tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76242290049562879362024-03-23T03:16:48.408-07:00Hannahbelle's CouchAn ever-replenishing reservoir of film reviews from one humble cinephileHannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.comBlogger1558125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-75571481276521187672024-03-05T20:39:00.000-08:002024-03-05T20:39:55.123-08:00Madame Web<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqY9YLzaEG0JupKAr_tuT4eQJeRC1K1EP0_jDunyXfALahoP0qV8krv93Yfa5gdcJwBN41H5WTU8N6axfign6ArYV5EqmhUY3QuWa-D_bmXXasGlhjDEMmaXiFe0xy7wuWEHT3JE4fhsUSsmDVaUrQdNmp57_0gm11Pwq_mQ8CR2M2ucY8fZgOX4UKg3eW/s1500/cine.com.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqY9YLzaEG0JupKAr_tuT4eQJeRC1K1EP0_jDunyXfALahoP0qV8krv93Yfa5gdcJwBN41H5WTU8N6axfign6ArYV5EqmhUY3QuWa-D_bmXXasGlhjDEMmaXiFe0xy7wuWEHT3JE4fhsUSsmDVaUrQdNmp57_0gm11Pwq_mQ8CR2M2ucY8fZgOX4UKg3eW/s320/cine.com.webp" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: cine.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It should come as no surprise that studios are still scrabbling
to get a piece of the Marvel multiverse action. Marvel is now a label that
instantly draws an audience, even when the trailers and marketing of the
project is not particularly interesting. It’s a real shame then when a character
or comic series from the Marvelverse gets picked up excitedly by a crew and
then through the filmic process becomes something far below the initial
expectations. This is the case with a film I went and saw last night (thank
goodness I had free tickets): <i>Madame Web<b>.</b></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cassie Web (Dakota Johnson) is a paramedic who, after
technically dying on the job, comes the realisation that she has the power of foresight.
Unsure how to control or what even to do with this power, Cassie sees a vision
in which three girls are attached by a man that can crawl, spider-like, on the
ceiling. Suddenly Cassie finds herself in charge of protecting these girls who
will one day have powers like her and use them to save the world. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This could have been good. The characters are interesting
enough to root for, the story is just different enough of a superhero origin
story to pique interest, and there are some cool moments for special effects to
take the wheel. Let us have a moment of silence for what could have been.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The film looks fine. There are some fun bits where we get to
see Cassie’s powers at work, although if you’re unfamiliar with the comic or
character in general, it can take a little bit of time to work out what’s
actually going on. Ultimately what really brought this film low was the script.
I saw this with a friend and they turned to me during the credits and said, ‘I
think that script was written by AI’. It’s a very boring and generic script
with no flavour to speak of: no salt, sweetness, or even tang. And then there are the ham-fisted references to Spider-Man, which are really, <i>really</i> on the nose. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And because the script was boring, the performances were
boring too. Fair play to the central cast for trying to inject some life into a
dead spider, but sometimes there’s just no coming back from lifelessness. I
think everyone gave up midway through. Johnson as a reluctant heroine is fine and
there is some chemistry between her and the three girls that’s sweet and
heartwarming. The villain is a real letdown, quite possibly the most
uninteresting villain that I have seen in a superhero movie. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVmIL5aZa93ze46dUFmMRYcMX9Ha7HMdsxxPKtOjkwFIw5TJxICinZ0rdeiStYThOcupJC2yQE1QzuEkYyI2fsKTM4f4-hY75OgF-78ctvhIuFE_949M0iHX4DFDyp62Y_RFG-eA-Ax8JtMTx6ZqqdvbCWCvB7wgbQ8gfluU9tZbquZVP-A4TcJFt8jXh/s1637/imdb.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="1637" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVmIL5aZa93ze46dUFmMRYcMX9Ha7HMdsxxPKtOjkwFIw5TJxICinZ0rdeiStYThOcupJC2yQE1QzuEkYyI2fsKTM4f4-hY75OgF-78ctvhIuFE_949M0iHX4DFDyp62Y_RFG-eA-Ax8JtMTx6ZqqdvbCWCvB7wgbQ8gfluU9tZbquZVP-A4TcJFt8jXh/s320/imdb.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: imdb</td></tr></tbody></table><br />If you have any interest in seeing <i>Madame Web</i>, I
would recommend waiting until it comes to a streaming service, it’s certainly
not worth the price of a ticket. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: S.J Clarkson, 2024<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Dakota Johnson, Adam Scott, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela
Merced, Celeste O’Connor, Tahar Rahim, Jose Maria Yazpik, & Emma Roberts<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-69218871431726276702024-03-02T22:30:00.000-08:002024-03-02T22:30:57.401-08:00Nyad<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVESsM1XS_UF_cE55ilLJaxWnsslWnttmFFyF1R43lOOiNgDGq1pEsnhnqHt3n6W7t1M3syHgg9zyYRtTfbEwpffU-4SXjJ_YszZtgh1oXpvK-b2a3E14RGfOVlw8ko-GRcxpMBLuZSx4thWl4mRWVSpeawiIZm6z1y86_iwp-nY-egkY-B3ZEIROmCd9Q/s2100/the%20moviedb.org.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVESsM1XS_UF_cE55ilLJaxWnsslWnttmFFyF1R43lOOiNgDGq1pEsnhnqHt3n6W7t1M3syHgg9zyYRtTfbEwpffU-4SXjJ_YszZtgh1oXpvK-b2a3E14RGfOVlw8ko-GRcxpMBLuZSx4thWl4mRWVSpeawiIZm6z1y86_iwp-nY-egkY-B3ZEIROmCd9Q/w213-h320/the%20moviedb.org.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: themoviedb.org</td></tr></tbody></table>There is so much in this great, wide world. So much culture,
history, facts, stories, jokes, relationships, people, places, and dreams. It’s
impossible for one person to know it all, and it is impossible for one person
to fathom, understand, and absorb it all. While we as a species have
made some truly epic blunders, catastrophic mistakes, and unbelievable cockups
over the course of our history, one thing we have done right is the telling,
sharing, and recording of stories; true stories, fantasies, dreamed stories and
everything in between. Literature and cinema are my two favourite things to
come out of our species, aside from maybe food. And I just finished watching a
movie that reminded me of this: <i>Nyad</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) is a retired marathon swimmer
whose life has lately been missing the drive, excitement, and adventure of yesteryear.
Shortly after her 60<sup>th</sup> birthday she decides to start training again
so as to finally achieve her dream of swimming 110 miles from Cuba to Florida –
a feat she attempted thirty years ago but was forced to abandon. With her best
friend and coach Bonnie (Jodie Foster) by her side, Diana assembles a team as
crazy and driven as she is, and she braves sharks, jellyfish, fierce currents,
and physical and mental exhaustion to prove that you are never too old to
achieve your dreams. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What an amazing story and it has been made into an amazing
film. This feature debut from Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin not only
chronicles the life achievements of an amazing woman who used her indomitable
spirit to combat the limitations of age, but it’s a beautiful and inspiring
look into the importance of relationships at every stage of life and a reminder
that the Aged still have voices that can and will be heard. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A biographical sports drama, the film flicks back and forth
between the current narrative and the context of Nyad’s past. These contextual
scenes use genuine footage and commentary from interviews and media broadcasts
of Nyad’s achievements and, mixed in with some interpreted and reenacted scenes
from Nyad’s childhood, does a magnificent job of show-don’t-tell, giving the
audience all the dramatic context they need without having to spell it out and
make a big scene out of it. It’s all very tasteful and it sets the rhythm of
the film beautifully. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfEmlJVgQy1gOop-EKtgNu_BUNqEk87SVzG80fBIp2UgaG_1Bv9yGfuNUstZRuYYT8Bc9hh_LAhDb-j0AAjQRcrCQ-IHyTp7YfmPtLZGkOHrqnD4TgpaKGm67Tuzqv5z3rmfy1CHgDeAlNohLQszaxJKkSSfsKon-uyNF9iWZlAlL6Y9rbJJKuJfCLomj/s2560/poptonative.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1703" data-original-width="2560" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfEmlJVgQy1gOop-EKtgNu_BUNqEk87SVzG80fBIp2UgaG_1Bv9yGfuNUstZRuYYT8Bc9hh_LAhDb-j0AAjQRcrCQ-IHyTp7YfmPtLZGkOHrqnD4TgpaKGm67Tuzqv5z3rmfy1CHgDeAlNohLQszaxJKkSSfsKon-uyNF9iWZlAlL6Y9rbJJKuJfCLomj/s320/poptonative.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: popternative.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Then we have the performances from Annette Bening and Jodie Foster;
two incredible actresses who are the perfect cast choice for this film as they are both strong women achieving great things past a certain age, especially in an
industry that makes it hard for women to do that. Bening leads the charge with
command and charisma, but it’s Foster that really gives the film its beautiful
and heartwarming edge. She’s so lovely and down-to-earth and yet so captivating
in her depiction of unwavering and fierce loyalty and friendship; she is
definitely the heart and soul of the film.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Filled with ambition, drama, loyalty, and love <i>Nyad</i>
is a gorgeous film that tells an incredible story. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin
(2023)<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Anna Marie Kempf,
Johnny Solo, Eric T. Miller, Anna Harriette Pittman, Hanler Rodriguez, Carolyne
McCormick & Rhys Ifans</b><o:p></o:p></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-3572638652087879832024-02-12T04:00:00.000-08:002024-02-12T04:00:56.601-08:00Saltburn<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBcnKOwDL8RBTHENXLVANE1HJp5MNzfFnyMJt4EEevxP3w49fFRQfjNmm4zGJ3j2HbUSUdrNKSA9lyq0lRt3FmBOca2LIt3mHcxsiAR8mBvAAjtg9wWW-4eNoQeXok1oZayp2h7CS9gtkZzl2PgTwnHFKQCY9NyAvf1-2zuvbLHfWDjzvrSOA967H0Y-B/s1500/cinemaclock.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBcnKOwDL8RBTHENXLVANE1HJp5MNzfFnyMJt4EEevxP3w49fFRQfjNmm4zGJ3j2HbUSUdrNKSA9lyq0lRt3FmBOca2LIt3mHcxsiAR8mBvAAjtg9wWW-4eNoQeXok1oZayp2h7CS9gtkZzl2PgTwnHFKQCY9NyAvf1-2zuvbLHfWDjzvrSOA967H0Y-B/w213-h320/cinemaclock.com.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: cinemaclock.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />There is so much to love about cinema. So many delicious
layers that make up the cake. My absolute favourite thing about the movies is
how they make you <i>feel</i>. In case the 1500+ reviews haven’t given some sort
of hint, I absolutely love movies and love talking about them because they are
an artform that penetrates, manipulates, and celebrates the human condition of
torturous emotions.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So when I see a film that leaves me speechless and
temporarily unable to process my feelings about it, you know that once I regain the
ability to master language I’ll have things to say! While I’m a tad late to
this party, it’s time to talk about <i>Saltburn</i>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) is a bland but bright Oxford
scholar who finds it difficult to make friends. But this changes when he meets
Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), a handsome and aristocratic classmate. Felix takes
Oliver under his wing and soon their friendship leads to him inviting Oliver to
spend the summer with his eccentric family at their manor, Saltburn. Oliver finds
himself in a world he’d only dreamed of and while he relishes in the company of
his new colourful and charismatic friends, he fears that it will all be over
come the end of summer. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ho boy, how to even begin with this movie. I’m still
reeling. It’s a very clever example of modern gothic, sticking to the generic
tropes of both narrative and aesthetic, but then completely discombobulating
you with an edgy, modern script and soundtrack. But this is not only what I
mean by ‘clever’. This is a very manipulative film – like most gothic thrillers
are – but the cleverness of it comes from the specific way that it manipulates its
audience. For two thirds of the film, you think you’ve got it worked out: vibes
of <i>Brideshead Revisited</i> meets <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2011/12/education-m.html" target="_blank">An Education</a></i> meets <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2013/04/rebecca-pg.html" target="_blank">Rebecca</a></i>
help to shape your powers of perception and you spend your time looking for the
clues that foreshadow the big twist. But then the twist comes and while it’s a
twist that’s anything but new, you still weren’t expecting it! From there,
everything you think you know is thrown out of the rear window and you’re left
at the mercy of the writer, director, and cast. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzKRwU_0bLyyTRLH7z32mpQIFeEP1ge7T2lf3Tci6bRCSDHXFNMtBGLKMH1n21gMZu-rcoKMEFMiMyZAtmoc4LxlafRNvFgT2-uwcwf5TNL9_lerF44xHUla_k-u6kdtHkR3aaolwXPbSf-856A75H__bw-Ewq2a39X90CKwgrwr2HPk4HxL0vIYxpJwY/s1200/theplaylist.net.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="1200" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzKRwU_0bLyyTRLH7z32mpQIFeEP1ge7T2lf3Tci6bRCSDHXFNMtBGLKMH1n21gMZu-rcoKMEFMiMyZAtmoc4LxlafRNvFgT2-uwcwf5TNL9_lerF44xHUla_k-u6kdtHkR3aaolwXPbSf-856A75H__bw-Ewq2a39X90CKwgrwr2HPk4HxL0vIYxpJwY/w400-h261/theplaylist.net.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: theplaylist.net</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Speaking of the cast. Barry Keoghan is astounding! I can’t
rave about his performance without giving some of the game away so you’ll just
have to believe me when I say that he did just as much manipulating as the
screenwriter or the director. Holy Hell! We then have a fantastic supporting
cast that make up the eccentric and captivating Catton family including
delightful performances from Richard E. Grant and Rosamund Pike.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The sets are immaculate and the aesthetic is lavish, which
only serves to heighten the more disturbing scenes. This film has the macabre
appeal of the car crash: it’s terrible to look at, but you can’t look away. If
you are a fan of gothic thrillers, I would recommend <i>Saltburn</i>, but be
warned that you may experience feelings of acute discomfort, disturbance, and
disgust… and that what makes it so damned compelling. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Emerald Fennell, 2023<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Archie Madekwe, Alison
Oliver, Sadie Soverall, Will Gibson, Ewan Mitchell, Reece Shearsmith, Paul
Rhys, Rosamund Pike & Richard E. Grant<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-11539872271595498792024-02-12T03:03:00.000-08:002024-02-12T03:03:30.723-08:00The Iron Claw<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazWklNg-xcPVukOZQxia3OqK0AvlokPb-tvlV8DW-SBEOIooSdgZEX9dObKQzolEUg_vkrGzfd0nttjPo1oQIKiwkBugvfuggIj61rL7ylz0-2P5aoN10zpZbKwCi0HCKJLlRF4agvjf5Aze_z3t9vJGNOA1YODShBOh1io58WZ2P1j9y-ZgtWPcfzv8Q/s2560/gatewayfilmcenter.org.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1728" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazWklNg-xcPVukOZQxia3OqK0AvlokPb-tvlV8DW-SBEOIooSdgZEX9dObKQzolEUg_vkrGzfd0nttjPo1oQIKiwkBugvfuggIj61rL7ylz0-2P5aoN10zpZbKwCi0HCKJLlRF4agvjf5Aze_z3t9vJGNOA1YODShBOh1io58WZ2P1j9y-ZgtWPcfzv8Q/w216-h320/gatewayfilmcenter.org.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: gatewayfilmcenter.org</td></tr></tbody></table>It’s a
really lovely experience to have an old fire of your character rekindled. Back
when I was working at a Blockbuster (pause for marvel/lament at how long ago
that was) I was all about movies. And as I grew up my love for cinema never
really puttered out, but it certainly dimmed and for a while my absorption of
new movies and writing my reviews waned. But my love for cinema and my ambition
to go to the movies more has been rekindled with this new job, one of the perks
of which is the occasional free ticket.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
delightful thing about a free ticket is that, even if it’s a film you don’t
know much about or didn’t think you were that interested in seeing, it inspires
you to go along because what have you got to lose? And then there is always the
chance that you come out of the cinema in complete awe at the film you just
watched. I had this experience over the weekend when I decided to make use of a
free ticket and took myself to see <i>The Iron Claw</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Based on a
true story, the film follows the wrestling careers of the Von Erich family, a
