CAPHARNAUM - film

This film is quite extraordinary. It’s definitely one for people who like films of the ‘stops you in your tracks and makes you think’ variety and not for people who go to the movies for a bit of light escapism.

Capharnaum is about a 12 year old boy Zain living in dire poverty in Lebanon. Zain has been jailed for a violent crime but what brings him to the court case that features in the film is something different; something complex and surprising which I won’t spoil.

Zain flees his family home in desperation and anger and has an unpredictable journey of survival. He might be 12 but he has the intellect and attitude of someone much older which inevitably surprises the people he encounters during the film, many of whom have bad intentions. A light along the way with good intentions though is an Ethiopian woman Rahil who is working illegally and finding ways to get by with a little baby and the arrival of Zain in their lives has both positive and negative consequences.

Remarkably the cast of this film are unprofessional actors. You would truly never guess - there’s universally excellent performances.

I opened by saying this film is extraordinary and I mean that in the sense that it is out of the ordinary, not extraordinarily good. It IS good, but I’d be lying if I said I enjoyed watching it. The subject matter makes it deeply uncomfortable to watch and whilst that’s not a bad thing in and of itself, you need to be in the right frame of mind to sit through this. It’s tough going but full of incredible insights I’m grateful for.

Here’s a four star review from the Sydney Morning Herald with which I concur though as I often do, I feel this film was too long especially given the discomfort it causes viewers*. Read it if you’d like a little more on the storyline too.

Capharnaum is rated M and is in cinemas now. Trailer here.

* I am acutely aware of how much of a first world problem this is when compared with the actual problems depicted in the film.

VOX LUX - film

As the credits rolled on Vox Lux starring Natalie Portman I thought to myself, what was that all about? And frankly as I write this a few days later I’m still not sure.

Portman stars as pop singer Celeste for the second and third acts of the film with a younger actress Raffey Cassidy in the role for the first.

Celeste rockets to stardom as a teenager after surviving a school shooting and singing at a memorial event. From this traumatised yet still innocent start she heads down a path of hedonism and self-destruction which is all fairly predictable.

Despite surviving a deeply traumatic event, I confess I still didn’t feel much sympathy for Celeste in adulthood and I think this might be why I feel so *meh* about this film. I mean, it’s not terrible but I just didn’t particularly engage with the characters or find the storyline very compelling. It felt like I was being preached to by an earnest film-maker but if there was a meaning that’s deeper than ‘school shootings are utterly hideous and traumatic and taking drugs and drinking too much will see you make poor decisions’ then I missed it.

Later in the film viewers are treated to a number of Celeste’s hits which were written by Australian singer songwriter Sia and it’s easy to imagine someone like Lady Gaga owning them. I was surprised just how long this concert portion of the film went for. Too long for me.

I concur with this New York Times review which says “Vox Lux sinks under the weight of its own bombastic earnestness. Unfortunately, it pulls one of the best modern actresses, Portman, down along with it.” The film is getting mixed reviews though and so in the interests of fairness, here’s one that gives it 4.5 stars if you want to read an alternate view.

Vox Lux opens 21 February. Trailer here.

STAN & OLLIE - film

Stan & Ollie is based on the later lives of comedy double act Laurel and Hardy who were hugely popular from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s. I knew only a very little of the Laurel and Hardy phenomenon when I saw this and the story stands on its own so don’t be concerned if you’re not familiar with their work.

Another reason you need not be too concerned if you’re not familiar with them is that I found this film a bit boring and I can’t in good conscience recommend you rush out and see it. Not terrible, not by any stretch, just a bit dull.

John C. Reilly stars as Oliver Hardy and Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel. Reilly was nominated for Best Actor musical/comedy at the Golden Globes but Coogan didn’t get a nod which is interesting I guess. I thought both performed very well (acknowledging I have no idea how well they recreated the men they are portraying) but I wouldn’t say Reilly’s performance was any better than Coogan’s. Shows how messed up the Globes are, I guess.

