Film Reviews by GI

A satirical survival/horror film that has two great central performances from Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien but is arguably let down somewhat by director Sam Raimi's need to add a dose of silly horror tropes which were unnecessary as the set up is neatly clever. This is a narrative reminiscent of The Admirable Crichton (1968 & others) and Triangle Of Sadness (2022) where the societal hierarchy is turned upside down after a shipwreck. McAdams plays Linda, a frumpy office researcher, who is a genius at her job but not particularly popular. When she is passed over for promotion by the new CEO, Bradley (O'Brien) she harbours a grievance especially as he is a misogynistic prick. But events take a turn when the company plane crashes in the Far East and as the only two survivors they are marooned on a tropical island. It turns out that Linda is adept at survival techniques whereas Bradley is hopeless and has to rely on her, and it gives Linda more opportunities than she could have hoped for. This is certainly fun and takes some surprising turns avoids any clichés that you might expect. The title is a clever one, let's put it that way.

For anyone who grew up with Star Trek the original TV series and the later films that started in 1979 it was with some excitement and trepidation that a new film was in production. Director J.J. Abrams had a huge task to perform in how to approach this for a new modern audience. The result is actually quite clever and managed to create a narrative that introduced Star Trek to people that may have had no or at least a sketchy prior knowledge of the franchise and also to launch a storyline that could be the source for a new series of films: what is now commonly called a reboot. In one way this is a prequel to everything that's gone before and indeed there had been plans to have a film about the characters in their younger days many years ago. This film introduces us to a future world of Starfleet, with the familiar characters of Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Sulu (John Cho), Chekhov (Anton Yelchin) and McCoy (Karl Urban) as their younger selves joining the USS Enterprise. The plot involves a vengeful alien, Nero, played with relish by Eric Bana, arriving from the future to destroy his enemies including humanity. His arrival effectively alters the future allowing for a new set of adventures. The story is complicated but very well thought out and repeated viewings reveal more detail. The film is a marvellous science fiction adventure for a new age. Yes it has its detractors but much of the criticism is from purist and overly picky fans because this is sci-fi cinema at its most spectacular and some of the action set pieces and spacecraft scenes are unbelievably brilliant. The cameo of Leonard Nimoy and a support cast of Simon Pegg as Scotty, Bruce Greenwood, Chris Hemsworth and Winona Ryder make this a film to satisfy fans and those new to the Star Trek universe.

It seems only the cast have any real love of this tired old retro action series. This is a tiresome film that plays like an extended gaming trailer that has the "Not Actual Game Play" warning attached. It is most evidently filmed as if it was a computer game with every set piece scene structured like a gaming scenario where Jason Statham moves through the labyrinth of a cargo ship (where most of the action takes place) killing hordes of heavily armed bad guys without as much as a scratch. The plot is mostly irrelevant suffice to say that the titular black ops team, of old has beens mostly, are sent to recover a nuclear bomb from some bad guys before it sets off World War 3. Sylvester Stallone more or less cameos in this one and in a very predictable way too, there's not one person who is going to be fooled by his storyline here, and Megan Fox looks as if she's popped out of the beauty parlour to go on the mission before heading off to a red carpet dinner. It's Statham's film really and he gives it the charm and swagger that he does so well but this is dull and limp film despite the bloodshed which is all cartoonish. Stallone has been reported as saying this is the first of a new trilogy.....Groan!

A fantastic science fiction adventure film and the one 'New Generation' movie that is really gripping and interesting. Here the most iconic malevolent alien species since the Alien series, The Borg, arrives to create an existential risk to humanity. The Borg (sort of like alien zombies in many ways) launch an attack on Earth and only Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) knows the best way to defeat them. But at the final moment the Borg escape into the past and attempt to attack Earth in the mid 21st century at a key moment in human history. Picard and crew travel back in time to thwart them. The story is really clever here and whilst Star Trek has used time travel as a plot device before this time it's into the past but still our actual future, namely 2063. What happens in that year is pivotal to the future of mankind and this opens up a two pronged story that is quite enthralling. There's plenty of action, a scary baddie and support from James Cromwell as a 21st century scientist. Patrick Stewart handles the action scenes really well and there's humour in characters first encounter with aliens! A great and highly entertaining sci-fi film and one I highly recommend.

