music – Film Fanatic

Again, Again! Films I have Re-Watched in 2024

Hi Readers,

After using the app Letterboxd, I started adding up the films I have re-watched this year so I have had this post in the back of my mind to discuss. There are a wide range of genres listed here and many of these films I have not watched for years and wanted to revisit. There are a few, of course, such as Mamma Mia! that I watch at least once a year and Wicked which I re-watched again after a couple of weeks in the cinema as I loved it so much.

2012 (2009)

This film falls into my favourite sub-genre of film: natural disaster films. This one certainly is a disaster with practically the whole world ending and our heroes racing to find an escape. Through connections, John Cusack’s character discovers arcs designed to survive the extinction level events and with his family and ex-wife’s new partner, they journey to survive. It’s a race against time across America and the world as a whole. The group meet various characters along the way, both friends and foes.

I last watched this film a few years ago and enjoyed it at the time but there’s something about 2000s visual effects and plot lines that is so different to the films of the 2020s. The family themselves are likeable and even the characters that you are supposed to dislike, have redeemable qualities. The film itself is a wider commentary on the uber-rich in the US and further afield. Should only those who can afford it, deserve to survive?

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

This was my first re-watch since seeing it at the cinema and it was on a projector so felt similar to the big cinema experience. I enjoyed the film as much as the first time but knowing what happens did take a little of the drama and jeopardy away. Still a fun film and I enjoyed the makeover of the genre to make it more up to date in terms of attitudes but also the technology and visual spectacle.

Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret? (2023)

This film is such a cosy watch and the dilemmas of the teenage protagonists feel very relatable despite the film being set in the 1970s. I first saw this film at an outdoor cinema so watching it at home was a different experience. I think this is a film that I could revisit every year or so as on the whole, its very re-watchable with a great cast and nostalgic themes in terms of the period setting and also reminding you of how it feels to be a pre-teen and all the issues that one worries about.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

I wanted to re-watch after hearing about the sequel (the musical on the West End is now playing too) and I loved the fashion and characters but of course, some of the dialogue and attitudes towards dieting culture are outdated.

I’ve seen people comment that Nate is the real villain of the story because he doesn’t like that Andy is more successful than him but I think the societal pressure on women to be high-flying career women while juggling a long-term relationship, motherhood, friendships and quality time with yourself is the real enemy.

Nate was very supportive of Andy but he thought her industry was not as important as his and therefore never saw her career as more important than their relationship or events with their friends. Andy began to see the importance of her industry and enjoyed working in the exciting, evolving world of fashion in NYC even if it was not her true passion.

Miranda was a stern character but to be successful as a woman even in a female-focused industry required more of her attention than she was prepared to give her husband. He also did not appreciate the benefits that her career and lifestyle in fashion offered.

It will be interesting to see how the magazine industry will be presented in the sequel with Emily being in a powerful role and Miranda’s legacy fading into an increasingly digital world.

Life (2017)

I watched most of this film on a plane years ago when it was new and I might have finished it at some point but this year was when I properly sat down and watched it all. I enjoyed it but I think it wasn’t anything too dissimilar to other space jeopardy films. The humour and alien foe added something but what I think made it enjoyable was the cast. Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal had good on-screen chemistry while Rebecca Ferguson and the other actors provided more of the dramatic acting. During press, Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal got along really well and that came through on screen. I would like to see them in a film together again.

I don’t think I would watch this one again but I am glad I was able to sit down and watch it all through.

