Film Reviews by AER

Keanu Reeves certainly puts his back into this film but Al Pacino throws it all away. This is The Firm retold with real demons, and not a lot of plot logic. Al Pacino overacts, Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron go for broke in the acting stakes and the ridiculous story of a prosecution lawyer who is recruited by the Devil's law firm in NYC is very daft. I saw it years ago on release at the cinema and hated it, somehow I needed reminded how bad it was. It was worse.

Mark Wahlberg is one of my least favourite dramatic actors yet one of my favourite comic actors whether it's on purpose (Pain and Gain) or by accident (The Happening). I enjoyed The Gambler but it only made me wonder how much better it would have been with a more subtle and talented actor. Shame as it is probably the best Mark W film I've seen in years. But why would someone waste a decent script on this guy>?

5 out of 10

Based on a Robert Harris novel, Conclave is an airport paperback in disguise, and it so engrossing. This is a very tense film with twist after twist, some a bit hard to swallow, but nonetheless sold by an excellent cast led by Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci and Isabella Rossellini. I loved every minute of it. Never before have you heard such bombastic music to accompany the shuffling of paper as you will in Conclave! haha. Recommended for a different kind of 'police procedural-style' drama. Excellent, intelligent and as cinema should be, exciting.

9 out of 10.

Elvis and Nixon passed me by at the cinema and I was interested in catching it. It's a strange one as it revolves around a peculiar meeting between to infamous American public figures. However, this misses the boat because Michael Shannon's Elvis didn't cut the mustard. He's a talented actor but his version of 'the King' is lacklustre and the script makes him out to be an eccentric buffoon (but also one of Michael S's lunatics). Kevin Spacey does a better job as Nixon but he has little to do except react to Elvis. A stooge to the clown, Spacey's Nixon shows none of the ire and complexity I was expecting. Alex Pettyfer pops up in a non-role and sleepwalks his way through in an unconvincing everyman role (friend of Elvis). It's all a bit flat, all a bit pointless, and it doesn't seem interested in trading in fact. I mean, there's prob a lot of speculation about the meeting but something a little more involving would've been a treat. It wasn't awful, it was just surprisingly 'meh'.

I've never seen a John Waters film until today. I was largely dismissive ever since I saw a documentary about him in the late 80s which focussed on Pink Flamingoes notorious dog poo scene. Well, maybe I regret having waited so long to see this absolutely daft musical comedy starring douche-bag supreme Johnny Depp and a cast of Waters' regulars such as Mink Stole, Traci Lords, Ricki Lake and Joe Dallesandro. It has some really catchy songs and memorably lunatic scenes and OTT acting. Even if you don't like Johnny D anymore, this is a good reminder of the before times when he had so much potential. This was made earlier than his first tango with Tim Burton in Edward Scissorhands too>>!>>!

This documentary felt like an exercise in restoring Dan O'Bannon's ownership of the Alien myth. We get the most new material about his input and background. Elsewhere there the film takes in Francis Bacon, Ridley Scott, HR Giger but they all deserve a film of their own such is the wealth of material that could have been included. The film has the feel of the Alien Quarilogy extras and as such isn't very cinematic in its own right. It leans heavily into our existing knowledge and doesn't work as a stand-alone film. One for completists, although I'm not sure if there is any material that is unique to this particular film.

One decade's uplifting historical drama is anothers white saviour cringe-fest. But today's knowledge and enlightenment stands on the shoulders of gateway fare like this. Whilst The Power of One is very dated, it's heart was in the right place. This was a Hollywood attempt to show the evils of the Apartheid years (Still ongoing at the time this was filmed and released) and to make it relatable to US and European audiences. However, was the film ever good? Well, the idea to have a child narrator for the first 45 mins or so was an interesting choice and didn't wholly work. The plot itself felt cliched except for the window dressing of the South African crisis. fine acotrs show up in supporting roles like Armin Mueller-Stahl, Sir John Gielgud, Morgan Freeman, Marius Weyers, Winston Ntshona, Clive Russell, and Daniel Craig (In his first ever film role) but the harrowing events are rushed and uninvolving considering how horrific they are. I would be interested to see how this same story would look if it was made today. Good message and I really liked it when I saw it at the cinema in Sept 1992 (UK). I hadn't seen it since until today. :)

Very much a film of the early 90s. Dated, honorable, aspirational, yet cliched, rushed, and preachy.

