Director: Peter Cattaneo Starring: Steve Coogan, Jonathan Pryce, Vivian El Jaber, Björn Gustafsson Certificate: 12A Run Time: 112 mins
The Penguin Lessons is a comedy-drama directed by Peter Cattaneo, best known for The Full Monty, based on a 2015 memoir by Tom Michell. Michell was a British teacher who taught at a boys’ boarding school in Argentina in the 1970s, during the escalating coup d’état and after he goes on a trip with fellow science teacher Tapio (Björn Gustafsson) to Uruguay for a week, he comes back with a penguin, which he finds covered in oil on a beach that he can’t get rid of and the two form a strong bond. Steve Coogan plays the English teacher and the film’s script is written by Jeff Pope, who wrote the excellent Philomena, which Coogan also starred in.
This is a rousing film with an excellent central Steve Coogan performance and his winning relationship with the penguin gives the film a strong emotional core. Pope’s sharp script gives Coogan plenty of opportunities with lots of wit – the film definitely wouldn’t work as well as it does without Coogan. Although this feel-good memoir succeeds on the buddy narrative, it struggles with the haunting political subtext which is rather glossed over. This is especially unfortunate given the recent release of the Oscar-winning I’m Still Here, which tackles eerily similar political themes with far more depth and emotion.
Despite the odd, but true events, Cattaneo’s film resorts to a predictable Hollywood structure with the typical heartwarming comedy story beats. But even though you can see most of the beats coming, the film does just enough to keep things fresh with Coogan’s performance and the various warm character relationships he has in the film. Vivian El Jaber is excellent as Maria, one of the housekeepers whose granddaughter, Sofia (Alfonsina Carrocio) is an activist who is at risk of getting into trouble with the Argentine authorities, and I really bought the relationship between them and Coogan’s teacher. And it’s always refreshing to see Jonathan Pryce in a film, who brings a twinkle to the stern, but impenetrable Headmaster of the boarding school.
Although familiar in its construction and flawed in that it glosses over what was a disturbing part of Argentina geopolitical history, I still found a lot to like in The Penguin Lessons. Coogan really carries the film and the bond his teacher forms with the penguin is an effective metaphor for the more troubling historical backdrop, as well as a good serving of wry writ of Jeff Pope’s script.
Director: Ryan Coogler Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connor, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Delroy Lindo Certificate: 15 Run Time: 138 mins
Sinners is an original horror film written, co-produced and directed by Ryan Coogler, notable for injecting new life into established series with films such as Creed and Black Panther. Set in 1932 in the Mississippi Delta, Coogler-regular Michael B. Jordan stars in a dual role as twin brothers Elijah ‘Smoke’ and Elias ‘Stack’ Moore who return to their home after spending years working for the Chicago Outfit. They buy a sawmill from a racist landowner with stolen cash from the gangsters so they can open a juke joint for the local black community. After recruiting a team of staff, the Moore’s cousin Sammie’s (Miles Caton) blues music is so transcendent that it unknowingly summons spirits, unfortunately attracting the attention of some vampires led by Irish-immigrant Remmick (Jack O’Connell).
Sinners is an ambitious piece and while it’s refreshing that Coogler’s got to make a relatively big-budget ($100 million) original work is to be commended, the film is rather messy in its construction. Coogler’s script is the fundamental problem – it’s too talky and expository, and none of the themes are explored with any form of subtlety. There’s also next-to-no character development, despite the cast doing the best with the material they’ve got. For example, I found it difficult in distinguishing the difference between Michael B. Jordan’s characters. Still, Jordan puts in a committed performance and of the supporting cast, it’s Delroy Lindo that’s the standout as an alcoholic pianist.
While there’s the beginnings of a formidable villain in Remmick (I particularly appreciated his abrupt entrance in how he seems to drop out of the sky), the vampire element of Sinners didn’t work for me. Coogler is clearly more interested in the transcendent music and rushes through the film’s blood and guts, with no tension whatsoever.
