Actor/Actress – Page 5

2023: Summer of Cinema: Asteroid City

I think the colours, costumes, props and deadpan delivery are what make a Wes Anderson film so unique and distinctive and while it does not always pay off in my eyes, I think Asteroid City was a great addition to his filmography. The over saturation of characters does not always work but it did for this film, where a whole community is created.

Hello readers,

Today I will be talking through the new Wes Anderson film, Asteroid City. I saw this in a new cinema, closer to the edge than I normally sit but this did not take away from the experience.

Wes Anderson has been back in conversation because of this film but also because of AI. Many creators have been using AI software to create Wes Anderson style photos such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Avengers and Batman. The director has said that he does not enjoy people using his unique filmmaking methods in this way but it has certainly created a hype for his colourful and symmetric settings.

Asteroid City (2023)

The film starts with a narrative device not revealed in the trailers, a play within a play. While the events at Asteroid City play out in a rich toned desert with picture perfect 50s amenities (gas station, motel, diner); the writer (Edward Norton) and cast are seen on sets while Bryan Cranston narrates their thoughts.

In the desert we are quickly introduced to a cast of characters: Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman) with son, Woodrow (Jake Ryan) and three ‘witchy’ celestial-named daughters; Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson) famous actress and her daughter Dinah; Montana (Rupert Friend) and his band of cowboys along with school teacher June (Maya Hawke) and her class.

The characters have all gathered at Asteroid City to attend the Junior Stargazer’s event in which Woodrow, Dinah and others including Shelley (Sophia Lillis) are participants. In the town, there is a wide and deep crater made by an asteroid after which the town was named.

There are many interesting citizens of the town including the motel owner (Steve Carell); scientist Dr Hickenlooper (Tilda Swinton); General Gibson (Jeffrey Wright) and the mechanic (Matt Dillon). We also get a few cameos by the likes of Margot Robbie, Tom Hanks, Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum and Willem Dafoe.

The story focuses mostly on Augie and his family along with Midge. They stay opposite each other in the motel and start up a scintillating friendship. Their children, Woodrow and Dinah also become close along with the other smart kids.

I won’t reveal the catalyst of the film but let’s say that they all end up getting to know each other well. I enjoyed the comedic tone of the film with some real heartbreak in there, tied in with the asides in black and white from the ‘real’ people. Wes Anderson has his favourites that have appeared in many of his films but he always makes room for new faces.

The Royal Tenenbaums may still be my favourite but Asteroid City is certainly up there and one of the best films I have seen this year.

If you live in London there is also an exhibition on with the sets from Asteroid City running until 8th July. I will be going there tomorrow myself.

Overall, I think this film had a great structure, didn’t feel too long and kept me engaged from start to finish. I give it 5/5.

Happy Watching,
Robyn

2023: Summer of Cinema: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

What makes this film unique is the colourful and flashy animation. The shots achieved would simply not be possible in a live-action version and the animation gives such a different perspective to the film. Scenes such as Miles’ fight with Spot or the fight in Mumbattan were particularly impressive. There was so much to look at on screen and whilst there was a lot of classic comic moments with the subtitles and recaps, there were also many new elements that I have not seen in an animation or Marvel film previously.

Hello readers,

This post is the start of my other new series 2023: Summer of Cinema. With so many exciting new films coming out, I wanted to give my spin on this year’s blockbusters. Highlights of the summer will be Barbie; Oppenheimer; Mission Impossible 7; Indiana Jones 5 and the new Wes Anderson.

Today I will be reviewing the latest Sony/Marvel venture: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This is the sequel to the well-received Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse that released back in 2018. It explored the possibilities of multi-verses and the existence of different Spider-Men other than Peter Parker. The film broached this theory before the MCU but with the appearance of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in the last Tom Holland film; the Spider-Verse is now truly alive and well in the Marvel franchise too.

I was a little late to the party on this one but thankfully did not get any spoilers. This will be a spoiler-free post for anyone else who has not had the chance to get to the cinema for this one.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

For anyone like myself who was struggling to recall the finer points of the first film, it starts with a handy little recap. Miles found out that he is not the only Spider-Man out there and with the help of Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker, he saved the multi-verse.

This film picks up about a year later; Miles is living his best spider life, balancing that with homework and making sure his parents don’t find out. However, when Gwen comes back into his universe and a new villain emerges in town, Miles must join his fellow Spider-Men once again to save reality.

There were a lot of new Spider-Variants this film with the return of some familiar faces. Turns out just about anyone and anything can be a Spider-Man. Two of my favourite new characters were Hobie Brown aka Spider-Punk and Pavitr Prabhakar aka Spider-Man in Mumbattan (Mumbai and Manhattan hybrid). It was really interesting to see Spider-Men with different backgrounds, ethnicities and looks as it shows there is really no end to the variations.

