Film Review Club

P T Barnum becomes a world wide sensation, putting on an imaginative and innovative show that elevates him to the top of his game! I know I am rather late to this one but I was surprised to see the pretty low critics ratings, it felt like this movie was all the rave upon its release! Nonetheless I went into it with an open mind and hoping to fall in love with the songs that conquered the charts in 2017. The soundtrack is certainly a really catchy one and combined with the illustrious choreography it’s hard not to smile whilst witnessing the show unfold. I’m regards to the storyline itself, I do think it is rather cliche. Man born into poverty hustles his way to wealth but never realises his limits which ultimately leads to his downfall before a big redemption conclusion. So I’d say that was probably the weakest element of the movie but it there’s a lot of heart at its core and I loved the reference from the critic in the film which describes the show as “A celebration of humanity”. Tha

The Lost City of Z is a based on the true story of Percy Fawcett, a decorated soldier and renowned explorer who underwent several explorations into the Amazon rainforest from 1906 onwards. The Lost City of Z is the exact type of film that triggers the inner historian in me! I’ve always loved history, even wanting to be an archeologist growing up and therefore when I stumble across a story such as this it always brings a smile to my face. It’s even more of a win when it comes in the form of an amazing film with a stacked cast and beautiful cinematography. The movie is led by Charlie Hunnam who plays Percy Fawcett and he is joined by Robert Pattison, Tom Holland and Sienna Miller. The obvious route would be to turn this into a thrilling adventure story but James Gray has created a beautiful slow burn drama that tells the story in the most wonderful way. Illustrating the struggles and sacrifices that Fawcett makes in the pursuit of his dreams and his ambitions.  For some the film may be a

A serial killer terrorises london as disgraced detective Luther sits behind bars. Cursed by his failure to capture the killer, Luther orchestrates a plan to escape and end the killing spree. Luther: The Fallen Sun was such a highly anticipated movie for me, the show was absolutely brilliant, a dark and gritty detective story. However it looks like the movie got caught up in the Idris Elba bond castings a little too much as it felt less like a detective story and more like a feeble attempt at a James Bond film. It actually started really well, the first act was incredibly strong with shocking murders and what seemed like a really freaky antagonist played by Andy Serkis. However as the film progressed it lost its way, trying to be too many things at once! It was no longer a detective story and that meant it lost all of the things that made the show so great! One thing that really bugged me was apparently an escaped felon could suddenly travel the globe with ease in the pursuit of this ki

Creed retires from Boxing, taking on the role as manager for one of his most promising boxers. But he is soon forced to return to the ring when his past comes back to haunt him. Michael B Jordan stamped his trademark on the Rocky franchise with this unique take on a Rocky/Creed film. His anime inspired style stepped away from the usual techniques we’ve witnessed in the franchise so far and it certainly paid off. It was creative, it was ambitious and it was exactly what was needed to deliver a certain degree of freshness to the genre. Jonathan Majors was the perfect addition to the cast as he delivered a stellar performance and the chemistry between him and Michael really helped illustrate the bond between their characters. Creed 3 is filled with heart, a focus on family, on friendship and then it was enhanced by the incredible choreography in the ring. It wasn’t perfect and it has its faults but all in all it was a very well made film that is one of my favourites in the franchise. Over

John Wick returns and the price for his head is as high as ever as he takes his fight to the High Table global, venturing across the globe to take out their biggest players.  John Wick Chapter 4 cements the franchise as cinemas greatest ever action franchise (in my opinion). The action choreography along side the impressive stunt work should be examined in film schools everywhere because it truly is a masterclass in how to execute combat at the very highest level. Now behind the action is a wonderful underworld centred around the high table which oversees the globes Assassins and the rules and traditions of this society create such an intriguing storyline that finally reaches its conclusion in this fourth chapter…or does it? Everything is left open and I still believe that every direction is still possible, including a 5th instalment. But what is wonderful now is this movie creates the opportunity for many more stories centred in this world, that might not necessarily include John but

As a string of murders start to build up on the set of Stab 3, Sydney and co find themselves being dragged into a game of horror movie mayhem once again. Scream 3 illustrates how the writers and producers simply hit a brick wall in terms of ideas for the franchise, relying heavily on highlighting the significance of it being a trilogy but in fact there was nothing exciting or juicy about this third instalment. It just felt repetitive and uninteresting, we have seen it all before and I found myself losing patience with it. The twist with Sydney’s half brother was a little far fetched and quite frankly, pretty poorly explained. As the first two built up some excitement for me to finish the franchise, Scream 3 has instead made me incredibly apprehensive, praying that they found some interesting ideas to inject some freshness into the movies. Overall (4/10) Thanks for reading. Callan

