donmurray29

Giving this an 7.5/10 rating

Superior drama with some very great acting form Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve and Adam Pearson, and big thanks also to writer / director Aaron Schimberg, for this very thoughtful, twisted drama which really dives deep into the mind and beauty, and just how things can get out of control.

As the title says, when opportunity rears it's head for Sebastian Stan's deformed character, he goes under a life changing offer that very much is the start of big things to come, good and very, very bad. Just what is real and who are you? Questions that run deep and true as the film twists into a thriller type genre, or you could even say, horror.

With poor old 'Joker- Folie à Deux' getting destroyed, you are better off seeing this. A film that will push you out of your comfort zone, in a good way, leading to a great deal discussions. Could see awards coming for this in many categories with Stan and many others, up and ready for it. Creepy, strange but easy to follow, this is great cinema.

Giving this an 8/10 rating

Best Transformers of a long while, and animated one for a long time, plenty of stuff on TV, but this sets a new standard now, mainly thanks to ILM doing the animation, it just looks amazing, and with the strong narrative and cast, it works, works brilliantly.

The humble beginnings of Megatron and Optimus Prime are covered and brought with flair by Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry, almost a comedy act of sorts, but a duo that works and they play of each other thanks to the well written interlay of all the cast, Scarlett Johansson is the straight and sensible one, and it works.

All set on the home world of Cybertron, so no humans here, so it's the sound of metal, all the way through. You can see how the drama is very much based on our own conflicts with the lies and power games that permeate our history, more current conflicts perhaps. Cybertron does look lovely and alive, and you see how it works, the Primes of old are the key of this all, and the whole film has had much love put into it.

The animation is nothing short of amazing, thanks to ILM and will hold up for a long time coming, and people will be doing a second watch of this.

Giving this an 8/10 rating

Nutty film about about a skilled guitar playing girl, who is not good with making friends at school, but wants to fit in and soon joins a four piece band, each have their own traits and quirks, which really do make this film worth the watch.

The Rock music and the cast really draw you in, as they are well written, well acted and great rock music too, which all adds up to a great films, which even with the run time which is long, is not time wasted, plenty of laughs from the main character- who has the nickname- 'Bocchi'.

The band gets together and makes it mark very slowly as the film, revealing each band member motives and emotions, and we see family life, mostly from Bocchi, with some truly wacky visual effects. Not anything here is boring, very mad, yes, in an entertaining, Japanese, way.

Good fun had here if you make the trip to the cinema for this animation from Japan, like 'Blue Giant', another musical animation that came out earlier this year, it's a musical jem.

Giving this an 8/10 rating

This film is Super fun and charming, just like "DragonKeeper' try and watch the original language version or catch the UK English dub with voices of Alisha Weir, Gemma Arterton, Sean Bean and Stephen Graham and the rest, as the do a bang up top job of it.

Not a boring moment in this film, with so much adventure going on, it packed to the rail road with action and laughs, and the kids are just great, and the look and character designs just simply work, a real wacky Lee Van Cliff looking one here too.

From start to finish, you will be finding joy and it does not mess about either, no preachy message here, just some quite wacky stunts, mostly from the wheelchair action, even the villains are well likeable and done well. Do not miss this film, I am going to see this again. Spanish animated films are doing really good things and have been for the past years now, Warner Bros have got into a good thing with these collaborations, and are up there with Disney, Dreamworks and Illumination, this film really needs to be a hit and we can see a lot more good cinema like this.

Go see this film and support good animation and good films.

Giving this an 7/10 rating

This film is 'One flew over the Cuckoos Nest' in it's inspiration, just like 'Joker' was 'King of Comedy'. I can see why the reviews have been not good for this film, Seems like a lot of disappointment going around for this, but my view is this, it's still an good film, but it has lost it's edge compared to the first one, and with Lady Gaga and the music and the locations, it is a very different film, which it had to be.

