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Reviews
Greedy People (2024)
Solid & surprisingly dark small town dramedy that starts too light & silly
In surprisingly dark (ultimately) small-town crime dramedy "Greedy People" a sleepy US island community's new cop Himesh Patel accidentally kills a lady... sparking a twisty tale involving $1m, Patel's wife Lily James, his brash partner Joseph Gordon-Levitt (over-doing it), their boss Uzo Aduba, the victim's hubbie Tim Blake Nelson, her masseuse Simon Rex, hit-men Jim Gaffigan (cameo) & José María Yazpik, and even (briefly) Joey Lauren Adams & Traci Lords. Director Potsy Ponciroli struggles with tone, but Mike Vikadinovich's first solo screenplay ultimately brings it all decently home (after starting too light & silly). It's yet another solid genre entry.
Fresh (1994)
Good, gritty, tough inner-city drama with implausible twists
In gritty 1994 inner-city drama "Fresh" titular 12yr old up & coming street hood Sean Nelson runs smack for Giancarlo Esposito and crack for Ron Brice, but - secretly hates the life (with good reason - a couple of the more powerful scenes are hard to watch) and the tough chess lessons that dad Samuel L Jackson give him (despite a no contact order) inspire him to big moves in real life, not just on the board. Despite how implausibly it all goes down, and Jackson's role being far too minor (considering what a star he was even then) writer Boaz Yakin's directorial debut stands up decently after 30yrs, and it's no great surprise that he went on to have a long, decent and ongoing career.
Fresh (2022)
Disasterously dire psychological-thriller that plays more like a cheap, nasty horror. Terrible.
In dire psychological-thriller "Fresh" unhappily single Daisy Edgar-Jones (poor again) is whisked off her feet by 'too good to be true' (ya think?!) Dr Sebastian Stan (fine actor - wasted here) who takes her away on a trip (despite red flags & the concerns of her bff Jojo T Gibbs (the best of a bad bunch here))... then the opening credits roll (after 33mins - interesting) and the whole sorry affair collapses into the story & characters of a pathetic, cheap, nasty horror flick. First-time director Mimi Cave & second-time writer Lauryn Kahn totally poop the bed on this one, getting so much so wrong with tone, gaping plot holes, etc that it is a disaster, a distatefully rancid turd... flush it away.
The Union (2024)
Light, silly & forgettable actioner that's still watchably bright, polished & fun
Marky Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry & JK Simmons have all dipped from their brilliant best of late, but in light actioner "The Union" they all relax to good effect. New Jersey blue-collar Wahlberg gets pulled by ex-gf Berry into her titular secret London-based US govt agency (with the likes of Jackie Earle Haley - all under Simmons) to help stop mastermind criminals selling deadly secrets to international baddies like Russia & Iran. Joe Barton's screenplay is silly (and full of little holes) but director Julian Farino, his cast, & the global locations give enough bright polish to make it fun & entertaining. While pretty forgettable, it's still certainly watchable. Fair dinkum.
Ravenous (1999)
Bloody, macabre, twisy yet dragging period actioner that's not worth reaching back 25 years for
In 1999's 1843-based bloody & macabre actioner "Ravenous" US Army Captain Guy Pearce (more restrained than usual) is assigned to a remote California fort (with the likes of David Arquette & Neal McDonough - all under Colonel Jeffrey Jones) where half-dead stranger Robert Carlyle arrives with a gruesome tale of cannabalism from the nearby mountains. On investigating his claims a whole new level of horror is unveiled... and that's just the start of it. The debut screenplay of Ted Griffin (who'd later write "Ocean's Eleven") twists yet drags, and isn't particularly helped by journeyman director Antonia Bird. It's a quirky film, but not one worth reaching back 25 years for.
Jackpot! (2024)
Low-brow comedy so dumb that it wastes the fine talent involved
John Cena is Hollywood's funniest man, but his films can be rather low-brow... though none as deliberately low-brow as dystopian action-comedy "Jackpot". The premise of Rob Yescombe's first solo screenplay is that in 2030 anyone killing the California lottery winner on the day of their win gets the booty. Awkwafina (another funny talent) wins, so everyone in LA's out to kill her except professional protectors Cena & Simu Liu (or ARE they?!). Cue low-budget fight scenes, various cameos (inc Sean William Scott & Machine Gun Kelly), and some fun lines. Director Paul Feig is notoriously up / down... and though this one has its giggles it's so dumb it's a down. Flush it.
