In the Favourite, Yorgos Lanthimos crafts a tragic (and
often riveting) portrayal of Queen Anne’s court, mixing the classic tropes of a
standard period drama with a fresh perspective and stellar casting, to make something
truly unique.
By far this film’s greatest asset is Olivia Coleman’s Queen
Anne, an almost child-like figure who is able to be simultaneously the subject
of the audience’s laughter and their pity. Emma Stone also delivers a cruel and
calculating performance, doing an outstanding job as Abagail Hill, who along with
Rachel Weisz’s Sarah Churchill competes for the Queen’s favour.
Thanks to the film’s stunning location of Hatfield House, it
also has a gorgeous backdrop, which the cinematography shows off fully. Unfortunately,
the film is also punctuated by random slow-motion sequences, showing odd early
18th Century activities such as duck racing, which set the scene
somewhat but do little else. But luckily this doesn’t slow down the film too
much, as the dark drama of the main storyline is gripping throughout.
What makes this film truly unique is it’s rather fresh and
modern feel, in spite of its period setting. This is primarily achieved through
some unusual shot choices and an often very witty script. This is actually a
very clever move, as on a deeper level it allows the audience to see the truly
see the real people within the stiff and formal historical figures we would all
picture if we were reading this story from a history textbook.
DISCLAIMER: This blog is not for profit. I do not claim ownership of this material - all images and footage used are property of their respective companies unless stated otherwise.
Whilst there's a lot to enjoy in A Wrinkle in Time, its poor plotting means that it comes across as confused overall.
The film is very well intentioned: it has a beautiful message about loving yourself and all of the actors do a fantastic job of bringing that message to life. Another commendable aspect is the visual effects, although on a technical level the camera angles could've shown off the great effects in more detail.
Unfortunately, it also fails at balancing both Science Fiction and Fantasy, as it makes missteps on paths which are crucial to both genres. The story is first set up to be sceince based, but they only explain the science of the plot very briefly, making much of the later story hard to swallow as the audience lacks understanding of how this is all happening in the first place. Similarly, Fantasy only really works when you set it in a world with its own rules and they make little to no effort to explain the inner workings of the films' universe, again meaning that later events lack impact, simply due to a lack of understanding from the audience. The exposition-heavy dialogue towards the beginning of the film also comes across as clunky, which really doesn't help.
Overall, A Wrinkle in Time has good enough acting, visuals and story to be entertaining and it has a beautiful message at its core, but the lack of attention to detail in the script make it far from perfect.
DISCLAIMER: This blog is not for profit. I do not claim ownership of this material- all images and footage used are property of their respective companies unless stated otherwise.
The thing about Pixar that they (almost) always serve up a perfect
cocktail of emotion and comedy. Whilst their latest offering Coco is lighter on
the comedic side, the jokes present all land really well- and as for the emotional
side of the story, it’s as tear-jerking as Sulley saying goodbye to Boo or even
the infamous opening of ‘Up’. Yeah, it's that good.
To summarise, Coco is about a young boy in Mexico named
Miguel, an aspiring musician in a family who have banned music entirely. He
ends up travelling to the land of the dead on the Day of the Dead and has to try
and return home. More stuff happens, but it’s one of those films where it’s better
if you experience it for yourself. The plot can be a bit derivative of other Pixar
movies at times, with storyline having some strong similarities to Up, Monsters
Inc and Inside Out at various points- but it’s a formula that definitely works,
especially within the context of this story. As I said before, where the film
really shines is the emotional side of things, as overall it is a beautiful story
about memory and the importance of family. This is also helped by just how
likable almost all the characters are, as this increases the emotional investment
in the story. The animation is also just as great as you would expect from
Pixar at this point and as a setting the Land of the Dead is filled to the brim
with lots of clever little details and funny jokes. Additionally, in spite of it
not technically being a musical, the songs of the story are used wonderfully,
with the various reprises of ‘Remember Me’ (the best song in the film by the
way) adding new emotional weight to the story every time it is sung. This film is Pixar at their best- it showcases everything
that has made them the giants of animation that they are today- and that should
say it all.
DISCLAIMER: This blog is not for profit. I do not claim ownership of this material- all images and footage used are property of their respective companies unless stated otherwise.
Much like its predecessor, Paddington 2 is a sweet, charming
and funny film as lovable as its protagonist.
This film series, of which I hope there will be many more, has
such a nice atmosphere that it’s impossible to not be caught up in the
brightness of it’s world. Paddington and the world he inhabits have such an innocence
about them that it just lifts the whole film.
Additionally, unlike many other live action/CGI remakes of
beloved characters, these films truly capture the spirt of the character on which
they are based – that is truly what makes them so successful.
The surprisingly witty dialogue and brilliant CGI on
Paddington also help and on another note Hugh Grant is fantastic as the villainous
Phoenix Buchanan. In fact, all of the star-studded cast do a great job,
including both the familiar faces from the previous film and the newer characters
in this one.
The storyline is also slightly more original here, compared
to the ever so slightly derivative and predicable plot of the first film, this
time involving Paddington’s attempts to buy a pop up book for his Aunt Lucy’s 100th
Birthday.
Overall, Paddington is a sweet and enjoyable film sure to
put a smile on any viewer’s face.
