Boristhemoggy Reviews

Civil War (2024)

Excellent film if you are thinking of being a journalist

[7/10 · 30 May 2024]

The film follows a team of journalists traveling from New York City to Washington, D. C. during a civil war fought across the United States between an authoritarian federal government and several regional factions.

There's no description of what the war is about, there's no ideology, the main thrust is what it's like to be a war reporter, with a little of 'Man's inhumanity to man' thrown in.

A motley group of journalists there ever was, but I think this film might be Kirsten Dunst's crowning glory. She plays Lee, the world wise, battle scarred journalist, along with Cailee Spaeny who is the brand- new-to-journalism Jessie, hitching a ride with out brave heroes. Spaeny plays a glorious part reminding me a little of Brit Robertson, making an excellent transition from virgin war reporter to battle scarred journalist.

The girl/girl relationship feels a little like that between Tina Fey and Margot Robbie in the excellent Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. You can see the balance of authority changing and evolving as their experiences are gained.

Every character is played well by every actor and although it's of to a slow start, it's developing characters in a very adept way. The film focusses on the relationships between journalists mainly, and their interaction in situations as they make their way across the country.

There is also a definite element about how civilisation can collapse so easily, but without ever saying what is really happening or why the war has started. I loved the stills along the way which are supposed to be the photos that the journalists, mainly Jessie, take as they go. They are very much gritty war photographs of the highest order.

The last section is a heart pounding military attack as the rebel forces try to find the president to kill him. Everyone is angry and afraid and excited and some scenes border on chaos but all filmed really well. I was on the edge of my seat there for a while.

All in all a great film very well directed and shot and excellently acted. I gave it a solid 7.

Sting (2024)

A very nice little late night HorCom

[6/10 · 29 May 2024]

Charlotte is a 12 year old who finds and nourishes a spider which turns out to be deadly for some.

The plot is no worse than any other silly horror, and although it smacks of a B movie, you won't be watching long before you become immersed.

The acting is mostly very good, the photography is excellent, the dialogue is sensible and although it seems slow at times, you still keep watching as the suspense rises.

Some say it's predictable but isn't almost every film now? We're a wise audience these days and it's a rare film that can truly hoodwink us (Shutter Island, The Sixth Sense) The predictability aside, I love the character of the grandmother who is almost a pivot around which the movie rotates. She's a great character too adding much to the suspense/release of the film.

All in all a very satisfying and entertaining watch and I gave it a solid 6.

Atlas (2024)

Not an awful Sci Fi movie

[5/10 · 27 May 2024]

Jennifer Lopez plays Atlas Shepherd, a data analyst with an artificial intelligence brother who went rogue and wants to destroy mankind because they don't look after the planet and they aren't nice to animals.

She joins a mission to capture her brother before he annihilates earth but when plans go awry, her only hope of saving the future of humanity from AI, is to trust it.

The film is said to be inspired by the computer game TitanFall. I played Titanfall II and the 'robots' could well be straight out of Titanfall. Great Sci Fi very well imagined for the screen. The tech and Sci Fi elements of the film are great and there's some excellent effects that won't leave you disappointed.

For the action aficionados there's also plenty of that to grit your teeth at, and while the action is emotion driven it's not bad at all and matches the rest of the film.

The acting isn't great as you'd expect if you check the cast, only Mark Strong put's in a decent performance: Jennifer Lopez plays it too hard and overacts, which detracts from the story.

There's several very obvious statements about how we can't control AI, but maybe we can, but then as Harlan Shepherd, the AI baddie shows, maybe we can't? There's also some very unenthusiastic comments about how humans are not looking after the earth or it's animals and aren't a very nice species. They could have drawn this out in a more professional way rather than one liner tropes. If some attention had been paid to the dialogue I think I may have scored it higher. But as it is the message was partly lost.

All in all it's not a great film but neither is it an awful one. Better scripting and better acting and it would have been a great film. I gave it a solid 5 though because at least it tried and I do love Sci Fi.

The American (2023)

Such a beautiful film

[8/10 · 26 May 2024]

American ballet dancer Joy Womack fights tooth and nail to be accepted into Moscow's infamously tough Bolshoi Ballet Academy, with the dream of becoming a prima ballerina.

