Darkest Hour

Director: Joe Wright
Writer: Anthony McCarten
Stars: Gary Oldman, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas

Rating: 8/10

Like most human beings, I am a massive fan of Gary Oldman. I have been ever since I watched Leon and heard him say the word ‘everyone’. So, I feel pretty confident in saying that this is the best performance of his career. It’s so good that it is bigger than the film itself. That is not to say the film isn’t good, in fact it’s really good, but Gary Oldman is on another level. 

It is really difficult to say where Winston Churchill begins and Gary Oldman ends. The prosthetics are fantastic, but it is more than that, it’s his stance, his mannerisms and his presence that Oldman gets right. By the time you reach his big speeches you are fully sold that you are watching Churchill and each word feels like another hole in the enemy’s defences. 

So, to the actual film, we join Churchill through one of his toughest of period in office. He is surrounded by enemies – not unlike the British troops stranded at Dunkirk who he is trying to rescue. He is under pressure from all angles; his cabinet, the opposition, the military, the people and the palace. Not an enviable position to be in. And many believe he’s not the man for the job. But what this film does demonstrate is that if Winston had not been in 10 Downing Street in 1940 then the outcome of WWII would have been very different indeed.

And this is the other major part of this film – its historical importance. Generations (like me) who grew up hearing about the war, but not living through it, may not fully comprehend the complexities and scale of it all. Films like these are key to unlocking the key points in time where the future of the world truly hung in the balance. 

But instead of throwing loads of bullets, special effects and front line fighting at us – like many other WWII films - the Darkest Hour is all about subtlety, nuances and the tough decisions that had to be made under intense pressure. But don’t let that fool you to think there isn’t any action, there is, but it comes at you in a different way. The discussions in the War Cabinet are as tense as any other war film and even though you know the outcome, you are still on the edge of your seat. 

This is a very dialogue heavy film and therefore you need good writing to truly convey the tensions and complexities plus keep the audience engaged – because this is entertainment after all. So just like Churchill said himself, words are power. 

I must also mention the fantastic Kristen Scott Thomas. Much more of an understated role than Oldman, but just as significant. When Winston is cornered by those vying for his position, his wife Clemmie (Thomas) is his rock, gently guiding him to be the man she knows he can be and the leader she knows the nation needs. 

Finally this a great looking film. The cinematography is beautiful and shows us just how isolating and lonely Churchill’s tenure was. The clever use of darkness to emphasise the gravity of the situation and light to symbolise the glimmers of hope, make the whole film feel more like a painting than a film. 

So, in summary – go and watch this film. Revel in the superb display from Oldman, absorb the wealth of history, marvel at the cinematography and be proud that this tiny little island came together, stood firm and never surrendered. 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Director: Martin McDonagh
Writer: Martin McDonagh
Stars: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell 

Rating: 10/10

Quite honestly, this is one of the best films I have seen in a long time. I loved it. It was funny where it shouldn’t be, it was challenging where it should be, and it was so absorbing I never wanted it to end. I wanted to stay with these characters as they continued their lives, have a beer and play pool with them then head off to the gift shop to buy one of those little rabbits for $7. 

Three Billboards (as it’s known to its friends) is set in a small town in southern America and we join them seven months after Mildred’s (Frances McDormand) daughter has been raped and murdered. As I said, this is small town America where everyone knows each other and nothing much happens, so its fair to say the police have drawn a blank. Mildred is not happy about the state of the investigation and hires three billboards questioning the police chief (Woody Harrelson) on the progress of the case. 

This, as you can imagine, causes quite a stir. What ensues is a brilliantly crafted development of all the key characters and how they interact and affect each other’s perceptions and decisions. Each character is as complex as the next, and you really get to know them like you are part of the town. And whether you like or dislike them, they are all human and make right and wrong choices, sometimes on impulse and sometimes calculated. This ensures you never really know what each one is going to do next and when you think you do everything changes. 

Standout performances go to Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell, who I would be surprised if they were not in the running for a little gold statue come March 5th. 

McDormand is as brilliant as she always is. I struggle to think of a film she has been in where she wasn’t the best thing in it. Her ability to remain fiercely composed even in the harshest of scenes, coupled with her jet-black comedy timing, make her one of the greatest actresses of recent years. For me this is up there with Fargo as one of her best – and I don’t say that lightly!

On the other hand, we have Sam Rockwell. He plays Dixon – a racist, hot-headed, small town cop who likes to stroll around Ebbing, Missouri thrusting his authority on anyone who will listen. However, he is more complex than this suggests, and his character arc is one of the most intriguing elements of the film. He has great respect for Chief Willoughby (Harrelson) who, in return, seems to back him even when others wouldn’t. Rockwell plays this brilliantly and you will be hard pushed to find a better supporting actor role this year. 

