Fans of All-4-One who have been crying out for a biopic, get ready for the biggest cinematic disappointment of the year. Now that we’ve got our corny nineties pop reference intro out of the way, I’d like to talk about one of the best Brit Flicks of the last couple of years. While the world feels like its going more to shit, with the rich getting richer and the poor left fighting with one another for mere scraps, a fabric of society tearing apart fuelled by algorithms to feed your anger and prejudice, an availability heuristic dimming the rational mind, British films have remained jolly and wholesome this year, whether The Ballad of Wallis Island, the criminally underseen Lollipop, the downright fictitious Salt Path or new Tourette’s drama I Swear.
Based on the true life story of John Davidson, a Scottish advocate who got an MBE (This is in the opening scene), we start with the adult version of him getting an MBE, visibly nervous. When he walks into the main hall, he says “Fuck the Queen”. I mean, who hasn’t said worse about the royals? We then go back in time when he as a child (Scott Ellis Watson) goes from charming social lad to a despondent, depressed child after his ticks come along. We see the impact on him and his parents (Mum being Doctor Who Paving Slab Shirley Henderson), before moving to a number of years later when all grown up, living with mum and life having stopped he runs into an old friend. From here, he’s (Robert Aramayo) introduced to star of the show Dottie (Maxine Peake), a former mental health nurse with six months to live (We know she’ll be fine, we see her in the opening flash forward). Together they look to get him sorted with job, accommodation and dealing with his condition. It’s no smooth ride. There are ups and downs, but the whole film is a heartfelt and real movie.
So going into this, my main concern was watching this with an old British Audience. There have been some films recently, such as Hard Truths or Pretty Red Dress where the audience laughed at the wrong bits. The awkwardness and the anger, going against quiet social norms adorned to them in moments of these characters suffering. Likewise, there was enjoyment from people at the swearing of Ohh lady daa Olivia Colman in the insufferable Wicked Little Letters. So this felt like a disaster waiting to happen.
However, the opposite happened. There was no out of place laughing, and that is a credit to the movie. It does have amusing moments, but equally its unapologetic in its dark moments and consequence. If John ticks at the wrong time, there is danger, or unpleasant looks from those around him. He lacks human connection at times, and it owns that sadness. It means these ticks are bad for him, and he has to cope. The movie is honest, instead of punching down it lifts its characters up, to make those with him exceptional. It also doesn’t judge those who struggle. It’s interesting that his relationship with his mum isn’t resolved. They don’t become super close, but are at peace. Likewise, after all his work on advocacy, there are situations where people still judge him and keep a distance. This film feels like it’s written from John’s perspective to show his life, not make liberals feel better about themselves. It does show empathy though, it asks you to become better people. It’s a really moving peace, and was far more effective that I thought it would be.
The acting is fantastic as well. The young actors are great, but when we get Aramayo and Peake on screen together, their chemistry is electric. They’re funny at times and heartfelt in others. Likewise, Henderson as the mother who we don’t see much after the first act feels a deep and complete character. All of them do, it’s a result of fantastic writing and acting.
This all adds up to create one of the most affecting movies of the year. One which will make you laugh and cry. It will tear you apart and bring you back together. An essential watch.
I’m almost there. At the end of 2023, I stated that I would write twelve articles, roughly one a month on this blog. We are now at the end of November, and this is article is number eleven. With my December article being my favourite films of the year, this feels an underwhelming introduction to the last monthly summary of films. Do I do a Frank Sinatra?
Regrets, I have a few, but then again, everyone regretted Uglies, Mean Girls and Joker 2.
Do we end with a that’s all folks, or a classic movie final line?
In case I don’t see you, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and Goodnight
Well, not that. Technically, it’s not the last line. That’s Scully from Brooklyn nine-nine saying “What else is on?”
Maybe, I just do an overly long introductory bit that most of the two readers will have skipped through by now to see what I think of the one film they’ve seen this month, purely ignoring my blood and sweat which has gone into the words, only looking for that futile star rating. Yeah, that sounds about right.
My month started with Juror #2, the Clint Eastwood film which is destined for a straight to streaming release, but awkwardly was in a couple of cinemas. Unfortunately, one of my local cinemas was one of the ones it was playing in.