Everything is good, Gaga is really remarkable and you she really does shine and without her, this would of been a below par film, as the plot is a bit weak, not as sharp as the last film, but the work on screen is very good, and I can see why Joaquin came back to do it, it's not the first film, not a rehash.

The music brings fun and some visual splendour and trickery are littered throughout the film, and the violence is there, not as much as before. A damaged film, but not as bad as the reviews make it out to be.

Giving this an 7/10 rating

Sci-fi fable set in a New York which is Rome of a future and the rich are Roman Demi- gods whose power is wealth and corruption, not magic, but in steps one man who has a power not of money, and decides to use it for good. That is the story of this film.

Coppola, juxtaposes the politics of past and the politics of the now, and humans troubles and projects them, how media really plays on our perceptions and just how easy it is for evil and the corrupt, play on us humans, and it is troubling as nothing then has changed, and nothing has changed now. Coppola uses his extensive film knowledge and life experience to put his version of his message across, and that is, change is needed and the crap we are all in.

The film is visually brilliant, the story is quite mad, and I understand why this has gone over peoples heads and has a low score, it's how we are, and the bad situation we are in, it hurts, no matter how it's told. But the film works, the madness of it all is necessary, as are the way it's told orally and visually. And it's not boring at all, it is shocking, and one scene is nothing short of it, but you can see it coming.

Adam Driver really does the role justice and Aubrey Plaza and Shia LaBeouf are the real mad ones,, Nathalie Emmanuuel is the one who is kind of the 'US' character. The run time goes by, and I bet this was cut short, so there was more to this, which could make even more sense.

A messy film, but still good, not a classic, but a cult following for this would not surprise me.

Giving this an 8/10 rating

From start to finish, this film is tough, beautiful and gripping, all thanks to everyone who worked on this film, Saoirse Ronan in nothing short of excellent, her acting is spot on and just keeps you glued to the screen. The role was not an easy one, but, the challenge to take on a character like this, must of been too much to pass by, and rightly so I am glad she took it on.

Nora Fingsheidt brings us a horrid and also calm world view of an alcoholic, and the ups and downs, the dark side of the addiction, the damage which is brutal, and the backdrop of London and Scotland, life is tough. But there is such beauty in the landscape, more over the Orkney Islands in Scotland.

The script by Amy Liptrot, based on her novel, is raw and does not gloss over things at all, Nora Fingsheidt and Daisy Lewis also how their own on writing duty, and is well held together by cracking acting by Ronan, Stephen Dillane, Saskia Reeves and Papa Essiedu. This film is another that was much better than I hoped for, a proper index Brit film gem. You have to invest quite a bit of yourself for this one.

Giving this an 8/10 rating

First off, try and watch the sub version which is Chinese, then the UK English dub, which I saw, has very good voice acting, with Bill Nighy and others, then you will have fun with this. I had a fun time with this Chinese/Spanish production about ancient China, dragons and Necromancers, and lots of magic.

It does look really colourful on a the big cinema screen, where I saw it, and the kids in the audience, here in London, did like it. I see low ratings because of the horrid American dub I fear, so I guess we got it lucky with our English dub, which really is good. The look really is Chinese for sure, and the main lead- the little girl named 'Ping' was to me, likeable more and more, once it got further into the film.

The themes are quite dark in places, but the dragons are great, and the style is good on the eye, some good humor too. I sat down and let it the beautiful visuals take me away. The version I watched was very wide, so there maybe an IMAX of this floating about. But really, watch the trailer of this first. But I paid my money, and liked what I watched.

Giving this an 7/10 rating

A house, deep in he woods, holds three people, cut off from he world. The world is stark and danger is everywhere. This film is a very beautiful and ugly, when it has to be. This film really is a dark fable/fairy tale. It works, just!

Halle Berry is the driving force as a externe mother figure. All eyes are firmly on her. Among the super visuals and slight sound design, is a good but not too terrifying enough picture. Which suffers from lack of being more than it could of been. Thanks to Alexandre Aja, the film is very slow and enjoyable, when stuff happens, it happens.

