Month: January 2020

Review: 1917

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When you start off in a calm green field with Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Lance Corporal Schofield (George McKay), it’s unsettlingly calm. You know 1917 is about war and are almost thrown off. However, the illusion of peace is quickly shattered as both are called to their general. Their mission (should they choose to accept it) is to get to the frontline trench 9 miles away by morning to stop a surge forward as it’s a German trap. The twist: Blake’s brother is one of the 1,600 men they need to save.

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Review: Weathering With You

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Film award season tends to offer a rather samey set of films which one can easily categorise. Therefore, upon my weekly Monday cinema trip, I had a choice to make: Go to another drama (Bombshell was the lead) or vary it up and go with a more left field choice… and that’s how we ended up at Weathering With You.

The Anime genre is not one I have ever really endeavoured into. The only film of this form I’ve watched was Spirited Away (which I maintain to be the best animated film ever and one of the great films), so I was going into this film as a novice, willing to give the film a fair chance. This blog is most fun when I’m watching the more obscure options.

So go with me here: Hodako is a 16 year old boy who runs away from home (I’m not sure why) to Tokyo in the Summer. But something strange is afoot. Despite it being Summer, it’s raining non stop and we’re not naive enough to blame climate change. Anyhow, he keeps running into Hani who had a crazy experience in this rooftop shrine where she was transported into the sky by the rain. Anyhow, Hodako soon discovers that she has magic powers with which she can prayer and the sun stops for a while. They then need to balance this great entrepreneurial opportunity with Hodako’s fugitive status and Hani’s love of spreading happiness. This is against the backdrop of Hani slowly disappearing and us knowing that weather maidens have a tragic ending as the two will eventually have to choose between their love and stopping the eternal rain that plagues the city.

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Lookback: January 2020

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As we conclude this month, civilisation is still just about standing. Britain has left the European Union, although the Corona Virus will make sure to keep news anchors busy over the coming weeks. In the meantime, all this Brexit fatigue has kept me busy trying to watch films. This month’s selection of twenty (Yep, that seems like way too many now) include cult classic films and modern masterpieces from the innocent adventures of a marmalade loving bear to a scene which made one look over their shoulder while showering since. There weren’t any rubbish films this month and be sure to read to the bottom to get my top 5 picks. (I have also given out star ratings for each one).

[N] – Netflix, [P] – Prime [B] – BBC IPlayer

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Review: Waves

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There is one moment in Waves where I let out a quiet “Oh Shit” (You’ll know when you watch it). This non-compliance with the usual BFI’s morally coded audience thankfully wasn’t disapproved as I wasn’t the only “Shit”-ter. There were many audible gasps and ooh’s and one woman who shouted “OH FUCK!”. If a film-snob-cinema audience is releasing that sort of reaction, then the film is certainly doing something right in it’s experimentation of sight and sound.

Waves primarily follows black middle class teenager Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and his perfect life. He’s doing great as the wrestling jock. He has a stable family and is in a happy relationship. However, things soon start to go wrong. His relationship with his father (Sterling K. Brown) is straining as he is being pushed too much. This happens alongside his shoulder joint becoming worn down meaning his wrestling days may be over. His girlfriend (Alexa Demie) is also worried she is pregnant. This perfect cocktail see’s him take a spiralling journey into madness.

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Review: Jojo Rabbit

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Within the first minute of the film, Jojo Rabbit gives you the “Oh” moment. With a German cover of I want to hold to hold your hand in the background, Johannes (Roman Griffin Davis) and his camp imaginary friend Hitler (Taika Watiti) are practising their Heil Hitlers in the mirror, before he runs down the street in excitement as today is his first day in the Hitler Youth. His joyous face and childish motion in this silly scenario along with the upbeat music may lead you to crack a smile. However, this is interlinked with Nazi propoganda videos of smiling crowds. This is when having being swept away with Jojo’s commotion, you realise “Hold on a minute. Why am I going along so happily with this?” This smart ploy is one of cleverest scenes in the film as you recompose yourself and remember that you’re in 1940’s Austria.

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Review: So Long, My Son

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When a film is over 3 hours, it needs to do two things. Firstly it needs to justify its length of time. Secondly. it needs to look after the audience. At 186 minutes long (22 minutes longer than 2001: A Space Odyssey), So Long, My Son does pack in a lot of content.

The film starts with the major pivot. Xingxing and Haohao are two young best friends who were born on the same day. At a young age, Haohao suggests they play in the reservoir. Xingxing is nervous, and doesn’t really want to go. We fast forward and see that Xingxing has died from drowning here, but we’re not sure what events lead to this.

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Review: Little Women

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We are back for 2020. Although, I do admit I saw this film in 2019, I’ve just been much too busy to sit down and witter about my feelings around a film. Nonetheless, I have finally found half an hour free and intend to discuss a rather good film which made my top twenty of the year. So without further ado, lets talk Little Women.

Based on the book by Louisa Alcott (which I have yet to read), Little Women follows the story of four sisters in two different time periods. Jo (Saoirse Ronan) is a writer who never plans to fall in love. She wants to be successful, but her writings aren’t interesting enough according to the publisher who requires women to be married or dead by the end. Meg (Emma Watson) would rather fall in love than be rich. Amy (Florence Pugh), however, believes that marriage is merely good for money and wants nothing more than riches as she becomes a painter. Beth (Eliza Scanlen) is the innocent one of the group and a talented pianist. They are looked after by Marmee (Laura Dern) while their dad is fighting the civil war. They just about get by, nonetheless acting with generosity and kindness to one another and their community. Meanwhile, their aunt Marge (Meryl Streep) enjoys living in wealth albeit in a cold frame of mind. Next door is rich kid Laurie (Timothee Chalamet) who takes a liking to Jo.

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