The obvious comparison is to Black Swan. Both films tell of the rigours and trials of training, becoming a ballerina, and then achieving greatness. Only a tiny proportion of ballerinas achieve great success, and this is about overcoming sabotage as well as politics and of course...training harder than anyone else.

Both films show the dark side and the bright side of ballet although arguably The American has fewer dancing scenes.

Talia Ryder is perfect in the role as Natalie Portman was in Black Swan. I totally believed in her dream, I believed in her ability to achieve it, and I believed that inside her she was born a dancer.

I wonder how much of the story is actual fact? Much of it is apparently, including the corruption allegations. This is how great the film was. It has made me question every aspect of it, and research Joy Womack's life so I get to know more about her, and generally have a more positive opinion of how difficult it is to become a great ballerina.

Fabulous film, I gave it a solid 8.

The Fall Guy (2024)

You will fall for this film

[8/10 · 24 May 2024]

Fantastic.

Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a stunt man recovering from a serious accident and hoping to win back the love of his life, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt) Seriously this is the movie of the year so far hands down.

Blunt and Gosling have incredible screen chemistry. They work so well together and this is the most animated I've ever seen Gosling. I truly believe their on screen love affair and I was 100% invested in them. They are individually so funny too. Sometimes the humour is hidden and you have to do a mental double take to let it ripen. I was chuckling my way through it all the time.

And yet despite the humour, I was sitting tensed up during some of the scenes as the action was so fast, violent and realistic. Emily Blunt fights like an MMA master!

The story is so simple and yet the film is a smoked cigarette longer than 2 hours. But it never felt like too long as the story is paced well and there's always something happening. It's also one of those films where not one member of the cast lets it down. Everyone plays their part perfectly and each character is brought to life perfectly.

The effects are amazing and during the end credits there is an outtake roll playing showing some of the real stunts from the film.

This film packed a punch for me and if you like MI:, or Bond, you are going to love this film. I scored it a solid 8, right up there with the best of them in my opinion.

Mothers' Instinct (2024)

Mother Vs mother

[7/10 · 23 May 2024]

Set in a middle class 60's setting which is beautifully done, 2 families who are dear friends both experience unforeseen trauma in their lives which leads to a catastrophic end.

I'm not a grand fan of Hathaway who plays Celine, but this pairing with Chastain who plays Alice is cinematic gold. The story follows the pair through trauma and heartbreak with an ultimate end of a perfect pairing.

The film at first is slow and kind of reminds you of the old slow starting films of the 60's. But it's done so nicely that it's not onerous to follow the story being set. Slowly but surely events unfold and you realise something is happening but you're not sure what.

Eventually 1 mystery is solved but it only opens up another mystery, and then another, and then another.

I'd not say it kept me on the edge of my seat, but it certainly held my attention with ease. I particularly loved the way it made me feel deep sympathy with both star characters, knowing that 1 or perhaps both of them was the 'bad guy'. Then again, perhaps neither of them were and they were being manipulated by someone else... Pitting them against one another was a great move and kept me guessing until the end.

The sets and wardrobe and even the traits of people were absolutely on point for the 60's, and I loved how there was no extraneous noise affecting the main script. No police interviews, no secondary characters poking their noses in, and no grand arguments with threats and shouting. It was all very muted and yet was foreboding in it's quiet, like a great Hitchcock movie, but obviously not near as good.

All in all a great story and a great film with great actors and I give it a solid 7.

Challengers (2024)

Game, Set, Fault

[4/10 · 23 May 2024]

Zendaya plays Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist - West Side Story), Tashi's strategy for her husband's redemption takes a turn when he must face off against Patrick (Josh O'Connor - The Crown) - his former best friend and Tashi's former boyfriend.

I watched this principally because I love Zendaya and true to form, she puts in a sparkling performance. She never disappoints. However lets leave the acting aside, and talk about the story.

Firstly, it's never really explained. The film sets off by introducing Patrick as a deadbeat trying to get back into tennis. Then it flicks to 13 years earlier. Then it flicks back and then it flicks again to 3 weeks earlier. Then it flicks to 3 months later and then 13 years earlier again. There is a lot of time line switching, to the point it's difficult to keep track of where the storyline is.

