Film Review Round-Up: Battle of the Sexes, Ingrid Goes West & The Florida Project (2017)

I've watched three very good films this week, so rather than giving my usual full-length review of just one of them, I've decided it's time for another Film Review Round-Up (TM) here at The Welsh Geek Reviews. Aren't you lucky? First up in this week's triple feature . . .

Battle of the Sexes (12A)

Starring: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough

Directors: Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton

The Plot: A dramatisation of the famous 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King (Stone) and Bobby Riggs (Carell), and the events that lead up to it. Unhappy with the treatment of women in tennis, King gathers a bunch of top female players and they form their own tournament. Although married to husband Larry, King meets hairdresser Marilyn (Riseborough) during this time and they begin an affair. Meanwhile, with his marriage failing due to his gambling addiction, ageing star Riggs concocts a plan to earn big money by publicly bragging that no female player can beat him in a match. Initially rejecting his offer, King accepts after watching Riggs defeat the current top female player Margaret Court, determined to prove that women are an equal match . . .

Review: This is an excellent drama with moments of comedy. I'd been looking forward to this as I'm a big fan not only of Emma Stone, but also of directors Faris & Dayton who have previously brought us the brilliant Little Miss Sunshine and Ruby Sparks. The film places more emphasis on the personal lives of King and Riggs and the build up to the match, rather than the match itself, and both Stone and Carell give tremendous performances here - for me, this is possibly Stone's best performance to date, showing both the strong side of King (her determination to overcome the chauvinism of Riggs) and her uncertainty and weakness in her new relationship with Marilyn. The whole film is shot very well with careful attention to the presentation of the time period (both Stone and Carell are dead ringers for King and Riggs here) and the tennis match itself is particularly well done, with body doubles used seamlessly. My only real criticism is the run-time, which at two hours feels a bit too long - the film could have been trimmed down without losing any impact on the story.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A well presented take on this famous moment in sporting history. Two fantastic performances from Stone and Carell make this an engaging, interesting story that just suffers from being a bit too long. Another winner from directors Faris & Dayton that's well worth your time.

Ingrid Goes West (15)

Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr

Director: Matt Spicer

The Plot: Ingrid Thorburn (Plaza) is a young woman with an addiction to social media and a dangerously obsessive personality, to the point that she's committed to an institution for stalking. Upon her release, she chances upon an article featuring social media star Taylor Sloane (Olsen) and becomes instantly obsessed with her: travelling to LA, Ingrid uses an elaborate series of lies (and the kidnapping of her dog) to integrate into Taylor's life and become her new best friend. But when Taylor's suspicious brother Nicky arrives on the scene Ingrid faces being exposed - with dangerous consequences . . .

Review: This is a really terrific, darkly funny film that offers a clever commentary on the dangers that the addictive nature of social media can have when they're combined with someone like Ingrid. Aubrey Plaza is fantastic here (she's also a producer of the film) - she portrays both the crazy, dangerous side of Ingrid and the awkward, nervous side of her equally well, leading to a particularly emotional scene at the climax of the film that's among the best I've seen from her. Elizabeth Olsen is also very good as the ultra-hipster Taylor, whose seemingly perfect life might not be all it appears at first glance, and O'Shea Jackson Jr provides a lot of good-natured comedy as Ingrid's landlord/love interest who's obsessed with Batman, balancing out the overall dark humour of the film. There's some great cinematography and a cool soundtrack as well. The subject matter might be too dark for some, but I loved it.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
A clever, sharp commentary on the grip that social media has on modern society and the dangers that can happen when someone with obsessive problems becomes beholden to it. Darkly funny and with a terrific performance from Aubrey Plaza, this is highly recommended.

The Florida Project (15)

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince

Director: Sean Baker

The Plot: Told through the eyes of six year-old Moonee (Prince), the film chronicles a summer in the lives of the residents of a low-budget motel next to Disney World run by manager Bobby (Dafoe). Moonee is largely oblivious to the actions of her foul-mouthed mother Halley (Vinaite), a young woman with little regard for the law or others and does whatever she can to make money. Instead the young girl spends the summer with her friends, exploring the surrounding motels and playing pranks on Bobby. But her world may be about to be shattered when Halley does something that not even good-natured Bobby can help with . . .

