Month: May 2022

I was walking home from the latest big multi-verse film and I was wondering “How many multi-verses would I need to find one where I am Rebel Wilson Surbiton Fan Club?” This lead to further questions “Would I be happier as a Rebel Wilson fan, or in Surbiton?” “What is stopping me being SRWFC?” “Am I SRWFC?” “Is SRWFC real?” Yes of course it is, otherwise these introductions would be non-sensical and a waste of your and my time. Anyway, with Dr Strange out last week, I decided not to watch it as it looked boring and instead go and see this mid-budget movie about multi-verse hopping: Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Michelle Yeoh plays Evelyn, an incredibly busy, yet incredibly unremarkable woman who between running her failing laundrette, dealing with tax fraud, her husband wanting a divorce and looking after her daughter is stretched and the first ten minutes of the film show the incredibly busy life she is leading and rather predictably the things the film will need to resolve. However, things take a turn when Evelyn’s husband changes and says that he is “A Waymond from another universe” and Evelyn is introduced to a multi-verse and must save the day from the evil power who is threatening to destroy all Evelyn’s and multi-verses.

The use of these multi-verses allows for two things: Firstly, Evelyn can see how her life would’ve been if she had made different decisions. Secondly, she can tune into the other Evelyns and use the skills they have gained (For example, one Evelyn in a different universe knows martial arts, so Evelyn knows it).

The film is absolutely mad. It goes on at a frantic non-stop pace. I went in with somewhat subdued expectations, however I was blown away. The plot was held together well, the action and editing were well made on a relatively low budget and the humour, while occasionally juvenile, mostly landed. However, where the film really thrives is its heart. In all of the madness of our worlds, where we have so many decisions and choose what to focus on, so many regrets and such a deluge of information which can make our existence seem scary and meaningless, EEAAO reminds us that its the small things that are worth living for. The love of those around you is so strong and everyone has an inner strength they have or something simple they need which you can give. The film somehow despite its chaos makes sure to spend times on these nice themes and is all the better for it. The multi-verses have a point. They’re there for a reason and allow our character to grow instead of being a plot convenience. The film has a message, not just a good person saving the day, but characters who can develop in a film which theoretically they have little right to.

This is helped by Michelle Yeoh’s brilliant performance. How refreshing is it to see an action movie with a protagonist being a 59 year old Chinese woman? Her range is brilliant here, with a mix of cold and caring almost interchangeably. She makes Evelyn a character you want to win and you want to improve. She’s flawed and unremarkable and that’s what makes a hero you can truly root for.

She has so much fun and so do others such as tax woman Jamie Lee Curtis. This project is a labour of love. You can feel the finesse behind the film with such brilliant effects and top level editing making things seem to move with lots of cuts. It really is some of the best editing I’ve seen this year and will be in contention for an ASBO award come April. Daniels who made the movie are clearly fans of this and movies in general with brilliant homages to other films including a subtle Wong Kar Wai nod and not so subtle Pixar nod which will have you in stitches.

At 2 hours and 20 minutes the film was longer than I thought it would be. While it slows in the last 20 minutes, I felt the first 2 hours justified this slower ending. The pacing of the film is interesting. It hops into certain universes to allow our protagonist and antagonist to talk slowly and calmly without the need for any combat as they take the forms of certain inanimate objects. The directors remember that while this is an action film, it also has a story and dialogue which raise it above others in the same genre.

Summary: Everything Everywhere All At Once is an absolutely barmy Universe hopping adventure which never quite takes a breath. Despite this, it has a nice humour and a big heart linking all the story together to make a sweet narrative that Michelle Yeoh leads with fantastically. [A]

Yes, it’s been ANOTHER break. That’s the way life goes. Maybe we accept that I just write this on a monthly basis if that. Despite having COVID and whatever and having seen a few really good films, I just haven’t stopped, sat down and typed for a while, so here goes…

One of my darkest memories growing up was when I was just minding my own business, then another kid came up behind me and started bullying me. They were saying hurtful things making me cry so much. How could I ever recover from the mental scarring? They said the unforgivable words which to this day I struggle to type…

“Paddington 2 is overrated”

I was never the same afterwards, thus the sworn vengeance towards Surbiton Rebel Wilson Fan Club.

Playground (Un Monde) (15)

To those with an interest in European politics, the Wallonians are only famous for one thing, single handily veto-ing an EU-Canada trade deal. However, with this new film maybe they’ll be known for something else…

…playground bullying.

Nora is on her first day of school. Nervous about absolutely everything, she looks to spend time with her brother Abel, who seems to want to keep her away to protect her from bullies. However, Nora becomes more conflicted when it becomes apparent Abel is being bullied. He says basic playground law which is don’t tell, while she wants to help him. There is a quote in this film about not being able to help those who don’t want it, and much like the bullies, the film is really striking. In this wasteland of lawlessness, where the lunch ladies are more worried about not switching seats at meal time than actual bullying (A fantastic representation of all lunch ladies out there), this world is a daunting place for these children in their formulative years and are the one time they feel really alone.

The politics are difficult to get through, and the words are blunt as children would say them, and my goodness they cut through the screen. The kids are at an age of no filter, able to say the words, but unable to consider the impact of them. We see these children turn on each other in a blink of an eye, solid friendships reduced to rubble over the course of a second. Even the unbreakable brother sister bond becomes stretched in this fearful, apocalyptic place where one just has to survive. This comes as a result of fantastic writing as everything has a sensible cause and effect as all things seem to slowly come, with explosive results.

