Film Reviews by GJ

First Man is an example of what Hollywood does well: present extraordinary people in extraordinary circumstances in an ordinary, relatable way.

The challenge is to present events that are universally known in a fresh, engrossing way, and First Man achieves that for the most part.

It is definitely lensed from a certain point of view; there is little fanfare or camaraderie between some of the characters, which I am not entirely sure of, and I can understand the controversy that surrounded this film on its release.

I commend the filmakers for taking their decisions by presenting the almost trench warfare mentality of the astronauts and the space administration to reach their goals despite tragedy.

Ryan Gosling shows why he is one of Hollywood's top actors with a measured and focused performance and Claire Foy more than matches Gosling in what could be the central performance.

If I have two main criticisms, it is the lack of warmth between the characters, even if Armstrong himself was a very private and complex individual. The other is the lack of actual footage of the moon landing; I think this should have been juxtaposed with the Oscar-winning visual effects or somehow merged. They do it earlier in the Apollo 11 scenes There is, however, a very touching scene on the moon, which I think could still have existed with more iconic images.

However, First Man is a top-notch film with a few flaws and definitely worth watching.

Although the series is immaculate with superb acting, Westworld Season 2 seemed like a season too far. Although the characters learn a lot about their own inherent nature throughout very few grow from their initial template, which, while probably intentional, does, however, make it a hard slog to get through at times.

A technically superior but uneven season .

Garance Marillie gives a great naturalistic performance and all the cast are good . The direction is strong as is the script and it is a visually striking film . However I found my attention wavering . With a subject matter that is so abstract , you either add a lot more humour or put events into some context

Is it a commentary on family values ? Or peer pressure? On self harm ?

The message is vague and although strong in many areas , the film is far from satisfying.

Brilliant direction great performance great editing and cinematography A real chiller. from a story of helplessness and isolation both emotional and physical

Missed crucial parts of the movie because some genius decided to use white standard lettering ( not bold ) for subtitles . There is one important scene in the movie where the titles were lost within a white table cloth and white plates .

i think white lettering above a black background - though jarring - would have helped or as the film was shown in letterbox format then better to stick subtitlre below the film.

Despite that the Farewell looked a well crafted and well acted film and I wouldve given an higher score

The first half is a predictable , almost cliched far future fantasy where everyone talks like they are lving in the 1990's . The dialogue and chracters are aimed at a younger audience it appearsx and then the film shifts gears - the second half seems more like the Matrix films with a dash of mad max ( well mad max set in a dystopian city ) .

There is a script only in the sense that words are spoken but nothing is revealed . Almost every 'twist' is visible a mile off

On the plus side , the action sequences, particularly the second half , are very good , although the slow mo shots get a bit tiresome

i think Alita herself escapes the uncanny valley curse ( just about ) and i think in a few years time CGI will mesh totally with live action - not quite there yet .

An interesintg film that improves as the film progresses and Jennifer Connelly looks amazing ... I dont know what shes doing, but shes doing something right

From the people who bought you 'The Thick of it' this american version retains the same sharpness and pace of the UK version

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is great as the lead and all of the supporting cast do a solid job

An awful flim - with the only saving grace of Caroline Munro and a great score by John Barry - i mean it - Listen to it away from the Film

Im not sure why they went with a childlike script and special effects ( this was released in 1979 - if they couldnt afford Star Wars type effects then Space 1999 would have done ) Maybe they were going for Barberella or flash Gordon aesthetic or Worse - but it backfired .

Theres an early apppearance of David Hasslehoff as a slab of meat and Chrisoper Plummer is there too - showing off to the world he can keep a straight face and get paid for delivering his lines with grav-itas .

I had to fast forward through chunks of the film but its Caroline Munro in her prime - she needed a better vehicle than this - and listen to the John Barry score on its own .

Just watched it recently and it's not as bad as I remember it . It's quite a serious film for the post star wars late 70s sci-fi period

The problem is poor static direction . The actors have nothing to do so they either chew the scenery or act in a comatose state . Films of this type are morality plays and if the script had attempted to really push the mortality and immortality theme using each character a lot more , then we would have a better film . Unfortunately this film will only be remembered for poor acting and robots cashing in on the star wars craze .