close-knit band of brothers who made history in the competitive world of
wrestling in the 1980s. A love of each other and being in the ring together is
what drives these four boys, but there is a dark side to their success. Pushed
by their father who is driven by a fierce ambition, one by one the boys start
to fall victim to the belief that their family is cursed and that their strong
bond of brotherhood might not be enough to save them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This is a fiercely provocative movie that
tells a tragic story while simultaneously exploring the physical and mental
strains and benefits of love, pack mentality, and the nuclear family. Against
the super-charged toxic masculinity that is allowed to run rampant from scene
to scene there is a beautiful depiction of male fragility and the need for
camaraderie and brotherhood. Add the questionable relationships of the parents
to their sons and this is a recipe for a compelling and heart-wrenching story. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
performances of the central cast are all incredible, each brother being
endearing, flawed, and spiking our empathetic reflexes. Expertly devised shots
give audiences enough time to anticipate what’s about to happen and thus be
able to properly experience the shock and grief to come. Despite its sweaty,
bulging, and gritty aesthetic, the various camera techniques as well as the
general cinematography makes <i>The Iron Claw</i> quite possibly one the of
most beautiful and strangely elegant films I’ve seen in a while. It has been a
long time since I teared up in a cinema, but that drought has been broken
thanks to this film. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrR28MDh7EjznWhwnv7vlsL2uNJ7Yiy0bYcKxthvMbUUpV4FjOX_lxhUS4AKTacQCmswSUZnwOyaZdZCI35zJ97U08BlxN4ZIEy25YeBtAuP9HWOQR8KNlf7jWSnEzUoHq2vjK6ZCxUwKDvQk0Pbpy_ESYeemtDFgd18OHVM3Rp8CpCPIXvcVquuqVlhst/s770/tvinsider.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="770" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrR28MDh7EjznWhwnv7vlsL2uNJ7Yiy0bYcKxthvMbUUpV4FjOX_lxhUS4AKTacQCmswSUZnwOyaZdZCI35zJ97U08BlxN4ZIEy25YeBtAuP9HWOQR8KNlf7jWSnEzUoHq2vjK6ZCxUwKDvQk0Pbpy_ESYeemtDFgd18OHVM3Rp8CpCPIXvcVquuqVlhst/w400-h225/tvinsider.com.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: tvinsider.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />And then we
can marvel at the fact that because this film is beautiful, compelling, and
tastefully done, it inspires audiences to take a deep drive into a story that
they may never had heard of. I am not a wrestling fan in the least, so I had no
idea who these people were, but I am truly fascinated and compelled by their
story. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">If you are
looking for a compelling, moving, and beautifully crafted film, I would
recommend <i>The Iron Claw. </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Director:
Sean Durkin, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Cast:
Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Hold McCallany,
Scott Innes, Michael Harney, Stanley Simons, Ryan Nemeth, Cazzey Louis
Cereghino, Lily James & Kevin Anton<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-66154870733939322192024-01-20T13:13:00.000-08:002024-01-20T13:13:51.002-08:00The Colour of Magic<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeoYsULDOvBPSEkKQ-kAh376a_xfq86KacWxdMcSE1a7w9r509kbo1zyod-rxMRy_faGUFwRE-Pi53bSSnOMaSXYYl6Isq4Vred6jR6WTS_V9wu6vxl2PUrZjuQXGT2xgCIB-qfTxfWANQr7UlUk0qNKbMKxQKOFuClI_1YdGSsZAgRofAqWPZNRHCQnz/s1160/sanity.com.au.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeoYsULDOvBPSEkKQ-kAh376a_xfq86KacWxdMcSE1a7w9r509kbo1zyod-rxMRy_faGUFwRE-Pi53bSSnOMaSXYYl6Isq4Vred6jR6WTS_V9wu6vxl2PUrZjuQXGT2xgCIB-qfTxfWANQr7UlUk0qNKbMKxQKOFuClI_1YdGSsZAgRofAqWPZNRHCQnz/w221-h320/sanity.com.au.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: sanity.com.au</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The troubles and perils of adaptations are an exciting and
dubious part of human society. Sometimes it works incredibly well, e.g. Peter
Jackson’s <i>Lord of the Rings</i> trilogy, or it goes horrible wrong: e.g. <i>The
Golden Compass</i>. I like to think that the world’s best adaptations are
examples of shared interpretations, senses of humour, and textual understandings
that can transcend generations. In a good adaptation, you can often see, <i>feel</i>
even, the love for the original story that everyone working on the project has.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With all the reboots, and remakes, and piggyback films, and
spinoffs that populate cinematic history, it’s always pleasant to come across
an adaptation of a fresh, beloved work. I have just finished watching one such
adaptation: <i>The Colour of Magic</i>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the back of a giant turtle swimming in space, stands four
elephants that hold the Discworld on their backs. The Discworld is an amazing
and dangerous place filled with all sorts of wonders and perils. Twoflower, the
Disc’s first tourist, wishes to see all of these wondrous things and so he
hires an exiled wizard, Rincewind, to be his guide. What begins as a hapless
wizard’s con to get as much money as he can from the clueless tourist, turns
into a mighty adventure across the Disc (and sometimes off of it) in which the
unlikely duo ride dragons, get thrown off the edge off the edge of the world, interrupt
a Druidic sacrifice, admire the clock sitting in Death’s hallway, and somehow
save the world. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I can understand why there aren’t many adaptations of Terry
Pratchett’s works. Film and distribution rights for one thing, but also (having
only started reading the books in the <i>Discworld</i> series) there is a such
a unique sense of humour to his works that definitely would not be picked up or
understood by everyone. This might account for the only adaptations of any his
works being British. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Based on the events of both <i>The Colour of Magic</i> and <i>The
Light Fantastic</i> by Terry Pratchett, <i>The Colour of Magic</i> is a fun and
exciting two-part feature that beautifully depicts a medieval fantasy world
with a lot of modern ideas and attitudes. Unlike the glamorised, rustic
aesthetic of Rohan or the Shire, darkness, dust, muck, and dinginess make up
the places in which the heroes find themselves in varying predicaments and the absence
of a ‘Hollywood’ sheen only serves to better depict the world of the Disc. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOA9M3p8OhP9ME4A-9Q3w3AFlNcwKKhb_CGbaDVpYTNhYClNsr0PPGoguzpqSHjrYfIRLhhBkp0d8Ou0KD4AJm5MlqcBqRQtpZ83640UD5C2X2ANBUGbziMIzbNYxqte5_LehfAY_jpw-mhpsSeWTRHXKAnPJ19-rf94G9773estzNIDa-AW8RjxQ-u2ro/s1920/The%20Movie%20Database.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOA9M3p8OhP9ME4A-9Q3w3AFlNcwKKhb_CGbaDVpYTNhYClNsr0PPGoguzpqSHjrYfIRLhhBkp0d8Ou0KD4AJm5MlqcBqRQtpZ83640UD5C2X2ANBUGbziMIzbNYxqte5_LehfAY_jpw-mhpsSeWTRHXKAnPJ19-rf94G9773estzNIDa-AW8RjxQ-u2ro/w400-h225/The%20Movie%20Database.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: The Movie Database</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Sean Astin, sticking out like a sore thumb in knee-high
socks with sandals and a loud floral shirt, is truly delightful as Twoflower, delivering
a performance that is naïve, excitable, and overall just very sweet. David
Jason as Rincewind does a delightful job of being the hapless, constantly
menaced victim, that somehow grows to care for his charge. And Tim Curry is
perfect as Trymon, a murderous and ambitious wizard who is out to gain all the
power he can.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A two-part miniseries made for TV, <i>The Colour of Magic</i>
is a delightful adaptation of a truly unique world and cast of characters,
filled with action, adventure, and plenty of comedy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Vadim Jean, 2008<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Sean Astin, David Jason, Tim Curry, Brian Cox,
Jermey Irons, Geoffrey Hutchings, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Michael Mears, Will
Keen, James, Cosmo, David Bradley & Christopher Lee<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-89389627394024745712024-01-11T19:32:00.000-08:002024-01-11T19:32:25.113-08:00Poor Things<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_V6VH_Emr9r8QmEvSxk_fPg7a_8izU5aqxesIJtOWXcjA2JUILzKXWEiXgeHka1EHBoudhcaSWkCP134In9cKsG9eYNW9Pp8d-4w-bRI6werfM6cOcYn5Jmk7cEarlptWUMC00MqpPhKcKDzEk1NfVgqoeJPrm7jcSC7hO4_b83BZnMHsdJ1_N8kJhpD/s378/wikipedia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_V6VH_Emr9r8QmEvSxk_fPg7a_8izU5aqxesIJtOWXcjA2JUILzKXWEiXgeHka1EHBoudhcaSWkCP134In9cKsG9eYNW9Pp8d-4w-bRI6werfM6cOcYn5Jmk7cEarlptWUMC00MqpPhKcKDzEk1NfVgqoeJPrm7jcSC7hO4_b83BZnMHsdJ1_N8kJhpD/w216-h320/wikipedia.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Wikipedia</td></tr></tbody></table><br />There are any number of things that make us want to go and
see a particular film. The genre, the director, the actors, etc... One of the most
interesting things in the world is when one reason to go and see a film cancels
out a reason not to. I have this sort of relationship with Yorgos Lanthimos.
While I do enjoy a strange and off-centre movie, Lanthimos’ works have often
left me feeling unsettled and disturbed and this was the reason I put off going
to see his latest for so long. But I do love Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe. <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-favourite.html" target="_blank">The Favourite</a></i> was the first film in which my love for the actors (Stone and Olivia
Coleman) cancelled out my hesitation to sit through another Lanthimos film and
now it has happened again with <i>Poor Things</i>. And I am glad that I decided
to take myself to the movies and give the film a try because it’s truly a gem, absolutely
deserving of all the great praise it’s been getting.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Poor Things</i> tells the story of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone),
a reanimated corpse brought back to life with the brain of her unborn child in
her adult body. Found after her suicide by eccentric and unorthodox scientist Dr.
Godwin Baxter, Bella is resurrected and then raised in his home with her mental
faculties growing at a fascinating speed. When she begins to reach sexual maturity,
Godwin decides that she should marry his assistant, but this plan is thrown
into disarray when the lawyer hired to finalise the unique contracts becomes
besotted with Bella and whisks her away to travel with him. As Bella sees more
of the world and the way it works, she becomes fascinated, horrified, and
inspired to leave her mark and make the world better, regardless of anyone
says.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While <i>Poor Things</i> still has a dark and twisted edge
that is very unique to Lanthimos’ films, I found that I was not so unsettled by
this film, rather much more fascinated and curious to see where the story would
take its compelling heroine. The outlandish setting, narrative, costumes, and cinematic
techniques give it a particularly heightened sense of voyeurism, which in turn piques
a delightful cinematic experience: bubbles in the stomach and a heady buzz
knowing that you’re peeking into a world that you maybe shouldn’t. Lanthimos
uses a fascinating fade-in from black and white, to sepia, to overbright colour
to tell the various chapters of the story and mark the milestones of the
heroine and the use of the fishbowl lens during particular scenes really
heightens the sense that we’re peeping in at something that’s not for us. It’s devilish
and delightful. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We then have these absolutely incredible costumes by Holly
Wadington and set and art design, decoration, and direction by a team of
absolute maestros that add to the eccentric vibe and make the film the visual
treat that it is. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQAjD2KLYc6ZsnEn7DFRNLS8I4tKy2Atb00tJzzNiuURvqjdryh8AguPK_C1HxEcAXHvPdSCROsslRZHVteeT5jC8p1cGfKChfaXSjAVXewJ6dXuy_lHY4VW49pNchZMjAiLu4uDXVx2FcAv6g3gUFZUB7EFotBw2clMhkweJTN2VD4x8RE0Uk8hyphenhyphen15ih/s474/nme.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="474" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQAjD2KLYc6ZsnEn7DFRNLS8I4tKy2Atb00tJzzNiuURvqjdryh8AguPK_C1HxEcAXHvPdSCROsslRZHVteeT5jC8p1cGfKChfaXSjAVXewJ6dXuy_lHY4VW49pNchZMjAiLu4uDXVx2FcAv6g3gUFZUB7EFotBw2clMhkweJTN2VD4x8RE0Uk8hyphenhyphen15ih/s320/nme.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: nme.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />But truth be told it is the performances that really snatch
and hold the attention and wonder of the audience. Stone is phenomenal
beginning the film as a sweet and naive child you want to protect and then
transforming into a smart woman that you want to support. Throughout the film she retains
this fantastic carte blanche that’s adorable when she’s in her child-brain
stage and both hilarious and cutting in her adult stage. Willem Dafoe is very
sweetly paternal and loving toward Bella and manages to express so much emotion
that pushes past the impressive makeup that disfigures his face. This then adds
a delicious layer of humour to his performance, as many of his scenes are delivered
with a blunt and seemingly unfeeling, scientific, tone. Mark Ruffalo as the
rakish lawyer is brilliantly hilarious and ridiculous, showcasing a fabulous
fall from grace that really satisfies. Half the time you don’t know whether to
slap him senseless or feel sorry for him. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Poor Things</i> is a devilishly delightful film that I
would thoroughly recommend. It’s a visual treat filled with romance, drama, and
plenty of dark and twisted comedy. I loved it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef,
Kathryn Hunter, Vicki Pepperdine, Christopher Abbott, Jerrod Carmichael, Suzy
Bemba & Hanna Schygulla<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-79932232965579520572024-01-07T12:28:00.000-08:002024-01-07T12:28:08.154-08:00The Boy and the Heron<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-5_cTtuo4FLoKWOddod7V4dmY6YVajsoFJcmruXoQDQpj-4BQ0ohJ_5Z1HgAViKkJKFEudmyVHEppjuZuJflwBVb5swP1RBNiC42if4YzHdEbdaIAJTOD0qNLl_PMu-nYaoxMjkmX6dKcOt6kxY8lAoGNLz_DIoIef6d_dZF5FZ2GdATybS87jd6Lukp/s1463/imdb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1463" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-5_cTtuo4FLoKWOddod7V4dmY6YVajsoFJcmruXoQDQpj-4BQ0ohJ_5Z1HgAViKkJKFEudmyVHEppjuZuJflwBVb5swP1RBNiC42if4YzHdEbdaIAJTOD0qNLl_PMu-nYaoxMjkmX6dKcOt6kxY8lAoGNLz_DIoIef6d_dZF5FZ2GdATybS87jd6Lukp/s320/imdb.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: imdb</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The world of art and content creation is dynamic, meaning it
changes all the time to suit the current attitudes of society, whilst also being
static, meaning parts of it stay the same. In film, this is usually obvious in
changing artistic design, filmic techniques, and technological enhancements showing
the every-changing nature of art, while genre and some stylistic choices made
by the director remind the audience who’s work they are enjoying and offering
them the cinematic experience that they have come to expect from said artist. Whenever
we head into a dark cinema, we are armed with the preconceived knowledge of
what sort of experience we are going to have, simply by choosing to see a film
because of its genre or director. This then gives us great comfort and satisfaction
when that experience is realised. I had this experience yesterday when I treated
myself to a movie day and went and saw Hayao Miyazaki’s <i>The Boy and the
Heron</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The film follows young Mahito who loses his mother in a
hospital fire and evacuates to the country with his father during the Pacific
War. His father marries his aunt, Natsuko, and while Mahito is distant from the
woman at first, he develops a bond with her as she tells him stories from her
past and protects him from the strange happenings that occur when a grey heron
begins talking to him, promising to reunite him with his mother. When ill
Natsuko disappears into the forest, Mahito goes in search of her and finds
himself transported to another world full of wonder and danger. He and the
heron must work together if they are to find Natsuko and return safely to their
own world. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The Boy and the Heron</i> is a semi-autobiographical,
coming-of-age film that explores complex themes such as redemption, acceptance,
learning to see beyond oneself in the world, and the power/burden of creation.