Pace wise I would set this film as an ‘ebber’ (no pun intended – ok of course the pun was intended!). It ebbs along nicely and doesn’t rush you but also never feels like it is dragging. It is like baby bears porridge – just right.  This is credit to writer and director Martin McDonagh who once again has created a thoroughly absorbing and deeply effective film which will stay with me for some time. 

If I am being critical, there was one small part of the film that didn’t sit right with the rest of the film and that was the obvious age gap between Woody Harrelson’s police chief and his wife Anne (Abbie Cornish). Harrelson is 21 years older than Cornish and that was extremely apparent on screen. I’m not saying it isn’t possible for them to be married with kids - far from it - but it seemed more of a Hollywoody decision (meaning Hollywood execs like to cast younger women in relationships with older men – meaning older female actresses end up playing divorcees, like McDormand in this film, or widows) rather than for plot development or as a reflection of the town they were trying to portray. 

But this is the only blight on what was otherwise a flawless film. The humour is dark and makes you laugh at the awkwardness of everyday life more than gags and punchlines. And it also can shock you at times when you are least expecting it. 

So, hats off to Mr. McDonagh for giving me this masterpiece which goes straight in as my number one for 2018 so far and will be a very tough one to budge. 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Director: Rian Johnson
Writers: Rian Johnson, George Lucas 
Stars: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill

Rating - 9/10

The first question you want to ask is – is it good? Yes. In fact, it is very good. As Skywalker Saga films go, I’d put it a beat behind IV, V and VII – which is high praise indeed. Is it perfect? Certainly not. But I will tell you this – it doesn’t give you a minute. I came out of the cinema shattered and emotionally drained with a boat load of new questions.

Firstly, this review is SPOLIER-FREE! I may stray into a few plot points but none of the twists (naturally there are a few – hey its Star Wars!) will be revealed. 
Let’s get into the meat of it. There are roughly three main storylines running through this film - 1) Rey 2) Fin and 3) the Resistance. And Rey’s storyline is a belter. The character arcs for Rey and Kylo Ren are superb and the acting by Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver is up there with some of the best I have seen this year. 

Adam Driver will pull most of the plaudits (and rightly so) because his is a testosterone-filled, adolescent rage-fest with a dash of unpredictability. Previously I wasn’t much sold on Kylo Ren. He was a cheap version of Darth Vader with added daddy issues. Yet here, Driver moves the character from wannabe bit-player to predatorial figurehead with real complexity and a brooding style. You can genuinely feel his inner conflict of the dark side and the light entwined with the continuing pain of killing Han. I can’t wait to see where he takes him in Episode IX.

However, we must not overlook the contrasting subtlety of Daisy Ridley’s portrayal of Rey. There is so much going on within her and you are never 100% sure what she’s going to do next. Rey’s journey and internal battles are just as complex as Ren’s but are delivered in a much more understated way. There is also humour. She lightens up even the most intense scenes. My only criticism here is there isn’t enough Rey and Fin screen time because that is what gave The Force Awakens its real charm. 

Whilst I have strayed into the negatives I will point out a few more. 1) *whispers*…. it’s a bit too long. I never thought I would say that I want less Star Wars for my money. But there are a few times where it sags a bit and there is a slight ‘Return of the King-esque’ false ending. 2) Fin’s storyline is the weakest of the three. It’s not poor – not by a long shot – but it doesn’t carry the same weight, energy or excitement as the others. And this is coming from someone who was wearing a FN-2187 t-shirt whilst watching the film. This leads to the third criticism – the film is a bit disjointed and, ironically, unbalanced. Rey’s storyline holds much more weight than the others and even though Fin was trying to help both Rey and the Resistance it didn’t feel as important. Saying that there’s a lovely chemistry between Fin and Rose. 

Ok, let’s move away from the negativity. This has all those wonderful things you love about Star Wars – Leia (oh Carrie how we love and miss you dearly – and the tribute to her will make you shed a tear), Luke, Chewie, fantastic droids, great characters and creatures (old and new), warm nostalgic touches and a score to end all scores. It isn’t quite as funny as other Star Wars films, and that is because there is a Han shaped hole in the film. 

Also, if you are hoping Episode VIII will answer your gajillion questions from VII then you’d be about half right. It answers some, but then throws up a tonne more and even leaves you wondering who to believe. Luke? Ren? 

Oh and Porgs are quite cute – but not as cute as BB-8 and my new favourite creatures are the Caretakers of Ach-To. I love those guys. And one last word for General Hux. Just the baddie we always hoped for and now have. Perfection!