We all like twelve angry men (unless we’re talking about the President elect and his team. Screw that guy). Now see what it looks like when one of the jurors actually did the crime. Nicholas Hoult plays said Juror who believed he hit a deer on his way home one night. Many months later, it turns out that there was a murder on the same night, that he is now a juror in. Contrived? Well, not as contrived as the rest of the plot. The hodge podge group of jurors all have coincidental skills, such as a doctor and an ex-detective who isn’t convinced something is right. There is a lack of suspense, with the only form of suspense being Juror’s incredible desire to make the wrong decision at every turn, decisions no person in the audience would make.
It’s your stereotypical dumb film made for dads that mine didn’t particularly like either. But, it was an evening out with him, so that was nice.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
My next movie evening was a night out with Aunt to watch The Room Next Door. Having promised her this film, and watched Emilia Perez instead with mother, their bitter sibling rivalry meant a lot weighed on this film. Who would watch the better film with me? The answer was mum. Both aunt and I have seen both now, and I doubt she’d begrudgingly disagree.
Pablo Almodovar’s English debut is as stagy and melo-dramatic as his movies usually are, however The Room Next Door lacks the charm of some of his great predecessors (All About My Mother for example). Tilda Swinton plays a character who is ill and wants to die. Julianne Moore is a friend who has come back into her life. Both are a bit boring and pretentious and go to an AirBnB where Swinton will kill herself at some point. It’s the sort of film Swinton likes, that I don’t. I genuinely don’t consider her a bad actress. We just have different tastes in films, and she picks ones she likes. She’s good in this. Julianne Moore is, however, weepy and repetitive to the point that this film feels longer than its sub two hour run time. The screenplay is clunky at times, there were a couple of lines I actually found funny which weren’t meant to be. It’s okay arthouse snobbery at it’s most meandering form. Good if its your sort of film.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Netflix quietely released the documentary The Remarkable Life of Ibelin. About a Scandanavian boy called Mats, this movie starts by showing his life from his parents’ perspective. He lived with a degenerative muscular dystrophy. As he grew up, he became more hermitted, played video games and passed away. His family felt his life was wasted, until they found his blog and made one last post. Then floods of e-mails came in from his fellow World of Warcraft players.
The second half of the movie recreates the chat logs from world of warcraft, showing Mats’ character Ibelin interacting with others, changing their lives and falling in love with them, as well as tragically showing his own limitations and struggles far more than his parents could. It was a really interesting style of film, portraying a narrative well, intercutting it with real life footage of those who Mats played with.
As someone who has never been able to navigate the digital world, this story shows empathy for others who not only have done so as a comfort, but as a necessity. It’s their chance to be who they want to be, and while there is an older generation who don’t get it, I hope this film can be used to show what this is for people.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
The current frontrunner for the Oscar best picture was next. Anora is the new film from Sean Baker who made the okay Tangerine, the not so okay Red Rocket, and the downright masterpiece The Florida Project, a movie which should have won best picture. The director who usually focuses on slice of life instead brings in a plot in this audience hit which is one not to watch with the grandparents if you don’t fancy an awkward Christmas.
Anora (Mikey Maddison) is a sex worker who doesn’t have much going on in life. One day a Russian man of mystery called Ivan asks for her as she speaks the lingo. They have a mad rush few weeks where they appear to fall in love. They marry. News reaches home, and his family send henchmen to get Anora and Ivan annulled, against their wishes.
When I was watching the film, I was really enjoying it. It’s far more comedic than the trailers suggest. Maddison and Mark Eidelstein have so much chemistry as the titular characters that their first hour is a romp. The henchmen each bring their own humour and personalities to the characters, with Yuri Borisov as Igor a standout. The script is tight, with plenty of enjoyable moments, and the film feels shorter than its two and a half hour run time. I think what stopped it being great is that we don’t get to know Anora well enough. The plot gets in the way of the characters, not letting them breathe as much as in The Florida Project. Since I watched the film, I’ve felt less enamoured as I thought about it more. However, it is a fun evening out.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
If you had Lego George Floyd Protests on your 2024 film bingo card, you might want to call the line as the new Pharell documentary came out last month. Piece By Piece is an animated lego style movie telling Pharell Williams’ story. It is interesting, watching such a big producer becoming a household name. It was full of energy and generally fun. There are some enjoyable gags, such as a PG Spray being sprayed when Snoop Dogg is smoking.
