Film Reviews by GI

This is a well meaning sports underdog story that highlights the homeless World Cup, a tournament set up in 2001 where teams of homeless people from different countries compete in a football (soccer) contest. Indeed the story of this would probably have been better told as a documentary because here we have a standard narrative of composite characters all with 'issues' and the story unfolds with various tensions in the England team designed to highlight the plight of homeless people. At the centre we have Bill Nighy who is here somewhat miscast but gets away with it due to his unique screen charisma, but as a former football manager with his own demons now managing this team he's a fish out of water although most of the amusement in the film comes from him. The main centre of the story surrounds Vinny (Micheal Ward) who is recruited by Mal (Nighy) to join the team in Rome for the finals. Vinny can't bring himself to admit he's homeless due to the breakdown of his marriage, he's also a former footballer who didn't quite make it as a professional and carries the stigma of rejection. Of course as the film progresses there's the inevitable healing and bonding and the finding of true self but it is all very standard and quite predictable. There's some deviations into the activities of some of the other teams, in particular Japan, that are never really pursued sufficiently to make them interesting. A reasonably entertaining if unsatisfying film.

A surprisingly influential film among other filmmakers with many citing it as one of their favourite films including the likes of Martin Scorsese. It's possibly the first real depiction of the professional assassin as a cool, laconic character which has been much utilised since in films such as The Killer (2023) and Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai (1999), the latter being almost a remake. The hitman as a dedicated professional devoid of apparent emotional ties can be found in other films e.g. Collateral (2004) and so viewing Le Samouraï today it's easy to make more contemporary comparisons. Alain Delon, in one of his most famous roles plays the contract killer Jef. He's been hired to kill a club owner and carries out the hit but is unfortunately seen by some witnesses. But Jef has arranged his alibi very carefully and so when picked up by the police is able to quickly get himself released. Unfortunately for him he still has a worried employer out to kill him and a police detective who is convinced he's their killer. The narrative is a sort of cat and mouse scenario with police surveillance through Paris and especially the Metro (these are very reminiscent of the surveillance scenes that William Friedkin utilised in his 1971 The French Connection), the underworld's own killer is lurking around and Jef has to take action. It's a moody, atmospheric film, a modern crime thriller that is quintessential European in style and which would come to influence the American New wave directors that were soon to hit the mainstream. An interesting film when viewed today and certainly one film fans should ensure they check out.

This science fiction thriller is an entertaining science fiction/horror film which is heavily influenced by Alien (1979) and obviously a little derivative with a host of other films that can be cited as influencing or similar to this, e.g. Event Horizon (1997) where a spacecraft crew have to do battle with something unworldly. Here the six man crew of the International Space Station have to intercept a damaged probe returning from Mars where it's been collecting soil samples. On the safety and sterile environment of the station they are then tasked with examining the samples in the hope of finding evidence of life. And indeed they do, a micro-organism that causes immense excitement and prompts questions from schoolchildren back on Earth in a live link including 'Are you bringing the alien back to Earth?' which signposts the potential course of the narrative because the organism soon begins to evolve once nurtured in the space station and as it grows into something rather threatening and deadly the attempts to kill it fills the main body of the film. The film has some tense moments and the expected gore that usually accompanies this sort of plot. The 'alien' is interesting and far different from the 'xenomorph' of the Alien series and the film rattles along at a good pace. I suppose you have to like sci-fi to really enjoy this and it does its job here in a solid, well directed way. The cast give it their all led by Jake Gyllenhaal and Rebecca Ferguson with Ryan Reynolds the most notable support. There's a predictability to the film's conclusion but that aside it's a very well made and watchable film that seems better on further viewings so if you were unconvinced the first time give it another go.

A perfectly watchable melodrama that is all a little depressing despite the out of place and quite unnecessary saccharine infused ending, which lets it down. Set in the early days of the First World War on a remote outer Hebridean island where the small community is close and dominated by the strictness of religion. An early sermon by the calvinist preacher about sins of the flesh signposts the plot. Bright and beautiful Kirsty (Hermione Corfield) lives on the island with her mother (the great Morven Christie) and younger sister and she yearns for adventure. Her young man Murdo (Will Fletcher) has been called up and on the eve of his departure the community holds a farewell dance but Kirsty is attacked and raped that evening setting the narrative up as a crime mystery too. She inevitably falls pregnant which she tries to conceal for fear of the retribution of her neighbours. The film focuses on her plight and of identifying the culprit. Corfield carries the film and is very good and is no doubt an actor we shall see more of. The various plot lines keep you watching as tragedy piles on tragedy but there comes a time when you'll guess how it all plays out including the identity of the rapist and as I said the final scene sort of spoils the overall film with it's quite daft conclusion.