What makes this film unique is the colourful and flashy animation. The shots achieved would simply not be possible in a live-action version and the animation gives such a different perspective to the film. Scenes such as Miles’ fight with Spot or the fight in Mumbattan were particularly impressive. There was so much to look at on screen and whilst there was a lot of classic comic moments with the subtitles and recaps, there were also many new elements that I have not seen in an animation or Marvel film previously.

I enjoyed all of the voice acting, each actor bringing their own spin to their characters. Some I recognised the voice right away but others I could only see the character that they were portraying. The script has a lot of humour, more so than the average Marvel film which also makes this something different.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film, maybe even more so than the first and I am definitely looking forward to the next installment being released in March 2024. I give this film 5/5.

Happy Watching,
Robyn

Summer of Cinema: Escape Room: Tournament of Champions

Dear Readers,

Before watching the first Escape Room, I saw the trailer for the sequel and thought that sounds up my street. My recent foray into the horror thriller world with films such as A Quiet Place Part II, Freaky and now this franchise have given me a taste for something with high energy and twists yet still placing plot over gore level. The escape room element gave a clear structure to the film and while watching the film you can almost play along by spotting clues before the characters and trying to find how they will escape. The cinema was fairly busy for this screening and I had a good seat in the middle back so I was fully immersed and genuinely surprised when it ended. I am looking forward to the third installment after the cliffhanger at the end.

The film kicks off with a quick reminder of what happened in Escape Room, the first outing. We are reminded of the characters being picked off one by one and Zoey and Ben’s survival. They think the key to taking Minos down is in New York City so plan to fly there. Moving to the current film and we see Zoey’s reluctance to get on a plane. She has still not recovered from the trauma of being the sole survivor of a crash that killed her mother and made her a candidate for the first Escape Room.

The pair eventually drive to New York from Chicago with Ben suffering horrible nightmares related to his experience of a room in the game. Ben (Logan Miller) and Zoey (Taylor Russell) find Minos headquarters but it is deserted and almost give up hope until a man snatches Zoey’s beloved necklace and leads them to the subway.

This is when the fun begins. The subway car detaches and peals off to a separate tunnel and becomes the first room of the new Escape Room. There are six passengers in the car, all winners from previous Minos rooms. The game goes on with each room containing different puzzles and accidents. A twist to this time is that familiar motifs crop up in the game such as the name Sonya.

There are many twists to the game as in the first film but bigger and better. There were also a lot of character development and plot used from the first film which I liked as sometimes sequels can distance themselves too much from the development that happened in the first film. Just when you think Zoey and Ben are finally free, callbacks from the beginning of the film and the first one appear on screen and the film ends with a massive cliffhanger.

I was surprised when this happened as I got really into the film and the story and I did not predict that it would end at such a crucial moment. The first film ended with a much calmer scene. I really enjoyed this film and it turned the audience into players of the game as when the end scene happens, you realise that everything has a purpose and no scene was there as a filler but rather as a set-up for later.

I think the rooms were more creative this time, especially as they had a theme that is explained later on but also because the characters have all had experiences before with Minos so are aware that it will be dangerous and potentially life-threatening. We also find out each group had their own connection such as Nate’s being all priests and Brianna’s being influencers.

The film was a bit darker this time with the injuries more obvious and the consequences more fatal. The team felt more at one and they survived longer. I enjoyed the twist at the end and after leaving the screen, I could not help but feel as though everything was a clue and that the world was an escape room.

I would definitely recommend this film but only if you have seen the first one as there are big plot points that won’t make sense. There was a good mix of diversity as in the first one and they avoid usual horror stereotypes.

I rate this film 5/5.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

Summer of Cinema: Supernova

Dear Reader,

This film has been on my radar since its appearance at the London Film Festival in September 2020. Films featuring older gay characters are not very common much less featuring actors of this calibre. I saw this film late in its running and as a consequence there were only two other people in my screening. It made the experience more intimate and I really found myself connecting with the characters even though our life experiences and demographic are quite different.

I enjoyed the British spirit that was threaded throughout the film. The trip to the Lake District, the poor weather, the stiff-upper lip and the family and friends get-together all felt very familiar to what you see in British films, typically those with a family aspect set in the real, modern world. Although Stanley Tucci’s character, Tusker was American, being in a relationship with a Brit and having lived there a long while, he fits in with the tone.

For me this film was very character driven: it is about the relationship between Sam and Tusker while Tusker slowly loses the ability to function properly. The premise itself seems melancholy but when you see the realities of the illness and the strain it has put on Sam and Tusker, the film hits home.

