a big budget star vehicle principally for Jennifer Lawrence but also for Chris Pratt it's also a hugely entertaining and quite impressive science fiction film. The Starship 'Avalon' is on a 120 year journey to a distant new human colony with 5000 passengers and 258 crew on board, all of whom are in hibernation with the ship on auto pilot. The somewhat clichéd meteor storm causes some malfunction and Jim (Pratt) is awakened 90 years too early. Alone and desperate he attempts to get back into hibernation but nothing works and his only company is the robotic bartender Arthur (Michael Sheen). After a year Jim makes the horrendous and immoral decision to awaken another passenger and picks the beautiful Aurora (Lawrence) with whom he has become obsessed. This starts the narrative first onto a romance arc and eventually it spirals into a disaster action story as the ship is more damaged than anticipated. In between there are themes of loneliness, desperation and betrayal and Lawrence and Pratt have great screen chemistry. Laurence Fishburne supports and Andy Garcia has a cameo. There are several cinematic homages not least to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and The Shining (1980) - the bar is modelled on the bar in the latter film. But this is a film for two big Hollywood stars and they don't disappoint. Even if you're not a sci-fi fan this is worth checking out because it's such a delight. It has love, happiness, sadness, drama and some great action set pieces and effects. Check it out if you've missed it to date.

This adventure drama is a fantastic film based on a bestselling novel that was claimed to be a true story but it's since been exposed as a work of mostly fiction. But that doesn't take away from this brilliant film. It's essentially a prison escape story set in the 1920s where Henri (Steve McQueen in arguably his best role), nicknamed Papillon due to the butterfly tattoo on his chest, a Parisian safe breaker, is framed for murder by the state and sentenced to life on a penal colony in French Guiana. Determined to escape he befriends Louis (Dustin Hoffman giving a typical intense performance) who has hidden reserves of cash. However escape attempts are met with extremely harsh punishments worse than the abysmal conditions in which the prisoners are kept. The film is brutal but it's also a story of friendship and the resilience of the human spirit. An epic, compelling and exciting film and one that you should check out if you've never seen it.

After Peter Jackson made fantasy cinema a respectable genre for adults with his The Lord of The Rings trilogy it opened the door for innovative and imaginative film maker Guillermo del Toro to emerge with this dark, adult fairy tale. It's literally running with symbolism and themes so much that a detailed critical analysis requires almost a book. Set in Spain in 1944 and the Civil War is over with the fascist's having been victorious. But rebels continue to hide out in the forests hunted by the paramilitary government forces. Young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) travels with her heavily pregnant mother to join Ofelia's new stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi López - in a cold, frightening performance). Vidal cares nothing for Ofelia who burys herself in fairy story books until one day she wanders into some nearby ruins and makes a very strange encounter. While Vidal captures and tortures the young idealist rebels Ofelia embarks on three tasks given to her by her new found 'friend'. It's a remarkable story and the film doesn't hold back with some gruesome scenes and one of the most original and quite nightmarish monsters in cinema history. With it's stark condemnation of fascism and revealing images relating to the Holocaust this is a thematically detailed study of how political extremism can push people to discard all human morality and at the sometime it reveals how the innocence of a child is the light that forever shines. A most original film and one that deserves multiple viewings to appreciate the many things going on. The imagery alone is captivating making this is a unique film and a modern masterpiece. A real treasure of a film.

Originally set to be directed by Don Siegel but credited to TV director William Wiard (although rumoured that star Steve McQueen directed much of it) it can only be guessed at what Siegel would have done with this. Whilst McQueen is interesting in the lead role the film sort of plods along rendering it a mediocre addition to the cycle of historical westerns that emerged in the mid 70s to mid 80s. Based on the true life of the title character, a former tracker, Indian fighter and scout who drifts into Wyoming at the turn of the 20th Century and is hired by a cattleman's association to hunt down rustlers plaguing the territory. Horn proves just a little too good at the job and so is framed for a murder so as to get rid of him. There's no heroism on offer here, it's a tale of an assassin devoid of morality who sees his job as basically murdering the opposition of the corrupt group of ranchers who hired him. There's a half baked romance with a school teacher (Linda Evans) pointlessly thrown in probably to give McQueen's character some softer edges for the audience. The film sets itself completely into the camp that Horn was set up and innocent although historically there are differences of opinion. As McQueen's penultimate film, and made while he was seriously ill with cancer, it's a competently made and interesting western but it's far too unstructured and meandering to rank with other similar films of this type and period. There's some good western character actors in support roles including Slim Pickens, Elisha Cook Jr, Richard Farnsworth and Roy Jenson.

