Wonderfully dark and really enjoyable even if the ending is lacking the punch to make it truly great.
April 23, 2018 at 08:57PM23 April 2018
22 April 2018
A War, 2015 - ★★★★
A film of two halves and each is equally compelling yet in completely different ways.
April 22, 2018 at 09:10PM
16 April 2018
BPM, 2017 - ★★★
It quickly became apparent that I wasn't in the right mood to watch this but the problem is I'm not sure if I ever will be. When watching a film I try and forget about the real world but at the moment there just seems to be so much wrong and so much to fight for that I couldn't really handle much more.
I knew it was a long film but it felt even longer. The pacing never felt right and the switch to a more personal story in the second half came too late but also seemed to take away some of the drive.
I wish I'd loved the rest of the film even a fraction of how much I loved the completely fantastic final scene.
April 16, 2018 at 09:30PMFunny Cow, 2017 - ★★★
Great performances, enjoyable cameos and some interesting structural choices but the Funny Cow ends up being less than the sum of the parts.
It wasn't the film I was expecting and I was surprised how little focus there was on the stand up comedy - it's almost as if she could have been doing any job. I also can see why some people may be offended by some of the choices of material, I was left wondering why one joke was used for a breakthrough moment. I think the film is only trying to reflect the sexist/racist/homophobic attitudes of the times but it treads a fine line any may be too much for some.
09 April 2018
X-Men: Apocalypse, 2016 - ★★½
James Mcavoy, Michael Fassbender and Oscar Isaac are three of the best actors working today and here they are at their very worst. If these guys can't make the lines work then it really must be some terrible writing. The editing (or lack of it) is much worse, dragging every scene out far longer than necessary contributing to an excessively long running time. There are some entertaining moments, Quicksilver arriving at the mansion feels refreshingly unique, but really isn't much here to get excited about.
April 09, 2018 at 10:01PM06 April 2018
Ready Player One, 2018 - ★★★★
It's so much geeky fun that I managed to overlook the simple plot barely made any sense.
April 06, 2018 at 01:21PM05 April 2018
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, 2016 - ★★★
Enjoyable enough but I'm not really sure if there was much point to any of it.
April 05, 2018 at 09:29PM03 April 2018
The Lost World, 1925 - ★★★★
Really enjoyable and aged better than some more recent effects heavy films. This was a recently restored version offering to be the most complete but if anything it could do with a few cuts - I don't know how many times anybody needs to see a Brontosaurus in the mud.
Live improvised piano by Johnny Best.
April 03, 2018 at 05:08PM
02 April 2018
The Silent Child, 2017 - ★★★★
A worthy Oscar winner, left me wanting more.
April 02, 2018 at 10:34AMLoving Vincent, 2017 - ★★★½
Am amazing achievement in animation which is beautiful to watch (especially on the big screen) but the story is fairly basic and it's often a distraction trying to place the actor's voices and faces.
April 02, 2018 at 10:27AMGhost Stories, 2017 - ★★★★
I'd heard very good things about the play on which this is based and so my expectations were fairly high. I assume on stage they made use of writer/director/star Andy Nyman's background in magic to deliver impressively clever scares in real time but on film the stories don't feel that special and just come across as 'movie magic' we've all seen before.
So the individual stores may not be that great but I was always intrigued by how they were all connected and how everything would come together. I spotted an early sleight of hand which meant I had some idea that nothing was quite as it seemed but this perhaps added more rather than detract anything. Now I keep remembering things (the car reflection, the movement in the attic, the photo) which make much more sense once you know what is going on so I suspect it will be a film that stands up to repeated viewing and discoveries.
April 02, 2018 at 10:15AMThe Book of Life, 2014 - ★★★
It's start of with worryingly cheap looking animation but fortunately that stays in the real world and the stories told take place in much more beautifully animated places. It's unfair to compare this to Coco but it's also hard not to and Pixar's newer film is so much better.
April 02, 2018 at 09:59AMSplit, 2016 - ★★★½
Engaging and effective even though it did lose me a bit with the (first) ending which just seemed a bit silly. It being an M. Night Shyamalan I should have expected it would go somewhere different but I was distracted by the other thing I already knew about and didn't turn up until the final coda.
