Jonmurgie Reviews

Zoolander 2 (2016)

More of the same from the original film - not a bad thing!

[6/10 · 9 February 2016]

Some 15 years since the original, and fabulous, Zoolander I've been looking forward to this sequel for some time. Though not officially released until the 12th Feb it was being shown this weekend so I took a chance to get in early and see if it lived up to my expectations… Well I think it did, it's great to see Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) back on screen and they hardly look a day older than 15 years ago. Just as crazy, stupid and insane as the original film it's hard to pick many holes in the action or storyline, other than overplaying the "models are stupid" card (which, nevertheless, is still funny) and the crazy number of cameos in the film (lost count, and didn't actually recognise them all) with the best cameo being Benedict Cumberbatch, brilliant.

There were plenty of proper laugh out loud moments, with possibly my favourite scene being the first one with Mugatu (Will Ferrell) so keep an eye out for that one. One of the scenes has been used in the trailer (which I've seen several times) and I still laughed again, it's that funny.

With that said, on the whole the film isn't up there with the best. It's a superb sequel to what has become a bit of a cult film and maybe with time this will get there too. If you loved the first, you'll love this but if you've not seen the first then I'd suggest you check it out before spending your money cause it may not be your bag.

Room (I) (2015)

An absolutely delightful film

[8/10 · 9 February 2016]

This wonderful film might easily be over looked with the likes of Star Wars, Hateful 8, The Revenant and Creed taking up most of the headlines but this is such a wonderful film, don't let it slip away without giving it a watch.

Initially set in one small room where a Mother (Bree Larson) and her 5 year old son (a spellbinding performance by Jacob Tremblay) are held hostage. From the first shot you're instantly struck by the superb cinematography and the way one room can be portrayed. The simple and beautifully easy way of life for the 5 year old boy is fascinating to watch and draws you into their world with ease.

It's a long, slow film but doesn't feel like it in either case. Full of emotional, nail biting scenes it's a brilliant roller-coaster of emotions; you can't beat the odd tear of happiness when watching a film.

Bree Larson is up for Best Actress at the Oscars for this role and it's easy to see why, some wonderful acting on her part and indeed the entire (quite small) cast. This is a delightful film and I'd absolutely recommend taking the time to see this one.

The Revenant (I) (2015)

Brutal and raw

[8/10 · 9 February 2016]

There has been a lot of hype about this film with much talk of Leonardo DiCaprio's dedication to his performance, and the brilliant Tom Hardy lined up next to him it certainly sounded like it was going to be an epic… and epic it was, in a few different ways.

The moment the film starts you're taken back to the early 1800's in the cold and desolate landscape of Montana and South Dakota with breathtakingly gorgeous scenery and an almost endless vista. You can literally feel the coldness oozing out of the screen. Long lingering shots are plentiful, with a slow and powerful soundtrack combining to make the films overall pace seem somewhat sluggish at times (with a 2hr 36min running time it could have been comfortably shorter). Putting that aside the story does tick along and there are plenty of tense scenes which keep you on edge and focused.

The gore though, wow there is a LOT of gore in this film. Whilst I'm sure it's very realistic it can't be described as anything other than brutal. Some scenes are literally a brutal onslaught and are often difficult to stomach, not what I was expecting. The cast were first class, DiCaprio immersing himself in the role to an incredible level whilst Hardy playing his slightly crazed character in that incredibly satisfying way only Hardy can. The two of them work together perfectly.

Up for many Oscars this film is certainly worth of the nominations, this is one well worth seeing but just be aware of its stark brutality.

The Danish Girl (2015)

Uncomfortable at times but superb performances

[6/10 · 9 February 2016]

This was a film that I originally thought I'd skip when I first saw the trailer. However, the second time I saw it I was more intrigued by the story and do like Alicia Vikander so was looking forward to seeing her in a film with substance. Eddie Redmayne, on the other hand, I do find difficult to watch on screen no matter his role. He was outstanding as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything and won a well-deserved Oscar, however in this film he's back to being quite tricky to watch, for me at least.

