andrewiangillies Reviews

Old Dads (2023)

Entertaining, funny at times, but what is he trying to say?

[6/10 · 4 November 2023]

It matters to me right now that a film holds my attention. And if a so called 'comedy' makes me laugh....in this day and age....it's done well. And this did both, so I recommend it on that basis.

But the message of the film confused me. The ending seemed somewhat of a betrayal of what the film had been originally trying to say. I was confused if we are meant to see modern society as ridiculous and flawed, or if we are meant to see Bill's character as toxic and in need of reform. And the wives' toxicity basically got off scot free!

Worth a watch for the general sense of fun though.............

The Traitors Australia (2022–2023)

Flawed game structure

[4/10 · 21 August 2023]

I loved the UK and US version, but the Australian version revealed problems with the game structure, it left a slightly sour taste afterwards, and I couldn't feel any happiness at all for the winner. I'm not sure I will watch it again.

Contains spoilers

When the first traitor recruitment happened, the players were told. When the second traitor recruitment happened, the players were not told. The traitors already have a slight advantage (and I can't see how it's possible for any one faithful to take the money home alone...it must be split). But failing to tell the group that there had been a new traitor recruitment seems strikingly unfair to the faithful group. Moreover, it's hard to feel support for any traitor in the final, that has only been a traitor for a short period.

Cocktail (1988)

It's just simple entertainment

[7/10 · 23 February 2023]

I saw another review which said, 'it never bores' and then gave it 2 out of 10. It's on that same basis that I'm giving it 7 out of 10. It's entertaining escapism from beginning to end. I mean, it is drivel or course, but that's not the point. It's okay for 80s movies to be drivel, as long as they hold our attention, and take us back to that time in a fond way. That's really why most of us watch 80s movies isn't it? It's to remember the energy and the feel of that period, when life seemed simpler in many ways. We knew who we were and what we were meant to do. And that's what this film does....the characters know who they are, and what they are meant to be doing....even when they don't. Even existential crisis in the 80s was simpler (in films at least). It's a good trip back in time.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Had read all about it before I saw it so knew what to expect. Liked it a lot more than I thought II would

[9/10 · 19 September 2019]

I can see why people didn't like it. In an age where everything is so 'immediate', this definitely lacks immediacy. It doesn't have suspenseful build up. It could seem terribly self-indulgent I guess. But I actually shed tears at the end, which surprised me. Tarantino re-wrote history in such way that I feel goes a small way to healing what happened at the time. I loved Inglorious Bastards, but didn't get that same sense at the end, and I think the difference is, that Tarantino genuinely loves Hollywood and film, and there's a level at which he personally feels the pain of what happened with Sharon. I never got bored...there were scenes which dragged a little for me, but I always felt Tarantino's love for his craft in those scenes, and there was always enough going on in other scenes to keep me interested. Brad was brilliant, Leo was brilliant, the two of them together were brilliant. Aside from the history re-write, it's basically a buddy-buddy movie, and I haven't seen one in a long time that I've really appreciated. Perhaps 'Sideways' was the last one. Anyway, I would definitely recommend it, but best to be prepared for what kind of film it is.