Bobby Carroll's Movie Diary

Yann Demange directs Richie Merritt, Matthew McConaughey and Bel Powley in this factual Reagan era crime drama following Richard Wershe Jnr., a Detroit teenager who became an F.B.I. informant and crack dealer before he hit adulthood.

The American dream gets kerb stomped. An underrated 1980s nightmare. Stays on the grimy side and showcases fine performances from a stick of rock cast. Quality throughout. McConaughey and Powley put in memorable work. I’d rate this even higher if not for two niggles. The ending goes down the same tonal route as the very poor Gotti, in that it tries to make the incarceration of a career criminal seem like some kind of conspiratorial injustice. These nasty fucks are not martyrs! You wouldn’t want them running about still. And for a tale that exists in the black populated criminal world of Detroit, the African American characters are poorly sketched and often relegated to background set dressing. That just doesn’t scan right. If you love Goodfellas or The Wire though, this is a decent retread along that same cracked pavement in the main.

7

Chris Rock directs himself, Tamara Jones and Bernie Mac in this broad comedy where a streetwise community activist finds himself running to be the first Black president of the U.S. of A.

Very disappointing Chris Rock satire. Lots of SNL stars tried their hand at a fast food form of brash Capra-esque screwball during the turn of the millennium period. This is one of the most witless, jarringly so given Rock’s continually incendiary stand-up output. Tasteless running jokes are ran into the ground from overuse, Rock is left spinning plot wheels rather than hitting laughs. Bernie Mac turns up and elevates it all. Then he turns up a long hour later and pretty much saves the show. When he was on screen we were in gales of laughter, but that’s maybe 10% of a pretty uninspired runtime.

3

Pedro Almodóvar directs Marisa Paredes, Juan Echanove and Carme Elías in this unashamed “Woman’s Picture” where an anonymous best selling romance writer tries to write more literary work while coming to terms with the real state of her cold, distant marriage.

A weaker Almodóvar. The melodrama lacks spark while the literary intrigue feels wetter rather than meta. For fans only.

3

Oliver Assayas directs Juliette Binoche, Guillaume Canet and Vincent Macaigne in this love pentagon set around the publishing world in a state of flux over new delivery systems and values.

Glossy rich people with rich people’s problems larks. Wryly amusing at times but you’ll smirk rather than laugh, nod rather than be challenged by the points made about modern literary and business culture. A handsome, game cast carries you through the duller patches – Nora Hamzawi’s curt wife being the stand-out…

6

Joe Berlinger directs Zac Efron, Lily Collins and Kaya Scodelario in this retelling of the serial killer Ted Bundy case, avoiding his grisly crimes while focusing on his romances and legal proceedings.

Watched while we were finishing up season 2 of Mindhunter. Same era, same focus on psychology rather than gore. No comparison really. Best season of TV in years compared to this camp, slow, slightly misjudged character study. Efron carries the ironies of Bundy’s character. He’s a gifted light comedy performer, even in an inherently dark role like this. But the jokier courtroom segments aside, he’s neither strong enough an actor, nor striking enough a star to carry us through the coy, incident free material. Kaya Scodelario does better in a small role as an infatuated trial groupie who makes a connection with the inscrutable yet deadly charmer. She stops the awkward, deadpan approach from flatlining in the final act.

5

Tim Miller directs Linda Hamilton, MacKenzie Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger in this legacy reboot of the time travelling killer cyborgs saga that brings back the original Sarah Connor to save the new saviour of the future.

