Breathe: Film Review

Breathe: Film Review

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Tom Hollander, Hugh Bonneville, Stephen Mangan
Director: Andy Serkis

It would possibly have benefited first time director Andy Serkis to have taken potentially another subject for his debut.

The wannabe inspirational true story of Robin Cavendish (played by Andrew Garfield) is perhaps a little too close to home for Serkis, whose friend Jonathan Cavendish is the producer of this film.

But then perhaps, there may not have been as much empathy and tenderness in parts of this deeply sanitised biography (and almost hagiography) of Cavendish, who was left paralysed by polio in Africa in the late 50s.

Against all medical advice, his loving wife Diana (The Crown star Claire Foy) drags him out of the clinic, respirator and all, to give him a shot at living in his trapped condition. Defying the odds, and with plenty of homecare, Cavendish begins to live a life again - and sets out changing conditions for others suffering a similar condition.

Intended as inspirational is no bad thing, and certainly swathes of this mix the humour of French hit The Intouchables with a sort of British stiff upper lip cum don't let the biggers grind you down ethos that in parts it's hard not to get swept along with.

Foy is the dazzling diamond of the piece - and the film's title Breathe, as well as referring to the necessity of Cavendish's condition could also refer to the life breathed into him by one woman's unswerving devotion and belief. Equally, Garfield, along with plummy English accent and confined for parts of the film to act with nothing but facials and head nodding manages to imbue Cavendish with both understandable frustration and desperation as the depression sets in.

Serkis keeps things light, starting the film with a dizzying meeting, courtship and marriage of Diana and Robin which sets the pace. Along with a dual role for Rev star Tom Hollander, there's plenty of breezy laughs and 40s style Englishness to just about keep the twee from rotting your cinematic teeth.

Along with some top down shots, Serkis keeps the tone going and the atmosphere jovial.

But when the inevitable darkness calls, that's half the problem with Breathe.really starts to become noticeable.

It's very much a sanitised view of what a life-changing condition can do to those involved and Serkis relies on the japes of the darker moments to make it all feel slighter than it should. At 2 hours, there's no arguing that a maudlin and depressing feel could turn Breathe into a slog, but by going too far the other way (perhaps at the insistence of the producer and with his personal history to the subject), the film's levity becomes its undoing and the triumph is battered by a beautific desire to simply be English about it and laugh it all off.

Ultimately, Breathe may be a film about the human possibility and of endurance, but it's also won that sacrifices its smaller moments for a mish-mash of tone, even choosing to throw a right-to-die debate into the mix in its death throes.

All in all, Breathe's fallacies are greater than what unfortunately its lead actors bring to the table - and while its intentions are good and true, its cloying sentimentality and desire to breeze over reality ironically finds the film narratively gasping for breath.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Another year passes and it's time to wish you all a Merry Christmas.

Thanks for the support of this website again this year - and here's to 2018!

The most exciting thing ahead?

Twice Upon A Time - for Doctor Who.

In which we bid farewell to Peter Capaldi's 12th Doctor and welcome in Jodie Whittaker as Doctor No 13!

Have a wonderful time with family and friends - in all the craziness of the season, this is actually all that matters, so relish it.

See you in 2018!

Kingsman: The Golden Circle: DVD Review

Kingsman: The Golden Circle: DVD Review

If the first Kingsman movie was a scrappy, yet amiable, wish fulfillment piece about a working class oik who's inducted into the spy world and saves the day, then the sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a bloated, blustering bombastic pastiche spy movie that almost squanders the love you had for the first.

This time around, Eggsy (a charming yet still ruffian round the edges Taron Egerton) is back and facing more peril after the secret Kingsman organisation he works for is blown off the face of the earth by a Martha Stewart 50s-loving drug lord Poppy (a strong turn from Julianne Moore, who pitches the film more on welcome eccentric villainy than ham).

Forced to team up with the US branch, the Statesman, and with a surprise face back from the past, Eggsy and Merlin (the ever reliable and impressive Mark Strong) look to tackle the threat.