The only way to track where it was on the timeline was to wait until something happened or was said in the dialogue, that would pinpoint where we were on the timeline. I did lose track several times, the characters weren't responding to each other as you'd expect, and while there was some good acting, I had no idea what story they were acting out.

I did try very hard to follow because I love Zendaya and I wanted to reward her great performance with a great review. But despite my admiration of her the film is bigger than the 3 main characters put together, and the film was very difficult to follow with it seemed, no real aim. There was a lot of eating. Someone was always eating, and usually as if they hadn't eaten for a long time. I wondered why so many scenes involved eating, when it didn't seem to add to the story.

I rated it 4 for Zendaya alone: there really was nothing else about the film that I got anything from and as I did not establish what the story really was about, it made no sense to me.

After Earth (2013)

It's not great, but it is good

[6/10 · 22 May 2024]

Legendary General Cypher Raige returns from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his 13-year-old son, Kitai. When an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitai's craft, they crash-land on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon.

The story was initially Will Smith's idea and he did much of the direction. It has it's weak points like many films but the story is a solid one and has great potential.

There's lots of tension as Kitai makes his way to find the beacon, and his father is lying bleeding to death as he waits. Kitai has to fight several times to get to his destination and the action whilst muted, is not bad at all. The 'Boss fight' at the end was a little lame but it was acceptable enough, butt here was a lot of smulchy emotion throughout and if nothing else that alone would point this out as an American film. However it doesn't really spoil the film.

It's interesting that Avatar has a sequence which is fairly similar to the plot of this film. The effects are not bad at all and nowhere do you find yourself looking at the screen and thinking "Oh come on!" With a budget of $130 million you would expect decent effects.

I spent an enjoyable hour and a half watching it and although the acting wasn't great, I gave it a solid 6 for entertainment.

Sasquatch Sunset (2024)

Buy the dvd and keep it for a 'very' rainy day

[4/10 · 19 May 2024]

A tribe? Of Saskewatches sets off on a journey through the forest. Are they nomadic? Who knows but their journey through one whole year is charted.

I think this is a film about ecology and is a very poor indeed tale about how we affect nature. A randomly left, cut log kills 1 saskewatch and a cougar kills another. That scene alone is very odd because why would a forest dwelling saskewatch be unaware of the dangers of trying to capture a cougar? Also the remaining two enter an empty human tent encampment. Surely they would know that represented danger? But they trash it anyway because they don't like the mix tape.

The remaining two then almost get caught in bear traps but manage to avoid it. Then they have to move because of a forest fire.

They don't appear to suffer sadness although they do enjoy happiness. They do seem to be trying to contact others of their kind on a regular basis by banging on trees, but never get a reply. Is this because they are the only ones left?

They finally end up in a human village. Empty of humans, but they seem to be puzzled as to what to do.

I guess there is probably some eco type fable in this film suggesting saskewatch are affected by human activity but it's not obvious. The title also suggests they might be the last ones. But who knows. I watched it throughout but I don't think I'd ever watch it again.

There were several scenes copied from other films such as: when trapped by a log the alpha male slowly drowns as the female tries to help him. This almost mirrors a scene in "Never Give an Inch" where the same thing happens to Richard Jaeckel.

We could debate all night about what the film means, do Bigfoot really exist, have human activities killed them off, but ultimately make your own story up. That's the great thing about stories, you can see in it whatever you want.

I gave it a 5 because I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it.

Breathe (I) (2024)

It's not that bad a movie

[5/10 · 15 May 2024]

A heart-pounding thriller set in the future. After Earth is left uninhabitable due to lack of oxygen, a mother Maya (Hudson), and her daughter Zora (Wallis) are forced to live underground, with trips to the surface only made possible by a coveted state-of-the-art oxygen suit made by Maya's husband, Darius, whom she presumes to be dead. When a mysterious couple arrives that claims to know Darius and his fate, Maya agrees to let them into their bunker but these visitors are not who they claim to be resulting in a mother and daughter fighting for their survival.