Mahito’s journey is both physical and emotional, as he begins the film hurt and
full of self-pity, but then grows to see that the world stretches farther than
his own fingertips and his problems are not the greatest of woes, travelling through
a strange world that seems to be in conflict with itself and falling apart. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The animation is another triumph; absolutely beautiful,
mesmerising, and dramatic from the opening scene where we are placed within the
flames of war, to the calm and picturesque Japanese countryside, to the
captivating other-realm where young girls create fire and parakeets march with
blades behind their backs. The animation is what makes Miyazaki’s films and
many from Studio Ghibli so wonderful because, despite the fantastical aspect,
they are truly transportive works of art that gently guide viewers through beautiful
and captivating biomes with light and sound that makes it feel as though you
are actually there, lying in the soft grass feeling the wind place over your face
and listening to the soft burble of a nearby stream. This transportive power is
why I get so excited when I learn there is a new feature coming from Miyazaki,
the experience is always wonderful and I have never been disappointed.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98Q-hGJFXJGXmmaZDaFO5Ato9cB3qPSbPewXn4GOFqkTyS5tZuWD03bYf5SIm4xoZdLIut1SPVDK4eU8uh_ZJ3xISJpUA8iL56JL6O8QKZ116rU52c0VkbiuTGOmc4l7Nqi4jGdq5aX7i9H-SlpMgS5BIa4XfjZPmbEcAr2jLMYnt3D2ftH4rk3JvvF1x/s1600/dexerto.com.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98Q-hGJFXJGXmmaZDaFO5Ato9cB3qPSbPewXn4GOFqkTyS5tZuWD03bYf5SIm4xoZdLIut1SPVDK4eU8uh_ZJ3xISJpUA8iL56JL6O8QKZ116rU52c0VkbiuTGOmc4l7Nqi4jGdq5aX7i9H-SlpMgS5BIa4XfjZPmbEcAr2jLMYnt3D2ftH4rk3JvvF1x/w400-h225/dexerto.com.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: dexerto.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The Boy and the Heron</i> is a stunning piece of cinema
filled with action, adventure, bravery, magic, and wonder. I would certainly recommend
you treat yourself and see it in cinemas. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Hayao Miyazaki, 2023<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Ko Shibasaki, Aimyon,
Yohsino Kimura, Takuya Kimura, Keiko Takeshita, Jun Fubuki, Sawako Agawa, Karen
Takizawa, Shinobu Otake, Jun Kunimura, Kaoru Kobayashi, & Shohei Hino<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Language: Japanese. An English dubbed version is available featuring the voice talents of Christian Bale, Wilem Dafoe, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Mark Hamill, Florence Pugh, & Robert Pattinson</b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-81182598871593068102024-01-06T02:02:00.000-08:002024-01-06T02:02:10.706-08:00Renfield<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyUR8u0ueWtKUQvM1PzqksNBn3-lW5PqUJtH4SAB7ccC2IuTamEwaNi9QhohlANcVboVKWcoUM4kfWS1nu1hq5WV6PRCj-mKF2iGTNEYNNNhP9A-_IvmUJ8gu5yIqNgCnsPi3wpFBU53zQIQgDK4kWuZf73maxQOCxAg3Vivv4iCkNNEOZh4rCyVDv7iy/s1200/dvdreleasedates.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyUR8u0ueWtKUQvM1PzqksNBn3-lW5PqUJtH4SAB7ccC2IuTamEwaNi9QhohlANcVboVKWcoUM4kfWS1nu1hq5WV6PRCj-mKF2iGTNEYNNNhP9A-_IvmUJ8gu5yIqNgCnsPi3wpFBU53zQIQgDK4kWuZf73maxQOCxAg3Vivv4iCkNNEOZh4rCyVDv7iy/w213-h320/dvdreleasedates.com.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: dvdreleasedates.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It was Buffy the Vampire Slayer who famously said to Dracula,
‘don’t you think I watch your movies, you always come back’ and no truer words
have been said when it comes to cinematic appearances from the Prince of Darkness.
Indeed the story of the vampiric Count Dracula and the band of heroes who set
out to destroy him is one of the most retold tales in cinematic history, and we’ve
had a number of piggyback films and character spinoffs that feature many of the
characters: Van Helsing in <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2010/12/van-helsing-m.html" target="_blank">Van Helsing</a>,</i> Mina Harker
in <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2012/03/league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen-m.html" target="_blank">The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen</a></i> for example. But that’s the
heroes, what about the villainous sidekicks?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Enter Nicholas Hoult and Nicholas Cage in a charming and
very funny modern exploration into the timeless characters in Chris McKay’s
spoof comedy, <i>Renfield,</i> which is the first film that Partner and I chose
to ring in the new year with. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) has been the dutiful servant of
Count Dracula (Nicholas Cage) for decades, but has recently begun thinking
about what a life away from the Count could be. Attending support meetings for
people in toxic relationships, initially as a means of getting victims for his
master, Renfield discovers that his and Dracula’s relationship is one of the
most toxic there is and he determines to take back his power and break his
dependency once and for all. But this becomes a little tricky as a zealous cop
starts to follow Renfield’s hunting trail. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The premise of the film alone is very funny, fresh, and just
delightful. A simple and silly modern B-movie that exists to remind us that
movies don’t always have to be serious or artistic masterworks; some people
make them purely for the fun. And that’s what <i>Renfield</i> is, it’s just fun.
The story is sweet and uplifting with the added quirk of the hero being a
celebrated literary villain’s henchman. While there is a fair amount of
violence, it’s not particularly realistic and this plays further into the idea
that this movie was made purely for the fun, achieving a number of grossed out
giggles. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But it’s the performances that make the film so lovely.
Nicholas Hoult is an absolute delight: charming, endearing, and sweet with a
brilliant sense of comedic timing that carries the movie perfectly. Nicholas Cage,
you could tell, was having a ball as Dracula; opting for the grandiose gestures
and dramatic melancholy that many of his vampiric predecessors favoured. Awkwafina,
in a fun twist, brings bite and a bit of seriousness to the otherwise hilarious
cast as the zealous cop with something to prove. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRDu03ncWJwiZMCjR5WDxxkp1Tv9njliRXXqYy4oZy9U2T53ujcxc5_kMQF3X9N8hi2nrYRnx8Sbbpx8rRux6LGnfcraz3PJ5bG6zYoZNdAEhdB1N0m_2jfaRym5ZT9bOK8VKLYpbTm05VSspbG8frE4471XmDc7AvoDwuVTCO-t-GduYp7yEQfNpFAqe/s2000/nme.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="2000" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRDu03ncWJwiZMCjR5WDxxkp1Tv9njliRXXqYy4oZy9U2T53ujcxc5_kMQF3X9N8hi2nrYRnx8Sbbpx8rRux6LGnfcraz3PJ5bG6zYoZNdAEhdB1N0m_2jfaRym5ZT9bOK8VKLYpbTm05VSspbG8frE4471XmDc7AvoDwuVTCO-t-GduYp7yEQfNpFAqe/w400-h255/nme.com.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: nme.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Filled with inspiring messages about self-worth, schlock violence
and ridiculous fight sequences, a clever and fun script, and a cast that were
absolutely having a ball, <i>Renfield</i> is a delightful modern B-movie that’s
perfect for a mindless night in. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Chris McKay, 2023<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Nicholas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben
Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Brandon Scott Jones, Adrian Martinez, James Moses
Black, & Camille Chen<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Accessibility: At time of writing, <i>Renfield</i> is
available on Netflix (AU)<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-72352595702989412442023-12-09T05:56:00.000-08:002023-12-09T05:56:28.957-08:00The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPglpjxgeC469gn0-rUOg4AQ4pgOmJ9JPg5A98iyaZbUfZAqbLqpQqs9zTUYNjZHCuFmNGAf0fDtYfquZjrIFOaVKf9jQ4KemyYX2PhTB0shoEd7ZEzwwGdazECIommcjw_15sn1KJLbHXZ-Ohyy1pwD6OFdTWJia-e38bhCqYQ1Q7mmDngEn7Gg68LpL/s3000/reqzone.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPglpjxgeC469gn0-rUOg4AQ4pgOmJ9JPg5A98iyaZbUfZAqbLqpQqs9zTUYNjZHCuFmNGAf0fDtYfquZjrIFOaVKf9jQ4KemyYX2PhTB0shoEd7ZEzwwGdazECIommcjw_15sn1KJLbHXZ-Ohyy1pwD6OFdTWJia-e38bhCqYQ1Q7mmDngEn7Gg68LpL/s320/reqzone.com.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: reqzone.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />After reviewing <i>Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes</i> this morning
and it being a ridiculously hot day in here Aus, I decided that there was no
better time to finish watching the <i>Hunger Games</i> saga than today. So, I
sat down after lunch and watched all four movies. At least I can say that I’ve
seen them all now…if nothing else.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The rebels living beneath the rubble of District 13 have
successfully extracted Peeta and the other hostages from the Capitol, but the
victory is cut short when Peeta tries to kill Katniss. Brainwashed and broken
into being an assassin, Peeta undergoes procedures to reverse the Capitol’s
manipulation while Katniss makes a plan to sneak into the Capitol and assassinate
President Snow. The war is in full swing and Katniss goes to the front lines to
enact her plan, but as more and more people begin to drop hints not to trust President
Coin, Katniss begins to wonder if she’s not just a pawn in another,
bloody, game. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have been reminded why I lost interest in these movies. As
soon as they switched from dystopian to war movie, I was out. Without the drama
of the arena, the characters all became pretty boring and the larger story of a
reluctant girl becoming the voice of a revolution just doesn’t captivate. <i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>I found nothing about this film interesting
at all, it’s as if everything that it originally had going for it was left to
peter out and all that was left was this uninteresting urban war film with the
no more emotional payoff than a bar of soap. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The performances are all fine, though I felt that they too
had been left to become flat, and by the end of the movie, I was still of the
sound opinion that Katniss Everdeen is one of the most unapproachable and uninteresting
heroines in film and literature. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdEu2psLUZCeppXQEY06FNZrFhUaGWM3SgbQ-2EQzrlRLcMCLkXvpee1NYGgiqJy7nerMjO7gzmTXspCAeFsvXkCeXCs5kKbQKiEBJYpzaeCYG5ZWh-QdcQAhCMH7g_S4nUDWFi61j5c5bTud_y7bsZbfHid3c7il1-kEr0dh_5YUeUlR-00ZHjVsixtl8/s4899/latfusa.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3566" data-original-width="4899" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdEu2psLUZCeppXQEY06FNZrFhUaGWM3SgbQ-2EQzrlRLcMCLkXvpee1NYGgiqJy7nerMjO7gzmTXspCAeFsvXkCeXCs5kKbQKiEBJYpzaeCYG5ZWh-QdcQAhCMH7g_S4nUDWFi61j5c5bTud_y7bsZbfHid3c7il1-kEr0dh_5YUeUlR-00ZHjVsixtl8/s320/latfusa.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: latfusa.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />All this is not to say that <i>Mockingjay Part 2</i> is a
bad film, merely a boring one. It’s got action, drama, and a few plot twists that
made the needle on the pulse machine twitch, but nothing more. I’m glad I can
say I’ve watched them all, but I definitely won’t be revisiting them again. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Francis Lawrence, 2015<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth,
Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Julianne Moore, Willow
Shields, Sam Clafin, Jeffrey Wright, Mahershala Ali, Jena Malone, Stanley Tucci
& Phillip Seymour Hoffman<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-84386799321368588202023-12-08T14:00:00.000-08:002023-12-09T05:03:45.641-08:00Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSbbdu_-uNtTt1AuoABywsQp_MCmInMukmC9sJQXobaWx470mTmzcr2jQRs8wQtGl2Vemg2eYmnOzURHGMJTElqRsTKKEZWRZdoU9t07XUgp306gu1TM1hdVx4lX8jtH_VySQPpqKBnke0j9LHkHOulybRO_B3roaKpgHSb_LB_4uqRoc4cEM_nx_BzgS/s925/wnyposters.com.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="925" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSbbdu_-uNtTt1AuoABywsQp_MCmInMukmC9sJQXobaWx470mTmzcr2jQRs8wQtGl2Vemg2eYmnOzURHGMJTElqRsTKKEZWRZdoU9t07XUgp306gu1TM1hdVx4lX8jtH_VySQPpqKBnke0j9LHkHOulybRO_B3roaKpgHSb_LB_4uqRoc4cEM_nx_BzgS/s320/wnyposters.com.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: wynposters.com</td></tr></tbody></table>So, for a little bit of context: I never actually finished watching
<i>The Hunger Games</i> series. I read the books and then gave up after the
third movie. Not sure why, I guess I just grew out of it. As far as dystopian sagas
go, there are more interesting works out there. But I recently got free tickets
to the new <i>Hunger Games</i> film, <i>Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes</i> and
I thought why not? So, I got a group of friends together and we had ourselves a
little movie night. All in all, it was very enjoyable, and I even rather liked the
film.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Young Coriolanus Snow thinks himself a sure win for the Plinth
Prize, academically outranking the rest of his class despite his poor home
circumstances. But his hopes for the prize money and a better life are thrown
into turmoil when his class his given a new last-minute assignment: mentor a
tribute in the Hunger Games and come up with a way to get the public watching
again. Coriolanus is paired with an outcast songbird from District 12 and as
they work together, he starts to develop feelings for her. But the Capital is
just as harsh a world as the outer districts and Coriolanus quickly learns that
there might not be a way for him to have the life he wants and the love he
wants. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The film is a disturbingly fascinating rise to power story
of Coriolanus Snow, later President Snow; rising from humble beginnings with a
moral and hopeful attitude that gets warped by ambition into power-hungry madness.
