Film Reviews by GI

This is a weirdly stylish and surreal comedy drama that is bizarrely fascinating. Adapted by director Noah Baumbach from a celebrated novel it's set in 1984 and follows the travails of the wholesome American family of Jack (Adam Driver) and Babette (Greta Gerwig) and their assortment of children and stepchildren. The film is essentially a study of the daftness of the modern human condition from the fear of death to relationships and our relationship with the past. Jack is a University lecturer who specialises in the life of Hitler, in itself a preposterous situation, and his family are faced with a Covid 19 allegory in the form of a poisonous gas cloud that threatens to kill people, but this storyline is just a way of highlighting the futility and silliness of the modern suburban way of life with the obsession with YouTube type clips of car crashes (the gas cloud is caused here by a lorry crashing into a train to emphasise the point) and the characters seem to centre life around their trips to a huge, brightly coloured supermarket (the closing credits dance sequence is great). The whole film is a spectacle of darkly weird situations dominated by the great performances of Driver and Gerwig. This will either baffle, bore or be much loved depending on your taste, but it is certainly different.

A classic Boy's Own war adventure film full of derring do and plot twists. Made as a big box office film it has an all star cast and an epic story based on a book by Alistair MacLean and typical of the spectacular cinema of the 60s made to draw audiences away from their TV sets. Gregory Peck leads a hand picked team of specialists who have to destroy some huge German guns that dominate a stretch of sea around the Greek Islands and which are preventing the evacuation of thousands of British troops. David Niven is the explosives expert and Anthony Quinn the Greek resistance fighter who has a grudge against Peck's character. The great Stanley Baker and Anthony Quayle have support roles. The Germans are all stereotypical and there's loads of shooting so it's all very typical stuff but a great blockbuster all the same and great fun for a family film. But you have to accept the occasional dodgy effects and model work which was typical of the time and can't compete with modern Cgi.

This British comedy drama could have been absolutely brilliant but for strange reasons it lacks the script to make it memorable and drifts into a whimsical and daft scenario that doesn't work. The added sadness here is it's the last film of Kelly Preston who sadly died of cancer prior to its release. She plays Cassie one of three former friends along with Kate (Jenny Seagrove) and Liz (Sally Phillips) who are left rail tickets by their fourth friend who has just died and urged to rebond on a trip across Europe that they all did together in their youth. The only condition is they have to take their friend's teenage daughter Maddie (Elizabeth Dormer-Phillips) with them. Old animosities still fester amongst the three and they bicker and hug a lot as their journey has travel hiccups. There's some small romantic interludes chucked in for good measure including with a mafiosi Godfather character played by Franco Nero in a storyline that is silly and goes nowhere. Judi Dench and Ben Miller have cameos and whilst this has some laughs and a sunny disposition it's instantly forgettable.

In so many ways this is a solid, standard 1950s western fitting the Hollywood genre stereotypes before the 60s began to see a change in the depiction of the west. It's essentially an adventure western made for big audiences and lacks the nuances that the films of John Ford and others added in their contribution to the genre during this decade. The famous gunfight at the OK Corral has been filmed many times over the years and this version is only very loosely based on any historical facts indeed the actual gunfight reportedly only lasted a few seconds whereas the one in the climax of this film is much more drawn out into a fully fledged gun battle. But this is cinema so rightly so. Here we have two major stars at the height of their box office appeal with Burt Lancaster as a stoic Wyatt Earp and Kirk Douglas as the drunken, ailing Doc Holliday. Both do their thing perfectly well with Douglas especially enjoying the more extremes of the character. When Earp rescues Holliday from a Lynch mob they become unlikely friends and bond ever closer through the film culminating in the Earps feud with the cattle rustling family The Clantons and the showdown at the infamous corral. The film is enjoyable enough although it lacks any real sense of itself and simply tells to somewhat hackneyed story with some panache. Rhonda Fleming as a love interest for Lancaster is underused and sadly disappears from the story with little explanation. Jo Van Fleet has fun as Holliday's wayward lover and John Ireland is great as the psycho gunfighter out to get Holliday. Dennis Hopper, Jack Elam and Lee Van Cleef liven things up in supporting roles and there's a clichéd theme song from Frankie Laine that includes the usual whistling! This is an instantly recognisable John Sturges film, nowhere near his best and he actually made a better western about these character with Hour of The Gun (1967). Lovers of classic American westerns may still relish this but it lacks the finesse and status of many other westerns made at a similar time.