Whilst the story is more about their personal and working relationship than it is their comedy style, said comedy style is not my cup of tea. You know when something’s really popular but you just don’t get it? The comedy of this duo can get in line behind the Coodabeen Champions on my list of those don’t @ me.

This is a 2.5-3 star film for me but to be fair, many proper critics enjoyed it more than me. For example, this four star review in The Guardian which you should read it if you want to know more about the film’s story line.

Stan & Ollie opens 21 February and is rated PG. Trailer here.

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK - film

If Beale Street Could Talk is a love story set in Harlem USA in the early 1970s based on a novel of the same name. Tish (KiKi Layne) and Fonny (Stefan James) have known each other since they were little tots and are now in their late teens and early twenties and deeply in love.

Fonny is wrongly arrested for raping a woman thanks in large part to a racist white policeman and winds up in jail just as Tish discovers she’s pregnant. Despite the best efforts of Tish and her family (not his family, who are very snooty and think Tish is beneath them), racist forces keep him locked up long after his child is born.

This is a very good film that I enjoyed a lot but it’s not a very, very good film that I enjoyed a lot, lot. OK we all know that sentence doesn’t work but I know you know what I mean. Let’s move on! For me it’s 4 stars good not 5 stars good and the fact it was nominated for Best Picture (drama) at the Golden Globes but not at the Oscars is support for that sentiment.

At two hours long, this film is at least 20 minutes too long. That much could easily be scraped from the first 70 minutes or so, when the ‘Tish and Fonny are soul mates, look how in love they are’ set up drags on with a few too many lingering looks and hand-holding strolls.

I reckon this four star review in The Guardian is bang on the money if you want to read more about the film. It contains an observation about an interaction Fonny and Tish have with a Jewish landlord that I read and thought, YES! That WAS a weird moment!.

If Beale Street Could Talk opens on 14 February. Trailer here.

ON THE BASIS OF SEX - film

Based loosely on the life story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Associated Justice of the Supreme Court of the USA), On The Basis Of Sex is a really enjoyable film.

Bader Ginsburg is a trail-blazer. In the late 1950s she was among a handful of women to study at Harvard Law School in a class of about 500 men. She broke down barrier after barrier (almost always due to her gender) that got in her way on a path to career success. The film follows her from law school to a career as a college professor which, though rewarding, wasn’t the court-room lawyer career she dreamed of. No law firm would give her a shot despite being top of her class academically because, well, on account her her gender she might get a bit too emotional, y’know?!

Felicity Jones doesn’t really knock it out of the park as Bader Ginsberg to be honest - she’s a British actress and she never really nails the New York accent. But it’s a serviceable performance and one that didn’t get in the way of me enjoying this. I don’t think I could honestly say I was inspired by it in the way I suspect the film-makers would like, but I definitely found myself brimming with gratitude for the gender equality Bader Ginsburg is famous for fighting for and winning.

Armie Hammer is excellent as Bader Ginsberg’s husband, Martin Ginsberg. There’s a moment towards the end of the film when you’re already loving him for playing the good guy when he gets out of a car dressed in a three piece suit, wearing sunglasses and generally being HOT AS HELL when you just can’t help but get your feathers up... OK maybe that’s just me. (Lusting after the lead guy is probably not quite the reaction the feminist movement would hope for but to that I say, I am human and he’s a total dreamboat.)

On The Basis Of Sex isn’t perfect but I really enjoyed it a lot and definitely happily recommend it to you. Here’s some additional reading from Rolling Stone if you’d like to know more about the film. I think the 3.5 star review is fair.

On The Basis Of Sex is rated M and opens on 7 February. Trailer here

GREEN BOOK - film

It’s a big call but Green Book is my favourite film this awards season. Well I guess it’s not that big a call since it won Best Picture (Musical/Comedy) at the Golden Globes. (I’d call it an at-times-funny drama rather than a comedy so I really don’t think it belongs in that category but that’s the silly Golden Globes for ya.)