There’s certainly many plus points though, chiefly some very entertaining sequences here and there. The world that Coogler creates feels authentic, from everything to the costume and set design – the film certainly wears its reasonable budget with pride. Ludwig Göransson’s score also stands out, really elevating the film in how it flirts with all manner of generational and musical genres. Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s cinematography deftly captures the hot, arid nature of the Mississippi but some of the nighttime shots are too darkly lit.
While I found enough to like in Sinners, I don’t quite understand the rapturous reception it’s received – it’s rather overrated. It’s a rewrite away from being something really special and I wish Coogler’s script had more focus. If you’re expecting a modernised version of From Dusk till Dawn, you’re going to be disappointed. But there’s certainly some interesting ideas in Sinners, and I’m glad an original piece such as this exists.
Director: Ray Mendoza & Alex Garland Starring: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton, Noah Centineo, Michael Gandolfini Certificate: 15 Run Time: 95 mins
Warfare is a war film directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland and is based on Mendoza’s experiences during the Iraq War as a US Navy SEAL. The script and story is taken from the testimonies of the platoon members and presented in real time on one horrible day in November 2006 as the squad takes control of an Iraqi house under the cover of darkness. What follows is a bloody, pointless siege as the platoon comes under enemy attack. The film is dedicated to platoon member Elliott Miller, who lost his leg and ability to speak in the incident. With the exception of Mendoza and Miller, all of the real-life figures are given aliases for their characters in the film.
Mendoza previously acted as the military supervisor for Alex Garland’s excellent previous film, Civil War. For Warfare, Mendoza and Garland wrote the script together and although both filmmakers receive a director credit, Garland says he had more of a supporting role to Mendoza. All in, this film certainly an original and intriguing concept.
Warfare is a powerful and gripping war film that shows the genre at its best – a haunting meditation of the human experience without a forced story arc or political stance. Mendoza and Garland ratchet up the tension throughout, crafting an unnerving atmosphere that the platoon are going to be annihilated by the enemy, even though long stretches of the film are of the monotony of waiting around. There’s almost a documentary feel to cinematographer David J. Thompson’s cameras, which makes the experience all the more life-like.
The sound design, in particular stands out – this is a must-see in the cinema for the sound alone. I particularly admired how the film experiments with sound from the character’s perspective, for example a high-frequency, unearthly pitch after a bomb explodes. Save for an ending sequence, the film’s also devoid of music which really works – there are no artificial devices here to emotionally manipulate.
The performances are also brilliant, even if none of the characters receive any backstory – instead, the ensemble all coalesce as a group, like the team they are. D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai stands out as Mendoza, with a clear weight on his shoulder because he needs to relay the team’s status and any incoming information from the home base – if he messes up, he risks the team’s safety. Cosmo Jarvis is also brilliant as Elliott, who hauntingly conveys his pain and is dripping in sweat as he surveys his surroundings while on sniper duty. After his fantastic turn in May December, Charles Melton is another highlight as Jake, the Alpha Two leader who steps in to help manage the Alpha One team once all hell breaks loose.
Warfare is an incredibly immersive and visceral piece with a lean and mean quality to its pacing. I’m sure some who will criticise the film for not taking a political stance, like Garland was criticised for not doing with Civil War but that’s missing the point –Warfare is instead about the pointless destruction of war. It’s probably a stretch that Warfare is going to sustain its momentum throughout the year and into next year’s Awards season. But this is the best war film I’ve seen in a long time, and so much better than 1917 or All Quiet On The Western Front, which received considerable Awards attention in their respective years. Warfare is far more deserving of such accolades and I can’t wait to see what Mendoza and Garland do next.
Director: Alonso Ruizpalacios Starring: Raúl Briones, Rooney Mara, Anna Diaz, Motell Foster, Oded Fehr, Spenser Granese, Soundos Mosbah Certificate: 15 Run Time: 139 mins
La Cocina is written and directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios, a comedy-drama based on an Arnold Wesker 1957 stage play called The Kitchen. But Ruizpalacios updates this story about a Times Square tourist trap restaurant called ‘The Grill’ for the modern day. Rather than the kitchen staff being mainly continental European immigrants, here they are replaced with Latin Americans and Arabs, with the restaurant run by Rashid (Oded Fehr), a successful Arab-American entrepreneur. Rashid regularly promises the illegal immigrants a legal status in the US to keep the carrot dangling over them, but he never delivers on his promises. The waitresses are predominantly white American women.