For a start, the story is a really good one, but poorly implemented. But I loved the idea of it. The underlying idea is that we need to look after the earth: protect it and nurture it but also plan for the worst just in case. It's not a new story but it's a nice idea.

The making of it wasn't as bad as some make out. Solid performance from Sam Worthington and not too bad from Quvenshane Wallis. The rest were meh but not absolutely awful. A few plot fails and eye rolling moments but no more so than any other film.

I sat through it all in one go as the direction was really good so I never felt bored, despite the lack of dialogue sometimes and the questionable actions. Overall I enjoyed it and gave it a 5.

The Last Stop in Yuma County (2023)

Crazy, enjoyable film

[7/10 · 15 May 2024]

While stranded at a rural Arizona rest stop, a traveling salesman is thrust into a dire hostage situation by the arrival of two bank robbers with no qualms about using cruelty-or cold, hard steel-to protect their bloodstained fortune.

It reminded me a little of Natural Born Killers, and From Dusk til Dawn. In that it's slightly offbeat, filmed in a very stylised manner, and every single person in the film carries out their role with skill and panache.

It's one of those crazy films where you simply don't know what's going to happen next, and when it does, you think nothing more crazy can happen, then it does!

It's never slow or dull, it's never silly, it's just excellent bloody adventure with tons of twist. I loved it and gave it a 7.

The Moon & Back (2022)

To the moon and...stay please!

[4/10 · 14 May 2024]

One year after her father's death, high school senior Lydia Gilbert feels completely lost...until she discovers something unexpected: a space opera screenplay needing a blockbuster-sized budget - written by her dad.

This is a lovely idea about managing grief, maturing, recognising the value of others, and finding your own inner strength. The story is great, and it has a great deal of life affirmation in it.

It's very sadly let down by the acting which at times is bizarre, and more like 3rd grader than high school senior. The scene where Simon and Lydia sing in the street is...quite literally...overwhelmingly awful. I had to fast forward before I burst.

There's little real chemistry between them either so none of their scenes truly worked, it was like 2 people who just know each other trying to be best mates.

I'd love to see this done with competent actors and a new director, as the story itself has immense potential.

The Book of Eli (2010)

A very sombre and tense film, full of atmosphere.

[7/10 · 8 May 2024]

Washington plays Eli, a man wandering for 30 years, guided by his faith in God to deliver a bible to an unspecified place that he 'will know' when he gets there.

Everyone plays their parts well, the scenes and sets are marvellous, the sound track is moody and at times, haunting. The film is beautifully done and I enjoyed every second of it. This is my fifth time of watching.

Now for the controversy: was Eli blind or not?

There are very many markers that suggest he was blind, I won't list them here, a quick google will lead you to them. There's dozens of hints which when you realise he is blind, you will know suddenly why things happened the way they did.

However. When standing on the hill looking down at the building on the plain, he was over a 1/4 of a mile away from the building, how did he know it was there? Also when he finds himself in the town, how does he know how to find the shop where he gets his battery charged? How does he find and row a boat if blind?

Yes there are dozens of events that suggest he could be blind, but there are also dozens of events that suggest he can see. I think therefore it's not productive to get into the "Was he, wasn't he?" train of thought. I looked o it as he was not blind, the braille version of the bible was the only one he could find, and he committed it to memory simply in case he lost it.

It doesn't matter, the film is a great story, well told and well acted. I gave it a solid 7.

The Idea of You (2024)

Very formulaic, but with some good messages

[7/10 · 5 May 2024]

Anne Hathaway plays Solene, a newly divorced art gallery owner who meets Hayes, a much younger than her musician played by Nicholas Galitzine. They embark upon a destined-to-fail romance.

Firstly this is pure formula. Girl meets boy, thinks about it. Falls for him, they split, they get back together, they split again, they get back together again, they split again. This ridiculous formula is so tedious and worn and it drives me nuts.

However there was a saving grace in that the story deals with an older woman and a younger man and what that can do to a family. Solene's ex husband is angry, her daughter is upset, the internet is in a frenzy and Solene cant cope with it all. It reminds me of the circus that came to town when Harry Styles started dating Olivia Wilde. It's as if as an intelligent species we cant cope with two people falling in love if there is a 10 year age difference. And yet there was Celine Dion... There's also a message in there about intrusive press. The press have to get a story to sell newspapers, but why do they pursue something as simple as two people dating? The celebrity mania in this world is insane and although the film is scripted, it is precisely how the internet and news outlets react when they sense something. Taking pictures of two people surreptitiously in order to sell papers should be illegal. It is often the press that drives anger and upset about things.

