Cordelia

 

The poster grabs people's attention andd went viral, once Cordelia has your attention you'll be hooked. Seductive, ominous, mysterious and at times unnerning as hell. Its not just about the poster image, there is a whole world and story to go with it.

Full review can be read HERE over at Filmhounds.

Ammonite - BFI London Film Festival

The world of fossil finding is rarely if at all explored on screen outside of documentary series or nature programmes. The addition of a famous fossil collector, dealer and palaeontologist’s story being told add perspective and human interest, but with a passionate and secret love affair as well, Ammonite takes on the form of a typical British period romance drama. Luckily in the hands of writer and director Francis Lee, the story isn’t entirely what you’d expect.

My full review can be read HERE over at Filmhounds.

Undine - BFI London Film Festival

 A modern retelling of a folktale about a water nymph who falls in love to gain a human soul is something quite unexpected. There is something in the water in more ways than one.

For my full review, you can read it HERE over at Filmhounds.

Herself - BFI London Film Festival

 

Building one’s own house is an amazing accomplishment but when you have two young daughters to take care of and an abusive husband to stay away from, the house becomes more than a project, its becomes the means to escape and freedom. A home is more than the place to live in, it is a symbol for a safe haven to rest your head at the end of a long day where your struggles seem never ending.

 

After finally leaving her a violent husband, Sandra lives in a hotel near the airport with her two young girls. Placed there by social housing while she searches for a new place they can move into, Sandra also has to contend with driving back forth to town for work and so her daughters can get to school. Finding she has little to no options, Sandra decides to build her own house. With the help from an employer who lets her build on her land and the generosity of a few friends, she sets about building her home and the hope of a better life.

 

Hard hitting drama is not hard to come by at the cinema. There are always dramas that hammer home the difficulties that some of us have no idea about. The trials that Sandra has to go through throughout the story have been explored in other films but the heart and soul of the story is Sandra herself, played brilliantly by Clare Dunne. Practically in every scene and second of the film, she is struggles but she is not down trodden. She moves ahead with determination and does not falter. The story does move in a few unrealistic ways but this is a film after all, we need a story after all, the fact the doctor Sandra cleans for practically gifts her the land to build her house is a nice touch but mostly unbelievable. The rallying of work friends, acquaintances and builders who she met in a hardware shop is actually very uplifting. The moment the house is finished is very emotional and really where the film should have ended but as we all needed to be reminded that not everything can have a happy ending and Herself is no exception feels quite cruel and leaves you with an ache and rage in the bottom of your stomach.

 

Despite the constant downpour of struggles that this one woman faces, the film does have its uplifting moments of joy and inspiration which nearly makes up for the bleak point near the end.

 

 

Honeymood - BFI London Film Festival

 

As a fan of the brilliant 'Zero Motivation' I was excited to watch the latest film from writer/director Talya Lavie, a comedy about a bride and groom to spend their weddning night chasing down exs, talking strangers down from jumping off scaffolding, dancing with bodyguards, avoiding parents and partying with students. It's one hell of a night!

My full review can be read HERE over at Filmhounds.

Alien Addiction

 

New Zealand has produced some of the most bizarre and genre bending comedies of the last decade, some even breaking the barrier and earning an international appreciation, but it’s the indie films that really should have their time in the limelight because that is where the weirdest stories are just waiting to be discovered, none more so than Alien Addiction.

 

In a small town in the middle of nowhere, life for Riko and his friends isn’t very exciting. With drugs and boardgames to while away the time with the occasional car chase race to see who can get to the bar first, no one was expecting exterrestrial visitors to land in the woods. They also probably didn’t expect these aliens to smoke and get high off human faeces and then becomes addicted to it. When Riko stumbles upon the aliens, he finds kindred spirits and welcomes them with open arms, taking them to explore life on Earth, or at least his lifestyle on Earth. But while this intergalactic friendship blossoms they are being pursued by a self named alientologist who is determined to capture the aliens to prove once and for all they do exist.

 

 

The distinct New Zealand humour plays a major part in this indie science fiction comedy, with its matter of fact dialogue and acceptance of events by most if not all characters. The belief that something this crazy could happen is just another wacky adventure to get involved with by all, even the very questionable behaviour and actions towards Jacinta, one of the only female characters. But ultimately, this ensemble cast, including visiting aliens Jeff and Gurgus, make up a weird and wonderful group of characters that you could only find in this story.

 

Mixing comedy and science fiction is usually taken with a pinch of salt, especially with the low budget style and erratic plotline. But the fact that the tech, make up and props all look like something out of the 80s just adds to the charm of the entire film. With some very funny moments to balance out the rather disgusting ones (if you’re not fan of literal toilet humour be warned) it’s an absolute delight of a film.

 

Check out the trailer HERE.

The Other Lamb

 

Missed at LFF last year, this story about a cult group that lives in the woods under the control guidance from a man named Shepard, his followers colour coded by their position, wife or daughter, is filled with dark visions making this film stand on the edge of becoming a horror, supernatural and low key thriller. Another hit on Mubi's hands.

Full review can be read HERE over at Filmhounds.

Wolfwalkers - BFI London Film Festival

 

Magic, folklore and an unlikely friendship all wrapped up in a beyond beautiful animated splendor from Irish animation house Cartoon Saloon. I cannot express how much I loved this film, every frame is pure delight and it was just so refreshing to see a film about friendship and something other than a fairytale. Folklore is so rich with stories, there is so much to explore.

My full review can be read HERE over at Filmhounds.

Kajillionaire - BFI London Film Festival

 

A con artist, scam, family drama with a personal journey all wrapped up in a Miranda July package, we've all been waiting patiently for her next film and it was worth the wait.