Sort of a villain’s origin story, as most villains begin life trying to do what’s
best for those they love and getting scorched in the process. The story is
filled with betrayals, manipulation, and chapters of horrendous physical and
ethical conflict and violence. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Hunger Games have yet to become the great spectacle of Katniss’ time, here there is merely<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>an
empty arena dotted about with rusty pitchforks and axes and the ‘thrill’ of the
game is seeing people commit savage brutality to stay alive. But the Hunger
Games themselves only make up half the film. The remainder fills in the blanks
of how Coriolanus became the heartless and evil person we know from the series.
And there are heaps of terrible trials and betrayals that really leave you
silent and staring. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3KgBPI-0WWl64bQQmNrNl-hND4z23rZbsjY7IXZClVPwGN7REq2wvQP_Uqj3SAs0MjfxxbYLmRpMI1BVZCDk8fqr0OA59BSG6hyxWar9CccW2Dpe_f7EHlLzcKjBs-zE1K_CC-YEsAWIv488llz356DOutWSIBVZNQSPJpAXK1pXpZRe_fmLusRM_S3_/s1280/thathashtagshow.com.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3KgBPI-0WWl64bQQmNrNl-hND4z23rZbsjY7IXZClVPwGN7REq2wvQP_Uqj3SAs0MjfxxbYLmRpMI1BVZCDk8fqr0OA59BSG6hyxWar9CccW2Dpe_f7EHlLzcKjBs-zE1K_CC-YEsAWIv488llz356DOutWSIBVZNQSPJpAXK1pXpZRe_fmLusRM_S3_/w400-h200/thathashtagshow.com.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: thathashtagshow.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The performances are all brilliant, with Tom Blyth very
alarmingly beginning the film a little wooden as the upstanding Capital citizen
and falling into mad and savage frenzy during the third act. His performance in
the second half really comes alive as his circumstance begin to reveal his true
character. Rachel Zegler is instantly admirable and loveable as Lucy Gray
Baird, from the first moment you see her, you’re instantly on her side. But I
was all about Viola Davis as the delightfully twisted Dr. Gaul; she’s the type
of villain you just want more of. <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Hunger Games: Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes</i> is a disturbing
character journey, but a pretty enjoyable film filled with action, violence,
hope, a whole lot of drama. It might even have got me considering revisiting
the series again and finishing it this time… <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Francis Lawrence, 2023<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Fionnula
Flanagan, Viola Davis, Ashley Liao, Josh Andres Rivera, Jason Schwartzman, &
Peter Dinklage<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-64264614763833607392023-11-25T14:25:00.000-08:002023-11-25T14:25:21.422-08:00The Batman<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXuw2zXqDsiA9lBLa0DHzETgv_-7R2NeId-Dq8jywPf5IbDQ9T2FZj75lXyr4At5-pblbJk7kBgWlOaXHT3U_fTLgQKVsml9q87fkgzJR4YfhFOIDbjXjDgHwGa37HWNu84kdpTVQDjLCK8NScJEzhERwKsAX_ZsMJ84Ip-_1z6fYKpOgAs3bSywZydPN/s1186/moviemeter.nl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXuw2zXqDsiA9lBLa0DHzETgv_-7R2NeId-Dq8jywPf5IbDQ9T2FZj75lXyr4At5-pblbJk7kBgWlOaXHT3U_fTLgQKVsml9q87fkgzJR4YfhFOIDbjXjDgHwGa37HWNu84kdpTVQDjLCK8NScJEzhERwKsAX_ZsMJ84Ip-_1z6fYKpOgAs3bSywZydPN/w216-h320/moviemeter.nl.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: moviemeter.nl</td></tr></tbody></table>We know the story of Lazarus; restored to life four days
after his death in a miracle performed by Jesus Christ. The term is constantly
used in scientific and popular culture when discussing a phenomenon that includes
resurrection or restoration. In cinema there are number of characters that are
subjected to the Lazurus treatment, usually superheroes. I woke up thinking
about this this morning because last night I finally got around to watching the
newest escapade in one of cinema’s most favoured resurrectionists: Batman. I’m very late to the party, but I finally bit the bullet and hunkered down for
the two and a half gritty hours that is <i>The Batman</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For two years Batman has been a symbol of fear and vengeance
in Gotham City, but that has not stopped the city from plummeting further into
decay, corruption, and hell on Earth. Thugs rides the subways, a decent day’s
work ends in a mugging, and the rich, selfish, and corrupt are in power. A
serial killer is on the loose, leaving his victims’ bodies riddled with
messages, one of which is always addressed to The Batman. As Batman and Commissioner
Gordon delve deeper into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with this Riddler,
they unearth some very disturbing truths about Gotham; a city that seems so far
beyond hope that the only chance to save it might just be destroying it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I remember this film getting good reviews when it came out
despite the complaint that it was on the long side. That’s really the mark of a
good movie today isn’t it: when you don’t notice the length? And yes, this is
actually a rather good Batman movie. The first thing that was refreshing about
it was the fact that it wasn’t another retelling of Bruce Wayne's childhood
trauma that turned him into a masked vigilante. At this stage I think more
people know the story of Batman better than the alphabet. In this thriller, the
character of Batman is already established and in a very precarious position as
to what he represents. While Robert Pattinson, who delivers a very good performance,
broodily answers the question of ‘who are you’ with ‘I’m vengeance’, the character
goes through a very interesting arc as he’s feared by the petty criminal
masses, hated by the local law enforcement, and inspiring to the neglected and
disturbed who would become killers. The entire film, while narratively being
the hunt for a serial killer, is an identity movie: one in which Batman’s own
values and legacy goes through a centrifuge. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gotham has always been a spectacularly gritty, dirty, and
dank destination. When you think about it, it’s a portrait of a metropolis on the
verge of dystopia. This is why directors such as Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan
have best depicted it in their <i>Batman</i> movies. Director Matt Reeves,
continues with the Nolan-esque filter of dank dim lighting and harsh orange morning
tones. Some pretty excellent action sequences serve to further push this harsh
city closer to the edge with a car chase that doubtless killed at least twenty
people and caused a major pile-up that would put the highway out of action for
months. It’s interesting to think about how the coolest sequences are often the
ones that show the most flagrant disregard for human life, especially in <i>Batman</i>
movies. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Ys1x5yxVMLeoNIJrYf1MucVl-lBOuWO1OhdnDuTHGnU835yBJylqTaORp9SGYD-pdywbvLCiaiTRyyZGRJ8sqzrp8lEoYqzeH2ZF72Gm4r6aC7ey3nduJJvHsWeDjVq2qPNpTH2b1hdyhEpvYBsFQ8GtawI0pZZAUNR5Z7KUhyIZP8um0kjii5PZEwek/s856/mubi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="856" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Ys1x5yxVMLeoNIJrYf1MucVl-lBOuWO1OhdnDuTHGnU835yBJylqTaORp9SGYD-pdywbvLCiaiTRyyZGRJ8sqzrp8lEoYqzeH2ZF72Gm4r6aC7ey3nduJJvHsWeDjVq2qPNpTH2b1hdyhEpvYBsFQ8GtawI0pZZAUNR5Z7KUhyIZP8um0kjii5PZEwek/w400-h225/mubi.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: mubi</td></tr></tbody></table><br />A cross between Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2011/05/silence-of-lambs-ma.html" target="_blank">Silence of the Lambs</a></i>, <i>The Batman</i> is a pretty good addition to the Batman arsenal,
though admittedly I struggled a little bit with it because I personally have
begun to feel disinterested in Batman because there’s so many of them. But in
terms of film, the story is sound, there’s a good array of beloved characters
including Catwoman and the Penguin, and it’s nice to see some familiar faces
resurfacing after a bit of a hiatus; I couldn’t help thinking, ‘what have
Robert Pattison and Paul Dano been up to? Haven’t seen them in a while’. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Matt Reeves, 2022<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Robert Pattinson, Andy Serkis, John Turturro, Zoe
Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Peter Sarsgaard, Jayme Lawson, Paul Dano, and Colin
Farrell<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-299511426050006132023-11-24T16:20:00.000-08:002023-11-24T16:20:51.107-08:00Toys<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZvu4TZHDJX478orWVr0c-sG9vPxbumTvKFAV0iEdmuaRDkYRHK6CGWxy2PrksOFF6FteeqvwEp48l9el_iS6ui3zNdqZbNl4OnX9yndA6s6J6frnakhw3f2Cyajcp9HFZ_ArB45hZbjjUDcuVfXtxUU-TEQAisrZxJ1p3gxxn2NC966rY5S_fkF3PVQY/s1500/theposterdb.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZvu4TZHDJX478orWVr0c-sG9vPxbumTvKFAV0iEdmuaRDkYRHK6CGWxy2PrksOFF6FteeqvwEp48l9el_iS6ui3zNdqZbNl4OnX9yndA6s6J6frnakhw3f2Cyajcp9HFZ_ArB45hZbjjUDcuVfXtxUU-TEQAisrZxJ1p3gxxn2NC966rY5S_fkF3PVQY/s320/theposterdb.com.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: theposterdb.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />There’s something to be said for those oddball films of the ‘90s
that looked like nothing on earth, in which people acted in a very aloof and
bizarre way contrary to reality, and were filled with really intriguing
messages and ideas about the social state of the world and attempted to use the
uncanny to preach them. Here, Thursday nights are movie nights where one of my
best friends and I alternate between hosting and we broaden our cinematic horizons.
This week it was my girl’s choice of cinematic delights and she went with a
film that she’s saved from our old Blockbuster days: <i>Toys</i>.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The film tells the story of an isolated toy factory, that
is really a world in itself, who’s owner is on the verge of death. Unwilling to
bequeath the factory to his son Leslie (Robin Williams) who is still too fanciful
for such responsibility or his daughter Alsatia (Joan Cusak) who is… not right
for the role either, he temporarily hands it over to his brother The General
(Michael Gambon). Very quickly after his death, Leslie and The General begin to
have conflicting views about keeping the joyful spirit of the factory alive, as
The General sets his sights on fixing the country’s military by designing a
range of deadly war toys.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Film critic Roger Ebert was of the opinion that <i>Toys</i>
was visually one of the most delightful film’s he’d ever seen, but narratively
struggled with the amount of social commentary and ethical conflicts it harbours.
I absolutely agree with this. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Visually, the film is wonderful with all costumes and
incredible set pieces all designed and constructed by hand. There is not a
computer graphic trick in sight, aside from the MTV musical video gag. The
oddness and scale of the sets are reminiscent of <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2010/09/beetlejuice-m.html" target="_blank">Beetlejuice</a> </i>or <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2011/03/willy-wonka-and-chocolate-factory-g.html" target="_blank">Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory</a></i>, with
enormous doll heads and elephants dispensing various toy parts to the assembly
lines, huge architectural oddities sitting in the rolling green fields of
nowhere, and a beautiful model New York that serves as the battleground for the
film’s climactic third act. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Narratively, there is a lot happening in this movie. So much
so that the messages get intermingled, lose steam, and end up leaving the
audience with a bit of a deflated feeling as none of the moral messages are
ever really tied up. The film is a social commentary on a number of things, expressing
the opinion that these points of society are becoming warped, tainted, and
corrupted. We’ve got conflicting depictions of management-worker relationships,
decaying compassion in familial ties, and an exploitation of children and
childlike naivete. A pretty intense good toy vs bad toy land battle very nicely
depicts the brutality of war and paints a very disturbing picture of The
General’s plans to save the country’s declining military efficiency by tricking
children into becoming soldiers by giving them literal toy weapons of mass
destruction. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MePl6MD11SdiLTZ1t6wvyUhwHq-wtlV2yFjGP5A4m-2kZ6mnwvfzDihsI1WR5ymp-Lpmr596C745CVcQxjAbbSE1kn_RLBN3_I4FhGfB0nGWEQJVskMvJKYubmpW7zsTELkd7jSwy91fZUkjIGASHfIzT6RHk_MYe0Uht0m59SmX5SxtkCnKlB2I_peJ/s780/onionplay.co.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="780" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MePl6MD11SdiLTZ1t6wvyUhwHq-wtlV2yFjGP5A4m-2kZ6mnwvfzDihsI1WR5ymp-Lpmr596C745CVcQxjAbbSE1kn_RLBN3_I4FhGfB0nGWEQJVskMvJKYubmpW7zsTELkd7jSwy91fZUkjIGASHfIzT6RHk_MYe0Uht0m59SmX5SxtkCnKlB2I_peJ/w400-h225/onionplay.co.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: onionplay.co</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Toys</i> is not a bad movie. It’s merely a confused and
ambitious movie. A bright Candyland feast for the eyes that deals zero
emotional nourishment, just an empty feeling at the end. Like biting into a bar
of amazing-smelling soap and then just tasting…well soap. The performances are
all delightfully weird and whacky, and there is a lot to be said for what the
movie is trying to do. It just doesn’t quite get there. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Barry Levinson, 1992<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Robin Williams, Joan Cusack, Michael Gambo, Robin Wright,
LL Cool J, Arthur Malet, Jack Warden, Jamie Foxx, Debi Mazar & Donald O’Conner.
