Film Reviews by GI

A fairly routine revenge western with the usual, at times gruesome, violence and a slightly anti-climactic ending. January Jones is a former prostitute now living with her Mexican husband on a small farm. Their nearest neighbour is a sadistic religious cult leader played with obvious relish by Jason Isaacs who casually murders anyone he finds distasteful including Jone's husband. Into the mix rides an eccentric lawman played by Ed Harris who is looking for the killer of two brothers. It all ends in a bloody trail of gunplay, predictably and as I said a little disappointingly but it's entertaining in it's way as a simple genre piece.

Originally to be directed by Guy Ritchie this still has the hallmarks of the style of British crime film he laid down in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1999). But director Matthew Vaughn gave this his own particular vision and the end result is a smooth, humorous and grittily realistic London crime drama that really rocks. A plot full of twists and turns and some brilliantly conceived characters not least the unnamed main character played by Daniel Craig who not only secured the James Bond role on the back of his performance here but he does a small Bond homage in the film which even in hindsight is very funny. Aided by a cast including Colm Meaney, Sienna Miller, Ben Wishaw, Tom Hardy and others who have all gone onto bigger and better things. Craig is a sophisticated drug dealer operating at the top of the business where he works for an uncouth crime boss (Kenneth Cranham). He survives in the violent world by following some simple rules and has a plan to get out of the business. But when the boss asks him for two favours, to find the daughter of a friend and to find a buyer for a large consignment of ecstasy pills, his plans are thrown into disarray and he is forced to ignore his rules! This is a great film and deserves to be recognised as one of the best of the new style of modern, British crime films.

This is one of those magnificent movies that makes you realise why you fell in love with cinema. It's a masterpiece, epic, stunningly beautiful, brilliantly scripted and directed and keeps at it's heart an intimate character study of a diverse historical figure. Set during the First World war it tells the story of T.E. Lawrence, an eccentric young British army officer who is sent by his superiors to act as liaison to an Arab prince to encourage the Arabs to fight the Turks. The British, of course, have designs on Arabia but Lawrence against the odds and to the surprise of his British High Command unites the warring Arab tribes and secures unprecedented victories against the Turkish army at personal cost to his beliefs and perhaps his sanity. There are some very famous scenes to be enjoyed here and a story that is really interesting and brilliantly told. Peter O'Toole plays Lawrence to sheer perfection aided by a stellar cast including Alec Guinness, Omar Shariff, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Quayle, Claude Rains and Anthony Quinn. The film garnered seven Academy Awards and they are richly deserved. A magnificent, beautiful film and one every film fan must see and watch time and time again.

A deeply unsettling drama based on the true story of Martin Bryant, a mentally disturbed man who carried out Australia's bloodiest massacre in 1996. The film charts the life of Martin, nicknamed Nitram at his school, and his dysfunctional family life with a weak father and shrill, hard-nosed mother, who has long since despaired of getting any love from her son and is acutely aware of his mental instability. Caleb Landry Jones plays Nitram as a belligerent young man whose behaviour lacks normal boundaries. He is befriended by a reclusive and wealthy woman, Helen (Essie Davis) and moves into her somewhat ramshackle large house. When she is killed in a road crash Nitram inherits her wealth and has access to enough money to begin collecting an arsenal of guns. Director Justin Kurzel stays away from showing the actual massacre which takes place at the film's end and off camera. This is arguably a good decision and one that prevents the awful events from becoming glorified although other film's that have depicted mass killers have included the event with positive and deliberately shocking results such as 22 July (2018) and Polytechnique (2019). This is a descent into madness narrative with a disturbing central performance and three other great ones from Judy Davis and Anthony LaPaglia as the parents and Davis as Helen. The film leaves open questions as to the whether Bryant was evil or just behaviourally ill and it's interesting to discover at the film's end that he didn't commit suicide like many mass killers or killed by the police but remains in prison to this day. The key message delivered though is the issue of gun control and ownership. From the scene where he is allowed by a gun dealer to buy weapons without the necessary licence to the quick decision by the Australian Government to restrict gun types and ownership after the killings. A strong, compelling character study, worth checking out.

