deleyshaun Reviews

Cold Copy (2023)

Cold hard lies.

[6/10 · 4 June 2024]

Cold Copy tells the story of mousey try- hard journo student Mia ( Powley) who is desperate to succeed and impress her hard nosed teacher/ mentor ( Ellis-Ross). A chance encounter with a 15 year old boy gives Mia the chance to come up with something juicy- but she will have to lie and edit the truth to make it happen. The film is quite tense as you sense the desperation in Mia. It also dissects the morals of journalism- starting out with the pursuit of truth v "what it takes" to get a story. The film does have some holes that is not addressed - such as the backlash from the falsity of the story. Stay patient till the very end as there is a final " punch in the gut" that is both satisfying and fitting to the idea of " whatever the cost" Whether you will be engaged completely to see out the ending will be subjective. Some have criticised the performances but I thought Powley was pretty convincing. Definitely worth your time.

Nightcrawler (2014)

Crawling for a headline.

[6/10 · 4 June 2024]

Nightcrawler is about a bottom feeder freelancer( Gyllenhall) who will do anything to get a story. He parades at night tracking down accidents/ shootings and filming them and then selling them to a network exec ( Russo). The second half of this film excels, showing his willingness to ignore ethics and allow others to be hurt to get his story. There is a great passage where he ( with his employee) follow 2 suspected criminals and film the aftermath. The second part of this film really dials up the sociopathic side of Gyllenhaal and highlights his creepiness. The film also portrays a scathing look of what the public want to see in the news and what sells. An excellent performance by Gyllenhaal in this above average satire/ thriller. Although it doesn't reach greatness it's certainly worth a watch.

Side Effects (I) (2013)

A side of murder.

[6/10 · 4 June 2024]

Side Effects is about a female ( Mara) who is about to reconnect with convicted husband ( Tatum) for insider trading. She seems to suffer from depression so she starts seeing a doctor ( Law). This is a neat thriller where nothing is what it seems set amongst the backdrop of medical drugs. There are themes of sex, murder and lies that are touched on fairly well without reaching hitchcockian heights. It's good- but wrapped up a bit too neatly to be anything more than a solid thriller. The acting all round is good ( inc Zeta Jones) but I think Rooney Mara takes the acting honours. Worth the watch.

Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)

Freddy's fun house.

[5/10 · 2 June 2024]

Five nights at Freddy's is a kind of meta horror - the main protagonist ( Hutcherson) is like a player in the video game. This is probably more a mystery - the killings are not that scary as they are by animatronics but the main gig here is the story and mystery. This is fleshed out fairly well but a bit heavy on the dream sequences. It definitely keeps your attention and your interested in all the players- the aunt( m s masterson), the cop (Lail) and the mysterious counselor ( Lilard- who also appeared in the superior meta Scream- 1996) there is some good 80s nostalgia and set pieces which are cheesy and fun to see. There are also some good twists and revelations that tie up the movie nicely without reaching great heights. Worth a watch- especially if you are a fan of the games.

May December (2023)

May I, Gracie?

[6/10 · 31 May 2024]

May December centres on an actress ( Portman) who prepares to play a part of Gracie ( Moore) by meeting her and her family. The backstory is that Gracie had sex with an underage boy , went to prison and then later married him. The probing questions by Portman ( to prepare herself for the role) unearths repressed feelings of the past. These conversations are engaging- especially with Moore even though the young husband is more the " victim". The film presents itself as a kind of tense thriller with the appropriate score- but doesn't necessarily deliver any real secret or reveal , instead more emotional outpours. I was perhaps expecting more, but this is somewhat saved by powerhouse performances of the two main leads. Worth a watch.

The Nest (I) (2020)

No nest egg here.

[5/10 · 29 May 2024]

The Nest is the story of a charmer ( Jude) who is less successful than he makes out and he's desire to make it big. Going along for the ride are his child, stepdaughter and wife ( Coon). It is mainly set in England with nice cinematography. For the first two thirds this is a steady engrossing film that feels real and exudes thriller elements. Jude's lies and deceit are slowly being exposed and the agenda or something that explains it is a mystery. Unfortunately there is no explanation- really. It ends up there is no mystery- this is just a drama of domestic and greed deterioration. To me- this was disappointing as the set up definitely gave vibes that there was more going on. I also didn't really buy some of the ending- such as the daughters behaviour. A very lacklustre conclusion detracts considerably. The acting is good- especially Coon. Law is meh. Perhaps worth only one watch.

Sick (2022)

Sick or lame ?

