Joe Wright directs Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett and Kelvin Harrison Jr. in this period musical where a witty soldier is convinced his appearance renders him unworthy of the affections of the luminous Roxanne, a devoted friend who’s in love with someone else.

Mixed emotions. A beautiful piece of cinema, easily the most sensual movie of Joe Wright’s career. As a visual love letter to his luminous wife (Bennett) this proves incomparable. He uses Sicily as a frame and the well worn plot as a delivery system to lens his undeniably lush paramour in every angle and pose and lighting setting possible. And Dinklage gets an aptly meaty role that amplifies everything that has made him a deserved if unlikely household name over last decade of his lengthy career. The script is self reflective, a common thread within Wright’s period romances. Just another example of the big risky swings this adaptation often takes. It is a work defined by big risky swings. Not all are successful. The clunky final act does not live up to the opening… I didn’t think it works particularly well as a musical but Natalie has been revisiting the soundtrack written by The National over a week later. So what do I know? It is a strange mix of pared back minimalism and ornate flourishes. This Cyrano works, I’d rewatch it, maybe it’s uniqueness might nudge it into classic territory?

7

Perfect Double Bill: The Station Agent (2003)

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/

Christopher Cain directs Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips in this teen western where a group of wayward young men seek revenge on the cattle baron who kills their father figure.

“We regulate any stealing off his property – we’re damn good too! Mr. Tunstall’s got a soft spot for runaways, dareless, vagrant types. But you can’t be any geek off the street, gotta be handy with the steel, if you know what I mean, earn your keep.” Quite a punchy little Western bolstered by Dean Semler’s beautiful cinematography. The action has bite and the script has eloquence. Estevez is on fine form as Billy The Kid, while Dermot Mulroney and Casey Siemaszko often steal focus from the bigger names. There are a few indulgent sequences that weaken the stew, stretching the pacing out, but even if you aren’t nostalgic for The Brat Pack era there’s more than enough within to entertain.

6

Perfect Double Bill: Young Guns II (1990)

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/

Eric Louzil directs Shannon Whirry, L.P. Brown III and Malcolm McDowell in this erotic thriller where a hot but prim British insurance investigator has to mooch around New Orleans with some swaggering dickhead to solve a diamond crime.

Watched for free on YouTube with all the nudity cut out. I’m guessing by the clunky edits I noticed, only a paltry three soft porn sequences have been excised. Channel 5’s Sharon Stone, Shannon looks lovely but her accent wobbles. Brown and McDowell only manage to achieve a one-take hyper obnoxiousness. Even if the smooth bottoms and perky boobies were kept in, this would be pretty cheap and pretty unwatchable.

2

Perfect Double Bill: Fair Game (1995)

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/

Lee Su-jin directs Han Suk-kyu, Sol Kyung-gu and Chun Woo-hee in this Korean thriller where two fathers, a politician and a hardware shop owner, face off over a tragic hit-and-run.

So many twists, turns and subplots that this is almost incomprehensible by the end. I guess The Big Sleep and Blade Runner don’t make complete sense either but neither of them are so draining… unlike here they are detailed rather than needlessly complex. A few nice nasty stabs shake up the shaggy dog narrative but this is no Parasite.

4

Perfect Double Bill: The Beast (2019)

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/