Watch List: May & June

Luca

Pixar and Disney's latest about two sea monster pals who dream of running away and exploring the world is adorable. The sea monsters themselves are intricate characters who feel more than just legends of the deep. When curious Luca meets confident Alberto, another sea monster living alone on an island, the two immediately bond over their desire to explore. Once the boys make their way to mainland, set in Italy, their story really begins. They meet Giulia, a little girl who's Dad is a fisherman with a cat that finds the boys very suspicious. The story it seems is about friendship and knowing when to let go and move on, but of course with Pixar there always has to be statements. The film morphs from one lesson to another, accepting others, trustung your friends and about family. One aspect which is neglected is the reason why Alberto is alone on an island when we first meet him. We get a slight insight but nothing more than one tear soaked scene and nothing more, which is shame. Overall, its an adorable story set by the idyllic Italian coast, a sweet getaway when you can't travel. 3/5

Shiva Baby

 

Full review HERE 4/5

The United States vs 

Billie Holiday

 

Full review HERE 

Summerland

 

Having missed this film, the first time round last year, I caught up with the sweet story about a reclusive writer of folklore and young boy separated from his family, far from home. Although there is heartfelt story of lost love in flashbacks and a revelation at the climax of the film, this is really all about two lost people needing comfort, one knowing and other not realising they missed it. Gemma Arterton is brilliant as the moody writer who has shut herself away from the world to the annoyance of the village, but this role suits Arterton perfectly. Adding the beautiful location, this sweet story by the coast during wartime is a delight. 3/5

Dinner in America

 

Full review HERE

When Marnie was there

 

Adapted from the book of the same name, the film brilliantly exports the story from its origianl location to a small country town in Japan. Anna is sent away to stay with relatives of her foster mother so that she can get well again. While in the town Anna becomes obsessed with a house that sits away from the town across a marsh. She has dreams about a girl named Marnie until she actually meets her in person. But its very clear the two girls are from different times but somehow can interact with each other at certain times. Over her stay, Anna tries to find out the mystery of their connection and who Marnie really is. The story is very on brand for Studio Ghibli, feeling grounded in the real world and the spirit world. The friendship between the girls is developed very quickly as if they already had a predetermined connection. Capturing pure joy and lonliness is the art that Ghibli has created so well over the years and this is no different. 4/5

God's Waiting Room

 

Full review HERE 

Nomadland

 

There was such a lowkey hype about Nomadland at festivals that I didn'y may close attention. There is no clear storyline or plot, just a year in the life of Fern, a nomad who drives from site to site taking on seasonal work in different states. We get to see her with her fellow nomad friends, on own adventure, with her sister who doesn't understand her lifestyle and in her town that no longer exists. Not only a comment on how the recession affected certain people and age groups, its showing that there are other ways to live but there is an underlying comment on how town can be so reliant on a factory to keep everything turning but within a blink of an eye that town can just disappear. Beautifully shot, a sombre character piece that is full of sadness and joy at the same time. 4/5

Watch List: December

 

Mulan

Without comparing this to the 1998 film, there is merit in the story and the spectacle and it’s an uplifting tale of bravery and honour BUT because this is a live action Disney film, the fact that characters are very much altered/added, there are no songs and Mulan’s character is changed beyond recognition. The agency of our heroine’s character is about saving her father but here, she’s a tomboy, has some special power and is already a warrior. The development of Mulan’s being is all off balance which makes the film off centre. This was such a missed opportunity. 3/5 

 

Babyteeth

 Full review can be read over at Filmhounds HERE. 3/5

Freaky

Just when you thought that body swapping films were dead and buried, you’re hit with a gory as hell comedy(ish) horror where Vince Vaughn plays a teenage girl. Beginning with usual slasher deaths and intrigue including a special knife that allows you trade bodies. Then the film launches into a blood bath with revenge deaths handled by the serial killer while the heroine is trapped in a man’s body running around town with her friends trying to catch said killer. It’s very entertaining. 4/5 

 

Undertaking Betty

With cast that features ‘award nominated/winning’ before their names deserves a watch especially as the cast features Christopher Walken as a funeral director with outlandish ideas and yes, he does dance at some point. Betty and Boris (the other funeral director in the small Welsh town) are in love but they can only be together if they fake Betty’s death, apparently. There are so many bizarre things in the film it was pleasant surprise of a film that could have easily been terrible. 3/5 

 

Soul

Pixar has a way of breaking into your mind, heart and now, soul too. A beautifully illustrated story about a musician who's been looking for his big break, obsessed with Jazz and focused not much else. Joe looks back at his life and it’s not filled with great memories or achievements or at least this is what he sees in himself so instead of thinking of taking stock of his life, he continues to obsess about his one big shot which he was so close to before he ended up in the great beyond. The detour he takes is trying to convince another would be soul to take the journey but of course this soul doesn’t want to go. The clashes between characters is very clear and from this meeting you can predict what happens next which doesn’t take away the heartfelt moments but it does make for a less exciting story. I also wonder, as did most people, how was this aimed at children? There is practically nothing that young children could enjoy. Most of the existential discussions will go far over most children’s heads. But if this was really for adults to enjoy then, it makes sense. 3/5

 

