Film Reviews by GI

This is a delight. A funny yet melancholy British comedy that brings together quintessential characters into a rather touching film. Charles (Tim Key) is an oddbod; an eccentric, lonely and socially inept guy who lives on a remote coastal island and is the biggest fan of a folk duo who broke up years before after some success. He also happens to be a lottery winner. So he hires them to play on the island. But Herb (Tom Basden) and Nell (Carey Mulligan), once music partners and lovers, are now estranged and herb arrives under the misapprehension he's going to play alone, to a big audience. The end result as these three spend time on this windswept British island is simply lovely, tinged with sadness as their stories are revealed to us. A little surprise of a film and definitely one to check out.

Loosely based on a true story this is a well meaning film that doesn't quite work as it tries to balance a comedy about an animal relating to humans with an allegory to grief and the military suppression tyranny in Argentina in 1976. It makes for a tonally awkward film and sometimes the script is clumsy leaving Steve Coogan in the lead role struggling. He plays Tom, an English teacher in a pretentious school in Argentina just as the Peron government has been overthrown by a military coup and street arrests are a daily occurrence. This struggle is partially reflected in Tom's pupils who are divided in the classroom like their families are politically. Tom hates his job and has some past trauma he has to deal with which all changes when he finds an injured penguin and reluctantly nurses it back to health. The penguin becomes instantly attached to Tom and he can't rid himself of it making him even more curmudgeonly. But the arrival of the penguin opens up a new spirit in all he encounters and brings happiness and joy. The trouble is that trying to channel the dark rise of a violent junta scenario with the cute animal story makes the whole thing messy and a little over the top. It's a feel good film and it entertains but, for me, didn't really work.

I'm left wondering, again, what incentives are on the table to give director M. Night Shyamalan the funds to make turkeys like this. This is a clumsy, poorly scripted thriller that lacks tension, has plot holes galore and seems only to serve as a vehicle to promote his daughter Saleka's pop singing career. Josh Hartnett plays Cooper. A firefighter who takes his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a big stadium concert to see her favourite pop star Lady Raven (played by Miss Shyamalan). He quickly discovers that the FBI have set a trap at the concert to capture a serial killer known as The Butcher that they know is there and who happens to be Cooper! He has to find a way to get out. I'm not giving anything else away and Cooper being the killer is not a plot spoiler as it's obvious from the start. The difficulty here is that first you are forced to watch Saleka singing loads of songs while Cooper side glances at potential exits. None of which is at all thrilling or exciting and then there's a cat and mouse scenario involving the singer and the killer which stretches the bounds of credibility too far even in a film as preposterous as this. There's the obvious homage to Hannibal Lector although the police dominated by a mostly wordless Hayley Mills playing some genius profiler are absolutely incompetent for the entire film. A silly film and not worth the effort.

This is a thriller that thrives on the great build up of tension driven by a captivating performance from James McAvoy. It's a loose remake of a 2022 Danish film although this one deviates from that film's finale. This is a film that delves into the ridiculous influence of societal manners that often override natural caution and even sense of danger leading here to uncontrollable violence. A London based upmarket American couple, Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben (Scoot McNairy) along with their highly strung daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler), are on holiday in Italy healing some relationship issues where they meet Paddy (McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), an English couple who seem full of life and joy. They have a young son, Ant (Dan Hough) who is melancholy and has a speech defect. Back home Louise & Ben get an invite to join Paddy & Ciara at their large West Country farm for a week and readily accept but slowly they begin to have a sense that Paddy and his family are not all they seem to be. The speech impaired Ant keeps trying to secretly tell Agnes something and before long the film turns into a desperate fight for survival. MxAvoy is really excellent as the deranged Paddy but the reveal of his nature and motives is subtle and disturbing. McNairy underplays his role as the husband who abhors violence and this works superbly against the alpha male character of Paddy. And Davis is excellent as the mother whose natural protection instincts ultimately come to the fore. The film's climax is horrific and has some Straw Dogs (1971) vibes to it. It's certainly a tense film and plays into that arena of English country paganistic horror without actually fitting into that genre. A film well worth checking out.

