Film Reviews by GI

Kate Winslet's performance as famed Second World War photographer Lee Miller is the reason to see this film. She dominates the film and perfectly epitomises the strong willed and highly talented woman struggling and overcoming the condescension of a male dominated world. As a biopic about Lee this holds the interest as her life is depicted from living a hedonistic life in 1930s France to becoming a hardened war correspondent via her time as a journalist for Vogue magazine. As a drama the film has an uninspiring structure as it's told in flashback by an elderly Lee but it has a quick pace which keeps the film always interesting and it doesn't fall into war film cliché. There are some tough scenes though mostly about her recording of the Holocaust in photographs rightly celebrated to this day. Winslet's influence can be felt throughout as the film doesn't hold back in identifying the misogyny within modern culture over the role of women, their bodies and male aggression. In that sense the film has a power even though it's a by-the-book drama. Interesting and enjoyable throughout.

If you're a nerd about David Lynch then this documentary is a must see. As a fan of many of his films this is certainly an interesting film, made up of six essays presented in chapters where various people discuss Lynch's obsession with the 1939 film, The Wizard Of Oz. The film is a clever look at the visual, thematic and narrative connections that can be found littered throughout Lynch's work, the most obvious example being Wild At Heart (1990) which shoves these links down your throat! For any cinephile interested in film analysis this is a riveting documentary about one of the most beguiling, challenging and unique filmmakers of our age.

A creepy horror tale with throwbacks to Rosemary's Baby (1968) and Suspiria (2018) and some nods to the Frankenstein story with an undercurrent theme around exploitation of women's bodies. This especially made obvious by the presence of Sydney Sweeney in the lead role, a young actress whose body is often to focus of critique. Here she plays Cecilia, a young American who joins an idyllically set convent in the Italian countryside and becomes a nun. With some trauma in her past it soon becomes apparent that she has been selected to be there and dark shenanigans are at work behind the scenes. Finding herself mysteriously pregnant she is declared a miracle and her unborn child the 'second coming'. Gradually realising all is not as it seems Cecilia has to find a new resolve to discover what is going on in the forbidden areas of the convent. There's some stomach churning violence on offer here and various horror film 'nun' tropes at work. But the narrative is neatly paced and Sweeney carries the role of the trapped and naive nun without recourse to sexual distractions. This is a watchable horror film, it does have a somewhat underwhelming end but it's better than many horror films released of late.

Director Frank Darabont's adaptation of Stephen King's celebrated novel is a film that requires at least two viewings to fully appreciate. The sheer epic structure and yet intimacy of the drama and the two quite shocking execution scenes in which the electric chair is shown to be a particularly flawed and cruel means of causing death cause the details of the narrative to be overlooked. On second viewing the small details that Darabont has included are revealed as rather important to the overall feel and texture of the film. As a supernatural/fantasy story this is a quite moving story and yet it's also difficult to pin down exactly what the basic theme of the film is. Certainly it boldly attacks capital punishment and there is the obvious condemnation on the weakness of the criminal justice system that so easily condemns a black man (one of the other executions is of a Native American). But this is also a spiritual story with possible religious overtones that doesn't reveal itself as a christian idealogical tale indeed in many ways it debunks the christian view of the incidents depicted. It can be read as a story of 'otherness' and one of good vs evil, and even one about the meaning of life and death within a universe that is not understood. Whichever way the text is read it is impactful and a bit of a tearjerker. Mostly set on death row in Louisiana State Prison in 1935 the main story is told in flashback by Paul (Dabbs Greer as the older man and Tom Hanks as the younger), who is the prison officer in charge of the wing and running the executions. One day a huge man, John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) is brought in convicted of the murder and rape of two young children. It's not long before Paul and his team begin to witness strange events and come to believe that John has a unique gift which results in them becoming convinced he is innocent. The story is involved and character driven and also centre around the two real 'villains' of the film, Percy (Doug Hutchison), a prison guard and 'Wild Bill', a convicted serial killer (Sam Rockwell). There's a lot to debate here and the film warrants an in depth textual analysis but suffice to say that it's a film that dwells in the mind long after it's over and definitely grows on you the more it's viewed. The cast are all exceptional including David Morse, Barry Pepper, Jeffrey DeMunn, Bonnie Hunt, Patricia Clarkson and James Cromwell. One of those films you ought to take a relook at and certainly one to watch if you've never seen it.

