Film Review: Lady Bird (2018)

I'll fly away . . .

Lady Bird (15)

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothy Chalamet

Director: Greta Gerwig

The Plot: It's 2002, and Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson (Ronan) is a rebellious, artistic seventeen year-old girl growing up in Sacramento, California. Lady Bird hates Sacramento ("where nothing ever happens") and the strict Catholic school she attends, wanting nothing more than to escape to college in New York City. We follow Lady Bird through her eventful final year of adolescence that includes falling in love with two different boys, losing her virginity, changing friendships and the prom, all of which threatens her relationship with her long-suffering mother Marion (Metcalf) . . .
 

Review: I've been really looking forward to Lady Bird for some time now, ever since I first saw the trailer a few months ago, and my anticipation only grew as the film started gathering positive reviews and both award nominations and wins (these include 3 three BAFTA nominations, two Golden Globe wins, and five nominations in the forthcoming Oscars for Best Film, Director, Screenplay, Leading Actress and Supporting Actress). I'm a big fan of both Saoirse Ronan and director Greta Gerwig: Ronan has been wowing audiences from a young age since we first saw her in 2007's Atonement, and we last saw her in 2015's excellent Brooklyn for which she was also Oscar nominated. Gerwig has been a prolific actress and writer: most recently she was terrific as the lead in 2015's Mistress America (which she also wrote), and I enjoyed her supporting role in 2016's 20th Century Women. With Lady Bird Gerwig makes her solo directorial debut (along with writing the script) and I'm pleased to report that it lived up to my expectations and then some - this is a wonderful film that takes a familiar coming-of-age story and tells it in a hilarious and touching way.

The coming-of-age genre is nothing new, of course. Countless films have tackled the subject before, because it's one of those areas that pretty much everyone over a certain age can relate to. Lady Bird excels through a combination of a winning script, fantastic performances, and Gerwig's confident direction. It helps that the story is semi-autobiographical, with Gerwig drawing on her own teenage experiences, and it gives the story that extra bit of realism despite the quirky humour that flows through it (the opening scene, for example, sees Lady Bird and Marion driving home in tears as they finish listening to an audio book of "The Grapes Of Wrath", which then turns into an argument between them that results in Lady Bird throwing herself out of the moving car). I really can't do any justice with words to how funny this film is - it's absolutely hilarious. All of the characters are funny and have some great lines and put-downs, and Lady Bird in particular gets herself into lots of funny situations. But it's important to understand that as funny as the film is, it's not a comedy - the dramatic aspect is very important and it strikes the right balance between humour and seriousness. There are sad/touching moments throughout, and as funny as they are when they're clashing, it's the mother/daughter relationship between Lady Bird and Marion that provides the strongest narrative and emotional thread and is arguably what the film is really about. Lady Bird doesn't feel that her mother likes her or thinks she has the talent to achieve anything worthwhile, while Marion struggles with the fallout of Lady Bird's (often comical) actions, and it's this aspect of the story that's the most compelling.

It's also a lovely film to look at as well. A story like this one is narrative-driven so you don't come to it for a visual spectacle, but there are some really nice shots in it, especially in moments the capture the look of the Sacramento area. It's really quite a nice looking place, which makes Lady Bird's frustrations with her home all the more ironic. The visuals are matched with an effective score by composer Jon Brion, and permeated with the occasional era-appropriate song from artists like Alanis Morissette and Justin Timberlake. While 2002 isn't that long gone (only sixteen years . . .) it all helps to reinforce the time and place.

A story-driven film like this one relies heavily on its performances, especially from its lead. As the titular Lady Bird, Saoirse Ronan is absolutely fantastic here, proving yet again that she's one of the best actresses in the business at the young age of 23. Lady Bird is a uniquely funny character: a creative soul who feels trapped by her surroundings and can't wait for the year to be over ("The only exciting thing about 2002 is that it's a palindrome"); she longs to live in the affluent neighbourhood that her poor family can't afford and, more than anything, just wants to experience things that she doesn't think is possible with her lot in life (and, importantly, is frequently told by other characters that she isn't good enough to make them happen). In the process of making those experiences happen she breaks the rules constantly (shoplifting, smoking, stealing her math teacher's grade folder), and says and does things without thinking of the impact they'll have, ending up being hurtful to people like her best friend Julie and, more importantly, her mother Marion. It's important that despite all these things she never becomes an unlikeable character, and this is down to both Ronan's performance and Gerwig's writing. For all of her faults, she's such a funny and endearing character that the audience never wants to do anything but root for her, and it makes it all the more satisfying when she comes to the (admittedly rather predictable) understanding about the relationship with her mother.

As her mother Marion, Laurie Metcalf is absolutely brilliant. A stressed-out woman who works double-shifts as a nurse to help make ends meet, she's constantly exasperated by Lady Bird's outbursts and antics. She's a very sympathetic character (the size of her heart is mentioned more than once, including by Lady Bird herself) who clearly cares for her family: she's taken in her eldest son and his wife, despite not being able to afford it, supports her quiet husband Larry who is battling depression, and she's hurt by Lady Bird's determination to go to college as far away from Sacramento as possible and by her remarks about living on "the wrong side of the tracks". She's not a perfect character herself though, saying some quite cruel things to Lady Bird and is one of the characters constantly telling her she's not good enough to do the things she wants. It's a completely believable, honest performance and Metcalf is terrific - a scene at the end of the film where she breaks down by herself while driving is heartbreaking.

