Old Man & the Gun - Really liked this film. Lovely, peaceful, relaxed pace perfectly portrayed by Redford and a superb supporting cast. Some good music bits and wonderful creative cinematography. The story reminds me a saying I’ve been using for a little while now “love what you’re good at”. I thought Elizabeth Moss’ short scene was magical - but I’m kind of a fan. Odd she really reminded me of an old boss - TS (never noticed before). 8/10.
Bird Box - Well done in the new Netflix modest budget kind of way. Good level of tension throughout and made better by the strong cast and Bullock again is in survival mode (a la Gravity). Simple scary plot without jump the shark shit. Maybe trying to say something secondary but kind of lost in the noise. 7/10
Bandersnatch - So many thoughts as I talked though it afterwards with my viewing mate and told the family about such a cool concept - that worked. Loved the clever “you're in control” - truly interactive fun worked well watching with a mate. Fun, laughs, mystery and a new immersive experience. Solid acting by the young Fiona Whitehead. Great soundtrack and setting. A few loose ends perhaps but one hell of a ride. 8/10
Can You Forgive Me? - Superb casting that made me see past these two superb actors into the rich characters of a tricky tale. A gem of a sad, tragic and naughty story. Clever creative ending. Touching soundtrack and perfect level of New York production value. 8/10
Roma - I think it worked because as it built, you became more connected to Cleo and the life around her. A true rollercoaster of mood, movement and drama - from extremely quiet slow beauty to intense chaos and heightened emotions. The B&W cinematography was gorgeous. Edits and sound were mesmerizing (but what do I know). 8/10
Williams - Really enjoyed the fascinating story of Frank Williams and his family and friends. I shed a tear at the end more for his wife’s tragedy more than Frank’s. I’d say a must-see for any F1 fan - Frank clearly demonstrates the passion of the sport. 8/10
Murder on the Orient Express - Not bad. Classic Christie but with no surprises. Solid cast, lovely production value, eccentric characters. Mildly entertaining. 6/10
If Beale Street Could Talk - Hope and fears - like the Keane album. Powerful simple storytelling with superb cast. Such beautiful hope for a better future, for the joy of love of family. But such vivid fear of an unfair, cruel world with only broken dreams and suffering. Hoping for less pain and suffering in this world. 8/10
Nocturnal Animals - Intense fiction with a real hard bite of consequences and inner conflicts. The violent fiction was very scary and almost was a non-starter (unusual for me, but shows how well it was portrayed). Gimmicky scares worked perhaps as a balance with the high production sets and vivid scenery and kept the film tack sharp with a much more subtle touch of its storytelling. Pacing seemed a little off at times, but who am I to say - I think this is what may be termed art and cinematography. Then let’s call it weighty, valuable art. Oh and that opening scene. That’s was quite striking. 7/10
A Quiet Place - Had to turn the clock off. Very, very good. Simple premise, really well executed. Wow. Rock solid casting, monster and what else...editing? Whatever it is, Krasinski and co got it right. 9/10
Vice - Very very good. Stellar cast at the top of their game. Engaging production mix make for a dizzying mind game of political spin and villainy. Stomach turning for many reasons (including eating too much rich food in AC executive class). How many more players are there to take advantage of a confused public. Took note of the quote about power - something people want to take away. 8/10
Stan & Ollie - Charming. The shared joy of humour and movie history. Superb portrayals - Coogan and Reilly disappeared behind the famous duo. Loved Nina Arianda as Stan’s wife (and loved her in Goliath). 7/10
Annihilation- Quite the mash up of horror, suspense, mystery and sci-fi. Although rather slow, I liked the hypnotic tone and the science was a decent hook, it was reasonably entertaining. But I think the plot angles were a little acute towards the end. 6/10
Apollo 11 - So much to love - incredible clarity for film technology that is 50 years old, a production that creates just the right amount of tension and drama without cringe relativity TVism. Great bits of humour and pure joy at the scientific and technical achievement. It does a marvellous job at reminding us just how remarkable the project was. So many things had to work flawlessly, designed and built by so many people - I’m not certain of the backup systems, margin for error and alternate plans were available, but regardless the moon landing of Apollo 11 must stand as one of the most daring, challenging and significant projects ever done. 9/10
Wonder Woman - I liked it until the fight got super-hero silly. Fun for the most part, but I think I’ve moved past the wonder of the super hero theme. Fun historic setting, beautiful background island set, some decent humour and above average for the genre but missing a sense of purpose. There’s the usual moral undertones but they’re about as genuine as the costume. Action packed and entertaining when you’re struggling to find something better. 6/10
Yesterday - Really enjoyed hearing The Beatles like it was new. Great casting and music arrangements. Some great comedy and romance. But the ending didn’t feel truly satisfying. 7/10
The Favourite - On a AC Rouge flight to Orlando, enjoying an upgrade and a complimentary iPad, I decided to give it a try knowing others had given it a thumbs down. Highly unusual, quirky, weird, funny, sophomoric and tragic. Now I wonder how the story relates to the history of Queen Anne. There was enough cutting humour and naughtiness to keep me entertained. 7/10
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood - Superb #9 from Tarantino. Everything came together perfectly and met my high expectations. So many great scenes, clever cuts, magical soundtrack and a trademark Tarantino spin. The violence was saved to the end and was as brutal as you’d expect. So much to absorb and digest that I may go back for seconds. Faultless and monumental filmmaking. 10/10
Minimalism - Like the premise, questions about the practice, but get the promise. Too much to take in one sitting, just take a little off the edge to make it real for the committed observer. An important adjustment in this bizarre device driven pseudo connectiveness we think we need. Worth watching. 7/10.