The film does feel unchallenging and very much playing into Pharell’s ego, with the lego not adding as much. Being Mr Despicable Me, I would’ve found it funnier if they made his biopic but he and everyone else were minions. I’m being silly. It’s a fine movie.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Three documentaries in a week Joe? Three? That’s more than you’ve watched for the rest of the year, surely. Well, yeah, sometimes I just don’t have time to watch them, and sometimes some can catch my eye. The best documentary of the year so far is No Other Land. A co-production between Palestinian Basil Adra and Israeli Yuval Abraham, the documentary shows them as activists and the danger they put themselves in during the years prior to the events of October 7th 2023.
The movie particularly focuses on the illegal destruction of the Masafa Yatter community on the West Bank by Israeli forces, forcing Palestinians to live in caves or in increasingly crowded cities. It shows the impact on these two as well as the Palestinian locals. It’s a really distressing, but essential watch, showing what is happening when the media won’t do so. If there were one film you should urgently watch this year, this is the one.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
The Piano Lesson was the latest August Wilson play to be adapted into a movie. The third in the last ten years after Denzel Washington and Viola Davis starred in Fences, and the late Chadwick Boseman starred in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, TPL stars John David Washington, formerly of Blackkklansman fame and Danielle Deadwyler of Till as a couple of siblings who have a piano in their childhood home. One wants to sell it, the other wants to keep it.
Adam saw this a few months ago, and did warn me it was pretty naff. I should have heeded (hed?) his warning, because it was naff. While Deadwyler is great, Washington just lacks that extra bit of spark that Boseman had in Ma Rainey. His character is a grifter, but you don’t really care. The stage play still feels jaunty, not flowing as one hopes. Maybe there was a lack of thematic tightness. The scenes just felt dull and uninspiring. It was such a slow mover that just wouldn’t end. You knew how it would as well. Just a disappointing movie.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
Anyway, once I’d seen that movie, I walked from Victoria to Soho to watch Bird which was a much better film. Bailey is a young teenager living in poverty with her dad (Barry Keoghan) who is getting married soon and hoping to get money from a drug frog. She meets the mysterious Bird (ASBO winner Franz Ragowski) whom she looks to help find his family, while learning about herself at the same time.
A welcome mix of small scale social realism and fantastical elements, with a proper warm humour, there are plenty of elements to like. Both Keoghan and Rogowski support well, while the young leads all do their bits. The script feels tight and tender, with some wonderful needle drops, and a humorous fourth wall break about a certain song, which was one of the funniest moments of film this year. The production design is well done and frankly everything feels really smartly put together. It’s not some great magnus opus, but a small, simple film which is worth searching out about finding who you are in the world.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I fell asleep during Small Things Like These so don’t feel able to comment on it, so I won’t, but it did make me fall asleep.
One film which did keep me awake however, was Blitz, the new Steve McQueen film featuring a set of big name British stars, including Saoirse Ronan. George, a young mixed-race boy is sent away from London as part of the WWII evacuations, decides to jump off the train and go and find his mum. In this time, he’ll encounter a variety of good and bad characters straight out of a kid’s movie, as well as almost drowning in an underground station, running from bombs and racism.
If that sounds a rather haphazard description, that is because it kind of is. The movie feels at times like a kids film, much like a Dickens or a Railway Children. It then switches to a grown up film in other scenes. It doesn’t know its audience, which leads to frustration. However, there are some good things as well. Ronan is great, the child acting is questionably early Harry Potter standard, and there are a couple of great scenes, including one in a dance hall. There is heart at times, but the film seems disjointed and simple in others. Compared to other movies Steve McQueen has done, this one feels comparatively weak. It’s on Apple TV+ where it will probably spend an eternity.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
This month I watched both Gladiator and Gladiator 2 for the first time on the big screen. In both, a character fights in a war, their spouse dies, they’re captured and they both become accomplished gladiators in a bid for their freedom and to overturn the corrupt villains. So yeah, they’re pretty similar, except that this time Paul Mescal plays Russel Crowe’s son and there are two emperors.
There are some good things happening in this film. While there are ridiculous CGI monkeys and flooded coliseums, these action scenes are entertaining enough if you suspend your disbelief. Paul Mescal, while no Crowe, is perfectly fine bringing his sad man instead of Crowe’s angry man. Denzel Washington particularly stands out as Mescal’s owner and the emperor’s advisor. If anything gets an oscar nod non-technically, it will be Washington’s performance.