I always find an unwelcome pretentiousness to Stanley Kramer's films and that's especially the case with this one. I'm sure it's full of good intentions and it boasts fantastic performances from Spencer Tracy, in his last film, Sidney Poitier and Katherine Hepburn. Tracy for example gives a famous and note perfect soliquoy at the end of the film. But viewed today this melodrama that looks at the then contentious issue of interracial marriage which at the time the film was released was still illegal in 14 of the US states. The trouble is that the subject matter is dealt with here with a degree of flippancy and an apparent lack of seriousness despite the very impressive speeches that occur as the drama plays out. It's a mostly studio bound film too and the action, for the most part, takes place in the plush house of the Drayton family. Father Matt (Tracy), Mother Christina (Hepburn) and Joey (Katherine Houghton) along with their black housekeeper, Tillie (Isabel Sanford). When Joey returns home from a holiday with a new fiancé in tow the family is thrown into turmoil mainly because he's black. This is John (Poitier), a Doctor, who is all too aware of the racial issue at play. His parents also show up and John's family is also against the planned marriage. All the players iron out the issue over an afternoon and whilst the final speech about love beats all is touching mainly due to Tracy's deliverance, overall the film seems unfulfilling when watched today even though the racism in American society still continues today. This is a famous film, admired by many, and it deserves to be seen but it might garner more controversy today for all the wrong reasons.

A more extravagant and indulgent sequel to the highly successful Knives Out (2019). This has its entertainment value but it all seems so over stuffed that it begins to drag after awhile. The A-list cast (Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson and others + Hugh Grant in a small cameo) are no doubt having fun and there's more laughs to be had here especially in the more vocal detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). He sort of gatecrashes an elaborate murder mystery weekend held on a Greek island owned by multi billionaire, Miles (Edward Norton). All the other guests are someway of other beholden to him except Cassandra (Janelle Monáe) who was the original creator of Miles' company but pushed out by him years earlier. As a pretend murder mystery turns into a real one Benoit soon begins to unravel who is up to what. There's obviously twists and turns often explained by flashbacks and you do have to keep attentive throughout hence with the 2 hours plus runtime it can get a little tedious. I found it lacked the originality combined with the nostalgic murder mystery vibe that the first film did so well but it's worth a watch but once seen the surprises are worth revisiting.

This belated sequel to 2014's The Equalizer is actually a reasonably entertaining action thriller bringing Denzel Washington back to do his Jason Bourne/James Bond/Jack Reacher thing with gutsy violence, realistic fights and a revenge plot that reveals more of the central character's past. Washington is McCall, former black ops assassin, now taxi driver and lover of books who occasionally goes out of his way to right wrongs and deal nasty people some righteous justice. When his beloved ex colleague (Melissa Leo), is murdered McCall goes on the prowl to find and despatch those responsible. There's some gruesomely violent set pieces and the main story is one involving espionage and double cross. Admittedly some of the narrative is left a little unexplored to its full potential but what's left is a good, solid action thriller that does exactly what you'd expect following the first film.

Hugely entertaining, big, spectacular and hilarious sci-fi extravaganza that ups the ante from the 2014 original. It's great fun mostly due to the great script that has the titular Guardians bickering and arguing like a group of siblings and all appropriate as the narrative emphasises this team as one big family. The cast all return and with the addition of the great Kurt Russell and cameo from Sylvester Stallone. This time around the Guardians are now heralded as saviours of the Universe and get hired to help various planets with any problems. But their tendency to indulge in petty crime still gets them into trouble and they become hunted by Elizabeth Debicki's warriors for stealing some valuable power sources. But the team find a saviour in Ego (Russell) some sort of super being who claims to be Peter Quill's (Chris Pratt) father. But is he all he claims? There's loads of very impressive space battles and effects, a good story and plenty of laughs and another great soundtrack. With the next instalment due in 2023 this is a film worth revisiting, it's a joy.

Whether you're a fan of the Marvel Universe films or not a film with a talking raccoon, a tree like character that just says 'I am Groot' and going for comedy shouldn't have worked very well. It may well have been a great comic but a film?? But it does work and in my opinion it's one of, if not the, best of the Marvel film franchise. This is not least due to the fantastic central performance of Chris Pratt who has a wonderfully funny screen presence but can carry off the action stuff just as easily, channelling a bit of Hans Solo into his performance. Even if you're not into superhero/comicbook genre films this may surprise you as to just how entertaining it is. Pratt plays Peter Quill who likes to call himself Star Lord, he's an intergalactic chancer and thief. He steals a valuable artefact coveted by the evil Ronan and finds himself hunted by the bad guys as well as a host of bounty hunters including Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Rocket (the aforesaid raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper) and his pal Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel). Eventually they team up to fight the evil forces with great special effects and action scenes. The film is a hoot the entire time and the 2017 sequel is just as good with a third due next year. Great family entertainment and well worth checking out even if its not your usual thing.

A very entertaining action thriller that fits the pattern of similar films like the Bourne series and more specifically Taken (2008), where the narrative follows an unassuming guy who happens to have a 'special set of skills'. So whilst this doesn't really offer anything particularly different it boasts Denzel Washington who gives the main role some carefully crafted detail and the action sequences are done with commitment and panache. Based on an 80s British TV series this follows OCD suffering McCall, a quiet and kind man who works at a Boston DIY store. He helps his colleagues but lives a life based on a set routine and his past is a mystery. When he befriends a local prostitute his past is awakened when she is badly beaten by the Russian gangster who is her pimp. McCall was a special forces covert operative and decided years ago to drop off the radar and when he kills the gangster his boss sends a ruthless enforcer to find out who is behind it. The story builds to a great climax, the violence is gruesome and yet grittingly exciting and sets itself for the inevitable sequel. Great adult fun and an all round solid action thriller.

