Review: Ocean's 8

Seen it all before crime caper whose USP is that this time they're all women.  It's a shame they waited until the fourth in the series to do something about the gender balance in casting.

As you'd expect given those involved, the cast are capable and charismatic with Rhianna showing real promise on the acting front. It would be good to see her take on meatier parts rather than the extended cameos of the last few films I've seen her in.

The problem is that the script and characterisation isn't really witty or distinctive enough to fit the star casting. Bullock as Debbie Ocean probably gets the most to work with. An extended introduction sees her boosting goods and running an audacious hotel scam.

The heist itself - isn't quite fun enough either although I was intrigued to see how the central part of it would be executed.

Verdict: Pleasing enough way to pass the time.

Review: You Were Never Really Here

You Were Never Really Here could be regarded as an impressionistic modern take on Taxi Driver as it shares a similar basic narrative and a central character willing to commit great harm in order to do good.  If they could stand each other's company, I suspect De Niro's and Phoenix's characters would have plenty to talk about.

Both films are relentlessly urban with a kaleidoscope of cityscapes, and in You Were Never Really Here's case - a discordant jungle for a soundtrack punctuated by flashbacks of his abusive childhood, work in the FBI & military and POV episodes of psychosis.  Pulling out a narrative out of this, is not always easy.

Phoenix is simply wonderful in this. A gruff sympathetic bear of a man who penetrates a Pizzagate like conspiracy seemly only armed with a roll of duct tape and a ball-peen hammer. Thankfully, most of the brutality is only implied.

The film wisely chooses to stay a taut 90 mins. That's enough to leave an impression, and ensures it never drags.

Verdict: Phoenix soars in this psycho-noir.

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Watching Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 reminds me of being an eight year old again. Picture a school classroom, an overflowing box of discarded dot matrix printouts from the local college and a class of youngsters being allowed to draw what they liked. My drawings tended to legions of space battleships with increasingly complex designs and battles. By the end of the exercise, the paper would be covered in explosions, weapons tracer lines and I would feel deeply satisfied that justice had been done.

I only had pencils and occasional felt tip pen to render my vision - while the makers of Guardians have unleashed a full candy store's worth of riotous colour to execute theirs.

Pratt remains a charismatic lead. So much so, my missus practically swoons each time he appears on screen.  Encouragingly, other characters - even supporting ones - are also fleshed out and given a chance to shine.

Vol 2 isn't without it's flaws. It probably stays a bit too long on the planet Ego. But otherwise, this is almost exactly how my eight year old self imagined the future.

Verdict:  Family theme and further character development nudge this ahead of Vol. 1

Review: Wind River

Wind River is something of a curate's egg. On the bad, it definitely draws upon a few well worn cliches common to the police procedural thriller eg a young female FBI agent has to earn the respect of older more cynical and experienced male colleagues. It even has a strong whiff of white saviour narrative too.

On the flipside, the script and acting is extremely strong. Olsen is astonishingly good in this. Her ability to convey complex and conflicting emotions and drives is outstanding.  The few action scenes are well choreographed, shocking and foreshadowing does a great job of ramping up the suspense.  Lastly, the wintry location adds a layer of eeriness over the proceedings.

Verdict:  Good script and performances save the day.

Review: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets takes the director's vision for his earlier Fifth Element and modernises it for the 21st century.  To some extent he succeeds as the visuals on display are,  if not quite equal to Avatar in realisation, more extraordinary - especially in the opening hour.

The two leads are unfortunately a little flat. Their attempts at gruff hard bitten special ops officers aren't fooling anyone and they don't get enough character moments or even sparkling dialogue to generate any kind of chemistry. Delevingne is the best of the two and with better direction might have brought real charisma to the role.

The plot isn't particularly strong either as it's essentially a rather humdrum chase featuring characters you don't particularly care about.

Verdict:  Amazing visuals dulled by weak plot and characterisation.

Review: Phantom Thread

Apparently, Day-Lewis' last film, this was always going to attract my attention.  This unconventional romcom does a fine job of showing just how difficult it can be to work and live with people who are obsessed by their work.

Day-Lewis does an outstanding job of capturing the sometimes monstrous, yet appealing Woodcock - and Krieps' Alma who emerges as someone who is more than equal to managing him and his occasionally malevolent sister (Manville also excellent).

Verdict: Couture levels of character study.

