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anna-fergusson
Reviews
Challengers (2024)
Challenging Challengers
I went to see this film on my own. Having seen two of this director's previous films Zi was expecting something a little bit less chaotic and complicated . The storyline centred around four tennis players one of whom was on a losing streak. His wife volunteers to become his tennis coach at the local tennis championships and helps him to win his matches by getting the other two tennis players to "lose" their matches. The characters were so in a dreamworld that they were high in the sky. The basic plot was made confusing by the fact that the film swung back and forth in time so much that it was like a pendulum. The male characters were so naive as to the wiles of the main female character that they irritated me.
Back to Black (2024)
Bland and Black
I saw this film yesterday with a group of people. The film has been slated and panned by the critics and I can see why. Although the acting was great by the actress who played Amy Winehouse and Lesley Manville who played Amy's nan, I felt the film presented an unduly flattering portrayal of both Mitch and Amy's boyfriend Blake Fielder Civil. The music was great as were the locations. She had a short life which was tragically cut short by her addiction to drugs and alcohol which was well documented in the film. This was nothing like the Amy Winehouse that I had seen in previous documentaries. On the other hand I am glad that I went to see it.
The Holdovers (2023)
Held by The Holdovers
I went to see this film on Tuesday 5th March on my own. It is an ideal film to see on your own and the two protagonists as played by Paul Giametti and the main boy are excellent but in no way is it on the same level as Oppenheimer. The film takes place in a boarding school during the Christmas holidays where the boys are held. The The main relationship develops between the head teacher and one of the boys whom we discover has a father who is suffering with dementia and a mother who is neglecting him by going off on honeymoon during the Christmas holidays. The head teacher as played by Paul Giametti is a gruff character. It is worth mentioning that the director of the film directed a very good movie called Sideways some years back.
Anatomie d'une chute (2023)
Anatomy of Anatomy of a Fall
I went to see this film with a group of people. This film is in English and French which is part of its charm. I will give you a brief outline of the plot. A woman who lives near Grenoble with her son id accused of murdering her husband by pushing him off the balcony. A overlong court room battle ensues during which we learn that her son had an accident when he was young which made him loose his sight. He had a guide dog called Snoop (who by the way is gorgeous) that helped to look after him. We never really find out what happened and that is part of the charm of the film is that the ending is ambiguous and we never really find out what really happened. The acting was great from everyone but please,please,please could filmmakers note that not everyone likes an overlong film.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023)
Hurray for films like these.
Skilfully acted by all actors especially the two main characters played by. Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton who play a husband and wife who were traumatised by the suicide of their son. Their relationship crumbles and when Harold, played by Jim Broadbent, receives a letter from a former confident called Queenie years later, he is inspired to go off on a pilgrimage by walking the length of Britain to see her. I won't spoil the story too much by revealing too much of the plot but suffice it to say that his story becomes of national interest. There are key characters that he meets along the way, such as a young and deeply troubled boy which I presume reflected the relationship that he had with his son and a dog. He is helped along by people but the cliche is when he meets up with a group of pilgrims. All in all this film is a classic.
Allelujah (2022)
Likeable characters but strange ending
I went to see this film with my mum and a friend. We had high hopes for this film as it has a stellar cast in the form of Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Julia Mackenzie and Jennifer Saunders. The film started off well with several funny episodes and there was a poignant story of an ex coal miner who was on the verge of dying. The film was basically about an NHS hospice on the verge of closure and the pressures that end of care nurses face with lack of beds etc The main storyline was the fact that the hospital commissioned a documentary to be made by a TV company about one of the main characters as played by Jennifer Saunders. Suffice it to say that the film has a macabre twist which is revealed by Judi Dench and it ends with a speech about how good the NHS is.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022)
What a documentary!!!!
This is what documentaries should be like. It does not gloss over things. Nan Goldin shows herself to be a formidable woman not only because of her fight against the Sackler family who made the prescription drugs that she became addicted to but because of the life that she had beforehand. And what a life it was. She had abusive relationships, funded her photography through being a sex worker and looked after her friends through AIDS. She came from a very unstable background but came over as being a really down to earth person. She managed, through her campaigning to get her message across about the fact that prescription drugs can be addictive.
Tár (2022)
Tedious Tar
I went to this film with my Mum and some friends. At 2 and half hours long it is too long. It has a major drawback and that it probably would be difficult for non classical music lovers to understand the ins and outs of the plot and what is happening and of the way an orchestra is constructed. The alleged bullying in the film is what they would call sublimal ie not obvious at first. The acting is good and Cate Blanchett is in practically every scene. I almost fell asleep during the film especially at the beginning but the plot hots up towards the end and leaves you with an utterly bewildering ending.
Bones and All (2022)
Boring Bones and All
This film is really boring. No storyline apart from two human beings, if you can call them that, who travel around America eating other human beings. Not one of Mark Rylance's better films. The hero and heroine just seem concerned with eating human beings. My Mum
and I wasted at least 2 hours watching this complete rubbish and gore. If it is gore that you want, you will not be disappointed. However, if you are looking for scenic photography and great dialogue you will be disappointed. The acting was wooden even Mark Rylance. All the hero and heroine was where to get their next fix. My Mum and I left the cinema feeling perplexed and puzzled.
In the Heights (2021)
Down In The Heights.
It was not worth the hype. The dance routines were pretty much the same throughout the film, same steps and same routine. The acting was pretty average. West Side Story was much better. Even the music was the same.
Tenet (2020)
Terrible Tenet
If you want to go and see a film in which the plot is utterly confusing, then this is the film for you. It was given a lot of hype which was bad and I felt really disappointed especially as it was directed by Christopher Nolan of Dunkirk and Inception fame. Elizabeth Debicki is good at looking pretty and just delivering her lines but is utterly wooden as an actress.
63 Up (2019)
Up for 63 Up
I watched this the 1st time that it came up and then watched it again. I find it fascinating to see what happened to each of the children( now adults) taking part? Did they manage to fulfil their dreams? Were they dealt a bad deck of cards? How did they cope with life's obstacles? It would be interesting to do a film on how they are coping during lockdown. I hope they do another film of when they are 70.
Bombshell (2019)
Bomb Bombshell
A very lacklustre film about 3 women that worked for Fox News and their battle to sue their boss for sexual harassment. The supporting cast was good.
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Joyous and Thought Provoking JoJo Rabbit
I went to see this film on my own on the 21st of January. It is a great film done from a child's point of view and really well acted by all concerned in particular by the child actor who plays JoJo and the girl who plays his friend. It has received 6 Oscar nominations and I hope that it wins all of them. It also brings out the futility of war and helps to explain about what it was like to be Jewish during the war.
Grâce à Dieu (2018)
One of the best French films that I have seen
I did not know much about the events portrayed in this film but they were portrayed with a great deal of sensitivity. The acting was superb on all counts. All of the leads were superb and it really brings to light the subject of child sexual abuse and church. It also asks and answers questions about child sexual abuse. It leaves no stone unturned.
L'amant double (2017)
L'Amant Double
This is the latest offering from Swimming Pool director Francois Ozon. It is skillfully acted by both the main characters and by Jaqueline Bisset. The build up and suspense had me holding onto my chair.