As a dedicated lover of the Ealing Comedies and indeed British cinema of the 1950s in general this adaptation of a celebrated comic novel is just too silly to appeal today even if it's viewed as a precursor of the Carry On series. Essentially a farce with some comedy of manners thrown in it's a daft story told in episodic form of three 'gentlemen' in early 20th Century England escaping from their various strifes by going on a boating holiday on the Thames. They are thoroughly inept at all aspects of the trip from pitching tents, cooking and generally cause mayhem everywhere they go even when pursuing three lovely sisters who they meet en route. Laurence Harvey is the nominal star, a surprise casting choice as this is far too light for the serious films he is more famed for. British comedy star Jimmy Edwards and later Disney stalwart David Tomlinson are his companions. Shirley Eaton and a young Jill Ireland make up the cast in a this British comedy that is more interesting for it's bold technicolour presentation than it's place in the comedy genre that has many more far better films. Flimsy with too much slapstick sequences but one to check out from an interest perspective.

The highlight of this romance film is the two endearing and intelligent central performances from Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield who have a magnetic screen chemistry and make the film very watchable. They play Almut and Tobias who meet in bizarre circumstances and soon fall in love despite one particular issue being between them. Tobias works for Weetabix in what is essentially a dull job whereas Almut is an award winning chef and restauranteur as well as having a very interesting past. Their lives together are shown in various snapshot episodes as the film flits between timelines that works well for the narrative giving the viewer an overarching sense of the relationships highs and lows. They have a child together although never marry and for the most part are very happy until a life changing event occurs. This is extremely watchable if a little contrived and there's a delightful, powerful and humorous birth scene that takes place in a Service Station toilet. It's witty and touching film with a bittersweet ending and Pugh especially gives a powerhouse performance that is a joy to behold, she is possibly one of our greatest modern day actors. Garfield's is a more gentle and perhaps nuanced one of a man who can't quite believe he can have the happiness that this relationship has brought him. The film is a delight and definitely worth your time.

This road movie creates a fictionalised account of an episode in the life of artist Audrey Amiss here played with manic intensity by Monica Dolan. The real Amiss was an artist who had spent many years in mental institutions and in this film her original artwork is littered throughout. The fictional Amiss lives in London but due to her mental health issues she is visited every two weeks by a psychiatric community nurse, Sandra (Kelly Macdonald) who receives the abuse and insults from Audrey as all part of the job. But when Audrey asks Sandra to take her to an area gallery where she claims her work is to be exhibited she reluctantly agrees only to find the gallery is in Sunderland nearly 300 miles away. But off they go on this trip where Sandra has to deal with Audrey's incessant talking, self justifying and erratic behaviour but of course they inevitable find a bond especially when Sandra convinces Audrey to visit her sister (Gina McKee). The film is heartfelt, humorous and a simple enough tale with a boisterous performance by Dolan although Macdonald's role is overshadowed somewhat. It's enjoyable enough but it lacks the satisfactory story arc and ending that is promised but never really arrives.

In the hands of director Nicolas Roeg and writer Dennis Potter it's of no surprise that this erotic thriller has a depraved and twisted aura to it. It's a story of repressed guilt and traumatic emotion that spills forth into a tale of sexual frustration and murder. Theresa Russell is Linda, a bored Southern housewife desperate for a baby but deprived by her nerdy doctor husband, Henry (Christopher Lloyd). He's more interested in his elaborate model railway set up and the adulation he gets from his nurse colleague who indulges his sexual fantasies and the hero-worship from his fellow train enthusiasts. As Linda becomes more depressed she threatens suicide but is shocked when an enigmatic young Englishman, Martin (Gary Oldman) shows up claiming to be the child she gave up for adoption many years ago after being raped as a teenager. Oldman gives his early twitchy, manic and unpredictable style to Martin who flits between a seducer to a dangerous man/child as Linda struggles with the erotic emotions she feels for him. At all times the narrative never lets you grasp fully what is real or imagined. This is an interesting addition to the cycle of erotic thrillers of the 80s. such as Body Heat (1981), Body Double (1984) and Blue Velvet (1986) and that enigmatic sense to the narrative is very reminiscent of David Lynch's film although typical of Roeg. Viewed today this still pushes boundaries and does feel as if at any point it will tip over into bad taste but it's a film worthy of discovery if you've never seen it.