However, this film wasn’t as good as the original for a good few reasons. As well as not adding anything tangible, the most nefarious downgrade was replacing Joaquin Pheonix’s fearsome leader with the loud and annoying Weasley twins (Not actually played by the Weasley twins), characters so annoyingly stupid that it doesn’t make sense for them to be emperors.
I actually did enjoy Gladiator 2. It was an easy piece of entertainment, even if it didn’t live up to the original. It’s by no means Ridley Scott’s worst film about an Italian Dynasty falling apart because of a semi-related outsider.
Four boofs out of five
British independent films current favourite topics seem to be a middle class person making a film about poor people (see Souvenir or whatever else Ken Loach made) or lost young gay people finding themselves (See Unicorn or Femme or Pretty Red Dress for just the last 12 months), so when another one comes out you hope it will do something unique. Unfortunately, Layla really fails to do so.
A young drag artist finds a boy they like, they date but aren’t compatible. You realise this early on and have to watch two hours of back and forth, wont they wont they. Layla also has to deal with their own demons around being from a British Asian family and having not come out to them. The whole film is rather paint by numbers standard British Indie-faire and the two leads don’t have chemistry. I’m getting tired and still have to write about Conclave and Wicked.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Everything about Conclave sounds like it would be theoretically boring. A pope dies, so a bunch of middle aged blokes need to vote for a new one. That’s pretty much it. However, it’s one of the most entertaining political thrillers in many a year. Ralph Fiennes plays Cardinal Lawrence, the dean of the Conclave, meaning he has to run the election which is mainly between a few parties. Todesco is a bad mf who likes to drop a vape at only the best moments. He’s more conservative and wants to bring the church back to where it was. Bellinni (Stanley Tucci) wants to take it into the future, while John Lithigow’s Tremblay seems to have a dodgy secret about him. However, soon Lawrence, who is currently in a crisis of faith with the church, realises that nobody is what they seem and that everyone has some form of sin surrounding them.
The script for this movie is really tight, with each twist and turn being intriguing. Despite the big cast, it’s easy to follow. There is an adept social mirroring looking at our communities and democracies themselves. The film feels separate but close to our world. It also balances the serious with the entertaining, with a fun level of camp at times.
Shot on location, the film is beautiful with Rome looking wonderfully imposing and director Edward Berger using the surrounding art to great effect. However, the highlight of the movie is Ralph Fiennes. He is in a crisis of faith which he shows in an understated way and his feelings about becoming the pope feel both hidden and revealed in contradicting ways, almost up against Tucci’s character who clearly wants to become pope despite saying otherwise.
Out of the big awards nominees, this one is probably my favourite so far. It’s an entertaining and interesting story which will both appeal to indie film nerds and a wider general public as a twisty political thriller.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Wicked: Part one came out this month. I don’t know if you knew. I did. It’s been everywhere. Based on the 2003 musical, John Chu directs the first half of the musical, stretching it out to a gargantuan two hours and forty minutes. The movie is a prequel to the wizard of Oz as Glinda the good witch (Ariana Grande) tells (half the) full story of how she met the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba (Cynthia Eviro). In this movie the two characters both enroll into Shizz University (yeah, really), under the tutelage of Michelle Yeoh. Elphaba is green and unpopular, while Glinda is not green and popular. They end up as dorm mates and this half is about their friendship growing, while Elphaba is worried about the treatment of animals in Oz (Our vegan queen).
While the only thing more full on than this film’s run time is the marketing campaign, the film never feels slow. It’s a warm comfortable hug and a sweet family film. The whole thing feels grand (ba-dum-tsh) and impressive in scale. Erivo takes on her role well, with a strong voice which does defy gravity convincingly. However, the real stand out is Ariana Grande. While most likely supporting in the awards campaign, the co-lead is funny and heartfelt, with Grande showing off her acting and singing chops to great effect in a film much better than her cameo debut of Don’t Look Up. Every song is a bop and the whole film is solidly shot by Chu who has good experience with In The Heights.