Director Roman Polanski's seminal horror classic delves deep into the existential fears that one can have about trust and about whether the people around us are genuine or not. This slow building film of dread remains powerful and has hardly been diminished by the plethora of more visually shocking horror movies that followed. The fact that Polanski hints at events and shows just mere glimpses of what Rosemary goes through is where the power of the film lies. Rosemary (Mia Farrow), a naïve catholic girl, and her struggling actor husband, Guy (John Cassavetes) move into an old, dark New York apartment building and plan to start a family. They are soon befriended by the elderly eccentric neighbours (Ruth Gordon & Sidney Blackmer) who have a host of equally weird friends. After a night of very bad dreams Rosemary finds she is pregnant and soon under the control of the neighbours and a sinister doctor. It turns out of course she has been raped by the Devil conjured up by the coven of her fellow tenants and her husband has agreed in return for success as an actor. The themes of trust, isolation and the corruption of family are at the centre of this film and Farrow is first rate here and should have received an award for her performance. Polanski has taken a fairly pulpy novel and faithfully adapted it but added nuances and a growing sense of suspense that has made this film a key one on the horror genre. Some may find the film anti-climactic in the decisions to show very little of monstrous although the rape scene is still shocking today and very risqué for its time. This is certainly a film that you should check out if you've not seen it as it ranks as one of the best of American horror films.

You need a hugely enjoyable B movie type action film every so often and this delivers brilliantly. It's a glorious, bloody war based film that has the stamp of Quentin Tarantino all over it (it has 'chapters' that QT often uses), and I'm sure he'll be a fan, as well as the hallmarks of films like First Blood (1982) and the John Wick series. Set in Finland in 1944 where a grizzled gold prospector avoids the war living in the remote Lapland area. Finding a rich vein he sets off with his gold to the nearest city to cash it in but on the way he's accosted by a company of SS soldiers who try to steal it. A big mistake as the old miner has a past and a skill set that is awoken to dire consequences for the Nazis. This is brutally violent with some crazy set pieces. The main character hardly says a word until the film's final moments and this is part of makes this film work so well. Like John Rambo he's man after some calmness and peace but once aroused to action he's simply unstoppable. Great fun, and rattles along at a solid pace and is wrapped up in a tight 90 minutes.

This famous tale of political corruption is probably a film that all US senators should be made to watch before taking up their seats! It was certainly a controversial film back in 1939 where it was feared the USA maybe damaged by it's portrayal of the machinations of government and those that would subvert them in their own interest and it also has a big dig at the press who play along when directed by corporate blackmail. James Stewart in a scene stealing performance is the naïve Boy Scout leader Jefferson Smith and all round good guy who is selected to represent his state as senator. Those behind his selection, including his father's best friend played by Claude Rains, believe he will be easily controlled especially as they have plans for a big dam in the state which will make them all richer. But Jefferson proves to be no pushover once he cottons on to what is happening and he as a counter plan to build a camp for under privileged boys on the same land. But he hasn't prepared for the extent to which his character and life will be attacked. The film has a lot of humour especially in the first third of the film as it plays for laughs with Jefferson the classical fish out of water when he's thrust into the maelstrom of the political world but then the film settles into a compelling political drama that highlights the control of rich business over the elected officials. There's the necessary Hollywood romance thrown in with Jean Arthur as the worldly wise secretary who guides Jefferson through his troubles and falls for him in the process. Personally I find the film's ending a little anti-climactic as the bad guys don't get seen to get their comeuppance but this is small criticism. With a prestigious cast including Harry Carey and Thomas Mitchell this is a film that all cinephiles should ensure they see. It has themes that resonate very strongly today!