There's an extended cast of supporting characters who are all also excellent. As Marion's husband Larry, Tracy Letts gives another honest performance as a man suffering from depression (the revelation of which is a surprise to Lady Bird), but who clearly loves his family and wants the best for them. Lucas Hedges, who you'll recognise from Manchester By The Sea and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, plays Lady Bird's first love interest Danny, a seemingly perfect Catholic boy who turns out to be gay. It's a small role but it gives Hedges the chance to show his comedic chops, and he also gets a powerful scene where he breaks down completely in Lady Bird's arms at the thought of how he's going to come out to his family. Lady Bird's other love interest Kyle is played by Timothee Chalamet, who recently wowed critics in Call Me By Your Name. At first a cool and mysterious guitar player, he turns out to be a pretentious prick and Chalamet clearly has fun playing the creep. Beanie Feldstein is adorable as Lady Bird's best friend Julie, who has a crush on their math teacher and feels betrayed when Lady Bird abandons her to seek the friendship of popular rich girl Jenna. Mention must also be given to Stephen Henderson as Father Leviatch, director of the school musical that Lady Bird joins, who has a powerfully emotional scene after we learn his character is still grieving for a son lost to suicide, and also to Lois Smith (who I know best from 1996's guilty pleasure Twister) who gives a charming performance in her small role as Sister Sarah, the leader of the school who counsels Lady Bird.

I really have to applaud Greta Gerwig for this film. While she has co-directed a film in the past (2008's Nights and Weekends, with Joe Swanberg), Lady Bird proves that her talents extend beyond acting and writing to the solo director's chair as well. This is an absolutely fantastic film, and while it no doubt helped that she was working with a script that she wrote that's partly based on her own experiences, it showcases smart and accomplished direction. I've no doubt in my mind that this film will be in my top ten for 2018, and it rightly deserves the five Oscar nominations that it has received. I honestly don't think my words here do any justice to just what a funny, smart and moving film this is. Go see it.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
A brilliant, smart and funny coming-of-age drama. Confidently written and directed by Greta Gerwig, it features two outstanding performances from Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf that offers an honest look at what happens when two very different but headstrong members of a family collide. Hilariously funny but emotional as well, this is an absolute must see.

Film Review: The Shape of Water (2018)

I'd like to be, under the sea . . .

The Shape of Water (15)

Starring: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins

Director: Guillermo del Toro

The Plot: America, the 1960s. Elisa Esposito (Hawkins) is a mute woman who works as a cleaner alongside her friend Zelda (Spencer) at a government facility that performs top-secret research to try and get the edge in the Cold War. Cruel new director Richard Strickland (Shannon) arrives and brings with him a remarkable specimen for the scientists to study - a sentient, amphibian man capable of breathing in and out of the water. Elisa begins visiting the creature in secret, forming a bond with it that quickly turns to love. When she learns it is to be killed and dissected, she turns to her neighbour and close friend Giles (Jenkins) to help her break the amphibian out of the facility. But it can only survive away from the water for so long, and Strickland will soon be on their tail . . .

Review: You may have heard about The Shape of Water - it's already won two Golden Globes, has an incredible twelve nominations for tonight's BAFTA awards and thirteen nominations for the forthcoming Oscars. It's all the more remarkable considering that this is, essentially, a love story between a woman and a fish. If you're a fan of director Guillermo del Toro though, as I am, a story like this really comes as no surprise: he's had a long fascination with the fantastical and the paranormal, and I count 2006's Pan's Labyrinth among my top ten films of all time, its stunning tale of dark fantasy amidst a violent civil war both wonderful and heartbreaking. With The Shape of Water GDT has produced another masterpiece, an astonishingly beautiful film filled with love, humour, darkness, violence, and even a tinge of the erotic.

Now, we should probably talk about the story first, as I'm sure the thing that's stuck out the most about what I've written so far is this film being a love story between a woman and a fish. The concept of this will be too far-fetched for some, but, believe me when I say it's done in a way that's completely believable and effective, despite its fantastical nature, and it's a testament to both the writing and direction of GDT. As well as the central love story the film explores themes of loneliness, prejudice and obsession, and features some moments of quite brutal violence, but there's humour to help break up the darker elements of the story. This isn't a bleak film though, far from it, as the romance dominates and there are even moments that verge on the erotic - yes, there's a sex scene between Elisa and the creature, or rather the precursor to one, and it's both well-handled and believable. It also leads to one of the film's funniest moments where, being questioned by Zelda as to whether it has a penis, Elisa uses sign language to demonstrate how it works.

The look and feel of the film have an important role in why the story works so well. This is an absolutely gorgeous film to look at, with some beautiful cinematography throughout - the opening title dream sequence is particularly wonderful, as we see Elisa sleeping underwater in her apartment while the water level gradually drops and she floats down to land on her sofa. A great deal of care and attention has been given to the sets and costumes and props to make it believably in the 60s, and while there are some CGI effects, the amphibian (played by Doug Jones) is largely achieved by some fantastic prosthetics and costuming, which gives an extra layer of reality to it. The music is also fantastic, composed by Alexandre Desplat and heavily influenced by music of the 50s and early 60s, and provides a perfect accompaniment to the gorgeous visuals.

