Reviews

An American sci-fi action adventure; A story about a young girl - a clone - who released dinosaurs to save them from being auctioned off, is now hunted down by a nefarious genetics company. She and others are key to preventing that company causing an ecological disaster. This is the sixth film in a series, a cautionary tale about genetic engineering. A handful of half-baked storylines clash together in an otherwise paint-by-numbers sequel. One part is a steady stream of protracted chases and dinosaur attacks that involve characters who could never be under threat due to their importance in the story. The other part is time spent telling a story about corporate corruption but offers up nothing more meaningful than it is bad. But the real test of patience will surely come from an ensemble of two sets of characters who have little to do with each but are dwelt on at the expense of a sensible storyline. Do-gooder Bryce Dallas Howard is expected to flick a switch from doe-eyed and vulnerable to assertive and forceful in an instant; stock character hero Chris Pratt still holds out his hand zen-like to placate man-eaters, gift and animal behaviour training never explained. With high production values, a team of technical artistes clearly worked hard to bring a picture to marvel at with its impressive stunts, slick action set pieces and visual effects. But the CGI rendered is not much more realistic than 30 years ago, disappointing for a film that rests its believability on dinosaurs moving in fast motion.

An American epic historical black comedy drama; A story about the rise and fall of multiple characters during Hollywood's transition from silent to sound films in the late 1920s. The premise of this film is an interesting one, reminding us of a burgeoning era that was no less prurient, harsh or nasty on its stars than modern day tinseltown, and a march through big change in a prosperous industry. However, it is a film with no clear direction so it pounds us with excess, some of it repellent, rather than from story. Its long running time doesn't mar the overall experience because it engages with good pace of lavish scenes and big ambition aided by high production values, well-observed locales and backed up by a high-spirit musical score. It has an ensemble of good performances too. But it doesn't capture the period fully despite the bombast and historical detail - it's not subtle and there is a knowingness of its scale and over-exuberance in costumes and props. The self-entitled, divaesque characters, and self-regarding acting style produces a distancing effect which keeps us in the 2020s. We don't much care about these people either - only Brad Pitt's 'Jack Conrad' is somewhat relateable - we just watch - it is dazzling, with many amusing moments.

An American action thriller; A story about U. S. Marine Sergeant Brandon Beckett (son of Thomas Beckett, a decorated Master Gunnery Sergeant of Force Reconnaissance Scout Snipers) who discovers a human sex trafficking ring but loses his badge after a corrupt federal agent is implicated. Brandon teams up with allies from his past to discover the identity of the agent and stop the ring. This, the ninth installment in the film series, underwhelms with its weak story and unconvincing dialogue. There isn't much of an atmosphere and the villains don't help to create any tension. A derivative plot aims to disguise these shortfalls but the humorous tone of the film (a break with tradition in this series) contrasts with a serious tone about trafficking which is a mistake. Sayaka Akimoto's Lady Death is a welcome return to the fold but her highly-trained assassin is a mismatch to the corny shenanigans. All in all, disposable and forgettable and lacking in action.

An American horror thriller and sci-fi; A story about a commercial space tug officer who joins a crew of battle-hardened marines to investigate an incident on an exomoon but they find they are no match for what lies in wait for them. Essentially, it is a combat picture set in the future. It is visceral and has plenty of energy, succesfully manipulating the audience from protracted scenes of claustrophia and then steadily building the tension that culminates in unremitting tension in the finale. As a film sequel it could not replicate the novelty of the first film, but the marvellous craftsmanship adds a new form of distraction - better staging, better special effects, better props which confirm a graphic power. Sigourney Weaver is the best thing about the film with her natural air of authority and a maternal instinct that makes for an impressive 'battle of the females' idea.