Sydney now finds herself at college trying to move on with her life when a copycat killer kicks off the killing once again. But this time, the kill count is even higher! Scream 2 is the logical next step and the storyline certainly flows nicely from the first instalment into this sequel. It brought in some interesting new characters played by even more familiar faces, whilst also bringing back the popular survivors from the first film. I must say that there is definitely a quality dip but nothing too significant and in fact I still found myself enjoying it. Once again the film is consistent with the ‘self aware’ approach, calling itself out for following the usual slasher tropes and although I usually dislike that approach, the scream franchise manages to pull it off quite nicely. It’s definitely not the worst sequel I’ve seen and it’s certainly not the best, but worth a watch nonetheless. Overall (6.8/10) Thanks for reading. Callan

A year after her mother was murdered, Sydney witnesses a killer starting to take down everyone around her. Determined to catch the killer, everyone becomes a suspect in this 90’s slasher flick. I found myself positively surprised by a horror movie for once and for it to fall into the slasher category, my fondness for the film is even more surprising! Usually I’m not a huge fan of horror and especially this specific sub genre, but Scream runs the line of ironic and self aware pretty damn well and that creates a really fun film! The cast is brilliant with a lot of famous faces that work well in brining the American high school trope to life. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a lot of cheesy dialogue but it’s definitely intentional and it does contribute to the overall vibe of the movie. I have come out on the other side with a more open mind to a genre that I have certainly neglected over the years, that’s some achievement! Overall (7.2/10) Thanks for reading. Callan

Bestowed with magical powers, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids try juggling their normal life as kids with the responsibilities of being heroes. Billy past heroics come back to haunt him as the Sisters of Atlas come seeking justice for their father. Fury of The Gods is certainly an enjoyable superhero sequel that really leans into the traditional campness of the genre. It’s easy to forgive the cheesy, childish humour when your remember that the heroes at the centre of the film are in fact children themselves. This means certain leeway has to be given and it’s perfectly okay not to like that plot point, but you know that going in so it’s to be expected. The chemistry between all of the cast seems to carry this family dynamic and it actually illustrates a pretty realistic picture of what we would all be like if bestowed with these incredible powers at such a young age. Credit has to be given to the cast portraying the supes themselves because they play the part of children in adul

After a bacterial outbreak wipes out most of humanity, Joel finds himself tasked with escorting a young girl, who is immune to the virus, across a post apocalyptic world. Adapted from The Last of Us video game. The Last of Us can proudly claim the title for the most successful video game adaptation! I better mention now that I haven’t played the game, so how would I know? Well I’ve watched my fair share of game adaptations and not a single one has had the aesthetics nor the story to compete with a HBO giant such as this. I also believe that in this instance it’s actually benefited me from not playing it prior to the shows release, because I had zero expectations. It is no surprise that I’ve loved this show, the post apocalyptic horror genre is one that I absolutely adore and when it is executed to this level, it’s going to impress!  The show is very character driven, with a particular emphasis on the two lead characters Joel and Ellie. A relationship that I’ve had so much joy watching

Part 2 actually produced a twist that I didn’t expect, there was me saying how Part 1 was so predictable with the antagonist but actually it was a mental breakdown in disguise! That certainly earns it some extra credit but despite the interesting twist, season 4 still couldn’t reach the quality of the previous seasons. I did really enjoy the split personality aspect in this half of the season, the duologues worked well between the actors and it illustrated joes mindset nicely. Now the ending… I was not expecting it to be a happy one for Joe that’s for sure! Suicide seemed like the logical route to conclude the show but actually it left it really open. My guess is that we haven’t seen the last of Penn Badgley’s run as the titular character! But I hope it won’t be long until we see the actor in something just as popular because he’s great! Looking back at season 4, the characters I enjoyed, the London setting was great and although the plot was cliche at times it’s hard to say that it wa

1923 is a prequel to Yellowstone but set after the events of fellow prequel 1883, where we see Jacob Dutton now leading the famous Yellowstone ranch. The Dutton’s face a new range of challenges from the Great Depression to the Western Expansion. 1923 takes inspiration from both of its predecessors, with similar plot points to that off Yellowstone but it still has the rawness of 1883, where society still hasn’t quite modernised all the way just yet. The cast for this show is undoubtedly the best in the franchise, with Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren as the leads and they both suit the environment perfectly! Especially Helen Mirren as Cara Dutton who is one of the most badass female characters I’ve witnessed! The storyline itself has a lot going for it but what makes it slightly poorer than the other instalments in the franchise is the overplayed Africa sub plot. In the end you just want to skip Spencer’s entire journey and just see him back home, I was exhausted watching those scenes by

Gustave H, a concierge at The Grand Budapest Hotel, is wrongly framed for murder and in the process of proving his innocence he befriends a new employee, the bell boy Zero. The Grand Budapest Hotel is yet another example of Wes Anderson’s ability to create a memorable and intoxicating atmosphere in his films. The editing in particular was remarkable! That, combined with amazing dialogue and the impressive performances, created an incredibly fast pace, but one that I simply couldn’t peel my eyes away from. Ralph Fiennes just continues to impress me, he’s definitely one of my favourite actors, the man just never misses and his range is impeccable. Now I also have to mention Tony Revolori who matches Fiennes’ quality, his tone and his impact on the film, at every step. It truly is a two man show and these two steal it! Now finally the cinematography, which was, you guessed it…also amazing! The different styles incorporated throughout the film really gave the aesthetic a life of its own, w

