Film Reviews by GI

Pedro Almodóvar's first English speaking film and in many ways a typically styled film by him, with big blocks of colour, the sense of an enigmatic and mysterious plot giving the story a dark edge and strong, bold female lead characters. Here this is Martha and Ingrid played respectively by Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore. They were both close friends in their youth working for a magazine but lost contact years ago until Ingrid, now a successful novelist, discovers Martha is in hospital with terminal cancer. Her visit reignites their friendship. In pain Martha has decided to commit suicide and asks Martha to stay with her "in the room next door" while she takes a pill acquired via the dark Web. They go to an idyllic holiday home in a forest for Martha's final days. There's often a sense during the interactions between these characters that Martha has some other agenda although it's Ingrid that hides an issue from Martha. I found the script to occasionally be a bit forced leaving an air of falsity to it and I'm not convinced it deals effectively with the issue of euthanasia and assisted suicide. The most interesting aspect of the plot is an indiscretion by Martha made during her planning for her death that later leaves Ingrid in some legal jeopardy. It was disappointing that this wasn't entirely worked out in the film. John Turturro costars in an interesting yet flawed drama.

In somewhat typical Christopher Nolan style here we are presented with a bold, epic adventure clouded in mystery and structured for an adult audience and as a result it's an absolute triumph. This adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey is a story of the consequences of war, the sadness and cruelty of sending men to battle and expecting them to survive unscathed. As a fantasy genre picture this is breathtaking in its ambition as an adventure of men, monsters and ultimately morality and sacrifice. Odysseus (Matt Damon), the King of Ithaca, is forced to join the war against Troy led by Agamemnon (Benny Safdie) realising that the reason is about trade routes and not the pretext over Helen (Lupita N'yongo). After Troy is sacked and the population massacred Odysseus embarks on the long journey home with his men. It's a journey fraught with danger! The film is structured in a non-linear way with flashbacks to events including the famous wooden horse in which Odysseus and his troops suffer in silence waiting for their trick to take effect. Back home awaits his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and his son Telemachus (Tom Holland) who hope Odysseus will return but gradually losing hope and having to deal with a host of suitors hoping to marry the Queen. These threads combine into a gigantic, mythical film about anguish, love, fear and desperation. It's a masterpiece of modern cinema.

This is a really absorbing drama and has a magnificent central performance by Sydney Sweeney, Based on real events and with the script a reconstruction of the actual taped conversations that take place Sweeney plays Reality Winner, a former US Air Force Intelligence Officer who now works for a Government organisation translating classified information. Returning home from work she is confronted by two FBI agents who state they have search warrants and are investigating her for leaking secret documents. The narrative then plays out as the agents and Winner interact with each other while the house is searched. The two agents played by Josh Hamilton and Marchánt Davis are passive-aggressive, all smiles and emphasising they only want her to voluntarily talk to them but notably do not read her her rights nor offer her a lawyer. Sweeney plays Winner cleverly and subtly with the character playing it quite cool and appearing baffled but nonchalant to the agents suspicions. In fact Reality Winner had leaked a document to the press that revealed Russian interference in the US elections. As the film plays out, all within Winner's house, the tension mounts steadily as the Agents gradually reveal their hand and Winner is cornered into admitting her guilt. Cleverly constructed this is an interesting and compelling drama and showcases how good an actor Sweeney is. Well worth your time

A moving biopic with a tremendous central performance from Sally Hawkins aided by an equally superb Ethan Hawke. This is the story of Canadian artist Maud Lewis who was born with crippling rheumatoid arthritis and due to her awkwardness and obvious pain is treated as stupid by her brother and her Aunt with whom she is forced to live. Finally taking a stand Maud takes a job as a cleaner and cook for intellectually challenged Everett, a local fisherman and renowned for his short temper and difficulty with people. But it's here that Maud finds herself and discovers her talent as a painter. Soon she gains some fame for her landscapes and her and Everett find a sort of love for one another and marry. But her condition deteriorates until she becomes gravely ill. It's a sad story for the most part but equally has a tenderness that is spoilt by Everett's obvious physical and emotional abuse of Maud which the film doesn't hide but nor does it condemn either. Visually an impressive film that is uplifted by the excellent central performances.