Sally Hawkins drives the film with an incredible performance. The British actress will be recognisable to many from her recent appearance in both Paddington films, but I know her best from Richard Ayoade's brilliant 2010 film Submarine. Here she sheds all inhibitions (the opening scene of the film shows her masturbating in the bath) and gives a truly honest performance of a mute woman struggling with loneliness, despite her friendships, only to find a kindred spirit in a creature that isn't human. She handles the sign language flawlessly and her character is completely believable, at times incredibly funny (one hilarious moment sees her slowly signing "FUCK YOU" letter by letter to Strickland, who angrily demands to know what she's saying) and utterly delightful, even in the films saddest moments. Her stand-out moment was, for me, a sequence when Elisa is sitting at the kitchen table with the creature, knowing their time together is almost up, and tries to express her feelings to it by signing a heartfelt song ("You'll Never Know", an original song by the film's composer Desplat). This transitions into a black-and-white dream sequence where she and the creature dance together in the style of a classic musical and Elisa gains a true voice for the first time, able to sing the words, only for it to seamlessly transition back to her at the table and her voice fades away as she returns to sign language and the slight vocalisations she's able to make. It's a beautiful and heartbreaking moment.

The rest of the cast is also excellent. I'm a big fan of Michael Shannon, and he's on top form here as facility's new director Strickland. A seemingly heartless individual who's incapable of showing affection even to his wife and children, he has a grudge against the creature (which, we learn, he had a hand in capturing) and he's both violent and obsessive to the point where he begins to lose his grip. Shannon plays this gradual destruction of the character with finesse and is a suitable villain for the story. Octavia Spencer is, unsurprisingly, fantastic here even though her role as Zelda isn't a big one. She's a dear friend to Elisa and, while initially against her decision to free the creature, ends up playing an important part in its success. I was impressed with Richard Jenkins as Giles, Elisa's artistic neighbour and close friend (who also doubles as the film's narrator) who's struggling to accept the loss of his job and, as a homosexual in the time period, struggling to find acceptance as well. He clearly cares for Elisa and, like Zelda, is initially against her plan but, after seeing how happy it makes her, finds his own life changed for the better as well. Praise must also be given to Doug Jones as the amphibian, who has previously worked with GDT on both Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth. Despite not having any dialogue and being buried under the prosthetics, Jones is able to use his physicality to give a great performance, clearly putting across both the creature's animalistic side and its emotional one.

None of my words here can really do the film justice, and there's so much more to it than I've talked about. This stands amongst GDT's best work, and I can't recommend it enough.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
A mesmerising, utterly gorgeous fantasy that tells the most unusual of love stories in a completely believable way. Funny, dark, violent and erotic, it features a spellbinding performance from Sally Hawkins and deserves every single accolade that it's gained, and is sure to garner more. One of the most beautiful films I've ever seen and a triumph from Guillermo del Toro. Outstanding.

Film Review: Black Panther (2018)

Hail to the King

Black Panther (12A)

Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira

Director: Ryan Coogler

The Plot: Following the death of his father in Captain America: Civil War, Prince T'Challa (Boseman) returns home to the reclusive and technologically advanced nation of Wakanda to become King. Conflicted by a decision whether to continue their tradition of secrecy or to reveal his country to the world and use their tech to help, T'Challa's world is torn apart with the arrival of Erik Killmonger (Jordan), a highly trained soldier with his own claim to the throne and a deep grudge against his family. T'Challa will need the help of his genius sister Shuri (Wright), his former lover and skilled spy Nakia (Nyong'o) and the leader of his elite guard Okoye (Gurira) if he is to defeat Killmonger and prevent him from unleashing Wakanda's deadly weapons on the world . . .

Review: It was only a few short months ago in my review of Thor: Ragnarok that I mentioned how astonishing it was that we'd reached the seventeenth MCU film in ten years. Well, here we are now with number eighteen, Black Panther, the final film before the epic Avengers: Infinity War arrives in a few months. The film has generated an astonishing amount of hype, even for a Marvel film, and a large part of it is due to the casting/setting and the incorrect assumption that this is the first superhero film with a black lead - it's not, you can go back to Spawn in 1997 or Marvel's own Blade in 1998 to find that. In an ideal world it wouldn't matter that this is a film with a black lead and predominantly black cast, but that's not the world we live in, so that aspect is generating a lot of buzz. All I will say is that you can believe the hype - the film is brilliant, and another feather in Marvel's proverbial cap. In my Thor: Ragnarok review I talked about how I believe one of the reasons for Marvel's continued success is their willingness to try out different themes and genres within that of the wider superhero one, and that's exactly what they've done here again with Black Panther, to great effect.

Now, that's not to say this is a completely original take on a superhero film - there are many recognisable tropes, especially ones common to Marvel films, that are on display here. But what they've done is taken us to a new and exciting place that we've not seen before, immersing us into a new culture through very effective presentation. Apart from one brief scene in London and a short section later in South Korea, the film takes place entirely in Wakanda. The cinematography is outstanding throughout, brought to us by the films DP Rachel Morrison, who recently made history by becoming the first woman to be nominated for Best Cinematography at the forthcoming Oscars for her work on Mudbound. Whether we're soaring through the skies of Wakanda on T'Challa's ship, in moments of quiet dialogue or thick in the action of battle, Morrison shows she has a keen eye. The visuals are matched to a terrific soundtrack that's a mix of a score that fuses modern beats with traditional African influences, and original songs produced by Kendrick Lamar. A great deal of care and attention has been given to the sets, the costumes, and the presentation of the Wakandan people and their culture - the depiction of the Dora Milaje, T'Challa's elite all-female guard, is particularly good - and it sets the film apart from any other in the MCU.

