beattygallery-12793 Reviews

You'll Never Find Me (2023)

Brilliant, intelligent, engaging

[8/10 · 19 March 2024]

To this day as a lover of cinema I fail to understand why thriller/horror is usually excluded from 'serious' appreciation and substantial recognition from those who judge.

Want to get swallowed by intense, provocative, interesting characters, original script, gorgeous cinematography, driving sound and you'll never find me.

Well you've been found.

I love to think fresh minds and talent come together seamlessly to help the viewer go deeper into our fears and trust, when seeking safety; shaped by past experience.

A dark, emotional experience that really requires you to think, try to understand, makes choices and ask yourself, have you found yourself.

Ferrari (2023)

Adam Driver, a poet and a driver

[8/10 · 16 January 2024]

Today I was seduced by 'Ferrari', mainly chosen, because of my interest in the wonderful acting work of Adam Driver.

I was driven, went on a drive, driven forward by the impeccable acting, story, cinematography, costumes, grief, love and empathy conveyed.

Drivers role in Jarmuschs 'Paterson' enthralled me, so Driver as an old, dominating, obsessed, questioning, loving man could not be missed.

Penelope Cruzs grief turned hatred. Whilst remaining in a mutually broken-hearted love. A simmering sense of menace.

To be frank, I've never anything directed by Michael Mann but a feeling he knows he nailed it.

Congratulations to all involved.....a job well done.

Poor Things (2023)

Ever felt you've seen this all before

[5/10 · 2 January 2024]

I remain disappointed by 'Poor Things' as it felt like an uncontrolled movie. Over-eating, over-sexed, under-sensual, truncated history, creepy, downright nasty, discordantly loud and under-delivered, hacked, sliced up, degraded and shot. Messy, too long. People, script and movie.

There, I've said it.

All the fine actors did their best as highly regarded professionals but, in the back of my mind, I sense the end result would be underwhelming to those involved and out there promoting something that didn't quite work.

Superb costumes, lavish indulgent sets, a bit of basic philosophy thrown in, lots of good stuff but doesn't feel original.

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (2016)

Informative without depth, an American perspective

[3/10 · 17 December 2020]

I didn't choose to watch this because I find Ron Howards work rather boring, but watched this with someone who respects The Beatles, as I do.

I'd happily present this cut & paste documentary as a quick course about the rise of The Beatles because their significant contribution to music (sound, writing, attitude, feeling, intelligence, learning, challenging) on so many levels. should not be questioned.

Ron Howard presents the bones, but The Beatles experience & intellect is much meatier than his presentation.

Never forgotten, a violent American shot & killed John Lennon. Never forgotten.

My Mistress (2014)

Certainly not a cure for anything

[29 March 2020]

Locked down due to coronavirus & this popped up on free TV. Yes there's still free TV.

Considering the quality of this movie? the makers should pay the viewer.

I'd imagine Rachel Blake was doing someone a favour to appear in this trash. I thought Emmanuel was a cross dresser. As for the kid............

Midsommar (2019)

a new talent but remain undecided

[6/10 · 12 August 2019]

Ari Aster tips his hat to so many original directors & cinematographers. Intelligent Asters choice to expose his influences is considered & effective.

I imagine his own voice will be emotionally explosive once found.

Into the Forest (2015)

Why did they walk into the forest?

[12 July 2019]

This was a flip coin movie on free TV, although it did last a couple of weeks at a local cinema.

Substantial shelter, water, food, tools, weapons, company, warmth, music, light, air & possibility. Educated, capable, sensitive, strong & responsible.

These connected people are so disconnected it makes no sense.

Why did they walk into the forest?

Never Look Away (2018)

A brilliant, engrossing, complete movie

[10/10 · 24 June 2019]

Impossibly intelligent, beautiful, sensual, youthful, achingly sad, funny, mournful revealing a deep understanding of burgeoning creativity & possibility jutting up against coldness, systemic cruelty & brutality.

A special cinematic experience.

Burning (2018)

A highly intelligent, emotional, complex movie.

[8/10 · 20 May 2019]

Just returned from the simmering, menacing, sensually observant 'Burning'.

Perfectly paced two and a half hours. Visually, intellectually & emotionally engaging. Slowly paced & engrossing.

Spoiler

I haven't read the short story, but I wondered whether a phone call from Hae-mi as bloodied, naked Jong-su drove away, would create even more questions.

Rabbit Hole (2010)

going through the motions

[4/10 · 1 December 2018]

KIdman repeatedly plays the fragile, emotive, little girl, self-indulgent, I understand vulnerable.....which often sucks the life out of a simple, intelligent story whatever the cinematic genre.

Rabbit Hole is a sad, neurotic movie and all the actors know why they chose this holiday.

Wildlife (2018)

Pure class

[10/10 · 5 November 2018]

Paul Dano, Richard Ford,Carey Mulligan....what a trifecta. Toss in Ed Oxenbould & Jake Gyllenhaal....delicious. That Oxenbould is someone to watch & Dano knows.

Of course I own all of Richard Fords books and met him at the Sydney Book Festival some years back. Those ice blue eyes and switched on intellect just like Paul Dano. So happy someone is brave enough to tackle Ford just as Robert Altman embraced Raymond Carver.