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.

Eyes of Laura Mars

Last year I first set my eyes on Laura Mars' eyes at Cinema Rediscovered and I absolutely loved it. Its taken a while to write about the film but what better time that the season where everyone writes/talks about their favourite horror films. 

Part of Filmhounds' 31 days of Horror to celebrate Halloween, I contributed one of my favourites, which can be read HERE in full.

Now slam on that Barbara Streisand singing 'Prisoner', get your best 70s fashion on and your camera on standby as we see through the eyes of Laura Mars.

Watch List: August & September

Apartment 1BR

Full review can be read HERE. 3/5 

 

The Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day 

The first film is a cult classic and is just such a brilliant film, how do you top that? Well, you make a sequel that makes nearly no sense whatsoever and you bring back familiar faces and replace Willem Dafoe because he was most likely busy. This time, a hitman is hired by the mafia to murder a priest to bring the Saints back to Boston so they can have revenge BUT of course when The Saints arrive, with new pal Romeo as their sidekick, things do not go according to plan. There are moments of hilarity and ridiculous scenarios as well as amsuing details such as the emphasis on the hitman's height but this is the world of The Saints here so you have to expect the weird stuff. 3/5

 

Room

The harrowing story of a woman kept captive for years in a shed with the only positive part of her life, her young son is a film I didn't run to see at the cinema. Mainly because of the story and the real-life story that inspired it. Brie Larson is brilliant in the film as is the breakout star Jacob Tremblay as Jack, their bond and chemistry is the obviously the heart and soul of the film. Seeing the story unfold through Jack's eyes brings a new perspective on this type of story and I can see why there was so much hype around the film when it was first released. Waiting all this time to see it, I don't think took anything away, but the kidnapping and the strain everything put upon Larson's Ma is so painful to watch. Jack has his life ahead of him but Ma will be forever scarred and forever in pain and fear, even with time and I can't let that go. 4/5

 

12 Monkeys

 After years of this film sitting in my ‘to watch’ pile (in my mind) I finally got the film I had heard so much about. A science fiction thriller from Terry Gilliam, when he was making great films, is hard to resist. Of course, this is a film that resonates now more than ever, revolving round a disease that was spread in 1996 driving what remained of the human race underground. Future man Bruce Willis is time travelled back in time to find out who is responsible for the virus getting out and, in that time, makes friends with crazy Brad Pitt and scientist Madelaine Stowe with fixed effects. It’s a pretty damn good film despite making me feel uneasy in the state we all find ourselves in. 3/5

Tenet

I went to support the film that was meant to welcome people back to cinemas and I still stand by this, but, this film, was not a masterpiece. Nolan has some great ideas but how executes them is with varying success. Inception was about dreams and our perception of reality, here he cross the time travel line but it isn’t really a time travel story, it’s about time inverted….WHAT?! Starting with a fantastic opening scene pumped full of adrenalin but then quickly morphed into a sequence of fast dialogue heavy scenes that do not set up the story and does not explain anything. Literally, nothing. The only hint, a drawing but that is actually pointless too. There were too many scenes you can’t hear dialogue whether that was part of it all or not. Granted, there are some fantastic visuals but the overall reason for why things are happening is just, weak. There were also quite a few plot holes which I felt were set up in a film set before this one which we will never get to see. 2/5

Beanpole

 Full review can be read HERE. 4/5

 

Schemers

 Full review can be read HERE. 2/5

 

Night School

 I usually avoid Kevin Hart vehicles but this has Tiffany Haddish in it so I needed to see it. A fun silly comedy about a guy who struggled with school loses his job and can’t get another without a GED so he goes to night school to get one, meets group of kooky characters each with their own personalities and stories, hides his schooling from his successful girlfriend, is taught by the brilliant Haddish and has to overcome an old rivalry with a guy who knew in and now is the principle of their old high school. It’s all fun and games and dramatically plays down the fact that his character has learning difficulties that had gone unnoticed by his teachers when he was at school, but I suppose that would have been a whole other film with less laughs. 3/5

The Babysitter: Killer Queen

I have a habit of seeing sequels first but with this Netflix film, I didn’t think I needed to see the first film, but now I’ve seen this, I will go back to the start. As far as horror comedies go, this was very fun, ridiculous and I could immediately get into it despite everything that was going on. Picking up a few years later and Cole, still traumatised and trying to move on from the last film’s events decides it’s a great idea to go with his ‘best friend’ knock off blonde from next door and her friends to a lake. Of course, things go very wrong when the ghosts of the cult rise up and try and kill him again. There are flashbacks to how and why everyone joined the cult that are very amusing and silly as well as a very excellent dance scene in place of a sex scene that is better left watched and unspoiled. Cole also has a buddy along for the night of terrors, the equally mysterious and traumatised Phoebe which means our troubled boy has someone to share his story with. 3/5

 

Scottish Mussel

A wholesome British rom-com that is both impossibly sweet, slightly predictable and something rare all at the same time. Directed (and starring) Talulah Riley, her debut as the former is what you’d expect from the genre but just feels like a new voice that barely got heard. I don’t think this gem enjoyed enough if any attention at the cinema beyond the UK borders (please correct me if I’m wrong). When Ritchie and his friends end up mistaken for pearl thieves, the small-time criminal decides stealing rare Scottish pearls might be a way to make money. But after volunteering at the wild life centre to gain access prime mussel spots, he starts spending more time with Beth, the very passionate conservationist and he begins to change his mind. Unlucky for him, local gangsters have also taken an interest in the pearls too. 4/5