A thrilling blockbuster that slows down a little too much in the second half. That first hour though we get a blistering, seat gripping chase that matches T2’s action highlights. Maybe not in cool but certainly in destruction and relentless pace. We get Davis as the convincing super soldier and a “can of peaches” worth dying over to boot. Linda Hamilton does grizzled and cynical and unhinged brilliantly… welcome home. This is the first Terminator where Arnie gets dialogue yet doesn’t say “I’ll Be Back” maybe there’s a point there. This version of the T-800 is a deadpan hoot and enlivens the action-free parts of the backend. Gabriel Luna makes for quite the sinister upgrade on Robert Patrick. I’d see him return again as villain next chase. Will you like it? Clearly I’m more forgiving of the non 5* Terminator entries than you lot. But this really pumps, the ropey bit of CGI stunt work aside, I can’t think of anyone but a message board humbug who’ll not enjoy this for what it is. Big, violent mayhem.

8

Gavin Hood directs Keira Knightley, Matt Smith and Ralph Fiennes in this true story of a GCHQ interpreter who leaks an email that proved the UK and US were attempting to strongarm U.N. members by blackmail to ratify the last Iraq war.

Katherine Gun is an unwritten hero of modern history. Taking a uniquely principled stance that risked all her freedoms and comforts when most of us merely went on a march, maybe signed an e-petition and definitely didn’t stop using oil. We all knew what that war was about. None of us risked our lifestyle and boycotted the black gold though, did we? The first hour is your standard whistleblower ruins their life in favour of the truth biopic. It is presented cleanly, the acting is solid and doesn’t stink of Oscar grandstanding. But in the final stretch you find your stomach lurching as “they” try to break Gun with all the legal, bureaucratic means at their disposal. “They” are presented quite matter of factly as everyone in power – they all know each other, their connectedness and civility is quietly disgusting. The race to destroy her grips, the few that try and find a way to shield her shine in their quiet admirability. You leave the uncertain closing moments genuinely shaken. What Katherine Gun did should be taught in schools. What she went through should be taught in schools. This calm, measured film presents it with an expert unfussiness. Tight, unsensational filmmaking reminiscent of Ken Loach’s equally superb Hidden Agenda.

8

Ruben Fleischer directs Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone in this horror comedy where the protagonists of the first film leave the safety of The White House to find their zombie infested world is changing.

A little test. Do you like / love Zombieland? Do you like / love Ghostbusters II? If your answer was a “Yes” to both questions then you’ll be happily entertained by this. It is gleefully content just being a straight continuation of the vibe and jokes of the original. Zoey Deutch is such a welcome addition she should have made the poster. Business as usual, business is good.

7

Steven Knight directs Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Djimon Hounsou in this neo-noir where a struggling fisherman is revisited by his glamorous ex-wife with a murderous request.

I used to stay up late watching movies like this on Moviedrome. Imperfect genre films that were so off key they were fascinating. Works where auteurs had overreached. Star vehicles that were bafflingly uncommercial. Here’s the thing. Something is revealed an hour into the story that completely warps what you are watching. Most of the audience will switch off as it is such a ludicrous shift from the rental they were sold on. Other might appreciate the effort to mix things up as ham fisted as it is executed. A few will love the plot earthquake. The clues were all there, it has a cult audience waiting… dormant… to celebrate this as a misunderstood cult classic a decade hence. Me? I was really enjoying the film for what it was. A Hemingwayish take on The Lady From Shanghai. McConaughey gotta catch that elusive fish. Hathaway vamping about like Jessica Rabbit. I missed that film once it was aborted. What took over wasn’t anywhere near as fun or up my alley. Until Serenity pulls the rug from underneath us all… It was a great day to catch that fish!

5

Vince Gilligan directs Aaron Paul, Charles Baker and Jesse Plemmons in this cinematic epilogue to groundbreaking TV series Breaking Bad, that features an on-the-run Jesse Pinkman trying to get out of town and restart his life.

Two mid tier episodes of Breaking Bad squeezed together, not always flush with the lateral problem solving set pieces that defined the original. This works best as fan service, with Jesse dropping in on and remembering key characters. The narrative itself works as a neat little noir, watchable even to the uninitiated viewer. What they might make of all the flashbacks is anyone’s guess but for an avid viewer who was hooked from the very start this is a welcome if unspectacular return visit. Closure, bitch!

7