Reviews

'I, Tonya' is written by Steven Rogers and directed by Craig Gillespie and stars Margot Robbie as disgraced Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding. It covers the time between when Tonya was just 6 years old all the way up to her sentencing for the organised attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan in 1994. Allison Janney plays Lavona Harding, Tonya's despicable abusive mother, in a well deserved Oscar winning performance. Sebastian Stan plays Tonya's husband Jeff Gillooly. The entire cast is excellent in their respective parts they play in the story but it's the barnstorming performances by Robbie and Janney that really win you over. In the genre of biopics this is very much reminiscent of Scorsese's 'Wolf of Wall Street' in the way the story is told using voice over and fourth wall breaks. Many also called it the 'Goodfellas' of ice skating and I can see why to some extent but I definitely feel it has more in common with the former Scorsese picture.

The direction and editing are very sharp and swift here and seamlessly interweave interviews from the characters after the incident with the events leading up to it as they unfold. Steven Rogers deserves a lot of credit too for his great screenplay. Not only did he specifically write the part of Lavona for Janney (a role she was seemingly born to play) but he skillfully balanced comedy with an issue as sensitive as domestic abuse. The movie also doesn't try to make Tonya out to be a total victim but instead opts to show how her relationships with her mother and husband shaped who she became- I highly appreciated this approach of the film.

Perhaps deserving of the most credit and praise is Margot Robbie who not only gives a great performance in the title role but also produced the movie and helped get it off the ground when no one else wanted to make it. All in all 'I, Tonya' is a fast-paced, superbly acted and superior biopic.

'Phantom Thread' is written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and stars Daniel Day Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock, a fastidious fashion designer in 1950's post-war London. Vicky Krieps stars opposite as Velma, a confident strong willed woman who completely disrupts his entire way of life when they meet in a countryside hotel. Lesley Manville has a scene stealing role as Reynolds' sister Cyril who helps him design and make dresses for royalty and the like. The film has a very deliberate pace as is often the case with PTA movies and he uses long takes to elevate tension and suspense very well here. He evokes Hitchcock very much in this movie not just with the story but with something as simple as the way the driving scenes are shot with the camera placed behind the car. That element was particularly reminiscent of the driving scenes in 'Psycho'.

Everything about this film from the cinematography (shot by PTA himself), the Oscar winning costume design and to the trio of great performances is full of attention to detail- Rather fitting considering the meticulousness of the protagonist. The script is also worthy of mention which is very witty and starkly funny. However perhaps the strongest element is the beautifully haunting score by Johnny Greenwood which permeates virtually every corner of the movie and drives home the ghostly atmosphere of the story to which the title refers.

The only contrivance I have with 'Phantom Thread' is that it is very slow in some parts and although it seem intentional within context it did take me out of the movie a couple of times but other than that the picture is stellar. I wouldn't say this is PTA's best, that moniker still belongs to 'There Will Be Blood', but it's certainly up there as one of his finest films.

'Lady Bird' is written and directed by Greta Gerwig and stars Saoirse Ronan as Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson. "Lady Bird" is name she gave herself as a rebellious act against her mother Marion played wonderfully by Laurie Metcalf. Lady Bird even remarks near the end film that 'some people won't believe in God but they'll just accept a name given to them by their parents'. Ronan's title character is one of the most rebellious and defiant lead characters of the year topped only by Frances McDormand's Mildred Hayes in 'Three Billboards'. It's very entertaining and at times poignant to watch her verbally spar with her mother over something as tedious as straightening a bed cover in a hotel room. This is testament to both the cast and Gerwig's script which keeps things feeling fresh and new in every scene.

Although I do like this film I don't quite love it like most people do and all the enormous praise it has received over the past few months as lead to being considered one of if not the best film of the year. For me it's not quite up there although it was very pleasant and entertaining to watch. There is a great sense of place present in the movie and it's clear that Gerwig and her title character really do actually love Sacramento as the latter begins to realize when speaking with a nun (Lois Smith) at her school towards the end of the film.

The movie has a great ensemble cast including Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges and Timothee Chalamet who all give decent turns as their respective vital characters. However, it really is carried by Ronan and Metcalf and the best moments are when they are sharing scenes together. It is crazy to think that Ronan who is good in literally everything is on her third Oscar nomination with this film. But then again considering the talent she has maybe it's not crazy at all but expected. So all in all, 'Lady Bird' is a sweet, heartwarming coming-of-age tale that pulls you in with its intriguing script and keeps you their with its magnetic performances.