Over-long and with a midway lag that very nearly derails proceedings, Kingsman: The Golden Circle feels more like a mix of elements rather than the rip-roaring narrative success the first film was.

While Egerton's rougher edges and charm add elements of charisma, the decision to pair them up with American counterparts leaves a little to be desired, given the film's refusal to do much more with it than initially flirt with the idea.

It's a shame, because Channing Tatum's cowboy Agent Tequila has some real comedic and dramatic potential for the movie - but he's sidelined early on in a move which makes you wonder if someone didn't add the budget up correctly and couldn't cover his fee. (Mind you, all the American counterparts barely register longer than a few moments of screen time.)

Thankfully Pedro Pascal (Narcos) steps in nicely as Agent Whiskey and adds a frisson of charisma that's needed - but bizarrely, the US UK relations side of Kingsman: The Golden Circle feels like a goldmine sadly left undiscovered.

As the film kicks off with its bloodless CGI-charged chase antics, it's clear bluster is the order of the day, and while the overly frenetic and quick blitz editing in the fight sequences impress, they're barely a patch away from what was rolled out during the Kingsman: The Secret Service film.

In truth, parts of Kingsman: The Golden Circle feel like a go-around and do over of the first, so if you enjoyed the puerile hyper-violent edges of the first one, it's more than likely there's plenty to enjoy here.

It's very much a case of more-is-more with Vaughn piling on the pedal and focussing less on the character more on the action.

A mountain sequence is redolent of The Spy Who Loved Me and the globe-trotting antics feel piled on, and while the overload is threatening at times, there are moments and characters within that work extremely well.

Moore makes for a good villainess, Strong is debonair any time he appears oozing charm with ease, Pascal's lasso-wielding cowboy contrasts nicely with the stiff British upper lip and Firth's dialled down turn adds an edge but strangely feels narratively robbed of any kind of need for inclusion.

(Not so for Elton John, whose appearance initially is an amusing punchline to a gag no-one expected, but whose foul-mouthed tirades irritate the more screen time he's given.)

At times, it feels like the kind of Bond film that Alan Partridge would make - stuffed full of elements, smut and action, a no-place-for-women other than as objects vibe and with less judicious editing than is necessary to guarantee a tight lean experience.

Ultimately, Kingsman: The Golden Circle has moments of exhiliration, but feels a little too in love with itself to remain objective enough to know when to stop.

The worst films of 2017

The worst films of 2017

Much like the cream of the crop, there were some real stinkers of films this year.

Depressingly, most were sequels or franchise entrants, or films which failed to add anything exciting or new to the world of cinema.

Here are, without a doubt, the worst films of 2017.
Again, in no particular order, but all would share the top spot of crapola if it were allowed.

Rings - "The Hex files returns in the second sequel to the 2002 American horror that was a remake of 1998 Japanese scare fright. But, quite frankly, with a run time of nearly 2 hours and nary a scare at all, its return is hardly warranted."

Why Him? - " Why Him? ends up being a lazy, unfunny comedy that misses the mark so often and drags that the only nagging thought you're left with as you leave the cinema, is a resounding "Why me?"

The Mummy - "Based on The Mummy, it has to be said that Universal's plan for a Dark Universe monsters series is off to a shaky start, and unlike its titular baddie, may struggle to rise from the grave."

The Dark Tower -"With voiceover and dour execution, The Dark Tower is nothing short of generic, yet somehow muddled."

Fist Fight - "That it takes 75 minutes of the 90 minute comedy Fist Fight to elicit a belly laugh is a sad state of affairs. And that its laugh comes courtesy of a rehash of Little Miss Sunshine's inappropriate talent show is to further damn this knuckle-head comedy that purports bare knuckle fighting is any way to solve conflict."

Elsewhere, there were still other stinkers.

Gary of Pacific - A film so woefully unfunny, it somehow managed to make a trip to a Pacific Island feel like a terrible case of Delhi-belly.