Based very loosely on the life of Einar Wegener and set in 1920's Denmark this is a largely fictional piece about the life of Einar, his wife Gerda and his journey to becoming Lili Elbe. The scenery of the film, the cities and locations within those cities, is simply stunning. Every scene is so beautifully considered and with extensive use of extreme depth of field cinematography an absolutely joy to your eyes. For this alone I'd recommend seeing the film, it's visually stunning.

With the actual story, there are elements of it that I found hard to watch and ultimately for me I felt more for Einar's wife Gerda which is a shame as most of their relationship is essentially fictitious. Vikander is absolutely brilliant in her role (her best to date in my opinion), immediately making you feel her side of the story and taking you along all the ups and downs of her relationship. The inclusion of Matthias Schoenaerts was an inspired selection and he brings a wonder air to the film, his fourth superb role in the last 12 months.

Overall I found it an OK film and have to admit to being touched towards the end, but for me the casting of Redmayne made it a little harder to watch. I'm sure others wouldn't feel the same though so don't be put off by my thoughts on that front. Well worth a watch if you enjoy how great a film can look

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Sheer brilliance

[9/10 · 9 February 2016]

As with most Tarantino films there was a lot of controversy surrounding this, not least of which was the debacle that became where you could actually see the film! As a Cineworld Unlimited member I was somewhat disappointed that they decided to not show the film at all (a dispute with the distributors over the 70mm formats exclusive showing at an Odeon screen) so this meant having to make an alternative choice of where to see the film… and I went with the Gloucester Guildhall which is a fabulous little venue and I can highly recommend it to anyone who wants a little bit more of a niche cinema experience.

Therefore this review is a bit late from the UK release date as it wasn't shown there for a couple of weeks, however I can instantly say it was well worth the wait as this is one absolutely amazingly brilliant film!! Possibly my favourite Tarantino film on first viewing (his other 7 films have grown on me over the years), reeking with all the usual Tarantino style, script, gore and soundtrack that make his work the beauty that it is.

Set sometime after the civil war the film doesn't venture very far by way of sets and scenery, the majority taking place inside one large building, but it doesn't need to. With the cast as strong as they are (most being veterans of previous Tarantino films), each and every actor played their role to perfection so you're captivated from the very opening scenes right to the last fade to black some 3 hours later. Yes, it is 3 hours long but it absolutely doesn't feel like it! There are plot twists and turns the entire film which keep you focused and on edge. Each scene is considered, complete and leaves you wanting for nothing. The occasional Tarantino silliness is thrown in here and there, but it's what you expect and is all part of the fun… and yes there are a few laughs to be had too.

I could go on and on about this film, it's just so good! Basically if you've not yet seen it then you've only got a bit more time before it disappears from the handful of cinemas which are showing it so get in quick.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015)

Funny and Entertaining

[5/10 · 9 February 2016]

I gave my eldest son Max (6) the choice of what to see at the cinema this weekend this is what he chose after we saw the trailer a few times, and I didn't mind one bit! Always happy to watch a kids film and in this case I remember the TV series from the early 80's so have a soft spot of Alvin, Simon and Theodore :) And it wasn't that bad! Although I'm the wrong target for this film it was fun to watch and the actual cast, in particular Jason Lee as Dave, did a decent job making their characters likable and understandable. Yes there's plenty of silliness and cheesiness but accept that it's a kids film and it's all the more enjoyable, indeed there were several scenes that had everyone in the cinema laughing. Being the Chipmunks, there's plenty of songs throughout the film and you can't help but smile and enjoy them, they're very well done.

Max loved it (giving it a 9.5/10) and that's what the film is about so it's done its job, I'd happily watch it with my kids again as it's easy watching with some catchy tunes thrown in for good measure. If you've got little ones then it's certainly worth seeing, well actually there were a few adults in the cinema without kids so

Creed (II) (2015)

Great boxing film though not a patch on Southpaw

[7/10 · 9 February 2016]

Finally got time to see this film and I'd heard some very positive things about it so expectations were reasonably high. Another outing for the Rocky franchise, this films fits in the sequence well and is certainly a worthwhile addition to the series. That said, it's most definitely a film that stands on it's so there's no need to have watched the previous films.