I'm not a fan of big musical shows and the accompanying show tunes are lost on me consequently cinematic adaptations are not a genre I relish. Having said that this one is certainly big, colourful and extravagant and far too long, with a 'Part 2' coming along as well, this became quite a tedious experience. Firstly I have to say that as a prequel to the timeless The Wizard Of Oz (1939), this lacks the mythological aura of that great film and it's extremely difficult to get to grips with the lead character in Wicked as an early version of the iconic, cackling Wicked Witch Of The West played so brilliantly by Margaret Hamilton in the 1939 original. That aside what we have here is a teen coming of age narrative shifted over to a musical fantasy film. Essentially Ariana Grande plays Galinda, the entitled, spoilt yet hugely popular girl at Uni' pitted against the bullied, different (because she's green), Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a loner yet very gifted student at the Oz Uni'. Forced to share a room together these two battle one another until they bond and become friends (during a very bizarre scene at a party). Ultimately the film sets up for the rivalry between these two to be continued in the next film. There's a lot of Harry Potter influence on show here but the film never feels like an interesting story. It offers nothing new to the Oz universe other than a sugarcoated story of an underdog wrongly maligned and pushed towards a spiral of hate. Jeff Goldblum is underused as the Wizard delivering basically a Goldblum style of speech. I'm sure the cast had a great time and as I said the film looks great but it's a real trial in attempting to stay interested and focused. There are some great scenes such as the monkeys getting their wings but these come intermittently. A family film that will appeal to youngsters and fans of the stage show but it didn't do anything for me.

This is a quite bizarre and yet intriguing adult fantasy drama given some added gravitas in that it's directed by George Miller and I suspect was passion project for him. There certainly seems to be a heartfelt intend behind this grown up adventure that actually lacks any real narrative drive. Tilda Swinton plays a nerdy, academic spinster Alithea, who specialises in the study of ancient stories and how their structures have permeated throughout the ages. Despite convincing herself she likes her lifestyle she is in fact lonely. On a trip to Istanbul for a convention she buys a small glass ornament in a curio shop and back in her hotel room she attempts to clean it releasing a genie here called a Djinn, played by Idris Elba. He grants her the inevitable three wishes but Alithea is wary in that she thinks this is all a figment of her imagination and that ancient stories highlight the danger of wishing hastily. The Djinn eager to grant them and gain his freedom then recounts his various interactions with humans over the centuries in stories told in flashback eventually resulting in Alithea asking for something that neither of them anticipated. Strangely this is all presented in a quite underwhelming film where the two main characters discuss much in a hotel room. There's no doubt a message in here somewhere but it all feels a bit static with no real story to grasp the audience. Interesting but somewhat disappointing too.

This second in what is clearly to be a trilogy was shot back to back with the first film. It's a visually lovely, action packed sequel with a quite complicated plot and brings Eva Green's character, the sultry, sexy femme fatale Milady de Winter to the centre of the story. Being the devious agent of Cardinal Richelieu (Eric Ruf) she is involved in a conspiracy to cause war between France and England and there's an assassination plot against the King with the mastermind behind it being a neat plot twist and not the obvious. There's plenty of swordplay and our intrepid four Musketeers are on hand to save the day especially d'Artagnan (François Civill) who is out to rescue his lover from Milady's evil clutches. This is an entertaining addition to the many adaptations of this great story with a solid recreation of 17th century France. It's all very gonzo and a little daft but fun all the same.