Lowlife (2017)
Superbly dark, brash, clever & violent, mainly thru its brilliant writing
Through its five first-time writers (inc Ryan Prows - also on his directorial debut) 2017's superb "Lowlife" blends three gritty stories in dark, brash, clever & violent style. Ashamed to work for scum mobster Mark Burnham, killer Ricardo Adam Zarate still yearns to pass on his luchador legacy to his son that Santana Dempsey carries. Struggling motel owner Nicki Micheaux needs Burnham & Dempsey to save her dying husband's life. Shane Ogbonna (another co-writer btw) has ex-con Jon Oswald help him after crossing Burnham. With low budget & relatively unknown cast / crew it STILL excels. Prows hasn't made another full film since... but hopefully he will.
Twisters (2024)
Blockbuster natural disaster thriller that's 90% stunning effects and 10% lame guff
Like 1996's "Twister" that it sequels / homages, 90% of the appeal of blockbuster natural disaster thriller "Twisters" is its epic visual effects, with all else being just guff - and that's ok, as director Lee Isaac Chung's set pieces are so amazing they more than make up for accomplished writer Mark L Smith's screenplay being so forgettably weak. Nerdy Daisy Edgar-Jones (over-actress) & gung-ho Glen Powell (2024's breakout star) chase tornados with their teams & support (inc Edgar-Jones' mum Maura Tierney) across Oklahoma... where they may just conquer the beasts forever AND fall in love - but so what, as this one is ALL about those WILD storms, right?
Widow Clicquot (2023)
Relatively dry but well performed period drama that will be of particular interest to wine enthusiasts
Relatively dry period drama "Widow Clicquot" is the true story of how in the late 16th century the titular Barbe Nicole Clicquot (rising star Haley Bennett - excellent) inherited the Clicquot vineyards of Champagne from crazy genius husband Tom Sturridge, and with steely determination (and the support of Sam Riley) fought off largely chauvinistic pressure from those around her (including Ben Miles & Paul Rhys) AND oppressive Napoleonic laws, to forge a legacy living on today through Veuve Clicquot. Thomas Napper directs solidly, and Erin Dignam's screenplay (cut with flashbacks) is interesting, tho perhaps only REALLY interesting to wine enthusiasts.
The Instigators (2024)
Superbly cast, entertaining, jaunty, polished blockbuster buddy heist caper
In superbly cast blockbuster buddy heist caper "The Instigators" stoic Matt Damon & carefree Casey Affleck are mis-matched strangers hired (by Michael Stuhlbarg (terrific) with Alfred Molina) to rob Boston's crooked mayor Ron Perlman (with lawyer Toby Jones) - but when things go badly wrong the duo are forced on the run (assisted by Damon's shrink Hong Chau) from the likes of Paul Walter Hauser (underused) & Ving Rhames. Director Doug Liman applies the requisite polish, and the screenplay from Affleck & debutant Chuck MacLean keeps events moving at a jaunty pace. It's not world-beating or world-changing, but it sure is entertaining. Recommended.
Treasure (2024)
Noble but dark & sombre father / daughter true-tale drama
In 'inspired by truth' father / daughter drama "Treasure" 36 yr old Jewish New Yorker Lena Dunham visits Poland (in 1991) with dad Stephen Fry (not good - largely due to his effected accent) to see where he grew up before WWII, when he & his business-owning family were displaced from their home to the Auschwitz death camp... a past he's always been reluctant to discuss with her. Director / co-writer (with John Quester) Julia von Heinz keeps her first English-language movie as light as possible, but obviously the subject matter is dark & sombre. It's a noble film, on a subject all should be educated on... but it sure isn't easy 'feel good' viewing.
The Runner (2015)
Morose & melodramatic political drama wasting fine acting talent
Writer / director Austin Stark likes good actors to play lame, dislikeable characters in underwhelming socio-political dramas. Before co-helming period dud "Coup" his 2015 debut "The Runner" was even worse, wasting the talents of Nicholas Cage & Sarah Paulson (!). Caught in an affair, upcoming Louisiana politician Cage resigns (as advised by his team inc Paulson), loses wife Connie Nielsen, & hits the sauce (following alcoholic politician dad Peter Fonda)... but thru it all might a political comeback be on? Being so morose & melodramatic in tone though, nobody watching is even likely to care. Stark sadly is not one to watch... but they cannot all be Ti West, right?
The Dead Don't Hurt (2023)
Well performed, authentic feeling, but miserably downbeat & relentlessly dreary Western
In miserably downbeat western "The Dead Don't Hurt" pioneers Viggo Mortensen & Vicky Krieps set up modest home just outside a small California mining town where Danny Huston & Garrett Dillahunt are mayor & local business big-wig respectively. But when Mortensen goes off to fight in the Civil War, Dillahunt's psycho son Solly McLeod takes a shine to Krieps... and things get dark. All performances are terrific (especially McLeod) and it has an authentic feel, but its relentless dreariness (right through the final credits) make this one a tough 2hrs+. Mortensen's second movie as writer / director probably won't have many scrambling to check out his first. Bleak fare indeed.
