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Reviews
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
Good cast doing their best
I definitely appreciated the more diverse casting in this movie. Representation really does matter and it was refreshing to see it in a sci-fi blockbuster. Though the dialogue was weak at times, I think the actors did their best with a somewhat silly script. Anthony Ramos especially went all in on his role. He and Dean Scott Vazquez as his little brother were excellent and served as the heart of this movie.
I would have liked a lot more of Michelle Yeoh though. Peter Dinklage's villain was more likable than Optimus Prime, but that maybe says more about how great I think Dinklage is.
I did not overthink this film. I very much enjoyed the casting, let bad dialogue slide, and relished the beautiful landscape shots when possible.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Subspace Rhapsody (2023)
Sci-fi + musical = peak joy!
Two of my favourite genres were combined in this lovely, funny, joyful, moving installment. I'm a sucker for a musical episode at any time, but singing Star Trek just hits different for me.
Despite the novelty of the format, a number of existing storylines and relationships are advanced or resolved during the course of the show (perhaps focusing on those actors with the best singing voices?). Although I enjoyed all of the numbers, I felt those featuring Nurse Chapel were the most fun. I would fully watch a "musical medical bay" spin-off. Chapel and M'Benga? Yes please.
Excuse me while I go and watch that all again...
Uncharted (2022)
Pretty film with weak dialogue
Tom Holland is lovely and Tati Gabrielle is a gorgeous, scary baddass. The movie looks good but the improvised dialogue is annoying and the variety of heinous accents made my ears bleed. The pathetic and insulting "Scottish" accent is especially grating.
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist: Zoey's Extraordinary Mystery (2021)
A roller coaster of emotion!
What a great episode. Funny and deeply, deeply moving. Zoey's glitching powers allowed for a number of overlapping stories and many song breaks. I guessed who she was looking for quite early on but that didn't lessen the emotional impact of the final scene. The best episode of this season so far. Also, though I'm 100% Team Simon, I have to say: that boy Max can sing!
Blithe Spirit (2020)
Darker and much less madcap than the original
The original play, and 1945 film, were glorious and hard to top. This remake did an okay job. Everything looked very beautiful and Judi Dench was a highlight - less scatterbrained and far more endearing than previous versions of Madame Arcati. Leslie Mann as Elvira was more subdued than I expected from her but still great, and I'm glad she used her own accent instead of attempting a ropey English one. The main failing of the film was the tacked on twist ending. It appeared from nowhere and, though I presume it was meant to be a bit Thelma and Louise girl powerish, it really left Ruth and Eliva looking like vindictive nut jobs. It spoiled an otherwise enjoyable film.
Supernatural: The Heroes' Journey (2020)
I love the funny ones
Obviously it would be a totally different show if it was comedic every week, but episodes like this one are absolute gems. I was feeling a little ground down by the relentless darkenes of this season, and it's only 9 episodes in! This was a literal comic relief. I loved the meta nature of the storyline, and that dance sequence! To he honest, about 7 points of my "ten out of ten" were earned by that dance sequence. Fun times.
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
I loved this film!
I was never a fan of the 1991 version so I had no nostalgia to overcome. The early scenes even reminded my of those wonderful old musicals from the 50s (like 7 brides for 7 brothers or Calamity Jane). Emma Watson was wonderful and sweet as Belle (and I enjoyed the "I'm not a princess" lìne). The shared interests and sweet moments between Belle and the Beast make their romance look less like Stockholm syndrome than other versions. The casting was excellent across the board and the voice actors so much less irritating than in 1991 ( I really am not a fan)
The Proposition (2005)
Beautiful yet savage
I found watching this to be an unsettling experience. Not just because of the obviously brutal storyline but because it didn't follow the rules.
Screenwriter Nick Cave refuses to conform to the good-guy/bad guy formula and so leaves the viewer adrift. We don't know who to boo or who to cheer for. This, combined with achingly beautiful landscapes framing the most depraved of human activities, makes for a challenging and surreal movie.
The soundtrack is atmospheric and the acting is uniformly excellent. An all round great flick.
Présence féminine (1989)
A wonderfully funny and bazaar short film
A mysterious young woman arrives at a man's apartment with two suitcases. One contains a collection of hands - living hands a la 'Thing' from 'The Addams Family'. The other holds a synagogue complete with loads of little rabbis. Unfortunately for the man neither hands nor rabbis care for him very much.
This film was my introduction to foreign language films in the cinema. I couldn't have asked for anything more quirky. There isn't a lot of dialogue, its mostly visual humour (the hands knitting and doing each others nails). Its well worth a view if you can get your hands on it.