The film opens as Estela, a newly arrived Mexican immigrant comes to work at the restaurant where she knows Pedro, one of the cooks. Pedro is a hot-tempered cook whose girlfriend Julia (Rooney Mara) is one of the waitresses and is pregnant with his child, but determined to get an abortion, which Pedro disagrees with. Instead, he wants them to run away to an unspoiled beach in Mexico and escape their problems.
La Cocina is an odd film. I found its first hour quite profound as Ruizpalacios deftly sets the scene and introduces us to the charismatic, burnt out kitchen staff, with its tone steeped in anger. But the film then becomes exhausting and very self-indulgent in its scattershot approach, with a meandering narrative that often go nowhere, especially a protracted speech during a staff break. Fortunately, the film has something to say in its searing ending though. Ruizpalacios’ film is visually interesting, largely shot in black-and-white, save for a scene in a freezer, and the use of sound is excellent, with the constant ticking of a printer reeling off kitchen orders a brilliant touch to add to the stress.
The performances are good – Raúl Briones deftly portrays the chef at the end of his tether. Mara’s reliably fine but her waitress doesn’t get as much development as I’d like. Anna Diaz is another highlight as Estela but it’s a shame her character gets sidelined as the film progresses, especially seeing as her character is initially the audience’s view into how the restaurant is run. Oded Fehr is unrecognisable as the manipulative restaurant owner and has a commanding presence with his character’s God-like control.
La Cocina is an interesting and certainly original piece, and for the first half, this had the potential to be one of the best films of the year. But its scattershot second half brings the film down and while I appreciate the message Ruizpalacios is trying to convey, the meandering and self-indulgent approach in the second half doesn’t work.
Director: Barry Levinson Starring: Robert De Niro, Debra Messing, Cosmo Jarvis, Kathrine Narducci, Michael Rispoli, Michael Adler, Ed Amatrudo Certificate: 15 Run Time: 123 mins
The Alto Knights is directed by Barry Levinson and stars Robert De Niro in a dual role as 1950s mob bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. If that Oscar winning director and actor duo isn’t enough for you, then the film’s also written by Nicholas Pileggi, the mastermind behind Martin Scorsese classics Goodfellas and Casino.
Based on true events, The Alto Knights is told from Costello’s perspective as he looks back on his life. The film opens on a failed assassination attempt of Costello, who was on the verge of a quiet retirement. The hit had been ordered by Genovese, a man consumed by paranoia and distrust, who suspects Costello has an underlying motive and the two are forced to go toe-to-toe.
The Alto Knights isn’t terrible but the film does little to justify its existence. It begins solidly then slumps before peaking in its final act. Levinson’s proven a fine director in his prime, with films such as Bugsy and Rain Man but he lacks both the energy and cutting cruelty of Scorsese. Pileggi’s screenplay is very novelistic and the film feels like reheated leftovers of a bygone era. The film’s neither good enough to be memorable or bad enough to really get angry at.
While De Niro’s reliably excellent as the two gangsters, the fact that he plays both roles feels rather pointless. This is certainly the case with Genovese, where De Niro feels like he’s imitating Joe Pesci. There are many scenes where Costello and Genovese converse together, but the film didn’t absorb me because I was instead pondering the mechanics of how the filmmakers shot the scene. Ultimately, The Alto Knights would have been a stronger film with De Niro in a single role.
The prosthetics are also distracting, particuarly Costello’s outrageously fake nose. That said, I think I stand on the side of prosthetics over de-aging, which really hurt The Irishman a few years back, particularly a scene in which a younger-looking De Niro walks to beat someone up and the body moves like an old man.
There are some other positives though. Cosmo Jarvis steals the show as Vincent Gigante, a rising star in Genovese’s family who’s ordered to carry out the initial hit and the film’s handsomely shot by Dante Spinotti. I particularly liked how Levinson intercuts key scenes with still photography, which gives the film a historical quality.