The script of debut director Laura Wandel couldn’t be anywhere near as effective without the fantastic performance of Maya Vanderbeque, the young actress already putting herself in ASBO contention for next year. As well as saying her words well, there are long times where this timid character says very little, with facial expressions and clever camera work doing the talking. It’s all shot from her perspective. It’s not the story of someone being bullied, but someone’s brother being bullied. All that is said to her, the camera rigidly sticks to her, and at the low angle much like Charlie Brown or the Florida Project, therefore it is so vital that her acting is great, and yes it certainly is.

As well as those low angles, the film represents a minimalist tone. There is no fancy lighting and there is no music whatsoever. This adds to the integrity of this not being some fantasy story, but a real look at life at school for young children. Any romanticism is replaced by realism, and you believe in what is happening all the more for it.

Playground had me fully engrossed in this drama about children which certainly isn’t an easy kids movie. A tough watch as times, this brilliantly written film with a top central performance is surely one of the best films of the year. [A]

Happening (L’événement) (15)

Let’s add another review. If Playground is saddening, Happening is outright traumatic. In 1950’s France, Anne is a promising literature student who is going far. All seems well in her life until she becomes pregnant. Not wanting a baby and scared of the consequences, she looks to have an abortion in a state where it is illegal to have one, or to even help someone to have one.

As you can tell, this film isn’t for the light hearted. It really is uncomfortable to watch at times, as we see some of the lengths Anne is willing to go to, putting her own safety at risk to make sure to not have this baby. I was struggling to watch in parts, and it’s the reaction which the director Audrey Diwan wants you to have. It shows that abortions being legal doesn’t stop them, but puts people in danger as they look to find their own way to have them.

For Playground, I suggested we may have an ASBO nominee already and for happening, there is certainly a second one on the cards in Anamaria Vartolomei. Her fear is palpable in this film as her panic grows and her life starts to fall apart. The whole film is brilliantly written and she leads with a fear and dignity that never feels melodramatic.

While the film is easy to feel traumatised by, the camerawork is exquisite. The long shots, the continuous takes, the capturing of emotion and framing. They all work in a nuanced way which I saw a couple of times, although I certainly don’t feel like watching this back anytime soon to confirm these and write in more detail.

Happening is a brilliant understated drama, which is so incredibly made by BAFTA nominated Audrey Diwan. The acting is great, and the story is well written to provide a direct, harrowing film. [A-]

Casablanca Beats (Haut Et Fort) (12A)

After these two rather sad films, I was going to discuss how great The Northman was (Seriously, go and watch it, it’s brilliant), but I really didn’t feel like writing about village burning and incestuous kissing at this point, so lets end on a slightly lighter film about rapping Moroccans.

Abbas is a former rapper who has moved into a new area. Living out of his car he now teaches rap in a hip-hop centre to a group of Moroccan teenagers in some form of Dead Poet Society way. The use of a hand cam and amateur non-actors give the film a feeling of a documentary as we use rap to explore the issues in these teenagers lives, from poverty to religion to discrimination as they will all come together to develop their rap and hold a concert.

While the overall narrative is a bit fluffy at times, this film works best when seen as a set of vingnettes, short stories which are linked by this common theme. The best moments of the movie are the ones where the young people get to express their thoughts and feelings with the raw emotions of the music. One of the raps is up there with my favourite moments of cinema this year. It all comes together as a thought piece with plenty to say, if you’re ready to listen.

Its a film which revels in a bit of cheesiness. It could’ve taken itself a bit more seriously and darkly, but its fine that it doesn’t. It wouldn’t have matched the tone of the comedic characters who at times almost become caricatures. While there may be a desire for something gritty, we can enjoy something which is clearly more a piece of art than a film. You know what, I did enjoy it. [B-]

2 Sentence Reviews of the rest of the films I’ve watched recently

Ali & Ava – The British odd couple romance which your mum might like. 7/10

Benedetta – Provocative lesbian nun drama which showed that provocative doesn’t necessarily equate to interesting. 5/10

Compartment No 6 – An odd couple romance where there is no romance, and the lead character’s only trait is that they’re boring. 5/10

Fantastic Beasts Secrets of Dumbledore – The film which may have driven Mads Mikkelsen to alcoholism. At this point, I’ve forgotten all the characters, but it’s at least better than the last one. 4/10

Great Freedom – Gay 20th century German prison drama gives Shawshank vibes. Fantastically acted deeply human drama. 9/10

The Northman – A fantasy Viking retelling of Hamlet (the lead character is literally called Amleth) which was uncompromising, yet amazing to look at. 9/10

The Novice – Whiplash for rowing, but without JK Simmons, and also without it being easy to tell if someone is rowing well. Tense, but lacking something. 7/10

Phantom of the Open – Really fun Paddington meets Cool Runnings meets golf. I laughed more than I thought I would. 8/10

Prayers for the Stolen – A dark look at the dangers of being a teenage girl in Mexico. Brilliant show don’t tell film making. 9/10

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – The answer to which film would I watch if the only options on were Morbius and Sonic 2. 4/10

Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent – An unbearable wait for massive talent. Just really awkward to watch as nobody in my screening laughed and neither did I. 3/10