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Reviews
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
Exceptionally dark perfection
It's hard to stomach or appreciate how despairing and lonely life in such an isolated hamlet of a place at such a point in time would be. This film manages exceptionally to convey in brutal comedic darkness how uneventful & limiting remote living would be. Grudges, gossip, misery, & sheer madness driven from boredom. Slow moving but perfectly threaded and perfectly endearing. You are engrossed in every character. With sympathy for their humour &suffering. Where Sunday church is a staple of connectivity and drinking from 2pm a ritual to create and confront. Is the rift driven by sheer boredom to force change? If you only have one life and everyone will forget you anyway, wouldn't you want to at least live a good & kind life to the people you share it with? Barry Keoghan is simply magnificent beyond compare. This movie deserves all the awards thrown at it.
The Menu (2022)
When Hollywood tries to do "parasite"
Parasite has a lot to answer for this. The South Korean film that delved into class warfare and built up a sympathetic cast of characters and their plight. This film tries that, but it fails. There's no real character development around the course of events, Margot & Tyler are the most explored characters but even then neither of their trajectories are explained in any way that makes you feel for them.
Some arcs are just nonsensical. The "man's folly" dish, where the men are left to escape and Quelle surprise none of them make it, while the women sit around trying to convince a presumably brainwashed chef to let them go. Got to respect Margo & Lillian for tucking into the smokes and wine at this point to be honest.
And what about the corporate owner who was dangled above a pulley and dropped in the water? At what point of psychological torture does it take you to cut your losses and cut loose with the butter knives. Honestly. Nothing was explored, why did the staff join this cult? Why was mum left with this rabble? Endless questions, no answers. If it was pitched as a comedy it could have worked. In hindsight I felt most for the actor who had the bad fate of making some average movies to turn a dime, but we never even got that far.
Chef could do with some counselling tbh to deal with his moaist rage and lack of free time, and why was his mother there - this statue like reference point who deserves the same fate? In Parasite we at least develop a sense of sympathy and belonging with the family, and we understand their plight.
It could have been great, but it wasn't close.
A Guide to Second Date Sex (2019)
Simple & hilarious
I really enjoyed this. It's very much a short sketch but I laughed out loud and also found it very comforting in its own way, given so much of it was sadly relatable. Definitely worth about 90-100 mins of your day.
Clifford (1994)
Words can't describe how much I hate this movie
For some reason my kid loves it .. honestly, it's agonising viewing.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
I like abstract cinema but I'm never getting this time back, neither will you.
Honestly, I've got enough rubbish in my life. I didn't need this nonsensical, 25 leaps from reality absolute garbage. The interpretive dance scene killed me. Then the Nobel Prize, lifted from 'a beautiful mind', cinematic dance scene killed me again. I want to die.
Second Act (2018)
10 stars
I don't need to see a movie that will change my life every time I turn on Netflix. This movie didn't change my life, but it was funny, enjoyable, moving, had closure .. it's predictable, big deal. .. so sick of smarter than thou ratings commentators slamming everyone who enjoyed it because they can't take a chill pill for one movie session. 10 stars.
Weekend Box Office: Weekend Box Office: March 8 to 10 (2019)
Good entertainment for cat lovers
I was going to give this movie 7/10 but the cat really did come through in the end.
Sherlock Gnomes (2018)
Entertaining, funny and enjoyable
Don't know why so many reviews are throwing shade on this children's movie. I found it pretty straight forward to follow, filled with laughs and lots of great music. I loved the Matt Lucas character and the subtle innuendo. Sure, it's not something I'd pay for again and it's no Trolls but then again .. it's a kids movie. I still enjoyed it and so did my child.
Swinging Safari (2018)
A wasted opportunity
As much as this movie looked like a solid offering filled with laughs and an all star cast it ultimately ends up a complete mess of story lines and underdeveloped characters.
It's filled with needless cutbacks that deliver nothing and scenes that should have been left on the cutting room floor. A lot of scenes I just wondered whether the director was doing favours for mates who wanted a small speaking role to camera.
While non linear story arcs are fantastic this one wasn't executed well and cut back and forth so many times whatever the story line is meant to be is not evident. What was the main plot line? Was it the whale, the swinging session, the young girl who would seem to be the focus of much of the movie but of whom we learn almost nothing, or the childhood movie that is apparently being made throughout the film? None of these otherwise acceptable plot lines went anywhere.
The parents are all hideous people except maybe Jeremy Sims' character but again there's no real purpose or explanation to any of their motivations. Kylie is wasted in her role of a blubbering mess that completely unexplored. The teenage girl is written off as he street 'bike' and the other children engage in bratty behaviour with a side of animal cruelty.
I was genuinely excited to see Julian McMahon in an Australian movie and really thought this would be an absolute treat but it just failed miserably. I gave it 4 stars but even that's probably too generous.