This is a deeply moving, slightly sad but compassionate drama set in Ireland in the early 1980s. It's a gentle and beautiful film with stunning cinematography and wonderful performances. Cáit (Catherine Clinch), is the ten year girl of the title, introverted and shy she is one of a large dysfunctional family who run a failing small holding. Her mother is yet again pregnant and her father is a lazy drunk. One day, without telling her, her father takes Cáit to spend the summer with her mother's cousin (Carrie Crowley), who along with her husband, Seán (Andrew Bennett), run a farm. Thrust into this strange environment Cáit is bewildered but receives attention and affection she has never before experienced and soon she begins to blossom. This is a sort of coming of age scenario in that Cáit begins to grasp the world of adults, something she has previously only observed in her immature and withdrawn way. The film beautifully captures the the child's eye view of the world and Clinch is simply wonderful in the role. The film has a constant atmosphere that something awful is going to happen and yet it's a very moving and tender film that I found quite charming. This has all the hallmarks of becoming a classic.

The latest instalment or a sequel to Scream (2022)? Whichever way you want to label it this is the goriest in the franchise to date apparently. I'm not a huge fan and so apart from the very first 1996 one and these two latest I'm only going on reports. But this is certainly a gory slasher and was all the more entertaining for it. Narratively it's a sequel with the surviving protagonists from the previous film now all relocated to a new town and living in a forever sense of danger. And danger doesn't take too long to arrive in the form of the iconic 'Ghostface' killer who is out for revenge. As there were two killers in the 2022 film both of whom got their comeuppance the stage is set for the mystery element of who is the killer this time around? You'll have fun trying to guess. There's the humorous references to slasher film tropes and other films and lots of red herrings to keep you hooked. I found myself enjoying it despite myself. Yes it's more of the same as last time and it's a bit formulaic but it delivers exactly what you want with plenty of blood and tension. There's a fantastic section set on the subway during halloween with most of the passengers dressed as movie horror characters including a few Ghostfaces, but which, if any, is the real killer? All good fun and if you like this sort of thing it will be well worth your time.

While watching this romcom it always seemed familiar as if I'd seen it before. It's because it's derivative of other films and is basically an imitation of When Harry Met Sally (1989). Having said that it's very watchable and for the most part entertaining mainly due to the two leads of Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie who have a strong on screen chemistry. They play Jake and Lainey, who meet in college, have a one night stand and then lose touch. Years later they meet and find they both have the same problem with relationships and decide to stay platonic friends. This cues lots of sexual tension and the film's ending is signposted for you in big bold letters! It's no spoiler really to spell it out.....They get together!! Of course they do. In this sense the films ultimately a routine affair and does become a little tiresome. Brie is a gifted comedy actor and for her alone the film is worth a look.

Lawman is not a particularly celebrated western nor is it that clever. Full of genre clichés and with a rather clumsy script it nevertheless has a distinguished cast. Burt Lancaster is the titular lawman, Jared Maddox, an uncompromising character who sees the law as the ultimate tamer of the west, Robert Ryan, as a burned out fellow lawman, Lee J. Cobb as a cattle baron used to paying off the law when it suits him and Joseph Wiseman as a saloon owner with a chequered history. All these characters are clichéd too and in the hands of director Michael Winner the film resorts to blood spurting violence and incorporates everything you can think of from the western genre. And yet it's great fun and Lancaster is superb as the dark (note the ever present use of shadow in case you don't get that he's a dark character!!!) 'killer of men'. It's a classic fiction narrative of a powerful force arriving to disrupt the peace and put things right and leave with the resultant changes on the remaining characters. The western has often used this basic story structure and here the lawman represents the force of change. It's a 'professional' western in the sense that the skilled gunfighter is the main protagonist but in here too is the seeds of the cattle baron narrative (in the form of Cobb's bigshot) and modern viewers may see a contemporary resonance to something like the TV series, Yellowstone. In the hands of a more subtle director, who loves his zoom shots, and a better screenplay this would have been possibly better celebrated. Looking at Winner's films today especially his westerns they are focused on death which is the predominant theme and scenes of death and decay litter this movie. Overall this is a solid modern western made in the early years of the revisionist period for the western. It hangs onto too many genre tropes to be up there with the films of directors Sam Peckinpah or Clint Eastwood but it has its merits and is worth checking out.