This remains one of Clint Eastwood's finest achievements as an actor but more importantly as a director. For me it's a superior film to his award winning Unforgiven (1992) but that maybe just a personal opinion. Here his style is strongly influenced by his collaborations with Sergio Leone and evidence of Leone's close ups juxtapositioned with wide shots just before explosive action litter the film. Based on a celebrated novel (Gone To Texas - a very good read by the way) this western is set at the close of the Civil War. Rebel guerrilla fighter Josey Wales refuses to surrender as he's still filled with hatred following the massacre of his family earlier in the war and shown in the pre-credits scenes. Hunted by the Union army and lawmen he makes his way to Texas collecting a motley bunch of companions along the way including an old Indian, Lone Watie, brilliantly played by Chief Dan George in a tour de force performance that is funny and warm, he is the heart of the film. Sondra Locke, who later appeared in many of Eastwood's films, also appears as a young girl rescued by Josey during his journey. The film is littered with great characters and there's a real feel for the time and history making this one of the great westerns and it certainly ranks alongside John Ford and Howard Hawks films. There's some neat yet slightly restrained violence and a real heartfelt story. This is a masterpiece and definitely a film all real enthusiasts should make sure they see.

This is a very effective supernatural ghost film with a great story and some very uncomfortable scenes. It's what a good horror film should be, scary and terrifically creepy. The title is an ironic twist on the pain caused when loved ones don't talk, a theme that runs though the narrative. Mia (Sophie Wilde) is a young woman who's mother killed herself but she has been assured her death was an accident, a lie told by her father to protect her. Being lonely Mia spends much of her time at the home of her best friend, Jade (Alexandre Jensen). These two and Jade's younger brother, Riley (Joe Bird) get caught up with a group of other students who have found a way to conjure up spirits through holding a mummified hand and saying 'talk to me'. The trouble is that dabbling with these dark forces soon has consequences that bring violence and horror amd Mia makes a stupid decision when she believes her mother's ghost has turned up. This is a bold horror film that harks back to The Sixth Sense (1999) and has similarities to Hereditary (2018). It certainly takes the teen movie into a very unsettling territory. Miranda Otto costars in a film well worth checking out.

Sequel or remake of the 1996 film is a matter of debate, I'm firmly of the view this is an updated remake as the narrative follows a similar structure but it lacks a sense of originality and the relationship tensions that Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton brought to the earlier film are surely missing here. But this is all about the tornadoes I suppose and here we have plenty of them and two teams chasing them. Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Kate, a talented country girl with an instinct for knowing when tornadoes are going to pop up who has developed a career in climate but due to a tragedy she has given up storm chasing. She's lured back by an old friend with a plan to fire chemicals into the heart of a tornado that will cause them to collapse. On the road Kate is frustrated by the storm chaser, Tyler (Glenn Powell), a former rodeo star out for the thrills of it. Of course they eventually join up to get the job done and there's a good mix of disaster genre tropes and action set pieces. But it's all a little underwhelming and Edgar-Jones, such a talented actor, doesn't have enough to shine here. The promise of romance is never fulfilled and what we're left with is a reasonably entertaining disaster film that lacks the characters so brilliantly conceived in the 1996 film. It's ok but instantly forgettable.

This is a neat science fiction thriller influenced by High Noon (1952) and Alien (1979) and in turn it has influenced more recent films like Moon (2009). Sean Connery plays Marshall O'Neil who arrives at a remote mining installation situated on one of Jupiter's moons. The mine is run by a huge industrial company who is represented by the General Manager Sheppard (Peter Boyle). When several suicides occur O'Niel begins an investigation and finds that Sheppard and the Company know the reason and there's a cover up. When O'Niel threatens to expose what's happening two hitmen are sent to kill him. Seeking help from his security team he finds they won't risk their own necks so he's forced to stand alone. This is an unpretentious little gem and whilst the technology on show will appear dated today it's still a cracking film and with it's use of an all-powerful company as the antagonist you'll see the Alien connection as well as the depiction of space as a grimy, industrial world rather than a shiny, sterile one. Connery is as laid back as normal and he's aided by Frances Sternhagen and James Sikking in support roles. If you like a good adult sci-fi then this is definitely one to check out should you have missed it up to now.