'Coco' is a Pixar film directed by Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina. Lee Unkrich is a long Pixar creative behind such classics as 'Finding Nemo', 'Monsters Inc.' and the 'Toy Story' sequels. So it doesn't come as a surprise that he delivers once again with 'Coco' which is beautiful and vibrant in every way. Co-director Adrian Molina also deserves a lot of credit of course as he also wrote some of the original songs for the movie.

In fact every single person involved in creating this stellar animation deserves an abundance of credit as every aspect of the film is a pleasure to enjoy. Not only is it incredibly entertaining but it is emotionally resonant and introduces audiences who may not know much about Mexican culture to an authentic and heartwarming portrayal of it.

'Coco' is about young Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) who dreams of becoming a musician like his idol Ernesto de le Cruz however his family have banned music due to something terrible that happened a few generations ago. During Dia de los muertos, after a set of mysterious events, Miguel finds himself in the Land of the Dead. Once there, he meets trickster Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal) and together they go on an adventure to discover the real story behind Miguel's family history.

The entire voice cast is fabulous and they handle the comedic moments in the film very well as their timing is perfect. In particular, Anthony Gonzalez as Miguel, Gael Garcia Bernal as Hector and Benjamin Bratt as Ernesto de le Cruz are most noteworthy. The animation is typically stunning for a Pixar production and the eye-popping, colorful visuals complement the involving, heart-string tugging story wonderfully.

'Coco' boats a slew of original songs including 'Remember Me' written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (writers of 'Let It Go' from 'Frozen') which looks set to win the duo their second Oscar for Best Original Song after winning their first for the aforementioned 'Let It Go'. 'Coco' also looks strong to take Best Animated Feature which it so richly deserves. Not only is 'Coco' the best animated film of the year, it's one of the best films of the year period and I highly recommend it.

'The Shape of Water' is co-written and directed by Guillermo del Toro and stars Sally Hawkins as Elisa, a mute woman working in a 1960's US government lab which is harboring an aquatic Amazonian creature which she falls in love with and decides to save from the grasp of the American and Russian governments. The cast is rounded out by Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stulhbarg and Michael Shannon.

This film along with 'Dunkirk' is one of the finest technical achievements of the year boasting stunning cinematography (particularly the effect of camera seemingly floating on water the whole time), beautiful production design and a seductive old Hollywood-style score. The story of outsiders coming together to help another is absorbing and heartwarming and is greatly helped by remarkable performances across the board but particularly by Sally Hawkins who is mesmerizing without saying a word. Richard Jenkins is also noteworthy as Elisa's neighbor and friend Giles giving a sensitive, subdued but standout turn. Octavia Spencer and Michael Stulhbarg are also decent as Elisa's friend and work partner who serves as comedy relief and a soviet spy with a conscience respectively.

Michael Shannon plays a very typical villain for a fairy tale and while his performance is passable, his character is underwritten and comes off as a mustache twirler. Other than this one flaw however, the movie is superb coasting on del Toro's superb direction and a phenomenal cast. Highly recommended.

'Black Panther' is co-written and directed by Ryan Coogler and stars Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa aka Black Panther, the title character. Following 'Captain America: Civil War', T'Challa returns to his home of Wakanda, a secret technologically advanced nation. Given his Father's demise in 'Civil War' he is to take his rightful place as King of Wakanda until unexpected adversaries surface which threaten not only his place on the throne but the fate of Wakanda itself.

For the most part 'Black Panther' is fun, exciting and sometimes even funny and features excellent performances from a terrific ensemble cast. However, it is not without its problems which for me prevent it from being a top tier MCU entry. First of all it seems in an attempt to side step the very well known villain problem in the MCU, director Coogler has actually shot himself in the foot and created one the most irritating and drab villains in this universe namely Eric Kilmonger. Michael B Jordan's performance as Kilmonger doesn't help either which is over done and at times a harbinger of cringe. The fault of this character is also due in part to the screenplay which leaves him out of it for almost an hour after his introduction. Honestly after his first scene had passed I completely forgot about him and was almost lead to believe that Klau (Andy Serkis) was the main antagonist of the film. Despite his motivations being more understandable than most mustache twirling villains in the MCU, the execution of the character is rather disappointing and a big misfire.

Now that the glaring problem is out of the way there are also some minor issues worthy of mention. The CGI looks unfinished in some places particularly in the big action set pieces toward the end. At one point Black Panther and Kilmonger look like video game creations when they fighting in mid air.