With the sheen of a romcom, the comedy that is occasionally slapstick, some funny lines (but not enough) and two great lead actors this is a watchable relationship comedy that is ultimately a bit disappointing as it struggles between drunk scenes and catty one liners of hate as the couple fall apart. Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch play Ivy and Theo, the pitch perfect English couple who have moved the California, had two children and live in loving harmony. She's a talented chef with a small, unsuccessful restaurant and he's a big time architect. But on one fateful storm ridden night they have a reversal of career fortunes resulting in Ivy becoming a nationally renowned chef and Theo's career nosedives. This induces resentment in them both for various reasons and over a series of events they gradually turn to loathing for one another leading to brutal takedowns and a fight over a divorce settlement. The film ultimately loses its nerve and it's too over the top to make for a clever tragic-comedy about marriage. It's enjoyable in a surface kind of way and the two leads are having fun supported by Kate McKinnon and Adam Samberg but it's rather forgettable.

This is epic American adventure cinema made at the time Hollywood was still trying to compete for audiences with the popularity of television. Set in China in 1926 just as the poverty stricken Chinese are rising up against corruption and foreign control into civil war and revolution. Petty officer and engineer Jake Holman (Steve McQueen in his only Oscar nominated role) arrives to join the USS San Pablo, a gunboat assigned to patrol the Yangtze River and protect any American civilians. Jake's inherent racism against the Chinese causes conflicts with the native coolies aboard the ship and when the San Pablo is sent upriver to rescue some trapped missionaries they become embroiled in skirmishes with the Chinese army and local militias. This was a huge prestige picture and it's superbly produced and directed by veteran Robert Wise, who could turn his filmmaking skills to any genre. The opening shot alone sets the film up as epic in proportion and an expensive picture. It was a resounding success and went on to gain eight Oscar nominations and gained a Golden Globe for Richard Attenborough who plays Jake's fellow sailor Frenchy, who gets into a doomed relationship with a Chinese prostitute. The film builds up to a great climax and along the way deals with increasing tensions amongst the crew as they become besieged. Richard Crenna, a veteran American actor, is also excellent as the Captain desperately trying to hold his command together. But this is McQueen's film, he's excellent here and plays the conflicted Holman with a real sense of misguided honour (despite his racism he befriends one of the Chinese workers, a decision that causes a lot of trouble and effectively drives the plot). A marvellous film of the type not made today, a serious adventure drama in a historical and controversial setting looking at the role of, in this case, the USA in the affairs of other nations. It downplays heroism in order to get its message across and Holman is a fine example of the American cinematic anti-hero that McQueen played so well in many other films. A film worthy of a modern audience.

Adapted from the epic novel by Stephen King this started out intended as a feature film then it was switched to a two part TV series before finally being re-edited for a cinema release in Europe. In that version there was scenes removed and others cut down but after a cult following developed the full length version was put together for cinema and its now available on DVD & BluRay. It's a really remarkable gothic horror film that narratively reads like a small town American melodrama. The film introduces the viewer to the quiet town of Salem's Lot with it's various inhabitants and shows us the townsfolk with all their gossip, sexual impropriety and mistrust of strangers. Into the town arrives Ben (David Soul), a novelist, who is actually returning to the town where he was born in order to write his next book. Arriving just before him is Straker (James Mason), a sinister British gentlemen who opens a small antique shop and awaits the arrival of his partner, Barlow (Reggie Nalder). Ben is obsessed with the decrepit old mansion that overlooks the town, having been plagued with nightmares about it since he was a child. Coincidentally that house has recently been purchased by Straker and Barlow. A romance develops between Ben and local teacher, Susan (Bonnie Bedelia) but soon suspicious events begin including a boy going missing. Ben becomes convinced that the old house and it's new occupants are somehow responsible. The film draws out the tension from Peyton Place style drama to haunted house tale and beyond and it is a genuinely creepy film, without the need to rely on gore or OTT violence. There is a particular chilling scene involving the missing child that will gives you the shivers! David Soul is a little limited in his acting ability and occasionally delivers lines that almost make you chuckle but this is counter balanced by James Mason who is darkly sinister and even when he is being so polite he conjures up real dread. This is an American horror film of some substance and it is really enjoyable so if you want to have a real treat check this out it's really good.

