Double Film Review: The Fall Guy and Challengers – What I have loved at the cinema in May

Hello Readers,

Today I am bringing you my thoughts of two of the most anticipated films of 2024 – The Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt and Challengers – Luca Guadagnino’s erotic tennis drama starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist.

Both have been heavily advertised with premiere events around the world. Ryan Gosling made a statement by dressing up as one half of the cartoon duo Beavis and Butt-Head along with SNL actor Mikey Day, reprising their roles from the popular Saturday night sketch show. Another event saw a stunt performed where stuntmen broke through the film poster dressed in a similar suit to Gosling while riding motorcycles.

Challengers has gone for the more fashion-focused approach with the stars of the film being dressed in Jonathan Anderson looks who served as the costume designer for the film. He is also the creative director of luxury fashion house LOEWE. Zendaya never misses an opportunity to be on theme at red carpets and in every press event or premiere for her new film, she has been wearing tennis themed outfits all immaculately styled by her long time stylist Law Roach. LOEWE is one of the fashion houses that the pair have worked with at previous events. Law Roach revealed on a recent podcast the reluctance of other big fashion labels to dress Zendaya when she started out in her career. She has never publicly worn anything from the ‘Big Five’ – Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Chanel, Dior and Valentino (apart from Valentino that Zendaya has had a contract with since 2020) in her 13 years of fame.

While both films have been making headlines for different reasons, they definitely lived up to the hype in my opinion and seeing them on the big screen were very different experiences.

The Fall Guy (2024)

I saw the Fall Guy with my family at the cinema, the week after it opened. There was still a large crowd but we did go on a Monday evening so it was probably smaller than the weekend. Most people were in couples or groups, presumably their immediate family. As the film was a 12A, it did have a family feeling with little bad language and the action fit the parody vibe of a film within a film.

I really liked the story as the comedy comes from the main film being made ‘Metal Storm’ being an amalgamation of many recognisable films such as Dune, Star Wars, Star Trek, Indiana Jones and so on. The film itself was actually based on a television show starring Lee Majors from the 1980s and celebrates the role of the stunt team who are often invisible and unsung heroes of the film industry.

Ryan Gosling stars as Colt Seavers, a stunt double at the top of his game since doubling up for renowned actor Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). While working on his latest film, he has been developing feelings for camera operator, Jody. A big stunt goes wrong and Colt retreats from the spotlight, believing himself to be at fault.

Cut to a few years later, Colt is working as a valet in Los Angeles and gets a call from demanding producer Gail (Hannah Waddingham) who insists that Jody, now a director, is requesting Colt as a stunt coordinator on her film, Metal Storm. Colt flies to Sydney hoping to rekindle their summer fling but when he gets there he realises that he’s been set up and that Gail has flown him there to use his likeness as unreliable Tom Ryder has gone missing.

Colt starts working on the film and at Gail’s request to save Jody’s film, goes looking for Tom who has been hanging out with a dangerous crowd. From there, it’s neon suits, fake samurai swords, truck car chases and AI being used for evil.

The stunts in this film were amazing as expected but all things that I have not seen before on screen. There were a few twists and turns in terms of the plot but fitted with the parody vibe. There was some violence but done through comedy so it was enjoyable. I thought Ryan Gosling did a great job and he balanced the comedy, action and romance really well. I think his comedy skills have been undervalued and I hope he takes on more comedy roles in the future.

Overall, I would say this film was the definition of a blockbuster, made to be seen with friends and family at the cinema. I’m sure I would re-watch when it appears on streaming but it won’t have the same effect as seeing it on the big screen.

Challengers (2024)

I saw this film by myself in the middle of the day so the screen was much emptier with most people sitting at the back of the theatre. This gave a much more concentrated view and during the last scene, I barely noticed what was happening around me. I am not sure if a 15 rating was entirely necessary as for all of the erotic tension between the actors, there was no on-screen sex and little bad language. I don’t think it was quite a film for 12-year-olds though.

