Bobby Carroll's Movie Diary

James Foley directs Chris O’Donnell, Gene Hackman and Faye Dunaway in this John Grisham adaptation where a rookie lawyer tries to appeal his long lost racist grandpappy’s death row conviction.

I’m not sure if there is a better film here but Chris O’Donnell doesn’t help. The nadir / zenith pulls of his and Hackman’s casting isn’t sustainable for a serious drama. As a thriller, the mild peril seems particularly forced. A more worthy movie might explore racism, anti-death penalty politics and generational trauma of past violence. This just pays lip service to those weighty issues. For example, here is a film where the main character is a KKK lifelong ultra and there are less racial slurs than The Nutty Professor remake. Prestige trash. Forgotten but not unwatchable.

5

Perfect Double Bill: Runaway Jury (2003)

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Alfred Hitchcock directs Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten and Michael Wilding in this gothic melodrama set amongst the Irish well-to-do in colonial Australia which drudges up their dark pasts.

Hitch mucks around with his stalking long takes but forgets to tighten up the drama. Very stodgy. Though Margaret Leighton as a conniving housemaid has the goods. She’s no Mrs Danvers but better than this bloated pap deserves.

4

Perfect Double Bill: Spellbound (1945)

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James Mangold directs Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie and Whoopi Goldberg in this true story about a young women sent to an asylum in the Sixties.

A perfect deep cut cast but it never really firms up into the film it wants to be. I know people love it but I merely find it OK. OK to the point where I’m not even sure what to write about it.

6

Perfect Double Bill: Boys (1996)

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Phillip Noyce directs Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie and Queen Latifah in this serial killer procedural where a bed ridden crime scene expert guides a rookie through a new case.

Made very much to give star-in-the-making Jolie her own Silence of The Lambs / Se7en. Washington is way too exciting an actor to relegate to a trapped mentor role. Goes through the motions with little memorable flair. Still, I’m surprised this sepia toned nasty never got a sequel?

5

Perfect Double Bill: Salt (2010)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/

Yeon Sang-ho directs Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun and Kwon Hae-hyo in this Korean post-apocalyptic zombie thriller chase flick.

OK… so… the over reliance on CGI during the vehicular mayhem demolition derby sequences isn’t to my tastes. I’m going to give any movie that aims for a Fury Road meets Dawn Of The Dead meets Escape From New York mash-up a pass. There are a few genuinely loony set-pieces here that make this spin-off slam bang entertainment overall. Especially “the game”. Once you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know what “the game” is… and you’ll agree.

7

Perfect Double Bill: Train To Busan (2016)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/

John Lee Hancock directs Donald Sutherland, Jaeden Martell and Joe Tippett in this Stephen King fable about a boy, a local retired tycoon and their new Iphones.

More of a chiller than a horror. The first hour of set-up is kinda brilliant. Then it just putters out to a predictable meh. The kid who plays the school bully brings a true sense of intimidation to his small part.

7

Perfect Double Bill: Hearts In Atlantis (2001)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/

Paco Cabezas directs Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick and Tim Roth in this quirky romantic crime comedy where an outrageous girl falls for a hitman with a heart.

A cute romantic pairing, full of charisma and the costume designers love dressing them. Like the recent The Fall Guy, this is constantly on, in overdrive. And that can be exhausting. There’s no sense of timing or scale so Mr. Right is just a constant onslaught of idiosyncrasy. At least Blunt / Gosling had a stupendous budget to zing off each other constantly in. This clearly wants to be Grosse Pointe Blank or Something Wild but there’s no breathing room. Those cult classics had their soulful downtime, just a hint of depth to them. This is all sassy, poppy surface and you just observe the end product passively wishing for Rockwell and Kendrick to find a better project together.

5

Perfect Double Bill: The Accountant (2016)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/

Pier Paolo Pasolini directs Silvana Mangano, Terence Stamp and Massimo Girotti in this Italian art movie where a young man seduces every member of a bourgeoise family and they all go mad in the aftermath.

Was on my “Must Watch” list for a long ole time. Didn’t do much for me. Old fashioned values being skewered, old fashioned skewer being used. There something quite potent about a sex messiah infiltrating a house. Fucking everyone. Shifting all their personas off axis. This just ain’t that for me. Everyone looks cute in their fashions.