It’s a shame The Alto Knights doesn’t deliver as highly as it should, given the pedigree of its cast and crew. While it’s competent enough and quite fun in its third act with a committed Robert De Niro performance, the decision to have the octogenarian in a dual role is a mistake. The Alto Knights probably would have been a lot better if it released a decade or two ago – it suffers under the commanding weight of exemplar efforts in the mafia genre.
Director: Steven Soderbergh Starring: Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, Pierce Brosnan Certificate: 15 Run Time: 94 mins
Black Bag is a stripped-down espionage thriller by Steven Soderbergh, his second film of the year after the excellent Presence. Michael Fassbender plays British Intelligence officer George Woodhouse and as the film opens, he is given one week by his superior to investigate who has leaked a top-secret software program. One of the suspects is his fellow intelligence officer and wife, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). He invites the other four suspects to dinner and drugs the chana masala (which he tells his wife to avoid) to get them to loosen up and in his words “watch the ripples”.
This is another excellent film from Soderbergh and it’s impressive how lean Black Bag is – there isn’t an ounce of fat in this fast-paced 94 minute thriller. David Koepp’s flirtatious script is very sharply written and the film feels very much indebted to the works of John le Carré, albeit with Soderbergh’s influence. It’s very satisfying constantly seeing this ensemble play each other wih the film’s dry wit and there’s a surprising number of laughs here too, especially a serious Fassbender cooking up a storm in the kitchen with steamed-up glasses. The film’s lusciously shot by Soderbergh (under his usual Peter Andrews pseudonym) and David Holmes’ playful score is very fitting.
The performances are uniformly excellent. Fassbender’s played a similarly meticulous character before in The Killer but he’s oozing with swagger in this and Cate Blanchett makes for a great foil and we’re never sure whether she can be trusted or not. Marisa Abela is another standout as a satellite imagery specialist and Pierce Brosnan’s surprisingly great as the big boss, even if he’s not in the film very much.
Black Bag is a hugely enjoyable spy thriller and a thrilling genre exercise from Soderbergh in how stripped back it is. There’s a medley of excellent performances and some very satisfying set-pieces, with Koepp’s script proving globe-trotting action isn’t the key ingredient to a spy caper. I can’t wait to see how it holds up to a rewatch – this is a deliciously entertaining film.
Director: Bong Joon Ho Starring: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo Certificate: 15 Run Time: 137 mins
Mickey 17 is the new film by Bong Joon Ho, the South Korean auteur’s follow-up to his 2020 Best Picture award winning Parasite. Based on a novel by Edward Ashton, the film is set in the year 2054 and follows Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson), who joins a space colony headed by Trump-like politician Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo). Mickey joins as an ‘Expendable’, which means he gets cloned and reprinted by a state-of-the-art machine every time he dies for research purposes. As you can imagine, he receives some pretty dangerous missions. When the seventeenth Mickey iteration is tasked with capturing an indigenous lifeform called a ‘creeper’ on the snowy planet of Niflheim, he falls into an ice fissure and his colleague, Timo (Steven Yeun) reports his death. However, Mickey 17 survives the fall and when he’s back on board the spaceship, he meets the new and more aggressive Mickey 18. Since ‘Multiples’ are banned on board, that inevitably introduces some difficulties.
Like most of Bong Joon Ho’s work, Mickey 17 is a strange piece full of biting satire and veers erratically between genres, from slapstick to absurdism to horror and back again. There’s a handful of laughs but it would be fair to say a lot of the humour doesn’t land either. While the film’s always entertaining, Mickey 17 is unfortunately rather messy and it’s particularly odd how the film abandons its cloning storyline half-way through to then focus on the themes of colonisation between species. Fortunately, I was more interested in the film’s second half and it’s always better for a film to end on a high note. The film’s visually interesting and some of the otherworldly landscapes are beautifully shot by Darius Khondji. There’s also an interesting score by Jung Jae-Il, although some of the song choices are on-the-nose.
Robert Pattinson makes a good effort as the titular Mickey but the kooky performance didn’t really work for me. It feels akin to a character a young Johnny Depp would have excelled at. Faring better is Naomi Ackie’s love interest Nasha, who stands by Mickey through thick and thin and although Mark Ruffalo’s Trump-like politician feels rather stale (despite the director insisting the character is an amalgamation of many historical dictators), there’s no denying the actor’s entertaining effort. Toni Collette also has fun as Marshall’s devious wife with sinister designs of her own.