An interesting, if a little over the top, satire that delves into the misogynistic world of celebrity where a former film actress now reduced to a daytime TV show doing a keep fit section finds she is being fired for being too old and past it. The film has influences that are quite obvious such as The Fly (1986) and probably The Thing (1982) and is a modern take on Oscar Wilde's Picture Of Dorian Grey story. Demi Moore plays Elisabeth a once Oscar winning actress who has dedicated her life to her career and consequently has nothing other than her celebrity and work. When she is sidelined by the sleazy network producer (Dennis Quaid being deliberately over the top gross) she is devastated. Then she discovers a mysterious source of a black market drug that will allow a younger and fitter version of herself to emerge on a seven day temporary cycle. Taking the drug she 'births' her inner alter ego in the form of Sue (Margaret Qualley) who takes her place on TV and becomes a sensation. But being Sue becomes an addiction and soon Elisabeth breaks the rules of the drug with horrific consequences. Ultimately this is a body horror film with some interesting things to say about the modern media image of what women should look like and body objectification and it has bold performances from Moore and Qualley. It is at times though a little ridiculous and I'm unconvinced by the climax which stretches credibility somewhat but it's an interesting film.

This isn't really a Star Trek film, indeed apart from the occasional mention of the Federation and a very brief snippet of the theme music you'd never know. Michelle Yeoh plays Philippa, a character from one of the many TV spin off series apparently, who is some arch villain hiding out in some night club in space where she is recruited by a black ops team called Section 31 to recover a super weapon that she designed so it can't fall into the wrong hands. This cues a routine chase and fight sci-fi film that fails to bring any real excitement or thrills, is all very routine and some quite wooden performances. Yeoh gets to do martial arts, there's some weird aliens around and that's about it really. This is a very poor man's Guardians Of The Galaxy and an example of the increasing attempt by various studios to drag out the various sci-fi franchises to the point where it serves no one except extremely die hard fans. I like Star Trek but this isn't worth anyone's time.

This is a first rate cop film that has the added bonus of a great setting. Griff (Willem Dafoe) and Al (Gregory Hines) are US military police investigators based in Saigon during the Vietnam War. Their duties mostly consist of tracking down deserters in the seedy world of the clubs and brothels of the city. Then a prostitute is murdered and a witness sees a US Army officer leaving the scene and Griff and Al are assigned the investigation. They soon learn that there have been other similar killings that appear to have been covered up and as their investigation begins to lead to very senior officers they find themselves targeted. A great story, grippingly told and with two great wisecracking performances from Dafoe and Hines aided by Fred Ward as their supervisor. As a murder mystery film with good action sequences it excels and whilst there's a slight misfire with a partial romance thrown in the film as a whole is riveting. A forgotten gem and definitely one to seek out if you've never seen it. NB: In the UK this film was titled Saigon. A much better one in my view.

Former male model Jason Statham has to be applauded for the niche in hard core action films that he has made for himself. Many of his films are really sloppy and poorly made but every so often one shines out as a little gem. Safe is one of those. Of course it has a preposterous story but that doesn't matter because you know what you're going to get and that is bone crunching fights, gunplay and gritty set piece action and its dished up here in immense quantities. The Stat plays Luke, a former cop (and apparently other things too!) who has been forced into homelessness by some nasty Russian gangsters and wanders the streets of New York. One day he notices a small girl, Mei (Catherine Chan) being pursued by the same Russian gangsters. He steps in and saves her to discover she is being hunted by the Russian mafia, the Chinese triads and corrupt NYPD cops because she knows a very long unique number that is the key to.....something! It's all convoluted and the plot unravels at a nice pace intermingled with some great fights and chases that are exciting and brilliantly executed. This is an action film that is unrelentingly good fun, violent and daft but well worth checking out.

An epic melodrama and if you're a fan of the TV series Yellowstone and in particular it's prequel 1923 you will not only see how this film has narratively been an influence there but you'll find this a great entertainment. It's a story of an American family in the early twentieth century led by the patriarch father William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) who live on a vast ranch in the wilds of Montana. The main story is about the lives of his three sons, Alfred (Aidan Quinn), Tristan (Brad Pitt) and Samuel (Henry Thomas). These three are bonded together but are uniquely different characters and when the youngest Samuel brings his fiancée, Susannah (Julia Ormond) into their home the emotions of the three surrounding her become a source of potential conflict. But it's the First World War which intervenes into the family life as all three enlist and head off the fight in France. Their experiences there define the future of the family, their loves and lives leading to violence, tragedy and family conflict. Ultimately this is an historical romance with the spice of nature to drive the passion. It's a highly entertaining film and one that it's worth rediscovering.