The story is, perhaps, where the film is at its weakest, as for all the good work done in the presentation of Wakanda there's nothing particularly original about the plot. T'Challa was already introduced to audiences in Civil War, and there's a brief prologue at the start of the film that explains the history of Wakanda, its technology and of the Black Panther's origins, so there's no requirement to establish who T'Challa is. He's given a storyline that revolves around him dealing with a past betrayal by his beloved father, losing his powers and regaining them, and faces a villain who, while terrific (I'll get to that later), falls into a common thirst for megalomania. Luckily we have director Ryan Coogler on hand, who previously brought us the excellent Creed and Fruitvale Station, and under his guiding hand the story manages to overcome these challenges and remains effective and exciting. The story tackles the subject of responsibility, with T'Challa conflicted about whether Wakanda should reveal itself and use its technology to help those in need, and it weaves in comments on colonialism and the widespread racism still present in the world without being preachy, and Coogler's direction is confident and assured throughout. Apart from the presence of the characters Everett Ross and Ulysses Klaue (who we saw in Civil War), the only reference to the wider MCU is a brief mention of Bucky by Shuri, and this actually works in the films favour, helping it to stand alone.

Black Panther wouldn't be a superhero film without action, and I'm happy to report it scores highly here. Despite a few moments where the CGI doesn't quite make the grade, the action sequences are excellent and terrific to watch. T'Challa gains a new Black Panther suit that looks fantastic and has tech in it that would make Tony Stark jealous, and his fighting style is fast-paced and athletic. There's a brilliant sequence in South Korea where a fight breaks out inside an illegal casino which then transitions into an exciting car chase, and the film's climactic final battle features a deadly hand-to-hand fight between T'Challa and Killmonger, armoured rhinoceroses, and the strong female characters of the film kicking some serious ass.

Let's talk about that cast. Chadwick Boseman, as T'Challa, is fantastic here. He has a great screen presence and brings both dignity and style to the role, but dare I say it, T'Challa is actually the least interesting character here, despite being the lead. That isn't meant as a criticism of the plot or of Boseman's performance, it's just that such a good job has been done with the other featured characters that they steal pretty much every scene that they're in. Boseman does get to flesh T'Challa out though, as we see him lovestruck and tongue-tied around Nakia and playfully bantering with his sister Shuri, and he has proved here that's he a very capable leading man.

Michael B. Jordan, as Killmonger, is absolutely brilliant and the character must go down as one of Marvel's best villains to date. It's an electrifying performance, and while (as I mentioned earlier) he does slip into the stereotypical "I want to conquer the world" routine, the character's anger and driving motive is genuine and palatable, and Jordan crushes it. All memories of him as Johnny Storm in Fox's ill-fated Fantastic Four are forgotten. Sadly the character of Killmonger won't be around for future Black Panther films but the conclusion is handled well. I was already a fan of Jordan from his work in Creed, and I'm excited to see where he goes from here.

There's a strong cast of female characters that play a huge role in the story. Of these I was most impressed with Letitia Wright as T'Challa's younger sister Shuri, a tech genius in charge of designing Wakanda's incredible gadgets and weaponry. She's a mischievous figure who playfully banters with and teases T'Challa, but beneath that there's clearly a great love and respect between them and Wright plays both sides of this really well. As the story progresses we see that Shuri wants to be physically out there fighting alongside T'Challa in the field, and the final battle gives her that opportunity. It was great to see the character kicking ass and Wright is an absolute delight whenever she's onscreen.

Lupita Nyong'o needs no introduction from me, the terrific actress being an Oscar winner for her performance in 12 Years A Slave. Her role as Nakia, the former/potentially future love interest of T'Challa, is a strong one - she's a highly-trained spy who feels passionately that Wakanda should be using its technology and resources to help others, particularly in the other parts of Africa. She has great chemistry with Boseman and it's another fantastic performance from her, one in which she gets to physically kick ass as well.

Danai Gurira's character Okoye is one of the most badass women you'll ever seen on screen. Fans of The Walking Dead will recognise her as Michonne, but here she's the proud leader of T'Challa's elite all-female Dora Milaje warriors. Gurira brings both grace and steel to the role, and she's given her own small story arc as her character becomes torn between her loyalty to the Wakandan throne and her loyalty to T'Challa, when Killmonger takes over. She's absolutely brilliant and I would happily watch a solo film just about her.

The extended supporting cast including Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Daniel Kaluuya and Winston Duke, who all do well with the limited material they're offered here. Martin Freeman reprises his role as CIA Agent Everett Ross, and the brilliant Andy Serkis (complete with spot-on Afrikaans accent) returns as the villainous Ulysses Klaue, now complete with a false arm that doubles as a gun. He's terrific.

You have to wonder how long Marvel can keep producing films of this quality. They show no signs of stopping, and Black Panther has given them yet another arm of the MCU that audiences will be happy to return to in the future. In the capable hands of directors like Coogler, T'Challa will no doubt return for more solo features (he and Okoye will feature in Avengers: Infinity War) and I cannot wait.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Marvel have done it yet again, bringing us another take on the superhero film that, while suffering from a bit of predictability and the odd moment of bad CGI, can be counted as among the best they've made. A strong visual aesthetic, a fantastic cast and effective presentation of a new culture within the MCU make this a real winner. Long live the King.