The storyline holds few surprises, based on the son of Apollo Creed trying to make his own name in the world of boxing. The lead actor, Michael B Jordan, is surprisingly good in his role, despite a sometimes poor script. However the real star is Sylvester Stallone, the moment he arrives on screen (in possibly the single best scene of the film) it takes on a whole new feel, one that is familiar and comfortable. He simply does his thing and you can't help but love him for it.

For me though it wasn't a patch on one of my favourite films of 2015, Southpaw, in either style, substance, soundtrack or the sheer grittiness of a boxing film. It was certainly worth seeing, if only for the superb performance by Stallone, but not one that I'd rush to re-watch anytime soon.

Spotlight (I) (2015)

Gripping and compelling to watch, sad in it's outcome ultimately

[7/10 · 9 February 2016]

There's no slowing down with the excellent films out in the early part of 2016 and here we have an Oscar Nominated film based on the true story of the Boston Global discovering the huge cover up of child molestation within the Catholic Church, a hugely controversial and sobering subject.

After a brief scene from 1974 the film takes us to 2001 where the Boston Globe's Spotlight team are charged with investigating the allegation of historical sexual abuse by a Catholic priest on a minor. The whole story is gripping but you can't help feeling saddened that this could have been allowed to go on and worse still denied, covered up and families paid off by the Catholic Church. It's unbelievably flabbergasting.

The actors here are superbly cast, each delivering a sterling performance but a special nod has to go to Michael Keaton who, since his resurgence in Birdman, has found his former glory and is on outstanding form here. I'm also a big fan of Mark Ruffalo and whilst initially finding his performance uncomfortable it grew on me and by the end appreciated how much individuality and passion he brings to his role. Also worth mentioning Liev Schreiber (playing Marty Baron, the editor) who whilst isn't that well known delivers an brilliant performance, I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for his future roles.

Overall it's a superb film covering an extremely saddening topic and as the credits role you do feel somewhat shocked at the extent of the abuse and the lengths the Catholic Church have gone to cover it up. It's not going to be for everyone, I imagine some people would rather just not know, but if you're remotely interested then it's definitely worth seeing.

Dirty Grandpa (2016)

Disappointing and unnecessarily crude

[2/10 · 9 February 2016]

I have to confess something… I quite like Zac Efron. Now that may be a surprise and even though he plays the cheesiest roles out there I find him great to watch and he is a decent actor, watch him over the years and he could become something really good. But I digress, this film also stars Robert De Niro and it was ultimately the trailer that made this film look a fun watch.

Well fun it may have been, but oh dear the film on the whole was appallingly bad! Save for quite a few "laugh out loud" moments the storyline was weak, the script shockingly bad and the rest of the cast pretty poor. I was shocked at quite how vulgar this actually was, yes it's pitched as Dirty Grandpa but this was more like Filthy Grandpa and to say the filth was excessive would be an understatement. It's only watchable due to De Niro being the one saying it, otherwise honestly we would have walked out of this one.

So, whilst I still like and respect Efron and De Niro this film just isn't worth seeing in any shape or form… maybe in the afternoon on ITV2 in a few years' time, but don't waste money on it!

The Big Short (2015)

Eye opening with wonderful performances all round

[8/10 · 9 February 2016]

I can't recall a film that has been so confusing, then fascinating and then saddening as The Big Short. It's a remarkable film based largely on exact events (based off a book with a few name changes) it charts the beginning of the 2007 world financial crash and manages to explain it in such a way that everyone can understand how it happened (ask yourself, do you REALLY know how it happened?) With a superb main cast there are some wonderful cameo's here and there, used in such a brilliantly inspired way to explain the most complicated elements of the story. The method of filming is also interesting, it's almost like a "fly on the wall" documentary with cameras going in and out of focus whilst trying to keep up with the action, and occasionally the actors speaking direct to camera. This really keeps your attention and makes the film very enjoyable, even with the complex nature of the storyline.

I thought this film would be for people of a certain age, who had an interest in the global economy as such, but there was a very diverse range of ages in the cinema which I found interesting, right down to early teens and everyone seems to enjoy this film immensely. Up for several Oscars I can see why and hope it gets the recognition it deserves for making something almost incomprehensible to the average person into something that leaves you with your jaw gaping and in shear disbelief the world could be allowed to work this way. Don't just take my word for it though, definitely check this film out for yourself and see for yourself.