I enjoyed the simple plot of taking a trip to see family and for Sam’s career. There was no big incidences or twists as such but rather small events and truths uncovered between the pair of them. While Tusker is ill, at the start of the film I had hope that he may not be progressing too quickly but towards the middle, especially at the dinner party, we see that is not the case.

I felt particular heartbreak when Sam discovers Tusker’s notebook and we see the progression of his handwriting and how it gets more and more illegible until there is nothing. The scene where Sam shows Tusker the Dictaphone and plays the message Tusker left for Sam was the emotional peak of the film and for me was the best scene as you saw the devastation Sam was facing. I think this film could work well as a play as there were not many speaking characters and it was not about the locations but rather the people and how their lives were going to change.

Definitely worth a watch for the performances of Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth but leave some time afterwards to process as the journey of the film will leave you emotionally exhausted.

I rate the film 4.5/5. The film had an ambiguous ending which I can take or leave but in this case, I was eager to know what happened to them.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

Summer of Cinema: Freaky

It comes as no surprise that Freaky shares the same director (Christopher Landon) as another horror: Happy Death Day as that film also has a comedy trope, time loops. With many of the classic horror plotlines having been used over and over, its refreshing to see someone trying to mix it up a little and also make these films more appealing to those who do not like a simple gore fest. That is also what drew me to this film. It was not going to be doom and gloom, everyone dies. In a comedy horror, you know people will survive.

Dear Readers,

This has never been my favourite genre of film: slasher horror but I made an exception for this one as it stars Kathryn Newton, an actress I love to watch on screen and had the body swap concept which is not a take I have seen on a film featuring a serial killer. The film was like a modern version of the Scream films: set in a small American town, main protagonist is female, killer on the loose, teens at the high school already victims. The comedy aspect from the ‘Freaky Friday’ theme added something different.

I saw the film at a different cinema than my usual and it was very quiet so I got to sit in the centre of the screen with no-one in front of me. The film was easy to get lost in due to the suspense and hopefully none of the cinemagoers sitting at the back saw me jump.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

You would be mistaken for thinking that the film had no blood or gore at all. The opening scene establishing the serial killer, The Butcher provides plenty of that. There were some new ways of killing teens that I had not seen before such as with an ancient javelin and a wine bottle down the throat. I definitely was hiding behind my fingers for that one.

We then meet Millie (Newton), an average high-schooler who has retreated within herself after her father’s death. She is invisible at school but hangs out with her friends, Nyla (Celeste O’Connor) and Josh (Misha Osherovich). She lives with her mother (Katie Finneran) and older sister, Charlene (Dana Drori) who is a cop. We meet many of the usual high school tropes: the football team, the popular girls, the mean ones. Millie has a role as the team mascot on the cheer squad, a position usually occupied by the ‘loser’ of the film.

When waiting for her mother to pick her up after the homecoming game, Millie is left alone in the dark. Not a good idea with a killer on the prowl. He finds her and in running away she makes it to the football field again. He manages to stab her shoulder with his new weapon, gained in the first scene but before her death, Millie’s sister comes to the rescue.

The next morning, Millie wakes up in the body of the Butcher (Vince Vaughn) and he wakes up as Millie. With help from her friends after they realise the Butcher is actually their friend, the three figure out that they have 24 hours to stab Millie’s body again with the knife, otherwise the swap will be permanent.

Meanwhile, The Butcher as Millie has taken on a whole new look that gets heads turning. It grabs the attention of Millie’s crush, Booker (Uriah Shelton). He also comes to learn of the swap and the pair have a tender moment while Millie is still the Butcher which made for a strange yet funny scene.

The film concludes with a hunt for the killer at the homecoming party held of course, at an abandoned mill where the Butcher resides. There is a second ending where the Butcher comes after Millie and her family but he is finally put to rest.

I enjoyed the teen tropes of the film and that only characters who had wronged Millie or others in some way were victims. The style of the film was great with Millie’s outfit that the Butcher picks being a favourite. There were some gory deaths but they did not take over from the comedy side of the film. The acting was good and just the right tone for this sort of comedy horror. My issues with the film is that there were a couple of jokes made about rape that were in very poor taste and completely unnecessary. That disappointed me as many films and television shows have moved beyond this humour.

Overall, I enjoyed the film and the acting but it was let down by a couple of comments. I give it 4/5.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

Summer of Cinema: Black Widow

The Widows and their master, Dreykov (Ray Winstone) has a strong relevance to Hollywood after the MeToo Movement and the equality that women in the industry have been working towards since cinema began. Dreykov takes the free will and childhoods of these girls and turns them into killing machines. The big reveal of the film is the identity of Taskmaster. An assassin with the ability to copy any fighting style they see and beat an opponent with their own moves. When Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) is revealed as Dreykov’s daughter who Natasha thought she had killed before defecting to join S.H.I.E.L.D, it shows the lengths that Dreykov will go to for power. Changing the character from male to female for the film, gave an added element to the female power as the mysterious villain is often male.