Abandoned by her family at a tender age, Kya is forced to fend for herself at the old family home, deep in the marshes of North Carolina. Always the outsider but soon society comes beckoning when she is framed for the murder of her boyfriend. Where the Crawdads Sing was criminally underrated by critics and forgotten about pretty quickly by the film community last year and thus I went into the film with pretty low expectations. However I was taken aback by the fragile love story that laid beneath this murder mystery. Kya is such a wholesome character and the journey she goes on is one that captivated me immediately. Firstly through instigating sympathy but you soon find a deep respect for her determination and grit. The murder mystery itself stays unsolved, it leaves the audience to ponder all of the possibilities and derive their own conclusions. Now that open to interpretation approach works great for some, but I like my stories to be tied up nicely, knowing exactly what happened. Not

A 500lb black bear consumes copious amounts of cocaine that was dumped in the wilderness by a local drug smuggler. With a new habit now formed the bear goes on a murderous rampage, running through kids, criminals and cops. Cocaine Bear was at its best during the gory violence and exaggerated murder sequences which had the audience in hysterics. Unfortunately during the other moments, the film was uninteresting and slow, especially the first half an hour which Elizebeth Banks dedicated to introducing the characters. It was almost unbearable, I cared very little for the characters and not to mention 90% of the acting was absolutely dreadful. When 13 year old Christian Convery is the best performer in a film with a stacked cast, you know you have an issue! Which is not insulting Convery because he was great, but you’d expect experienced actors to do a whole lot better. I do hope they leave the concept at this film only, this idea of an intoxicated animal franchise is something I contest w

In 1950’s London, plans for a movie based on the latest smash hit play comes to a halt as the potential director is killed. A police inspector and a rookie partner up in this whodunit in an attempt to solve the mystery. See How They Run attempts to justify the cliche whodunit tropes by self exposing and calling themselves out directly to the audience. I can’t say I am a fan of this approach, I find it’s a lazy way a film can justify not conjuring up a new take on the genre and instead opting for the overplayed traditional route. It’s not the worst whodunnit in the world and its impressive cast can help bring a certainty degree of freshness to the genre but it certainly has nothing worth remembering. Unfortunately the humour filled with simple puns and cheap jokes just didn’t work for me and I found myself getting more bored as the film progressed, not really caring for any of the characters. The cinematography does create a number of captivating shots and the costume and set design did

Amsterdam follows two World War 1 veterans and a Nurse who meet during the war and find themselves, years later, caught up in a murder investigation. The three friends then uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American History. Amsterdam was a pleasant surprise for me, I had heard awful reviews from critics and fellow film lovers and thus I went into the film with pretty low expectations. However, I soon found myself enjoying the quirky, eccentric characters and the silly humour ever present throughout the movie. From what I’ve read it looks like most people took this way too seriously, it’s clear that this film wasn’t intended to be a serious Neo Noir drama. It’s meant to be comical, silly at times and once you can accept that, you can sit back and enjoy. I loved Bale playing this real eccentric doctor and I thought the weird trio finished by Margot Robbie and John David Washington created so many enjoyable moments. I do think the film lost itself in the middle act, it started

A duty manager of a seaside cinema, who is struggling with her mental health, forms a relationship with the new employee. Set on the south coast during the 1980’s. Empire of Light is a very misunderstood film that focuses on the themes of mental health and racism in the 1980’s. Meanwhile telling a complicated love story between two inherently different characters. Does the film bite off more than it can chew at times? Sure it does, but I still found the story rather enjoyable and the performance from Olivia Coleman was one of my personal favourites from the actress. The film definitely suffers from trying to tackle too many issues and themes all at once, resulting in each topic never getting the true spotlight it deserves. Instead we are presented with little flashes of Hilary’s mental health, a glimpse at Stephens life dealing with racism, all whilst trying to create the appropriate vibe for the time period it’s set in (1980’s) and create a complicated love story. It would have worked

A charismatic Jeweller places a high stake bet as he attempts to balance business, family and adversaries on all sides in pursuit of the perfect win. The Safdie brothers create an anxiety inducing movie that pulls the audience in all kinds of directions, never taking the foot off the pedal and a piece that emphasises the skill set of Adam Sandler. The films central protagonist is a really intriguing one, a gambling addict, jeweller who lives life on the edge, taking risk after risk in pursuit of the big win. By creating a lead character such as this, the audience are always left on the edge of their seat, shouting at the screen to ask what the hell Howard is doing! It almost feels like one continuous shot, it’s not, but the way the film is edited, combined with the swift movement of the storyline, creates that free flowing style that is reminiscent of one take movies. The cinematography holds the usual Safdie brother trademarks, incorporating neon lighting throughout the film with a re