DISCLAIMER: This blog is not for profit. I do not claim ownership of this material- all images and footage used are property of their respective companies unless stated otherwise.
In the distant future, a one child policy is strictly
enforced across the globe due to chronic overpopulation- to avoid being frozen
indefinitely, seven sisters assume one identity in this action packed, sci-fi
based Netflix original.
As you can see, this is a concept full of potential, which
is used to a certain extent. It is certainly fun to see Noomi Rapace play all
of the distinctly different sisters and it has good performances from the rest
of its stars, including Glenn Close as Caymen (the villainous head of the
Government) and Willem Dafoe as the girls’ grandfather. But in the end the
whole thing is let down by clunky writing.
Mounds of exposition are dumped on the audience at the
beginning of the film and random plot developments come into play at hectic pace of the admittedly fairly well done action sequences. Story wise, the film would
have worked better if more of the runtime had been spent actually exploring the
mystery of the title, but it is resolved all too quickly.
The effect of the ‘one identity’ plan actually has on the
sisters as adults is shown well, especially in the flashback sequences to their
childhoods, but there are lingering questions left by the end of the film,
which will leave many viewers unsatisfied.
It’s a fun story, which is fairly entertaining- but don’t expect
to be left amazed by it.
DISCLAIMER: This blog is not for profit. I do not claim
ownership of this material- all images and footage used are property of their
respective companies unless stated otherwise.
The Guardians of the Galaxy are back in a new adventure- but
is it as fresh, funny and epic as its predecessor? The short answer: overall, yes.
Like all good sequels, the new story builds on the first,
without becoming overly reliant on it, as the primary focus is put onto a mystery set
up in Vol.1, that being Peter Quill’s heritage. The story is also set up and
paced rather well. Although it’s a tad predicable, the story most viewers will
be able to see clearly is effectively twisted and turned enough that it is not
too much of an issue. The film also handles its dual storylines surprisingly
well, giving each enough time to develop.
Everything that made the first Guardians of the Galaxy so
much fun is back in full force here- the film is once again hilarious, with
great action and of course a brilliant soundtrack that once again gives the
whole thing a fantastic feel good atmosphere.
So much depth is also added to each and every character and
story, adding in a good amount of heart and ensuring that the characters and
emotions are at the core of the story, as well as the action. And the action itself
is also very well done, as it should be in any good superhero movie.
Overall, this is a fun adventure that fans of the first film
will definitely love.
DISCLAIMER: This blog is not for profit. I do not claim
ownership of this material- all images and footage used are property of their
respective companies unless stated otherwise.
As these live action Disney remakes continue (and continue…
and continue…) one question will probably be present in the minds of movie
goers; from a filmaking perspective, what is the point?
If nothing is changed, it can feel pointless- or it could
end up going the Cinderella route, with more new stuff crammed in than the
running time can actually cope with. Luckily, the 2017 edition of Beauty and
the Beast strikes a very nice balance between the two extremes. The more
flexible nature of the story means that, for the most part, the new aspects add
extra levels of depth to one of Disney’s greatest stories, rather than making
the whole thing feel bloated. Of all the extra details and backstories added,
there is just one (no spoilers here!) that feels not only pointless but extremely
underdeveloped. It is a small part of the film, ironically due to the lack of
development, but it just feels like an odd anomaly, a strange moment that doesn’t
really go anywhere and doesn’t really link to the rest of the film.
The orchestrations of the songs are all good, in addition to
the musical numbers being performed well. Three new songs have also been added
and all of them are very nice- the best one by far is Evermore, a stunning new
lament for the Beast as Belle leaves in the climax. Dan Stevens is also a
surprisingly good singer, which adds to what is already a beautiful song.
A mixture of the stunning cinematography and efforts to be
faithful to the original film mean that overall this film is a magical
experience. The great musical performances from most of the cast also help to
add to this. But at the same time, the blatant autotune on Emma Watson’s voice can
be very distracting- even if she is not the world’s best singer, it would have
been better if her voice had been left untouched, as this would have made her performance
in the songs feel far more authentic.
Luckily, in terms of acting, her Belle is very good indeed. Her
version has everything that the character needs- she is curious, kind and inventive – every bit
the perfect Disney princess. But the real standout performance comes from Luke
Evans as Gaston. The way in which he plays the character truly is great,
managing to make a character who was one of Disney’s best villains even more
terrifying in this version. Seriously, this film’s rendition of The Mob Song is
actually miles better than the original, thanks in part to new lyrics that add
more depth to the scene, but also thanks to his performance, in terms of
singing and acting.
The rest of the cast also do a very good job. Although Ewan
McGregor’s French accent is not exactly the best, his overall performance as Lumière
has enough charm that he gets away with it. Emma Thomson’s Cockney voice for
Mrs Potts, however, is very distracting. It is difficult to understand why she
even did this voice in the first place, other than an attempt to recreate
Angela Lansbury’s performance in the animated film, but it really doesn’t work.
The same cannot be said, however, for the film as a whole.
Overall, it is a magical experience, with that Disney magic that makes their animated
output so good, permeates through this entire film. In terms of this new trend
of live action Disney remakes, it is certainly one of their best.