Film Review: Den of Thieves (2018)

I fought the law

Den of Thieves (15)

Starring: Gerard Butler, Pablo Schreiber, O'Shea Jackson Jr

Director: Christian Gudegast

The Plot: Los Angeles. A group of elite soldiers turned bank robbers led by Ray Merriman (Schreiber) steal an armoured car in a violent confrontation, attracting the attention of the Sheriff's Department Major Crimes unit, led by "Big Nick" O'Brien (Butler). The unit are no strangers to breaking the law themselves, and by targeting Merriman's newest crew member Donnie (Jackson Jr) they learn that the crew have planned a daring heist on the Federal Reserve. The leaders of the two groups begin playing mind games with each other as the day of the heist looms . . .

Review: I like a good heist movie. It's an exciting genre when done well, but modern heist movies face the same problem as many other genres - it's difficult to create something truly original. Audiences have pretty much seen it all these days, so I went into this not really knowing anything about the film and expecting a typical Gerry Butler actioner. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the film, whilst suffering from some flaws and stereotypical moments, actually has a clever, shifting storyline with a twist at the end that I genuinely didn't see coming. So, let's take a break from Oscar season and dive in.

The story quickly establishes that Big Nick and his unit are not your typical cops, and this creates one of the film's biggest problems - it's not clear who the director wants you to root for. Whilst they're not shown to be fully corrupt, a scene where they're lounging around in a hotel room, smoking and drinking with hookers before threatening a kidnapped Donnie, paints a very muddy picture. This is carried forward throughout the film in several other scenes, and isn't helped by the fact that Gerry Butler's character Big Nick is inherently unlikeable - he's loud, quick to anger, has some of the worst dialogue in the film, and shows no remorse when his wife leaves him after discovering a text message revealing infidelity. Butler doesn't get to show any real acting chops save for one small scene where he breaks down after talking to his young daughter through the fence at her school, which is effective, but nowhere near enough to make us want to be on his side.

The robbers, on the other hand, actually come across as far more likable characters. As their leader Merriman, Pablo Schreiber puts in a charismatic performance despite also suffering from some poor dialogue. His character, as a former special forces soldier who runs his crew with military precision, is ice-cold and the complete opposite of the brash Big Nick. Where his character is let down is actually in the script itself: one of the plot threads centres on Merriman's refusal to be taken alive, which he makes clear to Big Nick as their mind games progress, but very little explanation is given as to why he feels that way - perhaps there's some PTSD involved, but the film doesn't take the time to explore it, despite it's long run time. There's also a rather odd scene where Big Nick sleeps with Merriman's wife/girlfriend, resulting in a tense standoff between the two, and the revelation that she did it on Merriman's orders has no discernible reasoning or impact on the story.

O'Shea Jackson Jr (who I keep calling Ice Cube Jr) actually has the best performance of the film and comes across as the most likable of the entire cast. His character Donnie is central to the twist of the film and he plays the whole thing very well. He's not going to win Oscars, don't get me wrong, but there's a lightness to his character that's welcome amongst the heavy rivalry of Big Nick and Merriman.

Where the film does get things right is the twisting storyline, the action itself and the presentation. There's only two real action scenes, and the one that opens the film is terrific. The theft of an armoured car goes wrong and quickly escalates into an intense and incredibly loud shootout, with the audio of the gunfire used to great effect. The same goes for the gunfight that closes the film which, even if the action of it was a little disappointing compared to the opening scene, is both loud and visually effective as the two sides battle amidst the traffic of a busy LA street. The story, as I mentioned earlier, is far cleverer that you'd expect, with the script constantly throwing curve-balls at you to keep you guessing at what the robbers will do next, all leading to the reveal of the twist that I didn't see coming. It was really very good.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This is a surprisingly intelligent heist movie that keeps the audience guessing and finishes with a clever twist. It suffers from some poor dialogue and a lead character that's unlikeable, making it difficult to determine whose side the director wants you to be on, but it's well shot with effective action scenes. I enjoyed it.

Film Review Round-Up: Coco, The Commuter, Downsizing & Maze Runner: The Death Cure

It's been a busy week at the movies for me, with a lot of big new releases to watch. I've been to the cinema no less than four times this week, and so dear reader here at The Welsh Geek Reviews I'm bringing you another of my patented review round-ups: first up is Pixar's wonderful new animation Coco; secondly we go for a train ride with Liam Neeson in The Commuter; we follow that with Matt Damon's shrinking escapade Downsizing and finish this week with the conclusion to the really rather good teen action series Maze Runner: The Death Cure. Let's get to it!

Remember me . . .

Coco (PG)

Starring (voices): Anthony Gonzalez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt

Directors: Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina

The Plot: Mexican youngster Miguel (Gonzalez) dreams of being a musician, but music has been banned in his family for generations, ever since his great-great-grandfather abandoned them to pursue a musical career. As his town begins to celebrate the Day of the Dead, Miguel has a falling out with his family and runs away. Learning that his great-great-grandfather was none other than his deceased musical idol Ernesto de la Cruz (Bratt), Miguel finds himself magically transported into the Land of the Dead. He teams up with downtrodden skeleton Hector (Bernal) to try and find de la Cruz, while his ancestors residing there desperately pursue him - if Miguel doesn't return to the land of the living after 24 hours, he'll be stuck there forever . . .