Review: When Harry Met Sally

Quirky and, by now, classic rom-com which asks whether men and women can ever be just friends? Crystal gets the best of the sparkling dialogue although the infamous scene in a diner proves Ryan can match him in comedic chops.

Made pre-World Wide Web and mobile phone, it feels like a film from another time now as telephone exchanges provide ample opportunity for comedy. It must be a head scratcher for anyone aged thirty or younger.

It is also punctuated by vignettes of older couples and the odd ways they got together.

Verdict: Good chemistry and fun script

Review: The Breadwinner

Wonderful piece of animated social realism intertwined with a fantasy which is pure Campbell.  Both quest stories have a simple subtlety - particularly in the character animation.

The result is a moving and occasionally humorous story in which small acts of kindness shine through a curtain of dark brutality.

Verdict: Can't fault this slice of magical realism set in war torn Kabul.

Review: Deadpool 2

The return of the wise cracking foul mouthed superhero mutant is surprisingly muted compared to his first big-screen appearance. There's fewer jokes all round and those that there are less riotous.  I found myself smiling rather than laughing with this one.  The jokes that broke the fourth wall were probably the most effective.

Brolin and Beetz make for good additions to the cast - and complement Reynolds' strengths while their characters' provide some neat plot resolutions and hole filling. I hope we see more of them in future movies. The rest of the team remain underused - and I've got to the point of inwardly groaning when the simply dull Colossus appears on screen.

Verdict: Less funny, but more thoughtful second act.

Review: Skyscraper

The missus' ongoing love affair with Johnson continues and so to a viewing of his latest blockbuster.  Objectively, it's not a great movie - but Johnson is as charismatic as ever and, despite a weak script, his performances are getting better. It's wonderful to see Campbell back in a blockbuster.

It's also interesting to speculate the impact Chinese cinema goers are having on Hollywood as the movie tilts to their ambitions. To start, it's set in the tallest skyscraper in the world which happens to be in Hong Kong and owned by a Chinese billionaire. Asian actors also populate most of secondary parts - and not just as bad guys.  Lastly, the ascetic and staging of the action feels distinctly Hong Kong at times.

Verdict: Passable Die Hard copy lifted by Johnson & Campbell.

Review: Paddington 2

Paddington 2 doesn't quite reach the anarchic heights of the first, but it does come close. The starting premise is a slight one - Paddington must earn enough money to pay for a present for a well-loved aunt and the madness spirals out from there.

Hugh Grant is wonderfully self-deprecating as a fading celebrity actor with a inflated ego.  It's a brave part to take on and a few lines of the script are rather near the knuckle.

It's peppered with quirky performances - even in the minor parts - throughout. Capaldi's nosey, if occasionally accent slipping, neighbour is a treat for example.

Verdict: A riot of bear necessities.

Reivew: ET the Extra-Terrestial

Back in 1982, I had something of an obsession with ET. I distinctly remember seeing a magazine article with Spielberg next to ET and being instantly captivated.  It didn't matter that I wouldn't see the film for several long months - on a rare sans-parents trip to the cinema with my sister.

Afterwards, in those pre-VHS days - I mainlined ET through a selection of toys, audiobook (on cassette), novelisation, sticker album and even membership of the fan club. Strangely, I never watched the film again until now.

Compositing work aside, ET has aged well. The creature effects still impress. A well observed script helps the young cast feel naturalistic. William's score captures and enhances the mood of every scene.  Oddly, I found I'd forgotten so much of the film - especially its references to Peter Pan.

Verdict: 80s nostalgia in a bottle

Review: Doctor Who: Whispers of Terror

The third release in the Big Finish release, Whispers of Terror, plays with the audio format from the start as the setting is a museum of sound samples.  Cue lots of tweaks, stretches, pitch shifts and sampling as well as technical explanations of sound manipulation.  From the perspective of nearly twenty years, it feels slightly dated, self-serving and rather quaint at times.

The mystery is an interesting one but I sometimes became confused by the lack of distinctness of some of the male voices.  Baker's Doctor is always clear though.  His incarnation is as bombastic as ever - and takes every opportunity to berate Peri to the point where it feels uncomfortable at times.  Bryant's Peri also gets very little to do, although she's not above making the odd barbed quip.

Lastly, the music really does transport you to back to the 80s with synths a plenty.

Verdict: A characteristic outing for number six.