Dear Reader,

I, like many others have been waiting for this film for over a year. Marvel fans have had some amazing TV shows to keep us entertained in 2021, but when the time came for Black Widow, I had to see the first female Avenger get her due. In some ways, it has been much longer than a year waiting for this film. The friend who organised my group outing has been anticipating since Black Widow’s debut in Iron Man 2 (2010). Natasha Romanoff has always been a mystery. We have seen a little of her back story in the Red Room, training to be an assassin but how did she really become Black Widow and how did she join S.H.I.E.L.D?

I saw this film at a Vue Extreme screening in Westfield Shepherd’s Bush, London so I definitely got the full effect. The screen was massive and the audience was packed for a Friday afternoon. I went with a group of friends and mutual friends and despite not everyone being a Marvel geek, we all enjoyed seeing Black Widow get her moment to shine.

There’s so much to dissect within the film including amazing aerial fight sequences, powerful female characters, an unexpected family drama aspect, humorous squabbling and the long awaited Budapest story.

I will start first with the characters. We have met Natasha Romanoff in several Marvel films as different versions of herself. There was Natalie Rushman in Iron Man 2 and her true name, Natalia Alianova Romanova was revealed in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Despite an appearance in eight other Marvel films, Black Widow has always kept her cards close to her chest in terms of her origin story; we have only been given little bits and pieces.

In Black Widow, we find Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) on the run from the government after the events of Captain America: Civil War. She expertly evades Secretary Ross (William Hurt) and ends up in Norway. She still has her trademark red hair but we know that at some point she will dye it blonde for her appearance in Avengers: Infinity War.

We also learn of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), a Black Widow agent on mission in Morocco. After exposure to a chemical, Yelena wakes up from mind control and goes rogue. Natasha finds her in Budapest and after trying to kill each other, the two remember their past as sisters in America.

Natasha and Yelena were raised as sisters for three years with the Red Guardian – Alexei (David Harbour) and Melina (Rachel Weisz) – a former Widow posing as their parents. The first sequence shows their life together and then suddenly having to leave sleepy Ohio for Russia to train in the Red Room.

When Natasha learns that the Red Room still exists and girls are still being trained as assassins, she agrees to help Yelena take it down. They team up with Alexei and Melina once again who help them find the Red Room. There is a big focus on aerial stunts in this film which is something Marvel loves to dabble in with its flying heroes such as Falcon, Iron Man, Vision and War Machine but we have not seen this so much with Natasha. There is the small airplane sequence where Alexei tries to fend off the police from the wing of the plane; the helicopter jailbreak in Russia with Yelena flying it and Natasha swinging from a cable and of course, the fight sequence when everything falls after the Red Room is blown up.

The Widows and their master, Dreykov (Ray Winstone) has strong relevance in Hollywood after the MeToo Movement and the equality that women in the industry have been working towards since cinema began. Dreykov takes the free will and childhoods of these girls and turns them into killing machines. The big reveal of the film is the identity of Taskmaster. An assassin with the ability to copy any fighting style they see and beat an opponent with their own moves. When Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) is revealed as Dreykov’s daughter who Natasha thought she had killed before defecting to join S.H.I.E.L.D; it shows the lengths that Dreykov will go to for power. Changing the character from male to female for the film gave an added element to the female power as the mysterious villain is often male.

When Natasha and Yelena sit down for dinner with Alexei and Melina, family dynamics that had been forgotten for 20 years come into play with Melina criticising Natasha’s posture and Alexei telling the women to listen to their ‘mother.’ The humour and banter between the four characters demonstrates the closeness they once shared. They are able to fall back into familiar roles.

An element of the film that fans have been waiting for is the story behind what happened in Budapest with Natasha and Clint Barton. It started as a throwaway line in Avengers (2012) but has become a key part of Natasha’s story. When she finds Yelena in Budapest at a safe house, she recounts meeting Clint and him helping her avoid being recalled to the Red Room. We get details such as hiding in an air duct in the Metro for two days and using the same safe house where Natasha and Yelena meet. This is evidenced by arrow holes in the wall. Natasha mentioned before that Clint was sent to kill her but instead gave her a chance to join a different side. Her accidental killing (or so she thought) of Dreykov’s daughter was her proof that she had separated herself from Dreykov and the Widows.

Overall, this film was entertaining and a welcome return for Marvel at the cinema. It was funnier than I expected whilst still maintaining a serious plot and a worthy adversary to destroy. The aerial stunt at the end was like nothing I had seen in a Marvel outing or elsewhere and was amazing to see on a big screen. If you have been waiting to return to the cinema, definitely make this film your first one back.