And that's a subtext of this film: the press. We are only scared of crime because the press alert us to each and every crime that happens, sensationalising it to make sure we read it. We are only terrorised by terrorists because the press bring us detailed stories of their atrocities and bombard us with pictures of horror. The press act indignant and shocked because 2 adults fell in love, and they drive people to jump on the bandwagon, ensuring that more papers are sold and more clicks registered. Perhaps it's time to take a long hard look at the press, and what they do, and how they negatively influence life and people.

There's all that and more in this film so although I am not a Hathaway fan, I did very much enjoy the story. I gave it a 7.

A Good Marriage (2014)

A good marriage, not such a good film

[5/10 · 26 April 2024]

Darcy Anderson finds an awful truth about her husband of 25 years, what is she to do about it?

I'm not a great fab of Stephen King. I think his stories are vastly overrated and only a handful worthy of putting to film. That's not because they're poor stories, it's because they work on the mind, and so they don't translate to the screen very well.

This is a typical example of such a story.

I have read the book and it wasn't a bad book at all, but the screenplay captures almost none of the shock, the tension, the inner conflict. It's filmed like a cheap TV movie too with average acting apart from Joan Allen, and a script that is at times childish and too simple. It's so predictable there's no surprise at all along the way, and no mad twists.

It's not a bad or awful film, just not a very good one and for those who like a little mystery there's not much mystery. For those who like tension there is a little. For those who like horror there really isn't any.

I gave it a 5 because it filled an hour and a bit, but that's all it did. Read the book, the story is much better then.

Late Night with the Devil (2023)

I certainly won't keep me up at night

[5/10 · 25 April 2024]

Jack Delroy is a chat show host who has miserable ratings until he hosts a show with a real life demonic possession.

I have serious doubts as to how this film could possibly average 7 in reviews.

The first 45 minutes are basically a 1970's talk show. You could say it's setting the scene, but there is about 12 minutes of voice over narrative at the beginning that sets the scene, so we don't need another 45 minutes of video to prove what was just said.

The 45 minutes of talk show are very well done in that they mirror the style of a 70's talk show. They've got all the sets and music and presenting style nailed, but there's nothing horrific about it. It's just a 790's talk show. So, 55 minutes in and nothing has happened and I'm frankly, rather bored.

Then there's a slow...very slow...lead in to the horror. Let me explain the horror. 2nd rate cgi, 70's style demonic possession, a head turned backwards, a throat cut and a man who burst into flames. Literally done in the style of a 70's horror like the Exorcist but not as good.

And then as soon as it started, it goes back to Jack Delroy and his dying wife, who he supposedly kills but doesn't really because really he kills the 13 year old girl who was possessed even though he didn't know he was doing it?

It is a fascinating reproduction of a 70's TV talk show, with a couple of scenes reproducing a 70's horror film. Nothing to get excited about and nothing horrific at all. I gave it a 5 because despite everything some of the actors put some effort in, and mostly because it was so authentically 1970's.

Adventureland (2009)

Not that much real adventure

[5/10 · 20 April 2024]

This is a nicely done rom com, or coming of age comedy romance, or whatever title you want to give as it has a little bit of everything.

I have just rewatched it and it has aged quite well. Ryan Reynolds in younger days, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader being iconic, and Kristen Stewart playing Kristen Stewart are all things that are still relevant and not changed.

The story is a simple one: boy meets girl (Eisenberg and Stewart as James and Em.) they fall in like, they split due to a variety of silly, childish reasons, and then they get back together again. The story is nothing new it's the basic ingredient of any rom com made in the last 100 years. There's some great side stories though, like the oddball couple of Paulette and Bobby (Wiig and Hader) and the extra marital goings on of Connell (Reynolds).

There's also plenty of funny scenes included which while a bit far fetched sometimes, are a great humour add on to what can be a slightly moody film due to Eisenberg and Stewart.

