Swede Caroline

 

Although competitive vegetable growing or more specifically, growing giant vegetables does take place around the world, the event feels very much like a typically ‘British’ pastime. Any competition steeped in tradition will be able to find the comedy and in this case it’s a mockumentary about one vegetable grower and her story to win the coveted prize of heaviest marrow. The subject and setting is humorous before the film has even started. What’s good enough for Wallace & Gromit is good enough for the amateur film crew who ‘stumble across’ a major story worthy of its own documentary. 

Set in the world of competitive giant vegetable growing, the community is rocked by scandal when relatively new competitor Caroline has her prized marrow plants stolen. Together with her partner, Paul who fancies himself an amateur sleuth and her overly helpful neighbour Willy, Caroline is determined to find the culprit and still try for the top prize at the competition.

Full review is over at Filmhounds. 

Immaculate

 

Religion and horror go hand in hand, for obvious reasons, with the most popular being Catholicism. Fire and brimstone, hell and the devil, there’s too much temptation to take this religion to it’s darker corners. Immaculate is Sydney Sweeney’s passion project, having been attached to the film for years and eventually ended up being one of the producers as well as starring. This does seem, on the surface, an unlikely role for her to take on. But as soon as Cecilia arrives on screen, as the sweet and somewhat naïve novice nun, it becomes very clear that this is exactly the role Sweeney should be playing. 

No sooner as Cecilia arrives at the impressive convent buried in the Italian countryside, there is an ominous atmosphere that all is not what it seems. Anyone well versed with horror films that focus on religion will recognise the story beats and settle in nicely for the bizarre events ahead. Immaculate hams up the horror to the max, with jump scares every five minutes it feels, mixed in with some disturbing dream sequences that may be real after all. But as every character Cecilia interacts with feels like an omen or doomed ally, this sense of dread is constant leaving very little mystery. 

For those who enjoy an ominous horror and the company of nuns easily manipulated by a priest (as they always seem to be) will enjoy this blood-filled holy fest. Sweeney herself is actually pretty good throughout but her shining moment is at the climax of the film, caked in blood, having a very cathartic primal scream. However, all, the film is entertaining but it doesn’t rise above others made of the same ilk. The mystery is thin and the premise intriguing but nothing that shocking when you realise what’s going on in the catacombs. The fact that this film was stuck in development for a years does show, but luckily Sweeney sticks with it to give the film that shining moment.

Dream Scenario

 

Nicolas Cage never seems to disappoint us with his performances. They are either standard action with an edge of ridiculousness, serious with a strange concept or outright ludicrous. Dream Scenario sits within the middle bracket, as a story about an average man who finds himself appearing in people’s dreams. Benign at first, but eventually turns into a complete nightmare for himself and everyone who dreams about him. The film comes across as dark comedy but very quickly slips into something more serious and unfortunately, depressing. 

Without explanation and without conclusion, Dream Scenario, leaks into our minds as a very abstract midlife crisis. Paul, helpless as to what people dream about, let alone how he appears in people’s dreams, is at first idolised, feared and finally abandoned by his friends, colleagues and family. This is a tragic story in which the protagonist and near to no control over his life and what happens. Paul could be seen as guilty as lapping up the attention at first, his ego inflated but ultimately, he is just a sad character with a simple life, a somewhat domineering wife and the all round basic existence. There is no cautionary tale here, no, be careful what you wish for, only a sense of disappointment and emptiness. 

Dream Scenario won’t go down in Cage history as one of his best performances or best films. Interesting concept for sure but beyond that, it would be best to let this film fall into the ether.