A British-Polish film; A story about the commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp, Rudolf Höss, and his wife, Hedwig, who strive to build a dream life for their family. A film set at the edge between the effect of genocidal German government policy, and a bucolic German quotidian home life. The title refers to Interessengebiet, which the Nazis used to euphemistically name the restricted zone around Auschwitz. It is adapted from Martin Amis's novel, though the director conducted painstaking research into the family and used archival evidence and personal testimonies which made his depiction of Nazism all the more studied and precise. The formalist elements like staging and cinematography are vital for the substance of the films as much as for evocative power because the film has a formal tone. The controlling idea or theme was not to understand the horrific crime but to show ardour for an idyll by people complicit but uninterested in suffering; it was not about their ignorance but perhaps the "conscious approval based on racist and nationalist delusion". But there is little development in the permanent horror beyond the first 45mins with a glimmer of hope and humanity from scenes shown in inverse. Occasional aberrant behaviour in some of the minor characters is another break in the tone but this produces further tension. The director aims for an unassailable horror, that which quietly creeps up on us but is unshown, and it is effective, but after that and the detail of crimes, the audience begs an answer to the question of how Höss, a World War I soldier, could become Auschwitz-Höß. The switch in location to Oranienburg could have suggested a segue to the question, but nothing turned up. The coda sequence in modern day setting felt like an adjunct even if it absolved the director of any perceived flippancy. Nevertheless, it is a triumph of tonal and visual storytelling. The performances are excellent. The score, scoundscape and sound design are startling.

An American drama; A story about a flustered college student who visits the professor who failed her in one of her subjects. Confrontation leads to an escalation of a feud. This two-hander has an intriguing premise, if somewhat over-simplified. The effectiveness of its message, about social mores of a teacher-pupil relationship and the nature of learning, is thwarted by characters who begin to grate in their prolonged animosity and odious reasoning. The stagy dialogue descends to stilted delivery - possibly not the fault of the actors - but the director who failed to adapt the shooting script to produce a more natural sounding interaction. Nonetheless, the power struggle is arresting and the performances are adroit, with Macy and Eisenstadt well cast in their roles.

A British biopic; A story about Victorian songwriter Leslie Stuart who struggled to escape a life of poverty in Manchester to achieve international success in the early 1900s, before falling back into obscurity and hardship. This is a straightforward true story of rags-to-riches, handled with candour and humour. Robert Morley is a good embodiment of the naive, confident musicmaker and it's a delicate portrayal of the man who saw peaks and trough in fortunes and suffered the changes in his reputation. There is good support early on from Maurice Kelly as Young Tom Barrett the infant prodigy, and from Emlyn Williams as his loyal friend Bob Slater. The quaint and catchy Edwardian musical comedy tunes help to keep it bouncing along. But it is the film's final sequence that brings a special poignancy and a message that talent and good spirit never dies.

An Italian drama; A story about five young 'bullocks', callow at crucial points in their lives, dreaming of success as they drift lazily through life in a small coastal village. This is a character study about a womanizer, a fame-craver, a dreamer, a big-city lover, and an aspiring writer. It is an intelligent film with a message about provincial life from acute observation not just entertainment, providing authenticity about the gap between the characters' hopes and the reality they face. While it lacks unity in narrative, simultaneously it manages to be artful in form and evocative about real life. The performances are all good and it has a memorable musical score.

An American-British biopic thriller; A story about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, appointed to develop and design the atomic bomb. After his scientific team's work comes to fruition he faced the consequences of speaking truth to power. This is a character study of political history based on the biography, American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. It isn't an emotionally impacting drama but suspense is developed from the plot and its chronicling of true events and real people. A screenwriter has a prerogative to tell the story they want to tell - this one is how the main character is treated. Despite its meticulous, fact-based psychodrama it is a broad story. The theme is the contradictions inherent in human personality which can bear great burden for one and all, and how we cannot know truth with perfect accuracy, much like the uncertainty principle of physics. But as a representation of true events it shows so little examination of the shock of one having built the bomb that could destroy the world which begs the question how mass killings would have had an effect on Oppenheimer, which isn't answered. Also, it ignored the crucial roles British science and the Australian physicist Dr Mark Oliphant played in jump-starting the quest. A tour de force from Cillian Murphy who harnesses the anguish, guilt, gloom, and haughtiness of the title character in a layered performance. The optics captivate, which it must, and it haunts, as it should, given the enormity of real-life events and it is brilliant in showing how ambition and morality can end up in silos. Exposition was critical for the plot so great minds of the age who had varied involvement in the arms race were introduced. The first forty-five minutes worked hard with biographical detail. A hiatus in its accompanying musical score led the way for suspense to build to a gripping centrepiece sequence whereon the director's expertise in choreography was evident. Long feature films need to earn emotional engagement. The third hour's pacing with its long governmental hearings and political scrapping was dense. Overall, a bold film about a complicated legacy with many strong supporting performances. Strong visuals and brilliant sound design.