We follow the stories of Tashi Duncan, Art Donaldson (Faist) and Patrick Zweig (O’Connor) from their meeting at 18 years old, on the cusp of their tennis careers to their early 30s when Art and Patrick meet at a small tournament, a challenger before the US Open. This tense match frames the whole film by starting and then ending it.

Art and Patrick were best friends at 18, having been roommates since they were 12 at the Tennis Academy. Art is headed to Stanford University while Patrick plans to go straight to the pros. At a competition where they compete as doubles they see rising star, Tashi Duncan compete and both fall for her. When they meet later at the mixer and then in their hotel room it becomes clear that Tashi is interested in both of them. Patrick wins her phone number in a match against Art and dates Tashi who joins Art at Stanford. We see their lives at college along with Tashi’s career-ending injury. When Patrick isn’t there for her she relies on Art and when they catch up a few years later, start dating.

By the time, Art and Patrick meet at the challenger, Art and Tashi are married with a young daughter and Tashi has become Art’s coach. He is at the top of his game in tennis having won various Grand Slams but is ready to retire. Tashi enters him into a New Jersey Challenger competition match to raise his confidence after an easy defeat.

Patrick has fallen on hard times and is living out of his car and motels. He enters the challenger for the money. He and Art have not spoken in about 10 years. He sees Tashi around the hotel during the tournament in the lead up to the final match against Art.

The erotic tension comes from the chemistry that all three of them have together. Since their rendez-vous at 18, there was always a possibility between Art and Patrick with Tashi eventually dating both of them at different times. There are a lot of long lingering looks between the three, with Tashi often placing ultimatums or deals on the outcome of tennis matches between Art and Patrick. It is clear that Art and Tashi are not happy in their marriage and are using each other to become successful.

I think Luca Guadagnino’s films often have a simmering eroticism between certain characters often turning into sexual relationships. The camera work along with the sweat and power all created an electric tension between Art and Patrick in their final match with Tashi sitting in the crowd watching.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film and I think the cast and director managed to create a very suspenseful film using mostly looks and interactions between the three stars. Tennis was where they channeled their frustrations so it became almost another presence on screen with every serve and movement being carefully framed.

Both films were enjoyable in different ways and I think Challengers was great to see at the cinema but would perhaps work better on a smaller screen than the Fall Guy as the suspense all comes from the tension between the screen and the audience.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

2023: Summer of Cinema: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

The stunts were really amazing and the motorcycle/parachute jump that has been shared already was a real spectacle. I must say that I thought the story was a little weaker than past films maybe not helped by this being a Part One. It was still an enjoyable film but I think I will need to see Part Two before I fully make up my mind.

Hello readers,

This review is hot off the press as at the time of writing, I saw the latest Mission Impossible film last night and I am here to give my thoughts. First of all I want to say that it was a great film and everyone that worked on it should be proud. It had everything you need for a classic Tom Cruise outing complete with death-defying stunts, some romantic tension and of course bad guys.

This film has had a lot of hype, particularly as it was meant to be released last year. Bringing it forward to clash with Oppenheimer (and Barbie) was probably a decision to boost its box office figures or maybe to tweak those epic fight scenes. This review will be spoiler free for those looking forward to seeing it.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

The film starts with a seemingly irrelevant scene on a submarine but soon we see that it is setting up the main plot. There is a key in two halves that unlocks some unknown item that is the link to stopping the Entity, a sentient AI taking over all of the digital space.

AI has always been a good villain: faceless, nameless and nationless but a distant possibility. With the recent introduction of AI to create images and scripts, that is not so far away. I think it was interesting to go for something threatening the collective secret services rather than a threat to civilian life as it is a more underground but personal mission.