<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-54887393214346136882023-11-13T23:34:00.000-08:002023-11-13T23:34:56.479-08:00The Marvels<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MkAfmzeAMP7vrjsNXY0Xi5dfznBApk5S_SmoZiXN-xWSoBz40HbpoWZs7kC0zfXWbX_TDut5XQclGTcbY5N0xVHPaXIFHRURbx4uIznHY-6Jftvv3VZPg8kkUhivg-9vyzRfHcj28T-dZO1h7GWjz9l4T1jPCFvRkzD5UFpwLRrlf4RWaEbY-uEyl6Ad/s690/letterboxd.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="460" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MkAfmzeAMP7vrjsNXY0Xi5dfznBApk5S_SmoZiXN-xWSoBz40HbpoWZs7kC0zfXWbX_TDut5XQclGTcbY5N0xVHPaXIFHRURbx4uIznHY-6Jftvv3VZPg8kkUhivg-9vyzRfHcj28T-dZO1h7GWjz9l4T1jPCFvRkzD5UFpwLRrlf4RWaEbY-uEyl6Ad/w213-h320/letterboxd.com.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: letterboxd.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It’s really nice to have those moments in one’s life of
cinematic appreciation where one’s enjoyment of a franchise is pulled back from
the precipice and put back on the safe path of enjoyment. Having both started
to suffer from MCU fatigue with the last couple of films, partner and I treated
ourselves to a little date night on Friday night and watched Marvel’s latest
cinematic instalment: <i>The Marvels</i>. And we absolutely loved it!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whilst investigating a strange cosmic interference, Carol
Danvers’ powers become entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau,
forcing the three of them to work together in order to save various worlds from
having their resources stolen to rebuild the Kree home world of Hala. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The Marvels</i> recaptures that fun and quirky vibe of
some the more supporting Avenger movies in the later part of that saga. You know,
before that vibe became so micromanaged that it no longer felt authentic. I
think this comes from the great cast, the reduced runtime, and the succinct way
that everything is timed to satisfaction. The film has this wonderfully nonchalant
sense of humour, nothing in the script comes across as forced or trying too
hard to get the laughs, and that’s what makes it so enjoyable to watch. Indeed some
of the film’s more hilarious sequences are done so simply and the punchline is
so obvious that you can’t help but feel warmed and happy watching it play out.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The central cast are great together, bouncing off each other’s
emotional journeys and personalities really well. Brie Larson as a Carol Danvers
that is trying to be a leader and role model, while simultaneously taking most
confrontations head-on to avoid the emotional backlash of plans going potentially
sour is really wonderful to watch, as you can tell that there is so much stuff
happening internally, yet she keeps this nonchalant veneer up all the time. To
then see her come around is beautiful. Iman Vellani plays the excited fangirl
perfectly, providing much of the film’s comedy, but also most of its more
heartwarming moments. And then Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeu is level-headed,
calculating, and the voice of reason trying to find the balance and cohesion
between Danvers’ emotional blocking and Khan’s emotional sharing. The three of
them together are fantastic. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtosP9gdxVo6WFTHo4ubQ4OmTzp3NnCzVwa1ExThgEi5HVYoH1a-OBRMeDrkpEs_1pTg-dtDUQpXJm32bWlPka8GdHU8Byni9C4vDyJaBrZSLHBaAG3E6RMZOehZAkxfe6gvzMfmelvWlxqzn7tI7WEykVF4eL9Sr0iASNJhD675JREhgPZWkwfnwPAsCE/s474/kincir.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="474" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtosP9gdxVo6WFTHo4ubQ4OmTzp3NnCzVwa1ExThgEi5HVYoH1a-OBRMeDrkpEs_1pTg-dtDUQpXJm32bWlPka8GdHU8Byni9C4vDyJaBrZSLHBaAG3E6RMZOehZAkxfe6gvzMfmelvWlxqzn7tI7WEykVF4eL9Sr0iASNJhD675JREhgPZWkwfnwPAsCE/w400-h225/kincir.com.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: kincir.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Then there are the ever-awesome achievements of the costume
designers, artists, set designers, and computer wizards. We get to see some very
cool and exciting fight scenes as well as vibrant and fairytale-esque cultures
on other planets, and some tantalising stingers that confirm the imminent
arrival of another group of beloved Marvel characters as well as the bud of a
new ‘team’ tying in with the TV series on Disney+.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The Marvels</i> is a really fun film that managed to pull
me out of the Marvel slump and remind me why I grew to love all these films in
the first place. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Nia DaCosta, 2023<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe
Ashton, Park Seo-joon, Mohan Kapur, Zenobia Shroff, Saagar Shaikh, Leila
Farzad, Abraham Papoola, Gary Lewis & Samuel L. Jackson<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-58122200397647035582023-11-04T21:37:00.004-07:002023-11-04T21:37:58.895-07:00Disenchanted<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0EpIBBZJvNaZezNeEqNnybxp3Sc0KIymd5rsAsDvD_7Kcy_LP6yQPGC8j8uZEZr32JyrcYZArf8zzZHaohvf50LuPYn60xhOS4MT4_iGOfpLiaE8HIakbYZLLBOFL7Jmel1ldAMNg48NSAgu4BJXYQ1j3eDtg2gTEkGgr6msjymPF0I6SZyGHbjPQPDa/s702/paperwriter.ca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0EpIBBZJvNaZezNeEqNnybxp3Sc0KIymd5rsAsDvD_7Kcy_LP6yQPGC8j8uZEZr32JyrcYZArf8zzZHaohvf50LuPYn60xhOS4MT4_iGOfpLiaE8HIakbYZLLBOFL7Jmel1ldAMNg48NSAgu4BJXYQ1j3eDtg2gTEkGgr6msjymPF0I6SZyGHbjPQPDa/w216-h320/paperwriter.ca.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: paperwriter.ca</td></tr></tbody></table><br />There is always a risk with sequels. More often than not they
are never as good as their predecessors, especially if those predecessors take
the world by storm, as Disney’s <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/search?q=enchanted" target="_blank">Enchanted</a></i> did. Remember that saccharinely
sweet, absolutely over-the-top production that launched Amy Adams into the stratosphere
and had us all singing? Admittedly the film is not all that amazing in hindsight, but what
made it so huge was the clever way in which it played to that romantic part of
us that really adores the idea of love at first sight and happily ever afters. When
I discovered that there was a sequel, I didn’t know how to feel about it. How
do you write another story when the lovers kiss and ride into the sunset that
signals The End?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Giselle has had her happily ever after for a while. She has
found her true love, gained a daughter, and even brought a new addition to the
family. But when stress of parenthood and being stepmother to a teenager begin
to wear her down, she wonders if there are new happily ever afters out there.
So she and Robert decide to move to suburbia. Upon moving to Monroeville, the family
is visited by King Edward and Queen Nancy of Andalasia, who bring with them a
magic wishing wand for their baby goddaughter Sofia. After a fight with Morgan,
Giselle uses the wand and makes a wish that turns Monroeville into a fairytale
village complete with an evil queen. But her wish takes a turn when she starts
to adopt behaviours befitting a wicked stepmother. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This movie was really surprising. As a sequel, it’s actually
really good. All of the original cast reprise their roles and it has that same
over-the-top, fairytale splendour that so violently coloured the original. The
story is a lot more complex, as it explores the intricacies of changing
identities, growing up, and the dynamic social roles in both the family and
community. The driving force for all the characters is trying to adapt to a world
that is getting older with them and mourning the loss of better days. Morgan is
going through adolescence, Robert is close to hitting a mid-life crisis, and
Giselle struggles to find happiness in a world where there is no magic. It’s
actually hard to verbalise all the stuff that is going on.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdE5rC6rwZz7Bb4WUBQzwwxO3U-mVr_gz_GG3m13J3vmk0dCOjArEusz-LnvPQJczPhJjgOb52en6dxhWYMauaqj4CLE2WjP2MpIOyaXCmdKrON5bZPuVtJ4eAdKQhDvlbtqz3UtBHCxFDnggd4Zx_EMkJK4jZggO3BBTAIPZ6l5FcHQntFG47c7-EF72/s1200/movieweb.com.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdE5rC6rwZz7Bb4WUBQzwwxO3U-mVr_gz_GG3m13J3vmk0dCOjArEusz-LnvPQJczPhJjgOb52en6dxhWYMauaqj4CLE2WjP2MpIOyaXCmdKrON5bZPuVtJ4eAdKQhDvlbtqz3UtBHCxFDnggd4Zx_EMkJK4jZggO3BBTAIPZ6l5FcHQntFG47c7-EF72/w400-h210/movieweb.com.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image credit: movieweb.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The performances are all great and the soundtrack features
some bangers that will absolutely be making it into my Favourite Musicals
playlist. And every visual aspect of this movie is absolutely gorgeous from the
costumes, to the set design, to the choreography, and the computer wizardry that
sees some truly amazing scenes. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ll admit that I was sceptical and not sure about it for the
first half, but the film turned itself around and became something that I
really enjoyed and was surprised by. If you liked <i>Enchanted</i>, then I think
you’ll enjoy <i>Disenchanted</i>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Adam Shankman, 2022<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Maya Rudolph, Gabriella
Baldacchino, Idina Menzel, Jayma Mays, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alan Tudyk &
James Marsden<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-34027822560248014452023-10-06T15:39:00.000-07:002023-10-06T15:39:48.836-07:00The Meg 2: the Trench<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaXMFW_e1Y_6tDFhpxS7ixiAyC_YQutn0kdB-Nsy-BOf7uIRefJeWgHySeDv_52_ewop6TejeKtDi2PPykpFo-7LKSXq2KYZ1X1bjCNlIfgiq9rKwrEM3_hsRFoeOZyonUMyTyOmePpryM4AGeKHslevIAwbFpv-xXgTPVpAYyYPIaUVyjp6b1pMBsrXz/s1482/newreleasedates.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaXMFW_e1Y_6tDFhpxS7ixiAyC_YQutn0kdB-Nsy-BOf7uIRefJeWgHySeDv_52_ewop6TejeKtDi2PPykpFo-7LKSXq2KYZ1X1bjCNlIfgiq9rKwrEM3_hsRFoeOZyonUMyTyOmePpryM4AGeKHslevIAwbFpv-xXgTPVpAYyYPIaUVyjp6b1pMBsrXz/w216-h320/newreleasedates.com.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: newreleasedates.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Sometimes you watch a film and you have to stop and ask
yourself, ‘why did they bother making this?’ Partner and I really enjoyed <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-meg.html" target="_blank">The Meg</a></i> when it came out. It was another dumb shark movie that didn’t take
itself too seriously because it was another dumb shark movie. And this type of
meaningless enjoyment of a dumb movie prompted a group of people with money to
say, ‘hey this did kind of ok, let’s make another one.’ Yep, you guessed it,
over the long weekend here in Aus, partner and I cosied up in bed, despite the
unseasonable Springtime heat of a 30+ degree day and watched<i> Meg 2: The
Trench</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The film follows environmental warrior Jonas Taylor (Jason
Stathan) and a team of researchers that have come up with the technology to
travel to the uncharted depths of the ocean. Upon their maiden voyage, all hell
breaks looks when they discover a malevolent mining facility that is being run
by one of their own partners. As the team tries desperately to get back to the
surface, an explosion tears a whole in the protective barrier of the crushing
depths and a few megs as well as a kraken break free to terrorise the nearest
source of food: an island resort. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There was absolutely zero point to this movie. I don’t have
anything good to say about it. The story itself, if you can even call it that,
doesn’t even focus on the monsters as the villains or source of drama. These
three ludicrously ginormous sharks and a kraken, a bloody <i>kraken</i>, are a
mere side effect of the real villain’s plan, which is to make a load of money. I
would not be surprised that everyone working on the film read through the
script once and immediately regretted agreeing to work on it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oh, and did I mention there are dinosaurs now? Yeah,
evolution is thrown out the window and these little dinosaurs that feature at
the film’s beginning, set 65 million years ago, pop up again in a new
environment completely unchanged. This has to be one of the laziest and disinterested
scripts in the history of cinema. Clearly the deadline was creeping forward and
the writers had a week to start and finish the whole thing. “Jurassic World is
doing ok, we need dinosaurs.” “Ooh, what was that giant octopus monster in
Pirates 2? Yeah let’s put one of those in.” “Capitalism’s the real enemy right,
that’s why we’re ruining the planet.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfbwMbqq7nnHWXW4UuDgXnXwF2Tlw7sx3AyB38vxEzJ1VDNEHebkH_kFMusqj41g8PVWCM5SkyATFtSItpKvCQDOAGYxZvo8nr0NfluILaKbY095n_m4CXyHAZL41mCI2bOVXhOK2KvHpDMaNWGsHPmOIcNaYzpyvzdEGakM6mUMLsTvpJIzYPZEzK0pT6/s681/oltnews.com.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="681" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfbwMbqq7nnHWXW4UuDgXnXwF2Tlw7sx3AyB38vxEzJ1VDNEHebkH_kFMusqj41g8PVWCM5SkyATFtSItpKvCQDOAGYxZvo8nr0NfluILaKbY095n_m4CXyHAZL41mCI2bOVXhOK2KvHpDMaNWGsHPmOIcNaYzpyvzdEGakM6mUMLsTvpJIzYPZEzK0pT6/w400-h225/oltnews.com.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: oltnews. com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I’ll tip my imaginary hat to the actors for trying to inject
some feeling into this steaming heap of garbage. The performances are all fine,
in fact I would say they are the only thing that kept partner and myself
watching seeing as there’s no clever camera techniques or special effects
wizardry, or artistic design that didn’t make us yawn or groan. But I will
admit that we didn’t immediately guess who the saboteur was. So there was either
some semi-clever misdirection or they literally came up with a villain a scene
before they’re meant to show up.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stick with the dumb fun of the first movie. Do not bother
with <i>The Meg 2: The Trench</i>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Ben Wheatley, 2023<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Jason Statham, Jing Wu, Shuya Sophia Cai, Cliff Curtis,
Page Kennedy, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Skyler Samuels, Melissanthi Mahut, Whoopie
Van Raam, Kiran Sonia Sawar, Felix Mayer & Sienna Guillory. <o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-4525619781658453182023-08-26T03:09:00.002-07:002023-08-26T03:09:51.165-07:00Last Voyage of the Demeter<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxLJjmWg2cwHqxwvGgwAx1XRYhgLLM11Sj1uABJNUxal9QWBCV0_ioHcr2bat9dRLbe7vihNVccCx2XtFjD9h52INn-_QIT0sPYw1VNvbqJCX3qEVyca8ul_N72un5lzC96CBRTWhuUy4d4dL_NIlD52KstgiYIh27bcqGHconLWdYpRukQ8Vw3OiIcAV/s1710/thathashtagshow.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1710" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxLJjmWg2cwHqxwvGgwAx1XRYhgLLM11Sj1uABJNUxal9QWBCV0_ioHcr2bat9dRLbe7vihNVccCx2XtFjD9h52INn-_QIT0sPYw1VNvbqJCX3qEVyca8ul_N72un5lzC96CBRTWhuUy4d4dL_NIlD52KstgiYIh27bcqGHconLWdYpRukQ8Vw3OiIcAV/s320/thathashtagshow.com.jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: thathashtagshow.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It’s a common argument and complaint right now that
mainstream Hollywood and the big studios in general are plying audiences with
too many reboots, and remakes, and piggyback films, etc. I agree with this;
when you think of the wealth of original content that there is spanning human
history why would you gamble in making another <i>Indiana Jones </i>or <i>Pirates
of the Caribbean</i>? What percentage of literature is unfilmable, how much is
horded by those who own the rights, and how much of it just scares the studio
heads? This thought is in my head right now because I've just come back from seeing
a very good film based on a tiny portion of Bram Stoker's, <i>Dracula</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Last Voyage of the Demeter</i> chronicles the journey of
the most celebrated monster from Transylvania to England. The crew of the
Demeter are a motley bunch, but staunch and hearty, bound for England with the
promise of a nice bonus if they get there in record time. Their cargo is a
bunch of crates. When a storm upturns one of the crates, a sickly woman is
discovered and while the Doctor nurses her back to health, men start
disappearing during the night watch. Fear and superstition runs rampant as