Mickey 17 is certainly distinctive and feels like a mash-up of The Host and Okja. But it’s a disappointment when you consider the film as a follow-up to the pitch-perfect Parasite. Still, at least Bong Joon Ho has gone and made something on his own terms and I’m glad it exists, even if it falls short of his best work.
Director: Alex Parkinson Starring: Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Finn Cole, Cliff Curtis Certificate: 12A Run Time: 94 mins
Last Breath is a survival thriller about the race to save a stranded deep-sea diver who gets stranded after an incident, with his back-up oxygen supply rapidly running out. The film’s directed by Alex Parkinson, remaking the 2019 documentary of the same name he co-directed with Richard da Costa into a feature film.
Chris Lemons (Finn Cole) is the stranded diver in question, is a member of a team of saturation divers who maintain undersea gas lines in the North Sea at depths of around 100m. In order to simulate these conditions, they have to live onboard a vessel in a pressurised chamber for a few days before and after they work underwater so that they remain at pressure. He works with Duncan Allcock (Woody Harrelson), a veteran who is being forced into early retirement after this shift and David Yuasa (Simu Liu), a no-nonsense, aloof colleague.
Last Breath is a taut and anxiety-inducing thriller and really excels when it’s at heart of the action. It’s a film that reminds you that breathing is a privilege and Parkinson ratchets up the tension, deftly conveying why being a saturation diver is one of the most dangerous jobs on earth. Adding a timer on-screen to remind us how much time Chris has been with or without oxygen is an excellent touch.
The performances are also top-notch, with Woody Harrelson and Simu Liu the highlights and Liu stealing the show as he slowly comes out of his shell. I’d have liked to have had more meat on the bone with both characters though – they’re not particularly well-developed and it’s the proven charisma of both actors that sells these characters. Finn Cole is also great, even if he spends a large amount of the film incapacitated and brilliantly but subtly shows his apprehension for the task right from the very beginning.
The major issue with Last Breath though is just how generic it is when we’re not in the heat of its distressing crisis. As the film opens, we get the expected interaction between Chris and his fiancee where he reassures her of his safety and that it’s just another day at the office. There’s also the usual overegged ending, which feels almost like a parody of a romcom, complete with closing captions and footage from the real event with an emotionally manipulative tone.
Last Breath ultimately succeeds on the strength of its remarkable story and Parkinson does well to trim a lot of the fat out where he can. But it’s a shame the director doesn’t manage to break convention or at least do something a bit more interesting with its opening and closing scenes that fall into sigh-inducing melodrama.
Director: Gia Coppola Starring: Pamela Anderson, Kiernan Shipka, Brenda Song, Billie Lourd, Dave Bautista, Jamie Lee Curtis Certificate: 15 Run Time: 89 mins
The Last Showgirl is the new film by Gia Coppola, the granddaughter of Francis Ford Coppola and niece of Sofia Coppola. Pamela Anderson plays Shelly Gardner, a 57-year-old showgirl who has performed for nearly three decades in a classic French-style revue at a casino resort in Las Vegas. Eddie (Dave Bautista), the show’s producer, breaks the news that the show is due to close in two weeks due to declining ticket sales, which leaves Shelly downcast and worried for her livelihood. She’s viewed as a mother figure by some of her younger co-stars and Shelly maintains a close friendship with Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis), who also used to be part of the show but now works as a cocktail waitress. Shelly also has a semi-estranged daughter, Hannah (Billie Lourd), who she struggles to connect with because they’ve spent much of their lives apart. The film’s received some awards attention for its performances, with Pamela Anderson nominated for a Golden Globe and Jamie Lee Curtis for a BAFTA, but that didn’t materialise into an Oscar nomination for either star.
This is an odd film – The Last Showgirl has some interesting performances but its story doesn’t really amount to much. On the plus side, Pamela Anderson turns in an honest and authentic performance as the ageing showgirl and Dave Bautista is a standout as the show’s sweet-natured producer. It was also refreshing to see the charismatic Brenda Song, who hasn’t played in a high-profile role in a while and Jason Schwartzman shines in a brief cameo as an audition director.