Green Book is based on the true* story of Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), a world-class African American pianist who employs Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen), a burly Italian American security guard, to be his driver and security as he embarks on a tour of the deep south of America in 1962 where the racism is fierce.

They form a unique relationship, as you might expect two very different people spending all day every day together would. Ali and Mortensen pull off their roles brilliantly, Ali nailing the eccentric artist vibe and Mortensen the thuggish but caring family man vibe.

I won’t tell you where the name Green Book comes from but it’s important and awful and just one of the reasons to see this film. If you hardly ever get to the movies, I reckon this one is worth your time and money.

Here’s a four star review from News Ltd if you want to know more.

Green Book is rated M and opens on Thursday 24 January. Trailer here.

* The family of one of the main characters dispute much of what is depicted in the film. Read more about that here if you have a little extra time.

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY - film

Bohemian Rhapsody is a Freddie Mercury biopic that won Best Film (Drama) at the Golden Globes but has had very mixed reviews. (If you’re wondering why it was in the drama category instead of the musical category given the subject matter, you’re not alone.)

Mercury was the lead singer of the band Queen and their incredible songs are done justice throughout this film. To be frank, I knew almost nothing about Mercury or Queen before I saw this film so I’m absolutely not in a position to reflect on how accurate it is. (Not very, according to this review.) However as a piece of entertainment alone, I enjoyed this film. It’s far from perfect and I don’t think it deserved a best picture award, nowhere near it, but I did enjoy it.

Rami Malek is Freddie Mercury and I think he did a terrific job but keep in mind I wasn’t familiar with Mercury - purists and fans may not agree! Speaking of purists, Mercury fans might be happy about the prosthetic teeth Malek wore to look more like him but by golly they were out there, literally and metaphorically. Accurate? Arguably. Distracting? Definitely. (This Fairfax piece has a funny take on them… “I’ve never seen such overacting by an overbite.“)

If you want to know more about the Queen story and what happens in the film, check out one or both of the pieces linked to above.

Bohemian Rhapsody is rated M and in cinemas now. Trailer here.

MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS - film

Mary Queen of Scots is an historical drama starring Saoirse Ronan in the title role and Margot Robbie as her cousin Queen Elizabeth I.

Robbie undergoes the kind of physical transformation that screams ‘We’ve done this because it will win big in awards season’ but unfortunately this film is only 3.5 stars good, not 5 stars good.

There is some chatter about the film not being an accurate reflection of historical events but as someone who spent more time in school history class daydreaming about how hot Luke Perry was than listening to the teacher, that was not of any great concern to me. So in case it’s not obvious, my reflections on this film are based just on how much I enjoyed it and not how accurately it depicts real events.

So did I enjoy it? Yep. Did I enjoy it heaps, to the point I’d suggest you rush out and see it pronto? Nup.

For those who also didn’t listen much in history class, here’s the internet’s version of the plot:

Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary Stuart defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth I. Each young Queen beholds her sister in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and in love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence.

Ronan and Robbie act their socks off and deliver good performances; Ronan especially. Whilst I’m not surprised the film wasn’t nominated for best picture at the Golden Globes, I am surprised she wasn’t nominated for best actress.

The film is getting quite mixed reviews but I reckon this 3.5 star one in Rolling Stone magazine is fair.

Mary Queen of Scots is in cinemas on Thursday 17 January and rated MA15+. Trailer here.

MARY POPPINS RETURNS - film

A sequel to the fabulous original Mary Poppins film from 1964, Mary Poppins Returns doesn’t disappoint. As someone who watched the original over and over again in my childhood, this one was close to my heart so I was very relieved it didn’t go the way of Annie, my other childhood fav!

If you’re not familiar with the original SHAME ON YOU but also, quick précis, Mary (then Julie Andrews) is a magical nanny who lands with the Banks family to look after Jane and Michael and takes them on fantastical, musical adventures and the whole thing’s a toe-tapping good time.