There is a small chronological link with this film and the rest of the series, indeed you're best to watch this one after Fast and Furious 6 (2013) where the storylines can be better followed. Like most of the series this one is narratively similar in its basic plot and action. To that end it's nothing overly original and is probably great for fans but ultimately it's a rehash of the fast & Furious tropes. The story features new characters and here we have Sean (Lucas Black - remarkably similar to Paul Walker and no doubt purposefully), a young American street racer who after an encounter with the local police is sent to live with his father in Tokyo. Under his father's rules there's to be no car racing! That parental rule lasts about a day and soon Sean is hooked up with the locals and street racing where he has to learn a new way of driving called drifting. There's the usual girl involved and some nasty street thugs to race against and the driving stunts are the film's main attraction. Otherwise this is a routine action film for the video gaming age, it's reasonably entertaining but offers nothing overly original. The final cameo from Vin Diesel creates a story link to Fast And Furious 7 and no doubt is there solely to reassure the franchises fans.

The fourth Python film has been derided as the weakest of their cinematic output but I think this is massively unfair. There's some genius in this film, a sketch based structure with the title's theme running through it. But the familiar Python satire on religion, Britishness and tradition is full on here, from the catholic attitude to sex and birth control to military class snobbery. And it's genuinely hilarious as well as subtle yet silly, the essence of Monty Python. The opening mini film 'The Crimson Permanent Assurance' directed by Terry Gilliam is a sharp satirical attack on modern greed and corporate dominance and it segues cleverly into the meaning of life sketches which cover from birth to death. There are many highlights including the delivery ward where the expensive equipment is more important than the patient, Michael Palin's laugh out loud Sergeant Major who just wants to "march up and down the square", and the 'Every Sperm is Sacred' song and of course the unforgettable Mr Creosote. There's slapstick, surrealism ('find the fish') and the teams genius exposure of hypocrisy and stupidity of social attitudes and institutions. A British comedy film that deserves a re-evaluation and certainly, if you want a good laugh, a film to check out.

This is a crazy, screwball road movie comedy that is simply great fun. It's sharp and sexy even when it's all obviously flimsy and daft. Directed by Ethan Coen this has all the hallmarks of a Coen Brothers film even though Joel Coen wasn't involved. Jamie (Margaret Qualley), a free spirited and spontaneous girl, has just broken up with her tough girlfriend so she decides to accompany her friend, Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan), on a road trip to Florida. Marian is the polar opposite and although also a lesbian she's much more sexually repressed and Jamie is intent on getting her laid. But in the car they hire is a the film's McMuffin that starts the zany plot when they are pursed by a bunch of villains out to recover it. What is in the car you will be totally surprised by I guarantee. A cheerful, nonsensical caper film that will make you laugh and has the benefits of two leads who give great comedy performances and aided by a cameos by Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal.

An existential science fiction film that is so drab and uneventful it just seems to drag itself along. The most interesting character is the alien and even it is a tad disappointing. Adam Sandler, certainly a very underrated actor, here in a serious role as Jakub, a Czech astronaut on a solo mission to study a huge particle cloud located near to Jupiter. He's six months in and the mission is taking its toll on him mostly due to the isolation and he longs for his wife back on Earth. He's also been having strange dreams. All these emotional strains culminate in his finding an alien hiding in his ship. This takes the form of a dog sized spider that can talk and basically provides therapy to the intrepid traveller. There's lots of chatter about love, relationships and what it all means etc etc and not much else really. Carey Mulligan as the wife has an underwritten part, although she gives it her all, and the film's littered with Jakub's memories and hallucinatory images from his past mixed up with the present. Of course the alien spider maybe a figment of his imagination and probably is depending how you read the text here. But, for me, this is a tiresome film, trying to be something profound but really it's dull.

A comedy/horror that is resplendent with Pythonesque blood and gore and has Nicolas Cage having a ball as Count Dracula, no doubt a role he has wanted to play for his entire life! There's some neat homages in here not least to the Bela Lugosi Dracula in a small recreation of a classic scene from the 1931 film and at one point Cage looks remarkably like Lon Chaney from the 1927 film London After Midnight. Fans will no doubt spot a host of others. Here we have a modern day reworking of the characters from the Dracula novel chiefly Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), the humble law clerk who is a servant to Dracula and has been given some limited powers in order to provide his master with food. Nicholas Hoult shows he can manage comedy quite well and he plays the tortured young man who has looked after his master for decades now finding themselves in New Orleans where Dracula is recovering from his last fight with priests. This cues a daft story of organised criminals, a dedicated cop (Awkwafina) and a self help group all coming up against Dracula intent on world domination and Renfield who has to decide whose side he's on. There's some funny lines and scenes dotted throughout and everyone is clearly having fun but it's all fairly lacklustre and forgettable.