I give this film 5/5.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

Summer of Cinema: The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard

The cast for this film is exceedingly good: Ryan Reynolds, Salma Hayek, Samuel L Jackson, Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas. This group have 18 nominations and wins at big award shows but even they could not make this film entertaining. The plot was very lacking. Some guy trying to make Greece the leading economy wanted to ‘blow up’ Europe by taking out all the power. He was going to use a massive diamond drill a la Armageddon (1998) to drill into the power line from Europe to North America. Very unbelievable and like something from a 1950s comic strip.

Dear Readers,

Despite the negative reviews for this film, I was entertained by the first iteration and I try to make up my own mind rather than be swayed by the critics. I should have taken the warning as this definitely did not live up to the first. If you’re looking for mindless action with big stars then you might enjoy it but anyone looking for a continuation of the first or any semblance of a plot, should not watch.

The film is meant to be a new adventure, this time with Sonia Kincaid, out of jail and joining the team of Michael Bryce and Darius Kincaid. The trio make their way though Italy, first saving Darius then trying to stop the bad guys. Interpol are also on their backs with their own new team, including a special agent from Boston.

The cast for this film is exceedingly good: Ryan Reynolds, Salma Hayek, Samuel L Jackson, Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas. This group have 18 nominations and wins at big award shows but even they could not make this film entertaining. The plot was very lacklustre. Some guy trying to make Greece the leading economy wanted to ‘blow up’ Europe by taking out all the power. He was going to use a massive diamond drill a la Armageddon (1998) to drill into the power line from Europe to North America. Very unbelievable and like something from a 1950s comic strip.

The characters were not developed properly and had strange relationships to one another. Sonia and Darius saw Michael as a son even adopting him at the end as a joke. He is infuriated by them but still helps free Darius when Sonia asks. When Morgan Freeman is revealed as Michael’s father (step), I stopped looking for the logic and rolled with it. Frank Grillo’s character was more of a shell, his only trait being that he hated Europe and wanted to leave. He also had trouble understanding a Scottish accent.

The locations in Italy were one of the only redeeming qualities but even they were spoiled by the excessive shoot-outs between Michael, Darius and Sonia and various adversaries. The sound was an assault on the ears at points and there was so much violence with little remorse which marks Sonia and Darius as psychopaths in some definitions, despite them being on the good team.

Overall, a poorly executed idea that could have made a half way decent film with better writing, less gun violence and a more believable plot.

I give this film 2.5/5.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

Summer of Cinema: In the Heights

I loved the setting and the massive dance numbers featured in the film. While on the streets of New York, the flash mob like crowds all dancing as one reminded you that this was heightened reality and a musical and not how things really work. That being said, the ideas and fears presented are very real to many people. One of my favourite numbers was 96,000 set at the local swimming pool where the characters all dream of what they would do if they won the lottery after the winning ticket was sold at the bodega.

Dear Readers,

I am back again with my new series, Summer of Cinema and today I am recounting my experience of seeing In the Heights. I went along with a friend and we both enjoyed the film despite its long runtime. Our screen was fairly quiet and we were sitting more forward than I usually choose but it did not detract from this lively, culturally eye-opening and fun musical. If you saw Hamilton, then you will definitely enjoy In the Heights.

The setting for the musical is the area of Washington Heights in Manhattan and almost in the Bronx. The characters in the film are mostly all immigrants from Latin countries and the plot centres around them trying to make it in a world where they have not had advantages that others have had. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote and starred in the original musical on Broadway that is the basis for the film.

The cast are a mixture of well-known faces: Anthony Ramos from Hamilton (another Miranda Broadway original); Jimmy Smits (The West Wing); Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn 99) and new comers: Melissa Barrera, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace and Gregory Diaz IV.

The story is set in Summer and centres around a city wide blackout. The residents all have their own dreams: Usnavi wants to carry on his father’s legacy in Dominican Republic; Vanessa wants to become a fashion designer in Midtown; Daniela wants to make her business work despite moving to the Bronx and Nina wants to leave her college and reconnect with her neighbourhood.

Throughout the film, we see each of these characters and others trying their best to fulfil these dreams. They try to get through the tough times to emerge out of the other side with their heads held high. Many of the songs centre around working hard as an immigrant in New York City and the challenges that come with being an immigrant. Much in the style of Hamilton, the songs are political, personal, full of truths about the world.

This is a story you can’t help but get lost in and swept up with the emotions of the Barrio and even though the struggles of the characters are not similar to my own, I felt that I could relate to their pain and their hope for the future. Especially after 2020, the film feels very timely. The characters make their own dreams come true without waiting around for the right time. They also compromise to make the best out of a situation.