Coup! (2023)
Jaunty but mediocre class-war drama with wholly dislikeable characters
Jaunty class-war drama "Coup" has a decent premise & good performances, but its main characters are all so dislikable that it fails to hold attention. As the 1918 Spanish Flu bites, well-to-do journo Billy Magnussen secretly flees with wife Sarah Gadon & kids to his island country estate, pretending to still be in NY as he lambasts the govt to fuel his own political ambitions... til mysterious new chef Peter Sarsgaard stokes ill-feeling among his staff & family, as the 'plague' starts to grip the island, and the poop hits Magnussen's fan. Co-writers / co-directors Austin Stark & debutant Joseph Schuman offer an interesting analogy... but it just isn't interesting nor engaging enough.
The Recruit (2003)
Unsatisfyingly tired & predictable thriller despite its Hollywood qualities
With its polished production qualities (under director Roger Donaldson) and starring Colin Farrell (in his Cruise-esque youth) & the great Al Pacino, 2003 thriller "The Recruit" shoulda been a gleaming Hollywood blockbuster... but it actually aged as a rather tired disappointment. Wily ol' Pacino recruits bright brash Farrell into the CIA (along with the likes of Bridget Moynahan (meh))... but where does training end & reality start? Who's really good vs bad? Etc. Despite the 'twists' in Robert Towne, Kurt Wimmer & Mitch Glazer's screenplay it all seems unsatisfyingly predictable. For better movies in similar veins try "No Way Out" or even "Snowden" instead.
MaXXXine (2024)
Outstandingly bright, brash, stylish, fast, sharp & brilliantly done trilogy conclusion
After gory but fun thriller "X" (and its terrific prequel "Pearl") Mia Goth (excellent - what an actress) is now in 1985 Hollywood in "Maxxxine", close to breaking from porn into mainstream cinema (via director Elizabeth Debicki) - but a sinister figure who knows her role in "X" comes crashing in via seedy private dick Kevin Bacon (great) and a series of brutal murders that unlike the press cops Bobby Cannavale & Michelle Monaghan don't think are the work of The Night Stalker terrorising LA. With a banging soundtrack it is bright, brash, stylish, fast, sharp & BRILLIANTLY done. It is a more than fitting finale to superb writer / director Ti West's fine trilogy. It is OUTSTANDING.
Daddio (2023)
Impressive two-person drama (only showing cracks of schmaltz at the end)
Two-person drama casts don't come better than Dakota Johnson & Sean Penn, and "Daddio" certainly benefits from that. She's a passenger landing one evening at NY's JFK airport, getting a ride home to Midtown Manhattan in his cab. Shot entirely (almost) in the cab, with no more 'action' than them talking (and her texting), it relies heavily on their performances and the screenplay from debut writer / director Christy Hall - which all stand up, right til cracks of overdone schmaltz appear at the weak ending. So it doesn't quite match the best of such films (like "Locke", "Buried" & "Macolm & Marie") but is still highly impressive. Props go out to Hall, Johnson, and Penn.
Breakdown (1997)
Full-on 'him vs them' slightly dated thriller - similar but different to "Last Seen Alive"
The recent "Last Seen Alive" was like 1997 thriller "Breakdown" with (spoiler alert) middle-class lead losing wife in the US outback to nasty local baddies - but "Last Seen Alive" was more tense & drawn out, while "Breakdown" (with Kurt Russell the lead & JT Walsh the perfect baddie) is more a straight full-on 'him vs them' ass-kick (with Russell quickly learning that Walsh DID kidnap wifey, then spending 80% of the film out to rescue her). Jonathan Mostow co-wrote the latter with Sam Montgomery simplistically, but directed it with some punch (dated tho it is today). "Breakdown" is similar yet different to "Last Seen Alive"... but ultimately is no better nor worse.
Asleep in My Palm (2023)
Modest but excellently done character drama with terrific performances & writing
In modest but excellently done character drama "Asleep In My Palm" bright but troubled US Army veteran Tim Blake Nelson lives on the outskirts of society with 16yr old daughter Chloë Kerwin, eeking a feral existence through petty crime (with the likes of Jared Abrahamson) while educating her on his life philopsophy. In his debut as writer and director Nelson's son Henry Nelson elicits outstanding performances from the three aforementioneds (and support players like Grant Harvey) while writing with intelligence, twist & punch. It may not be one for the adrenaline junkies but this is a terrific film. Props indeed to all involved, but especially to The Nelsons.
