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Atlantique (2019)
Excellent subtle and original ghost story.
The film commences in (fly-on-the-wall) documentary style with a shaky handheld camera and long takes, allowing you to feel fully immersed before being taken by surprise at the sudden turn towards the surreal and paranormal. The acting from the whole cast is naturalistic and well performed with the troubled Ada and Souleiman showing their anguish through long silent takes, leaving us time to ponder on their thoughts and feelings. The cinematography is gorgeous, it's not easy to make the handheld 'documentary style' camerawork look aesthetically pleasing but it's pulled off effortlessly and the gloomy low-key lighting throughout the film sets the tone perfectly. The scene where Ada and Souleymane are reunited and spend the night together is so hauntingly beautiful and ethereal, and the mirror shots are impressive.
Despite the film featuring surreal and paranormal elements, it also has very present social realism aspect to it, exposing the corruption and lack of opportunity in many African countries that drives people to take desperate measures to search for a better quality of life. I'm impressed by this film, I love the fine line it treads between realism and surrealism and the overall haunting, ethereal tone.
Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966)
Iconic movie, flawed film.
The film's premise is simple and the characters are pretty one sided, although it's interesting that even the supposed 'Good', kills without thought and is driven by greed just as much as the other two; displaying that there was no real 'good' in the time of the Wild West. 'The Ugly' has the most screen time and we even see some of his backstory which makes you somewhat sympathetic towards
the character, who is only there for comedic effect.
The dubbing on this film is so horrendous I almost feel like they did it on purpose for comedic value; it distracted me for the first hour until I slowly just accepted it. There are scenes in this film that don't add much to the actual story and just act as filler to fulfil the film's narrative arc, but are nether the less entertaining.
On the other hand, Ennio Morricone's score is breathtaking and a strong contender for the best film score ever. The cinematography is generally smooth and beautiful despite a few close shots that are an inch or so out of focus. Clint Eastwood's 'Good', despite being a completely one dimensional character, is effortlessly cool and perfectly cast, and Lee Van Cleef's 'The Bad' sends a shiver down your spine. The film has a iconic conclusion with a 5 minute stare down, allowing Morricone's score to build in a crescendo. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly deserves it's place as a classic, I just wish the dubbing wasn't so awful.
Landscapers (2021)
Hazy, nostalgic, experimental UK true crime programme.
Landscapers is very experimental, with many things changing during short spaces of time such as the camera type, lenses, colour grade, aspect ratio, breaking the 4th wall, etc. During the first episode I thought it was a bit, 'style over substance' and a bit too creepy/bizarre for what i was after that night, but after continuing through to episodes 2-4 and seeing the quite powerful ending I have changed my mind on this series. I like how unhinged the editing style it is on one hand, but also it can get a bit distracting, however I suppose it serves its purpose in showing us the many ways (Colman) Susan's mind copes and wonders. Thewlis and Colman act out the roles of Chris and Susan in such a convincingly spooky way, but I feel the overall plot arch of the programme didn't feel quite right.
I found it fascinating watching the power dynamic and behaviours of the married couple. I really liked the bit at the end, when Susan, in her child-like, cowboy dream-world is left by Chris after being shot in the arm. I loved the symbolism in that scene, showing how due to her untreated childhood trauma, she could never leave her childhood world behind and relied on her husband to look after her almost like a father, but he let her down once again. I really felt for Susan in that moment, constantly let down by all the men in her life and having to deal with the consequences of the patriarchal pressures that weighed heavily on her mum (not feeling able to confront the father about his horrific actions)...
Decent series, very interesting with lots of techniques and clever tricks, but overall felt a little convoluted and didn't quite come together as well as it could have...
Boîte noire (2021)
A dark, cerebral technological thriller
After the opening 20 seconds I realised I should probably not watch this film, as it opens with a plane crash and I leave for Spain in a week. Luckily the plane sequences weren't too graphic and my paranoia will hopefully only be minimal on that flight to España.
Pierre Niney (Mathieu) is excellent, playing a troubled, introverted young professional, trying to climb the ladder in a company that deals with aviation industry problems and crashes. He is incredibly perceptive and has keen hearing, Mathieu suspects something else is behind the crash of the plane from Dubai to Paris and slowly but surely uncovers the mystery, swimming against the tide of corrupt officials in his organisation.