[4/10 · 28 May 2024]

Sick is a teen slasher horror/ thriller set amidst the covid pandemic. This borrows heavily from his ( Williamson) far better script Scream - 1996. It starts off promising and keeps up a decent amount of tension for the most part. The problem I had here was not finding the characters interesting enough and also it gave the impression that there was more going on than meets the eye. This kept me going but it didn't really deliver. There is a reveal/ twist with about 20 mins to go- which is a decent explanation for the killings but the villains are not interesting enough either and it ends in a derivative fashion. I also thought the motivations cited could have been fleshed out much better. A good concept that falls fairly flat.

A Few Good Men (1992)

Seen this a few times.

[7/10 · 27 May 2024]

A few good men is about a young hot shot military lawyer ( cruise) who is assigned to defend two soldiers who are under the charge of Colonel Jessop ( Nicholson). This is a very entertaining dialogue driven fare with outstanding performances all round. The support actors also shine ( k Sutherland , D Moore, Jt Walsh , k pollack, k bacon, gooding jr) plus others. It is testament to Reiners directing that you feel you know all these characters well. To be fair- it is holllywoodised a bit and realism is forsaken for entertainment to some degree. But the entertainment is so good it hardly matters! A riveting drama with an outstanding finale which has made " you can't handle the truth" a subcultural iconic line. Great performances all round with perhaps Cruuse, Nicholson taking the honours as adversaries. A very rewatchable favourite of the 90s.

Collateral (2004)

"Guy gets in the MTA and dies. think anyone will notice?"

[6/10 · 25 May 2024]

Collateral is essentially about the relationship of an assasin for hire ( Cruise) and his taxi driver ( Foxx) who is forced to help him run his " errands". Themes of isolation, chance and futility are explored well although not as layered as he's superior " Heat - 1995". The " kills" are excellent and realistic- as you would expect from Mann and the atmosphere in most scenes are gritty and fitting to the atmosphere he is trying to create. Cruise is casted against -type ( at this stage of his career) but does an exceptional job as the killer and also has most of the meaningful dialogue justifying his actions Foxx is also good here. I thought the cop side of things ( Ruffalo etc) was not fleshed out that well and not overly interesting either- but this is really about Cruise and Foxx. Some of the plot is a bit of a stretch but overall a good movie with a fitting final scene of Cruise in the train. Look fast for Jason Statham at the start.

Schindler's List (1993)

" saves the world entire"

[9/10 · 24 May 2024]

What can you say? I think simply put - Its one of the greatest movies ever made. There arn't many films that can make me feel physically ill. It was like I could smell the dead bodies. Incredible film making by Spielberg and writing by Zallian. It is a monumental credit to Fiennes that his performance as Goeth is in most top ten lists of greatest screen villains. Amongst the hell on earth - there is hope and this balance is perfected without any Hollywood nonsense - just pure realism. Kingsley is great as always alongside Neeson as Schindler. This is the holocaust film that all since have been compared to - and for the most part can't hold a candle to this emotionally draining masterpiece. In the top 5 movies of the 90s. This film was appropriately awarded best director and film at the Oscar's. A monumental achievement.

Showgirls (1995)

Leave your inhibitions at the door.

[4/10 · 23 May 2024]

Showgirls is about the somewhat rise of a stripper Naomi ( Berkley) to a showgirl ( with nudity) in Vegas. The main problem with this film is the inability of the lead to act in a way that is believable. The rest of the cast is so so. The script is a bit over the top and generally overacted. It does give a reasonable glimpse into the shadier and sleazier side of Vegas and this is felt. I also thought that it showed the dishonesty and fake intentions of people and this is something that Naomi must navigate. Although this film does not hold a candle to the far superior " leaving Las Vegas" , and " Boogie Nights" it does have some appeal and Berkley does her best with limited ability. It became more popular after its video release and some view it as a bit of a cult classic. Somewhat watchable.

Don't Hang Up (2016)

Don't be a rip off.

[4/10 · 11 May 2024]

Don't hang up is a fairly derivative by the numbers revenge slasher. You have the obnoxious teen frats (Sulkin , Clayton) who prank people who get there just desserts. It borrows heavily from the much better Scream and also Saw , with dashes of Halloween, Unfriended etc. It's fairly neat and does kind of keep you interested- just. The final reveal is ok but nothing special. The film does avoid being non sensical which is perhaps its best feature. The victims are unlikeable, and the girls character ( Dayne) isn't fleshed out so it was hard to root for them - or the villain. Probably only ok for one watch.

Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

Charming enough.

[6/10 · 10 May 2024]

Magic in the moonlight centres on an illusionist ( Firth) who debunks fraudulent psychics which brings him to Emma Stone. He is slowly convinced and starts falling for her. This has plenty of charm and Firth delivers entertaining diatribe about logic and ignorant people which is enjoyable for the most part. The second half is not as strong and ends in a nice romantic way. There are some very typical Woody Allen themes here- chance, reality, truth but they are not examined here as well as say he's much better "Match Point" , 2005) but is never the less sweet enough. Also great cinematography. Strong support actors help the cause Enjoyable enough.