You get the feeling of something in the world is near quite right, and that helps, Just needed a bit more death. A twisted ancient tale or a misguided family, you go see it. I guess it's 50-50 if you like the feel of it. This is Berry's film.

Giving this an 7.5/10 rating

A very and honest as you can get biopic drama of Lee Miller, famous photographer from the 1930's and through out the second world war, showed the world the horrors in the world during her time. Played by, Kate Winslet, this is very much her film, and rightly so. Again, more fine work from an actor who still can pull your attention and works hard at it. Alexander Skarsgård and Andy Samberg are the backup who just as superb in this really near top notch movie.

Ellen Kuras directs us through pretty much a hellish world with touches of light and happiness, which are few, and proper, given the subject matter, and it is eerily lovely looking and tough too. Writers Liz Hannah, Marion Hume and John Collee give us a solid script and story, given how nasty the world was in, as Andrea Riseborough and Marion Cotillard also, pull out the stops in the acting, and look real rough, only Josh O'Connor is the clean person here.

The film could of been a bit more edger and stronger, but then it would of been very graphic and a higher rating, alienating more of he audience, who need to see this film. A good bit of cinema, and with what is out there, it shines and is never, never boring.

Giving this an 7/10 rating

The animation is good and colourful in this very simple enough feature, and since I didn't see the first film, I can say you don't have to see '100% Wolf', but it helps. It is what you expect, there are some good laughs here and there, the story is there, very simple, but not really super high league as 'Inside Out 2'

The cast does work and they doesn't over act,as Jennifer Saunders seems to be having the most fun here, as the rest of the cast run across the country chasing down the trouble making but kindhearted hero of the piece on the road of new discovery. Very heavily influenced by Australian folk lore, the magic elements are fun, nothing scary at all, thanks to neat character and production design animation from Flying Bark Productions, and at 85 minutes, it's quick and easy.

Giving this an 7/10 rating

Thriller and horror with James McAvoy on mad duty, and good at it. It starts off beatify and lovely lovely and the most part, that is what it is, thanks to McAvoy, Scoot McNair, Mackenzie Davis and Aisling Franciosi, and the big draws are Alix West Lefler and Dan Hough and the two kids that you cannot take your eyes off as they pull the strings of the movie.

IMDB say this a remake of Danish film from 2022, so how it compares since I can't remember it, so I don't know. But this is good fun as the acting is just so good as is the story, again, you sit in the cinema, at late night, and it entertains, not dull at all, just the end could be a bit better, in some parts.

You'd be forgiven of thinking of 'Straw Dogs' after this, and that's a fair point to make out, this is good stuff if you want crazy stuff.

Giving this an 7.5/10 rating

Set deep in the 1970's England in the middle of nowhere, this is a slow burner horror that starts with death, and ends with death?? Bleak looking in look and story, you really have to be invested in this, otherwise you might miss the wheels turning.

Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark are very slight and calm, both deliver in the acting department, Erin Richards ties the three all in. Tragedy is turned into a weird kind of rebirth, a family brought together and torn apart by strange going ons in muddy England. Spooky music that works and a simple run time help this film not out stay it's welcome.

The browns and blacks set the background, with blood really being the only colour here, on purpose I see. You will like Rabbits after this. I liked this as it was a surprise, in a good way. Great ending, you must decide.

Giving this an 6/10 rating

Chiwetel Ejiofor takes on writing and directing for the first time in this weak, bland film. The problem is the seen before story of a black person who can be better, then takes the wrong path to disaster. Yet another urban drama doing this tired theme.

At two hours, you get really bored, and just don't care for any of the cast, even the main character, just seen it all before, done better, done worse, too. Chiwetel is the only one who has something of interest to follow, but even he gets n your nerves, and it's a shame, this is based on a true story.

Some years back a film called 'The Hate you Give' did this urban black drama, and that was bad, and better than this, which does not say much for this. Just please stop with these depressing black person I must get out this poor neighbourhood and do better and not. Sick of this crap.

