Da 5 Bloods
Bloody...
Quite a ride of emotion and action. I enjoyed this new Spike Lee movie and it didn’t disappoint with its expected social, racial and political statements. It had the creative mix of past/present, violence, drama and touches of comedy. The MAGA hat threw me but I suspect irony. Rich locations, strong acting and a well paced plot, but there was still something a little off. Maybe the switches created some inconsistency and I was a little uncertain with the writing at times. It almost felt I was missing some clever subtext. Now I’ve written my thoughts I’ll take a look at the reviews and see what I may have missed. 7/10.
The Gentlemen
That’s entertainment. Last song. Fitting. Dialogue was tops. Job for the precinct like. Top drawer acting - biting language - unusually gentle touch with menacing violence. Lots of horrible people to like. Even the costume design was glorious. Story moves were orchestrated beautifully but who cares - pure Brit gangster stylin’ hits all the buttons. A little too loose with the plot doesn’t put it on the top shelf but a highly entertaining 7/10.
Ocean’s 8
I was not paying full attention as I chose it as a fun kitchen backgrounder. So I may need to fill in the gaps with a repeat viewing, but I liked it. Great cast, Oceans intrigue, provocative plot, sexy situations and all around innocent naughty fun. 7/10.
Greyhound
A simple (“inspired by actual events”) WWII naval battle superbly led by Hanks and a great sense of pace, war history and personal drama. A high degree of realism brought to life by some fabulous CGI and real warships. Hanks’ screenplay didn’t shy away from keeping the dialog accurate (as far as I could tell) and kept it to the hard driving sea battle. No fuss, some mess and an important retelling of wartime sacrifice, allied cooperation and high stakes military operations. 8/10
Becoming
Actually a little lost for words. It was what you would expect and very well done. I liked seeing behind the scenes of her life as First Lady and she truly does seem very down to earth and approachable. Barack made a few appearances, but took a back seat to her show. You can’t help wonder what the movie of the Trumps will be like in 5 years. 7/10
The Ritual
A friend recommended it and I thought it sounded familiar. Watched the trailer. Yep, seen it. I can’t find a review but giving it a 6/10 seems right.
Darkest Hour
I’m not blind to the dark past of the British Empire and I’m very well aware that Churchill was far from a perfect man. But I felt very proud to be a fellow Englishman and witness an incredibly important part of our history. Of course there were liberties taken in the screenplay but it just made for a little more colourful storytelling (especially that wonderful scene on the underground). I did miss a few lines his the characterization of Churchill’s mumbles but thought Oldman was superb (Gary - you come a long way from Sid and Nancy). Well done indeed chaps. I could not help but think of a certain US president while watching Churchill’s portrayal. A tag line of the film perhaps sums up a potential comparison - It takes the power of leadership to unite a nation. I’d add that a united nation is critical in dark times facing a common threat. In today’s world - are we clearly agreed on the real threats to our country, to our city, to our world? And Lily James was adorable as usual. 8/10
Uncorked
We used the wine theme to enjoy a few glasses of wine while watching the movie, maybe a few too many glasses. I liked the first half of the movie and thought the sommelier bits were accurate to what I’d before in the documentary Somm. But I think it lost momentum and I lost the plot a little with the middle and the ending was disappointing. 6/10
Crazy Rich Asians
Loved it. Lots of great movie elements that come together beautifully - stunning scenery, cityscapes, interiors, costume design, even the music was fabulous. A lot of character complexity enriched a unsurprising plot line. Lots of humour, romance and fun with serious international societal commentary. 7/10
Color Out of Space
Wow, quite the ride. Combination of The Thing, Poltergeist and The Shining.
Didn’t know what cosmic horror was before. Fantastic fright. Perfect crazy creepy cocktail. And believe it or not, some humour. Really well done, sure a few odd plot bits, but I haven’t enjoyed a scare like that since cabin in the woods. Cage was perfectly cast, horrific scenes created by top notch fx- beauty cosmic goodies at times, perfect setting and sets. 8/10
The Truth
I liked it - in a French kind of way. Not easy to understand - like my wife. Complex characters wrapped around a multi-layered family dynamic. Splashes of tension throughout had a bit of a chilling effect and took away from the warmth of the setting. Enjoyable, but it wasn’t truly satisfying. 6/10
Hampstead
Far from perfect, but highly watchable. 6/10
The Old Guard (spoiler)
Really really top drawer stuff. Superb action as you’d expect but a simple story with massive dose of oh shit, that’s really bad. Spoiler: Fab ending. 8/10.
Their Finest
A little unbalanced and tried to be too clever at times, but I warmed up to it and the colourful characters. Off tilt humour at times, nostalgic score and songs, superb set and costume design and hearty script made for an entertaining time. 7/10.
The Social Dilemma
A little meta...Netflix movie
How to have a conversation without one of the big platforms?
Delete news apps - really?
Who to trust?
Sharing something personal - yes.
Sharing something 2nd hand - no = Instagram?
YouTube victim
Is a valid defense a strong offense? Create and share more of you own content. 7/10
Enola Holmes
Very entertaining made so by the marvellous Billy Bobby Brown. A few very violent fights scenes and more than enough horrible English people. But Brown made the magic happen, especially with her asides. Funny and fun. 8/10.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
So many interesting and important parts to this well-made historical drama. What would we do without movies like this? Do we expect everyone to read their history books - are stories like this taught in regular US history courses. And what if you happened to be a descendant of judge Hoffman? Superb cast, troubling dangers, but the value of a democracy remains intact. For now and hopefully for a long future for the free world. Frightening demonstration of political power, a warning around the perils of true justice and the power to make things right. 8/10
The Big Lebowski
Believe it or not but it’s taken me this long to it. I had started it a couple of times over the years but it never gripped me. I caught a scene from later in the move earlier this week and liked the quirk and the dude. So I hit record and watched it from the start, but weirdly still took two nights. Anyhoo, I can now see why so many like it and more than anything the motto The Stranger leaves us with at the end. Many solid performances and a fun ride of a plot that the Coen brothers are famous for. I think it will be one of the movies that when you’re channel surfing and you come across it again, you can’t help but pause and chill out for a while. 7/10
On the Rocks
There was lots to like, enough to rewatch bits with my wife the next night - the Monet, Manzanillo, the music of Phoenix and a quintessential extravagant Murray performance. Reminded me to watch A Very Murray Christmas. 7/10
The Outpost
Head spinning chaos of battle in hellish conditions in a war of confusion. Through the realism of the fire fights and the commitment to duty the sense of comradarie rose to the top via gritty and action soaked dramatic acting. Hard to imagine it’s reality as the settings and circumstances are chasms beyond my world. 7/10.
Hope Springs
Star cast got things going but it meandered without any real substance. Some humour and heartfelt marital challenges, but there could have been a lot more. 6/10.