However, while the film was good, there were a few issues which did lead to it not being quite to the level of hype I’d heard about. Firstly, it looks ugly. The set pieces are spectacular, but the whole movie is washed out, heavily contrasting the beautiful technicolour we know and love from the Oz of the 1930s. There were a couple of moments I did want things to move on a bit quicker, however on the whole these were minor qualms. By no means a bad film.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
So yeah, film of the month is No Other Land. See you for Post #12
Blow off the cobwebs, we are back. I know it’s been a while since I’ve updated this blog. Unfortunately it’s been a busy few months and I then had to choose between sitting down and writing or going to watch a movie and I picked the latter. What that has meant is that I have a great list of twenty films that I want to share with you. I’m basically the British Obama.
The main takeaway I want to say is that cinema is pretty great. How wonderful was Barbenheimer? Beyond the hype for that there were so many great films which didn’t even make the below list. Sick of Myself, Royal Hotel, Godzilla Minus One, You Resemble Me, Return to Seoul, Spiderverse-2, Fabelmans, Blackberry, Marcel are just some of the brilliant films which wouldn’t have been out of place, as are indie darlings Anatomy of a Fall and Past Lives. However, the films have been ranked and the final results are below. (Full list here: https://letterboxd.com/thefilmramble/list/2023-ranked/, I’d recommend any film in the top 50).
Anyway, usual rules. Releases between 26/12/22-21/12/23 as the week in between Christmas and New Year is Purdah
20) Reality
Is there a more shocking name in existence than Reality Winner. The true story film is a really interesting experimental piece. It uses the recordings from FBI investigations, turning them into a script with both the interesting and mundane parts shown. A fairly low budget piece, if you don’t know the story, you’re not sure how it’s going to end. While there isn’t the emotional connection as people are acting closed off, the film remains an interesting one, as you see the workings of something you rarely do so authentically blurring the lines between documentary and drama. [Reality is available for digital download]
19) Leave the World Behind
Probably the most divisive film on this list, Leave the World Behind didn’t receive a fantastic reception from most movie goers on its release. However, I found it to be a real highlight this year. Based on a 2020 novel of the same name, this film sees a family rent out an AirBnB. With a couple of weird things happening, you can start to tell something big is going on. When another family come and claim they own the place, distrust starts to increase, with underlying themes of gender, age and race being part of the conflict, although never said (Much like in Night of the Living Dead). As the situation becomes more stark, the families need to work out whether they trust each other and survive what seems an apocalyptic event. Some people don’t like the film because it doesn’t explain everything. It isn’t handed to you on a platter. However, I think that’s too its advantage. Those in the scenario don’t know the answers, just that they need to survive. Director Sam Esmail also uses slow, brooding scenes to create tension, cutting between multiple climaxing stories at once. It’s slick, stylish and controlled and with powerhouse acting from Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke and Mahershala Ali, it’s worth a watch if you like the more human side of a catastrophe. [LTWB is available on Netflix]
18) May, December
May December is most interesting because of its characters. When an actress (Natalie Portman) goes to meet a woman (Julianne Moore) and her husband (Charles Melton) who were found to be in a relationship when he was 13 and she was old enough to be his mother, she finds almost infantilised characters. As she’ll be playing the woman in an upcoming movie, she needs to know everything about her, studying her. This starts to lead to a bridge between the two characters. The dynamics are fun and interesting in this film. With great performances, this is sure to do well in the awards season. A well paced, well written movie, it’s definitely worth your time. [May December is available of Now Cinema]
17) The First Slam Dunk
There is something really interesting about basketball, both to watch in a film and in real life. It’s a sport where you can go on a hot streak, or just collapse in the space of 5 or 10 minutes, which almost makes it cinematic. While nothing will ever top Hoop Dreams as the greatest sport film of all time, TFSD is a fun anime about a rag tag team in a big final, based on a 1990’s series. Switching between their stories and the final itself, it does get crammed, but you pick up what you need to root for the characters. Each one is full of charm and personality, and the classic anime style is gorgeous.