Us - Very creative (Peel) mix of style, dark dark themes and awkward humour. Half way thru and I’m going WTF - but it got really good and...you’ll see. 7/10
Rocketman - Loved it. Really wonderfully put together with unexpected musical moments and life turns that I wasn’t familiar with. Outrageous costumes and sets apparently were close to historic fact. But the music, with new adaptations was front and centre and perfectly captured Elton’s journey. Some may disagree, but I think it was better than Bohemian Rhapsody. 8/10
The Hate U Give - THUGLIFE - Quote From the scene with the uncle “We live in a complicated world...No, it doesn’t seem that complicated to me”. And Starr is right. There is clear injustice in the lives of African Americans and it should be talked about clearly. But I hope that can be done without violent escalation. I think it painted a picture of many of the challenges, packaged into artistic, dramatic and softer edged components. It could have easily gone too far and lost an audience segment, but it went far enough to add integrity to an platform of understanding and transparency. 7/10
The Great Hack - controversial documentary about Cambridge Analytica with new characters and cross overs into stories that deal with privacy, unfair politics, modern-day propaganda and tech villains. With so many dodgy characters, its hard to believe everything, but as I say with movies like this, even if half of this is true, it’s mind-blowing. 8/10
Letter to the Editor - I went to see this superb doc at TIFF with my wife. The doc was a sad farewell to the newspaper, but told the story with thousands of still photographs. [we went for lunch after the move and recorded our thoughts so, may drop the voice memos in at some point]. 9/10
I, Tonya - Reminded me of a Coen Brothers film, balancing that line between tragedy and awkward comedy. You think it’s your typical wrong side of the tracks story, but it’s setting and it’s serious moves make you take pause. As previously commented, if it’s even 50% true it’s still a gripping story. Loved it. 8/10
Jackie Brown - Once I got over the gun-happy criminal flavour it was a pretty cool ride that only Tarantino can supply. Oozing style, intense and comedic dialogue and perfectly paced storytelling. Enjoy the ride. 8/10
Always Be My Maybe - Charming heartfelt story with a traditional foundation but had a modern and substantive feel. Clean good fun love. 7/10
It - Really, really well done. Laughed at real humour and the joy of a scare. Jumped once. Bloody, violent, gory, and very scary. Pre-dates Stranger Things I think and is x2 all categories. But here there are no good adults. Almost forgot, killer soundtrack. Classic King. Having a restless dog in the basement with you adds another scare element. How do those kids sleep at night? 8/10
The. Death of Stalin - Mesmerizing and original. Very grim and very funny in a very dark way. Great chaotic pace, superb characterizations, historically enlightening - what an odd but brilliant mix that walks a fine line. And I think Iannucci pulled it off. Funny like a history teacher with a lisp. Or Gervais or Carlin like. Liked it a lot. Can’t remember who recommended it (maybe one of the Lake Huron lads) but thanks. 8/10
The Master - Strong performances for certain. Complexity beyond my comprehension. At times joyful, at others bewildering. Beautiful visuals kept my eye while my mind wandered and wondered. A different kind of mystery. 6/10
Parasite - There is so much I love about this movie. But I’m saddened to think there will be few people who’ll actually see it. Let’s say it’s a modern story with Korean culture essence brought to life by a timeless triad of Shakespeare, Hitchcock and Tarantino. What I liked? Everything. It’s gorgeous. The acting is superb. The dialog witty and intense. Pacing perfect. Storytelling massive. I claim this as a classic. One of the best I’ve seen in recent times. A film that’’ll revive your passion of film. 9/10
Downton Abbey - Beautiful and irresistible. Big dollops of humour and touches of touchy subjects. Royalist? Romantic? Historian? English? Tipsy? You’ll love it. 7/10
Echo in the Canyon - a wonderful mix of documentary and re-imagined modern performances of classic music from a important 5 years in the late 60’s, Southern California style. It filled in many gaps in my music knowledgebase and put a few tracks on my favourites for the year. Cheeky interviews, memorable performances, classic clips - all just beautiful music. 9/10
Laundromat - very creative and entertaining way of explaining the complexities of the problems with wealth and influence today - especially with the surprise reveal at the end. Note sure if there’s anything positive to comment on or whether it’s just a hard lesson in an unfair world. I found out that the film has some controversy after reading some reviews afterwards. 7/10
Jojo Rabbit - A real wild ride. Wes Anderson like but balanced on a knife edge of the horrors of Nazi Germany. Superb brave performances from a brilliant cast. Lots of real comedy, awkward laughs and shocked silence. 8/10
Brooklyn - Although one plot element threw me, it didn’t distract from this beautiful film. I couldn’t help but feels a personal connection with the story of an immigrant to a foreign land and the mixed emotions shared among the family. Charming portrayals, lush sets and colourful costume design (but too much green) created a rich piece of nostalgia. 7/10
The Report - Another classic example of the importance of move making when it comes to cementing an important historic news story. Great acting, even by the bad guys, but the torture scenes were hard to watch. But they are crucial to understanding the weight of the content. I even got a good bit of story telling for work from the redaction vs the psuedonymization of sensitive data. I didn’t capture all the plot moves, but satisfied it was close as you’ll ever get to something resembling the truth. 7/10
Ad Astra - Psychological profile: off. A rather uneasy feeling watching this creepy psychological space adventure while at 30,000’ in the sky and away from home. A theme of loneliness was a constant depression. Some new space action fx were great, but I found it hard to believe some of the tech elements and logic. I liked the voice command and report style - calm and collected (at most times). A Hollywood ending, but it’s what the doctor ordered. 7/10
Marriage Story - not for everyone, but you can’t beat the top drawer acting and expert handling of a very personal, modern family drama with such style. Yes, it’s a little slow at times, but sometimes you can’t rush a well told story. High quality film depth. 9/10
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