As soon as I learned this was Danos debut it was a must see. It had limited release in Sydney so travelled quite a distance to a cinema in an area I'd never visited. Its a big city. Five strangers were waiting to go in. I asked one if they knew the area postcode & everyone laughed as we'd all left our comfort zones for Danos debut movie and had no idea.

Visually gorgeous, script & pacing smoooooth as......faultless acting & someone directing who respects other artists, understands complex emotions & embraces what makes a memorable, enduring movie. Pure class.

Where would we be without such wonderful creatives. Thank you everybody.....and yes I did find my way home.

BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Well thank you Spike Lee - its a tough one

[8/10 · 20 August 2018]

Watched BlacKkKlansman on the big screen today.

At home having a think. A big think. The visuals, the historical archives, the meaning of beauty, politics, intent, menace, intellect, ideology, empathy, desire...

All the actors were superb as they flipped between credibility & cartoon. Sublime to the ridiculous.

Chaos, rhythms, harmony reverberated through the script & music.

Still thinking.

Leave No Trace (2018)

This a good movie but not an easy movie

[7/10 · 16 June 2018]

The Sydney Film Festival today 16 June 18.

The reason I picked this movie - the memorable 'Winters Bone' by Debra Granik.

'Leave No Trace' continues Graniks theme of disconnected, broken people and communities worn down by war, drugs, poverty, poor health, failing services, disempowerment etc

A strange, intimate world brings together mental health, the beauty of nature, youth, struggles to present normality in abnormal circumstances, strange religion, engaging animals, concrete, christmas trees & doomed .love

Juxtaposition of nature & urban blight is too simplistic. Dig a bit deeper.

Not an easy movie but highly recommended.

You Were Never Really Here (2017)

wow Joaquin wow

[8/10 · 12 June 2018]

Still fresh in my mind, after viewing during the Sydney Film Festival.

On so many levels, Joaquin Phoenix is an exceptional artist he demands respect but his complete absorption into character also creates anxiety & extra tension.

'You Were Never Really Here' encapsulates how/why violence breeds violence. The perpetrators, the victims, the witnesses & random 'get down dirty' violence doesn't come from nowhere. The violators must live with themselves & innocence is lost forever.

The brutality of this movie is so intertwined between the violent characters it leaves no room for empathy, love, understanding or forgiveness. A few moments of absurdity does not provide relief or humour.

Confronting & intelligent.

Breath (I) (2017)

Breathless breath is about being in the moment

[10/10 · 29 May 2018]

This movie is about 'being in the moment' & beautifully crafted within that context.

Breath is......Life passion curiosity learning yearning fear youth pain love panic risks age knowing. Human life is breath. Breathing. Being alive.

Simon Baker has encapsulated the beauty & fear of being alive.

The Shape of Water (2017)

Hollywood again takes away soul & originality & replaces it with money

[3/10 · 22 January 2018]

Pans Labyrinth stayed in my mind. Although flawed; It oozed originality of thought & brave film-making.

After walking out of The Shape of Water, mind you after an hour & a half, I wondered to myself whether cartoon, animation & fantasy have mutated into one.

Again fine actors, great cinematography & the possibility of something quite special got lost in a poor script, stereotype and run-of-the-mill cliches.

Too much money obviously takes away the hunger, bravery & risk-taking of many film makers. Oh dear.

Fingers crossed Guillermo del Toro puts up a good fight to reject mediocrity.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

No deserved Oscars in this predictable, cartoonish movie

[3/10 · 21 January 2018]

Admission - I walked out when Woody Harrelson was about to have a syrupy picnic with his children.

Of course there are fine actors in this movie (Frances McDormand goes without saying) but they're all one dimensional, stereotypical, unlikeable and not that funny.

I got bored with the constant anger, aggression, crudity of thought & deed. For me, nobody evoked any empathy, even when terminally ill Woody coughed up blood all over McDormands face.

Apparently I didn't miss anything. More of the same; grinding on and on. No apologies for being too harsh but its just not good enough.

The Florida Project (2017)

A hollowed out America - The Future Today

[10/10 · 2 January 2018]

Quite an extraordinary movie in the now. A hollowed out contemporary America which refuses to acknowledge (actually shuts its eye) those on the fringes and systemic failure to provide strong social programs & safety nets. Its not prophetic; it is.

The garish artificial food outlets, bad food, poor mans food, closed medical centres, abandoned derelict candy-coloured houses, half-way motels full of people who've fallen through the cracks or never had the opportunity of good education, good health or a solid roof over their heads let alone a job which pays a liveable wage.

Its particularly poignant today as the rich get richer bursting with wealth and the poor become more desperate, scrambling around trying to survive and so few care.

The juxtaposition of the cheap bleached motels against the nearby golf course & Disneyland? (fantasyland) over which helicopters came & went as the feral children gave them the middle finger was spot on.

Disneylands always been an American mirage and this movie brings people right back to earth with a deliberate thud.

Congratulations to Sean Baker, all the actors and those prepared to present an American truth.