One of the more famous erotic thrillers that came out of the 80s. Narratively it's very similar to Clint Eastwood's Play Misty For Me (1971), his directorial debut, both of which feature a plot surrounding a mentally disturbed woman who once scorned by a lover becomes a psychopathic killer. Here Michael Douglas plays Dan, a lawyer, married to Beth (Anne Archer) and they have a six year old daughter. One weekend when Beth is away Dan has a sexually charged affair with Alex (Glenn Close), whose company he represents. Dan sees this as a one off situation, for him a relief from the stresses of marriage and family. However he is unprepared for Alex' reaction when he reiterates it's a one off situation, and she begins to stalk him, her actions becoming evermore unpredictable. There's a complex set of issues at play in this film over and above a simple 'pyscho killer' plot and it can be argued the climax partially obscures the themes that are on offer in the narrative. Perhaps controversially the ending of the film is not the original one which had a different conclusion for the characters and from reports may have allowed the film's ideas to be more evident. But in short the film looks at the issue of infidelity and its effects on those involved with the demarkation falling between the attitudes of men as opposed to women. Dan enters the affair with a clear notion of taking a safe chance to have sex with a beautiful and above all very willing woman and then walk away. He assumes that is a view they both share. Alex, who the film doesn't shy away from showing has a mental health illness, doesn't see it that way and accuses Dan of not taking her feelings into consideration. That of course may well be true, there are significant clues to various readings of these issues throughout the film. It is an effective and tense thriller and the final climax unequivocally paints Alex as the film's villain and she certainly has indulged in acts that are dangerous and violent. However Dan too has pushed the boundaries of morality and the film does not seek to exonerate him. But he is forgiven! Archer is the heart of the film as the cuckolded wife who eventually has to be the family protector. Her performance is rather good. This is an interesting film that is open to interesting discussion especially for a modern day audience. It's worth a refreshing look to see if earlier impressions of it may have changed.

The last of the 'original' crew films (although they did make an appearance in Star Trek: Generations in 1994) and one of the best of the series. After the shambles of the previous film this was a welcome return to a gritty, well told and intriguing story that is a clear allegory to the collapse of the USSR. This has a darker, violent edge to it from the moment the film starts, even the music is ominous and then a spectacular exploding planet begins the film. The Klingons, the old adversary throughout the films, are forced to seek peace terms with the Federation and Kirk (William Shatner), well known for despising them, is ordered to escort the Klingon Ambassador (David Warner) to Earth for the peace talks. But then the Ambassador is assassinated, Kirk and McCoy (DeForest Kelley) are convicted of his murder and imprisoned on a penal planet. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and the crew of the USS Enterprise have to come along to the rescue. The film has some really violent scenes with bloodshed, people frozen to death and a harrowing interrogation scene so it is a return to serious story telling for the franchise. There's jokes about the ages of the crew and talks of their retirement but plot wise this has political conspiracy, racism and bigotry to root it in contemporary issues. It's a very worthy addition to the series and a very good science fiction story. To top it all additional cast including Warner, Kim Cattrall and the great Christopher Plummer as a Klingon General who loves to quote Shakespeare make it entertaining and bloody marvellous.

A perplexing, eerie and enigmatic mystery drama from director Joanna Hogg. This is a story about grief, loss, love and relationships wrapped up as a gothic ghost story with a spooky soundtrack, in scenes of cold, autumnal branches swathed in mist and always blowing gently in an atmosphere that borders on dread but never quite gets there focused on a ghostly old house. Tilda Swinton plays both the daughter and aging mother as they arrive at a remote English country hotel, which was once a private house where the mother spent time as a child. The strangeness of the surroundings is immediately apparent as the receptionist is truculent, there appears to be no other guests and there are strange banging noises at night. Much of the narrative revolves around mother and daughter talking about their relationship and of past sadnesses and regrets but with hints of something else, especially seen when the daughter is tense on approach to a certain part of the hotel. You can argue as to whether the film has a satisfactory conclusion or if it's left just a little bit too much unexplained. It's certainly an odd drama and defies the stereotypes you might expect. Swinton gives a moving and compelling performance in both roles. She is always an actor worth your time and here it's in a film that is beguiling and frustrating in equal measure.

With a lighter touch than the previous three films 'Voyage Home' is an entertaining addition to the franchise and is often cited as people's favourite. It actually is the final film of a loose trilogy but the story is a stand alone one and can be enjoyed without having seen the previous two films although the start of this film may seem confusing if you are unaware of what occurred in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984). In this film Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Bones (DeForest Kelley), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Sulu (George Takei), Chekhov (Walter Koenig) and Scotty (James Doohan) - all the old favourites in other words - are on their way back to Earth in a commandeered spacecraft to stand trial for various misdemeanours committed in the previous film. They find that a mysterious alien probe is in orbit around the Earth causing a massive power drain (This is actually a very similar plot to Star Trek: The Motion Picture methinks). All the mighty brains in the world fail to decipher what it wants but good ol' Spock works it out fairly quickly, and so off Kirk and crew trot, back in time, to find some humpback whales that are extinct in the 23rd Century but are to be found but endangered in the 20th and hold the key to survival of the human race in the future and the answer to the strange probe. Actually a cleverly plotted story and Star Trek has used time travel before in the TV series, at least one episode being one of the very best of the entire series. Everyone is clearly having a great time and the addition of humour as the intrepid crew try to fit in San Francisco of 1986 works really well although it's a bit cheesy at times. This is Star Trek getting to grips with adventure sci-fi for the family and the film is an entertaining and fun filled experience.