This probably sounds like I am trashing this film but I actually do like it quite a bit overall, I just felt it necessary to point out the wildly obvious missteps that a lot of people seem to be missing or blissfully ignoring. For example, Letitia Wright as Shuri, T'Challa's tech wizard sister, is a revelation not only as comic relief but as vital character to much of the film's plot. Lupita N'yongo also does good work here as T'Challa's love interest. Chadwick Boseman impresses again as T'challa, following on from his small but standout role in 'Civil War', proving a very charasmatic lead. Andy Serkis is also great here looking like he's having all the fun in the world and stealing every scene he's in reprising his character from 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'.

So all in all 'Black Panther' is a decent upper mid tier entry in the MCU with some issues that prevent it from being one of the best that this universe has to offer.

'The Post' is written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer (who both also wrote 2016 Best Picture winner 'Spotlight') and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the scandal that surrounded the publication of the Pentagon Papers by both The New York Times and later The Washington Post in 1971. This all begins when Daniel Ellsberg (Matthew Rhys), a military analyst, copies the classified documents on the US involvement in Vietnam when he realizes the government has been blatantly lying to and misleading the public for decades. As a result, he gives some of the papers to The New York Times to publish which leads to the Nixon administration prohibiting them from publishing any further documents regarding the Vietnam War citing violation of the Espionage Act as the reason. This of course leads to uproar over the fact that the President is essentially violating the First Amendment rights of the press. Due to this, Katherine Graham (Meryl Streep) and Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) of The Washington Post decide that in order to uphold Freedom of the Press and keep power in check they must get hold of the Pentagon Papers and publish them themselves even if it means they go to jail.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about 'The Post' is that Spielberg and co were able to get it made in just a few months ans still have the final product be this good - That's not to say this film is amazing but the fact that it's at least good is quite an achievement given how swiftly its production was. The most impressive aspect of the movie itself is the lead performances by Hanks and Streep. Although Hanks gives a commendable turn this is Streep's movie who gives a very nuanced portrayal of the first woman to own a major US newspaper. Graham not only reluctantly inherited the paper, which was a big undertaking in itself, but then had to contend with the prejudice that came with being a woman in a position of power at a time when it was very rare and frankly frowned upon. Meryl manages to depict all of this perfectly.

The massive ensemble cast is full of talented familiar faces including Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Bradley Whitford and Carrie Coon who all give noteworthy supporting performances here. The only flaws the film has are a lack of emotional involvement in the story and the pacing which is rather slow sometimes. These both could be due to Spielberg rushing to get the film out on time due to it being timely which it definitely is when the current President constantly tries to undermine the integrity of the press. One thing I did find amusing about 'The Post', in a good way no less, is how it ends with the break in at the DNC as if setting up 'All the President's Men' a la modern blockbuster franchises when setting up cinematic universes. This works brilliantly because 'The Post' is essentially a prequel to that classic film.

Every now and then a film comes out that lives up to all its pre-release hype and reputation and then some. 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' is absolutely one of those films. From the opening credits to the end I was continually impressed and taken aback by this movie at virtually all levels - From the outstanding performances to the raw and darkly funny screenplay to the wonderful score by Carter Burwell - Who incidentally composed one of my favorite western themes for the Coen Brother's "True Grit". Already being a fan of Martin McDonagh, it wasn't difficult for me to believe the people raving about this movie on the festival circuit. He is easily one of the best auteurs working today which might be helped by him being a successful former playwright. McDonagh writes and directs this film and injects it with his signature cynicism and black comedy. It just so happens that he also assembled the perfect cast led by essentially the Queen of black comedy Frances McDormand to knock it out of the park. Even though McDonagh's feature debut 'In Bruges' is perfect in my opinion, I also think 'Three Billboards' might just be his best work to date.

The plot revolves around a mother named Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) who challenges the local police department specifically the chief of police Willoughby (Woody Harrellson) after her daughter's brutal rape and murder goes unsolved for eight months, by putting up three provocative billboards outside town. This surely captures the attention of the police including one of Willoughby's officers, the racist and all round loathsome Dickson (Sam Rockwell). What follows is plenty of twists of turns that come completely unexpectedly that I will no spoil here of course. One of the biggest achievements of McDonagh's screenplay is the complex nature of all characters in the movie. Everyone is three-dimensional here, they all have flaws and they all have moments where you root for them- Very impressive when one of the characters namely Dickson is accused of torturing 'black folk' in the past. But even the protagonist Mildred does some very questionable things throughout the story.

As I mentioned I absolutely love the score by Burwell which evokes Ennio Morricone's themes of the classic spaghetti westerns of the 1960's. It helps set the tone from the opening shots of the three billboards and the long winding decommissioned road that runs alongside them. The editing by Jon Gregory is also very effective in creating suspense in certain scenes and nailing comedic timing in others.