But the film around the committed performances left me feeling pretty indifferent. Its direction feels like an awkward mix of Sofia Coppola and Sean Baker, especially the latter with its grainy cinematography. There’s next-to-no tension to Shelly’s existential crisis and once we get past sub-plots that go nowhere, the film begins to explore how women’s value in showbiz declines simply because of their age before it abruptly ends. It’s perhaps unfortunate that this film has released relatively close to The Substance, and while I’m no fan of that film either, at least it fully commits to unpacking the relationship between aging and stardom. In the end, The Last Showgirl just feels inconsequential with its unsatisfying narrative.
The Academy Award nominations celebrating the films of 2024 have been announced and in this article, I’ll rank the Best Picture nominees in order of my own personal preference. The winners will be announced in the Oscars ceremony on 10th March 2025.
While 2024 was quite possibly the strongest field in many a year, unfortunately the selection for 2025 is incredibly weak. Amidst the sea of mediocrity is a truly terrible film and I would only consider four of the candidates Oscar-worthy. I suppose it’s inevitable that there was going to be a comedown after such a strong previous year. But there were some excellent films that should have made the cut: Hard Truths, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Gladiator II and Juror No. 2 to name but a few.
10) Emilia Pérez
Emilia Pérez isn’t just a bad Best Picture pick – it’s one of the worst films I’ve ever seen and is an utter calamity. The fact this has 13 Oscar nominations show just how out of touch the Academy are with reality. This is a woefully misguided and ugly-looking film with a terrible script, awful musical numbers and poor performances. It’s blandly directed by Jacques Audiard and the mashing of thriller, musical and crime genres just doesn’t work. Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez are fine actresses but they’re both terrible in this film (I can’t believe they’ve been nominated for their performances…!). Saldaña is totally emotionless and glum and Gomez overacts what is supposed to be an emotional arc her character undergoes. And then there’s Karla Sofia Gascón as the titular character, who the less said, the better. This is a frighteningly bad film and I’m not surprised Mexican audiences have been offended by its treatment of their country.
⭐
Rating: 1 out of 5.
9) Nickel Boys
Nickel Boys is RaMell Ross’ narrative feature directorial debut, previously known for his 2018 Oscar-nominated documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening. An adaptation of the 2019 novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead, Nickel Boys tells the story story of Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse), a young African-American living in a segregated Tallahassee, Florida who finds himself at a reform school notorious for its abusive treatment of black students, through no fault of his own. There, he meets Turner (Brandon Wilson) and despite their initially opposite ideals, become friends.
The film is shot in a first-person point-of-view so we see the plot unfold through the eyes of Elwood (the perspective is then shared with Turner in the film’s second half). That’s certainly an unconventional way to tell a story and stands Nickel Boys apart from more conventional historical drama biopics. Unfortunately, despite its novel filmmaking technique, I found Nickel Boys to be very dull and I think that first-person point-of-view decision is to blame. It detracts from the important story being told, which tackles some incredibly heavy themes, but the film never conveys its emotions. The stilted script doesn’t flow in a natural way and and I found it very difficult to connect with any of the characters. None of the performances worked for me, even Hamish Linklater who made such a powerful impression in Midnight Mass. The film is also drastically overlong at 140 minutes and a generic title card revealing some images of the true events feels emotionally manipulative – especially for a film that’s trying to defy convention.
The Substance is a satirical body horror, directed by Coralie Fargeat in her English language debut and it’s received quite the acclaim. The film follows fading Hollywood star Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) and we see her dismissed from her long-running television show due to her age. She’s intrigued by a black market serum, conveniently called ’The Substance’, which promises a “younger, more beautiful, more perfect” version of onself. But of course, any deal like this has its consequences which Sparkle comes to find. While The Substance is certainly original in its execution, I found it quite disappointing. For a film that runs in excess of 140 minutes, it doesn’t have a great deal to say and is very on-the-nose. The direction is extremely aggressive and in-your-face, which is clearly intentional but it just got on my nerves. The second half is particularly hard work, especially its go-for-broke ending which it doesn’t earn. The body horror did nothing for me and I don’t understand the comparisons many have made to David Cronenberg. The major positives are the performances.