16) Women Talking
Following attacks on women by men in the Mennonite society, all of the women need to decide whether to run, fight or forgive. This leads to them having in depth conversations, considering the impacts of each one and the characters’ own moral compasses. A slow paced, and thoughtful film, it’s shot with dull colours but remains interesting thanks to the tight writing and brilliant acting from Rooney Mara, Jessie Buckley and Claire Foy among others. Nominated for Best picture among other awards at the Oscars last year, the film particularly got deserved recognition for its screenplay. Not an easy watch, but still an important one. [Women Talking is streaming on Prime Video or available for Digital Download]
15) Brother
A Canadian film focussing on themes of masculinity and grief, but in a variety of different ways, Brother is the story of two teenage brothers Michael and Francis. Francis presents himself as more macho and confident, while Michael is shy. However, we learn about these characters and their insecurities in a harsh environment throughout the two hours. With flashbacks and a well paced movie revealing itself, the film really thrives thanks to its brilliant acting. [Available for digital download]
14) The Beasts
The Beasts is a masterstroke in tension. A true-crime drama, the film focuses on a French couple who move into the Spanish mountains to set up a farm. However, when they refuse to sell land for wind farms, the poor residents of the town become hostile as they are also denied life saving money. A slow, but tense thriller, this film sees the French couple start to breakdown as they feel increasingly isolated. Wonderful acting and writing, this Spanish film is fantastic. [Streaming on BFI Player and available on digital]
13) Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
Quite possibly the biggest surprise of the year, Puss 2 is a sequel to a very mediocre animated film. In a year of high quality animation (Marcel and Spiderverse to name a couple), this film stands as the best thanks to its colourful and creative animation and tight script. Puss has used up eight of his nine lives, and now death is coming to hunt him down. To cheat death, Puss has to find a meteor (or something, I can’t exactly remember) before different sets of rag-tag villains can. The film deals with anxiety and fear in a fresh way you don’t expect. Each character has depth and vulnerabilities. Even the annoying side character isn’t annoying. The villain with his creepy whistle is one of the best. This film does become dark at times, but that’s refreshing. Despite that, it’s still a fantastic family film, heck it’s even better than Shrek 2. [Available on Now Cinema/Sky]
12) Tár
This year two films about conductors came out. Maestro was a hammy biopic about someone we never learnt about that didn’t want to say anything. Tár was an agonisingly slow film about a despicable person who got cancelled and spiralled as she lost control, the one vital part of being a conductor. Despite the glacial pace, and the desire to show things without telling, the film still works not just because its so well made, but mainly due to Cate Blanchett’s performance as the titular character. Even when she was monologuing, she controlled the whole screen with her commanding voice and demeanour. It’s a fantastic movie, one which requires patience and investment. [Available on Now Cinema/Sky]
11) How to Have Sex
A fantastic British independent film, HTHS sees three young British women go on holiday to a Spanish resort. Two have lost their virginity and one hasn’t and is started to feel pressured about it. They then meet these British boys and following a night of heavy drinking, something has happened which distressed the lead character. With fantastic writing and brilliant acting from an inexperienced cast, HTHS primarily runs on showing teenage angst around identity and who people are in the world. The sex element is only part of a greater picture of mystery and confusion of teenage life. A really well made movie. [Available on MUBI]
10) Wonka
Well, this list is certainly eclectic, if nothing else. Wonka is a funny, charming light musical and is one of the best family films of the year. A prequel about Wonka starting in a chocolate shop, Chalamet’s character is an all singing and dancing optimist. However, the locals lock him up and the chocolate cartel look to shut him down, meaning he has a battle on his hands to achieve his dream to sell and share his chocolate. A wonderful holiday movie for the whole family. [Wonka is available in the cinema]
9) Joyland
Despite being nominated for best international film at last year’s Oscars for Pakistan, this film was banned in a large number of areas of the country. In a patriarchal family, long time unemployed Haider finds a job as a back up dancer in a group lead by a trans woman, whom he soon starts to fall for. Meanwhile, his wife Mumtaz is forced to give up her job by the family to help a sister in law look after her children, leading to her own unhappiness. A tender, tragic tale of family, sexuality and misogyny, Joyland is a sensitive portrayal of problems in a society. Great performances and tight writing do make it one of the year’s best. [Available on BFI Player and available elsewhere for digital download]
8) Theatre Camp
Honestly, I expected to go into Theatre Camp hating it. The trailer alone looked loud and annoying, at best it would be a Saturday night lazy film when I’m feeling tired. However, judging a book by its cover is something idiots do, and I was an idiot. Theatre Camp is a mockumentary about a camp owned by Joan, who has recently gone into a coma. When her son who knows nothing about theatre takes over, and finds its finances in a dire state, he needs to do what he can to save it. Meanwhile, all the hapless former theatre kid teachers seem just as clueless, trying to run a good summer. It’s a really goofy, exaggerated movie. However, its got a lovely warm soul and is genuinely very funny. Theatre kids will love it as they’ll consider it an exaggerated film which they can laugh at. Those who aren’t theatre kids will love it because it’s an accurate description of theatre kids. A wonderful family film which more people should see. [Streaming now on Disney+]
7) How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Are we the baddies? HTBUAP is a thriller about a group of eco-terrorists who look to blow up a pipeline. Based on a book of the same name, this movie takes its time to show the process from flashbacks showing each character’s motivations in amongst the high pressure situations of making bombs and strapping them to oil pipes. As these are amateurs, it could all go wrong at any point, whether by dropping something, drilling something wrongly or not doing the maths correctly. Resultantly, this thriller is so high stakes that there were long periods where I wasn’t even breating. [Streaming now on Netflix]
6) Oppenheimer
Definitely the film on this list that you most likely saw, Oppenheimer was not only half of an incredible cultural phenomenon, but also a fantastic film. Lead by the fantastic Cillian Murphy as the titular character, the slow three hour biopic about a scientists caught the imagination of a world increasingly dumbed down by CGI was a minor miracle. With a strong script, cast and practical effects, this film will deservedly win Best Picture at the Oscars next year. The test bomb drop moment was an outer body experience and definitely my favourite film watching moment of the year.