Mary Poppins Returns, with Emily Blunt now in the all-singing, all-dancing shoes of Mary, is similar enough to the original to be a lovely tribute but different enough to be its own film and stand solidly among an audience not at all familiar with the ‘64 version. Mary Poppins is back to look after the three children of now grown up Michael Banks who is now a widower in tricky financial circumstances, with Aunt Jane living round the corner and a big presence in their lives.

Julie Andrews is of course a tough act to follow but Blunt is very good and she can definitely sing! Like Mary did in the original (Dick Van Dyke as Bert the chimney sweep), she has a fun offsider who this time around is Jack the lamp lighter, played by the fabulously talented Broadway star Lin-Manuel Miranda. Van Dyke makes a brief appearance in the film along with Meryl Streep and Angela Lansbury - there’s no shortage of talent here!

I’ve read some mixed reviews of Mary Poppins Returns but I reckon this four star one from The Guardian is fair. The film’s not perfect (the Royal Doulton product placement is yuck, for example, and at over two hours long it’s probably a stretch for some young kids) but it’s just damn good fun for people who are up for a musical and some fantasy.

Mary Poppins Returns is rated G and is in cinemas now. Trailer here.

THE FAVOURITE - film

I’m having one of those ‘everyone likes it except me’ moments you guys.

The Favourite is a comedy… or maybe it’s a dramatic comedy… or maybe it’s a dramady… or maybe it’s a comedy that’s a bit dramatic or a drama that’s quite comedic. WHY MUST WE LABEL EVERYTHING ETC ETC?!

Set in the early 1700s, the wonderful Olivia Colman is Queen Anne who is in the midst of strategising a war with France and bearing the pain caused by gout. Now, if this sounds like a boring bonnet drama, it really isn’t so do keep reading if they’re not your thing.

Rachel Weisz is also excellent as Lady Marlborough, the Queen’s confidant/assistant/advisor/something else I won’t spoil and Emma Stone is equally good as Lady Marlborough’s down and out cousin Abigail. Truly, the three women leads in this film are all incredibly skilled as they master both the dramatic and comedic turns of the film.

However for me this film is really compromised by its length. It goes for two hours and I looked at my watch at the 50 minute mark and thought, hoooo boy, we’re not even half way there. Not a good sign. The story is clever and funny but for me, The Favourite needed to be 30 minutes shorter to really be excellent.

I’m not going to tell you more about the storyline because there’s twists and turns I certainly didn’t predict and I think they’re part of the joy but there’s a hint in the name - who will be the Queen’s favourite?!

In the interests of fairness (remember how I said everyone liked it except me?!) here’s a five star review from news.com.au. (Contains numerous spoilers.) Needless to say I think it’s too generous - this is a three star film for me. I noted the length as an issue in a conversation on Twitter with a couple of people and one of them said “I really loved the first hour but it got long and sad in a dull way” which I think nails the issue.

There’s also, strangely, a fisheye lens used sometimes which created an unnecessary distraction, and also in some scenes people are filmed from below which I also didn’t dig. OK I will stop now.

The Favourite is in cinemas now, rated MA15+. Trailer here.

CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? - film

So you see the picture of Melissa McCarthy above and think this is a comedy, yes? Think again! McCarthy takes a turn in a dramatic role (albeit slightly comedic dramatic role) for Can You Ever Forgive Me? and nails it.

McCarthy plays author Lee Israel in this film based on Israel’s memoir of the same name. The film tells the story of Israel’s life following her success writing a number of biographies of famous women including Estee Lauder. The success has dried up and Israel is short on money and bankable ideas and is struggling with alcoholism and the fact her publisher won’t return her calls.

Scrambling for cash to pay her overdue rent, Israel sells a letter she received from Katharine Hepburn and before long is forging letters by actors and writers and selling them to make some coin. She enlists the help of her new friend Jack (Richard E Grant), who has some secrets of his own, when the authorities start closing in on her.

McCarthy and Grant are both glorious in this. McCarthy for the understated way she brings dour Israel to life and Grant for the fun charm he so often brings to the big screen. They’ve been nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes for their trouble and I think both are in with a good shot at the win.