Mamma Mia! (2008)

This was originally going to be an honourable mention but of course I ended up re-watching it as I tend to do every year. My family have seen it many times since it originally came out. We like the music of ABBA and the cast and story work really well together. The summer setting gives it a great warm feeling and brings some sun to the winter. I love all the songs and while there are a lot of older themes in the film, it doesn’t feel too intense or adult and everyone can enjoy it. I do also like the second film but nothing beats the original. I have heard a third film is in the works so it will be interesting to see how they do that film, especially as interest in ABBA has had a resurgence with their hologram show in London.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

I re-watched this film so myself and my family could go and see the new one in cinemas. I saw the first in the cinema and enjoyed it. I have not actually seen the original Ghostbusters films so it was interesting to see it rebooted for a new generation. The cast were good and of course the visual effects and plot were updated so watching the originals may not be as impressive as they were in the 1980s. I liked the inclusion of a female Ghostbuster and that the girl character was the nerd and the older brother was trying to be popular as it is often the other way around.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023)

I actually watched this over a couple of days simply because it is very long. I saw it first at the cinema and it was a great experience and I wanted to re-watch when it became available on streaming. There were some extra songs that were not included in the cinema release and it was cool to be able to relive the concert in my own living room. This tour has been widely talked about and I hope that a new version is released including the Tortured Poets Department section of the show. I did not get to see the concert in person but the quality and camera angles of the filmed version were so good that I think I would be disappointed in person especially if I had to sit far away.

Bros (2022)

I first saw this film at the BFI Film Festival and I enjoyed it but the story was a little more complex than the average rom-com with Billy Eichner wanting to make it more authentic to the gay experience. Watching it again helped to put it together in my head and I tried to focus more on the humour and the characters than the plot and the on and off nature of the relationship. The film is the first adult gay rom-com to have the big studio backing and it is surprising that it took so long. They did sanitise it a little to appeal to wider audiences but there were plenty of gay experiences and references shown if a little exaggerated. I liked that the lead characters were gay in real life as it gave more reality to the story.

Wicked (2024)

Of course this film has been talked about widely since it came out with many audience members going to see it multiple times. I am included in this and I wanted to see it again as I loved the film and the scenes and songs. It will definitely be great to re-watch once it hits streaming but the spectacle of the film is really felt on the big screen. The second time, I knew the plot so I tried to focus more on the backgrounds and the little details but there is so much visually and aurally to take in, I think it would take a few more re-watches to fully appreciate everything. This film has set a new boundary of what can be achieved in the industry and I am excited to see what arrives next to try and compete with this film. The second film has been announced as coming out in November 2025 and I am eager to see what happens next and how it is presented.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

A Star is Born / A Simple Favour

Hello readers,

I know another post so soon is not characteristic for me but yesterday I saw ‘A Star is Born’ and it really moved me so I couldn’t not write about it. I will also give my thoughts on ‘A Simple Favour’ another great film that I saw last week.

A Star is Born

This film was one of the few films that has affected me in such a physical way. I have been known to cry at many films but this one elicited a different reaction. It’s beautiful story and combined with the original sounds and brilliant performances by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born moved me. I felt strongly for the characters and their pain which stayed with me for several hours. It was as if the events had happened to me and not just on the screen.

As this film is the fifth version of this tale, you may think there was nothing left to do with the story but this film proved that this simply isn’t the case. Lady Gaga plays Ally, a waitress who sings in drag club. She isn’t pursuing a career successfully due to music industry executives telling her she has the right voice but the wrong face. When famous rock country singer Jackson Maine (Cooper) stumbles across her performing, he immediately recognises her talent. She is invited to sing on stage with him and they perform her original song. She quickly becomes successful while Jackson is struggling with alcoholism, drug addiction and tinnitus.

All the songs were written especially for the film and always express the character’s feelings at that point within the film. My personal favourite is Shallow which is the first song Jackson and Ally sing together.

There has been a lot of buzz around this film and for good reason. Even though this is Lady Gaga’s first film, I will be disappointed if she doesn’t receive award nominations. I give A Star is Born 5/5.