A largely disappointing adaptation of a novel by Stephen King although it's a closer story to the book than the earlier adaptation from 1987 that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger (he is homaged here with his picture appearing on bank notes). This is another dystopian film where society has designed a game that contestants have to try and survive but rarely do and all to appease the public! The focus of the narrative is the media control and manipulation to bag riches and control the agenda and thoughts of the general populace. Glen Powell stars as Ben Richards, an unemployable worker due to his honesty in pointing ut safety issues, who signs up for the game in desperation for cash for his sick daughter. Essentially the game is three contestants have to survive 30 days while being ruthlessly hunted by armed nasties. They can go anywhere but the public are constantly encouraged to report sightings of them and media technology is constantly monitoring everyone anyway. There's also a growing underground anti-establishment movement who occasionally provide help along the way. Michael Cera has the best role as a young rebel. Josh Brolin plays the slimy boss who controls the game through lies and doctored footage. The film has some set pieces that are entertaining but the script occasionally feels cheesy and one wonders if there was an intent for this to be read as a satire. The pacing is varied and at times events seem too contrived to work as a sinister sci-fi thriller. Overall it's forgettable.

An exploration of isolation and loneliness set in Japan and utilising a service available there from companies who supply actors to play fake roles as family members, friends etc. Brendan Fraser gives a gentle and emotional performance as Philip, an American actor who did a toothpaste commercial and then remained in Japan having no-one back home to return to. He now spends lonely days hoping for more work but just gets pointless roles that are unsatisfying. Then he gets hired by a Rental Family company and moves into the morally questionable arena of playing fake people often in circumstances that make him very uncomfortable. There are two main connections he makes through his work, the first is playing the father to a young girl, Mia, in order for her to get into a prestigious school. Mia is told that he is her real father and when they bond this causes Philip some considerable angst. The second is with an elderly actor with dementia where Philip plays a new friend. Both these relationships formed from lies and deceit show Philip a way to human connection but highlight the fraudulence and fragility in human relationships. The film is overly sentimental and the theme raises some very difficult questions about emotional abuse that are not well dealt with by the film. The storyline with Mia is particularly troublesome. However the film has a sweet disposition to it and there is some redemption for all involved by the end. It's worth checking out.

An entertaining social comedy drama with Woody Harrelson as the title character, a lonely, neurotic and socially inept man who reconnects with his ex wife (Laura Dern), learns he has a teenage daughter (Isabella Amora) who has been adopted and attempts to build a new family. This all ends in disaster and Wilson has to go to prison. Eventually he finds some love with his dog sitter (Judy Greer) and eventually a sort of relationship with his daughter. Some of the comedy, mostly from Wilson's inability to speak to people without offending them, falls a little too heavily but overall this is a funny story of an isolated man and it rests on Harrelson's screen charisma. It's a flawed study and the pacing of the film is a little uneven but it's worth checking out.

A Hi-Octane action film full of martial arts, gunplay and bloody violence that is as relentless as it is exciting from Welsh writer and director Gareth Evans. Set in Indonesia a heavily armed SWAT team arrives at a dilapidated tower block, the headquarters of a big gangster, with the intention to shut the place down and bring the big bad guy into custody. But unbeknownst to the team their boss is a corrupt cop and the team have no back up. With their presence soon discovered the cops become engulfed in a huge battle with the last survivors holding out on the seventh floor and who decide their only option is to counter attack. Basically the narrative follows the mythological 'trapped in a labyrinth' scenario and much of the fighting occurs in long corridors or small rooms with he enemy armed with machetes and knives. It's a brutal film in many ways and some of the fight scenes do tend to drag on just a little too long. But this is a film that has gained huge popularity and as an action film it's fast and furious and thoroughly entertaining.

A four way relationship comedy that looks at the stress of middle age marriage with the cast on excellent form and with a witty script that is both hilarious, cringeworthy and ultimately a little sad. Seth Rogen gives one of his best performances as Joe, a failed musician who now teaches at a small music school, is depressed and has a bad back. He's married to Angela (Olivia Wilde who also directs) and their marriage is under strain with her filling her time with redecorating their apartment about which Joe is entirely uninterested. Much to his consternation Angela has invited their neighbours from the apartment above for an evening soireé ostensibly to apologise to them for any noise caused during her renovations but Joe intends to complain to them about their very noisy sex which keeps them awake. The neighbours are Piña (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) who are a sexually liberated couple and very cool. The evening goes in some very unexpected directions with the subject of sex dominating the conversation and Joe and Angela face some very difficult revelations. The script is zesty and adult themed and the comedy comes mostly from Rogen's quips and pithy one liners. It all twists and turns and the visitors open honesty causes some funny clashes of culture. It's all great fun and while the entire film takes place in the apartment it never seems dull or confined. If you enjoyed Carnage (2011) you will like and get this film which is very appealing and it's great to have an uninhibited adult comedy to enjoy.