Here’s a four star review from news.com.au if you’d like to know more about the film. I concur with the four stars, for what it’s worth.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is rated M and showing in cinemas now. Trailer here.

VICE - film

Vice is an American drama/comedy about US Vice President Dick Cheney with Christian Bale in the lead role, having undergone quite the physical transformation.

I wrote the sentence above a good few days before coming back to this to try to get my thoughts down about this film. It’s a hard one and it took a while to understand why I couldn’t just write this bloody thing! You see, this Best Picture (musical/comedy) Golden Globe-nominated film didn’t really float my boat as you might expect a Best Picture nominee to, to be honest but that’s not to say there’s nothing good about it. Bale as Cheney and Sam Rockwell as President George W Bush in particular are superb and Amy Adams as Cheney’s wife Lynne and Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld are also good.

The film is directed by Adam McKay who also directed Anchorman and The Big Short which was in the running for four Golden Globes and five Oscars but as this article in The Guardian notes, converted them to only one win. If I had to guess I’d say Vice will follow a similar trajectory. (If I was giving it one award I’d give Best Supporting Actor to Sam Rockwell. It’s a small role but by crikey he does George W well.) There’s a lot of buzz but is it actually among the very best films of the year?!

If you take a keen interest in US politics then sure, this is probably worth a look for you but if not, I’d leave this one for when it pops up on Netflix. As someone who doesn’t follow US politics super closely it was interesting to learn about the role of Vice President and how Cheney made it his own (and then some) but the film does this in a slightly unique way that I personally didn’t love. It’s a bit too pretentious for me.

Here’s a collection of excerpts of what the proper critics are saying about the film. It’s a mixed bag and hopefully you can tell why based on reading my own thoughts.

In cinemas 26 December. Trailer here. (If you do see it, stay for the credits.)

THE CHILDREN ACT - film

The Children Act is a drama based on a novel of the same name by Ian McEwan starring Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci.

Thompson is Fiona Maye, a judge who presides over deeply complex cases which consume her to the detriment of her marriage to Jack Maye (Tucci). Both Thompson and Tucci are fabulous in this and it really cemented Tucci’s place on my list of favourite actors.

Fiona hears a case about a 17 year old Jehovah’s Witness boy Adam who requires a blood transfusion in order to fight leukemia - something which his religious beliefs prohibit. I incorrectly assumed the case would be the bulk of the film when I saw the trailer but it’s in fact almost a jumping-off point for both Fiona’s and Adam’s stories, both of which are rich and complex. The story doesn’t head in a direction I ever would have predicted. No spoilers!

I think this is a really compelling drama and I’d happily recommend it to you. It’s not five-stars-perfect but three-and-a-half-stars-solid for me.

This news.com.au review also gives it 3.5 stars and is worth a read if you want to know more about the plot.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

THE GRINCH - film

I was lucky enough to take my 11 year old niece to a preview of The Grinch and we both loved it!

An animation from the same people who brought us the Despicable Me series, The Grinch is based on the Dr Seuss book “How The Grinch Stole Christmas!”

Benedict Cumberbatch is the voice of The Grinch but fans won’t necessarily recognise the voice with an American accent. I think he strikes the right tone for kids, a bit menacing but nothing that’s actually scary.

The Grinch sets about ruining Christmas in Whoville by stealing gifts and Christmas decorations. We get a little of his back-story that speaks to why he’s so damn grinchy and it’s a bit grim but there’s a good message in the film for kids about why presents aren’t what it’s all about. If you reckon your kids are a bit caught up in all the commercial crap, this might be a nice one to take them along to.

I thought my 11 year old niece was probably at the upper end of the age group this is suited to and when I asked her about it, she thought it was suited to kids aged 5-13. Speaking of her, here’s what she said:

“It was very fun and had lots of funny bits. I think it was a heartwarming movie. My favourite bit was seeing everyone together having fun.”

The Grinch has had mixed reviews (eg this two star review in The Guardian and this glowing one on ABC News Breakfast) but I think this is a classic good time film for primary school kids. Enjoy!