Despite the massive affection and fan base for Four Wedding and A Funeral (1994) and Love Actually(2003), Notting Hill is a far superior film in the Richard Curtis penned canon. Not only is it tremendously funny but its a pitch perfect romance too and the cast are all impeccable. Hugh Grant as William, a humble bookshop owner, has the same bumbling, foppish and charming englishness he always does so well but here he adds a complexity and emotional range that gives the character some real depth. William lives in Notting Hill and one day he has a chance meeting with Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), a world famous Hollywood actress and over the course of the story they fall in love. It's a real Cinderella story but delves effectively into the price of fame and celebrity. Aided by Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee, Hugh Bonneville, Rhys Ifans and Emma Chambers the film never has a misstep and it really does leave you feeling warm and feeling you've watched a film with real heart. It has the best romantic line I've ever heard in a film and it deserves more accolade than it often receives. A truly lovely film, I never tire of watching it.

The golden age of the fun filled family film from Disney is no doubt long over and this crass piece of merchandising nonsense based on another Disney theme park attraction is a joyless mess. No doubt a great film for youngsters to hide behind the sofa on Halloween night but otherwise it seems to me a lot of money has been spent on a very forgettable film. It's laborious and mostly unfunny, although admittedly some of the comedy hits the mark. Tiffany Haddish and Jamie Lee Curtis bringing some fun to the occasion. But otherwise this drags on and on into silly farce so by the time it's over you're glad and there's not even an end credit titbit to enjoy. There's rather pointless backstory that starts the film and eventually the script relies on an extended exposition from Danny DeVito to explain what the story is all about. That story is basically that a mum (Rosario Dawson) and her nine year old son (Chase Dillon) move into an old mansion which turns out to be haunted by hundreds of ghosts so she calls in a motley bunch of 'experts' led by LaKeith Stanfield to get rid of them. But of course it's not that easy. Loads of effects don't make for a good film and this is tiresome. Owen Wilson costars and Jared Leto and Winona Ryder cameo. One for the kids.

This is a rather strange, almost abstract, thriller from writer and director Stephen Poliakoff, here foraging in the world of film rather than his usual TV medium work for which he is more renowned. This conspiracy and political thriller lacks any real drama and at times the performances are annoyingly wooden or are they extremely nuanced? Charles Dance, in a very early role, seems to be trying. very hard to make something of the script but he is hampered by his costar Cassie Stuart, who is either unable to deliver any of her lines convincingly, or could it be she is meant to be unrealistic here? This is the debate because the narrative, as it progresses, could be an imagined one in the mind of Dance's character, author James Richards, as the plot is an enigmatic mix of the real, dreams and flashbacks. Richards is approached by a hyper and apparently desperate young woman, Sharon, who claims she has discovered weird government secrets hidden around London in the form of videotapes and files that show the abduction of a woman all relating to a big cover up. Unconvincingly she persuades the academic Richards of this and they embark on trying to locate these secrets by uncovering a whole world of secret tunnels and buildings. There are incompetent officials along the way who make attempts to stop them. In between this plot Richards has dreams of his schooldays and a particular teacher who he bumps into during their search. It's all fairly weird in many ways and it's a film that never really lets you in to make your mind up to exactly what's it really about. By the end it's a film that makes you shrug with indifference as you feel very disappointed that its led nowhere.

The second film in The Hobbit trilogy is a darker film than the first but it's overly long and lacks the cohesion of the original trilogy leaving a feeling that the film meanders along. As basically a chase film this often renders the film tedious especially in the attempts to be ever faithful to the source novel and the other works of Tolkien and yet also adding additional characters and events made up for the film. But if you're a fan then there are enough elements to offer an entertaining adaptation. Peter Jackson knows how to present Middle-earth by now and creates a fantasy world that often is a delight to behold. Martin Freeman remains a delight as he was in the first Hobbit film and Ian McKellen portrays Gandalf with aplomb. There's too many characters here though with too much backstory to absorb effectively and even though the Extended edition is a more whole narrative it doesn't lift the film enough to put it up there with the original LOTR trilogy. The final battle with Smaug the dragon, malevolently voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, is a great climax to this film although the expected cliffhanger ending in readiness for the next film is little underwhelming. Better than the first Hobbit film but not on a par with LOTR.