We see Ethan Hunt reunite with his merry band of outcasts: Benji, Luther and Ilsa in a variety of locations but culminating in Rome in an epic car chase featuring a yellow Fiat 500. He also becomes entangled with a new associate, Grace (Hayley Atwell), master thief and someone living a step ahead of the law. They begin with a battle for the key but quickly team up to go against the Entity’s human representative, Gabriel and his henchwoman, Paris (Pom Klementieff).

I won’t say more about the plot but let’s say the train scene really kept my attention. I think the cast were great: Benji was his usual self, always worrying but being dragged along for the ride; Luther was calm and collected and started a side storyline that I hope we see more of in Part 2 and Ilsa was determined but becoming a team player. We see a return from The White Widow (Vanessa Kirby) trying to make a buck like usual by brokering a deal.

The stunts were really amazing and the motorcycle/parachute jump that has been shared already was a real spectacle. I must say that I thought the story was a little weaker than past films maybe not helped by this being a Part One. It was still an enjoyable film but I think I will need to see Part Two before I fully make up my mind.

Overall, I thought that this was a great film and a classic Mission: Impossible offering but the two parts may have weakened it a little. The stunts, car chases and end scene were stand outs. I give the film 3.5/5.

Happy Watching,
Robyn

American vs Turkish Cinemas: A.L Fox recalls her Summer Experiences

Hello readers,

This is another post by A.L. Fox, my talented guest writer. This time she has written about three different cinemas in two different countries she has visited this summer.

Happy Watching

Robyn 🙂

There’s more to the cinema experience than simply absorbing the themes and colours that stimulate the senses from the screen, and hopefully stir our emotions – in a good way.  Many of us still visit the cinema to watch a film even though we can generally view most films from the comfort of our own homes.

So why do we continue to go out to see a film?

Often, it is to be sociable and share an experience with friends or a loved one or sometimes, that we want to be the first to see a new blockbuster release or, on occasion, to be challenged by new worlds and ways of seeing. There are many demands on our leisure time these days, and we have screens wherever we go, whether it’s a phone, a tablet, or a laptop but we still go to the cinema. In this century, around 150 million people still visit the cinema every year in the UK. Of course, this is a considerable drop from the 1.5 billion that went in the heyday of the Second World War. But now there are so many different ways of watching a film.

With so much competition for our eyes, cinemas have become much more than just a screen; they are places where you can eat, play video games – and eat mountains of popcorn. Most are multiplexes offering 3D and a very different experience from the cinemas of old. Now you book online, choose a seat, collect your ticket from a machine and don’t have to speak to anyone. It’s not quite the same everywhere in the world, though.

America is the home of cinema and there will probably be as many different cinemas as there are States but going to the cinema in New York is like stepping back in time. We were in the Big Apple when Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again opened so, naturally, we had to go. Bizarrely, the weather wasn’t as hot as we’d been led to believe; it rained and so that was another factor in our decision. The AMC chain is the biggest US cinema chain but the one on W 34th St felt as though it remained untouched since it opened in the 50s. First, we had to get to the 4th floor; there were the usual food stalls – and popcorn but also, gambling machines. We bought our tickets, and chose a seat; on the screen there were gaps between the seats – and, in the cinema,  the seats were in pairs with a large table – for the food, between them. Sitting down, there was another surprise for there were acres of room between the rows. People were able to walk without asking others to move. Unsurprisingly, people didn’t stop eating throughout the film and American audiences aren’t exactly quiet; they do like to voice their opinions, or add their viewpoint to the action.

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AMC Cinema on W 34th St, New York City, USA

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For the record, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again was enjoyable – the beginning was a little flat but once the cast hit their stride about 30 minutes in, it became more like the first film – and that’s exactly what audiences were expecting. The film delivered but it wasn’t quite a match for the original. Now that sounds like a criticism, but it’s not meant as one. It is simply that the first film was so iconic. A special appearance by Cher was successfully woven into the plot and she provided enough glitz to offset the absence of Meryl Streep, although there were some scenes featuring Streep, so she wasn’t entirely missing.

