Flow

It may feel like there hasn’t been a challenger to Disney/Pixar for a long time, but in fact, the house of mouse has missed out at the Oscar’s for Best Animated Film the last three years. Not only is this refreshing but it shows that more animated films are finally being able to make an impression and break through to audiences. Dreamworks of course has been working away and creating some truly spectacular films over the last few years as well (bar that new Shrek film by the looks of it), but its with Studio Ghibli winning last year with The Boy and the Heron and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio the year before, there finally feels like a shift happening with animation. This feeling was cemented with the historic win this year when Flow took home the prize, a first time ever win for Latvia and for co-writer and director Gints Zilbalodis.

Flow follows a black cat who lives in a world where humans no longer exist, though there are remanences from what they left behind. When the land is suddenly flooded, the cat, by chance encounters other animals, equally lost, who all end up in a boat together. As they drift along, the group must learn to work together and navigate these new waters.

 

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Watch List January & February

The Gentlemen

Ever wondered what made Guy Ritchie the director he is? Some would argue that he's made some terrible films (Revolver, King Arthur) and some truely amazing films (Lock, Stock..., Snatch, RocknRolla) and when he's stepped out of his comfort zones, mixed reviews (Aladdin). But Ritchie is a creature of habbit. He is at his best in London making up stories about gangsters. That's literally what this is mixed in with a scandal. It's pure Brit grit classic gangster shenanigans with a witty script and even better weird characters that inhabit the grim ends of London. I enjoyed it for what it was but I think a lot of people were underwhelmed by Ritche's latest, saying it was the same old same old. True, it is. But its what he does best and I can appreciate him at his best. 3/5

Hustlers

Can't believe I overlooked this film when it first came out... and here I am dedicating an entire post to it. HERE.4/5

The Personal History of David Copperfield

Not my favourite Dickens as it is very depressing, however the amazing cast assembled was too good to miss and I was not disappointed. David goes from loved son to outcast to loved nephew to gentleman to poor man to author and its all mapped out through the eccentric characters he meets, collecting scraps of paper to remember each person and their mannerisms. Very funny and depressing as hell in places, but its as expected as it is Dickens. But this is one of the best adaptaions I've seen of his works. 4/5

Queen & Slim

Starts out like other films but takes the 'lovers on the run' genre trope and twists it on the head. Two fantastic characters in an extraordinary situation with only one way to end. Topical and socially adept, a brilliant film that I hope stretches as far as the characters in the film reach.  4/5

Weathering With You

Made by the creators of 'Your Name' so I knew I'd love it. The animation is beautiful, with dahses of fantasty one minutes and crashing reality on the streets of the city the next. Ultimately a heart warming and wrenching story at the same time throughout. The dramatics teenagers are going through is heightened to the skies when runaway Hodaka Morishima meets Hina Amano, a weather maiden who can stop the rain and pray for the sunshine. The story and the characters are even set in the same world as 'Your Name' characters but the film doesn't quite have the emotional punch the previous film had but its still a wonderfully animated film complete with indie rock soundtrack to keep you in the mood. 3/5

Parasite

Truely worthy of being the film to make Oscar history and be internationally celebrated. Without giving away the story, a family living in a basement level flat in poverty, trying to secure minimal paying jobs, work their way into a wealthy family's home. But even this small, reasonable ideal can come with a heavy price. There is so much subtext, with twists and shocks to keep you transfixed on the screen. A thriller with few thrills, a horror story with little blood and a drama that is subtle where it counts, its a fantastic film. As above, so below. 5/5

Birds of Prey

Absolutely loved this film. Far better than the other films in the DC cannon. Fun, funny and emotional. Plus now all I want is to find a sandwich that would be good enough for Harley Quin to nearly die for.  I wrote about the film in a bit more detail HERE in case you'd like to know more. 4/5

Ready or Not

The concept for this horror-esque thriller is brilliant and yet so simple. When Grace marries into the Le Domas, on her wedding night she has to pick a card to determine what game she plays to initiate her into the family. But instead they try to kill her. Its brilliant. These sort of things only happen with ridiculously wealthy people and usually Americans, lets face it. Its chilling but somehow fun at the same time along with a few laughs. Grace, is also refreshingly normal. She reacts the same way anyone would in her position, even punching a kid in the face (he deserves it, watch the film). Fun and games and the occult. 4/5

Greed

Steve Coogan playing a billionaire arsehole, its very dark, very funny and my gad does it have a gut punch third act. My full review will be over on Vulturehound HERE. 4/5

Above and Below

Like many of you, I have not been lucky enough to see 'Parasite' yet. This week, thankfully, the wait is over. But just before we enter one of the most talked about films of last year and this year (so far) let us delve deep into the mind of Bong Joon-ho and see what lies beneath. In other words, lets go back and watch his previous films an revel in his fantastic genre twisting storytelling.

I wrote (at length) for Zavvi and the full post can be read HERE.