Trailer here. It opens on 29 November.

BOY ERASED - film

Boy Erased is based on the true story of a young American man raised in a fundamentalist Christian family and forced into conversion therapy having told his parents he’s attracted to men. It’s the best film I’ve seen in ages.

Hedges is excellent as Jared Eamons, the teen at the centre of the story. Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe play his parents Nancy and Marshall and despite the fact Kidman still hasn’t worked out how to nail an American accent, she too delivers a good performance. But it was Russell Crowe who surprised me most and I had many ‘oh that’s right, Russell Crowe is an excellent actor’ moments.

Exploring the themes of this film would have been easy to get wrong but director Joel Edgerton has nailed the sensitivity required to tell this story respectfully. The three key players in this story all fight complex internal battles where love that ought to be unconditional conflicts with deeply-held religious beliefs. I won’t labour the point - it’s too complicated for ‘cut to the chase’ - but I think the film does justice to the complexity to the extent it can in a two hour film.

I concur with this four star review in the News Ltd press. It hasn’t been universally praised (it received a two star review in The Guardian, for example) but it’s getting some awards season buzz so don’t be surprised if you hear Boy Erased mentioned when the Oscars roll around.

Boy Erased is in cinemas now and rated MA 15+. Trailer here.

LEAN ON PETE - film

Lean on Pete is an American drama about a teenage boy Charley (Charlie Plummer) who doesn’t have much in the way of money or family support and gets a job helping out a local horse trainer Del (Steve Buscemi). Buscemi and Plummer both give excellent performances in this film, along with Chloë Sevigny as jockey Bonnie.

I can’t recall another film where I’ve gone from enjoying it so much to not enjoying it so much by the end. It’s about two hours long and around the 70 minute mark I looked at my watch and though ‘Oh god, there’s still nearly an hour to go’ … and it had started so well!

The first half or so is, I think, I really realistic portrayal of the difficult life of a teenager being raised in poverty by a single father and we were starting to see an interesting relationship develop between Charley and Del. It was compelling. They’d lured me in. But then Charley winds up on the run (no spoilers re why/how) and the run was just way too long for me. I think I would have enjoyed this more if it was a 100 minute film rather than a 120 minute film but as regular readers know, I’m a firm believer that 90-100 minutes is the sweet spot!

As far as I can tell, proper critics are enjoying the film more than me. Here’s a four-star review from The Guardian and a three-star review in Rolling Stone magazine if you’d like to read more.

Lean On Pete opens in cinemas on 29 November and is rated M. Trailer here.

BEAUTIFUL BOY - film

Based on a true story, Beautiful Boy is an American drama starring Steve Carrell and Timothée Chalamet as father and son David and Nic Sheff. I really liked this film and found it a moving story about complex relationships and addiction.

Nic’s experimentation with drugs as a teenager starts off innocently enough. Well, predictably enough. But his addiction comes to run deep leading him to a path of destruction including his relationship with his dad. Much of the story is told through dad David’s eyes and whilst I did enjoy this film very much, I don’t think it’s Steve Carrell’s best work. He can certainly do drama (I loved him in The Way Way Back in 2013) but something about his performance here didn’t quite hit the nail on the head for me. The same cannot be said of Timothée Chalamet, who really does nail the complexity of addiction in his performance.

For more about the film, here’s a three star review from The Guardian which I think is fair, though I’d perhaps tip it up a little to 3.5 stars. I’d happily recommend this but particularly to parents and really particularly (is that a thing?!) to parents of teenagers.

Beautiful Boy is in cinemas now, rated MA15+. Trailer here.

FIRST MAN - film

I’m going to level with you, dear readers. I struggled a bit to write this one. This film is getting lots of really positive reviews but to be honest, I just didn’t feel it.