5

Perfect Double Bill: Visitor Q (2001)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/

Bruno Dumont directs Juliette Binoche, Jean-Luc Vincent and Robert Leroy in this French biographical drama following sculptor Camille Claudel’s life after being committed to a mental asylum.

Well made but distant.

4

Perfect Double Bill: Certified Copy (2010)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/

Life moves pretty fast…

Rebel Without A Cause (1955) 👍👍

Bonjour Tristesse (1958)

The Wayward Girl (1959)

The 400 Blows (1959) 👍👍

Cruel Story Of Youth (1960)

West Side Story (1961) 👍

A Taste Of Honey (1961) 👍

Kes (1969)

A Clockwork Orange (1971) 👍👍

Walkabout (1971)

Badlands (1973) 👍

American Graffiti (1973) 👍👍

Female Trouble (1974) 👍

Debbie Does Dallas (1978)

Grease (1978) 👍👍

I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978) 👍

Over The Edge (1979)

Quadrophenia (1979) 👍

The Wanderers (1979) 👍

The Warriors (1979) 👍👍

Scum (1979) 👍

Fame (1980)

Rock N Roll High School (1980) 👍

Spetters (1980) 👍

Times Square (1980) 👍

Endless Love (1981)

TAPS (1981)

Gregory’s Girl (1981)

Der Fan (1982)

Class of 1984 (1982)

Grease 2 (1982)

All The Right Moves (1983)

Bad Boys (1983) 👍

Rumble Fish (1983)

Risky Business (1983) 👍

Valley Girl (1983) 👍

À Nos Amours (1983)

Class (1983)

The Outsiders (1983) 👍

Sixteen Candles (1984)

The Last Starfighter (1984) 👍

Footloose (1984)

Revenge Of The Nerds (1984)

Angel (1984)

The Karate Kid (1984)

The Breakfast Club (1985) 👍👍

Tuff Turf (1985) 👍

Weird Science (1985)

Teen Wolf (1985)

The Sure Thing (1985) 👍

The New Kids (1985) 👍

Explorers (1985)

Back To The Future (1985) 👍👍

Pretty In Pink (1986) 👍

The Wraith (1986)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) 👍👍

Pauline At The Beach (1986)

River’s Edge (1986) 👍

Stand By Me (1986) 👍👍

The Monster Squad (1987)

Some Kind Of Wonderful (1987)

Love Is A Dog From Hell (1987) 👍

Wish You Were Here (1987) 👍

Can’t Buy Me Love (1987)

Heathers (1988) 👍👍

Running On Empty (1988) 👍

Mystic Pizza (1988)

Hairspray (1988) 👍

Society (1989) 👍👍

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) 👍

Back To The Future Part II (1989) 👍👍

Gleaming The Cube (1989)

The Unbelievable Truth (1989) 👍👍

Dead Poet’s Society (1989)

Say Anything… (1989) 👍👍

Back To The Future Part III (1990) 👍

Pump Up The Volume (1990) 👍

Edward Scissorhands (1990) 👍👍

Boyz N The Hood (1991) 👍👍

Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992)

California Man (1992)

Benny’s Video (1992)

A Bronx Tale (1993) 👍👍

Menace II Society (1993)

The Crush (1993)

Dazed & Confused (1993) 👍👍

Hoop Dreams (1994) 👍👍

Shopping (1994)

Tammy and the T-Rex (1994) 👍

Backbeat (1994) 👍

Heavenly Creatures (1994) 👍

Clueless (1995) 👍

Now & Then (1995)

Empire Records (1995) 👍

Kids Return (1995) 👍

Whispers Of The Heart (1995) 👍

Welcome To The Dollhouse (1995) 👍

La Haine (1995) 👍👍

William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996) 👍👍

Fear (1996)

That Thing You Do! (1996) 👍

Foxfire (1996)

The Craft (1996)

24-7 (1997) 👍👍

Titanic (1997) 👍

Wild Things (1998) 👍

Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)

Devil In The Flesh (1998)

Disturbing Behaviour (1998)

Rushmore (1998) 👍👍

Pleasantville (1998) 👍

Drive Me Crazy (1999)

Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)

Jawbreaker (1999)

Criminal Lovers (1999)