The first film I saw this year, and only four were better. If you asked me for a list of my favourite directors, Kore-Eda would be regularly near the top and after a European break with the disappointing “The Truth”, he’s closer to his Japanese home in Korea. This time, however, he’s thematically back in his comfort zone of the made family. When two men in a church who look after abandoned babies go to steal one of them to sell, the police are after them. Meanwhile, the mother finds them and also wants to help sell it. While it sounds like trafficking, it’s also people looking to find a baby a loving home but making money, thus leading to some moral grey areas. As we learn each character’s stories and motivations, we find a kind and tender movie as four strangers start to become an odd mix and match family. It’s interesting cinema based on a true Korean concept. [Available on Sky/Nowor for digital download]
4) The Five Devils
A French arthouse, gothic time travelling sci-fi lesbian romance. Could this be any more pretentious? Well, I don’t care because it’s a brilliant movie. Full of intrigue and layers, a husband and wife take his sister into the house, but there is an undercurrent, with the wife being unhappy about this. We soon learn why as the daughter, who constructs smells to remind her of people, travels back in time to see the story of the three adults’ past. In a Back to the Future-esque twist, she also wants to stop her mum and aunt from falling in love in the past to make sure that she exists in the future. Quiet, brilliantly acted and a really well told drama, this underseen gem is a left-field movie worthy of a watch. [Available on MUBIor for digital download]
3) Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret
Based on the iconic Judie Bloom novel, Margaret is a wonderful coming of age film, discussing growing up as a young girl from a female perspective. Margaret moves from New York to New Jersey, and has to deal with a new life in suburbia. Starting to reach puberty, she and her new group of friends are curious and worried about their changing bodies. She also looks to find her identity and religion with her Christian and Jewish parents not quite able to give her an answer. A heartfelt movie with wonderful characters and funny sharp writing, this female gaze movie feels refreshing and new, while also being warm and familiar. [Available on Amazon Prime and for digital download]
2) EO
My top two of the year were pretty neck and neck, so deciding between two such different movies was challenging. Therefore, consider this to be the crème de la crème. EO is a circus donkey in Poland who is separated from his best friend following the circus’ bankruptcy. Throughout the film, his goal is to find her. He doesn’t say anything, but this is the clear aim. Just walk around Poland and interact with many people and animals. It’s almost a set of vignettes showing the best and worst of humanity. It’s beautifully filmed as we see EO’s response to what is happening and feel a true sense of jubilation and also tragedy. We see people who celebrate him and show him affection, while others use him and want to harm him for very little reason. While no animals were harmed in the making of the movie, it isn’t an easy watch. However, there is no character I’ve wanted to succeed in a film this year more than the damn donkey. [EO is streaming on BFI player and available for digital download]
And the film of the year is…
When I build these lists, I always hope they show a variety of films. Comedies, tragedies, family films, animations, art house quiet dramas, musicals, action movies (Sorry Godzilla minus one didn’t make the cut, but you should watch it). As I watch more and more films it’s rarer I sit there and think “This film is the best of its genre”. However, there is one film that truly did that for me this year and is worthy.