Most of the other main characters from the first film had major roles in this one with the addition of a young Donna (Lily James) and her Dynamos (Alexa Davies and Jessica Keenan Wynn) plus younger versions of Sophie’s three dads (Jeremy Irvine, Josh Dylan and Hugh Skinner).

Now, talking of original – the Regal, the second cinema we visited in New York, on W 42nd St was definitely like stepping into the 50s again. Here, the seats were black leather armchairs that extended to support your feet, almost to the point of becoming a bed. The carpets had the letter of the rows woven into it and the decor hadn’t been touched for decades. Here, we saw Incredibles 2; a film that had been on general release for some weeks so it wasn’t busy. We did get the noise of audience participation once again, and it was loud  – the sound turned up to echo over the comments.

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Regal Cinema W 42nd St, New York City, USA

Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Brad Bird, Sarah Vowell, Eli Fucile, and Huck Milner in Incredibles 2 (2018)

As for the film itself, it was definitely worth watching. It had all the impact and colour of the first film with an updated plot to reflect changes in society. This time, it was Elastigirl or Helen Parr’s time in the spotlight. She went to save the world while Mr Incredible became a stay-at-home dad. As ever, the action was fast-paced and attention-grabbing for both children and adults. The animation was brilliant and shows that Disney Pixar is not just for kids.

Both experiences were good; if you get the chance to visit either of these cinemas then take it; a different experience but a good contrast and it makes you appreciate the relative quiet of British audiences – unless, you’re unfortunate enough to sit next to the person who never stops eating. There are people who believe calories consumed in the dark don’t count as they munch continuously for the length of the film and that can be a big distraction but then, it’s all part of the cinema experience.

And what’s still part of the cinema experience in Turkey is – the intermission. Yes, they have a break in the middle of the film! We were watching Mission Impossible – Fallout 3D – and, at a particularly tense moment in the action, the screen went dark. An electrical fault? No, it was an interval. People went out and returned with more food, it may even have been a break for the smokers but it was only one hour into the film and it did break the flow.

Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Angela Bassett, Ving Rhames, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson, and Simon Pegg in Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

The MI films are all fast-paced with plenty of action; there are no slow sections where a break could be achieved without interrupting this flow so it did spoil the experience – for me, at least. We didn’t mind the subtitles – some Hollywood films are dubbed but most are shown in English – but that break did upset the concentration. However, even though this is the sixth film in the franchise, it still captured the hearts and minds of the audience with a good story, death-defying stunts and enough dialogue to explain the plot points. Tom Cruise playing the lead Ethan Hunt was brilliant as always and supported by a sterling cast featuring Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson and Alec Baldwin.

Three films, three different experiences; if you do get the opportunity to visit the cinema in another country then go – it may even make you appreciate what you have at home. As for costs, in the US we paid about £10/£12 for each ticket and in Turkey, we paid a bit less but, in terms of comparable costs relative to the country, tickets are much the same price.

My Weekly Recommendations 27th November

Hello readers,

I know it is Monday but I went home from university this weekend so I was extra busy with my parents so apologies for the late post. I will be doing some different posts soon but for now here is another rendition of what I have been watching this (last) week.

Cinema:

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

This film charts a story of two men meeting in 1980s Italy, they initially dislike one another but then they migrate to lovers. Sounds simple, which the plot is, yet it is 100% effective. The beautiful scenery of a hot Italian summer, the French language combined with Italian and English, the sensual soundtrack and costumes all come together to create a romantic love story that also explores being gay in the 80s and lusting after someone older then having to lose them. The main character Elio (Timothée Chalamet), a 17 year old who is a gifted musician at first dislikes the loud all American student that comes to stay for the summer, played by Armie Hammer. He gradually realises his feelings for Oliver(Hammer) are not hate but love. Chalamet’s performance is stand out, his emotions are always written all over his body unless he is trying to hide them. He looks French, his parents holiday in Italy but is American. His accent and piano playing are also spot on. Hammer is also great in his role, knowing when to be forward and play hard to get. Also starring are Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man) as Elio’s father, a professor of archaeology who invites Oliver to be his student; Amira Casar (Versailles) as Elio’s mother; Esther Garrel (17 Girls) as Marzia, Elio’s girlfriend who he gradually drifts away from as he becomes closer to Oliver and Victoire Du Bois (From the Land of the Moon) as Chiara, a girl who dances with Oliver and proceeds to lust after him.

