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Reviews
Blue Iguana (2018)
Quirky, off-beat, enjoyable
Despite negative reviews, I found this very enjoyable. The London/cockney setting is excellent and may well appeal to an American audience unaware of this aspect of British society and watching Rockwell trying to speak cockney is very amusing. The characters are all very quirky with their own little foibles, the plot, although a little far fetched, moves along at a good pace. Nice little touches from known actors, especially Phoebe Fox as the somewhat corrupt lawyer and Amanda Donohoe as the foul-mouthed pub landlady as well as the bad guy telling the hit team what he is going to do to them at the end made this a worthwhile journey. Although it is not laugh out loud funny, it is rather subtle in its approach and Rockwell is just Rockwell. Recommended with a bucket of popcorn and some friends and don't believe what they say.
Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018)
Earnest, well meaning, serious minded but ultimately pretty boring
Much of the time, I had the impression the film had been sponsored or made by a Christian evangelical group, humourless as it is. For those who enjoy talky, serious minded philosophical and/or historical/biblical movies, this is for you. Unfortunately, those are the movies I dislike. I continually looked on Caviezel as a person of interest or the nasty warden in "Escape Plan", I kept wondering how, in biblical times, they all spoke English but with primarily English and American accents and I was constantly yearning for a Monty Python type incident (any outtakes ???) or some humour at the very least. It was not to be. A worthy film for those that like that sort of thing but, for me, it was a bit like watching paint drying. Please do not start a Star Wars-like Gospel franchise ("Matthew - Prey Hard" with Bruce Willis and Van Damme, "The Acts of the Apostles IX").
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Not Taxi Driver ......
On the plus side, Phoenix is brooding, disturbed and very watchable. His mother is beautifully conveyed and the largely unknown supporting cast are good. The film is well shot. the music is fascinating and the premise of the story is good. However, the flashbacks are somewhat confusing and do not give the viewer a clear picture of his early life or motivation. Perhaps if the storyline had taken a slightly more mainstream path (cf. Taxi Driver), the film would have been a much more enjoyable experience. As it stands, it is good without being exceptional - one I would see once but no more.