Relentlessly violent this is a British crime film that lacks any subtlety or characters that you can feel anything for. It's based on true events and is structured around one main character for most of the film before deviating into a controversial real murder case. Carlton Leach (Ricci Harnett) is a street thug who rises in the world of football hooliganism in the 70s & 80s, his life basically one big violent ruck with just about anyone. The film depicts this particularly unpleasant world as bloody, frightening battles that take place on the London Underground and on the streets as Leach and his gang travel to indulge their addiction on brutal fighting. This is not just fists either, here we get the full scale use of machetes and axes and all the fearsome injury detail that accompanies their use. Leach's infamy in this world leads to bouncer duty at local Clubs and into the world of organised drug gangs. His friendship with one dealer, Tony Tucker (Terry Stone) brings him into the circle of ever increasingly psychopathic criminals epitomised in Patrick Tate (Craig Fairbrass). Tucker, Tate and another man are eventually brutally murdered in a quiet Essex wood. Into this loose story of disturbingly unpleasant people the film shows Leach in failed relationships, including his very short temper that offers up marital abuse, drug abuse and lots of grimaces. The best thing about the film is the depiction of the murders in which three separate potential scenarios are shown. A film that seems to have no real clear narrative thread as it meanders from violent set piece to the next and almost gives up on the Leach character to concentrate on the murders. It's an unpleasant film, far too gratuitous and glorifying the world it seeks to portray and the justification for the final killings is really just a way of trying to give some honour to these despicable people.

A romance about lost love and a film that asks What if?, a question amplified by the power of social media giving people the ability to reconnect. It also is suggesting, in my mind, that that is not always a good thing. Two young children live in South Korea and become friends and have a funny little date arranged by their mothers which leaves the boy thinking they are destined to be together. But then the girl's family emigrate to Canada and they lose contact. Years later and Nora (Greta Lee) is now living in New York, a budding writer, and through social media she gets in touch with Hae Sung (Tae Woo) and they begin speaking via Skype but Nora then feels the past is intruding in her future and cuts off the communication leaving Hae Sung feeling hurt and distraught. More years go by and Nora, now married to Arthur (John Magaro) , and Hae Sung reconnect again and this time he comes to the US for a visit. This opens up emotions and issues for all three of them. This is a simple and yet sophisticated relationship drama that looks at childhood crushes and their impact that can be exacerbated by the ability to connect very easily with persons from years ago and many miles away. This is a sad film in many ways and the narrative doesn't allow you to take sides as you'll see the heartbreaking issues that the three adults here struggle with. No one is being 'bad' or even unfaithful and the film opens up the debate about repressed feelings based on images and affections long since suppressed. In this it's a gentle and warm film and a love story for the modern age.

This biopic about the soul legend Aretha Franklin suffers from the multitude of clichés that dog the genre. Here these are played out in a reverential but seriously too long film that tries all too hard to be kind and amplify the singing, not a bad thing, but skimps over the traumas and demons that Franklin's life was loaded with. What was needed here was a concentration on the issue of relationships because they are the central issue that the script leans towards but the film flies through them without grounding them in any meaningful way. Firstly there's Franklin's (Jennifer Hudson) father (Forest Whitaker), a bible thumping preacher who flits between smothering affection and exploitation of his daughter's talent and indeed when she is clearly raped and made pregnant aged 12 by a family friend the trauma and crisis this must have caused is barely mentioned and we get no reaction from the father to consider. There's a slightly deeper narrative focus on Franklin's marriage and abuse by her first husband played brilliantly by Marlon Wayans in a cleverly smarmy and aggressive performance. But like music biopics must do there's the performances and Hudson does a first rate job as Franklin and the film keeps these as central even including her drunken attempt at a concert during the inevitable struggle with drink phase. Another cliché! Apparently this film was first conceived as a theatrical musical and you can see why and perhaps it would have fared better because as a film it does it's job but it's typical and underwhelming as a film. If you're a fan of this singer then there's something of interest to be found but ultimately it follows the standard narrative arc of such films.