A gorgeous film that made me smile and empathise with Elio even though I am not a boy in 1980s Italy. Chalamet made you feel Elio’s jealousy, fear, excitement, sadness, happiness and boredom. He truly brought Elio alive. Overall I give Call Me By Your Name 5/5.

DVD

Two Weeks Notice (2002)

This charming little rom com set in New York City starring Hugh Grant (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and Sandra Bullock (Miss Congeniality) is definitely a feel good movie if you need to be reminded what it is like to love and not be loved back. Sandra Bullock plays Lucy, a lawyer who uses her Harvard education to fight against social injustice. She is offered at random a position as lawyer by George Wade (Grant) who is the face of Wade Corporation, a development company trying to knock down every old building in the Big Apple for their own gain. Lucy, who regularly protests against George’s company accepts the job deciding she can do some good from the inside. She excels at her job and becomes the one George turns to for everything, what outfits to wear to his divorce settlement. Lucy decides he is too demanding and quits for her own health. During her two weeks notice, whilst seeing her replacement, June cosy up to George, Lucy starts to feel one emotion for George she never thought she would: love. She continues to be professional and not let her rare feelings get in the way of quitting. A classic Hugh Grant film in which his character has some shocking similarities to Donald Trump pre 2016 who incidentally turns up for a surprise cameo during a benefit. I liked this film, definitely one to watch if you love Hugh Grant in Love Actually or Sandra Bullock in The Proposal. Also starring are Alicia Witt (88 Minutes) as June Carver, Lucy’s replacement; Dana Ivey (The Adams Family) as Lucy’s tough talking mother; Robert Klein (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) as Lucy’s dad; Heather Burns (You’ve Got Mail) as Meryl, Lucy’s friend and David Haig (My Boy Jack) as Howard, George’s business partner and brother. Overall I give this film 4/5.

Amazon Prime

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

C.I.A agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill, Superman) and Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer, The Lone Ranger) a KGB operative are forced to work together to reach a common goal in the 1960s when the tension between Russia and the US is at a high point. Both agents have no choice but to work for the mysterious organisation. The film starts with an epic car chase through the streets of Berlin, where Solo and Kuryakin fight each other but are then forced to be a team. They meet Gaby (Alicia Vikander) a car mechanic who’s uncle has connections to the Vinciguerra family. Victoria Vinciguerra (Elizabeth Debicki) is building a nuclear bomb and Solo, Kuryakin and Gaby must work together to stop their common enemy from destroying the world as they know it. This film is cheesy and a parody to movies of the time, adapted from a television series of the same name but ultimately a good watch. The blossoming romance between Vikander and Hammer who pose as a couple to be wed gives the film a softer edge. There is also violence but it is more comic and entertaining than gruesome. Hugh Grant also appears as a British agent bringing in reinforcements for the final mission. The dynamic between Cavill and Hammer also gives some classic masculinity that Guy Richie, the director is famous for. Also starring are Luca Calvani (When in Rome) as Alexander Vinciguerra, Victoria’s husband and Sylvester Groth (Inglorious Basterds) as Gaby’s Uncle Rudi. Overall I give The Man From U.N.C.L.E. 4/5.

Hope you enjoy my 3 picks this week, other honourable mentions include Sleeping with Other People (2015) and What to Expect When You’re Expecting (2012).

Happy Watching,

Robyn