Marc Webb directs Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot and Andrew Burnap in this live action update of the Disney animated classic fairytale.

Not the absolute car crash you have heard tell of. Though it certainly does threaten to be at times. Perversely, often in its most broadly entertaining moments. Gal Gadot’s evil queen is a strong flavour, as are the CGI dwarves. They are also the elements that made me sit bolt upright and pay attention. Hi Ho! The movie is at its best when faithfully trying to revive scenes from the animated classic. The new songbook belongs in a better film. As for all those derided “woke” additions… none of it seems any more craven or cack handed as any of the other Disney “live action” cash-ins. If you take the high watermarks of The Jungle Book and Mulan out of the conversation, they’ve all been this iffy. The difference is their target audience has gotten used to watching them on streaming within a couple of months. So why bother with the multiplex?

4

Perfect Double Bill: Mirror Mirror (2012)

François Ozon directs Hélène Vincent, Josiane Balasko and Ludivine Sagnier in this gentle French thriller where a retired grandmother and her best friend’s criminal son find themselves embroiled in murders and betrayals.

Very Claude Chabrol. Lovely subtle performances that retain their internal mystery. Good twists and turns. Every scene drip feeds you new information. Probably the best thing Ozon has done in a while.

7

Perfect Double Bill: Swimming Pool (2003)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/ and my own Substack https://substack.com/@edinburghlaughterbulletin

Barry Levinson directs Robert DeNiro, Robert DeNiro and Debra Messing in this true gangster story of warring mob bosses.

Solid trot through of the beloved mob cliches. Classy but creaky, the weakened gait of old age gives it a sense of unintentional camp. The gimmick of De Niro facing off against himself actually works fine in the moments but his Vito Genovese is pretty much just a Joe Pesci impersonation. I have read the book on Genovese and more exciting stuff happens after his coup.

6

Perfect Double Bill: Bugsy (1991)

Fritz Lang directs Debra Paget, Paul Hubschmid, Walther Reyer, Claus Holm, Sabine Bethmann and Luciana Paluzzi in this adventure romance where a dancer and architect try to survive a Maharaja’s jealous revenge when they fall for each other.

Fritz Lang’s two part Indian Epic is a big, gorgeous, cheesy, sexy romp which runs out of wind. The exoticism and ‘orientalism’ feels relatively sincere though the constant use of actors in brown face lets it down. The first film is a string of really strong set pieces. The second film feels too repetitive to be a conclusion. It should be a blast, not a holding pattern. Less happens, we run around in circles. Does Lang have anything interesting to say about western modernity in colonial India? The German architect hero is hired to take an ancient city of ornate higgledy-piggledy beauty and time honoured tradition then impose straightness and order to it. He fails. But he finds love. The beautiful Debra Paget in various states of glitzy undress undulating provocatively to Indian music. The scene where she must seduce a snake to save her life is… memorable. Of it’s time, expensive trash, pop art.

7/6

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Alexander Payne directs Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates and Hope Davis in this road movie where a retired actuary’s life spirals out of control when he no longer has his job to define him.

Well made but never really clicks with me. I don’t need to see Jack denuded of everything that makes him awesome. I’m not sure the sneering tone of the direction does much more than justify itself.

5

Perfect Double Bill: Downsizing (2017)