A period crime drama set in Virginia during the Prohibition. In many ways this film whilst entertaining and with a great cast lacks the elements to make it something really great. All the ingredients are there they just never coalesce properly. This appears to be because of the strained direction by John Hillcoat who seems more intent on making a bloody western and striving for period authenticity over strong storylines. However what there is results in an interesting albeit flawed crime film that pits a 'hillbilly' family against the corrupt forces of law and order. Tom Hardy is the head of the Bondurant family of three brothers. They make illegal moonshine which they sell to the locals and organised crime in Chicago. When they refuse to play ball with a new corrupt District Attorney a war breaks out between them and a sadistic federal agent played by Guy Pearce. There's some gut wrenching violence, with one scene in particular and plenty of violent set piece action. A romance between Hardy's Forrest Bondurant and Jessica Chastain's, Maggie, is a distraction and her back story is not fully explored. Equally the romance between younger brother Jack, whose ambitions drive the narrative, and local girl Bertha (Mia Wasikowska) is also rather pointless in many ways because the film doesn't grip the issues it suggests of the poor 'mountain' community forced into crime by the depression and power hungry corruption and the mafia (represented here in a cameo by Gary Oldman). Even the Sam Peckinpah influences aren't fully realised in the build up to a climactic gun battle results in a fairly lame affair. Guy Pearce, clearly relishing the slimy and sadistic agent, Rakes, seems almost a cartoonish villain with shaved eyebrows, a penchant for hurting people and yet we never get to find out anything about him. He's just there to hate. I may be doing this film some injustice because it's well made and, based on a true story, and satisfies as a genre piece perfectly well. All the cast involved does a great job with what the script gives them but it's a film that leaves you somewhat unsatisfied.

Clint Eastwood's companion film to Flags of Our Fathers (2006) both of which tell the story of the bloody battle for the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. Whilst Flags... is a bloodier war film and tells the story from the American perspective Letters... is the arguably superior film and takes it's stance from the Japanese side. This is a tender, moving war film which focuses on General Kuribayashi played with great sensitivity by Ken Watanabe who arrives to take command of the defence of the island. The lack of resources forces him to make difficult and controversial decisions essentially forbidding his men to indulge in suicidal attacks and digging in to force the enemy to root them out bunker by bunker. The narrative also follows a young conscript, Saigo, a reluctant soldier who wants to survive and has to face as much danger from fanatical officers as he does from enemy fire. These stories are told via a narrated series of letters home giving the film a warmth and humanising the Japanese soldier as just young men thrust into the maelstrom of war. This is one of Eastwood's finest directorial efforts. A war film that will sit in the mind for sometime after watching it. It's at its heart a study of cultural difference that forces young men to war where ideology, patriotism, even fanaticism count for little. Presented in a watered down sepia colour this is actually one of the best films about the Second World War for sometime. Highly recommended viewing.

The inevitable sequel to the 2019 film and I'm afraid one that doesn't do much except continue the tired old tropes of superhero movies. Whereas the original brightened up the DC comic world and had some very funny lines this one goes for the overly long destruction of many buildings scenario. So once you get over the joke about immature teenagers having super powers the rest is just about any comic book superhero film you'll have seen before. The odd joke sticks in the mind, in particular a cheeky 'Avengers' one, but sadly the teenage Billy (Asher Angel) is more mature and less puerile than his alter ego, Shazam (Zachary Levi). The story is that a group of fostered children have been given super powers when they say 'Shazam' and they fly around rather ineptly attempting some crime fighting. But three god like women led by Hespera (Helen Mirren) turn up to cause all sorts of mayhem and......blah, blah, blah; cue loads of flying around, monsters, teenage puppy love, and lots and lots of smashing up of buildings. It's too long, too dull and lets hope that's the lot.