Kristen Stewart plays herself, all the time. There's nothing ever new from her. So her character could be so much more but isn't taken advantage of.

Eisenberg has the same fast talking, cynical kind of speech in every film he makes. So his character hasn't changed from any other film he's ever made and therefore the character isn't that believable. Stewart and Eisenberg succeed in the film only because of the strong characters of almost every other actor.

It will never be on your "Must watch again" list but it's not too difficult to watch if you've not seen it before. I gave it a five as it was average.

7 Days (2010)

Most excellent, thought provoking film

[8/10 · 20 April 2024]

I saw this when it first came out and have only just 're-found' it. The plot is about a man who's 8 year old daughter is kidnapped, beaten, raped and murdered on her way to school. He sets out to find the perpetrator in order to exact revenge.

This is so rooted in our inner fantasies: what would we do if we caught the rapist murderer of our young child? I know most fathers and a lot of mothers have considered what they would do, and it all revolves around violence. We dream of capturing them, only to inflict severe, extreme and unrelenting violence on them in order to punish them for what they did to our child and our life.

But as w see in the film The good Doctor begins with great intentions of inflicting as much pain as he can, but is slowly but surely wracked with guilt and shame about what he's doing. Is it indeed right to do this? Can he live with his actions? Is he no better than the murderer because he also is being extremely violent?

There's even conflicting opinions from other mothers who's children were raped and killed by the man. And the detective in the case lost his wife to murder so he knows how the mind works.

We can't even answer the questions ourselves because like the good Doctor, we just have no clue how we will feel inflicting such monstrous torture on another human being. Even soldiers have to be trained to be able to kill someone.

Through the film it is led by emotion, so there are many spaces of over 5 minutes where there is no dialogue at all. There is no music either which is a blessing: the entire film is carried by the actions of the actors, the dialogue when necessary, and emotions portrayed by the main actors.

At the beginning of the film ask yourself "What would I do?" Then during the film ask the questions again. Then at the very end, ask yourself a third time and see if the answer changes. I gave it a solid 8 as it is a great film about ourselves and who we think we are and who we think we are capable of being.

Anyone But You (2023)

Boy meets girl...blah blah blah

[4/10 · 18 April 2024]

Girl meets boy, they hit it off, then they don't, then they do, then they don't, then they do again. In the meantime they happen to have common friends and attend a wedding together.

It's not a bad film, but it's certainly not great. It is pure formula for a rom com: girl meets boy and they fall in love and fall out of love in cycles until they finally get together. It's a tired old formula not very often broken, and if you go into this movie without much expectation then you'll probably be satisfied.

There are some incredibly cringe moments like when Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) sing his serenity song while being rescued from Sydney Harbour. There's a group singing of it later too which is even more cringe, I've had enough cringe for this year from this one movie.

I very much disliked the fact that some footage was not edited out where you could see Bea's 'womanhood' in her tight shorts. I can't even recall the last time I saw something like that in a film, and it is really a no no. I guess all the directors want Sweeney for her sex appeal although she has none for me. I took a point off for that as it's not something we want in a rom com: or anywhere for that matter.

Speaking of director I don't think there was one, neither was there any chemistry between Sweeney and Powell. Powell was awful and it felt like he did not have a clue how to act and him and Sweeney together is just not likely.

I don't hate the film, it would fill a hole in a quiet evening if you had nothing better to do, but I would never dig the dvd out just to watch it again. Because of the cringe scenes and the unacceptable sexualisation I gave it a 4.

Immaculate (2024)

It's not Immaculate, but it's OK

[6/10 · 17 April 2024]

Cecilia, a woman of devout faith, is excited to take her vows at the picture-perfect Italian countryside convent, where she is offered a new role. It soon becomes clear that they have something less ordinary in store for her... First up, the ghosts in the room. Sydney Sweeney is by far not the greatest actress I agree, but she is also by far not the worst. And although the film itself isn't great, she, and it, are an averagely good turn.