One of the strongest elements of 'Three Billboards', of which there are many, is definitely the performances by the stellar cast. It is a true ensemble and probably the best one of 2017. Frances McDormand is ferocious and commanding as Mildred Hayes and she portrays her sorrow, guilt and search for justice very believably. Sam Rockwell although billed as a supporting character is pretty much a co-lead as he gets the most screen time second only to McDormand. This is probably his best role to date and it allows him to show his range as a character who in other movies would have just been reduced to a stereotype but emerges full bodied in this one. Woody Harrelson as family man and local police chief Willoughby also has a great showing and is in some of the funniest and most tragic scenes in the film - The several scenes in which his voice-over reads out a letter to certain characters spring to mind. The cast is rounded out with notable turns by a remarkable supporting cast including Caleb Landry Jones, Lucas Hedges, Peter Dinklage, John Hawkes and Samara Weaving.

Ultimately, Martin McDonagh has created something truly special with 'Three Billboards' which is in tragic and heartbreaking in equal measure and is hands down the best film of 2017.

'Darkest Hour' is written by Anthony McCarten and directed by Joe Wright. It also features easily the best performance of 2017 delivered by the always great Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill. The film spans the time from Churchill's appointment as Prime Minister to his famous and powerful 'We shall fight them on the beeches' speech in the House of Commons. The cast is stellar all-round with Kristen Scott Thomas as Clementine Churchill, Lily James as Churchill's secretary Elizabeth Layton and Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI all giving remarkable performances. Then of course there is the tour de force that is Oldman at the centre of this fabulous ensemble.

The movie has more accomplishments than just its performances however. The screenplay in particular is sharp as well as informative- It is very easy in a film like this for the writer to lose the audience by including excessive political and/or military strategy jargon. Instead Anthony McCarten's dialogue is coherent and engaging and drives the plot forward at a brisk pace. The great writing is coupled with inspired direction from Joe Wright and stunning cinematography courtesy of Bruno Delbonnel. The use of light and shadow, the emotion-filled close-ups and the wonderful tracking shots give the film an admirable visual splendor and grace. The production and costume design are also not to be overlooked which together give the movie a very authentic 1940's look and feel to it.

For me, Gary Oldman's Churchill is as definitive as it gets up there with the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis's Lincoln and Meryl Streep's Margaret Thatcher. Thankfully he's also in one of the finest films of the year. I highly recommend 'Darkest Hour'.

'Stronger' is based on a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombings named Jeff Bauman who lost his legs from the knee down in the attack. It is written by John Pollono and directed by David Gordon Green. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Jeff Bauman and Tatiana Maslany his love interest. Both give powerful performances and their chemistry is electric. Miranda Richardson also puts in a noteworthy turn as Patty Bauman, Jeff's mother. 'Stronger' manages to side-step cheap sentimentalism seen in other similar movies and instead resorts to gritty realism which is very effective. Green directs many affecting scenes throughout. There are two that particularly resonated with me; the one in which Bauman has a conversation with the man who helped save his life on the day of the attack and one where he interacts with a man, who is inspired by his resiliency, near the end of the film.

Despite all this the movie does have some flaws particularly concerning character development in the first act which is by far the weakest third in the film. The movie doesn't delve deep enough into what Jeff was like before the tragedy. We get a small handful of scenes showing the lead up to the marathon and then about 15 minutes into the movie the incident at the marathon occurs. I feel if there was more time spent before the attack so the characters were more fleshed out then the film would have felt less rushed overall.

Still even with this contrivance , 'Stronger' has a lot more going for it than not and it is better than the average inspirational biographical drama. I recommend checking this out.

I was rather late to the party on this one as it came out in the summer and I only just recently saw it. Naturally I was a bit skeptical of the uproarious praise it was receiving with most publications giving it glowing reviews. However, finally having seen it I can see the reason now. 'The Big Sick' is written by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon (The couple who's relationship it is based on) and directed by Michael Showalter. The collaboration between the three deftly blends comedy, social commentary and heartfelt moments aplenty. The ensemble cast is fantastic and includes Nanjiani as himself, Zoe Kazan as Emily and Ray Romano and Holly Hunter as her parents.

Kumail, a budding stand-up comedian, hits it off well with a psychology grad-student who 'heckles' him during one of his shows. All is going well until she finds out that his Mother is planning an arranged marriage for him. Suddenly Emily falls ill leading to her being put into a medically induced coma. During this time Kumail visits the hospital every day to check on her and bonds with her parents.