Pixar rarely falter, and they've weaved their magic once again with Coco and produced a truly wonderful film that's visually stunning and utterly absorbing. The bright, colourful visuals are wrapped around a story that's both beautiful and utterly heartbreaking - this is a very emotional tale about the importance of family and remembering the loved ones that you've lost, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I shed a few manly tears while watching. You may be wondering about the title of the film - Coco is Miguel's ancient great-grandmother, and to explain why the film is named after her and the part she plays in the story would be too much of a spoiler. Pixar have gone to great lengths to produce a fantastical story that's respectful to Mexican culture, and the result is one of their very best films.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
A beautiful, moving and emotional story that celebrates both music and the bonds of family. Another triumph from Pixar.

Next stop . . .

The Commuter (15)

Starring: Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

The Plot: Michael MacCauley (Neeson) is an ex-cop who now works as an insurance salesman, commuting into New York City everyday on the same train. MacCauley is struggling financially, and is intrigued when, on the journey home, a mysterious woman (Farmiga) sits down with him and makes an unusual offer: he will be paid $100,000 in cash if he locates a person on the train who should not be there, who's due to get off at a specific stop. Initially sceptical, MacCauley is shocked to discover that the offer is not only real but deadly - the person he has to find is a murder witness, who the mysterious woman intends to kill, and she threatens his family. It's a race against time for MacCauley to find the witness, prevent their murder and protect his family . . .

If you come into this film expecting another in what has become a genre in itself, the "Liam Neeson Action Movie", you'll be pleasantly surprised. While there are some moments of action, this is actually a clever, suspenseful thriller that plays out as a long game of cat-and-mouse. Neeson's character isn't a complete badass and he spends the vast majority of the film in a situation that he has little control over, and the film does very well to keep you guessing what's going to happen next. It certainly isn't Oscar material, and it's a shame that the fantastic Farmiga doesn't get a great deal of screen time, but this is a far better film than I expected it to be. Well worth your time.

Rating: 4 out 5 stars

This twisting and turning thriller is a pleasant surprise and not at all what you'd expect it to be. Neeson is as watchable as always in a role that's not your typical ageing action hero. Good stuff.

Honey, I shrunk myself . . .

Downsizing (15)

Starring: Matt Damon, Christophe Waltz, Kristen Wiig

Director: Alexander Payne

The Plot: Norwegian scientists have created an irreversible procedure called "Downsizing", that shrinks any organic material (humans, animals, plants) to a few inches in size, and the procedure is marketed as a solution to the world's growing problem of overpopulation. Occupational therapist Paul Safranek (Damon) and his wife Audrey (Wiig), struggling financially, decide to undergo the procedure after being won over with the promise of their money translating into a fortune in the "small" world of Leisureland, however when Paul undergoes the procedure Audrey balks and remains "big", leaving Paul alone in his new tiny world, where he struggles to adapt to his new environment and find a new purpose in life . . .

Downsizing is a very original story idea that offers some clever social satire. The visual effects are excellent, particularly in the scenes where Paul (at his normal size) interacts with "small" people and then later the other way around, and while the story is largely a drama there are some funny moments. While the first half of the film is interesting and engaging, it unfortunately falters in the second half when Paul leaves his new "small" world and travels to Norway, and the film shifts away from social satire and into the contemplation of humanity's fate. The story loses all steam here and the change in Paul's character doesn't come across well. Damon is fine in the first half, and Christophe Waltz is entertaining as his neighbour (and smuggler) Dusan who befriends him, but it was a disappointing finish.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

A very original story idea with great visual effects and touches of humour, that's unfortunately spoiled by a flat second half that moves away from the clever social satire of the first. Worth a watch, but don't make it a priority.

All good things . . .

Maze Runner: The Death Cure (12A)

Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster

Director: Wes Ball

The Plot: Following the events of The Scorch Trials, Thomas (O'Brien), Newt (Brodie-Sangster) and the other remaining runners are in pursuit of their captured comrade Minho. They learn that the sinister group WCKD have moved him to the legendary Last City, a walled stronghold, and are experimenting on him in a last-ditch attempt to find a cure for the disease ravaging the world. Thomas devises a plan to break into the city and free Minho, but it will involve them capturing Teresa (Scodelario) - their former friend who betrayed them to work with WCKD, and who Thomas still has feelings for . . .

The Maze Runner series has been, for me, an underrated entry in the realm of teen-focused dystopian future films. The previous two films have been exciting, action-packed and with a likeable cast, and I'm happy to report that The Death Cure is a pleasing conclusion to the series that ramps up both the action and the runtime, clocking in at two hours and twenty minutes. Yes, it is very predictable, and you have to accept the fact this is aimed at a teenage audience and so isn't going to win any awards for acting or plot (which revolves around Thomas's blood being the key to creating a cure), but what you get is a solidly exciting film with lots of spectacle and features the return of Will "Motherfucker" Poulter. It's pretty much everything you could want from this type of film, and is well worth a watch.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

An exciting conclusion to the Maze Runner series that's high on action and spectacle and wraps up the story well. It's a tad predictable and the acting isn't the greatest, but it doesn't spoil a great final chapter of a very underrated series. I dig it.

