A few days late for August - I was waiting to add a couple of last minute films....
The BFG
For those who didn't love and treasure Roald Dahl's beloved children's story, The BFG or see the 90s animation with weird music, the story is about Sophie. Sophie is an orphan who is snatched up after witnessing a giant blowing dreams into people's homes. She is taken to Giant Country and into the care of The BFG (big friendly giant). They become friends and hatch a plan to get rid of the evil giants who eat people every night. They seek the help of the Queen of England and set the plan in motion. Usually children's films have an underlining feeling that they are for adults as well but not this one. I went with my mum as she loves the story too and she used to put the story tape on during dinner for my sister and me but we both agreed that it was very 'child friendly'. In fact this film would be a perfect 'Afternoon Movie'. But for me, it was tad too child like to fully immerse myself in. 3/5
Suicide Squad
I would say, I've been waiting all month to write about the squad but now that it comes it, there has been so much written, my thoughts might just be run of the mill. Not being a big fan of DC Comic films, apart from the Christopher Nolan films, I was really looking forward to this from the minute it was announced. I watched all the trailers, loved the artwork and was so impatient to see the film I went at a 12pm showing. I loved it to a point. That point was finding out that The Joker who had been 'bigged up' was a side character and that the real 'big baddie' was disappointing. The reason for the crazy suicide mission was also an anti climax and the intro to the squad was uneven, some members had more attention which didn't need to happen. BUT despite all this, I still enjoyed it. The villains of DC comics are great fun and still kept their mean side except when fighting for each other, which, I thought was good. They aren't heroes, they don't get to go home at the end of the day, after all, they are criminals. My favourite was probably the squad member with the smallest part but she was wicked crazy with that sword. I have her funko pop staring at me right now. I can understand why the film wasn't well liked but in the progress of DC comic films, they are getting better. 4/5
Beyond the Lights
A film about a new singer in the limelight who becomes overwhelmed and tries to commit suicide only for an LA cop to save her. Then the two have a connection, fall in love and come to realise what they really want. It's not really the sort of film that I would go for but I like the two leads, Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle) and Nate Parker and of course Minnie Driver. Plus the film was written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythwood and I'm all for championing women! The film just shows up how disgusting the music industry is and how women are treated so the love story was a welcome factor. Not my usual but I'm glad I was open minded about it and enjoyed it. 3/5
The Childhood of a Leader
Something of a mystery, this film directed by actor Brady Corbet, centured around a young boy over a few months. We know already he will be a leader and with that hanging over us, the tension builds thanks to the amazing score, which if it wasn't there, I don't think the film would have had the same effect. Prescott, (a brilliant Tom Sweet) is living in France with his American politician father and his cold French mother during the time of the creation of the Treaty of Versailles. The film is split into sections named as tantrums except the final and shortest section which is strange but to the point. It also forces us to expect a tantrum creating tension once again. At first its seems that Prescott already has something not quite right about him but once the maid, the only person he likes and trusts is dismissed, he explodes and implodes all at once. Overall I enjoyed, except for the final scenes, they didn't seem necessary and make a suspected plot point very obvious which ruined the mystery about the other characters. But the score is just brilliant and really does make the film. 3/5
Julieta
The long awaited Pedro Almodovar film that returns to his meldramatic roots? I think Almodovar has many roots that it would be difficult to say. This film reminded me of All About My Mother and Talk to Her, the film drips with melodrama and wonderful colour palette for both the flashbacks and the present day. Julieta, (Emma Suarez and the unbelievably beautiful Adriana Ugarte as the younger) is all set to move to Portugal with her partner until bumps into someone from her past who tells her about her daughter, Anita. She has not been in contact with her for 12 years and through flashbacks, Julieta relates the story of how she met Anita's father and how things used to be, up to the present. Throughout it is believed that Julieta had done something terrible but in fact it is Anita who is the one we should question. I didn't feel that there was any resolution to this film and there were very important questions left unanswered. Although it was brilliant, I can't shake the open ended feeling at the end. 3/5
The Bling Ring
Like Sofia Coppola, I was drawn to the real story of a group of LA teenagers who robbed celebrities' homes. It sounds unbelievable that they got away with this for so long but in a way it isn't. The lives of the rich and famous who leave their doors unlocked and leaves thousands of dollars lying around the house. The group broke into Paris Hilton's house, which the real house actually features in the film, multiple times. The group want the lifestyle and act so casually about their crimes, they seem numb to any wrong doing, apart from a few moments of panic. They get away breaking in and stealing so many times they act invincible until they are caught on security tapes and their worlds come crashing down. Everyone went on about Emma Watson in this film but she's not even the main focus. She was good, she was made for this airhead LA bitch teen but the real standout performaces come from the virtually unknown before this film, Katie Chang as the ring leader Rebecca and outsider Marc played by Israel Broussard. 3/5