It opens with a torture scene and doesn't let up from there. This is a full on macho ultraviolent action film and it is really great fun as it rattles along at breakneck speed. When Arnold Schwarzenegger returned to films after his stint in politics he found his style of action movie was on the wane and films like the Expendable series, the Stallone throw away Escape Plan (2013) and starring roles in The Last Stand (2013) failed to make any impression. Then Sabotage came along and it sort of tapped into what we expect from an Arnie actioner but still feeling quite fresh. He plays Breacher, the head of an elite DEA tactical team. After a large amount of drug cartel cash goes missing during a raid Breacher and his team fall under suspicion of having stolen it. With no proof of their guilt they are returned to duty but then, one by one, they start showing up dead. The murders are investigated by Olivia Williams' Homicide detective and the cartels are suspected but soon she thinks the evidence implicating them may have been planted. If you like gunplay, chases, and gritty realistic action then this is one to check out. Good support cast too with Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard and Mireille Enos - particularly good as a full on nasty piece of work! It's what you expect from a Schwarzenegger film and whilst there's big flaws in the story and possibly the ending is a step too far this is worth checking out.

A grand epic love story told amidst the tumultuous times of the Irish uprising and the First World War. Set in 1916 on the wild and windswept west coast of Ireland it's an example of how the big cinematic epics made in the 60s partially to compete with the popularity rise of TV were now falling out of favour with the viewing public. Director David Lean certainly has made a visually impressive film with strong intermixed themes of forbidden love, religious intolerance and tortured emotions along with historical reminders of the trauma of the trenches and the growing Irish resentment of English occupation. This is the story of Rose (Sarah Miles), a young woman who dreams of better things, she's passionate and wayward and foolishly feels that the the older local school teacher Charles (Robert Mitchum) is the man of her dreams. After they are wed she is quickly disappointed because Charles is steady, devoted but ultimately boring and fails to sexually satisfy her. Then the local Army garrison gets a new commander, the highly decorated but PTSD suffering Major Doryan (Christopher Jones). Rose and he begin an affair, a situation that affronts the strictly Catholic society and brings to the fore the division between the local IRA and the British Army. The narrative plays out over a long run time that does test the patience somewhat although the drama is well scripted and the performances, for the most part, are exceptional. Trevor Howard as the all seeing local priest with a strong streak of humanity is especially good here and should have been awarded for his performance. John Mills as the village idiot and totally speechless throughout did get an Oscar and arguably deservedly as his devotion to Rose, who loathes him, is subtly and well performed. Mitchum is an interesting casting choice too, possibly miscast although he is reported to have thought this his best role. He portrays the gentle and ordinary school teacher rather well I thought. Miles carries the film and is an interesting choice here. Sometimes she appears to be somewhat bland and others very impetuous it's an interesting mix and a performance that is probably just right for the role. Overall this is an epic story, a little laboured at times, and certainly not Lean's finest film by any stretch but he's an important film maker and consequently this is a film worth seeing.

This is a good solid courtroom drama/ thriller that rattles along at a fantastic pace, has a great twist and turn plot, two great leads in John Cusack and Rachel Weisz and when you have Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman, in their first film together, you know you're onto a winner. Adapted from a John Grisham novel this is set in New Orleans and Nick Easter (Cusack) is selected for jury service. The case is a civil one bought by the wife of a man murdered in a mass shooting against the firearms company who made the gun used in the massacre. The all powerful gun lobby company hires Rankin Fitch (Hackman), a professional jury consultant, who believes "trials are too important to be left to juries", to help select the right people from the jury list. It soon becomes apparent that Nick is up to something on the jury and Fitch and the lawyer representing the widow (Hoffman) receive calls from Marlee (Weisz) offering to swing the verdict for a price. There's obviously a massive message about American gun laws and the 2nd Amendment but overall this is just a wonderfully plotted and riveting film. There's nothing here that you won't enjoy and I highly recommend this if you haven't seen it.