One of those gory horror films where the director seems to think it's more spooky if everyone seems to live in a perpetual dark, shadow filled and gothic world. All it does is scream cliché and have the viewer try fruitlessly to ponder what exactly is going on at any particular time. This is basically a dull demonic possession story that evolves into a creature feature. It steals a scene from The Shining (1980) and is obviously influenced by The Thing (1982). It is part of the Evil Dead series but apart from the title, the voice of Bruce Campbell and a chainsaw this is just a routine bloodfest with little else to recommend it. The story is simple. A boy finds an ancient book, it releases a demon that possesses the mother who wreaks havoc as she basically attacks and turns other members of her family into demons. There's lots of slow head turning, pointed objects being thrust into heads and eyes etc and demonic voices. There's a pointless prologue which I'm guessing signposts another film to come and overall it's a derivative load of tosh. Avoid unless you're a young teenager on Halloween night and need a cheap thrill.

Often cited as the best of the 'original crew' films this is certainly an exciting space adventure film that rattles along at a great pace, is great fun and is reminiscent of naval battle films like The Enemy Below (1957). In searching for a suitable story for this, the second, Star Trek film it was quite inspired to trawl the original TV episodes and use one of them, 'Space Seed', to build a plot. The 'baddie' from that episode, Khan (Ricardo Montalban), manages to escape from the planet where he was marooned by Captain Kirk (William Shatner) fifteen years earlier and along with his followers he steals a Starship. Intent on revenge against Kirk he lures him to battle by stealing a revolutionary planet making device. The resulting conflict between them is the centre of the narrative and the seek and destroy battle of the two gigantic starships is fantastic. Shatner really gives his character some depth and here he gives one of his finest performances as Kirk, showing his self doubt about ageing and his future in the service to which he has dedicated his life. The space effects are very impressive and whilst the film is like an extended episode it works brilliantly. It has a wonderful baddie in Khan, with Montalban giving a subtle and yet very passionate edge to this psychopath. The film has a shock ending which I won't spoil if you haven't seen this and even if you are not a Star Trek fan this is definitely a sci-fi film that is well worth checking out. It's a delight.

More of a reimagining than an outright remake of the 1976 film but the basic narrative is the same as the three previous movies. First time director Bradley Cooper has made a really accomplished film here and what sets this apart from the 1976 Barbra Streisand vehicle is that he gives the two lead characters real depth and complexity far beyond the basic love/redemption story. Cooper plays Jackson Maine, an internationally renowned rock star who is an alcoholic, harbours inner demons that are linked with his childhood and he's become disillusioned by the fame taking over the art of his music. One night he discovers Ally (Lady Gaga in a topnotch performance, an inspired casting choice) singing in a drag bar and is impressed with her talent but even more by her uniqueness. As he pursues her for love he finds she is a really gifted songwriter and brings her onto the stage at his massive gigs where he is rejuvenated as an artist and a man. But when Ally rises in fame Jackson struggles and falls deeper into drugs and alcohol which threatens their relationship and her new found stardom. This has a powerful and emotionally impactive story arc and whilst it's essentially a 'Pygmalion' narrative there is also here one of the best films about the destructive nature of fame so that's more linked with films like Crazy Heart (2009) or Stardust (1974). The support cast is excellent especially Sam Elliott as Jackson's brother & manager with their relationship adding to the characters complicated stories. A first rate film, it'll bring a tear to your eye I guarantee and definitely one to check out if you've not seen it.