Overall I enjoyed the vibe of the film and the colours and dance numbers helped me escape to another place for a while but still kept me grounded in the issues facing immigrants in New York. The film was long but the pacing was good and I didn’t find myself worrying about the time once I was enraptured by the film.

I give this film 4.5/5

Happy Watching,

Robyn

Summer of Cinema: Cruella and A Quiet Place Part II

The use of sound in this film elevates it from your usual gore fest filled with horrific creatures and gruesome deaths. One of the characters is deaf and in the sequel she takes over the role of the patriarch and becomes the one to find a safe haven for her family. We get to experience sound the way she does, when the film shifts to her point of view. It was a great technique that helped the viewer relate to a deaf character when this can be tricky to do if you do not know anyone who is deaf in the real world.

Hello Readers,

Welcome to my new series Summer of Cinema. The cinemas have reopened and I together with thousands of others have been going to watch the films that we have been waiting for in the last year. I have made the trip twice this month and I am planning to enjoy the experience many times this summer. I will be continuing my series with a review of every film I see in the cinema this summer, of which I hope there will be many. Time to once again sit back, relax and enjoy the magic of the big screen.

Cruella (2021)

I chose this film for my return to the cinema as I was interested in the concept. A 101 Dalmatians prequel of Cruella in 1970s London and in the fashion world. What’s not to love? The film starts with how Cruella ended up in London as a young child in the 60s and jumps to her life as a common thief with her two friends and their dogs. Cruella who is first known as Estella, gets a simple job at Liberty’s and after an avant-garde unprompted window display, she goes to work for the House of Baroness, a notorious fashion house. Estella then decides to become an even bigger presence in the fashion world than the Baroness and to do this she must unleash her bad side – Cruella.

The film was a bold move for Disney as even though the film is a 12, it is pitched towards a younger audience as well. I think the film bridges the divide between a film for younger audiences and older ones. Many people in the screening were adults. This was a fresh take on a villain’s back story and it created a world that had not been associated with Cruella De Vil in other iterations. Whilst we know Cruella as the dog-napping rich old woman with little joy and a grudge against spotty dogs; Estella in this version is fun, kind-hearted and poor. Later in the film when she takes on her Cruella persona, we see some of the Cruella we have known in other films appear. She is a more toned down version than the original and no dogs are harmed in the film.

One of the best parts of the film for me was the fashion. There were so many wonderful and striking designs made by both the Baroness and Cruella. While the Baroness took measured risks and presented as prim and proper; Cruella smashed the expectations and matched rock’n’roll and feminist angst with a runway show. Seeing Cruella’s ideas to outshine the Baroness get even more outrageous and punk was a fun highlight.

Emma Stone was wonderful in the role and her accents were on point both as Estella and the slightly posher Cruella. She played all facets of Cruella seamlessly. I was initially sceptical of Emma Stone’s casting as Glenn Close gave such an iconic performance as Cruella. My fears definitely were vanquished after seeing the iconic performance that Emma gave. It was like she was born to play the role.

I thought that the other actors were all amazing in their roles, especially Emma Thompson as the villain and the children who played the younger versions of Estella and the gang. My only issue with the whole film was that Estella and her friends were around 11/12 years old then it jumps to 10 years later but the actors playing them in the 1970s look at least 30 and not in their early 20s. Emma Stone could just about pull this off but the other two were pushing it. Once I let this go, I enjoyed the story and let go of realism.

The music for was another iconic part of the film with some great classic 70s tracks that paired with Cruella’s bold fashion pieces created a punk rock London scene that I would love to experience.

Overall I give this film 10/10. Every element was on point and my expectations were lowered as it is a Disney film but I feel like the film was suitable for all audiences especially with the period setting and witty dialogue. If ever there was a prequel or continuation of a well-loved classic to live up to or even surpass the original, it would be Cruella. A warm welcome back to the cinema and a great start to a Summer of Cinema.

A Quiet Place Part II (2021)

In contrast to Cruella, I have been waiting for this film since it was announced that there would be a sequel. I do not normally enjoy ‘horror’ films such as these with monsters and jump scares but A Quiet Place bridges the gap between ingenious filmmaking and scaring for scaring’s sake. At the heart of the films is a family that represents everyone. Their struggle to survive in the post-apocalyptic world, especially after the death of a child and the man of the house touches a nerve with many, especially after the past year.

I am especially attached to the characters because of the actors. John Krasinski and his wife, Emily Blunt play husband and wife as well as John directing both films. This is rare in the film world and of course their on-screen chemistry is reflected by their real life bond. They already know how to move around the other and as they have children of their own, acting as parents is second nature to them. The actors who play the kids, Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds are two of the best young actors in Hollywood today and both do excellent jobs reprising their roles in the sequel and picking up where the first film ended.

