Films Watched: 16
How Many Were First-Time Watches: 14
Best Films: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Basic Instinct, Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3
New Releases: Big George Forman; Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3; Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret; Fast X; Beau Is Afraid; The Little Mermaid;
FULL LIST AND REVIEWS
Men (2022) Sometimes its ambitions outweigh the execution, but this hallucinatory horror from Alex Garland is still a thoroughly enjoyable (and creepy) exploration of toxic masculinity. Jesse Buckley is fantastic as always, and Rory Kinnear provides a chameleonic performance as almost every other character in the film ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Annihilation (2018) Alex Garland’s sci-fi takes on a Hearts of Darkeness-style narrative, showing his wonderful creative flair for unique imagery and creepy tonal work. As it goes on, it’s search for answers somewhat depletes the enjoyable mystery, but it’s an intriguing watch with a lot to like ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World (2023) It might have an obnoxiously long title, and quite frankly this biopic lacks the punch it deserves, but it’s still good fun. Khris David plays the titular star with heart and compassion that is rarely seen in boxing movies ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Field in England (2013) Well performed but infuriatingly indecipherable, Ben Wheatley’s low budget civil war horror is a mixed bag. If you desire plot you’ll be left pretty cold, but the film does still offer some moments of hallucinogenic inspiration ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) In Gunn we trust. After treading water for years, GOTG3 might be the proof we needed that the MCU still has life in it. By far the best since Endgame (though admittedly that’s not saying much) this is a fantastic piece of escapist entertainment that offers action, adventure, comedy and emotion in spades ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Red Shoes (1948) It starts to loose steam in its second half, but Powell and Pressburger’s ballet melodrama remains a stunning piece of art. Jack Cardiff’s technicolour cinematography, blended with excellent production design, make for glorious entertainment ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
M (1931) Perhaps the earliest example of a police procedural, Fritz Lang’s M is a surprisingly dark but enjoyable affair, and a hugely influential precursor to the film noir movement. Peter Lorre’s child-murdering character provides a creepy tone to the movie, even if the film’s bite isn’t what it once was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (2023) It’s understandably light on conflict, but this coming of age story is a fabulous piece for everyone to watch. Abby Ryder Fortson gives an utterly charming performance, mastering both comedy and emotion, and the film deals well with the many issues of puberty ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fast X (2023) Poorly written, nauseatingly shot and irritatingly unexciting, the latest in this long-running saga is the worst entry by some distance. Somehow the franchise has assembled some of the worst actors in Hollywood to make a film that cost a staggering $340million. With their cliffhanger ending, they think they’ve done an ‘Infinity War’, it’s more like an Infinity Bore ⭐️⭐️
Australia (2008) Beautifully photographed and well performed, Baz Luhrmann’s ode to his home country is a valiant effort. Sadly, the boring ‘white saviour’ story about cattle and racism, mixed with the lack of his usual directorial flair, makes for drawn-out and disappointing viewing ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beau is Afraid (2023) Ari Astra’s follow up to Hereditary and Midsommar is a Jewish odyssey that is expansive, intriguing but ultimately aimless and overlong. Joaquin Phoenix deliverers another characteristically great performance, but Astra’s insistence to deliver an almost indecipherable narrative mainly comes off as self-indulgent ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Little Mermaid (2023) Halle Bailey is fabulous, and everything set on the human-world is exquisite, but as always this remake pales in comparison to the original. The sea-world looks soulless, Lin Manuel Miranda’s new songs don’t match the tone at all, and the over two hour runtime drags on forever ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Guard (2011) It lacks the class of his brother’s films, but John Michael McDonagh’s debut Irish comedy still shines bright. Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle make a fun odd couple in this buddy cop movie that shows many moments of comic inspiration ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Apollo 13 (1995) With great zero-g sequences, energetic editing and grand production design, Ron Howard’s space biopic is an exciting affair. The cast all perform well in this entertainingly tense thriller that tells the true story of human survival ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) Filled with swashbuckling adventure, it’s the film that transformed Johnny Depp from a kookie indie actor to a bonafide blockbuster star. It’s big, loud and silly as hell, but boy is it an entertaining watch! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) In so many ways, this film is a masterpiece. The animation is some of the most inventive ever done – as is the score – and the storyline perfectly blends emotion, comedy and adventure. It really is a perfect film and the sequel has huge shoes to fill ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Daniel Robinson: From Reel to Real 