Wicked was much better than I expected – this is an ambitious and visually striking adaptation of the first act of the stage musical. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are both brilliant as the two witches, and the film details their friendship at Shiz University before the future arrival of Dorothy. At 160 minutes, it’s a meaty film but there’s a lot of interesting themes that director Jon M. Chu develops such as the relationship between humans and animals and what happens when you’re an outcast. Although musicals are generally not for me, I’lll admit there are some memorable numbers in this. That said, I think the film could have lost half an hour or so with a club sequence that doesn’t particularly add much to proceedings.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
6) Dune: Part Two
While there’s no doubting the visual flair on display, Dune: Part Two is a mixed bag and not as strong as its predecessor – by extension, it’s Denis Villeneuve’s weakest film. What really impressed me with Dune was how Villeneuve was able to maintain a clarity to the narrative, the key downfall of David Lynch’s film who overstuffed the entire book into a 137 minute film. And while that’s still largely the case here, Dune: Part Two runs into all manner of pacing issues. On the one hand, there’s some good world building for the first hour where ultimately not a lot happens. But then, but the film completely rushes through its climax during its last hour. The rushed pacing also comes at the expense of character development. I simply didn’t buy Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani’s (Zendaya) blossoming relationship at the very centre of the film – it simply feels like we’re expected to invest in their relationship with no natural development. I wonder if it’s to do with the fact Eric Roth doesn’t write the script this time around, with Villeneuve himself stepping in to co-write with Jon Spaihts. It’s a shame Dune: Part Two doesn’t live up to the first film with its odd pacing and lack of character development. But it’s still a fun ride, with some above average elements, such as the black-and-white sequence on the Harkonnen planet, Austin Butler’s performance and some exciting action sequences here and there.
Based on a 2016 novel by Robert Harris, Conclave opens with the Pope dying of a heart attack and Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with organising a papal conclave to elect a successor. However, Lawrence quickly finds himself investigating secrets and scandals about each of the candidates. They include Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci), an ambitious American liberal, Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow), a Canadian moderate with a secret, Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), an Italian reactionary right-winger and Joseph Adeyemi (Lycian Msamati), a Nigerian candidate with homophobic views. Not dissimilar from many popular recent elections, Conclave is about deciding who is the least worst option and that’s what makes it rather entertaining. You’ll need to suspend disbelief (especially with its many twists) but if you’re after an overripe thriller filled with catty remarks, this delivers. Ralph Fiennes is reliably excellent as the overseer, who is also standing in the election and throughout the film, you’re constantly working out whether he has secret ambitions and if he’s as impartial as he should be. Sergio Castellitto, who was fantastic as the villainous King Miraz in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, turns his performance up to eleven as Tedesco and Isabella Rossellini also stands out as the head caterer and housekeeper who doesn’t have time for aimless chitchat. The jittery score by Volker Bertelmann (Hauschka) is fantastic and he crafts many memorable themes that add to the urgency of the election. Stéphane Fontaine lusciously shoots the film too, with excellent use of light and shadow to underscore the theme of corruption. But as entertaining as Conclave is, I’m not sure it’s quite the awards material it looks like it may become.
It may follow a conventional biopic structure, but I still found A Complete Unknown gripping from start to finish, with director James Mangold at the top of his game paired with many impressive performances. Here, Mangold tells the story of Bob Dylan, adapting a 2015 book by Elijah Wald called Dylan Goes Electric! which covers his earliest folk music success to his controversial use of electric instruments at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Mangold co-writes the script with Jay Cocks, his first since Martin Scorsese’s Silence. But straight from the opening scene, Mangold directs the film with a real warmth and energy and I loved the film’s tone. I especially liked its commentary on how genres evolve and how fellow artists support each other, even if that example isn’t followed by the public. It also has plenty to say on what it’s like to meet your idols. The film’s lusciously shot by Phedon Papamichael, and the production design of the 1960s is brilliantly captured. Timothée Chalamet is magnetic as Dylan, balancing the musician’s sheer talent while being somewhat impenetrable and unlikeable at times. The other standout’s Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, who brings a real warmth to the singer and like Chalamet, also does all her own singing.
