Film Reviews Blog

This page only shows films that have a review. By default in date order of reading with newest at top

Saturday 30th July 2022

USA 2019

Running time: 97 mins

The Farewell

Director : Lulu Wang

Film Summary :
A family gathers ostensibly for a wedding but really to say goodbye to Grandmother who has terminal cancer without her knowing she has cancer or the real reason they are there.
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Reviewed by rogerco, DVD proj @ home on 30 Jul 2022

Review Summary :
A simple story told with subtlety and richness to make a charming film

Charming

The centre of the story is the relationship between Nai Nai and Billi, which provides us with a way in to come to understand, as Billi does, some of the cultural differences between the individualistic american way and the Chinese social family. From being initially appalled at the lie that is being collectively perpetrated, Billi comes to accept and even embrace it.

The key scene is where she is with her father and uncle at their hotel in Changchun just before the wedding and they explain the difference between living in America and in China is that in America people believe their life belong to themselves, whereas in China people's lives are part of a whole, of a family, of society, and therefore it is the family's duty to carry the emotional burden of the cancer knowledge FOR Nai Nai.

The whole film is an illustration of this point, and it works really well.




Saturday 9th July 2022

UK 2021

Running time: 112 mins

Last Night in Soho

Director : Edgar Wright

Film Summary :
Eloise, first year design student in 2020, in love with 60's London finds herself going there in her vivid dreams and uncovering the darker side of swinging 60's

Reviewed by rogerco, DVD proj @ home on 09 Jul 2022

Review Summary :
A potential modern classic, well made and well told.

Classic British horror/thriller

The character of the naif Eloise requires a bit of suspension of disbelief (not because of the acting which is fine), but if you can accept that, this is a well crafted and cleverly told horror-thriller. Neither very horrific, nor very thrilling, but an enjoyable ride through the stresses of both modern life for a young person in the city, and of the dark underside of the swinging sixties with it's deeply embedded sexist and mysoginistic attitudes.

A couple of good twists towards the end - the first to enable you to think "I knew that" and distract you from seeing the second until it is upon you.

All in all this is up there with the very best of the genre and thoroughly modern to boot.




Monday 4th July 2022

Georgia 2019

Running time: 113 mins

And Then We Danced

Director : Levan Akin

Film Summary :
Trainee dancer gets big-time chance and blows it
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Reviewed by rogerco, DVD proj @ home on 04 Jul 2022

And Then We Danced - incomprehensibly

It was ok but not knowing the homophobic background in Georgia or really appreciating the formal nature of Georgian dance as an expression of a particular cultural background it didn't really resonate.

Several quite nice scenes - the tour of the underground Tibliski nightlife, the wedding party, using quite fluid camerawork and ensemble acting.

The stuff in the dance studio by contrast didn't work for me. 




Saturday 25th June 2022

2021

Running time: 139 mins

Stillwater

Director : Tom McCarthy

Film Summary :
Oil rig worker from Texas travels to Marseille to visit daughter in jail for murder.
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Reviewed by Roger CO, on 25 Jun 2022

Stillwater - redneck meets chic

The initial background scene setting in Stillwater is brief - it helps to have read the synopsis to know what is going on at the start. Once we get to Marseille it settles down. The twist at the end is nicely handled (if predictable).




Saturday 21st May 2022

UK 2015

Running time: 106 mins

Burn Burn Burn

Director : Chanya Button

Film Summary :
Road trip with dead friend's ashes and accompanying on video
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Reviewed by rogerco, Streamed proj @ home on 21 May 2022

Review Summary :
Entertaining but ultimately unsatisfying

Ashes of a Road Trip

Quite entertaining but let down by a silly scene near the end where Alex is tied to a cross in a church for no obvious reason.