Film Review: The Post (2018)

Read all about it . . .

The Post (12A)

Starring: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Bob Odenkirk

Director: Steven Spielberg

The Plot: Washington D.C., 1971. As the Vietnam War still rages, an insider leaks a classified government report on the war to the New York Times newspaper. The paper begins to publish it, exposing a great deal of lies, and the Nixon administration shuts them down, threatening legal action. When the smaller Washington Post paper also obtains the report, its editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks) wants to publish it immediately, but its owner Kay Graham (Streep) is conflicted: doing so would not only open the paper to the same legal action as the Times, but also potentially ruin their float on the stock market, which the paper badly needs financially to continue. Weighing up the moral obligations to print against the risk to the paper, Graham faces the most difficult decision of her life . . .

Review: Steven Spielberg has been on a productive run of late. Following 2015's excellent thriller Bridge of Spies (which also featured Tom Hanks) and then 2016's family-oriented The BFG, he's now turned to a biographical drama with The Post and, in a few months, will return with geek-fest Ready Player One that I'm ridiculously excited for. The celebrated director isn't afraid to take on projects that tackle divisive subjects, and with The Post he deals with a subject that, while historical, still has relevance today.

The film is based on true events and deals with the rather important topic of the freedom of the press. Regardless of what your personal opinion may be about newspapers, whether you read broadsheets or tabloids or don't read them at all, I think it's fair to say that most people would agree that the right for the press to report on the news and deliver information that they believe to be true is very important for the public at large. Despite the film dealing with an incident that took place in 1971, it has great relevance for us today, particular in its target market of America where Trump is waging a war against the press. The story told here, of a small newspaper taking a stand against the US Government, is both interesting and compelling, especially when the obvious parallels are drawn to today. As you'd come to expect from Spielberg the direction is superb, and it's very well shot, with a lot of attention to detail paid to the sets and costumes to make this believably feel like 1971. The film is very much a dialogue-driven story: it's not propelled along at rapid-fire pace by sheer volume of dialogue, like Aaron Sorkin's Molly's Game from a few weeks ago, but rather it comes across almost like a play. As there's very little physical action that takes place, it's the job of the dialogue and the performances to drive the story forward. Fortunately, Spielberg has a stellar cast that's up to the task.

You don't need me to give you an explanation of who Meryl Streep is, or why she's one of the best actresses to grace the screen. She's a remarkably talented woman and it will come as no surprise to you to hear me say that she puts in an excellent performance here. What was most surprising was the character she's been given to play here: as the woman in charge of a newspaper that's been owned by her family for generations, you'd expect her to be a powerful, no-nonsense figure that's sure of herself and her decisions. In fact, Kay Graham is the opposite: she's a woman who's been thrust into power by personal tragedy (the suicide of her husband, the paper's previous owner), and who, while shown respect, struggles to make herself heard at points and is uncertain if she's making the right choices. It's a role perfect for Streep, who plays Graham with a quiet dignity but, come the story's conclusion, has found the steel needed to make the important decision.

Tom Hanks, likewise, needs no introduction. He's one of my personal favourite actors and here, as the Post's editor Ben Bradlee, he gets to play a character that's slightly abrasive but morally centred. Bradlee is shown to be a hard-driving man who believes in his reporters, and while his doesn't always agree with Kay, he respects her. It's when the Post obtains the report and Bradlee frantically organises everyone into getting a story ready for the paper's deadline that Hanks' performance really shines, as he delivers a number of passionate arguments to Kay and the other players at the paper about the importance to publish and hold the government accountable for their lies. It's another great performance from Hanks that makes the character completely believable.

Streep and Hanks are ably supported by some other very talented actors. Most notable is Bob Odenkirk, most well known for his turn as slimy lawyer Saul Goodman in TV's Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Here he plays reporter Ben Bagdikian, who has a very important role in the story as he's the one who's able to obtain a copy of the report for the Post. I'm a fan of Odenkirk and he does very well here - it's great to see an actor of his quality in a big film like this. There are many other well-known faces in the supporting cast, but also look out for Alison Brie as Kay's daughter Lally and the great David Cross (under lots of prosthetics) as another reporter for the Post.

I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and I recommend it, but this certainly won't be for everyone. A story about a newspaper fighting government censorship isn't the most exciting of topics, after all, and the dialogue-driven nature of the story will probably be off-putting for some as well. However, if this is a story that does interest you, you'll find an entertaining and compelling film with strong performances from two of Hollywood's biggest stars. The film has arrived slap-bang in the middle of award season and, while it hasn't garnered any significant nominations so far, is certainly one that's worth your time.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

An interesting true story that has great relevance to current events in America. Driven by strong performances from two of Hollywood's biggest stars, this is a well-shot and directed film that's another feather in the cap for Steven Spielberg. 

Film Review: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2018)

Just a smalltown girl . . .

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (15)

Starring: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell

Director: Martin McDonagh

The Plot: In the small town of Ebbing, Missouri it's been nine months since teenager Angela Hayes was raped and murdered. Her mother Mildred (McDormand), furious that the case hasn't been solved, rents three billboards outside the town and puts up messages condemning the police and its Chief, William Willoughby (Harrelson). This divides the town and fires up the police, but when dim-witted Deputy Dixon (Rockwell) gets involved he and Mildred start down a path of increasing violence . . .