Watch List March

Captain Marvel

 No one expected a cat named Goose would be such a hit but the Captain herself was great fun. There were flaws yes but on the whole, Marvel finally making a superhero film with a female character front and centre was long overdue. That's of course if you discount Ant-Man and The Wasp. My post about the film and the media hell around it can be read HERE. 4/5

The Girl in the Spider's Web

My review of the adaptation of the fourth book in the Millenium series but a weird side stepped not quite a sequel to David Fincher's remake (doesn't make sense as the film references things that happened after that film) can be read over at VultureHound HERE. 3/5

Incredibles 2

Missed this at the cinema first time round, caught it on Blu-ray. Many films do not require a sequel, including The Incredibles and I stand by this. But I love the characters and the other side of superheros so I enjoyed this one. A great and interesting turn from the ending of the first film where the family are living in a motel after their house was destroyed and they make a mess of trying to capture a villain. A secretive, worth millions company who's CEO loves superheros recruits the family to help change the law, making superheros legal again but this time, its Elastigirl who is the one fighting crime, while Mr Incredible takes care of the family. Its a fun story, with a mystety and actually genuine scary moments (well, I was scared) as well as some 'real' family time issues, plus discovery of all baby Jack's powers, which are insane!! 4/5

Tabloid

Having seen this documentary float around the film-sphere for years, I finally got to see this tale of true love, rumours, Mormon cults and the media circus that ruined lives. There are two sides to this story, both shown in the film, telling the tale about young American beauty queen Joyce McKinney who falls in love with Mormon missionary Kirk Anderson and follows him to the UK after he is forced to leave. It's bizarre and actually quite sad, as Joyce talks about the love of her life who is brainwashed away from her and does seem hard to imgaine thar media version of her kidnapping him. Either way, everything is laid out so you can make up your own mind. 3/5

The Honey Pot 

So, I went a little over the top buying up a bunch of cheap DVDs, ones from DogWoof and from Signal One Entertainment. This was the latter. An early 70s comedy (?) and later murder mystery about a wealthy old man who pretends to be dying in order to bring three of his past lovers back to him, hinting that he will leave his fortune to one of them. It really rather silly, self indulgent and the plot is all over the place but Maggie Smith is in it so it was worth it for that as she is the only half sain person in the film. 2/5

Black Widow

Another Signal One Entertainment purchase. This time a late 80s thriller about a woman who kills her wealthy husbands soon after marrying them. Hot headed FBI Agent Alexandra is hot on the spider's heels, even going as far as befriending the killer to try and save her next victim. Its actually pretty good, if a little cheap around the edges (which I love!).  3/5

Us

I first saw the trailer late at night while clicking through various posts and immediately regretted and was excited by it. Using a classic hip hop song to lure you in to the hellscape that await you - genius. A simple story at the core of the film, a family goes on vacation to the beach and are then terrorised by their distorted doubles, leaves so much room for the bigger issues being explored. Appreciating every aspect of the film and how much actual detail in the film is actually enjoyable, inbetween stuffing my mouth with my jacket to stop me yelling out in fear of course. The fact that Jordan Peele's horror film(s) are grounded in the horrific nature of human beings mkaes the horror feel much closer to home, even if a little bit of sci-fi is used to enhance the premise. With creepy twists and turns throughout as well as forehsadowing galore, its much more than I expected. 4/5

Meet The New Yarn

Pixar’s newly minted Spark Short’s first film is here and it’s delightfully aimed at adults.

Taking on the modern work place, commenting on the toxic boys’ club of the office, a new recruit arrives and it’s a pink ball of yarn named Purl. She’s happy, bright and friendly, not what her co-workers were expecting. She’s tries to join in with jokes and pitch in ideas at the office meeting but she’s left on the outside and excluded from fun after work drinks. So, she decides to act like them and is eventually excepted but when new recruit Lacy, a yellow ball of yarn, arrives Purl at first makes jokes but sees that she can make a change and invites Lacy to drinks. Flash forward and Purl is showing around the latest recruit to the office which is now full of different coloured yarn balls and happy co-workers.

From reading various pieces on ‘Purl’ it’s making an impression, being shared around the internet. Pixar isn’t one to shy away from the tougher topics in their film but the fact that this new short, written and directed by Kristen Lester, is purposely for adults is a barrier worth breaking. With adult jokes and swearing (apparently there is swearing, but I might be desensitised to these things) and very obviously taking on what it feels like to be the odd yarn ball out. Reading around the internet, the short has hit a cord with lots of women (of course, we’re the yarn) and myself included as we’ve all felt like Purl at some point in our working lives and even non-working lives. 

Although there are all kinds of yarns at the end, the other part of the short that was very obvious is that the office is in no way diverse, all the ‘bros workers’ are Caucasian, which doesn’t exactly mirror the work place. This is, I’m sure, been noted by others. Others who have been annoyed by the more ‘adult’ dialogue and themes.

At just under 9 minutes long, the story cover ground and in my opinion, not subtle. It delicately encapsulates what the ‘toxic masculine environment’ is like and shows that it just takes one person, or one ball of yarn, to make a positive difference, as well as showing that we should help each other up. Life isn’t as simple as a Pixar short but the message is clear and the animation brilliant.

You can see Purl on the Disney/Pixar YouTube channel HERE.

@DisneyPixar

#SparkShorts 

#Purl