An American-Irish science fantasy; A story set in the distant future about an exterminator who finds a way into a community of bored immortals who preserve humanity's achievements but he is the only virile man and powerless against elitist hyper-intellectual women. Special effects, lush photography and creative ingenuity in stage design helped this film to be thought-provoking but there is a palpable sense it fell short in scope and ambition. The main theme - substitution of one's humanity for a life of intellect and the topic of immortality and its inherent problems was interesting. Nevertheless, the story suffered for handling too many systems of thought using characters that were not built out sufficiently; subjects raised, like eugenics, anthropology, artifical intelligence, are left unexplored yet were important to the story and this made dialogue occasionally sound recondite. Sean Connery is well cast - he embodied both the elemental aspects of Zed and the inquisitive aspects of his transformation. Charlotte Rampling as a haughty, sensual immortal performs well too.

An American comedy, western-northern adventure; A story set in 1901 about two prospectors who got rich in the Nome gold rush. One sets off for Seattle to find the other's fiancée, but surprise is in store for them. This is heartwarming slapstick traditionally conceived to deliver light humour with action. The spiced-up romantic sequences make it a little uneven, but John Wayne is adept in delivering the light comedy machismo, shining as the gold prospector. Stewart Granger is strong support as his wily counterpart. Ernie Kovacs provides some dry amusement. Hathaway directs it with a good pace and conducts an impressive bar-room brawl.

An American adventure romantic comedy; A story about a group of professional game catchers who find their lives changed when a woman photographer arrives at their big-game farm. This light-hearted safari romp is photographed beautifully in colour with its beautiful backdrop and wildlife on the plains of East Africa, along with some good action and fun, which is just as well because it is loosely scripted with a fairly plotless story. The film's appeal rests on the danger and spectacle of scenes which are real and filmed without a stuntman or special effects, chasing animals in jeeps and trucks and the pursuit of live, wild animals which were also untrained, living up to its title which means "danger" in Swahili. The trapping of animals may be a little heavy for viewers with heightened awareness of animal welfare but no shots were fired and it is an authentic document nonetheless of animals as seen in the wild. The action and adventure is a little raw and there is not much character development but John Wayne manages to be ruggedly entertaining to make some impact albeit competing for screen attention.

An American war film; A story about the events which occured during 6 June 1944 in Normandy, France, the huge task of preparing for D-Day. This film, a grand scale semi-fictionalized documentary of the greatest ever amphibious operation, Operation Neptune, does justice to the military undertaking with its scale and production. As an aside, as well as conveying the logistics needed for this incredible invasion, it takes meticulous care in showing the horror of the events. The composite picture of D-Day from multiple national viewpoints brings an authenticity. The power of the story carries through to the end of its long running time, avoiding gung ho and keeping occasional melodrama to a low ebb. However, it falls a little short of being resonant in the dramatic tension and dialogue was sparse which thwarted the promise of one great performance. This gave rise to the unfortunate impression that several marquee players were rolled out in a star identity parade.

An American Western adventure; A story set in 1830s about a New England farmer and his family who make an East-West crossing of America by way of rivers and plains, through conflict and in the midst of the Civil War, to the building of the railroad and encountering different characters along the way. This chronicle has great spectacle and scale, not least by its presentation in Cinerama, but is in effect a recap of Westerns hitherto and cannot boast anything new in style, and the writing is not so fresh. James Stewart and Gregory Peck help to establish the character drama with some helpful support by John Wayne, Henry Fonda and Richard Widmark. Hathaway, Marsh and Ford shouldered the directing responsiblities for their story phases, and they excelled, but without one person's clear vision it suffered from overemphasis of frenetic action, and an answer to the overall theme - see title for reference.