Review: I was quite lucky to catch this film as it's only been on limited release here in the UK, but I'm glad I did. While the film is unusual in it's presentation and, to begin with, quite uncomfortable in places due to the nature of Halley and the other residents, it quickly proves that there's a big heart to this story and it builds to a very emotional conclusion. Director Sean Baker (who also co-wrote) has said that he aimed to tell as real a story as possible, and as such the entire film was shot on location at a real motel and features actual workers and residents. The whole thing is very believable, and the decision to present the story of this particular element of American society through the eyes of a child is an interesting one. The young actress Brooklynn Prince does incredibly well for her age - Moonee is not a perfect child and is frequently brattish and annoying, but is still an innocent. Vinaite, as her mother Hallee, gives an excellent performance - it's very hard to sympathise with her obnoxious character, but there are moments where her genuine love for Moonee shine through. I was also impressed with Dafoe, who gives an understated performance as the good-natured Bobby who has a soft spot for all of the children living at the motel and does what he can to look after them.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
An unusual film that's uncomfortable in moments but utterly believable, it features great performances and an interesting presentation style by telling the story through the eyes of a child. Building to an incredibly emotional conclusion, this is well worth checking out if it's available near you.

Film Review: Justice League (2017)

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Film Review: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017)

Ever wonder?

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (15)

Starring: Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall, Bella Heathcote

Director: Angela Robinson

The Plot: The story of how Professor William Marston (Evans) created the iconic superhero Wonder Woman, told through a series of flashbacks as he faces the wrath of the Child Study Association of America for the comics depiction of bondage and lesbianism. In 1928, Marston and his wife Elizabeth (Hall) are teaching a psychology course and hire young student Olive Byrne (Heathcote) to assist them; the three gradually fall in love and form a polyamorous relationship, living together and later exploring bondage and submission. While their relationship ostracises them from society, Marston would take the physical and mental characteristics he admired from the two women he loved and use them to form his most famous creation.

Review: It's rather apt that this film arrives in 2017, following the phenomenal success of Patty Jenkins' blockbuster Wonder Woman earlier this year. Interest in the character is at a high, and the Wonder Woman currently seen on the big screen and in pages of DC Comics today is very different from the original version that Marston created in the 40's. This is a very interesting story that's erotic without crossing over into smut, and offers an intriguing look at an unorthodox relationship.

I think it's fair to say that, even in todays society where we've made great strides in the acceptance of LGTB issues, gender identities etc, the concept of being polyamorous is still something that's if not taboo then certainly very unusual and outside of the norm. It makes the story in this film all the more interesting when you consider that it takes place in 1920's-1940's America, at a time where society was deeply conservative (Prohibition was still in effect), so the idea of a man living with two women and sharing a loving relationship would have been outrageous. The depiction of the time period is excellent, with careful attention to detail paid to the sets, costumes, props etc, and it allows the story that plays out to be all the more believable.

While this is the story about the creation of the Wonder Woman character, it's the relationship between the Marstons and Byrne that takes centre stage and is the most compelling thread for the audience to follow. While it's interesting to see the recognisable elements of Wonder Woman (Olive's bracelets that become Diana's bulletproof versions, the burlesque costume that becomes her outfit, the rope used in their bondage sessions that would become the Lasso of Truth) it's their story that's the most interesting here: the gradual build and acceptance to their mutual love and attraction (and the problems faced along the way) is engaging and, more importantly, completely believable. The whole thing is very erotically charged, and the two love scenes presented are effective without being titillating.

Given that the story revolves around these three characters, strong performances are needed in order for it to work and I'm pleased to report that all three leads do an excellent job here. As Marston, Luke Evans has perhaps the easiest job as his character has the least transformative arc: right from the beginning he's absolutely convinced of his beliefs and the possibility of loving more than one person, so he has no qualms whatsoever about the relationship they form, and his struggles come more from trying to get the world to see his views. As his wife Elizabeth, Rebecca Hall has what I think is the strongest performance here: her character is a strong and intelligent woman, the dominant of their group, but she struggles to admit that she is also capable of loving another person and has the most concerns about their situation. Heathcote, as Olive, is wonderful: this is a much younger woman who has been raised to believe there's only one right "path" for her to follow, and is amazed when she discovers her attraction to both the Marstons and the possibility it presents. She and Elizabeth have the more defining story arcs as they adapt to the relationship in different ways, but all three actors put in great performances here and work well together. The most important part was that it was believable - Marston himself never comes off as creepy, while Elizabeth and Olive are both suitably scared and fascinated by the relationship.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
An interesting depiction of an unorthodox relationship that also happens to explain how the superhero Wonder Woman was created. Compelling, erotic and with strong performances from the three leads, this is an excellent film that shines a light not only on the most famous female superhero of all time, but on the concept of love that created her. Highly recommended.