On the plus side the production design is very good and some visuals still hold up and the actors are put through a physical workout particularly in anti gravity scenes

I liked the lighthouse . It reminded me of one of those films Orsen Welles made late in his career . It showcases Robert Pattisons talent and from this film it is considerable. William Defoe, on the other hand , though an acting powerhouse made the wrong choice here. His Captain Birdseye impersonation is jarring and though he delivers a good monologue or two could have toned it down and be a bit more menacing .

It's a bold film with some intentionally unintentional laughs and there's some good acting by a flock of seagulls

If you want to spend the running time with a set of deranged characters and a good drink this is the film for you

A fantastic series . Each episode is enthralling from start to finish with great writing , acting and direction.

I would give this 4.8 out of 5 if i could . I hope this series retains its high quality throughout the rest of its run.

As the first episode progresses you wonder if this is a drama , a thriller or a political mystery ... the series has elements of all of these - but it is also a very black comedy. These characters are unlikable but you are drawn to each of them as their fortunes fluctuate .

There is something magnetic about power - you are drawn into a kind of bunker mentality that the privileged and their followers possess . You just have to see what's happening in America today to see that bunker mentality of the rich and powerful in the White House

The production values are solid as are the performances . This is now into series 3 so it will be interesting to see how this story and its characters develop.

You can tell a quality series when you trust and care about the core characters and when secondary characters can carry their own story arcs improving the series even further.

The series starts as a gritty and detailed take on life in the center of our solar system . There is a lot to get familiar with to begin with but it's with the introduction of a proto-molecule plot and it's potential when the series really gets into focus and hits its stride.

There are no weak characters and the series treats the grandiose and the personal with equal care .

The move from Netflix (syfy channel) to Amazon has only helped with feature film level visuals and hopefully the series will maintain its story , visual and character standards for seasons to come

From the first few moments you knew you were watching an Oscar winning performance - much like Natalie Portmans impact in Black Swan . Comic book characters have come a long way to be the main focus of a pedigree film.

Joker is a disturbing film . It takes the point of view of a nihilist and deconstructs the person and society. Victims are both innocent and guilty and their fate is left to the standards of a madman .

The comic book elements are necessary to the mythos of the character but they are actually not needed for the film itself. Eg the asylum could have remained nameless and its setting would still be effective.

This is Joachim Phoenix's film and the other performances are top notch. It is well directed and it's nice to see Robert de niro add support.

This is a blueprint of a movie. Take all the elements that worked in ptevious movies ( particularly the emipre strikes back ) and rearrange them. Add a few contrived scenes ( let them fight among the waves ..... why ? ) add superflous characters ( the lady in the helmet ) and tie everything with ropey dialog

Even John Williams score was on auto-pilot. The final battle was spectacular though a carbon copy of every star wars film before it . The rest of the film seemed low key ( dare i say low budget ). There were times it felt like an 8 part streaming series than a cinematic event .

As for characters : why are Star Wars smugglers so boring ? Oscar Isaac is a good actor but his captain zack badass charming rogue ace pilot blah blah only works when somebody writes actual dialogue for him. ( The Solo movie had the same problem: a load of good actors sitting in a room talking about ..... who cares ?)

The actors do their best - particularly Adam driver and Daisy Ridley but the writers couldnt work out their character dynamic . Ok, one wears black and the other white but both are humourless , constantly distracted and borderline kamikaze. It was difficult to care about either one.

JJ abrams directed this remotely from a galaxy far far away - i dont think he wanted to make this film and used broad strokes.

It was nice to see returning characters - some worked better than others but unfortunately i dont think the Carrie Fisher scenes work that well . I dont know what they could have done . Her scenes were included with respect and care but took you out of the movie .

I like the Force Awakens and the Last Jedi but this film feels like a rushed fan service film that had to double back and cut the developing saga in its tracks