The cinematography is silky smooth, the dialogue is quality and the suspense builds like that of a classic Hitchcock film. Very immersive thriller and provides insight into the corruption that can easily be hidden in bureaucracy and the dangers of a rapidly technologically advancing society.
Boiling Point (2021)
Realistic, gripping and innovative thriller
When I was told this film was shot in just one take, features Steven Graham and is shot and set in the area I grew up in, I knew I had to watch it; and I wasn't disappointed.
Having worked in similar places myself in the area, watching the film brought back the same tense, frantic feelings I felt on packed evenings at work. The performances, choreography, script and casting are all spot on in this film, and the fact it's shot in 'one take' immerses you entirely. There is no room to breathe and constantly following the characters pulls you in and gives you the same sense of claustrophobia they are feeling. I felt the scene near the beginning with the racist bald man was a bit on the nose but I suppose it serves its purpose, illustrating the more subtle ways racism and prejudice rears its ugly head in modern society.
Boiling Point highlights perfectly how reprehensible and brutal it can be to have people working for (around) minimum wage in such high stress environments, and shows first-hand, the toll working in these environments as a career can have on you through Steven Graham's character. I hope the film serves as a detailed and intimate view into the lives of regular people who do these jobs to get by, all across the world and makes everybody think twice about the way they treat staff in these industries.
People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan (2021)
Dripping in ironic British comedy
I loved the commentaries on Brits going abroad and doing things they would do back home, which is comical in itself; and also how big labels in the music industry can exert their power over smaller artists and coerce them into doing things they may not have originally wanted to. If you're a fan of People Just Do Nothing or the mockumentary genre as a whole, then I'd recommend giving this film a watch as it provides those moments of cringe-humour and it's great to see the characters of the show in a completely different setting to their usual Brentford estate. Honestly, a fun film that provided some much needed escapism.
Gangs of New York (2002)
Entertaining but half-baked film...
Daniel Day-Lewis' performance carries this film. Despite the film creating a visually interesting world, poor practical effects, lacklustre editing, camp acting and an underwhelming plot structure makes this one Scorsese film I won't be going back to watch again.
Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom (2015)
An excellent, gritty documentary, much respect to the Ukrainian people.
This documentary shows the lengths that people will go to fight for their freedom and to fight oppression. The editing was very well done and the graphics as the people marched towards the parliament building was class too. The only thing I think they were potentially missing would be an interview with one or more ex Berkut soldiers.
Powerful, moving, inspiring. Courage to the Ukrainian people in their ongoing fight for freedom.
Citizen Kane (1941)
Classic & must watch for anyone interested in films or film-making
An excellent plot, compelling characters, ground breaking cinematography and top quality acting are just a few of the facets that bring this classic film together. There's are so many layers to this film! For example; the last thing Kane says before he dies is Rosebud. Rosebud, his sledge we see at the beginning of the film, is the last thing he possessed before inheriting a vast amount of wealth. 'He knew the price of everything, but the value of nothing' - Oscar Wilde's famous quote goes. This film is just as important now as it every was, we see shades of the Jeff Bezos', Donald Trumps, and the Rupert Murdochs of the world.
Citizen Kane (1941)
Classic & must watch for anyone interested in films or film-making
An excellent plot, compelling characters, ground breaking cinematography and top quality acting are just a few of the facets that bring this classic film together. There's are so many layers to this film! For example; the last thing Kane says before he dies is Rosebud. Rosebud, his sledge we see at the beginning of the film, is the last thing he possessed before inheriting a vast amount of wealth. 'He knew the price of everything, but the value of nothing' - Oscar Wilde's famous quote goes. This film is just as important now as it every was, we see shades of the Jeff Bezos', Donald Trumps, and the Rupert Murdochs of the world.
The Rock (1996)
Far from Connery or Cage's best work.
I would liken this film to eating a Big Mac, all cheese, and no substance of any value. So many things are wrong with this film that it would take an essay to go over them all. That being said, it was at least a bit entertaining although I found myself laughing through most of the 'serious' moments and scenes. Unfortunately it was one of those situations where you're laughing at the film rather than with it.