Not missing anything by not seeing this, the acting is fine, that's it.

Giving this an 8/10 rating

Coral Fargeat brings us viewers, a truly disturbing vision of what a product of the future can be and what it could do, in this brilliantly insane and gorgeous horror film. Demi Moore is the main centre character and revolves around her, Margaret Qualley is just the same, but sees things differently and that is where things go wrong. Both are just so excellent, I want both of them for an Oscar. Dennis Quaid is a vile TV man who clearly is written on someone in the industry and is rotten and he loves it, plays it, all the way.

The clean designer look of every location, clothes and props heighten the tension, helps the narrative particularly with the inspirational scenes from other classic horror films that you will clearly see. And blood, you get buckets of it. But not before the build up with the best VFX and make up you will see in a long while.

It's really Demi Moore that shines and holds it together with her on some really excellent acting, and with what she has to do, you can see why the reviews have been good. One film I am going to watch again.

Giving this an 8/10 rating

Been a very long wait for this, and I really had a good time, it is a lot more way out there then the first film, and the cast really had a blast making this, it is really wacky, creepy and downright funny, much, much dark humour and singing!

Everything looks great and the the plot is just as nutty and works a treat, most of the cast is older so there is very much good acting and action going on, Willem Dafoe, who seems to be in everything is just plain crazy, and Michael Keaton is magic, as is Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara, she suffers in this.

Turn your brain off and sit down and enjoy the great Tim Burton visuals and you should know what to expect if you are going to watch this. Loads of fun.

Giving this an 7/10 rating

Ian Mckellen is very evil in this fine British post second world war drama set in London theatre land and newspapers. He laps up every moment of his very craft and and despicable critic who just loves his power and what it gives him, until it goes away.

What follows is the great length he goes to get it back and revenge, with horrid consequences to the rest of the cast in this tale of corruption and lack of moral fibre. And it's all rather well done, the cast of Gemma Arterton, Mark Stong, Ben Barnes, Lesley Manville and Alfred Enoch, they all shine, and suffer at the hands of Ian's character.

Great to look at, and it zips along at a good pace, it does the job. Very fine work from director Anand Tucker and a sharp script from Patrick Marber and Anthony Quinn, its a fine bit of film.

Giving this an 7/10 rating

Writer /director Tilman Singer puts Hunter Schafer, though sheer hell in this very bizarre, and visually great tale of a family moving to Germany, and things get crazy.

The clean look and palettete works perfectly for the fable, which has it's feel very much in the myths and legends of europe, evil creatures and hidden things. Many secrets. Martin Csokas and Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick are doing the best, Jan Bluthardt is solid and very dogged. But really this a a good choice and is very much, Schafer's film as she gets destroyed in this.

A stark looking horror film, and does stand out by itself and even though I did a late showing of it, it keeper me wide awake. A strange film for sure, so watch trailer first, as always and decide if it's for you.

Giving this an 7/10 rating

Zoe Kravitz first film as writer and director, and it's a very fine thriller of ride, which, you must watch with eye wide open so you don't miss anything. It builds up and the uneasiness builds up and when the action and real drama starts, you get really involved.

A very disturbing plot which is clever and borders on the sci-fi films of old, coupled with great acting from Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum and Alia Shaukat and the rest of the great actors, and you have a super, menacing themed film, that will shock you, that is the purpose.

E. T. Feigenbaum is the other writer along with Kravitz, and I can't wait for the next film if they decide to work together, a good start, a very good start.

Giving this an 5/10 rating

This has nothing to do with the comic or the original film from 25 years ago which has it anniversary this year, which is a thousand times better than this rubbish. Robert Sanders has a visual flair and it has good looks, but not nearly enough to save this.

James O'Barr has his name on this, only as it's based on his comic, this is not based on it, this story is some made up crap and drags on and on, the action is not action, it's just gore, and to be fair, the acting is rather good in places, but not so much that can improve on this, Danny Huston is just on auto pilot and why he did this, is a mystery. I did like Laura Bin and her character, more Laura.