glimpses of a strange creature are seen and one by one, the screw succumb to
gruesome deaths. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The voyage of the Demeter in Stoker’s gothic classic is a
very small portion of the book, nothing more a chapter and written as the
captain’s log. The little substory certainly lends itself to cinematic
interpretation and while it can be argued that Dracula movies have been done
time and time again, this film manages to be original and a good example of all
the tiny golden nuggets that are hidden in humanity’s wealth of literature and content.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The story we all know and we go into the film fully aware of
what’s going to transpire within the next 2 hours. What the film does is create
a cast of fleshed out and realised characters that get stories of their own
before being eaten. From the stoic captain, to the religious cook, to the
doctor who wants nothing more than to understand why the world works the way
that it does, the crew of the Demeter become tangible characters and not just a
number in the pages of this classic novel. While there is only so much you can
do to bring a nameless pawn or henchman to life, the film manages to depict a
compelling tale of a doomed crew that are forced to re-evaluate everything they
believe in. The performances are all wonderful, everyone in every scene added
depth and dimension to, what I remind you, is not much more than a single
chapter in a book.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9inHWtFzIqutIlsWuVQty7x1SyA8gAk-NzzNfjlG1PhtvVNeA-aI-71EE5Q7P1CUpsvnXrFvrNf7doDmsQHpfh65PrQNpHERS6cdEUfwpUov-gOPHG8I7XzwthcqnXDScaNL39LsuoLOZd6Y7Om-mQ95I8VcwReo9uaLboYLac7Qg9O87VDhD9o6ee7WG/s840/screenrealm.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="840" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9inHWtFzIqutIlsWuVQty7x1SyA8gAk-NzzNfjlG1PhtvVNeA-aI-71EE5Q7P1CUpsvnXrFvrNf7doDmsQHpfh65PrQNpHERS6cdEUfwpUov-gOPHG8I7XzwthcqnXDScaNL39LsuoLOZd6Y7Om-mQ95I8VcwReo9uaLboYLac7Qg9O87VDhD9o6ee7WG/w320-h214/screenrealm.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: screenrealm.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The suspense and horror aspect of the film is achieved
through an <i>Alien</i> style stalker use of the camera, very slow-moving
shots, and stylistic closeups of the violence and gore. And then we have the villain
himself. As it would be interesting but laughable to have Dracula as the captivating
and charming, Gary Oldman style nobleman, the monster design returns to the
classic horror of the 1920s with a <i>Nosferatu</i> monster with pointed ears,
sharp talons, and spidery limbs. What I particularly enjoyed is the
transformation that Dracula goes through on the voyage. Beginning the series of
slaughters as weak, scrawny and feeble, he gains strength, shape, and even
speech the more he feeds; finally regaining some semblance of a man by the film’s
end. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While it’s not the greatest horror movie ever to slash its
way onto a movie screen, <i>Last Voyage
of the Demeter</i> is a fresh and creative depiction of a classic, playing on
the tropes of the genre while also fleshing out a part of the novel that hardly
ever gets remembered. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Andre Ovredal, 2023<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Corey Hawkins, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian,
Chris Walley, Jon Jon Briones, Stefan Kapicic, Woody Norman, Martin Furuland
& Aisling Franciosi<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-38238310952391372052023-08-25T17:16:00.000-07:002023-08-25T17:16:55.104-07:00Spider-Man: No Way Home<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUds2w_Lhkg3RIKYs24bq-bJVfAlAYwI4K2NDtzYqWYZrmVrqubPoCADLrwEw-KjHCaApUp6jjkcTzYij2j4FZOm1jj-wUCO5YH3IDVvMz3BPEhC4uhzvaezTVuVZ58yCGBJw02j1a_nrWU_qJNiOa9mVkbWy-jWb1YGx6k1oz6OT6qPZ4-4zAo_Heh7DG/s1350/axcinemas.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUds2w_Lhkg3RIKYs24bq-bJVfAlAYwI4K2NDtzYqWYZrmVrqubPoCADLrwEw-KjHCaApUp6jjkcTzYij2j4FZOm1jj-wUCO5YH3IDVvMz3BPEhC4uhzvaezTVuVZ58yCGBJw02j1a_nrWU_qJNiOa9mVkbWy-jWb1YGx6k1oz6OT6qPZ4-4zAo_Heh7DG/w213-h320/axcinemas.com.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: axcinemas.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I don’t know how this happened, but somehow it appears that
I missed out on reviewing this movie after I went and saw it in cinemas. While
that oversight is strange and disappointing, the silver lining is that I can
review it now having actually sat down and watched it a second time. While I am
a collector of movies and there are many that I go back and revisit, I have
found that in the last several years, there are few films that I’ll watch at
the cinemas, buy the DVD or Bluray, and then sit down and watch again. One of
the few films that I have revisited within this period has been <i>Spider-Man:
No Way Home</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After Mysterio’s final stab of outing him as Spider-Man,
Peter Parker turns to Doctor Strange for help. But disaster strikes as Peter
attempts to rewrite the spell too many times and ends up creating a tear in the
multiverse. Suddenly there are a handful of strange villains appearing out of
nowhere and attacking Peter and his friends. While he’s never seen them before,
they certainly seem to know him, or at least Spider-man, and soon it becomes
apparent that not only is his city and friends in danger from these guys, but
the whole multiverse. With great power comes great responsibility, and as Peter
battles and plans how best to save multiples worlds, he learns what it really
means to be Spider-Man. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the truly most emotionally moving stories about
coming of age and finding one’s identity, <i>Spiderman: No Way Home</i> is a
fantastic film that gently yet solidly allows audiences to come to grips with
the multiverse, a confusing concept that has already been established within
the franchise, but only really fleetingly and still rather vaguely. Translated by
an insanely smart teenager, the whole thing becomes a lot less intimidating
and this movie does a fantastic job of exploring the idea of the multiverse
while having fun at the same time. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The story is emotionally gripping and heartbreaking while
the action is captivating and memorable and there are fabulous pops of that
classic comedy peppered throughout that gives this film its fun and rollicking
edge. But the best, the absolute best, part about this movie is the appearance –
or rather reappearance- of characters and their actors from the other <i>Spider-Man</i>
movies. Our favourite villains are back on the screen with Jamie Foxx, Alfred
Molina, and Willem Dafoe stealing every scene they’re in while Toby Maguire and
Andrew Garfield are swinging about and providing a lot of humour about the
problems of being a slightly more mature superhero. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lQ4OCSVuQ6JkIHFb9lAW0MWII5CF-DCcklvJcRlYUg6P0RoQXkyvj0EiAUQo-OkLga8bqgEpeZZKdSC9E_-WQWxSXk_7ZSwrD5IxjTtB2btRdI_OBf7uE_pTMg3SBUUvFfyjSSHK-SWyg8rJreJ4O0tYB_a1NZfx_F_uDOUpUGmRbZ3YhyZO0VLyYdCa/s1280/spidermannowayhome.movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1280" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lQ4OCSVuQ6JkIHFb9lAW0MWII5CF-DCcklvJcRlYUg6P0RoQXkyvj0EiAUQo-OkLga8bqgEpeZZKdSC9E_-WQWxSXk_7ZSwrD5IxjTtB2btRdI_OBf7uE_pTMg3SBUUvFfyjSSHK-SWyg8rJreJ4O0tYB_a1NZfx_F_uDOUpUGmRbZ3YhyZO0VLyYdCa/w400-h250/spidermannowayhome.movie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: spidermannowayhome.movie</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Considering that there is a lot happening in this movie, it’s
perfectly balanced and an absolute romp from beginning to end, with a beautifully
handled scene of signature Spider-Man drama and realisation in the middle.
Hands down, one of my favourite movies in the post-Avengers wave of Marvel films!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Jon Watts, 2021<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Benedict Cumberbatch,
Jon Favreau, Benedict Wong, Jamie Foxx, Aldred Molina, Willen Dafoe, Marisa
Tomei, Andrew Garfield, & Toby Maguire.<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-4399148546565902792023-08-25T16:14:00.001-07:002023-08-25T17:17:48.108-07:00Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXezOXYAA5LG57aldcJ0-VDQS_u361duPP_aiEpJct4069ozu3pMhvtucliviHhFoSyCTkvj_-efSYwATgRcUkKAcNSRx2Nd_7JgDQMAAkE6Ff2g_282W-VzGopiCmILCyELdgY23Mets89w6sY22D0p7Aq8LnuKEXK95SUv3hEH-nzU--Z-nx_suatO_/s701/newdvdreleasedates.com.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXezOXYAA5LG57aldcJ0-VDQS_u361duPP_aiEpJct4069ozu3pMhvtucliviHhFoSyCTkvj_-efSYwATgRcUkKAcNSRx2Nd_7JgDQMAAkE6Ff2g_282W-VzGopiCmILCyELdgY23Mets89w6sY22D0p7Aq8LnuKEXK95SUv3hEH-nzU--Z-nx_suatO_/s320/newdvdreleasedates.com.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: newdvdreleasedates.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It’s a sad, yet somewhat liberating feeling that comes with the
realisation that the highest point of a phenomena that you love has passed.
That the doors are about to close, that the next instalment won’t be nearly as
good as the one before. I’ve been experiencing this sort of cinematic
melancholia in regards to the Marvel movies. With the exceptions of <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2021/11/shang-chi-and-legend-of-ten-rings.html" target="_blank">Shang-Chi</a>,
<a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2022/05/doctor-strange-in-multiverse-of-madness.html" target="_blank">Multiverse of Madness</a>, <a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2023/08/spider-man-no-way-home.html" target="_blank">No Way Home</a>,</i> and <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2023/03/ant-man-and-wasp-quantumania.html" target="_blank">Quantumania</a></i> practically all of
the latest films have left me with a feeling of ‘eh’ at the end, replacing what
was previously excitement and stimulation. My conclusion that – at least for
me- the high-flying time of the Marvel films has passed has been cemented by
the last instalment I sat down and watched: <i>Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3</i>.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When a strange assassin attacks the Guardians and leaves
Rocket in a critical condition, Peter, Mantis, Drax, and Nebula determine to go
on a rescue mission and find the passcode that is the only thing that can save
Rocket’s life. Doing so means delving into Rocket’s past and going up against The
High Evolutionary, a deluded being with a god complex who’s mission is to
create the perfect race of beings. To make matters a little more difficult, the
Guardians enlist the help of the Ravagers which includes Peter’s lost love,
Gamora. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve loved every part of the great Marvel ride that has
featured the Guardians, so I was really looking forward to this one. Perhaps
this is what made the disillusionment all the more pronounced at the end, but
hey that’s how emotions work. Half told in flashback and half-chronicling the
present narrative, the film centres on Rocket’s story and really is a haphazard
baton-pass in the Guardians story. The parts that tell Rocket’s backstory are
by far the more engaging of the two narratives, filled with a lot of emotional
shaping and really sweet characters. While the central rescue story is sturdy,
but lacks the fun of the other two films. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A little like the last Disney movie I saw, which was <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-little-mermaid.html" target="_blank">The Little Mermaid</a></i>, it felt like everyone was phoning it in with this one. That
fresh and fantastic flare that captured audiences with the first film has faded
completely, Quill’s character feels distant and uncertain (arguably that is the
point considering the ending, and by extension of this argument Pratt does a
very good job), and there’s a strange either tension or communal lack of enthusiasm
that colours everything here. Special recognition has to be awarded to Chukwudi
Iwuji who plays the villain. Maybe he sensed the same lacklustre infecting
everything that I did and bless him, he tried to add flavour and spice to the
mix with his performance. It’s a shame that this villain wasn’t more interesting,
but I really do applaud Iwuji for giving it his damnedest. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhcxF0bQOHgHDtHvg1ObQWPgdUunt_0RgqhAfy2IQYROeGXchNWAMfiUl0ONnJqYM2AyzNrRXmFyvZ5AcFc4STSedNJJY5uMq6XWD9x4sWIrStXTYOxTyPrc1TxDJAkfd887brWJ_Rfc9Q8UA4tZHUEG6u8LjiBoErPjYjx4ptVB-ek2NLI9gVdzgk9DcS/s980/radiotimes.com.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="980" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhcxF0bQOHgHDtHvg1ObQWPgdUunt_0RgqhAfy2IQYROeGXchNWAMfiUl0ONnJqYM2AyzNrRXmFyvZ5AcFc4STSedNJJY5uMq6XWD9x4sWIrStXTYOxTyPrc1TxDJAkfd887brWJ_Rfc9Q8UA4tZHUEG6u8LjiBoErPjYjx4ptVB-ek2NLI9gVdzgk9DcS/w400-h268/radiotimes.com.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Radiotimes.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />While I am still invested in this cinematic universe, it can’t
be denied that this interconnected cinematic and televisual work is one of the
most interesting recent movements in the artform, <i>Guardians 3</i> has really
hit home that feeling of burn-out that comes with oversaturation. But despite
this, I still did enjoy this movie just fine. It does still hold good action
scenes, enjoyable banter and meaningful dialogue between the characters, and a
fun soundtrack. It’s not a terrible film, it’s just a delicious fruit that’s a
bit past its prime. <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: James Gun, 2023<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Dave
Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Chukwudi Iwuji, Sean
Gunn, Will Poulter, Linda Cardellini, & Sylvester Stallone<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-15745247766026536992023-08-19T16:51:00.000-07:002023-08-19T16:51:10.760-07:00Asteroid City<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mpKiDbAIManWHxkBI97ZjrrpgUcrhSvcYSlpBY7b05hXFGegY5TDMciKnq0SzpybQSmRDxs_hwNwzHkqsIDupDnnDTXSFnxjdC_V0UbvrGuG1c8yGCFyVziRJpw4LPdlME1qEiIiMez_dvWwK8mUlt_XYxKxdevjl5sqBi6DgxTnttZCN_bCqWRd_JL6/s800/syfy.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mpKiDbAIManWHxkBI97ZjrrpgUcrhSvcYSlpBY7b05hXFGegY5TDMciKnq0SzpybQSmRDxs_hwNwzHkqsIDupDnnDTXSFnxjdC_V0UbvrGuG1c8yGCFyVziRJpw4LPdlME1qEiIiMez_dvWwK8mUlt_XYxKxdevjl5sqBi6DgxTnttZCN_bCqWRd_JL6/w256-h320/syfy.com.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Syfy.com</td></tr></tbody></table>Yesterday felt like the perfect day to do something that I
haven’t done in a very long time: take myself to the movies. The movie of choice:
Wes Anderson’s latest, <i>Asteroid City</i>. It’s funny, with my zeal for
movies somewhat dimmed by the pandemic and life in general, I hadn’t thought
about Wes Anderson for quite some time, nor had I really kept up with his cinematic
endeavours. I was reminded how much I used to enjoy his films the other night –
Movie Night, a weekly event with one of my best friends – when we watched <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2013/01/moonrise-kingdom-pg.html" target="_blank">Moonrise Kingdom</a></i>, quite possibly my favourite Anderson film. So after a dentist appointment
yesterday, I figured why not treat myself?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Asteroid City</i>, so named for the town it’s set in that
holds a meteorite that fell to earth, tells the story of a group of parents and
intensely smart children who travel to the tiny desert town to accept awards
for their contributions to science. What was meant to be a short stopover,
turns into a weeklong stop when the awards ceremony is interrupted with the arrival
of an alien. Unsure how to process this encounter of the third kind, the government
puts the town under quarantine. And while the adults try to make sense of their
own inner turmoils, their kids are coming up with a plan to share their
encounter (and military imprisonment) with the rest of the country. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In a fun turn of metafiction, the film is actually a play
that is being put on and we the audience are being taken on a behind-the-scenes
walkthrough of the process. Broken into acts and scenes, the behind-the-scenes
part is shot in black and white while the movie (or play) is in technicolour.
