Tim Miller directs Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin and Ed Skrein in this X-Men spin-off about a disfigured, fourth wall breaking, mutant assassin, who can regenerate, trying to gain his sleazy life back. 

There are two really good jokes in Deadpool. Both visual. This one pictured above. And an earlier montage depicting a year of holiday sex. Crackers. But two good (really good) in a film that feels like a relentless meme, gif and Unilad clip feed. So much joke-resembling shit is thrown against the wall that it becomes deadening. Relentless, annoying shit. Callbacks, meta, references, toppers, zingers, insults, scatalogical, nonsensical. Just constant but constantly underwhelming. And what frames it… a mediocre X-Men flick which spends an hour on the same freeway high rise give or take a few flashbacks and then scrabbles to a clanging finale with no peril. A finale, that if you took the wrecked hellicarrier and the superpowers out of it, smells a lot like one of those dockyard / warehouse shootouts from 1980s Miami Vice. And what is it pinned to… a Ryan Reynolds star turn. We’ve been giving him these for years. This is the first time anyone has willingly bought a ticket for one for over 12 long years of smarmy vehicles. So what do we really have… a Ryan Reynolds film with better marketing? An R rated superhero with lots of PG-13 dick jokes and “violence” that will taste like warm beer to any Verehoeven / Schwarzenegger / Die Hard raised hard liquor kid? Am I being overly mean to a silly tongue-in-cheek surprise smash? No. Not really any more than is deserved. But Deadpool opened to average reviews. And I think they were on the money. Not its current overinflated, box office justified, rep. Deadpool is nerd culture for people who think having The Big Bang Theory on in the background makes them a geek. For fantasy fans who have watched all of Game of Thrones and the spoiler theory Youtubes. You deserve your mediocre, puerile films. But know this. Those scenes where Deadpool wanders about street corners in a hoodie looking sad, unable to approach his girlfriend as his skin…is… a…bit…gnarly. They are serious about those. You are supposed to feel sad. That’s about as scabarous as a Masters of the Universe moral. Stay in school, kids.

5

Stanley Kramer directs Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn in this drama about mixed race couple trying to gain parental approval for their whirlwind romance in sixties America. 

Another difficult film to review. It is trying to be forward thinking yet was made in a period of such social flux so that it probably felt dated as soon as the film stock was being developed. It is a film where the young couple is so perfect, the hesitant parents so decent, that the drama is tensionless. It is film where the parents’ main objection is the world’s negative reaction to the couple’s difference rather than any hatred to the ‘other’ in itself. It is film where after the final bow tieing ‘that solves everything’ big speech, the black maid is told to serve dinner. Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner probably has very little to say for today’s audience, even about attitudes in 1967. In reality it is an idealised view of pragmatic liberalism at the time, rather than race relations of any period. Sensitive to danger yet inoffensive in itself so as to be a toothless fantasy. Is it a waste of time? No. You get some lovely star performances and support turns. Poitier handles all the awkwardness, scripted and unscripted, with a classy elan. And bride to be / apple of their eye Katharine Houghton is cute enough to be worth the fuss. Even when she coquettishly says ‘negro’ for the 57th time. Will Get Out feel this dated 50 years down the line?

6

Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg direct Anthony Weiner, Huma Abedin and Sydney Leathers in this documentary closely following NYC mayoral election campaign  of a former congressman, coming back to politics from a sexting scandal.

A difficult experience to review. The level of access and quality of footage in astounding. The portrait painted in this fly-on-the-wall investigation is actually quite sympathetic. Weiner is a diligent and passionate politician, who engages with issues and the general public with a frank easiness. He is exactly the kind of bulldog you want in the chambers of power defending your healthcare or your rights. It may all ultimately be to feed his ego but he is an intelligent and unrelenting representative for liberal, democratic politics… But his predilection for sending sex images of himself and flirting online with other women ruins his reputation twice. We see him betray his wife and hurt her publicly… twice. An intelligent, arguably more successful woman silently screaming at the horrible position her husband has put her in… again. As credits roll I was willing to give Weiner a pass. I would vote for him even if he engages in behaviour which it clearly is foolish for someone in his position to do. But then you go on his Wikipedia page, find out what has happened in the aftermath, and you are left bereft. The guy is a disaster. Let him regain some semblance of a life as far away from media scrutiny as possible.

6

Yuen Woo-ping directs Sammo Hung, Kwan Tak-hing and Yuen Biao in this Hong Kong Kung Fu farces where a headstrong butcher finds himself in escalating danger from leaping into fights without knowing the causes of them. 

A supremely daft action comedy clearly in the Jackie Chan mould. Sammo never matches the delirious slapstick magic of that star’s output but he is a likeable clown and an amazing exhibition fighter. There’s some nice bits of business; a drunk chicken, an assassin who might be a crazy cat and an elegant calligraphy brush fight. But there’s also a rape and murder sequence that sticks out like barb wire in a playground. Nasty interlude for what is, in the main, highly physical, family fun.

7

My Top 10 Kung Fu Movies

1. Kill Bill (2003/2004)

2. Snake in Eagle’s Shadow (1978)

3. The 36th Chamber of the Shaolin (1978)

4. Enter the Dragon (1973)

5. The Street Fighter (1974)

6. Drunken Master (1978)

7. House of Flying Daggers (2004)

8. Police Story (1985)

9. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

10. Ong Bak (2003)

 

Peter Bogdanovich directs Ben Gazzara, Denholm Elliott and himself in this character study of an easy going American pimp in Singapore.