An American comedy Western; A story about a ranch owner whose estranged wife returns from the East Coast seeking a divorce and custody of their daughter. Based loosely on William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, it commemorates the tradition of the American frontier. The comedy is in a reprimand style with an abundance of slapstick mixed with screwball. It's sometimes rowdy, with occasional mild vulgarity for humour. John Wayne as the ageing, self-made man having to deal with a multitude of personal and professional problems will make broad appeal and his high spirits are congenial. It is a bit too long for its story even with its good pace. It gets a bit goofy and clichéd at times but the opulence and spectacle keep it watchable.

An American action adventure; A story about a transport plane which crash-lands in the icy wastes of northern Canada, and its captain who leads his crew in a fight for survival. This aviation story is based on a true story, and an account written by Ernest K. Gann. The film holds tension well with its effective picture of endurance and grim reality of being marooned in the wildlands. The black-and-white cinematography aided the atmosphere of the story. John Wayne is suitably heroic and his portrayal is regarded as believable and realistic based on the true story of the downed aircraft's captain. However, clichéd dialogue and drab character building cannot match the action's pictorial conviction for entertainment.

An American Western; A story about four sons who arrive in a Texas town for their mother's funeral and discover that their drunken father had gambled away the family ranch on the night he was killed so they decide to look into the killing, despite a warning from the sheriff. This is a drama which runs at a good pace, has a terrific plot and storyline, a musical score which fits the piece, and good performances all round, especially John Wayne. The drama is undemanding and traditional in the telling, but it is also unpretentious and lean and lets the pictures do the work. Tension comes from spiky dialogue.

An American drama; A story about an American soldier who in the late 1940s travelled to Israel to organise its armed forces. This film epic and biopic is based on the true story of American-born U. S. Colonel David "Mickey" Marcus enlisted by the Israelis to perform the difficult task of preparing their fledgling nation for battle during Israel's struggle for independence. It has a good production standard with a great musical score and superb photography. However, it falls short in getting down to the proper work of storytelling on the film's main theme and relies on flashbacks for exposition and superficial melodrama about a relationship. Pity, because Kirk Douglas was well cast and he portrays the adventurous soldier-of-fortune with distinction. John Wayne plays a composite character which hardly impacts the story.

An American drama; A story about a Viennese surgeon and his daughter, refugees in a small North Dakota town. When the winds of the Dust Bowl threaten they are led away from doom by a farmer leader to Oregon whence he falls in love with the daughter but their future together is complicated by her past. This film's first half is tightly scripted, a contempory tale of 1930s hardship and hostile environments, a celebration of the pioneer spirit. Then comes a theme about migration and scenes become shallow as the character stories fall away, then tension with anti-Nazi propaganda, then a love triangle. This busy progression gave the film an over-engineered feel and perhaps inevitably it led toward a mediocre end. It has good production design and it is photographed handsomely. The cast performed adequately well too. John Wayne has vigour in his part while Sigrid Gurie manages with her poorly written part, but they lacked chemistry.

An American comedy; A story about a mild-mannered advertising executive who finds life has added complications after he marries the glamorous model from his beer commercial. Diana Dors as a pouting beauty trying to rescue her marriage has to call on all her resources of charm and sparkle in physical performance because on paper this film doesn't work. She is matched up with George Gobel who failed to come up with enough robustness in his character to make the story of neglected wife stick. It was a hard task anyway because the script was weak, unfunny, and the direction even fails to make the distant signals of humour work, relying on narration to overfill the gaps. Only John Wayne, who shows up in cameo, produces a genuine laugh. Angie Dickinson gives a creditable contriibution, similarly, in brief appearance.