Cast:

Lady Gaga (American Horror Story) as Ally

Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) as Jackson Maine

Sam Elliott (Road House) as Bobby, Jackson’s manager/brother

Andrew Dice Clay (The Adventures of Ford Fairlane) as Lorenzo, Ally’s father

Rafi Gavron (Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) as Rez, Ally’s manager

Anthony Ramos (Younger) as Ramon, Ally’s co-worker and friend

A Simple Favour

A Simple Favour really surprised me with it’s plot. The trailer gave me some ideas as to what the film would entail but I was truly surprised. The film follows mummy vlogger Stephanie played by Anna Kendrick becoming friends with Emily, a fellow mum at her son’s school. They drink martinis together and tell secrets. Emily is a very mysterious person and never reveals anything about her past. She also disappears for a while with no explanation. Even her husband Sean and son Nicky don’t know her secrets. She is always impeccably dressed in suits and works in the city as a PR manager.

After Emily goes missing, Stephanie tries to find her. I don’t want to say much more as it would spoil the film but what happened next was shocking and unexpected.

Anna Kendrick was amazing as always and excelled in a darker role. Her humorous tone and attitude really worked well with her character. Blake Lively was also very different and surprised me with her performance. Her whole body changed into her character, every movement or look was carefully executed. Her outfits and the decor of Emily and Sean’s house added to the rich glamour of their world.

I give A Simple Favour 5/5.

Cast

Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect) as Stephanie

Blake Lively (Gossip Girl) as Emily

Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) as Sean

Ian Ho (Willa) as Nicky

Joshua Satine (Godless) as Miles, Stephanie’s son

Other films I have seen recently that I would recommend are Faces Places (2018), Fight Club (1999) and Superbad (2007).

Happy Watching,

Robyn 🙂

Cannes Film Festival 2018: My Experience

Hello readers,

Today I will talking about my time at the Cannes Film Festival a few weeks ago. It was an honour and a pleasure to go and my friends and I had a marvellous experience.

We all had the Cannes Cinephiles passes which didn’t let us in to many films but I managed to see a dozen or so, some of which I will be reviewing below as well as the festival as a whole.

Cannes Film Festival:

The festival itself was a amazing experience. Luckily we had great weather until the last two days where it rained very hard and I didn’t have an umbrella. The promenade where the festival was held was easy to navigate and there were many souvenir shops and kiosks selling reasonably priced food. The atmosphere was really lively and many people just came to walk around or hang out on the beach, soaking in the sun. Everyone I encountered was really friendly and helpful and I met some really interesting people in the film industry. The bars and food places were very expensive so we tended to eat in our apartment but the places we did go were very good quality.

The buildings and theatres where the films were screened are very spacious and great places to watch films. The Grand Theatre Lumiere was the biggest theatre and where the most prestigious films and premieres were held. I was lucky enough to go to a few films in this theatre and it was breathtaking. The Salle Buñuel was also a lovely 400 seat theatre where I saw other films.

If you ever get a chance as a filmmaker to go to Cannes Film Festival I would highly recommend it. The only downside was the fact that my pass didn’t let me in to as much as I thought it would when I applied to go.

I give the Cannes Film Festival as a whole 4/5.

Le Grand Bain (Sink or Swim):

One of my favourite films, I saw this film in the Grand Theatre Lumiere and it was really touching. It was about a man struggling with depression in his 40s and trying not to disappoint his wife and kids. On a whim he joins a male synchronised swim team and finds a reason to live again. Although there are some tough themes in this film such as mental illness, there are many comedy elements and I left the film feeling uplifted. Essentially, it’s about working as a team and finding joy in unexpected places.

It is in French but I didn’t find it too hard to follow along with the subtitles. The director, Gilles Lellouche, who is also an actor, had a great style and really focused on the back stories of all the characters which made me sympathise with them more.

The main cast are Mathieu Amalric (Barbara, Tournée) who plays the protagonist, Bertrand; Jean-Hugues Anglade (Betty Blue, Nikita); Leïla Bekhti (Paris, je t’aime; A Prophet); Guillaume Canet (The Beach, Rock’n Roll); Virginie Efira (Elle, Victoria); Philippe Katerine (The Truth About Charlie, Opium).