This classic remains a wonderful film even after so many viewings. John Ford effectively put the western genre on the map with this his first since making silent westerns. The 1930s had churned out hundreds of serial and cheap B westerns but it took Stagecoach for the genre to be taken seriously. And of course it's the film that made John Wayne a star. He'd been stuck in those serial B films for years but Ford saw the potential and the rest is history. What is especially marvellous about Stagecoach is its structure. Essentially it's about the social and emotional dynamic between the seven passengers inside the tiny passenger compartment as they travel the hazardous journey across the desert (in this case Ford's first use of the famed Monument Valley). Each has their own particular reasons for being aboard and prejudices and bigotry are rife. The fear of attack from renegade Indians is no more than a plot device to showcase the flaws and attributes of the characters on the stage. Claire Trevor (who has top billing as the established star) is the prostitute with a heart who has been run out of town, Doc Boone (Thomas Mitchell) the alcoholic and burned out old man who will have to refind his courage, and John Wayne as the good natured outlaw intent on a mission of revenge. The others include a banker fleeing with his banks money, a soldier's wife hiding her pregnancy and a gambler with a mysterious agenda (John Carradine here arguably the most enigmatic of the passengers). The Indian attack when it comes is exciting and full of now famous stunt work principally by Yakima Canutt and the film has a climactic gunfight to top it all off. Ford broke many film making conventions here especially with his camera use and what is often described as the 180° rule and his style of letting the action happen in front of a static camera rather than moving it works superbly here. What may seem genre cliché today was very innovative in 1939 for this is a masterclass in film story telling from a genius director who went on to make some of the most revered American films of all time. This is a film every movie fan has to see at least once. It's a masterpiece of the art form.

Adapted from the great Cold War spy novel by John Le Carré this is a bleak suspense thriller about espionage involving double cross and convoluted loyalties. This is no James Bond type narrative, here we are shown the uncomfortable and unromantic aspects of the profession. Spies are "seedy and squalid bastards" as the lead character says. Set in the early 60s at the height of the Cold War Alec Leamus (Richard Burton) is a burnt out and alcoholic MI6 agent based in West Berlin. When his agent is killed trying to cross the border Leamus, feeling responsible for the death, returns to London expecting a desk job but he is asked by the head of MI6, Control (Cyril Cusack) to take part in one final mission where he has to pretend to defect. But Leamus is not told the full extent of the plan nor of Control's intentions to use someone very close to Leamus to achieve success. Burton displays perfectly the seething anger, disappointment and stress of Leamus, a man on the edge of breakdown but who proves perfect for the devious plan that Control as devised. Claire Bloom, an often forgotten yet superb British actress, Oskar Werner and Peter van Eyck add support and the film boasts an appearance from Bernard Lee who had already appeared as M in the Bond films. This is also the first occasion where Le Carré's iconic spymaster character, George Smiley, makes as appearance here played by Rupert Davies. The depiction of a cold, damp London not only induces the nostalgia of a bygone Britain but perfectly reflects the squalid and run down nature of Leamus and his world of little hope. This is a superb British spy film, thoughtful, clever and very intricately plotted, there are hints of Hitchcock in its structure and suspense and it's most certainly a film to seek out if you've never seen it.

With a contemporary western look and style this dark comedy is a polarising vision of modern America. A satirical look at a society conflicted with conspiracy theorists, racist and gun obsessed people divided by liberalism and extreme right violence. It's certainly unsubtle to say the least and offers little new to say in the Trump era, and yet it's bizarrely riveting and compelling whilst making itself obvious to the point of ridiculousness in what it's trying to say. Joaquin Pheonix stars as Sheriff Joe Cross of the New Mexico town of Eddington. It's 2020 and the height of the Covid 19 pandemic and the town has it's share of sceptics about the disease, including Joe, which sets him against the hispanic Mayor Ted (Pedro Pascal) who has laid out policies around the wearing of masks and distancing which Joe challenges. Their rivalry culminates in Joe deciding to stand for Mayor in the forthcoming elections. Ted and he are old adversaries due to Ted having many years ago dated Joe's wife (Emma Stone), a hysterical and depressed woman. Tensions in the town rise causing protests and public disorder all of which leads to violence by some to resolve their personal issues disguised as political struggle. Director Ari Aster just about includes everything he can think of into the narrative to get his point across and this makes the film a bit of a hammer to crack a walnut but as I said it's a strangely watchable film even for a viewer who watches the daft state of American division from afar.

Like the best of films that have covered true events in investigative journalism Spotlight is a gripping drama with an ensemble cast that creates throughout provoking and occasionally shocking revelations as the narrative, like a mystery story, unfolds. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning work of the Boston Globe newspaper that uncovered systematic child abuse by catholic priests in Boston and the cover up that occurred for decades by the church' hierarchy. The team responsible were called 'Spotlight' and the four journalists are here played superbly by Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams and Brian D'Arcy James and supported by Liev Schreiber and John Slattery as the bosses. It's a fantastic and disturbing story of what amounts to an international scandal that has never really been exposed properly but like All The President's Men (1976) or Frost/Nixon (2008) this film really gets to the heart of the issue and the stoicism required by the journalists in getting to the truth. A riveting film, brilliantly acted and directed and highly recommended if you've not seen it.