The Palme D’Or winning new Sean Baker film proved a very memorable cinema experience. Other than Mikey Madison’s fantastic performance, I found the first 45 minutes of Anora really testing. But as soon as two men knock on a mansion door, the narrative takes a different direction and the rest of the 139 minute film had me grinning with its breathless fireball energy and wit. In retrospect, the first 45 minutes are needed to get you to despise the characters for the rest of it to work, so stay with it if you’re feeling the same way. It’s a film where characters are consistently pulled from pillar to post but there’s also a stark tenderness to its humanity and Baker portrays a vivid contrast between the rich and poor. It’s beautifully shot by Drew Daniels, who lends the film its disorientingly frenetic edge. Mikey Madison, who was one of Charles Manson’s accomplices in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, is fantastic as Anora and thoroughly deserving of awards attention. She has bundles of empathy and despite her demeaning work selling her body, she knows how to get what she wants. Yura Borisov is also brilliant as Igor, a Russian henchman with morals with a similarly modest financial background as Anora who makes such an impression despite not having many lines. Karen Karagulian is brilliant as Toros, an Armenian handler, whose mania knows no bounds when his career is jeopardised. Anora is ultimately an excellent film from Sean Baker and quite possibly his best work.
It was very hard to pick between first and second place but I’ve gone with I’m Still Here – a political biographical drama about a husband’s forced disappearance during the military dictatorship in Brazil and Walter Salles’ first film since 2012’s On The Road. It’s based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s 2015 memoir of the same name, Marcelo being the son of Rubens Paiva, who was the victim in question. Fernanda Torres places Eunice Paiva, Rubens’ wife and activist, with the film largely told from her perspective and how she struggles to cope emotionally and financially, while trying to raise her five children. I found I’m Still Here to be a deeply affecting and gripping piece of work, masterfully directed by Salles who skilfully contrasts the quiet family domesticity with the simmering and oppressive political horror. Although the film tells a story that happens in the past, I’m Still Here feels very contemporary with its mirroring of current dystopian events. The first hour is quite fast-paced, whereas the second is much slower but this is where the film really wraps its enchanting spell – it reminded me of Roma in many ways in terms of how it finds beauty in the mundane. The film’s complimented by a wonderful Warren Ellis score, which is very subdued in the first half but becomes more melodic later on. Fernanda Torres is just sensational as Eunice and fully deserving of her Best Actress Oscar nomination. She deftly balances her intelligence and frantic search for the truth while being as motherly as she can to her children. I absolutely loved I’m Still Here and found myself powerfully moved as the credits started to roll.
My top pick is The Brutalist, an epic period drama directed by Brady Corbet, who last made the excellent Vox Lux. Undeniably more ambitious in scope, Corbet’s latest spans over thirty years and a three and a half hour run time. Adrien Brody plays László Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor and Bauhaus-trained architect who immigrates to America in search of a new life. The film isn’t perfect but The Brutalist is directed with real bravura and has a lot to say – although it’s about Tóth’s architectural career on the surface, there are plenty of parallels with the idea of how someone suffers for their art and how they are the person remembered rather than the entity throwing money at a project. Of course, that means there’s themes of compromise and interference and although its last 30 minutes may seem to take a different, seemingly incomprehensible tone, I found it very thought-provoking. Adrien Brody turns in a career-best performance as the suffering artist, nailing the Slavic accent and mannerisms – he’s fully deserving of his Best Actor nomination and he’s the clear winner. Guy Pearce is also a standout as the slimy financier in a very multi-faceted performance. Pearce is no stranger to playing villains – his deliciously evil turn in Lawlessis evidence of that – but this is a complex individual with all the qualities of someone who has too much money. Daniel Blumberg’s prickly score is wonderful, lending the film a simmering intensity and he crafts many memorable themes that develop throughout the film. The Brutalist is also beautifully shot by Lol Crawley, resurrecting the VistaVision process to authentically portray the period. It’s staggering how good the film looks, considering its modest $9.6 million budget and bearing in mind its epic run time. I was engrossed from start to finish.
The Film Meister 