Films Watched: 15
How Many Were First Time Watches: 13
Best Films: Saltburn (2023), Wonka (2023), Maestro (2023)
New Releases: Saltburn, Wonka, Leave The World Behind, Wish, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Ferrari, The Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Maestro, Next Goal Wins
FULL LIST AND REVIEWS
Saltburn (2023) A gorgeously hypnotic and deliciously black comedy thriller with a stunningly brave central performance from Barry Keoghan. Though it’s sometimes unclear what she was trying to say, Emerald Fennel delivers a confident sophomore film with some beautiful photographed images ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In the Line of Fire (1992) Though it’s nearly derailed by a pace-ruining romantic subplot with an alarming age difference, this political thriller still makes for fun viewing. John Malkovich is typically menacing as a maniacal presidential assassin wannabe ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wonka (2023) A bonkers wonkalicious delight from Paul King proving the director of Paddington 2 can deliver quirky sentiment with whatever source material he’s given. Toe-tapping musical numbers and equal amounts of heart and comedy makes for charming festive viewing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Leave The World Behind (2023) In the hands of lesser talents, this could have been quite a throwaway, by the numbers movie. But with Fincher-level camerawork precision and a bunch of fantastically dedicated performances, ‘Mr Robot’s’ Sam Esmail directs a intensely creepy apocalyptic thriller with some excellent sequences. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) Aided largely by a hilariously over-committed Michael Caine, this is a charming retelling of the classic story. It’s a bit too all over the place, and suffers from tonal uncertainty, but when it works, it’s great ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023) If you loved the original, you’ll probably look upon it with slightly fonder eyes, but this is still a joyous British sendup, even if it does suffer from diminishing returns. Aardman once again provide spectacle and huge plasticine ambition in this fun and sparkly sequel ⭐️⭐️⭐️(⭐️)
The Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) It’s not a badly made film, but it is an astonishing dull and aimless one. Central lead Tom Blyth delivers an outstanding performance, but as with many franchise prequels, it’s difficult to see what the point of the film really was ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tarzan (1999) With some of Disney’s most effective blending of hand animation and 3D CGI, this animated classic is an total romp. Aided massively my Phil Collins’s pounding musical contributions, it’s an adventurous, toe-tapping triumph ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ferrari (2023) Considering it’s a film about some of the fastest cars ever created, this is a remarkably bland film with little spark. Adam Driver’s performance inspires very little, and the racing scenes, while well made, don’t add enough energy to a lacking biopic ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Maestro (2023) A breathtaking portrait of the great American conductor that oozes Bradley Cooper’s obvious passion for the subject matter. Though it struggles with knowing what to say about the great man, it’s a film with stunning acting, cinematography and of course scoring ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wish (2023) A passable but undeniably lacking animation from Disney, made all the sadder considering it’s the film they released in celebration of their 100 years. With bland songs and a few too many on-the-nose self-references, it only goes to show how far their star has fallen in quality in recent years ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Click and Collect (2018) An entertaining British reworking of Jingle All The Way and Planes Trains and Automobiles. It treads familiar ground and the short runtime means it’s all a bit rushed and convoluted, but Stephen Merchant and Asim Chaudhry bring their usual comedy chops ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Network (1976) Perhaps one of the tightest screenplays ever written, Network is a biting satire that rings just as true today as it did then. With great filmmaking and the cast all acting their socks off, this is a great drama with moments of near-perfection ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everyone’s Talking About Jamie (2021) It’s not the strongest musical to begin with, but this uplifting movie does adapt it with gusto and charm. A strong cast, an empowered story and a few inspired moments means this still remains an enjoyable film ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Next Goal Wins (2023) It’s an absolutely fine film, but it does continue the trend in recent years of Taika Waititi’s lack of self control. Despite some fun moments, this is a whimsical but underwhelming underdog story that hits too many clichés to be wholly entertaining ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Daniel Robinson: From Reel to Real 