To summarise - Last Jedi is a rip-roaring, emotionally fuelled, full-throttle space race battle which could be described as Mad Max: Fury Road in space (with Leia as the original Furiosa). It certainly doesn’t disappoint and you may need a lie down afterwards. 

Better Call Saul (Series 3)

Creators: Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks 

Rating: 7/10

Ok before I tell you what I think, let me bring you up to speed. Better Call Saul focuses on Saul Goodman (of Breaking Bad fame) many years before he became ‘Saul Goodman’. In this series he is Jimmy McGill – his actual persona – and the show looks at his path from being Jimmy to becoming Saul and all the bumps in between. In series three we meet Jimmy at a time where his confession to his brother Chuck (about sabotaging Chuck’s bid for the coveted Mesa Verde contract) is on the brink of being revealed. This starts to unravel Jimmy’s relationships – initially with Kim and then subsequently with Chuck - and this is the general theme through out the series. Jimmy always means well, but his natural tendency is toward developing schemes which, to quote Chuck, “always end up hurting people”.

When watching all three series of Better Call Saul, I always felt like there was an inside joke that I was not party to. Like I was the new kid who didn’t get all the references but felt like I had to smile and play along so as not to upset anyone. Despite this I actually quite liked the show. I was intrigued to find out what happened but that disconnect between me and the programme never really went away.

Maybe this is due to it being quite a male driven programme where the only regular female character is Kim Wexler – played by the fantastic Rhea Seehorn. Kim is not just Jimmy’s love interest – in fact that seems almost secondary to her by the end of the series - she is an intelligent, dedicated, hard-working lawyer who believes in Jimmy, sometimes to her detriment. But this show, and particularly this series, is all about consequences. What happens when you push the button a little bit too far? And this is something Kim will discover as the series develops.

Another niggling issue I have is that you can never be sure whether you are rooting for Jimmy or not. That’s the intrigue. Do I like him? Should I like him? On one hand this seems clever but it does leave you with an uncomfortable feeling which isn’t always enjoyable.

An element of the show which I really admire though, is the writing. The delicate building of how Saul, Mike Ehrmantrout and Gus Fring become connected is something to behold. There would be a temptation to throw them all into the mix very early to please the Breaking Bad fans, but they haven’t done that and I think it’s to the show’s credit. That, for me, is the pull that keeps you watching. How does this all become what we know it does?

This is not one of those fast-paced, edge of your seat type thrillers. If that’s what you are after, then this is not the show for you. It moves along at a very respectful, leisurely pace. Always intriguing but nothing to raise your heartrate!

There is also very little exposition in this series – which of course is a good thing. The writers respect the viewers and leave some avenues up to your interpretation. Sometimes this can fall short though, which is why you end up feeling a little left out at times. There really is no pleasing us sometimes!

Something that is standout for this programme is the cinematography. Each shot feels very stylised, well thought out and full of little details which you could miss if you weren’t paying attention. This is helped by the pacing as it gives you time to look around and absorb the wonderful view.

Netflix has announced that there will be a fourth series in 2018 and with the series ending on a massive cliffhanger (no spoilers here) this never seemed in doubt. It is thought that Rhea Seehorn (Wexler), Giancarlo Esposito (Fring) and Jonathan Banks (Ehrmantraut) will also return for series four to watch Jimmy McGill plunge headfirst into becoming Saul Goodman.

So to summarise, should you watch it? Yeah, its enjoyable especially if you liked Breaking Bad, but there are other TV shows out there which I would recommend ahead of this.

Thor: Ragnarok

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Idris Elba and Tom Hiddleston
Directed by Taika Waititi

Synopsis – Thor returns to Asgard following his visions of its destruction and battles with and against different parts of his family in an attempt to protect the people.

Review - Having seen a few reviews from trusted sources, I went into this film thinking I would be in for a good time. Also, having seen a few of Taika’s previous films, I felt pretty prepared for his style of humour. However, the first two acts of this film were as good as any comedy film I have seen this year – if not funnier – and I struggled to stop laughing.

Chris Hemsworth’s comedy timing is on point, Mark Ruffalo pulls in great laughs both as the toddler-like Hulk and the geeky Banner – even the uber-cool Tessa Thompson pulls in a big laugh with a Jennifer Saunders-esque entrance. And Taika’s Korg is very funny throughout – sometimes a bit too funny when you don’t want him to be.

The CGI is fantastic; the influence of films like Lord of the Rings and Flash Gordon are evident and it all felt like a nice warm blanket of pure escapism – which is exactly what we all need right now! Its funny, its warm, its uplifting. What more could you want from the cinema?

