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Reviews
A Violent Man (2022)
Sombre. Fairbrass is Superb.
Portrait of a violent man. Everyone involved should be proud of this production. Fairbrass has never been better.
More like a play than a movie but with cinematic quality. Everyone performs their part carefully and maturely, I believed them all. At the helm is Fairbrass who carries the film with menace and compassion. Following his performance in Muscle, Fairbrass has proven he ihas more subtlety than the extremes of Pat Tate. His choices as an actor have smartly stretched and I'm glad to have my expectations as a fan change with satisfaction.
Ultimately though director, Ross McCall, must take the credit. I'd never heard of him but I'll watch for his future projects with interest too.
Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins (2021)
Encore!
Look, we all know it's pantomime cinema & we all know these actors are tool old to play these parts. But I love this franchise & I certainly don't want any other cast. This one is not quite as stylish as the last 2 but is closer in themes to the first than the others. It's come full circle & probably is the end. So, enjoy it for one last time.
Muscle (2019)
Slow Eerie Burn
Knew absolutely nothing about this film before watching it & I think it's best to have no pre-conceptions or expectations.
Without giving away any spoilers it's about masculinity and control.
Craig Faribrass is perfectly cast in what is an otherwise art-house picture.
Not sure what the haters here expected, perhaps a colourful Pat Tate flick on Speed? There are echoes of that world here but this is a monotone eerie place.
Cut and paced with Matt Johnson's electronic vibe I really enjoyed this atmospheric little gem.
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
Wow - unexpectedly brilliant.
I never read the book & only vaguely knew that the film was about a young boy whose parents suspect is.... well, I didn't know.
Look, this film has probably had every critic gush over it so I'm not going to say anything beyond the fact that it is brilliantly made. Talk about show don't tell.
And Tilda Swindon. I never liked her before but here she never lost my sympathy.
It's a tragic film but it's so well made with colour, life & music. It's so easy to watch but it does unsettle.
9/10
Doctor Sleep (2019)
Stands Apart from The Shining
This film has a different pace to the usual ghost train of shrieks & bumps that modern horrors sell. This film uses osmosis to get into you. It has many themes to engage your mind but will also creep over your skin. When it isn't being disturbing or philosophical it's honouring a cinematic classic in a fascinating way.
Sometimes I was distracted by the balancing act the director was performing to please the King/Kubrick teams but he's done it well. The Shining film doesn't need a sequel of course though maybe King's book does. To use the Kubrick film to help the King story could have been a completely disrespectful disaster but it isn't. The film ultimately has its own identity & a week later it's still brewing inside me.
This is a good film.
Rise of the Footsoldier 4: Marbella (2019)
Guilty Pleasure!
I loved the first one (obviously). And didn't think too much of the sequels. But I really enjoyed this one! Tightly edited, never a dull moment. And doesn't take itself too seriously. I smiled the whole way through it. If you're not being too precious or snooty about your expectations then I'm sure you'll enjoy the boys on this particular adventure :)
Rocky Balboa (2006)
Rocky 6!!!! It's not bad, actually
It cant work, surely. It's a joke, right. Sly is desperately gambling & losing, yes? From the outset I felt like this & really wanted to laugh at the screen. It's not that I want to knock the franchise or Sly per-se it's just that the whole idea does seem preposterous as well as simultaneously intriguing. Nostalia & cynicism at the same time. How the hell can Rocky/Sly do it at 50 or 60 or whatever he is etc, etc...
Well, whilst I could smile wryly at Sly's transparent "please love me again" performance I also had to admire the man's physical commitment to the project and even speaking as a big boxing fan, I had to admire the way he's (just) plausibly engineered & executed the grand finale's fight.
If you're new to Rocky, you're probably not interested in this film one iota but if you're familiar... well, it has a curiosity value & restores a bit of a dignity to Mr Balboa. God help us, Rambo's next.
My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006)
Looks daft but works surprisingly well
As the film moved forward, I felt it was a boy's film. My other half felt it was a girl's film. Maybe she's right. It's a bit sentimental & sympathetic but I got into the story & laughed at the right bits.
It's not side-splitting but Luke Wilson plays it just right & Uma - lovely as she is - was spookily good as the scorned ex. Very amusing stuff & offers an alternative take on the emotional vulnerability of a superhero. And that is the film's clever trick because essentially it's a just a rom-com.
Single, attached, dumped, pining or at any time all of the above you'll recognise much & have fun doing so.