Chained (I) (2012)

It's not "Room"

[5/10 · 2 May 2024]

Unchained is a bleak telling of a serial killer and his relationship with his manservant who was kidnapped as a boy. Where it falls down is it's attempt to show the killer s ( D'Oniforo) interest in making the captor a " man" and to follow in his footsteps. Although this idea is chilling it's not fleshed out properly and I didn't really buy it. I also felt there were plotholes such as no real escape attempts/ resistance until the end and no police visits etc. There is a surprise ending but not really a twist that ties up the film and the killers motives. The acting by the two main leads is fair. Gritty enough to score a pass mark.

Malicious (1995)

Malicious attraction.

[4/10 · 30 April 2024]

Malicious is basically a teen rip off of the far superior Fatal Attraction so the story here doesn't need to be explained. The main problem with this ( besides the rip off) is that some of the scenes and lines are complete shot for shot " exact" copies. The other problem is the support acts Mcgaw , Lassez are pretty much inept actors who don't inspire any interest. I found it hard to buy Ringwalds ( who plays the stalker) interest in Mcgaw as he was charmless. The girlfriend is also uninteresting. The main redeeming feature was the casting of Ringwald as the psycho. Although going against cast-type she's actually pretty good ( and sexy). Unfortunately the script is a bit silly ( especially the second half ) and has big plot holes and credibility issues. Nevertheless Ringwald kind of holds your. Interest as the creepy stalker come psycho. Watchable- just.

Blood Work (2002)

Good work - for the most part.

[5/10 · 26 April 2024]

Bloodwork for about 85% of the running time is an absorbing mystery thriller. Eastwood is much more understated as a retired detective than his previous outings and this actually works well. In fact the movie is quite minimalistic and very procedural. There is not much violence or action This gives it quite an authentic feel without the Hollywood shine. Although there are plenty of recognisable actors inc Huston and Daniels. This slow burn is very enjoyable and enough tension to keep you interested until the last 20 mins. There is a surprise reveal but unfortunately this just doesn't work. The reason behind the killings is not credible and the finale is just silly. This detracts considerably from what is otherwise a strong beat thriller. Daniels is no villain.

Ex Machina (2014)

Science "non- fiction".

[8/10 · 12 April 2024]

Ex Machina is sci fi in its most steepest reality. At the heart of the story is the relationship between a tech genius who plays God ( Isaacs) , the hot shot young apprentice (Gleeson) and the main AI subject (Vikander). This is all set in Isaacs isolated robotics retreat. The cat and mouse game between the three is suspenseful with questions of intimacy, humanity, and new order explored intelligently. There are a few twists and turns featuring some body horror and disturbing outcomes- which may or maybe not be a surprise to the viewer. Either way they are shocking. There is a violent conclusion and then a final denouement suggesting that perhaps synthetic robots are already among us. A truly great science fiction masterpiece.

Death Proof (2007)

Proof that bad can be ok.

[6/10 · 8 April 2024]

Deathproof is a very Tarantinoesque film about a crazed stunstsman ( Russell) who stalks women and kills then via his modified car. This film is light on story but it's all about the style here. There are numerous scenes with just witty banter and dialogue - but this works a treat. There is a nod and wink to the homage of grindhouse and Tarantino is clearly enjoying himself. The atmosphere created by the trashy settings and the sexy but strong women work really well here and make up for the lack of story. When it does get going your more interested in the characters than the plot. The story is weak and a bit ludicrous but is also mostly enjoyable. The first 45 mins I think is the strongest with Rose McGowan the standout and then later Rosario Dawson, but all the acting is fine. The revenge towards the end is a bit silly. Worth the watch.

The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)

" A life full of nothing".

[8/10 · 4 April 2024]

The Secret in their eyes is a political crime thriller with a romantic element. It spans 25 years back and forth about the unsolved resolution to a rape/ murder that happened in Argentina. Politics, obsession , love and justice are all examined here thoroughly and intelligently. A haunting score throughout is also noted. This thriller finishes with an extraordinary denouement, that you won't easily forget (which ties in well with some of the movies themes). All the acting here is first class from the 2 main leads but also the support acts. The subtitles don't detract at all from this superbly authentic film. Highly recommended.

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

" I know it was you".