The inevitable problem with music biopics is the need to get into the sordid underbelly of the subject whilst trying to maintain some semblance of the genius and popularity of them too. Back To Black tries very hard to navigate this dilemma and for the most part manages it rather well. Depicting the charisma and yet emotional naivety of Amy Winehouse is managed here with some aplomb particularly in the central performance of Marisa Abela, who does her own singing here and captures the hedonistic lifestyle of Winehouse all the while pushing the character's mantra that she's not in it for the fame. Indeed her struggle with the fame and in particular the media onslaught is front and centre of this story. But the real issue is whether the film identifies her creative process over her off the scale emotional reactions and her alcoholism and drug addictions. Sometimes Winehouse comes across here as a childlike, emotionally stunted wild child unable to control herself and certainly adverse to any advice. At the centre of the narrative is a romance between her and Blake (Jack O'Connell), a dysfunctional relationship clearly doomed to failure but Blake is shown here with more sympathy than his real life, media fuelled personality and O'Connell is superb in the role mixing cocky, wannabe with a needy mummy's type boy desperate for love. Equally Winehouse's father, Mitch (Eddie Marsan), fairs better here than in the documentaries that surfaced after her death. It's a pity we didn't get more of the creation of her masterpiece album that the title and some of the story leads towards and by the end you are left with the feeling that Winehouse was spoiled, occasionally tantrum fuelled and definitely a rather unpleasant individual at times. Interesting film but I was left with a feeling of being let down.

The Coen Brother homage to Homer's Odyssey on which this is very loosely based. It's a comedy adventure where three criminals escape from a chain gang in depression era USA. George Clooney is Ulysses Everett McGill who is desperate to escape for personal reasons. Being chained to Pete (John Turturro) and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) he has to convince them to come along. Chased by a relentless lawman, who fans will recognise as a big homage to Cool Hand Luke (1967) they encounter a host of bizarre and strange characters including John Goodman as a 'cyclops' and along the way they make a record for money which becomes a big hit. It's all bizarre, brilliant and good fun as they deal with the Ku Klux Klan, three seductive women and Baby Face Nelson (who hates his nickname!). Holly Hunter pops up too and there's a fantastic soundtrack by T. Bone Burnett including Man Of Constant Sorrow, which became a big hit. This is another Coen Brothers film that takes you in unexpected directions and never fails to keep you watching although it occasionally seems to drag as if it's head to be stretched to feature length but there's a quirky originality to the film that makes it worth checking out.

A melancholy comedy drama with great performances and a fantastic recreation of 1970, not only in films milieu but also in the presentation as a cinematic event. Set at Christmas of 1970 in a prestigious boys boarding school in Massachusetts dominated by the son's of wealthy parents who live on the privilege that their parents money and standing provide. This is seen by curmudgeonly and cynical teacher Paul (Paul Giamatti) as a symptom of a decline in character and learning of the pupils he teaches. As the school closes for the holiday Paul is selected, due to is having no family, to remain behind with the boys who cannot return home. He resents this but is resigned to it and intends to maintain a ritual of discipline and teaching as if it's just a normal school time. He finds he only has Angus (Dominic Sessa), a bright 17 year old student with attitude and behaviour issues, and the school cook, Mary (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), for company. Mary is black and has submitted to the casual racism of the WASP world of the school in order to get her son a place there but he has been killed in Vietnam and she suffers from her grief. Inevitably the close proximity of these three characters moves them to bond but not in a saccharine type narrative as you'd possibly expect. There's the pain of their emotional exposure with each other that involves sacrifice and redemption. This is a sharply written film and benefits from a second viewing and it cleverly diagnoses the rifts in American society that resonate today. A film that may feel ponderous at times but it manages to make you feel by the end that you've watched something very interesting and quite profound.