First Man is a biopic based on the life of Neil Armstrong and his journey to being the first man to walk on the moon. And you know what the problem with the movie was for me? I knew he made it to the moon. We all know he made it to the moon. I mean, I barely paid attention in history class or geography class or science class or frankly any class where this could conceivably been taught and even I know he made it to the moon. “One giant leap for mankind” and all that… yep, got it. So ultimately there was just no tension, no ‘will he or won’t he’ edge of your seat moments. I’ll admit it - I got a bit bored.*

Ryan Gosling is Armstrong and assuming Armstrong was genuinely a pretty understated guy (how would I know, I’m flat out trying to remember what school subject they teach you about the moon in!) Gosling does it well. Claire Foy who many will recognise from her break-out role as the Queen in the Netflix TV series The Crown, is also very good. She portrayed the impact of having a moon-landing husband very well; I can honestly say I hadn’t thought much about the lives of the families left behind, often through failed missions. Corey Stoll plays Buzz Aldrin and I dare say his family are pretty unhappy - he’s portrayed as an annoying goose!

The friend I saw First Man with felt the same about it as me but as I mentioned, the reviews are generally pretty positive so maybe it’s just us. It goes for 2 hours and 20 minutes so that definitely didn’t help.

We both gave it 2.5/5 when 4 star reviews are common including this one in The Guardian.

First Man opens on 11 October. If you see it, let me know what you reckon. Trailer here.

*Is it possible for a film based on a true story where you know what’s going to happen to build tension? I asked this on the socials and people suggested films like Sully, Dunkirk, 127 Hours, The Impossible, Spotlight, Titanic, The Sapphires, King of Kong and Argo as having done so. So yes, it’s clearly possible.

THE SEAGULL - film

The Seagull is based on the Anton Chekov play of the same name written in 1895. Now if you’re a modern kid who didn’t dig literature or history at school, don’t quit reading now. I mean, do what you want guys but you’re here now so you might as well finish what you’ve started.

I hadn’t read the play when I saw the film and didn’t know the story at all. No knowledge, no dramas! Annette Bening is the leading lady in this in every sense - she plays Irina who is a vain and selfish actress who is awful to her son Konstantin (Billy Howle), a tortured young man trying to make a future as a writer. Various connections of Irina and Kostantin feature including Saoirse Ronan as Konstatin’s love interest Nina, Corey Stoll as Irina’s much younger love interest Boris and Elizabeth Moss as Masha, the daughter of the housekeepers. Masha’s melancholy provides some light relief throughout, ironically.

I liked The Seagull but didn’t love it. It’s a good story, as you’d expect from a piece of work that’s stood the test of time since 1895 (!), and Annette Bening and Elizabeth Moss both give terrific performances that provide light relief. If you’re familiar with the play or dug history and/or literature at school you’re probably best placed to enjoy this one. I tend to agree with this review in The Guardian which gives it 3 stars from 5.

Trailer here. In cinemas 4 October.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS - film

Crazy Rich Asians is a jolly good fun rom com. It won't change your life or win an Oscar but it's exactly the kind of light entertainment I'm up for when I go to the movies with friends.

Based on a popular novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan (which I haven't read so had no clues about what was coming), Crazy Rich Asians tells the story of bright Chinese American economics professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) and her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding), who is also Chinese Singaporean and living in the States but with a British accent that hints at his privileged, or at least worldly, background.

It's not really a spoiler to tell you that Nick is crazy rich because it's revealed fairly early in the film. The rest of it is spent exploring what Rachel encounters when she goes to Singapore to meet Nick's family and the influence that extended family have on their relationship. (Hint - a lot. At first.)

This film is being lauded for its representation of Asian people on the big screen and whilst I appreciate the significance of that, this alone is not enough to recommend a film to you. The fact is that Crazy Rich Asians is a good fun film so quite apart from the good it does for multicultural representation, this one is worth a look if you want some light fun that will make you think a little but not a lot.

Here's a great review on ABC online if you'd like to read more. And if you'd like more on what the film means to Asian people, read this great piece by Michelle Law in the Fairfax press.

Crazy Rich Asians is in cinemas now. Trailer here.