I give Le Grand Bain 5/5.

Leto:

This film that I also saw in the Grand Theatre Lumiere had a very different feel from Le Grand Bain but I really enjoyed it. It was also the first film I saw at the festival. The story depicted 1980s rock bands in Russia, based on the wife of a successful musician. It was shown in black and white which really enhanced the sad points of the film.

Communism at the time didn’t allow people to play rock music so the bands played at a club set up by the main character, Mayk (pronounced ‘Mike’). The audience was small compared to rock bands of the time in Europe and America but they were all enjoying the shows enthusiastically.

The director, Kirill Serebrennikov, used lots of close ups and at some points had a camera crew filming the band and their entourage. The only colour shots were footage of the camera.

The music of the film really helped tell the story, and the titular song written by the real Viktor Tsoy, Leto was my favourite.

The characters listened to American and European rock such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Blondie. The songs the bands played on stage were great rock music and showed the emotions of the characters.

This was also one of my favourite films and as a fan of 80s rock music it really appealed to me. Even if you aren’t a fan of this genre of music, the story alone is full of emotion and tells the age old tale of love and loss.

The main stars are Teo Yoo (Equals, Day Night Day Night) as Viktor Tsoy, a young musician being coached by Mayk; Irina Starshenbaum (Attraction, Ice) as Natasha whose memoirs the film was based upon and Roman Bilyk in his first acting role as Mayk.

I give Leto 5/5

The House that Jack Built:

This film is one of the most disturbing films I have ever. seen It is about five incidents committed by a serial killer with OCD. A big draw for the film is Uma Thurman but she only has a minor role. The serial killer Jack, played by Matt Dillon, has an obsession with killing that he doesn’t want to stop. The film shows many horrific and terrifying scenes in close and graphic detail so definitely only watch if you are over 18 and have a strong stomach for horror. Despite the shocking and twisted scenes depicted in the film, at it’s core, it showed an emotionally unavailable man, trying to build a house and who cannot form any relationships whatsoever.

The cinematography was very well done with beautiful countryside shots interspersed with the more disturbing images. The director, Lars Von Trier, who had a seven year ban from Cannes for jokingly declaring himself a Nazi, has an impressive body of work and has won many prizes at Cannes in the past. When I saw the film at its premiere, as soon as he walked in, he had a standing ovation. The film also received a ten minute standing ovation and sparked a mass walkout by at least 100 people.

The acting in the film was outstanding, especially Matt Dillon. I don’t think I will be able to watch him in anything else without seeing him as the serial killer.

The main cast were Matt Dillon (There’s Something About Mary, Crash); Bruno Ganz (Downfall, Wings of Desire); Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill: Vol.1 and 2); Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road, American Honey).

I give The House that Jack Built 3/5

Fahrenheit 451:

I saw this film at it’s midnight premiere and I was lucky enough to see the stars as they walked into the theatre, five feet away from me.

I enjoyed this film and stayed awake until two am watching it, when in some day time films I fell asleep. It played like a young adult adaptation and is a remake of a film based on a popular 1950s book by Ray Bradbury.

It portrays the idea that knowledge is dangerous and all books must be burned. Firemen work to destroy all books and punish those harbouring them. One fireman, Montag working his way to General, begins questioning why he’s burning books after he meets an influential woman.

My only issue with the film was the ending and as I don’t want to spoil it, I will not say why. The cast were good and I liked the graphics and story but there was something missing. I have not seen the original film but a friend said it was one of her favourite films.

The cast of Fahrenheit 451 are Michael B. Jordan (Creed, Black Panther) as the hero, Montag; Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water, Midnight Special) as his boss; Sofia Boutella (Star Trek Beyond, Kingsman: The Secret Service) as Clarisse, who shows Montag a new way of living.