Review: Writer/director Martin McDonagh is not known for shying away from laughs, violence or vulgarity. His previous films In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths have given us extremely funny displays of swearing and violence wrapped around dark cores; Three Billboards might be his funniest work to date but also his darkest, dealing with some very bleak story lines and themes. It's also one that I can see being very divisive, even amongst fans of this style of film. I firmly enjoyed it, as despite some flaws, the razor-sharp dialogue, dark humour and strong performances make this a real winner in my book.

At the time of writing, Three Billboards is riding quite a wave: it's just won four Golden Globes, including Best Picture (Drama) and Best Actress (Drama) for Frances McDormand, is nominated for multiple BAFTAs, and is almost certainly going to feature heavily at the Oscars as well. There's also some criticism present though, particularly in how the the racial aspect of the story is presented, or specifically the lack of it. I'll get into that later, but I thought it was worth pointing out how even at the highest critical level of the industry the reaction to the film is divided.

The story, as I mentioned, is a grim one. You could describe it as a crime drama, although "reaction-to-crime" drama might be more suitable as the story begins long after the tragic rape and murder of Mildred's daughter. The film also deals with such bright and sunny things like terminal illness, suicide and various kinds of prejudice, all wrapped up in a slice of life look at smalltown America. It needs humour, really, to make this level of bleakness palatable, and fortunately it has it by the bucketful. It's black humour, as black as it could possibly be, and Three Billboards is a hilarious film for it, but it's measured, in my view. The profanity of the characters and the comical nature of some of their actions is extremely funny, but it's not constant, allowing the serious moments the, well, seriousness they need. Just how funny the film is will be a matter of personal taste, of course, but I thought the balance was struck just right.

Frances McDormand needs no introduction, nor do I need to remind you of what a fantastic actress she is, but she dominates the film from start to finish. Mildred is a coverall-and-bandanna clad whirlwind of anger, grief and resentment, giver of zero fucks and one of the funniest but also most sympathetic characters brought to the screen recently. One moment she's barging her way into the police station, angrily addressing Dixon with "Hey fuckhead!", the next she's quietly breaking down as she tends to the flowers she's placed next to her billboards, which grimly are also the scene of her daughter's murder. She's a woman who's lost her daughter, whose husband has left her for a younger woman, who's constantly at odds with her son, and is clearly unwilling to take any more shit from the world. McDormand is wonderful throughout, whether she's fire-bombing a police station, kicking a teenage girl in the crotch or verbally abusing a reporter on live TV, and her performance is worth the price of admission alone.

Supporting her, both with impressive performances, are Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell. The characters they play couldn't be more different: Chief Willoughby is not a perfect person by any means, shown as he is to have some of the same small-town prejudices affecting the other characters, but he's clearly sympathetic to Mildred's plight as a father himself. Deputy Dixon, on the other hand, is clearly not: an alcoholic mother's boy and stereotypically simple-minded, he objects strongly to the billboards and the bad impression they create for the police, and it's his clashes with Mildred that lead to the escalating violent acts as the story progresses. Both Willoughby and Dixon go on very different journeys: in one of the most bleak and effective moments of the film, Willoughby commits suicide during the second act, rather than face his final months of terminal cancer. Dixon manages to get himself fired from the force and badly burnt, but also is given a moment to show that there may be something of a decent man underneath his prejudices. Harrelson and Rockwell both do well, Rockwell especially.

A brief mention to the other supporting players - Peter Dinklage is fantastic in a cameo role as James, an admirer of Mildred ("I think a midget wants to get in my pants!" she says after returning home from a bar) who gives her an alibi when needed and just wants to take her out. He only appears in a few scenes but he's terrific, particularly when he emotionally breaks down during their ruined dinner. Lucas Hedges (who was excellent in last year's Manchester by the Sea) plays Mildred's teenage son Robbie, and while he also only has a few scenes, he does get what's possibly the best line of the film: in a flashback sequence, which incidentally is the only time we get to see Angela alive, Robbie's arguing with them both and calls Angela a cunt. "There'll be no more cunts in this house" Mildred says, chastising him, to which he retorts "Why, you moving out?"

For me personally, the biggest criticism I have of the film is that I'm not sure exactly what it's trying to say - if it is trying to say anything at all. While there are strong themes present, such as the effects of loss, the consequences of acting in anger, and the concept of there being more to people than what meets the eye, there isn't a distinct, overall message to be found and the film suffers for it a bit. We don't get a conclusion to Angela's case (despite a curve-ball towards the end when Dixon appears to catch the culprit), and we don't get a clear indicator of what the long-term effects are going to have on these characters. I mentioned earlier that there's criticism of how the racial aspect of the story is handled: there are several references to the police force of the town being racist to blacks, and specific references to Dixon having previously been caught beating a black suspect ("How's the nigger-torturing business?" Mildred asks him at one point). It was notable how little this impacted how the story plays out for Dixon, and again how you interpret this may vary, but given that the character is shown to be be beginning to grow by the end, I did find this a bit jarring.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Despite lacking a clear message, this is a darkly funny, bleak, violent tale of a woman pushed to her limits by anger and grief that I really enjoyed. Worth watching just for Frances McDormand's performance alone, this is a film that I'm sure will prove to be divisive but, if you're a fan of this kind of dark humour, is essential to watch.