Why Jojo Rabbit should win Best Picture

Part of Zavvi's blog leading up to the Oscars, each film critic backs one of the nominees and the horse that ran out of the gate was 'Jojo Rabbit' by a mile, in my opinion. Its a black comedy war film where director Taika Waititi also plays Hitler, that's all you really need to be a winner. But if you want to know more about why I think this film deserves the 'top prize', head over to HERE.

January/February Watch List

Stan & Ollie

A story of legends and one of the greatest love stories ever told. 4/5 My post about the film is HERE for your reading pleasure.

Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse

This one crept up and made a huge impact on all comic book fans. Its the best comic book film I've seen, maybe even better than my beloved Guardians of the Galaxy. This Spider-Man film not only manages to side step some of the terrible films that came out, it even pokes fun at them. The fact that there are multiple universes and each one there is a Spider-Person must mean that there are multiple versions of all the Marvel characters. In this film, this is Miles' time to shine. The film introduces a new Spider-Man, passes the baton, gives him a worthy story to work with, gives him THE best mentor a would be hero could ask (Peter B. Parker perfectly cast/voiced by Jake Johnson) for AND even has time to introduce 4 other great Spider characters from multiple universes AND bring villain King Pin back to his original place, fighting Spidey as well make Dr Oct a woman voiced by the amazing Kathryn Hahn, literally all my dreams came true with this film. Story and characters aside, the film is brilliantly animated, making it look like a comic literally came to life, with the voiceover, speech bubbles, the black lines of the panels. This film is so brilliantly constructed, it shows up all the previous efforts, this film is pure comic book heart. 5/5

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden Kingdom

A satisfying and emotional close on a fantastic franchise. My review is over at VultureHound and can be read HERE 4/5

Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte

Whatever happened to Baby Jane? Well, she made this film with the bare bones similarities but then her sister left the set so Olivia De Havilland stepped in. 3/5 My review is over at VultureHound and can be read HERE. 

The Lady Eve

One the best screwball comedies, I laughed so much out loud. They really don't make 'em like they used to. 5/5 My review is over at VultureHound and can he read HERE.

Burning

 I missed this at LFF due to scheduling clashes BUT with the hype that grew during and after the festival, I knew I couldn't miss it again. With a pace slower than pain drying, this thriller doesn't have any scare moments, there are no 'big reveals' but instead plagues your mind as you try to put the very few clues together. Lonely would be writer Lee Jong-su bumps into old school fellow Shin Hae-mi after years. At first it seems this is going to be a not so romantic story about two lonely people who used to know each other but instead flips what you except of this mysterious story. She leaves for a trip and returns with the mysterious, handsome and wealthy Ben. Jong-su ends being the third wheel to the couple. He observes them, suspicous of Ben and his beahviour, remarking that Ben is a Gatsby. No one knows how he makes his money or where it comes from. A mystery unfolds as pieces start to fall into place, we are left to draw our own conclusions despite what happens on screen. The story unpeels itself, creating unease from the moment Ben is introduced, giving a whole new meaning to a slow burner thriller. 4/5

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Amongst the Oscar darlings there was a hidden gem directed by Marielle Heller, based on the true story of how literally down on her luck writer Lee Israel forged thousands of letters from famous writers. It takes a while for Lee to get going in her new venture which proves to be lucrative and along with her down his luck friend Jack, they live a little, that is, until they are found out. The story isn't a huge story as in there is no over the top dramatics, except from Richard E. Grant as Jack but that's who he is. Deservingly so, both Grant and Melissa McCarthy were nominated at the Oscars. Both great roles in what I'd describe as a quiet film which reflects on how far you'd go to pay the bills and be able to sleep at night. 3/5

Polar

I love a good hitman story and even more so when its crazy and ridiculous, think Smokin' Aces but without the police side plot and undercover bit. The infamous Black Kaiser is about to retire which means the company he works for, even hitmen have a boss, will owe him 8 million, which they clearly don't want to pay so his wacky clothed boss gets his hit sqaud out to kill him. In the meantime hes settled into a cabin and even made friends with his neighbour. What follows is a spectacular bloodbath of bullets and mayhem and Mads Mikkelsen, the Kaiser himself, barely flinches. 3/5

Velvet Buzzsaw

There was little hype except for a trailer that arrived a month before it appeared on Netflix but since there was so much hate and misunderstanding about this film, it deserves a post of its own. 4/5

Piercing

What the hell was that? I asked myself throughout this film even though I knew exactly what I was walking into. A man who has the desire to kill someone with an ice pick casually books a hotel room and arranges for a call girl who does S&M to come to his room where he plans to kill her. He has it all sorted and written in detail in his notebook. BUT when she shows up, she's even crazier than he is. A brilliant two hander from the very beautiful Christopher Abbott and the fascinating as ever Mia Wasikowska who dance around each other is a strange and sometimes even erotic way. Biazrre to say the least but again, expected as the film is based on a novel written by the same guy who wrote Audition, which the film was based on. There's something so desparate and immaculate about the two characters and in another time and place, they could have made each other so happy, if they weren't so deranged. 3/5

The Guilty

This is one of those, just one person on screen throughout the film while he makes lots of calls and like the others, its one hell of a suspensful thriller. 4/5 My review is over VultureHound and can be read HERE.