I give Fahrenheit 451 a rating of 4/5.

Jane Fonda in Five Acts:

This documentary moved me and it was really entertaining. I like Jane Fonda as an actress and I knew she was an activist in the 1960s and 1970s but I didn’t realise the extent of her life.

The documentary was about two hours long and split into five acts – Henry (her father), Roger (her first husband), Tom (her second husband), Ted (her third husband) and Jane. It told of her beginnings as Henry Fonda’s daughter and her mother’s mental health issues through her three husbands, notable film roles such as Barbarella (1968), Klute (1971), On Golden Pond (1981), her activism and controversy around her. It concludes with her return to acting in 2005 and her unmarried life. Many people from her life, including 2 of her husbands, Paula Weinstein, Robert Redford and Lily Tomlin give their thoughts and opinions about Jane.

It was a very emotional documentary and I cried when it revealed that her mother committed suicide in a mental institution. Now, knowing about Jane Fonda’s whole life, I respect her much more as an actress and human being. I think she is a role model to her own and every generation.

I was also very pleased when Jane Fonda herself made an appearance along with the director Susan Lacy. Jane gave a great speech about being proud of yourself and standing up for others.

I give Jane Fonda in Five Acts 5/5.

Driving Miss Daisy:

Driving Miss Daisy is a timeless classic from 1989 and was played in the Cannes Classics section. I had never seen it before and I really enjoyed. It had a lovely ending and was a really enjoyable film. I didn’t fall asleep in this one either!

The story tells of a friendship between an old Jewish woman and her black driver set in the South of the US. It starts in the 1950s and spans 25 years. It started as an Off-Broadway play but was adapted to an Academy Award Winning film. The film was nominated for ten Oscars and won four of them – Best Picture, Best Actress – Jessica Tandy, Best Makeup and Best Adapted Screenplay.

The film deals with many themes; racism, ageing, Judaism and anti-semitism, class and many others.

The film stars Jessica Tandy (Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe, *batteries not included) as Miss Daisy, Morgan Freeman (Se7en, Invictus), who starred in the original play in the same role as Hoke, Miss Daisy’s driver and friend; Dan Aykroyd (Blues Brothers, Ghostbusters) as Miss Daisy’s well-meaning son.

I really enjoyed this film and would definitely recommend giving it a watch.

I give Driving Miss Daisy 5/5

Black Panther:

This film was screened on the beach with an introduction by the director, Ryan Coogler. I am a massive Marvel fan so I had already seen the film when it came out this February. It was great to watch it again and amazing to see Ryan Coogler in person.

For anyone who hasn’t seen Black Panther, it tells the origin story of the comic book hero Black Panther. T’Challa is crowned as the King of Wakanda, a fictional African country that has hidden from the world, after the death of his father, King T’Chaka in a previous Marvel film – Captain America: Civil War (2016). He tackles villain Ulysses Klaue and an American soldier, Erik Killmonger, who turns out not to be who we think he is.

The film is told in typical comic book adaptation way with a good vs. evil vibe but it was also thoroughly enjoyable and a big change for Hollywood as it was the first film to have a budget of over $100 million and feature a predominately black cast. It featured humour especially from Shuri, T’Challa’s tech wiz sister; drama, action, plot twists and some great fight and car chase sequences. The CGI was also breathtaking especially when the real Wakanda is revealed.

The film stars many great Hollywood actors and actresses: Chadwick Boseman (Get on Up, Marshall) as T’Challa/Black Panther; Michael B. Jordan (Creed, Fantastic Four) as Killmonger; Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) as Nakia, T’Challa’s ex-girlfriend and undercover spy; Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead, The Visitor) as T’Challa’s bodyguard and friend, Okoye; Letitia Wright (Black Mirror, The Commuter) as Shuri; Winston Duke (Person of Interest, Avengers: Infinity War) as M’Baku, a rival leader of another tribe in Wakanda.

Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, Sherlock) as Everett Ross, a government agent who joins the fight to help old friend, T’Challa; Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Sicario) W’Kabi, T’Challa’s friend and Okoye’s love interest; Angela Bassett (Strange Days, Olympus Has Fallen) as Ramonda, T’Challa’s mother; Sterling K. Brown (This is Us, Army Wives) as N’Jobu, T’Challa’s uncle; Forest Whitaker ( The Last King of Scotland, Rogue One) as Zuri, T’Challa’s adviser and Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) as Ulysses Klaue.

I think Black Panther is one of the best Marvel films and I give it 5/5.

Bergman: A Year in a Life:

This documentary narrated and directed by Jane Magnusson (Cupcake, The Swimsuit Issue) tells of Ingmar Bergman’s life in the year 1957, the most chaotic of his career. Bergman is a revolutionary Swedish writer-director whose films are masterpieces, telling stories of the human condition. He has been nominated for nine Oscars and won the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1971. His many films include: Summer with Monika(1953), Wild Strawberries (1957), The Seventh Seal (1957) (which I saw at Cannes), Persona (1966), Hour of the Wolf (1968), Scenes from a Marriage (1974) and Fanny and Alexander (1982).

The documentary featured archive footage of Bergman on talk shows and photos from 1957. Many people were interviewed for the documentary including Lena Endre, Thorsten Flinck, Elliott Gould, Barbra Streisand, Liv Ullman and Lars Von Trier.

Bergman’s story was very interesting but also tragic. He suffered very painful stomach ulcers his whole life and mental illness which he was often hospitalised for. In recuperation, he wrote many of his films.

I had heard of Bergman before Cannes but this documentary introduced me to his life and I would really like to watch more of his films.

I give Bergman: A Year in a Life 5/5.

Awards:

Grand Prix – BlacKkKlansman

From what I have heard of this film, it deserved to win the Grand Prix. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see it but I have seen the trailer and it features some excellent actors and actresses.

Palme d’Or – Shoplifters

I didn’t see this film either but my friends did and said it was their favourite film. The director, Hirokazu Koreeda is known for his films: Nobody Knows (2004), Still Walking (2008), Like Father, Like Son (2013) and The Third Murder (2017).

What I wish I had seen:

BlacKkKlansman:

This film directed by Spike Lee (Malcolm X) and produced by Jordan Peele (Get Out) tells the story of an African-American police officer infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan and managed to become the head of the local chapter.

It stars John David Washington (Malcolm X, Monster) as police officer, Ron Stallworth; Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Logan Lucky) as Flip Zimmerman; Topher Grace (Spider-Man 3, That ’70s Show) as David Duke; Laura Harrier (Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Last Five Years) as Patrice and Alec Baldwin (The Departed, It’s Complicated) as Actor.

As it won the Grand Prix this year, I think I will be seeing it in cinemas.

Pope Francis: A Man of His Word:

This documentary on the Pope sounds really interesting especially as it directed by the legend Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire; Paris, Texas).

I did queue for this film but it filled up before I got a seat.

Ryan Coogler and Christopher Nolan masterclass

I am disappointed that I missed these. My friends went to the Ryan Coogler masterclass and said it was really interesting. They were both very popular.

Solo: A Star Wars Story:

I am not a big Star Wars but I wanted to see this. It tells the Han Solo origin story, however it was screened after we left the festival.

It stars Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!, Stoker) as Han Solo; Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri, Now You See Me) as Beckett; Emilia Clarke (Me Before You, Game of Thrones) as Qi’ra; Donald Glover (Atlanta, Community) as Lando Calrissian; Thandie Newton (Westworld, 2012) as Val; Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Crashing) as L3-37 and Paul Bettany (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Journey’s End) as Dryden Vos.

It appears to be very popular and I may see it in the cinema.

Thanks for reading this long and overdue post.

Happy Watching

Robyn 🙂