[7/10 · 2 April 2024]

The Talented Mr Ripley focuses on a middle class loser with a talent for lying and forgery ( Damon) who looks up to the rich. By a chance encounter he is asked to bring back to America the wealthy son ( Law) of a tycoon ( Rebhorn) who resides in Italy with fiancé ( Paltrow). Damon proceeds to ingratiate his way into the young couples life pretending to share same interests etc. When Law gets sick of him there is a murder and Damon pretends to be the Law character- but to pull it off he needs to be devious, and must also kill off anyone who suspects. This film is an interesting look at obsession, duplicity and wealth - and these aspects are fleshed out well. There is also enough tension and suspense to keep you interested. Damon is an interesting choice as the lead. A minor criticism would be that in the first half there were no real signs that Damon was capable of what he eventually pulls off - I would have preferred perhaps a more darker, complex side to his character been exposed earlier. The cinematography is gorgeous but the film also has a Hollywood polish to it which I think slightly took away the authenticity and darkness to the film. The side characters are excellent with perhaps Hoffman and Paltrow taking the honours. A good music score adds to the tension and intricate plot. Worthwhile viewing.

Swimfan (2002)

Don't hold your breath.

[5/10 · 1 April 2024]

Swimfan tells the story of hotshot swimmer ( Bradford) with a troubled past who has an affair with what turns out to be an obsessed psycho ( Christensen). Similar to dozens of teen thrillers the tension builds until the secret is exposed and the obsession escalates to a violent ending. There are a couple of twists and turns but for the most part it's derivative by the numbers. You also need to suspend belief and ignore some ludicrously unrealistic scenes. The main redeeming feature is the excellent performance of the psycho ( Christensen) who delivers, albeit a bit over the top. The rest of the cast are meh and are not really fleshed out enough to care. The second half feels a bit rushed but overall certainly watchable- especially for Christensen.

Glass (2019)

First name Mr. Last name ............

[6/10 · 30 March 2024]

Glass is the third and final instalment of the Unbreakable trilogy. Most of the players from Split ( McEvoy, Taylor Joy) and Unbreakable ( Willis. Sam l Jackson, Treat Clarke ) are back. The three main characters who may or may not be real life superheroes are under psychological examination from lead psych Staple ( Poulson). There is enough suspense and tension with also some twists thrown in as well as done good action sequences. It is also assisted by Shymalan's sure hand as director who is working in his wheelhouse with this material. The middle section plods a bit and I feel like they are trying to cover too much with so many characters from previous. As such it feels a bit rushed and not fleshed out as much as the previous 2 films. Nevertheless it's done as well as you could hope and there is a satisfying final denouement. All the acting is excellent with perhaps Taylor Joy , McEvoy and Sam l Jackson being the pick. Good score throughout too. Worth a viewing. Look fast for M Night Shymalan in a cameo at the start.

Billionaire Boys Club (2018)

Botched Billionaires.

[5/10 · 29 March 2024]

BBC tells the story of a group of already wealthy 20 ish young men who lure nerdy classmate who concocts a scam to get money off investors under the mentorship of Levinson ( Spacey). When it gets out of hand murder and the house of cards falls down. The main problem with the film is the machinations of how they get the money and profit is not fleshed out properly. Unlike say ( wall street or boiler room). As such you never really buy what's going on. The spoils of the wealth is displayed well and is fun to watch. It moves briskly and is rarely dull. Support roles in Roberts, Spacey probably take the acting honours. The ending where it falls apart and reflection is sought is done haphazardly and not convincing. Watchable but disappointing.

The Other Mother (2017 TV Movie)

Wannabe "Stepmother".

[4/10 · 28 March 2024]

" The other mother" tells the tale of a recently divorced man's relationship with a new trophy wife and the secret she is hiding. A large part of the story is how the stepmother manipulates to have the husband and stepdaughter to herself and tries to break the bond between the real mother and daughter / husband. The main flaw with the film is the motive / secret behind the stepmother is not really fleshed out properly or examined. ( unlike the stepfather 1987) you actually don't even realise the motivations till quite late. On a positive- the first half delivers a fair amount of tension -and not knowing the stepmothers game makes it curious. Ultimately it falls short and there is a derivative ending. The acting is ok and for a b grade LMN type movie it's not the worst of its kind. The daughter ( Kennedy) is possibly the most promising performance.

A Man Called Otto (2022)

Hanks makes it worthwhile.

[6/10 · 25 March 2024]

A man called Otto tells the tale of a grumpy older man ( Hanks) who is angry and bitter and takes it out on everyone around him. Amongst this he make numerous attempts at suicide. He has some new neighbours who bring out the best in him. Although Hanks is a wonderful actor I wasn't always convinced of his character a much as say Eastwood in Gran Torino. The film is lighter and has enough humour to not be totally downbeat. I don't think it quite pulled off the redemption/ inspiration as much as some other films but it's not bad. A good score throughout and of course Hanks Carry's this. A bittersweet ending which is sad and heartfelt. Worth a watch.