One of the great Ealing Studio comedies and a thoroughly delightful heist film where a meek bank employee (Alec Guinness) and a hapless and eccentric souvenir maker (Stanley Holloway) dream up a plan to steal £1million in gold bullion and smuggle it out of the country as small Eiffel Tower souvenirs. They recruit two professional criminals (Sid James & Alfie Bass) to help them but the plans go awry when some of the souvenirs are accidentally sold to some schoolgirls and they have to get them back before the police get ahold of them. It's quintessentially British, very funny, and wonderfully scripted. An absolutely lovely film and a must see for all film enthusiasts and you can have fun spotting cameos by Audrey Hepburn and Robert Shaw (blink and you'll miss them!)

A comedy that will actually appeal to adults who will get the double entendres some of which are very, very funny. Overall this is not really a children's film although I suspect most adults will see it only as they escort their young, mostly female, children to the cinema. So this is a satire about relationships, love and above all gender wrapped up in a comedy fantasy that will have you laughing out loud but perhaps a little disappointed that it fails to maintain the courage of its convictions. 'Stereotypical' Barbie (Margot Robbie) lives in Barbieland with all the other Barbies and the Kens. Beach Ken (Ryan Gosling) forever moons over her while feeling jealous every time any other Ken gets her attention. One day Barbie has thoughts about dying and is sent into the 'real' world to find the reason. Ken tags along for the ride. While Barbie is seeking the person who has lost their mojo Ken gets a flavour for male dominance and heads back to Barbieland to turn it into Kenland. There's songs, dancing, great scripted monologues about the role of women in society and film homages to savour including an early 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) one and you'll spot others too. Gosling is excellent throughout and has all the best lines and Robbie was made for the role of Barbie. The support cast are good including Will Ferrell, Rhea Perlman and Michael Cera. The film is a two hour commercial and there's no doubt Mattel will sell lots of dolls on the back of this and whilst it's bold enough to attack the meaning behind the product it was disappointing that the young girl that shuns everything Barbie represents ends up converted to the cause as it were. An interesting comedy that is better than I was expecting.

The original and still the best even after all these years the jokes still feel fresh and of course it's a total riot. The ad libbed script is brilliant and the cast are clearly having a great time especially Bill Murray who just seems to be doing whatever he wanted. The attempts to reboot the franchise have had mixed results and with those modern films it's so easy for audiences to forget this 80s classic. Three slightly barmy scientists are kicked out of their University for dabbling in paranormal research and set themselves up as a company who will sort out anyone's ghost problems. They get a call from a beautiful girl who seems to have a strange portal opened up in her refrigerator. Dank Ackroyd, Harold Ramis and Murray are a dream team and work perfectly in tune with one another. The ghost effects are funny and Sigourney Weaver as the damsel in distress goes from dowdy to ravishing allowing Murray to really push his one liners. A famous 80s film that is sadly pushed aside by an attempt at remaking/rebooting when really young audiences should be watching this classic.

A routine thriller that rattles along at a good pace, has a gutsy heroine and keeps it's run time appropriately short. Rachel McAdams plays Lisa, a hotel manager on her way home on a night flight to Miami. She is shocked to discover the handsome stranger in the seat beside her (Cillian Murphy) is actually a professional assassin who demands she call her hotel and arrange for a family to be moved to a specific room or her father (Brian Cox) will be killed. Lisa proves rather more clever than the baddie has imagined. There's some good surprises along the way and a neat chase scene and a predictable climax that works well. A good solid piece of entertainment, nothing particularly original but it does it all rather well.