When I first watched When Harry Met Sally, that was the benchmark. A nearly perfect rom-com, the story was great and the chemistry between Harry and Sally was wonderful, leading up to the new years scene. I was never going to watch a romantic comedy as good as this ever again, and I was fine with that…
That was until a small British film came out this year called Rye Lane. Dom has recently had a big break up and is crying in the bathroom. Yas hears this and soon when she sees him again starts talking to him to learn his story. Yas also has had a bad break up and over the course of the day they help each other find closure, while also starting to fall for one another.
At only 82 minutes long, this movie is fast moving and full of energy. It has plenty of laugh out loud moments as well as heart felt ones. A feel good rom-com, it’s totally fresh in its story telling while retaining a sense of familiar. The two lead characters have so much chemistry and really bring the whole movie together. Not only is Rye Lane a love story, but it’s also a love story about Peckham, with each character and place being vibrant. A truly wonderful feel good film, Rye Lane is not just one of the great rom-coms of the year, but one of the greatest of all time.
[Rye Lane is streaming on Disney+ and available for Digital Download]
Hey guys, it’s Joe and I’m like back with another blog post. This post is about Eighth Grade which is like this coming of age film. So yeah umm… it should be a really good post for sure. I’ve noticed that not many people have been reading my blog, so if you could like share and subscribe to it, that would be like, really cool.
Did I do it? Did I sound like a 13-year-old? The above paragraph is an introduction into the world of Kayla, our focus in this coming of age film. Now, I’m not hugely into these types of films (cough *Boyhood*). But occasionally, they can be brilliant (cough *Ladybird*). Eighth Grade feels like the coming of age film for Generation Z, the young people of 2019, the generation who are growing up in this immersive world of technology. It doesn’t really feel like any other films which have a greater focus on parental relationships. It’s very narrow in what it tries to do as young director Bo Burnham tries to send a message across to both kids and adults about the struggles of growing up in the technology age.
This review may contain some minor spoilers as this film is over forty years old. Please also note this film is rated 18 for good reason, so not for those of a sensitive disposition. For context, this is the first time I have watched the film and I watch it at the cinema.
“A Clockwork Orange” is the sort of film you hear a lot about. Everyone says it is grim, even those who haven’t watched it. Therefore, when going to watch it in the cinema, I did so with a feeling of apprehension. Was everyone soft. Would my snowflake millennial mind shatter at what I would see? Within the first ten minutes, I certainly felt uncomfortable. Our lead character Alex (Malcom McDowell) and his droogs commit the most atrocious crimes. Stanley Kubrick spares no details showing us these scenes in a most uncompromising manner.
As this is a recent release, this review will be spoiler free
Whenever you go to a horror film at the cinema, you are faced with a deluge of trailers for all other genre films, whether it be about some devilish murdering alien boy or the latest Stephen King adaptation about a misspelt animal graveyard. These remind me about how much I dislike the genre. Cheap jump scares, no story, character development and boring acting. By the time the BBFC age rating comes up, I feel like I’ve made a mistake coming along today. But I remember how much I enjoyed “Get Out” and am intrigued as to whether Jordan Peele can follow it up with this new film. The short answer is he can.
I like to eat marmite toast for breakfast. It has a distinct taste which I gain pleasure from. But if I have marmite every day, then after a few days the marmite gets boring and loses its pizzazz. However, if I have it once every three days and switch between cheerios, shreddies and marmite, then marmite always packs a punch.
Foxtrot is constant misery. Like marmite toast the sadness is always there. Very rarely does it pack a punch as you’re constantly feeling sadness but not really understanding what for.
Upon walking out of my local cinema, I heard two people discussing the film that I had just watched. “What did you think of that?” said the female in an unsure voice. “I think it was a bit over-baked.” replied the male with equal lack of conviction. “I thought it was under-baked” replied the woman. They chuckled unsure of what to make of this truly strange movie. While not one for such metaphors, I understood their sentiment. When you walk out of a film like Border, you struggle to get your thoughts in order as you have been transported to a far off place. This film is one of the strangest I have seen and will see for a long time.
To understand the tone of this film think about what Guillermo Del Toro does to fairytales in making them more mature. Now think someone does a Del Toro to one of his films and makes in even more so. This is served up in the cinema and is our film for this week.
The Film Ramble 