Anderson pays homage to the camp westerns of the 1950s with a backdrop that is very
obviously cardboard, sparse sets, and over-zealous lighting. This gives the
film that fun and quirky Anderson vibe that his devoted cinephiles love. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like <i>Moonrise Kingdom</i> and <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2019/04/isle-of-dogs.html" target="_blank">Isle of Dogs</a></i>, <i>Asteroid
City</i> tells a simple story that is divided into two parties: the kids and
the adults. The adults spend the film trying to make sense of their own lives
and characters, questioning their own actions and motives, while the kids are
more concerned with the awesome phenomena that they’ve just witnessed. While
the young kids celebrate the idea that we are not alone in the universe, the
young adults determine to use their intelligence to share the story and point out
the ineptitude of the grownups.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvnJQwbULvgHvM06OUB2Og7vkqO6TfZq7P-TkFGrPPHRLGZ0XooKbKHiTBk7vqubt6X_z66C7zBMGEpCrHAfjs-acoQpSoijEDtqh-nqO4QhUgCgVRlgFme97BW8fL4CdWN3FLQowGqL6Z5RntJuGdHU_xmaIdzwC2hoEZOn6xR4HdwjXK4PTufO196ot/s1500/frewsalima.blogspot.com.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1500" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvnJQwbULvgHvM06OUB2Og7vkqO6TfZq7P-TkFGrPPHRLGZ0XooKbKHiTBk7vqubt6X_z66C7zBMGEpCrHAfjs-acoQpSoijEDtqh-nqO4QhUgCgVRlgFme97BW8fL4CdWN3FLQowGqL6Z5RntJuGdHU_xmaIdzwC2hoEZOn6xR4HdwjXK4PTufO196ot/w400-h225/frewsalima.blogspot.com.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: frewsalima.blogspot.com</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal">Relationships and emotions are engagingly stunted and
flatlined throughout, as is the favoured character style in Anderson's later films.
And the cast are all brilliant, relying on physical actions and gestures to
convey the inner drama that plagues their characters. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like many of Anderson's films, <i>Asteroid City</i> is a fun
exploration into the building blocks of performance and cinema; brightly lit,
ironically camp, and featuring a less than subtle reference to <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/search?q=mars+attacks" target="_blank">Mars Attacks</a></i>
(see if you can pick it up). I thoroughly enjoyed it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Wes Anderson, 2023<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Edward Norton, Tom Hanks,
Scarlet Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Maya Hawke, Adrian Brody, Geoffrey Wright,
Grace Edwards, Jake Ryan, Sophia Lillis, Live Schreiber, Bryan Cranston, & Margot
Robbie. <o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-63686976650860485912023-07-25T14:28:00.000-07:002023-07-25T14:28:19.109-07:00Barbie<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRVwOE_kue0HbXxj_7QAb0Upk40NCj9GHQhsMijVCBUMj3HCZtvN_FuIFjS227IRYeQFHIUuIiQ1sYI6CdMC7m6v4lGWzxBceBOqNwyyxuSetJm24VFWoI1NqkNJfyVFsB3T-O8YMtNqbtkv22ohzOU8n2nlWMMTyZYLHLRoKzjqMV3NVDnejqux1XjpE/s711/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRVwOE_kue0HbXxj_7QAb0Upk40NCj9GHQhsMijVCBUMj3HCZtvN_FuIFjS227IRYeQFHIUuIiQ1sYI6CdMC7m6v4lGWzxBceBOqNwyyxuSetJm24VFWoI1NqkNJfyVFsB3T-O8YMtNqbtkv22ohzOU8n2nlWMMTyZYLHLRoKzjqMV3NVDnejqux1XjpE/s320/th.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Pagaliworld. com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I have to admit when I heard that there was a Barbie movie,
I winced a bit and wondered what on earth you could fill it with to make it fit
feature parameters. And then the marketing for it has been absolutely everywhere
within the last month, that it’s impossible not to get a tad curious. So when a
friend said that movie night was <i>Barbie</i>, I was ready to see what all the
hype was about. I am happy to say that I got a real surprise and that the hype
turned out to be well-placed.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The films tells the story of Stereotypical Barbie (Margot
Robbie) living happily in Barbieland where women are in charge and the men are…
around the beach. Things start to get strange when Barbie has thoughts of death
and her heels touch the ground. Seeking information from the ostracized Weird
Barbie, Barbie learns that whoever is playing with her in the real world is
having this effect. So Barbie sets off to find this player and make them feel
better. But things become complicated when Ken (Ryan Gosling) stows away in her
car and discovers the Patriarchy, the CEO of Matel tries to chase her down, and
the real world turns out to be filled with girls who hate Barbie.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In a similar way to <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-lego-movie-pg.html" target="_blank">The Lego Movie</a></i>, <i>Barbie</i> is
a clever social commentary on the state of the world. But instead of depicting
it through the eyes of a child, it’s from the point of view of a mature modern
woman. Director Greta Gerwig delivers another classic piece of pro-fem cinema
that’s hugely clever and metafictive, dismantles the patriarchy as well as
age-old genre tropes, and delivers the laughs as well as the sighs and the heartwarming
feels. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling both deliver glorious
performances with Robbie treading that fine line between adorably ignorant and
aggressively ditsy perfectly. Even though the Barbies are misguided as to how
the real world is compared to their own, they are all still genuine and while
it would have been very easy, almost impossible not to be the ditsy
stereotypical Barbie, Robbie plays a Barbie that is real and relatable rather
than plastic. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gosling however (in true nature of the movie) steals all the
scenes he’s in. Inadvertently becoming the villain midway through, Ken’s crisis
story of existential crisis is equally, if not more, on par with Barbie’s.
Beginning the film as the lovesick and overlooked protagonist (traditionally
the female role in many romantic comedies), Ken goes through the most overt and
physical change in an effort to either get the girl or get a clue. Ken’s
character journey is all about discovery of identity, self-worth and self-love
and it’s really sweet, funny, and dramatic to watch. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfkx-hTW4GnsGgMRc1lABRFklKTjRfbrurmeOavZjiJhGM7usvjEze62tDx_W-JKGLGyVYkxh-ljggnVKe6tX1FM0B0lXlPibMHHpCGfzOu88K28QFUQU4s-x6ZTA51lXzQW_ZpPXO7kwa7_cC7bNxZk6FQgotS0k1mJ_nyRhUv0tCu3DysjOVE1_Ri9D/s1140/barbie-movie-1140x620.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="1140" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfkx-hTW4GnsGgMRc1lABRFklKTjRfbrurmeOavZjiJhGM7usvjEze62tDx_W-JKGLGyVYkxh-ljggnVKe6tX1FM0B0lXlPibMHHpCGfzOu88K28QFUQU4s-x6ZTA51lXzQW_ZpPXO7kwa7_cC7bNxZk6FQgotS0k1mJ_nyRhUv0tCu3DysjOVE1_Ri9D/w400-h217/barbie-movie-1140x620.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: nnn.ng</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Set against the eloquent, witty, and biting narration of
Helen Mirren, <i>Barbie</i> is a truly clever social commentary that’s funny,
witty, and heartwarming. It’s really very clever and I would highly recommend
it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Greta Gerwig, 2023<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Margot Robbit, Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, America
Ferrara, Issa Rae, Alexandra Shipp, Hari Nef, Emma Mackey, Sharon Rooney, Ana
Cruz Kayne, Ritu Arya, Dua Lipa, Simu Liu, Kinglsey Ben-Adir, Ncuto Gatwa,
Scott Evans, John Cena, Michael Cera, Will Smith, Ariana Greenblatt, Rhea
Perlman, & Helen Mirren<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-64846857548591927162023-07-25T13:39:00.001-07:002023-07-25T13:39:13.937-07:009 To 5<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvv0D_XJNTYywnjnDO5KJDp_OIx15MBHVnsbtoYOAh4g-wc9kZ7cy0x54vCtyaqYuBMdaAbVLghSnndQ8FEOudx-fdqS5-msQuAoWlvtvVUhXcHWrlxinIYRpxccHcq1fb_birixC9NlKUgb4-2W7lkg9RRHu5ji-MAJJx6qmjSzo59WbeEGHmkQz1kq2Q/s597/a8df8a35d415ad525578017880be6ddc0c132eff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvv0D_XJNTYywnjnDO5KJDp_OIx15MBHVnsbtoYOAh4g-wc9kZ7cy0x54vCtyaqYuBMdaAbVLghSnndQ8FEOudx-fdqS5-msQuAoWlvtvVUhXcHWrlxinIYRpxccHcq1fb_birixC9NlKUgb4-2W7lkg9RRHu5ji-MAJJx6qmjSzo59WbeEGHmkQz1kq2Q/s320/a8df8a35d415ad525578017880be6ddc0c132eff.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Newonnetflixinfo</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Comedy is a
hard genre to stay on top of, as it’s one of the fastest changing genres in
film, television, stage, and literature. Because so much of comedy depends on
what’s acceptable in everyday life, topics to poke fun at disappear and
reappear faster than dishes on a jet-fueled lazy Susan. Having said that, there
are some that stay relevant, simply because that area of society takes longer
to change and while that’s not so great for human development, it’s nice for
the longevity of little pocket classics, like <i>9 to 5</i>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The film
follows three women who work in the same office and are each being mistreated
by their boss. Violet (Lily Tomlin) has her promotion given to
someone else and then her ideas to better efficiency passed off as his. Judy
(Jane Fonda) gets verbally abused on her first day and then enraged when a
fellow coworker is dismissed unfairly. Doralee (Dolly Parton) is being
ostracized around the office thanks to rumours spread by the boss that she’s
his mistress. After drunkenly musing how nice it would be with their boss out
of the way, the girls inadvertently get their wish after a series of mishaps
that include mistaken identity, rat poison, and the theft of a body. Whilst
keeping him a prisoner in his own house, the girls try to find a way to save
their jobs and skins, whilst also making some amazing changes around the
office. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It's that
classic comedic trope of a series of mistakes that just keeps adding to a
problem and making it bigger coupled with the stupidity of corporate
masculinity and the heartwarming payoff when everything ends up better in the
end. Similar to <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-first-wives-club-pg.html" target="_blank">The First Wives Club</a></i>, these three women weather so much
crap before they finally snap and decide that something needs to be done.
What’s lovely about this movie is that it starts going in one direction, but
then changes course and turns into something else entirely. The real revenge is
happening in the background, almost on a whim, and that’s what makes this movie
so funny and delightful. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFReAx-WxBdXfZsAnXOys4E1kSd2ALJoZlH5cFBpnXEvqkEzRBfhrT-loP90ePCbtjo7mRMdwLDhCjRiPIo64IZ1dB5v1aJUfKa05Dq3HAyeAHeBIcrud3mmRi1fIvzVYAMmn3VKgotiNijDsOo4hPTU42G5McnHJjMpO9EhYOl7vxNBVq8wD_QxnKSyeR/s1300/n7iSm7WQV0l3UnXX9mbWXh5Goxe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1300" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFReAx-WxBdXfZsAnXOys4E1kSd2ALJoZlH5cFBpnXEvqkEzRBfhrT-loP90ePCbtjo7mRMdwLDhCjRiPIo64IZ1dB5v1aJUfKa05Dq3HAyeAHeBIcrud3mmRi1fIvzVYAMmn3VKgotiNijDsOo4hPTU42G5McnHJjMpO9EhYOl7vxNBVq8wD_QxnKSyeR/w400-h225/n7iSm7WQV0l3UnXX9mbWXh5Goxe.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Alternateending.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The
performances are all great, with the central cast being so different from each
other, that whole unlikely band of people coming together and becoming friends
thing. But the real joy of this movie is the inadvertent revenge the girls get
on their boss, by being so innovative and efficient that he reaps the ‘rewards’
and has a little change of heart at the same time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It’s a fun
little film about female camaraderie and support whilst at the same time playing
with slapstick humour, sexual innuendoes, and the snowball effect of mishaps
and miscommunications. And of course, your day will get lightened up by having
the title track stuck in your head for a little while afterwards. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Director:
Colin Higgins, 1980<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Cast:
Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, Dabney Coleman, Sterling Hayden, &
Elizabeth Wilson<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-2613074142394040172023-06-23T06:17:00.004-07:002023-06-23T06:17:56.892-07:00Do Revenge<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIVXf8N7GqkRMsQt6OHsduL_KeB0CWw2_lbyAhh4YZlWuyGK8Mvd53REpBmApJccpK0hGAMEyzdjEslifLTEuecjlIujSynolO1vDWV3tcsrWNagX0UfJt26VQPoAVzCcTwzR79DC3M4MnpNgIRMdNg-gxGgmDIiTulm33Nrg3FvRQ8y_vdiWFLL4rjuH/s2370/traileraddict.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2370" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIVXf8N7GqkRMsQt6OHsduL_KeB0CWw2_lbyAhh4YZlWuyGK8Mvd53REpBmApJccpK0hGAMEyzdjEslifLTEuecjlIujSynolO1vDWV3tcsrWNagX0UfJt26VQPoAVzCcTwzR79DC3M4MnpNgIRMdNg-gxGgmDIiTulm33Nrg3FvRQ8y_vdiWFLL4rjuH/s320/traileraddict.com.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Traileraddict</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Right now I’m thinking of a scene in <i>Black Books</i>;
where Manny the optimist and seemingly sane one of the dysfunctional trio, is
trying to convince the others that they should all go out because, “it’s
friiiday night”, while Bernard the drunken cynic complains that that won't
change next week or the week after and the whole cycle will continue until they
all die. For many, Friday is a night to look forward to: it’s the end of the
week, there are two whole days of freedom, socialising, and relaxing to look
forward to before Monday rocks round again. Having a career background in retail
for most of my life, I understood the concept of a weekend, but I never really had
one. I’ve only recently changed career paths and entered the corporate world,
and I now get the hype. However, while I definitely feel that Friday night is a
night to be social and spend with friends and lovers, you definitely don’t have
to go out to have a lovely time. This evening I had one of my best friends around
for dinner and a trashy movie, and it was delightful.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The film we did is on Netflix and is called <i>Do Revenge.</i>
It tells the story of a popular and perfect high school senior named Drea
(Camilla Mendes) whose life is ruined when her boyfriend leaks an intimate
video of her. With her friends against her and her college prospects in tatters,
Drea is uncertain if she can even show her face for senior year. That is until
she meets Eleanor (Maya Hawke), a shy and disheveled new student who has
suffered high school trauma similar to hers. The two form an unlikely
friendship, which quickly turns into a macabre partnership as they come up with
a plan to get away with the perfect revenge: swap targets. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This movie is <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2011/10/strangers-on-train-m.html" target="_blank">Strangers on a Train</a></i> meets <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2011/11/clueless-m.html" target="_blank">Clueless</a></i>
meets <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2010/09/mean-girls-m.html" target="_blank">Mean Girls</a>. </i>It’s a bright and colourful high school comedy on the
surface. What lies beneath is a twisted exploration into the psychological
trauma of the high school experience, primarily the toxicity of financial
privilege, masculinity, racism, and clique culture. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While the movie feels like every other high school flick you’ve
ever seen, where it sparkles is in the incredible adult performances of the
central cast. It’s a film that definitely aims to be character-driven and both
Mendes and Hawke give really memorable performances as this unlikely duo that
turn out to be increasingly unstable. The cleverness is really that you’re not sure
who is even the real victim, as several plot twists -admittedly all crammed in
within the last fifteen minutes- quickly shatter everything you thought you’d had
worked out. It’s no Hitchcock by any means, but it does take a leaf out of his
books and manipulates its audiences – in a rather ironic and even metafictive
way- into trying to reach the ending before the characters do. But, in an
interesting narrative choice, it ends on an uplifting and positive vibe to
counteract all the empathetic mortification that makes up most of its cinematic
experience. This is also achieved through the fact that it’s hard to actually label
who the bad guys are -aside from one of the three men that make up the cast,
who we all want to punch in the face from reel one. <o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCogbytpXr6r0ocJpeLpLekWnRfnSh7NumghpkRP7IATLjqTKGMX7PMkR3KFfPyWmrmc-_v30sv5fzOeonbpKTbNW4Yb3tDWL0NibL2Ad5FdVEl-0qUXMuOyK-m0HGSgOuiAXo5q5OdzELe6T0WvHV0pV4JVPMP48p1UyfSNEEIz6R_zna4Jq6GLooXgKO/s1200/disappointmentmedia.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCogbytpXr6r0ocJpeLpLekWnRfnSh7NumghpkRP7IATLjqTKGMX7PMkR3KFfPyWmrmc-_v30sv5fzOeonbpKTbNW4Yb3tDWL0NibL2Ad5FdVEl-0qUXMuOyK-m0HGSgOuiAXo5q5OdzELe6T0WvHV0pV4JVPMP48p1UyfSNEEIz6R_zna4Jq6GLooXgKO/w400-h209/disappointmentmedia.com.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Disappointmentmedia</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">None of this is groundbreaking or new, but I definitely did
appreciate what this movie was trying to do. And it wasn’t trying to take
itself too seriously either, in fact the comedy reminded me of the TV series <i>Hacks</i>,
which is similarly filled with characters who are ghastly people, but you still
suffer their discomfort, shame, and mortification through these clever,
empathetic tricks that the camera, director, and cast pull on you. If you want a fun movie
for a Friday night in with pizza and a friend, <i>Do Revenge</i>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, 2022<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Camilla Mendes, Maya Hawke, Austin Abrams, Rish
Shah, Taila Ryder, Alisha Boe, Ava Capri, J.D., Paris Berelc, Maia Reficco,
Sophie Turner & Sarah Michelle Geller<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-61284893489899180322023-06-17T17:35:00.000-07:002023-06-17T17:35:18.748-07:00Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlGfrd32WouTrn9zoaTXsGinbWvn2Xd-tJ_yktRiT11P-A4ZCAF8gBB_7hW8p8Y45Yj-Ek6i5ZCcZx5lX532dx8htLzLQxFuvzGXWop6Nrhr_ijdkqARQ0jp3GHvUBV_fwJw6DVTFVEBRGtvTvnhqAvL7NzJ9DENYAX0PfDrb7_sq_DOvYZcgNWiVmw/s1118/filmaffinity.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1118" data-original-width="715" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlGfrd32WouTrn9zoaTXsGinbWvn2Xd-tJ_yktRiT11P-A4ZCAF8gBB_7hW8p8Y45Yj-Ek6i5ZCcZx5lX532dx8htLzLQxFuvzGXWop6Nrhr_ijdkqARQ0jp3GHvUBV_fwJw6DVTFVEBRGtvTvnhqAvL7NzJ9DENYAX0PfDrb7_sq_DOvYZcgNWiVmw/s320/filmaffinity.com.jpg" width="205" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Filmaffinity.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It’s been a while since I really looked forward to the release
of a new movie. What with the pandemic making us forget about the cinematic
experience and a lot of new content simply being churned out, there isn’t a lot
to get excited by. But the 1<sup>st</sup> of June brought out the new animated <i>Spiderman</i>
movie and you better believe that partner and I were planted firmly in that
cinema as soon as we were able. I absolutely loved <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2019/01/spider-man-enter-spider-verse.html" target="_blank">Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse</a></i>; the freshness of the animation and art style was mesmerising
and when I learnt that a second one was upcoming, whoo baby, was I excited!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Miles Morales is one of your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Mans,
stopping bad guys in his dimension and struggling with trying to live the life
of a normal teenager. With the prospect of college and heading into the wider
world looming, Miles is facing even more challenges, but these get thrown out
the window when a strange, interdimensional leaper called The Spot labels Miles
as his nemesis and vows to take away everything his loves. When Spot’s actions
trigger an anomaly in the interdimensional timeline, Miles joins Gwen and some
new friends in the Spiderverse to try and take him down. But things take a
dramatic turn when Miles finds out some upsetting truths about how he came to
be Spider-Man. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This film is a definite upswing in the visual department.