Reminiscent of Harold Pinter's plays' this beguiling two-hander harbours a great plot. Both actors are excellent yet hard to read. An original and above average no-budget britpic. Recommended.

The downside was a lack of subtitles and a bad sound mix that made some of the dialogue hard to catch at times. Clues are sprinkled throughout the running time - be alert.

7 out of 10 :)

Although Don't Breathe 2 offers a different plot to the first film (mercifully), it's not improvement. Although there are some nice polot flourishes, this sequel has led in its boots and feels turgid in a way the thrilling fast-moving original did not. Stephen Lang and the cast are good in thankless roles, but there's no way I'm getting onside with a rapist, killer even if he has kind of redeemed himself by bringing up a child successfully. Should've left it at one film imo. Fede Alvarez can't do endings.... (he co-wrote the script).

This film was completely unrelatable with unlikeable characters with unconvincing character arcs and lines. Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart play complete idiots who are doing a terribly as they try to make sense of their lives after the death of their five year old son. Nothing rings true. Every single character is unlikeable and its probably the worst film with Nicole Kidman in that I've seen for years. Even the supporting cast are ill-served. Avoid as it's offensive.

Whilst this is something of an improvement compared to Exorcist 2 - The Heretic, Exorcist III still falls some way short of the original. Bringing back a handful characters (if not the same actors) this works as a police procedural but is kind of jumbled at times. Also it's quite eccentric with long sequences that make little sense (especially near the beginning). Good acting just about rescues this from the bin, namely the giant GEORGE C SCOTT and the ably wired BRAD DOURIF. JASON MILLER returns briefly as Father Karras and nearly steals the movie. The eagle-eyed viewer might spot Samuel L Jackson, Kevin Corrigan, and Patrick Ewing in walk-on/extra roles.

Eccentric - check out the carp scene. Also has some striking imagery and some effective scares.

Deathwatch can best be summed up as Event Horizon in a WW1 trench. A committed cast try to breathe life into a very rote set of circumstances. The soldiers are played by what was a who's who of British cinema at the time (2002). A few are still around but about half have been reclaimed by obscurity and in one case notoriety (Laurence Fox). The SFX and corpse make up is top notch for 2002 but the pace is boggy and the ending incoherent. I've seen it three times over the years so it can't be that bad. Something of a frustrating experience as I remember bits and pieces but go back for details to see if it improves. It doesn't. LOL. Maybe I'm caught in the same loop as the actors.

Perhaps this is the most unforgivably boring action movie I've ever seen. Given that it's about Samurai warriors and features Keanu Reeves square and centre, the whole thing feels like a screen saver. Terrible SFX, even for 2014, too. Avoid.

The Spirit of the Beehive casts a long shadow, its influence can be felt in Pan's Labyrinth, Cinema Paradiso, The Year My Voice Broke, and The Quiet Girl (these spring immediately to mind). It's a gorgeous film about childhood beliefs and the end of innocence. It's also a tribute to cinema and the thrall early cinema visits hold over our lives. Superb, short in running time, atmospheric and very moving. Ana Torrent and Isabel Terraira as the children are fantastic. Unmissable.

I can't think of another American auteur that I have given five for five stars for every single film I've seen. Seems I've got an affinity for these thoughtful indies about relatable people working on the fringes of American society. So far, I've seen The Florida Project, Tangerines, Red Rocket and this, and I hope to catch Anora locally at the cinema soon. Starlet is a beguiling and touching movie about an unlikely friendship between a beautiful, yet lonely girl (who owns a cool chihuahua called Starlet) and an old recluse. The cast were largely unknown yet delivered note-perfect performances in a funny, surprising and moving story. Great ending too. This was Sean Baker's third film. I am yet to see his really early ones yet. Long may his reign continue. I have high expectations for Anora.