Watch the Brilliant Brandon Lee film, at least the story and names are there, this is a soulless film. Waste of time. I gave it 5 for Laura Bin and the good music.

Giving this an 7/10 rating

Chinese slow burn crime thriller is the early 1990's, that is very surreal, dreamlike, brutal and engaging, all at the same time. Another on based on a book, and director Wei Shujun has fun with it, the images and sound really make this film as actor Yilong Zhu works magic the cop who is really in a bind by work and home life, and has to make it work somehow.

The goal of catching a killer is never easy, but with a crisis of the mind thrown in, you get the sense of evil is any where with the images and sound thrown cleverly. So you have to pay 100 percent attention, and ti's worth it.

It is like a David Lynch film in a way but not as extreme, and you have a story that you can follow, even if you go down a path of weird.

Giving this an 8/10 rating

A very fine space horror film, we get very few of them, if any. Plenty of death, action, story, and some fan service. It really looks superb and IMAX will be a big treat for those willing. The film slips in between Alien and Aliens and had to look and sound like a film of that time, which it does.

Cailee Spaeny is in her third film this year, so she is very busy and you can she why, a good meaty role to act in, David Jonsson is also superb, all actors are given a much screen acting and deliver.

Fede Alvarez has done a great job in the Alien universe, showing the scum of the universe - humans and alien, and desperation is the cause of downfall to all here, desperation and explotation run all over the film. Space jacking never works in these films so this is a classic case of a space jacking gone wrong, horribly wrong. That said, the set pieces are some of the finest and the deaths are clever, the use of outer space is done well, there is a great outside action set that will look brilliant in IMAX.

The film is going to be in the top ten of the best of the year, and it's going to be a very mixed bag of films for this year. Just how well it will do, time will tell.

Giving this an 8/10 rating

The only thing wrong with this film is that it's a bit long, shave of about 10 minutes, but that is a slim comment on an otherwise very compelling film, that really is about mental health as the domestic abuse story.

Blake Lively,Justin Baldoni and Jenny Slate are just really superb they steal the show, but the rest of the cast are just as good, I don't' know anything about the book itself, but the screen story is a good watch and eats up the time in a good way, I had no problem with it, Justin Baldoni's direction is good and the background landscape is lovely to gaze at, and with the soundtrack the does suit the action, it's not in your face.

So what you get is a different movie subject for a change, and it's done very well, the violence is very brief and used lightly, not all over the place, as the film progresses. It deserves the high rating it has and the showing I attended was a full house.

Giving this an 7/10 rating

It's heart is in right place for this simple enough tale about life and destruction of our forest and eco sphere. The cast have fun, look and sound good, the animation is not Disney, it's European so it has it's look and does just fine here.

The message is told in a nice easy to follow way, not at all preachy which you get from America these days, so it works, the character design is nice and the colour palette is very good, surprisingly good voice cast keeps it good. It has Amandla Stenberg, Donald Sutherland, Djimon Hounsou, Laura Dern and others. It does look good on the large screen and the sound is very nicely done, there is nothing wrong with this, it's just a very fine movie.

Giving this an 8/10 rating

M. Night Shyamalan gives us a super clever thriller, which Josh Hartnett gets to shine, and does carry the film, all he way. With Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Ariel Donoghue, they share screen time and bring this film, all together. And Jonathan Langdon has great fun and he too, is important.

A very simple story and a very tight script makes the runtime go fast, it's very entertaining, as things go right and wrong, you look for clues and work out where this is all going. In short, it's a superb bit of thriller cinema. It's all shot in one large location and it weaves it's way throughly, and the mood really goes up and down, a case of all or nothing.

But really, this is Hartnett's film and he really enjoys it, and he is so good in this, his face is most stern, calm, but focused. He pull this off and I am thankful for his, great film.