Although the convent set is amazing, the film is clearly on a budget as you can tell by the poor CGI during the suicide and Sister Cecilia pulling her fingernail out. There are some shocker moments though, it had me jumping a couple of times, and it also had me anxious once or twice. So it's not that bad because horrors don't normally shock me. Although it seems to be fairly slow paced as you watch it, the story flows along nicely and I did not fast forward once on this film.

I love the old trope of extremist religious people contriving the second coming. And although it's very "Rosemary's Baby", it's presented in a way that is fresh. I loved the idea of the iron nail and the DNA. I also loved the catacomb sequence which did have me edgy, especially when the rather crispy Father Tedeschi (Alvaro Morte) grabs her.

It seems that all religious zealots are prepared to do much evil in order to achieve their apparent Godly aims. God's will sweeps an abundance of evil acts under the carpet, and I wonder what deeply religious people actually make of films like this. Do they see it as just entertainment or does it go against their tenets?

As a person raised in a catholic household but identifies as agnostic, I see it as great entertainment and this film while not great, was very decent. I gave it a 6 because it made me jump and the end scene where she delivers the baby is quite mesmerising.

Riddle of Fire (2023)

There is nothing at all redeeming about this film

[1/10 · 17 April 2024]

3 kids go off looking for a blueberrry pie for their poorly mama, and have adventures and stuff in the woods.

I imagined seeing something along the lines of the most excellent Bridge to Terabithia. Sadly, it was more like watching an 80's version of some appalling kids show. I can't even think of anything awful enough to compare it with.

The plot is ridiculous, the acting is appalling, cinematography looks like it's been done on an 80's Super 8. There is nothing, absolutely nothing redeeming about this film. It's not even a cult classic like Teeth. When a film is too bad to even be a cult classic you know it's bad.

I rated it a 1 and if I had the option to put 0 I would have.

Parachute (2023)

A fabulous film that parachuted in under the radar

[8/10 · 16 April 2024]

The film follows Riley, a young woman fresh out of hospital for an eating disorder who is trying to navigate mental health issues and her own self destructive tendencies to live, and love again, despite herself.

I guess Brittany Snow directed this film as she had experienced similar problems in her life. Perhaps it was cathartic to portray what young girls can go through, perhaps she just wanted to get the message out to people to raise awareness of how life can be for some people, and how hard it is to keep an even mental keel, when the world seems to be teetering under your very feet.

The irritating thing is you can feel and appear to be fine and on top of the world. Then there's a trigger and suddenly your brain convinces you to think that you're unworthy, life is unworthy, everyone around you is better than you, you have no meaning or value, and yet deep down you know you do, and the dichotic maelstrom of emotion can tear you apart.

It seems to be becoming more common too with young people, perhaps brought on by TV standards, and then film standards, and now the internet bringing standards that people...mostly women...feel are impossible to live up to and if they can't then they are unworthy. They can't find how to be happy anymore. And of course no-one knows how best to treat even their close friends when they're like this. It's an epidemic and Snow brings this into focus to show us all what it can be like.

The cast is fabulous, Courtney Eaton slays this role and I believe everything she is going through. The situations, the contradictions, the failed romance, the struggle and then the acceptance. And thankfully it is not ruined by an awful music soundtrack. The score is unobtrusive and sympathetic and sometimes there is no sound at all, and that's very powerful.

I loved this from start to finish and I think it's beautifully and passionately and sympathetically done, so I give it a strong 8.

Knox Goes Away (2023)

A twisting tale of love, acceptance and redemption

[7/10 · 14 April 2024]

When a contract killer has a rapidly evolving form of dementia, he is offered an opportunity to redeem himself by saving the life of his estranged adult son.

His character (John Knox) has to learn to accept that his life is going to be shortened by a disease, but as his estranged son comes to him out of the blue he sees an opportunity to see right by his ex wife and son and redeem himself for the life he has led. It must be said that Keaton grabs attention in his first scenes. His acting is purely on point and he clearly has seasoned over many years.

It's quite slow paced but not to the extent that you get impatient. It's more like being given time to savour what's going on. There's no massively intrusive score to ruin the scenes either which is very welcome.

The plot has a great twist but not one that seems contrived or just there to shock. It's part of a long drawn out plan of Knox's and although it's not hard to work it out early on, it still impresses with it's simplistic but effective machinations.