American Pie (1999) 👍

10 Things I Hate About You (1999) 👍

A Room For Romeo Brass (1999) 👍

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

Teaching Mrs Tingle (1999)

Never Been Kissed (1999) 👍

Brokedown Palace (1999)

Cruel Intentions (1999)

Bring It On (2000) 👍

Battle Royale (2000) 👍

Dogtown & The Z Boys (2001) 👍

American Pie 2 (2001)

Y Tu Mamá También (2001) 👍

Ghost World (2001) 👍👍

Bully (2001)

Bubble Boy (2001)

Crossroads (2002)

Blue Crush (2002) 👍

City of God (2002) 👍👍

Sweet Sixteen (2002) 👍

The Girl Next Door (2004)

My Summer Of Love (2004)

Somersault (2004)

Mean Girls (2004) 👍

The Squid & The Whale (2005) 👍

This Is England (2006) 👍

John Tucker Must Die (2006)

She’s The Man (2006)

Superbad (2007) 👍

Water Lilies (2007)

Teeth (2007)

Juno (2007) 👍

Hairspray (2007)

Paranoid Park (2007)

The Beautiful Person (2008)

Somerstown (2008) 👍

The Class (2008) 👍

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Whip It! (2009) 👍👍

I Love You Beth Cooper (2009)

Fish Tank (2009) 👍

Easy A (2010) 👍

The Myth Of the American Sleepover (2010)

Winter’s Bone (2010) 👍

Chalet Girl (2011)

The Art Of Getting By (2011)

The We & The I (2012) 👍

The Hunger Games (2012)

Spring Breakers (2012) 👍

The Perks Of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) 👍👍

Ginger And Rosa (2012)

Stoker (2013) 👍👍

The Bling Ring (2013)

The Selfish Giant (2013) 👍

The Kings Of Summer (2013)

We Are The Best (2013) 👍

Teenage (2013)

Starred Up (2013) 👍👍

The To-Do List (2013)

The Spectacular Now (2013) 👍👍

Mommy (2014)

Boyhood (2014) 👍👍

Mustang (2015) 👍

The DUFF (2015) 👍

Girlhood (2015)

The Diary Of A Teenage Girl (2015) 👍👍

Nerve (2016) 👍

The Fits (2016)

20th Century Women (2016) 👍

Me & Earl & The Dying Girl (2016)

Edge Of Seventeen (2016) 👍

American Honey (2016)

Moonlight (2016)

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) 👍

Your Name (2016) 👍

Sing Street (2016) 👍

Class Rank (2017)

My Friend Dahmer (2017)

The Killing Of A Sacred Deer (2017) 👍

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Sarah Plays A Werewolf (2017)

Lady Bird (2017) 👍

Thoroughbreds (2018)

Love, Simon (2018)

Minding The Gap (2018) 👍

The Miseducation Of Cameron Post (2018)

Mid90s (2018) 👍👍

Boy Erased (2018)

Sierra Burgess Is a Loser (2018)

Feast Of the Seven Fishes (2018)

Dumplin’ (2018)

Summer Of 84 (2018)

Shirkers (2018) 👍

Girl (2018)

White Boy Rick (2018) 👍

Assassination Nation (2018)

Bumblebee (2018) 👍

Shazam! (2019) 👍

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Booksmart (2019) 👍

Luce (2019)

Monos (2019)

Waves (2019)

Take Me Somewhere Nice (2019)

The Young Observant (2019)

Them That Follow (2019)

Psychobitch (2019)

The New Mutants (2020)

Babyteeth (2020)

Summer Of 85 (2020)

Rocks (2020) 👍

Yes, God, Yes (2020)

Lovers Rock (2020)

Education (2020) 👍

The Craft: Legacy (2020)

Ham On Rye (2020) 👍

Beats (2020)

Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)

Boy’s State (2020) 👍

Dear Evan Hansen (2021)

CODA (2021)

Last Night In Soho (2021) 👍

West Side Story (2021) 👍

Licorice Pizza (2021) 👍👍

Turning Red (2022)

The Fablemans (2022)

Shazam: Fury Of the Gods (2023) 👍

Polite Society (2023)

The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) 👍

Bottoms (2023) 👍

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023)

Lisa Frankenstein (2024) 👍

Monster (2024) 👍

Next Sohee (2024)

My Old Ass (2024)