“Alright boys, let’s get it over with before I dropkick this little cocksucker down the hill.” The only time Jack raises his voice in anger is when he is surrounded by knife wielding hoods led by a disingenuous midget. A highlight from a forgotten gem, full of great moments. A mood piece following a few years in the life of very likeable colonial bottom feeder – an immoral good guy who cares for his girls, wants to be mates with his johns and knows all the angles. Gazzara imbues the doomed John Flowers with a relaxed masculinity and a charming apoliticism. It plays like a beloved Simpsons character has been parachuted into the murky, feverish world of Graham Greene thriller and has decided to actively overlook the preordained espionage and crime plot unless it lashes out directly at him. The warm chemistry between him and the always impeccable Elliot’s stuffy but corruptible auditor is delightful. This was originally a Playboy production (Hefner’s name is on the credits) but Cybil Shepherd was awarded the book rights in a dispute over unauthorised nude photos of her the magazine published. There still is nudity and sleaziness but it feels completely desexualised, almost pointedly considering the exploitative milieu. Also the impressive authentic location shoot was done on the sly. Knowing the Singapore authorities would not approve the dank themes and unflattering presentation of their home, Bogdanovich cooked up a dummy romantic comedy screenplay for the locals to think they were supporting. A move worthy of Saint Jack himself.

8

Alex Garland directs Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tessa Thompson in this cerebral sci-fi adventure about a group of scientists who enter into an alien anomaly. 

Stalker for kids. A very beautiful movie. Everything shimmers in ‘The Shimmer’ like an oil slick on a hologram. The gorgeous cast pull inquisitive yet determined faces as they march through the overgrown fantasy fauna, heavily armed in tight, sweaty olive green vests. Phwoar! The final act is a trippy confluence of HR Giger inspired wombs, dance sequences with Henry Moore invoking doppelgängers and burning crystal trees. In fact, the last forty minutes with its further mysteries, and its dazzling imagery and its ominous threats finally delivered on, salvage an opening hour of damp character work and unambiguous clue dropping. Like Ex Machina, Garland here is a bit too in love with the obscured solution to make the sum itself particularly audience friendly. Portman and Leigh are unstretched by their roles but, as always, never bore. Proper movie stars. Annihilation clearly is a film with hidden depth. These ambiguities slow it down as a casual entertainment but perhaps like Blade Runner, The Shining or The Thing the unanswered puzzles may drag it up into classic status long after Black Panthers and Wonder Women seem played out, dated and old hat. I’m not sure it will be worthy of the longetivity or high status. But the potential is there. And the sequence with the refracted bear is a creepy treat.

7

My Top 10 Natalie Portman Movies

1. Leon: The Professional (1994)
2. Black Swan (2010)
3. Beautiful Girls (1996)
4. Mars Attacks! (1996)
5. Closer (2004)

6. Vox Lux (2018)

7. Annihilation (2018)
8. Garden State (2004)
9. V for Vendetta (2005)
10. My Blueberry Nights (2007)

Peyton Reed directs Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly in this Marvel superhero caper that focuses on a thief who steals a suit that allows him the shrink to the size of an insect. 

A light and fluffy romp, benefitting from what is easily the starriest topline cast a Marvel production has paid for upfront. I have a lot of time for Ant-Man. Rudd is a cheeky, amiable and self aware lead. The set pieces are dotted with the inventive cartoon flourishes that you know came from Edgar Wright’s decade of pre-production storyboarding rather than journeyman’s Reed efficient yet bland directing. It actually escalates with nimble pace too. We go from origins to training montage to caper to massive action finale act without ever losing sight of its core strengths; the scale shifting shenanigans and plunging the smirking Rudd into this derring-do silliness. I’m often hard on Marvel but this jazzy little number has enough thrills, laughs and character work to make it a more than worthy blockbuster.

7

Jennifer Kent directs Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman and Daniel Henshall in this psychological horror where a widowed mother struggles with a son who believes in a children’s book monster. 

A very dense, unrelenting 90 minutes. Essie Davis is superb as the mother at the end of her tether. You feel the oppression of her situation and align yourself with her so closely (that illicit ice-cream break is appreciated by everyone) that when things twist away from us  unexpectedly it is wrenching. The horror is handled deftly, well designed and achieved. The weight of the threat and creep strain us. One moment that caught me by surprise, chiggered under my skin, was a time lapse shot capturing Davis’ restless R.E.M. in almost alien close-up.  And Noah Wiseman’s hyper kid is perfect as both innocent victim and insanity inducing hellion. I never want kids. Thank fuck I don’t have kids. Kent conjures up an impressive adult experience but also one that is inherently grim and misery inducing. I cannot fault The Babadook as an artistic achievement but doubt I would want to revisit its exhausting emotional grinder again anytime soon. A modern day Repulsion.

7

Howard Zieff directs Anna Chlumsky, Austin O’Brien and Christine Ebersole in this coming of age sequel where Vada Sultenfuss travels to LA to learn more about her belated mother. 

An inoffensive sequel that didn’t really need to exist but passes the time nicely. I have a massive soft spot for the original but here Anna Chlumsky is given a diluted version of Vada, lacking all the gangly sass, sensitivity and drive. Equally Austin O’Brien, while adequate, isn’t really the heartbreaker that Macaulay Culkin’s Thomas J was. Neither a legacy destroyer, nor essential, whether you waste time on My Girl 2 will depend on whether you have a spare afternoon. There’s no gold here to be panned.

5

Dee Rees directs Jason Mitchell, Carey Mulligan and Garrett Hedlund in this wartime saga about a white and a black family struggling to coexist on a patch of flooded farmland in racially segregated Mississippi.

A good solid drama. The mosaic narration sometimes smothers the chance for the actors to inhabit their roles. It is a narrative way more comfortable with stating the obvious rather than letting us experience it. Still it homes a quality ensemble who reach an affecting crescendo of tragedy. Rob Morgan, in particular, is memorable as the good father striving to keep his children safe, proud and ambitious.

7