There is genuine tension at times and yet you can't help think that Knox is playing this all with a dark sense of humour. It's still very poignant though that in order to redeem his past, he has to accept that he has no future. He does this gracefully and willingly and I forgave him his every sin.

A solid 7 from me for a great thriller/murder/mystery.

Strictly Confidential (2024)

Strictly terrible

[1/10 · 14 April 2024]

A group of friends fly to an island so they can commemorate the tragic death by suicide of a close friend a year before. Many truths come out during their time there.

I didn't want to just jump on the bandwagon of poor reviews so I watched it right through so I could give a fair review.

The story itself could have been ok but was overly webbed and drawn out. The dialogue/script was childish, but that matched the whole thing, childish. I felt like I was watching a very early episode of Mean Girls, or 90210.

The acting was beyond poor. There was the very odd moment when you could tell an actor was reacting to an emotion rather than direction, but only a handful in the whole film. It distinctly lacked acting ability throughout the film, but the behaviour of the cast suggested that they though they were acting really well. Delusion reigned.

The direction was almost bizarre. We'd see people look a certain way and there was no context for the look. The camera panned to look at a wall, or someone sitting down, and then back to the scene but without ever letting us know why it had panned away. People's actions, especially in group scenes just weren't normal and I think sometimes the actors struggled to know or remember what they were supposed to do. There were many horrified looks, or agonised looks that I think were meant to be sympathetic, that did not correlate at all with the plot or the scene.

The cinematography was below amateur grade. Half the time it was as if there was a hazy filter over the lens and there were many angles and shots that simply didn't make sense. Also the score was louder than the dialogue and continuous, even if the music lent nothing to the scene. It felt like it was there just for the heck of it. It was highly irritating right to the very end. The constant closeups of faces that were struggling to portray what they wanted to was painful.

The overall thrust of the film was a lot of titillation and see through clothes, a sex fest where everyone was having everyone else, and some of the most cringe worthy lesbian kissing scenes I've honestly ever seen. Liz Hurley wins the gold award for most awful kissing in the movies. And the cringeworthy moment when she pulls her panties back up after being caught kissing Natasha. It was like a pair of 16 year olds being caught in the playground. I actually gagged.

Makeup, although I expected a lot worse, overall was actually reasonable, apart from Hurley's. She honestly reminded me of some 80's porn star with her makeup, it did nothing whatsoever to put her in a good light.

The very final scene was utterly bizarre. After Mia has boarded the jet Rebecca has a final truth to admit to. I can't even talk about it really: it's not a great plot twist, it's just bizarre and unnecessary. I hate to say this but after seeing Damian's other, short film, The Boy on the Beach, I truly worry about the relationship between him and his mother.

I gave it a 2 but I think 1 was simply out of pity.

Wicked Little Letters (2023)

Absolute gem of a film, loved it!

[8/10 · 12 April 2024]

"Wicked Little Letters" follows two neighbours: deeply-conservative local Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). When Edith and fellow residents start to receive wicked letters full of unintentionally hilarious profanities, foul-mouthed Rose is charged with the crime.

I watched this solely because Jessie Buckley stars and I wasn't disappointed. Even though I'm not a fan of Coleman she plays a fabulous part too. In fact every single character in this film plays a fabulous part, I can't fault one single character. Oddly, Timothy Spall as Edward Swan reminds me of Daniel Day Lewis playing Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York.

It's filmed in an almost stage type style and in fact would probably make a brilliant stage play. The pace is great so the story flows naturally and it never gets a chance to make you bored, or goes so fast it loses you.

There's some genuinely, laugh out loud funny parts to it too. It's a long time since I last laughed out loud at a film.

The sets and costumes are spot on and the score is as it should be...in the background.

The only thing I dislike is the slightly racist idea of replacing white people with black people for no good reason. Gladys Swan (played brilliantly by Anjana Vasan) was in fact a white British woman. Given that she has a major role in helping bring the real perpetrator to justice her real identity should be honoured. I feel that despite Vasan's excellent acting skills this is a distinctly racist piece of casting.

Nevertheless I loved this film so much I gave it a solid and rare 8 but if I was allowed to give 8.5 I would have.