Despicable Me 3 - A triplicate that was as yellow round the gills as its minions.

Baywatch - Always thought the beach was supposed to be a fun day out, Baywatch was not a fun day out.

The Emoji Movie - "Meh"

Chips - Should have been strangled at script birth.

Jigsaw - "Do you want to play a game?" Based on this, not a hope in hell, thanks.

Pirates of The Caribbean - Dead Men Tell No tales - Lucky dead men, many of us will live on to tell the tale of this horror.

Claire's Camera - Cameras are defunct now and this festival film needs to be digitally erased.

The Stolen - The only thing stolen was 90 minutes of the audience's time.

Daddy's Home 2 - Please, Will Ferrell, stop making movies. Until you're funny again.

Geostorm - Sadly the sub-par FX were still the best thing in this disaster movie, that thought it was Armageddon x The Weather.

A Kiwi Christmas - Robbing the joy of the festive season, this wannabe family fare was much like a Christmas family gathering - excruciating, painful and goes on too long.

The best films of 2017

The best films of 2017

Initially, it appeared that 2017 was an average year for films, with a feeling that blockbusters were overwhelming a lot of what was out there.

Not that it's a bad thing, but in seeing a couple of hundred films a year, there's occasionally a yearning to experience something different.

And while Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok will be a home box office success thanks to parts of its originality, there is still a feeling that originality chimes with cinema viewers, and critics alike.

In no particular order, here are the picks for the top films of 2017.

The Florida Project 
"While more a freewheeling tale than a specifically strong narrative story, The Florida Project's exploration of the socio-economic damage done in America is as compelling as it is depressingly vibrant."

Paddington 2
"It's easy to dismiss the likes of Paddington in the cynical CGI world we currently live in, but the fact that it takes the simple things and does them well is very much to the film's credit and definitely not to its detriment."

Human Traces
"Director Nic Gorman's twist-and-turns script pulls and pushes his actors in ways that are challenging, but it's the central premise of the story split into three pieces and scenes played again but from different protagonist points-of-view which give Human Traces its captivating USP."

Blade Runner 2049
"It's an almost insurmountable task that Blade Runner 2049 has ahead of it, given the lasting legacy Scott's first film laid down in cinema lore.

But Canadian director Denis Villeneuve pretty much nails it here, imbuing his film with both the DNA traces of the first and degrees of its own identity."

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
"You can't help but leave the animated Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie with a smile on your face."

Lady Macbeth
"A star is born in the devilishly sizzling William Oldroyd helmed Lady Macbeth, a reinvention of the Russian novella Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. Florence Pugh burns up the screen as Katherine, a young bride trapped in the shackles of marriage and in a home of pure hell.

It
"Ultimately though, It is a nightmarish yet somehow episodic meshing of phobias and primal premises wrapped up into one effectively retro package, guaranteed to haunt you."

Elsewhere on the list, and worthy of commendation for 2017

Waru, NZ's 8 director take on child abuse

Gods Own Country, a stunning debut worthy of more than its lazy labelling as the Brokeback Mountain in the UK's peaks.

Bad Genius, a thrilling fun ride of exam cheating that was a heart-stopping joy from beginning to end.

The Big Sick, Silicon Valley's Kumail Nanjiani imbued this flick with a great dose of heart and humour.

War for Planet of the Apes, a great end to one of the great trilogy reinventions of our time.

Raw, a cannibal coming-of-age movie to get your teeth into.

Get Out, a damning yet funny indictment of racial politics, all slyly wrapped up into a a simple tale of meeting the in-laws.

Logan, the R-Rated Wolverine we've all wanted, and the capper that delivered what Jackman promised through the years.

Split, a James McAvoy thriller that showed M Night Shymalan was still capable of delivering a twist that stunned.

Moonlight, the Oscar winner that signalled change.

Wonder Woman, the first sign that DC films could do women justice and never compromise a second of their comic book roots.