While a direct sequel, this film also has a flashback to the first day of the apocalypse and we get to see a glimpse of who the family were before they became survivalists. We get to see John Krasinski and their other son again amongst other members of their small town. The town is actually a replica of the one we see in the first film. I personally did not notice any difference but then again three years have passed in between the two films.

We also have a new character introduced, Emmett who takes over John’s role as the adult male. While Emmett does help the family out when they are being pursued by monsters, it is Millicent’s character who assumes his role as the protector and forward thinker. She becomes the one in charge of saving the family after she hears a clue on the radio and goes to search for an island that she believes will be a new home for her family. In the other storyline, we see Emily Blunt step up to protect her new baby and her son, Marcus who gets badly injured at the start of the film.

The family flee their burning house to find somewhere new to hide when they come across a disused flour mill, or so they think. After being pursued by a creature who we get to see up close for the first time, Marcus gets caught in an animal trap and they seek shelter. By coincidence, the mill is being occupied by Emmett, a friend from before the meteor struck. He offers them shelter and after Regan (Simmonds) leaves to find the island, he goes to get her back and the two form a father-daughter bond.

Marcus then steps up as the man of the mill and looks after his baby sibling while his mum ventures to the nearest pharmacy for medical supplies. What follows are tense encounters with the monsters all set to a backdrop of a genius soundscape that helps the audience immerse themselves in the characters’ world.

There were a few jump scares and seeing the monsters close up wasn’t pleasant but again this film centred around family and human survival. There were twists and unexpected moments that had me holding my breath, not daring to make the slightest noise. Leave your popcorn at home again for this one.

Overall I give this film 9/10. I think some elements could have been expanded slightly and it was missing something that makes a film 10/10 for me but it was a worthy sequel and the acting was on point. Another great venture for John Krasinski and co.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

TV Shows I’ve been watching this month

Hello readers,

As lockdown is easing gradually in the UK and life hopefully will be returning to its pre-pandemic state, cinemas will be opening and production will increase. However, we are not quite there yet and this month I have been mainly watching television programmes that I find comfort in and sticking to old favourites. With real life becoming more exciting soon, maybe my watching habits will as well. The five shows I am going to write about in this post are all ones that have been in my life in some form for a while. For example while WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are new shows they are a continuation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the 23 films that culminated in Avengers: Endgame in 2019. Both of these shows pick up after Endgame and focus on some heroes who have not had their own films.

Shameless US – Netflix

I first became aware of this show around a year ago through a friend. I was introduced through the characters of Ian and Mickey and their ground-breaking relationship. For me they have been a great example of a romance that is not conventional or stereotypically confined by their sexuality. The show as a whole is set in Southside Chicago where every character has to fight for survival.

Shameless centres around the Gallagher family, the same as the UK version which this version is based upon but that is where the similarities stop plot wise. The family is headed by eldest sister, Fiona who is 21 in the first season. She has been raising her siblings since she was young and officially since she was 16 and her mother ran off from the family for good. Next is Lip, short for Philip, the smartest in the family with a high IQ who is 16 in season 1. Then there is Ian who is gay and has set his sights on the military by attending a junior cadet programme. He is 15 in season 1. After Ian comes Debbie, she is determined and is the only one of the Gallagher clan to still love her father. After her is Carl, a reckless kid with his heart in the right place. The youngest Gallagher is Liam, who is a baby in season one and somehow black with two white parents. Frank Gallagher is their father who is more interested in money, drugs and creating social change than his kids.

The show follows their lives and all the ups and downs. Other main characters are Kevin and Veronica who live near the Gallaghers and have formed a close bond with Fiona. Kevin works at the Alibi, the local bar and V works as a nurse at a care home. Other notable characters from season one are Karen and Sheila Jackson who become involved with the Gallaghers and Mickey and Mandy Milkovich. Mandy is Ian’s best friend and he meets Mickey through her.

I am up to Season 8 of the show but all together there are 11 seasons with the final season (11) being shown on television currently. Only 9 are on Netflix but hopefully the newer ones will be added soon. While this show is definitely for adults with lots of swearing, nudity and drugs; there is a lot of heart and every character goes through an amazing journey with hardships and successes.

WandaVision

The first venture for Marvel into television form with Kevin Feige helming the shows. WandaVision follows the story after Endgame as mentioned above. We are introduced to a new agency, S.W.O.R.D who have taken over from S.H.I.E.L.D as the governing body associated with superheroes and the Avengers. A phenomenon occurs when the town of Westview is trapped in a forcefield that no-one can penetrate. At the centre is Wanda Maximoff living as a 1950s housewife with her husband, Vision, who fans will know perished in Infinity War at the hands of Thanos.