An American Western adventure; A story about U. S. Marshal Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn who is persuaded to come to the aid of a young girl to track down her father's killer in Indian's territory. This film odyssey is a faithful rendering of Charles Portis' novel; a fun Western with a moral message, though it has a cruel edge sometimes with its scenes of gore and violence. Moments of tension come through brinksmanship and palpable vulnerability of the characters and the exploits make it a thrilling cinematic movie - delightful and joyous. Glen Campbell is a touch light in presence for a tough Texas Ranger but Kim Darby's young Arkansas girl is a delight, far from a stock character playing cute and vulnerable. John Wayne's performance as the anti-hero is brilliant. The counterpoint, the art of contrasting his expressions as a cantankerous drunk, fat, one-eyed, old rascal with a heart of gold with the man who needs to be capable of vengeance-against-the-odds is captivating. The film has good location work and a terrific final sequence.

A British action thriller; A story about an American police detective sent to London to bring back a criminal who jumped bail, but he gets into conflict with the British police. This fish-out-of-water crime drama is lively and carried by the charisma and natural force of John Wayne but it is an unremarkable crime caper, a humdrum potboiler of oversimplification. It has good action and the backdrop of London locatons is interesting but its structure is essentially a Western with associated mythical figure: outoftown gunslinger comes to the aid of a Scotland Yard sheriff, and for an outlaw American mob boss. But, the lead character's he-man antics don't belong to modern day Chicago never mind Britain. As an aside, there are similarities with the film Coogan's Bluff, but also the film Dirty Harry, as Wayne's character struggles with the restrained policing style of his British counterparts, and even similar shots of its film sequel, Magnum Force, with a closeup of a revolver in the credit sequence.

An American sci-fi action thriller; A story about a humanoid who undertakes an exploratory space mission to pay for his ailing daughter's medical bills and crash lands on a mysterious planet to discover he's not alone. Although it is derivative as a survivalist film, Adam Driver's physicality and warmth and Ariana Greenblatt's vulnerability makes it tick over very easily. That said, the two lead characters were a little underwritten. While the creature feature moments were rendered well, they were predictable and familiar, especially to viewers familiar with the abundance of prehistoric themed action thrillers.

A German war action drama; A story about a young German soldier's terrifying experiences and distress on the Western Front during World War I. With a theme on War is hell, this adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's German novel establishes an antiwar message effectively and in a gruesome way. It stages the battle scenes and scenes of horror with an intimacy which seeks maximum impact though it is at the expense of character development. It attempts to heighten the sense of a generation tragically lost, the moments of comradeship and small moments of beauty but without adding anything new. As an adaptation of Remarque's novel it is very accomplished but it is very conscious of its budget and material with sweeping camerawork and digital mastery that occasionally draws attention to itself. As an aside, the original film All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) had a superior narrative in the way it carefully built up the contrast between the soldier expectations and the reality of what they then encountered when arriving at the battle.

A British drama; A story about a young ex-con who chases her dreams to become a country music star while struggling with her responsibilities as a young mother and the approval of a skeptical mother. This is a touching musical drama which features a very good performance from Jessie Buckley who is utterly convincing as the songstress with a soul-shaking voice, a woman of Glasgow grit and confident swagger. The film has a slightly misleading title as the lead character is a product of past life choices rather than wayward or wild behaviour. The music and singing, some of it original and written for the screen, provided some delightful moments. But there is not enough backstory to the lead character which probably explains an excess of swearing which was beyond an expression or strong emotion. The director hung sentimentality on many of the predictable scenes, though the story does resolve with purpose, even if a little rushed towards a resolution. As an aside, a minority of reviewers and critics expressed that the "Rose-Lynn" was unlikeable. Rose-Lynn behaves stupidly and has flaws, palpably so, but, there is a kernel of hope and ambition to her which she is driven to follow, or exorcise. That is nothing to do with how virtuous or good she was supposed to be in the eyes of the viewer, which the filmmaker cannot control. She faces her dream - the cradle of country music - which is her own reckoning. A good mother would always want to see her daughter have some respite from the grind of life. That was the heartwarming moment. Not the girl and her dream. The mother.