April 02, 2018 at 09:48AM31 March 2018
Sing, 2016 - ★★★★
A massively overlooked film from 2017 although from the other Letterboxd reviews it would appear I'm in a minority who thinks so. The animation is wonderful, it's directed with an energetic charm and makes brilliant use of all the songs. It may end up as just another "putting on a show" but all the characters are built up and performed so well, it's a show you want to see (even if it does go on a bit too long).
March 31, 2018 at 03:41PMIsle of Dogs, 2018 - ★★★½
There's lots of good stuff packed into Isle Of Dogs and some really great moments (I was completely won over by the prologue) but somehow it never managed to come together in a satisfying way. I've heard others say that there is too much going on and as a result the plot gets lost and I'm inclined to agree. It looks amazing, the different animation techniques all work well together and all the performances are great but it's lacking something and at times feels like a Wes Anderson parody.
Q&A with storyboard artist Jay Clarke.
March 31, 2018 at 03:35PM29 March 2018
Boy, 2010 - ★★★★
Completely charming and a great indicator of what greatness Waititi would go on to make.
March 29, 2018 at 08:11PM18 March 2018
78/52, 2017 - ★★★½
Amazing to think there is a 90 minute documentary talking about a single scene which leaves you wanting more. There's lots of great points and insight but also more than a few moments when you think people are perhaps reading too much into something. Ironically the film could be edited better, it jumps around too much and isn't helped by distracting music.
March 18, 2018 at 04:26PMSuffragette, 2015 - ★★★
Well intentioned but lacking something, pretty much what I was expecting really.
March 18, 2018 at 04:06PMThe Levelling, 2016 - ★★★½
It's not usually a good sign when I completely forget that I've watched a film. I don't think The Levelling is particularly forgettable, it's full of intrigue, strong performances and a rural British grimness we've seen in Dark River and God's Own Country. On the other hand I did forget I'd watched it and so it can't have had that much impact.
March 18, 2018 at 03:55PM13 March 2018
Annihilation, 2018 - ★★★★
Yes I'm annoyed that I can't see this in the cinema. At home it was good but the final act deserves so much more than the living room can ever provide and if I'd experienced it in a cinema then it could have been a 5 star experience.
Digital distribution is supposed to make it easier to exhibit films. I don't understand why this couldn't get a limited release and also be available on Netflix. I believe there are plenty of people who would still pay to see it especially if it was a one-night only event screening. I'm glad it's on Netflix so more people will see it and I can watch it again but it deserves more. Netflix, cinemas and distributors need to sort out their issues so people can see content how they want to see it and why not premiere new Netflix TV shows in cinemas?
As for the film, for me it was all about the climax which took everything to another level. Before that I was unsure where it was going (in a good way) but glad I was along for the ride. Frequently incredibly beautiful, often strange and with a depth that is so often lacking. I think there is more to appreciate on subsequent viewings and that's one reason why I am pleased it is on Netflix.
March 13, 2018 at 05:37PMThe Final Year, 2017 - ★★★
There are a few moments when it feels like this has been edited to contrast more with Trump and there really didn't seem to be any need to do that. The material and contrast is strong enough without having it forced. There's a sadness about looking back on a more sane time but also a surprising amount of hope. The thing I took away was how presidential Obama was and not just compared to Trump, but also the Bushes and Bill Clinton. For younger people (like the kids of Parkland) it is all they'll really know and therefore not surprising that they want change.
March 13, 2018 at 05:24PM08 March 2018
The Shape of Water, 2017 - ★★★★
I'm pretty amazed that this won the Best Picture Oscar, not because it didn't deserve it (although it wouldn't have been my choice) but because it's so far from what I think an "Oscar film" is.
The film didn't completely work for me. I admired it a lot and wanted to like it more but tonally I thought it was all over the place. Perhaps I'm becoming prudish as I get older but there didn't seem to be any need for so much sex, nudity and gore. Without those things I think it would have worked better and felt more magical. The main romance is believable but also seems to come out of nowhere and feels very under developed. It all looks and sounds fantastic though and the attention to detail is pretty spectacular. It does feel like another film that may get better on repeated viewings because there is a lot of depth to just about every aspect.
March 08, 2018 at 06:44PM
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