Just when you thought it was all over..... From the B movie style of the first couple of street racer actioners this series has metamorphosed into a Mission Impossible style über action thriller set of films that get ever more daft and overcranked but are ceaselessly entertaining. If you're a big fan then you won't worry that it's getting even harder to separate the films as they all follow a similar pattern and storyline as the group of street racers now super covert agents keep coming back for another mission that drops in, albeit very swiftly, in various cities across the world as they fight the new baddie. In this case it's Jason Momoa playing the son of the villain from the 5th film who was killed by the team and he's now seeking revenge. Momoa camps it up nicely as he sets trap after trap to try and nail Dom (Vin Diesel) who grumbles his way through the film basically by mumbling 'family' at every and all occasion. The plot is incidental in these films as its all about huge set piece chases and fights with the requisite street race thrown in just to remind you it's a Fast & Furious film. All and sundry pop up in cameos and support roles such as Helen Mirren, Jason Statham, Charlize Theron, Brie Larsen, Scott Eastwood, John Cena and Dwayne Johnson in a mid end credits taster for the inevitable Part 2 that is to come. So yes this ends on a cliffhanger hence it's not the last film. There's been better films in this enduring franchise than this one but it fits exactly as you'd expect into the series.

It's definitely time to retire this very uninspiring attempt at rebooting the franchise. The 1984 original should be left well alone as a great example of an original 80s comedy/fantasy and yet forty years later and following the previous attempt in 2021 to relight the fire we have this poorly scripted but big cast laden sequel. The new Ghostbusters, now relocated back to the old New York Fire Station, are reunited with the surviving old ones to fight another evil demon intent on dominating the world. Along the way there's the same 'ghosts' a couple of new ones and a feeling we've seen it all before. Paul Rudd as the so called main star, has little to do and zero funny lines and the story is mostly left to Mckenna Grace as Phoebe who does a valiant job with the hackneyed plot. I suppose the best thing is Bill Murray's cameo, he gets the best line of the whole film but blink and you'll miss it! The kids will probably love this but otherwise its a damp squib.

The climax of Peter Jackson's trilogy adaptation of the children's fantasy novel The Hobbit. Jackson has to be admired for the way he stretched a very slim book into three huge epic films and I wonder whether the material would have benefited from two films rather than the three. But whatever your view this trilogy hasn't quite hit the extraordinary vibe of the original LOTR films. This particular film is the closest in feel to that trilogy, it's darker, more acton orientated with the titular battle making for much of the running time. It's exciting stuff and because there's so much going on repeated viewings help balance the narrative and allow the viewer to enjoy the connections and drama as they unfold. These films are a remarkable achievement and this final film is a joy. It's an exciting, involved fantasy that shows Jackson as a considerable talent and clearly passionate about the world of Tolkien's Middle-earth. The cast just add to the sheer majesty of it and there's also that warmth and nostalgic emotion of seeing them for one final time. Ian McKellen can draw this out from just a raised eyebrow! Martin Freemen is the soul of this trilogy and here he is excellent. The Hobbit trilogy deserves a refreshing look, it certainly worked for me.

An entertaining, if rather shallow, action adventure that dwells a little too much on the sun tanned bodies of the two main stars, Paul walker and Jessica Alba, to result in film that you can in anyway take seriously. In that sense it's a throwaway. This is essentially an old fashioned adventure tale that would have been a major release in the 1950s and is in many ways a remake of The Deep (1977). With its emphasis on clubbing and hedonistic pursuits it's a film that targets a younger audience but does turn up the action for the film's climax. Walker and Alba are young couple, Jerrod and Sam, living an idyllic and simple life in the Bahamas. Visited by his old friend, Bryce (Scott Caan) and his new girlfriend, Amanda (Ashley Scott) they spend their days frolicking on the ocean where one day they discover a possible ancient wreck and also a crashed plane with a large amount of cocaine on board. Divided over what to do with this they are unprepared for when the baddies come looking for their goods! The film focuses on bikini clad bodies wafting through the ocean with the occasional risks from sharks and there's couple of violent and shocking moments. They're too few though to make tis memorable and whilst it passes the time quite nicely it's a forgettable piece of hokum. Josh Brolin has a support role.