This film is not perfect – there are some flaws. Parts are quite rushed such as the Odin bit (not going to spoil anything for you lovely people) and the other Marvel cameo. However, you can kind of forgive it as what it rushes to is pure Gold(blum) – (yes he’s in it and yes he’s awesome).

I am aware that I haven’t said anything about Cate Blanchett. Now those of you who know me, know how much I love CB and think she’s one of the best actors of all time. However, she just feels a step out of the rest of the film. I feel like the character wasn’t developed or rounded enough for her to really give a legendary Blanchett performance. But hey who am I to tell Cate Blanchett how to act?

I understand as well that some of you may be tired of the same old Marvel / superhero format and I get that (my wife says the same thing to me every time one of these films comes out). So if that’s how you feel then you probably should give this a miss. I, on the other hand, have been watching superhero films/TV programmes and reading comics for as long as I can remember – and when they are done as well as this I will keep watching them.

Fun fact: Did you know that this film in its first two weeks has made more than Thor 1 and 2 combined? Apparently so. And rightly so, because its better than those two films put together.

In summary – this is more towards Guardians than Cap’ on the Marvel barometer, but it is definitely the best Thor film of the trilogy and probably just squeezes into my top 5 Marvel films.

Go and see if…you like superhero films – and make sure you take some popcorn!

Rating – 8/10

If you want to discuss this review or any other films with me - I am on twitter @lucystrakerco

Anti-social media

Film reviewed - Unfriended by Levan GabriadzeStarring - Heather Sossaman and Shelley Hennig

Synopsis - A group of friends discuss the death of their classmate in an online chat room before realising they are being stalked by social media accounts.

Review - My wife is a big fan of horror films. Therefore whenever a new scary movie is released I head off to the cinema to gain some much needed brownie points (especially with Avengers being released recently). However despite my initial reticence, I really enjoyed Unfriended - or Cybernatural as IMDb seems to call it (one of the original names given to the film).

WARNING - the next sentence may make you feel quite old. The Blair Witch Project came out 16 years ago and during that time it has spawned many 'found footage' horror films - some good, some bad. In this case, Unfriended has taken the Blair Witch concept by the horns and dragged it into the cyberworld of the 21st century. 

I'm not saying Unfriended is as good as Blair Witch (because it isn't) but you can not fault it for originality - which is not something you can say about most films these days.

The entire film takes place on the computer screen of Blair Lilley (no not a witch) as she chats to her friends on Skype, iMessage and Facebook. The group quickly realise that they are being stalked by the account of their late friend Laura Barnes who committed suicide after an embarrassing video of her was uploaded to YouTube. 

The story is compelling and and grips you from start to finish (all 89 minutes of it). And as it is a horror there are a few cliches thrown in for good measure (I'll leave it up to you to spot them).  The only part of the film that lets it down is the deaths which seem to be a bit B-movie and not in keeping with the rest of the film. Don't be put off though, this is the only mark against a film that overall is a good solid horror flick.

In summary - A new and interesting take on the found footage fright flick format.

Go and see it if...Blair Witch was your thing.

Rating - 8/10

(Lack of) Focus

Film reviewed - Focus by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

Starring - Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro and Adrian Martinez

Synopsis - Veteran, Nicky (Smith) gives novice, Jess (Robbie) a crash course in con artistry only for his decisions to repeat on him a few years later when Nicky starts working for millionaire Garriga (Santoro). 

Review - I would have loved to have been part of the production meeting. That way I would understand the point of making this film (hopefully). The only reason I can see is to show off a range of cons and tricks, most of which aren't that good. If it was meant to be funny, they forgot to add the jokes. 

I am a big fan of Ocean's 11 and 13 (let's just pretend 12 didn't happen). Those were clever, well thought out plots which applied humour and a semblance of ethics to a criminal escapade. Focus does none of this. Sure there are some odd moments where you think "hmm yes that's not bad" but generally you are left thinking "so what?" 

Will Smith actually looks bored in large parts and who can blame him. I was. I took snacks to the cinema and I couldn't eat them because the pace of the film didn't lend itself to snacking. This is a sign of a bad film. If I'm at the cinema I want to snack. It's my right as a nerd. Don't take that away from me. 

Ok enough ranting. Let me try and 'focus' (sorry) on some good points. Hmmm. Give me a minute. Oh yes Adrian Martinez. He was like a breath of fresh air. Every scene he was in was made better by him being there. But that's it. 

In conclusion I wouldn't recommend this film. It'll probably be on Netflix in a year or so and you can watch it one rainy Tuesday night when you've nothing better to do. 

Go and see it if...you're mad.

Rating - 4/10