The year ends, and so does my little film review project. It started with a pope so perhaps it’s appropriate that it finished with two. Many thanks to those of you who took the time to read these little scribblings. Below I’ve put together a list of my favourite movies of the year. As I watched 71 in total (the lowest number for the last … Continue reading My Favourite Films Of 2019 + The End Of The Reviews
If theatre is better at exploring ideas than film is, perhaps that’s why The Two Popes feels as though it would have been slightly more comfortable at The National. Or maybe it’s because it consists of little more than conversations between Pope Benedict and the soon-to-be Pope Francis as they wrestle with their differing views on the role of the Catholic Church. But it would … Continue reading 2019 Film Reviews – 71: The Two Popes [dir. Fernando Mereilles; 2019]
Towards the end of this latest, mildly indie-flavoured adaptation of Little Women, Amy berates Jo for always pointing out the former’s flaws rather than appreciating her strengths. With that in mind, I ought to state that Gerwig’s take on the 19th century classic is handsomely-staged, warmly played and mostly engaging — there’s a generous, affectionate Ang Lee-esque, Sense & Sensibility glow over all the characters … Continue reading 2019 Film Reviews – 70: Little Women [dir. Greta Gerwig; 2019]
It is a stain on our collective conscience that there is still a need for us to tell stories about the current migrant crisis. So large is the problem that it has almost become the stuff of ‘news wallpaper’. So perhaps Mati Diop intended to jolt us out of complacency with her decision to approach the issue in an unusual way: by examining it through … Continue reading 2019 Film Reviews – 69: Atlantics [dir. Mati Diop; 2019]
No-one reading a review of the new Star Wars film actually needs any help deciding whether they want to watch it. They’ll leap towards it or avoid it regardless of what anyone else says. For what it’s worth, I found its conclusion of the saga – which sees Rey and Kylo Ren circling ever closer to each other while dealing with the growing power of … Continue reading 2019 Film Reviews – 68: Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker [dir. J J Abrams; 2019]
I must have a very perverse take on super-hero films: I didn’t think Dark Phoenix was anywhere near as awful as most people seemed to, and I wasn’t sent into ecstasies by Avengers: Endgame. So perhaps it was inevitable that I’d find myself giving Far From Home a friendly thumbs up. Yes, its high school comedy tone is frothy, but at least it never takes … Continue reading 2019 Film Reviews – 67: Spider-Man: Far From Home [dir. Jon Watts; 2019]
There’s no doubt that much of Marriage Story is touching and memorable. As it crosses over from America’s east coast to its west, this story of a couple handling the realities of a break-up – and its effects on their child – impresses with its honesty and its refusal to descend into mawkishness. But I’d suggest that its one-sidedness is a serious and fundamental flaw. … Continue reading 2019 Film Reviews – 66: Marriage Story [dir. Noah Baumbach; 2019]