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
Solid apocalyptic sci-fi thriller that coulda been so much better
In apocalyptic sci-fi thriller "A Quiet Place: Day One" (prequel to the 'A Quiet Place' duo) terminally ill Lupita Nyong'o (good - as ever) is stuck in Manhattan with her cat (!) & her nurse Alex Wolff (and stranger Djimon Hounsou (cameo only - sadly)) as the aliens from the originals first invade. The different tone here than in those originals is reflected in it having franchise newcomer Michael Sarnoski write & direct (following up his fine debut "Pig") and he did excellently in parts, ratcheting tension really well, but let himself down with that stupidly implausible cat and sluggish interludes near the end. It's solid (esp for sci-fi fans) but it coulda been so much better.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)
Unnecessary tiresome sequel marking the premature return of Will Smith
'Bad Boys' is the latest comic actioner franchise based on a blockbuster from the last millennium to stretch into 2024 via a new sequel - but it shouldn't have, not least as "Bad Boys: Ride Or Die" is the first film Will Smith's made since 'the slap'. He & Martin Lawrence are again the titular Miami cops, this time out to exonerate dead boss Joe Pantoliano from corruption allegations. Returning Adil El Arbi & Billall Fallah co-direct brightly, but the screenplay from returning co-writer Chris Bremner (this time with Will Beall) is uninspired & badly hole-filled... AND it stars Smith (as well as similarly tiresome Tiffany Haddish & DJ Khalid cameos). Nah, there was no need for this one.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
Good fun, well cast comic sci-fi actioner... that's unexceptional in the 'Ghostbusters' franchise
Comic sci-fi actioner "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" sequels 2021's "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" (also written by Gil Kenan & Jason Reitman (the former taking directing duties from the latter this time)) which sequelled the franchise's first two 1980s films (ignore the dire 2016 remake btw). Here the newbies of Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, McKenna Grace & Finn Wolfhard are again supported (in NY this time) by OGs Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson & Annie Potts (and now William Atherton) with the likes of Kumail Najiani (terrific) & Patton Oswalt adding new blood. All that talent make this one good fun... if wholly unexceptional compared to the others.
The Wild One (1953)
Historic punchy drama - a must-see (especially to give "The Bikeriders" proper context)
Punchy drama "The Wild One" is still iconic 70+ yrs after its 1953 release... due mainly to it's rebel tone & Marlon Brando's classic performance. He leads a weekend motorcycle gang (way before Hells Angels et al existed btw) cruising on their bikes after fun & trouble... as found in Mary Murphy & Robert Keith's small-town, especially when Lee Marvin's gang rolls in too. The experienced writer (John Paxton) & director (Laslo Benedict) knew the effect they'd have, despite their amusing upfront statement that the film is a warning to heed - when really (as noted in "The Bikeriders") its coolness inspired a huge UPSURGE of biker culture and the like. It is an historic must-see movie.
Young Woman and the Sea (2024)
A fine & inspiring (especially to girls) true tale sporting drama
Director Joachim Rønning's sporting drama "Young Woman And The Sea" is the true tale of NY's Trudy Ederle (Daisy Ridley - terrific again) who after serious childhood illness took up swimming, medalling at the 1924 Olympics before in 1926 swimming the 'impossible' English Channel. She's supported by family (inc Tilda Cobham-Hervey) & the likes of Stephen Graham, but chauvinists like Christopher Eccleston (great actor) & Glenn Fleshler oppose her. Written for Disney by Jeff Nathanson ("The Lion King" writer) it lacks the grit of the similarly themed "Nyad" but is more digestible & family friendly (despite being over 2 hrs long). A fine & inspiring film (esp to girls).
Find Me Falling (2024)
Forgettably light romantic melodrama for Hallmark fans only
In forgettably light romantic melodrama "Find Me Falling" rock / pop star Harry Connick Jr (whose moment of cinematic fame faded decades back btw) ducks from his faltering career by buying a house in a small Greek Cypriot coastal town... but there's more to that move than meets the eye. Cue a little saga involving local doc Agni Scott, young singer Ali Funiko Whitney, and their extended tight-knit network of family & friends (like Scott's sis Lea Maleni & cop Tony Demetriou). Stelana Kliris' second film as writer / director is inoffensive and is set in Cyprus (a pleasant difference from the norm) yet still only hardened Hallmark slush-flick fans will have real reason to watch it.