Film Review: Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

All aboard . . .

Murder on the Orient Express (12A)

Starring: Far too many to name here

Director: Kenneth Branagh

The Plot: It's December in the 1930's. Famous detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh) has just begun a holiday in Istanbul when he receives an urgent summons to London. He boards the Orient Express, unusually fully booked for the time of year, and among the other passengers is a gangster called Ratchett (Johnny Depp) who has been receiving death threats. When the train becomes derailed by snow, Ratchett is murdered overnight, and Poirot must race against time to find the killer. But as he quickly discovers, all of the passengers have some kind of link to a crime Ratchett previously committed, making everyone a suspect . . .

Review: While not her bestselling novel (that accolade goes to And Then There Were None), Murder on the Orient Express has long been one of Agatha Christie's most popular and well-known novels featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It's been adapted for the screen and television multiple times, with its famous 1974 theatrical version giving Ingrid Berman an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. It's therefore very common for people who've never read the book or seen a version of it performed to still know its rather infamous plot twist involving the unmasking of the killer. On the off chance that you, dear reader, are one of those people who doesn't know what it is, fear not because I'm not going to reveal it in this review.

I personally have never been a fan of Agatha Christie or Poirot, despite my enjoyment of crime stories, so I fall into the category of someone who's never read the book or seen an adaptation, but I was aware of the plot twist. So I approached this film with interest, given the cast and the unusual music used in the trailer, and wondered if it could win me over. On the whole, it did. But I must make the concession that I can't comment on how accurate this version is to the book, so bear that in mind if you're a Christie fan.

Let's start by talking about that cast. The story features a broad and complex array of characters, and this film features a tremendous ensemble: as well as the aforementioned Branagh and Depp, we also have Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Derek Jacobi, Dame Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, Olivia Colman, Josh Gad and Penélope Cruz, amongst others. It's one of the most impressive line-ups that I've seen for some time, but unfortunately that's both a blessing and a curse due to the nature of the story: with such a large amount of characters none of them (save for Branagh) get a significant amount of screen time, and the performances vary from grounded to over the top.

As Poirot, Branagh adopts a ridiculous moustache and an equally ridiculous French accent and gives a mixed performance: he attempts to play the character both for laughs (such as his slight arrogance, his moustache mask when sleeping and his laughter at Charles Dickens) and seriousness, particularly during the film's conclusion where Poirot's deep-seated belief that all crimes must see justice are challenged. There are moments where he's very effective, and moments where he starts to go over the top as well. For the most part I found him entertaining.

The film does offer some excellent cinematography. There are some beautiful sweeping exterior shots at the beginning and end, and as the bulk of the story takes place on the train itself there's very effective use of the cramped interiors of the carriages to give a slight claustrophobic feel to events. What I was most impressed with, however, was the structure of the story itself: even if (like me) you're not a Christie fan, it was obvious what a well-crafted whodunit story this is. Paced well and with clues liberally sprinkled here and there, it was easy enough to follow along and I imagine that those who don't know the plot twist will be genuinely surprised when the revelation comes.

As as the aforementioned mixed performances, I do need to point out a chase sequence where Poirot pursues one of the suspects across a bridge which felt odd and out of place - again I don't know if this is in the book or not, but it felt off. There's also a rather odd choice of ballad that plays across the end credits, which is something that always irks me in films.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
A mixed set of performances from what is an impressive ensemble cast, along with some other small issues, spoil what is otherwise an enjoyable adaptation of Christie's classic story. It's well shot and the tale itself manages to shine, but ultimately the performances are where it falters.