The wizards who designed and brought to life this incredible painted, pixeled,
and perfect world deserve all of the accolades. In this film we get to visit
other dimensions within the Spiderverse, and each one has a different art style
that is just breathtaking. Be sure to keep an eye out for the differences in
the backdrops because the intricate layers that make up the brilliance of this
movie absolutely begin with the different art styles and visual achievements of
the art department and computer wizards.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We then have this fantastic and intricate story that centres
on the universal turmoil of actions and consequences. While certain aspects of
the story are a mite predictable, most of it draws the appropriate amount of
laughs and gasps from the audience. And the script is absolutely delightful, being
a perfect blend of heartfelt life lessons and clever comedy. The dialogue is
sharp and full of wit and the injection of meme culture into the mix adds even
more delightful humour. There are some seriously funny gags in this film. Watch
out for them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZyuv_qpzR6PN9QECZDUTrCEwj9gKpAcQ-IULVZk75RSg2JCnLafUCy1FcCqav5C7qqtwPJ7w0eS090P8dZkE1N93FDx_qLncK8s4-Jgca0ppmNoP1SLpPgYrMFQ8BPNZpus9DN8zizm7VLB6YODOAUcOr3g5B1YjUtDcLfysZQHVaC9-AQrpnSbosQ/s825/ianslife.in.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="825" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZyuv_qpzR6PN9QECZDUTrCEwj9gKpAcQ-IULVZk75RSg2JCnLafUCy1FcCqav5C7qqtwPJ7w0eS090P8dZkE1N93FDx_qLncK8s4-Jgca0ppmNoP1SLpPgYrMFQ8BPNZpus9DN8zizm7VLB6YODOAUcOr3g5B1YjUtDcLfysZQHVaC9-AQrpnSbosQ/w400-h219/ianslife.in.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Ianslife.in</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><br />I would absolutely recommend a night at the cinemas to see <i>Spider-Man:
Across the Spiderverse</i>. It’s fresh, funny, heartfelt, and just all around
brilliant!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers & Justin K.
Thompson, 2023<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Bryan Tyree Henry,
Luna Lauren Velez, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, Jason Schwartzman, Daniel Kaluuya,
Karan Soni, Andy Samberg, Jharrel Jerome, Mahershala Ali & Oscar Isaac<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-30047928467561187782023-06-17T16:44:00.003-07:002023-06-17T16:44:50.896-07:00Venom: Let There Be Carnage<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcEqhddtgDEwVi6Dhu246g44Mwsq_QDlPnSq4tgr5OXF-Yt4ILsqJrZvwH_aWPamwEDY6sK_o2npN0Vy8FEDY1arhqEtgk98YKN-3ZQMRk2teFOGrHsp7xf5pM8oWIVON782kfRQ6S0cW7W8GW1_SuPHJV9wkZiRYoT2fOhZJD8VuNBkquLxDiYyqkQ/s1074/springscinema.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="716" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcEqhddtgDEwVi6Dhu246g44Mwsq_QDlPnSq4tgr5OXF-Yt4ILsqJrZvwH_aWPamwEDY6sK_o2npN0Vy8FEDY1arhqEtgk98YKN-3ZQMRk2teFOGrHsp7xf5pM8oWIVON782kfRQ6S0cW7W8GW1_SuPHJV9wkZiRYoT2fOhZJD8VuNBkquLxDiYyqkQ/s320/springscinema.com.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: SpringCinema.com </td></tr></tbody></table><br />Continuing on with the ‘popcorn movies to keep us in bed
over the long weekend’ that was going on last weekend, partner and I decided
that the Spiderman universe was where we wanted to live, so after the credits
rolled on <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/2023/06/morbius.html" target="_blank">Morbius</a></i>, we flicked over to the sequel to <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/search?q=venom" target="_blank">Venom</a>, Venom: Let
There Be Carnage</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Journalist Eddie Brock has come to learn how to live with
the symbiote Venom sharing his body. And while the perks of having an alien
granting superhuman abilities is very cool, the harmonising out of combat is
not so much. Eddie and Venom’s relationship becomes so strained that Venom
leaves and the timing could not be worse. In an attempt to resurrect his
career, Eddie interviews death-row serial killer Cletus Kasady, who then becomes
the host of another symbiote, escapes from prison, and decides that Eddie is his
next victim. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What I liked about the first <i>Venom</i> movie was the
dark, buddy comedy route it took. Eddie and Venom forced to become unlikely
friends is a real fresh twist on the buddy movie and it ties in with the humour
that flavours some of the other Marvel movies. <i>Let There Be Carnage</i>
plays on that humour further, extending the relationship and becoming more like
a twisted version of <i>Wedding Crashers</i> or <i>Romy and Michelle</i>, where
the solid friendship is already established, but suffers strain and falls
apart. Where the first movie was about Eddie and Venom becoming friends, this
one explores what happens when friendships (especially ones that feature a
live-in aspect) start to crack. This sweeter side of the story is highlighted by
the unbelievable drama of having a serial killer with an even stronger alien
tenant out to get you and while the film is shot in a very serious way; lack of
colour, grimy and grainy filter, etc, the humour that comes from the sheer ridiculousness
of Eddie and Venom’s relationship really shines through and makes is a dark and
funny popcorn flick.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6nKP94H5V_1hbyZDyjvRwjfNMJBHdv9OFztt6jqrndDX8OAVEC-y4QQ_iK_xSBmAjKldQgxyw2R6DZh3zEp7HazusU1gr9js5qKYyZXL78MPDZdxkmEHneDLgnFdx6MYbX7Lv-2sOe-pQ4Al4O-kVnm-KuHW_Nq6ArVIEhmI9yHEmFjZM6xbFvpYNg/s2120/polygon.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1413" data-original-width="2120" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6nKP94H5V_1hbyZDyjvRwjfNMJBHdv9OFztt6jqrndDX8OAVEC-y4QQ_iK_xSBmAjKldQgxyw2R6DZh3zEp7HazusU1gr9js5qKYyZXL78MPDZdxkmEHneDLgnFdx6MYbX7Lv-2sOe-pQ4Al4O-kVnm-KuHW_Nq6ArVIEhmI9yHEmFjZM6xbFvpYNg/s320/polygon.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Polygon</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The performances are all good and the combat sequences are
pretty epic, but ultimately it’s the weird, odd-couple style central
relationship that really drives this movie. If you enjoyed the first <i>Venom</i>,
then you’ll like this one too. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Andy Serkis, 2021<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid
Scott, Stephen Graham, Peggy Lu & Woody Harrelson<o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7624229004956287936.post-38431444415101881982023-06-16T00:17:00.002-07:002023-06-16T00:17:48.860-07:00Morbius<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDXc1c7xIFe1L8bBDWgujJ2dk54kFS_s32fpGK2lBwz1fbZb3_bw_BuhkEghQhh_a_UUKE81RVWXOvjjjTndQw3pEzZ2Ezv33BphAIvhWL3BB9JEAUR8g1q-g7Nox07qBdkpQTnvwiENG_DELaUyklFMK4l9EqZdrScA401Q14ivRNlax5zC_itNBEg/s1500/ACX%20cinemas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDXc1c7xIFe1L8bBDWgujJ2dk54kFS_s32fpGK2lBwz1fbZb3_bw_BuhkEghQhh_a_UUKE81RVWXOvjjjTndQw3pEzZ2Ezv33BphAIvhWL3BB9JEAUR8g1q-g7Nox07qBdkpQTnvwiENG_DELaUyklFMK4l9EqZdrScA401Q14ivRNlax5zC_itNBEg/s320/ACX%20cinemas.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: ACX Cinemas</td></tr></tbody></table><br />While good cinema is always a treat, it’s not necessarily
what you want all the time. In the wonderful world of movies, where there is an
ever-replenishing reservoir of content, sometimes you just want to curl up with
a movie that is dumb, fun, mindless, and decidedly not amazing. Here in
Australia, we recently had a long weekend and, for me, that weekend was spent
in bed with partner watching dumb movies. And you know what? It was the perfect
way to spend it!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Biochemist, Dr. Michael Morbius, has spent his life trying
to find a cure for a rare blood disease that threatens his life and the life of
his best friend Milo. While his other triumphs in the medical field have been
incredible, a cure remains out of reach, and he resorts to unorthodox experimenting
in the hope of finding one. When he finally does, it comes with a dangerous
side effect: vampirism. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I remember seeing the trailers for this film and instantly
knowing that it was going to be a dumb, fun, popcorn flick in the same vein as <i><a href="https://hannahbellescouch.blogspot.com/search?q=venom" target="_blank">Venom</a></i>.
Thanks to Disney’s Marvel cinematic universe, the <i>Spiderman</i> villains are
getting a string of anti-hero movies that are proving to be entertaining and refreshing
fillers between the anticipated Marvel blockbusters. Various stingers have
already hinted that these characters are about to make an appearance in the Marvel-movieverse
and I’m rather excited about it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Morbius</i>, while being wholly predictable and relatively
short, doesn’t disappoint. A textbook action movie with a dark and gritty palette;
annoying for the most part but saved a little bit by the interesting pops of
colour found in the cool special effects, it’s a film that you go into knowing that you’re
not going to love it and then having that expectation completely satisfied.
Aside from the aforementioned special effects, which are a bit of a throwback to
<i>The Matrix</i> spliced with the wizard fight in <i>Harry Potter</i> <i>5</i>,
there is nothing particularly thrilling or engaging about this movie. It’s just
a fun one to curl up with in the hope of killing some cold, winter hours. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL17vSyN9A4vl7s7NzxBMpsG--5HIKZ33pTSdTTDyeKOgtidRrhKRTnp6tm_08YflM6PfsSHUm079dGB-fqiisVeD0TdLf5gOsj_OP78oguEQyBRfj_YXg9P8iAnjwZIKteR2t0hFiwUAqHhLATsojuPg0dlF5mGWXla5-ZNJ7ysD1-r55nPH4d3lc_w/s1920/tvovermind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL17vSyN9A4vl7s7NzxBMpsG--5HIKZ33pTSdTTDyeKOgtidRrhKRTnp6tm_08YflM6PfsSHUm079dGB-fqiisVeD0TdLf5gOsj_OP78oguEQyBRfj_YXg9P8iAnjwZIKteR2t0hFiwUAqHhLATsojuPg0dlF5mGWXla5-ZNJ7ysD1-r55nPH4d3lc_w/w400-h225/tvovermind.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Tvovermind</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Jared Leto delivers a fine performance as the anti-hero
himself, definitely keeping us on our toes regarding his moral alignment (for
want of a better word). And Matt Smith as the villain is stable and
unoffending. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s most certainly not a movie to rave about, just a fun
way to fill time, and if you’re a fan of the Marvel-movieverse and the movies that
make it up, then it’s worth giving it a watch. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Director: Daniel Espinosa, 2022<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cast: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Tyrese
Gibson, Al Madrigal & Jared Harris. <o:p></o:p></b></p>Hannah Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246703136349033203noreply@blogger.com0