Columbus, a low-key relationship drama that had heart - and a brilliant lead from Haley Lu Richardson.

Coco, a Mexican themed animation about the Day of the Dead that teemed with life and gave wondrous voice to a simple story.

Colossal, an Anne Hathaway indie that had Kaiju themes, but also universal ones as well.

A Ghost Story, like Malick's Voyage of Time in many ways, but with a ghost.

The Killing of A Sacred Deer - by turns twisted and dark, yet devilishly delicious.

Baby Driver - Edgar Wright's heist movie that plays like a LP and sticks in your mind like an earworm.

The Hero: Film Review

The Hero: Film Review

Cast: Sam Elliott, Laura Prepon, Krysten Ritter, Nick Offerman
Director: Brett Haley

Mixing melancholy and offbeat humour as well as a great deal of heart, The Hero centres around Sam Elliott's gravel-voiced one time Western actor Lee Hayden.

With a career that's been defined largely by one great role in a film called The Hero, Hayden's world has been reduced to doing voiceovers for BBQ sauce (in a nod to perhaps UK comedy show Toast of London).

Estranged from his daughter (Ritter) and separated from his wife, Lee's life is hit by an unexpected terminal cancer diagnosis, Lee's spending time brooding and smoking weed with former fellow actor Jeremy (Parks and Rec's laconic Nick Offerman).

But when he meets Laura Prepon's Charlotte by chance and an acceptance speech for a lifetime achievement award goes unexpectedly, his apparently over life changes in more ways than one...

The Hero's laid back ageing premise may hit differing audiences in differing ways.

However, Elliott's nuanced and rugged turn as Lee is emotionally resonant no matter how you view the film and its cliches.

Regardless of whether some of the film's plots follow an all-too familiar trajectory, there's something in Elliott's compellingly understated performance that's simply captivating.

Prepon plays enigmatic too, but there's a real sense of these two connecting despite a major age difference potentially in their way. Thanks to some sensitive direction, it just about works when, against all the odds, it really shouldn't.

Whether it's being lost in ruminations on his life, or being lost in a haze of drugs around Charlotte, Haley's script manages to coat everything in a forlorn fashion that plays to Elliott's silent strengths.

And there's something about this veteran actor that just fits the part.

There are elements of this which may seem almost autobiographical in many ways as the older generation of actors tries to find a place in Hollywood, and rides a revival, and at times, to be frank, the script treads an all too familiar line, but there's just something about this low-key indie from Sundance, with its drawling lead that makes The Hero a success in ways it shouldn't be.

LocoRoco 2 Remastered: PS4 Review

LocoRoco 2 Remastered: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4

The roly poly blobs are back in the sequel to the musical, slightly infantile and occasionally irritating LocoRoco Remastered that dropped earlier this year.

The latest doesn't see much of a variation on the themes of the first.

Using L1 and R1 you roll and jump your LocoRoco around various worlds, collecting fellow Locos from the berries from flowers, growing your number and avoiding the pesky black Moja as they try to swallow you up.

This latest sees tweaks on the theme, as the world around them is more musical than before - now collecting musical notes give the LocoRoco a chance to boost collectibles around the game as well as a rhythm mini-game.

They don't add heaps to it, allowing upgrades but unless you're dead-set on collecting the music notes early on in the level, most of these tend to hit the required amount towards the end, rendering the reasoning redundant at best.

There are a lot more Moja around the game as well, obscuring notes, obscuring the landscape and affecting creatures within. But a few bounces from the LocoRoco get rid of them, so they are more a temporary pest than a long term pain in the backside.

This latest will see you using a lot more of the environment to help you take on the Moja, and it's good to sink into a rock and then use it to nut against other baddies around.

There are plenty of collectibles too, from Mui Mui parts to notes, there's more than enough to keep you involved in the game.

And while it plays fluid and seems like Rayman's more colourful and blotchy cousin, LocoRoco2 Remastered's reason for being is slightly dampened by a feeling of repetition rather than reward and something that's adding a lot to the universe.