A moving and thought provoking social drama set in 1950s America and a story of sexual awakening & repression, anti-semitism and conformity. Many of the issues the film raises are relevant today. The story is narrated by Marcus (Logan Lerman), a young jewish teenager who lives humbly with his parents in New York. They are thrilled when he earns a scholarship to a prestigious college in Ohio. Marcus' intelligence has allowed him to question matters around society and religion that his parents have simply accepted and he struggles at college when he is automatically roomed with two other jewish boys. But it's in his relationship with fellow student Olivia (Sarah Gadon), a beautiful girl who unashamedly introduces him to the pleasures of sex where he emotionally struggles the most. However she has troubles of her own and their relationship causes them angst as they negotiate the college's rules and regulations that Marcus identifies as stifling and repressive. Tracy Letts gives a formidable performance as the college Dean and the two leads are superb. A very interesting drama that is interestingly structured. It's sad and eye opening and well worth checking out.

A drama that explores the underground poker playing world told through the eyes of Mike, a talented player, who loses big to a Russian gangster (John Malkovich) and quits the game encouraged by his girlfriend (Gretchen Mol). But when his wayward friend (Edward Norton) is released from prison he soon lures Mike back into the world. Soon he finds he's in big debts to bad guys and the only way is to play poker to get the money. This inevitably leads to a return game with Malkovich's Russian. It's a reasonably entertaining drama, a little unevenly paced and Norton's character disappears with no conclusion to his fate which seems odd. The support cast are exceptional and include Famke Janssen, Martin Landau and John Turturro. A little predictable but well acted.

This is a reasonably funny sports comedy that focuses on redemption of a quite narcissistic main character and it's a little chaotically structured with some very sudden moves into silliness. Melissa Rauch, who also is the main writer here, stars as former Olympic Bronze medal winning gymnast, Hope. She's bitter that her career was suddenly cut short by injury and she feels she was dumped by her coach. Hope now lives in her small town living off her celebrity and constantly haranguing her caring Dad (Gary Cole). She's also very jealous of the bubbly Maggie (Haley Lu Richardson) who looks set to becoming the town's next famous gymnast. Hope is tricked into coaching Maggie in the expectation of big money and by doing so learns the happiness that comes from being kind. There's a romance side story that is kinda sweet and a rivalry with smarmy coach Lance (Sebastian Stan) with whom Hope has a one nighter in a bizarre sex scene. This is an entertaining film, a little clichéd at times and with a good message although the comedy is intermittent and Hope's foul mouthed character is often a little too harsh to be funny enough. Worth checking out though.

Well the visuals and effects are strong and at times quite impressive but the script, plot and acting is dire. This is derivative and steals from Predator, Jurassic Park/World Series' and even possibly a bit of Platoon is thrown in there for good measure. It's certainly overly long and poorly edited with pacing being a big issue too. Set at the height of the Vietnam War a platoon is sent into a remote valley to search for a missing special ops unit (that's the Predator bit), after a bit of moaning and groaning and creeping through the jungle they discover it's inhabited by dinosaurs. This leads them to an abandoned research station, a morphine addicted soviet scientist and finally to discover the soviets have a dastardly plot with some kind of machine to infest the world with dinosaurs!! Being heroic Americans the five or six men (I lost count) decide to bring the entire thing down. Oh and there's a couple of loved up T-Rex to entertain too. It's a load of tosh wrapped up prettily but it's really childish stuff.

Despite its slow burn pacing this is a riveting drama studying PTSD, survivor guilt, relationship abandonment and lost love. It's an adaptation of the final passages of Homer's Odyssey where Odysseus finally returns home after 20 years absence. Played with unbeaten, sinewy energy by Ralph Fiennes, Odysseus is washed up on his island home and taken in by a humble pig farmer. He keeps his identity secret not knowing how he will be received nor what has happened in his absence. He gradually finds that his wife, Penelope (Juliette Binoche), has shunned a host of suitors who hang around his castle awaiting her to choose one of them. His now grown son who he has never met, Telemachus (Charlie Plummer) is suffering with his life and urges his mother to take a new husband. But over the course of the film Odysseus' true identity becomes known and he tries to understand if to or even how to take up his former role as ruler of his island home and can he rekindle his marriage and gain the love and respect of his son. This plays out like a Shakespearean tragedy, violent, emotional and enigmatic it's a fierce drama full of restrained energy and I really enjoyed it.

Chris Evans directorial debut is a charming if a bit cheesy offbeat romance and Evans and costar Alice Eve have a lovely onscreen chemistry. He plays Nick, a busking trumpet player who is stranded in New York one night when he chance encounters Brooke (Eve), who is desperate to get home to Boston but who has missed her train. Both of them are carrying personal issues and as the night progresses they help each other and very gradually fall in love. The film resists the temptation for a clear cut predictable happy ending relying instead on emphasising that one in a million moment when two people meet and are perfect but might not realise it or will let the chance go. It's a pleasant enough film with two delightful stars and worth an evening's watch.