Wanda’s life is now in black and white with a cast of friends and co-workers and a laugh track. As her life moves through the decades into the 1960s, 70s and 80s; we learn why Wanda is living out sitcoms from different decades.

What makes this show unique is that WandaVision completely inhabits the techniques and styles of every television decade including the special effects and props of the time. This show is a continuation of Wanda and Vision’s story in the Marvel Universe and we learn more about Wanda’s life pre-Avenger but it is also an homage to the great American sitcoms of the last 70 years.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier

This show is also in the Marvel Universe but unlike WandaVision, it is more similar to the Marvel spectacles we are used to from the MCU. The show is being released weekly and only two episodes have been streamed so far but the story is beginning to take shape.

In the show, we see Sam Wilson or ‘Falcon’ and Bucky Barnes or ‘The Winter Soldier’ in the months after Endgame where the world is trying to adjust to half the population suddenly appearing again. Sam is still working for the government as a contractor with his Falcon technology and Bucky has gone down a more solitary path. He lives alone in New York as a newly pardoned contract killer. Apart from his therapy sessions and missions to make his past wrongs right, he doesn’t have much to do with the Avengers.

A new threat appears in the form of Karli Morgenthau and her crew. They are dedicated to making the world how it was before everyone came back. Terror attacks have been threatening the population around the globe so Sam persuades Bucky to team up once again. What really convinces him is the debut of a new Captain America. John Walker is as close to a super soldier as he can be, without the serum but Sam who gave up the shield, definitely does not approve.

Bucky is still attached to his life long friend, Steve Rogers and together Sam and Bucky get back into the action. So far we have had an episode on a back story for both Sam’s family in New Orleans and more of Bucky’s past and a second with some action scenes between the pair. One delight of the series to audiences is the comedy between them. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan have had great comic chemistry since their interviews together for Captain America: The Winter Soldier back in 2014 and this series has amped up their natural back and forth to their on screen characters. A particular favourite scene is when Sam and Bucky are made to go through couple’s therapy with Bucky’s therapist.

Another element that I applaud Marvel for showing is race inequality. Sam as a black man gave up the Captain America mantle but then it was given to another white man. There is also a very pivotal scene where Bucky tries talking to another super soldier who was given the serum like him. This man was treated differently to Bucky however as he is black. After this revealing conversation, Sam is questioned by a passing policeman for arguing with Bucky and until Bucky tells the officer that Sam is an Avenger and a hero, Sam faces arrest.

Love, Victor

This show has been out for a while but I am watching it weekly on Disney Plus. It is based on the film Love, Simon that debuted in 2018 which is based on a book by Becky Albertalli. I loved the film of Love, Simon and the representation and awareness it brought to young adult audiences from a major studio. Love, Victor is in the same universe as Love, Simon but picks up the story from another point of view. Victor Salazar has just moved to Creekwood, Atlanta with his family and starts at the school where Simon went. He has some trouble adjusting to a more open and accepting society and trying to work out his own feelings so he messages Simon online for advice. This starts a dialogue between the two which is presented as a voice over from the original actor, Nick Robinson.

While Simon’s story was not easy, he was from a liberal white background whereas Victor’s family are Latino and religious. They also are not as open as Victor would hope so he has trouble even processing his feelings, let alone telling his family. He starts dating a fellow student, Mia and gets along well with her but he has an attraction to his co-worker, Benji who is openly gay and has a boyfriend.

I thought this show was a good twist on the point of view that studios normally show of a supportive and accepting family. Victor’s family is very close but he still fears their reaction. I am up to Episode 7 out of 10 and Season 2 is already confirmed so I will see how Victor’s story plays out.

Taskmaster

This show is one of my favourite game shows on TV as the format is never boring and all the contestants are comedians that I like. The aim of the game is to complete the tasks and then be judged by the Taskmaster to receive a maximum of five points. The winner of each episode gets to take home all the prize tasks. The show is currently on Series 11 and has had two episodes aired.

This series the contestants are Lee Mack, Jamali Maddox, Sarah Kendall, Mike Wozniak and Charlotte Ritchie. Each contestant pre-records their tasks with the help of Alex Horne, the Taskmaster’s Assistant at the Taskmaster house or sometimes on location around the area. The tasks can be creative, fun, tricky, challenging and really put people to the test. Many people complete the tasks in a unique and funny way which makes for great entertainment. The other entertaining part is watching the Taskmaster’s reaction in the studio and see the contestants plead their case for points.

This show does not need to be seen in order and I would recommend starting from series 4 or 5 as that is when the show really hits its stride.

Happy Watching,

Robyn