A dark, deliciously funny Irish comedy thriller starring the inimitable Brendan Gleeson as a cynical policeman, Gerry Boyle, who has an easy life covering his 'patch' on the remote western coast of Ireland. He's unconventional to say the least and lives a life avoiding any stress and takes everything in his stride and basically says and does what he likes. When the FBI arrive hunting an international drug trafficking gang Gerry is bemused especially as he knows more than they do and Agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) can't make up his mind if Gerry is stupid or very, very smart. Wonderfully written this is a laugh-out-loud adult comedy, dry and clever. It's a well crafted film and Gerry Boyle is a superbly written character, far subtler than at first obvious. The final denouement reveals just how sharp a creation he is. This is great stuff and so good to see a cop thriller taken into the zany directions this goes with it's casual racism, it's cynical viewpoint on police corruption and the IRA. It's touching too. A great little film.

This new adaptation of the famous D.H. Lawrence novel exudes sensuality and avoids falling into cliché or self satire by the committed performances of the two leads, Emma Corrin and Jack O'Connell. They carry the entire film which is full of eroticism and rampant sex often shown in a nostalgic soft focus especially where the two make love in the fields and woods as they become one with nature. The story is well known, Constance (Corrin) weds a rich landowner she thinks she loves as he heads off to the western front returning emotionally damaged and partially paralysed. At their large country estate she soon becomes frustrated and bored as her husband throws himself into managing his mining empire to the detriment of the miners. She's shocked when he suggests she gives him an heir by becoming pregnant by a secret lover but her sexual attraction to the quiet and dignified Oliver (O'Connell), the state gamekeeper, results in them starting an affair. The narrative centres on the hypocrisy of the class oriented society. Constance' husband is happy for her to have a child by another man but he has to be from the right strata of society hence he's horrified when the affair with one of his 'staff' becomes known. The fact that Constance has fallen deeply in love and has discovered herself through the relationship with Oliver pushes her to step outside the normalities of society. This is a quite a powerful romance and a celebration of love and better than I expected. Worth checking out.

A British social realist romance set in Bradford, a tale of an unlikely relationship set amongst the conflicts of class and race and the difficulty of parenthood and middle age. Ali (Adele Akhtar) is a genial and likeable British Asian from a well to do family who own property. He basically collects rents all day but he and his wife are separating and for family sake they are hiding their break up. One day he casually meets Ava, a loving widow who dotes on her children and grandchildren. She sees the best in people and her and Ali soon click. Both are lonely and strike up a gentle romance despite the problems from their respective families. The two central performances are excellent and the film exudes a gentle everyday normality that gives it a real feel for truth. Nothing much happens in the narrative but in many ways this is what is intended. There's the expectation of violence from Ava's racist son but this is quickly diffused leaving a film that is simply about tenderness between two lonely people.

One of Hollywood's greatest comedy films and a career best from Bill Murray as the curmudgeonly TV weatherman who believes he deserves greater recognition than he gets from the TV station. He gets sent to a small town that annually celebrates the coming of winter with a traditional festival where a groundhog predicts the weather. This is something that Murray cannot tolerate and he deeply resents the task. He also covets Andie MacDowell as the show producer but she finds him rude, bigoted and unpleasant. Then in a magical twist Murray finds himself reliving the same day over and over again which at first scares him, then he exploits and finally he gets to learn some interesting life lessons. The film is focused on trying to push that kindness is the gold nugget of humanity and that it trumps career success and materialism and is the path to true love. In that sense this is a magical film and leaves a warm feeling. Like Field of Dreams (1989) the use of fantasy and magic creates a story of wonder, fun and makes for some real hilarity. Equally it uses fantasy as a message of life like It's A Wonderful Life (1946) and this is a film best enjoyed at Christmas. This is a a comedy masterpiece and definitely a film every film fan should make sure they see.

A very novel and delightful romantic comedy with John Cusack at the height of his stardom. His screen charisma works brilliantly here especially as he's able to manage the light farce type comedy intermixed with the darker aspects of this story. He plays Martin who we see in the opening scene is a professional hitman. He's cool, calm and confident and has a brotherly relationship with his secretary (played by Cusack's real sister Joan) who senses he's unhappy. She urges him to go to his high school reunion and reconnect with his past. But Martin is reluctant as he walked away ten years ago from his hometown even standing up his girlfriend, Debbie, on prom night. But circumstances with his arch rival (Dan Ackroyd) results him going home and where he soon meets old classmates and Debbie (Minnie Driver), who is rightly interested in where Martin has been. There's some great action scenes and shoot outs that are not only funny but exciting too as Martin finds he's become a hunted man and falling back in love with Debbie. The whole thing is just a riot and a sensitive, hilarious romance too. Minnie Driver shows she has a real flair for comedy and with Cusack they make a great screen couple and Alan Arkin is hilarious as Martin's therapist. A superb little film that will have you laughing out loud.