What is interesting is that at the 20 minute mark I was thinking 'Huh I thought this was supposed to be the best comedy of the year?' because I just wasn't laughing. But then all of a sudden I was won over by the film's charm, wit and good spirit. So that's the only thing I would say is a pitfall of the movie - The first 20 minutes don't do the movie justice as a whole. Other than that it's great. Highly recommended.

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' is written and directed by Rian Johnson and stars most of the same cast from the previous installment with one new addition of Kelly Marie Tran who plays a character named Rose. This is the first Star Wars film written and directed by one person since the prequels with George Lucas- An important point to make since one can definitely sense that there is a singular vision at play here. The visual style is unlike anything we've seen before in this franchise and that is most likely down to Johnson's sensibilities. There is breathtaking moment at a certain point in the movie where all sound is cut out and you're just left with the images of an epic moment and it is really something to behold.

The story follows on directly from 'The Force Awakens' with Rey (Daisy Ridley) finding Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) on Ahch-to and attempting to get him to train her to which he is reluctant. The depleted resistance only has one ship left, which has almost ran out of fuel, and are trying to survive against the First Order. Then we also have another subplot in which Finn (John Boyega) and the aforementioned Rose travel to a new planet Canto Bight to find a code breaker to help the resistance against the First Order. While I didn't mind this part of the film too much it does take up a tad too much time and slows the film down rather noticeably. However, once it has passed the movie is right back on track again and zips by very quickly considering its lengthy 152 minutes run time.

Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) who was the main villain in episode VII, retains that position here too with a lot more screen time to boot. We get some interesting conversations between him and Rey via long distance telepathy which has been briefly explored before in previous Star Wars movies but Johnson took it all the way here. I can easily see how these expansions of the lore could be considered disagreeable by some fans but personally I thought most of them worked. There is a particular moment fairly early on in the film involving Leia (Carrie Fisher) that I can definitely see annoying fans and maybe even confounding some viewers- It is something we have never seen any character do in this franchise let alone Leia.

All the performances are compelling including Carrie Fisher's which is sadly her last after her passing a year ago. Another notable one is Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader. His motion-capture work never ceases to impress and he delivers a very good menacing performance her with the memorable dialogue he is given. Oscar Isaac is also reliable here reprising his role as Poe Dameron- He takes on a Han Solo esque part in this movie and will probably continue to do so in the next chapter.

Rian Johnson has delivered a very different but also very respectful Star Wars movie which pushes the boundaries of the mythology created by George Lucas which virtually a blank slate for JJ Abrams to pick up for episode IX. Let's hope he can deliver again like he did before and like Rian Johnson has here.

'The Florida Project' is co-written and directed by Sean Baker and stars child actress Brooklyn Prince as Moonee, a wide-eyed and adventurous 6 year old girl who lives in a budget motel outside Disney World in Orlando, Florida with her mother Halley (Bria Vinaite). These motels are supposed to be temporary residences for tourists but the motel manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe) makes an exception for people like Halley and Moonee because otherwise they would have nowhere else to go. The movie takes place over a summer period as we follow Moonee and her friends on their magical adventures of childhood whilst their parents deal with difficult times.

Baker manages to achieve once again what others fail at- Telling a story about people dealing with hardship in this case poverty without it feeling exploitative or overdone. In fact most of the time the audience doesn't even feel like they are watching someone else's version of events, you just feel like a fly on the wall experiencing the children's childhood wonder and the parents struggles. This is helped all the more by the authentic and raw performances across the board. Brookyln Prince is a major discovery here as her portrayal of Moonee and her chemistry with the rest of the cast is off the charts. Bria Vinaite is also impressive especially considering this is her acting debut and that she was discovered on Instagram by Baker. Dafoe has said in interviews that he lived in one of the motels for a week and shadowed a real-life motel manager to ensure that he picked up on the nuances of the people who actually do it. It is very telling in the film as his performance is wonderful and one of the best of his illustrious career. He is the heart and soul of the film as the kind, considerate and caring Bobby.

Another thing I really appreciated is the cinematography and the use of vibrant color in the movie which brilliantly reflects the innocence and optimism of Moonee and her friends. It also offers a nice poignant juxtaposition between the characters harsh circumstances and the fact that they live on the doorstep of every child's dream place, Disney World.

Initially I did have one reservation about 'The Florida Project' and that concerned the ending. When I first saw it I thought it felt out of place and a bit of a cop out. However, when I thought about it for a little while, just after the movie, in the context of what happens beforehand I came to the conclusion that it makes perfect sense.

So to wrap up, 'The Florida Project' is a beautiful, poignant and triumphant portrait of childhood and of the best films of the year.

'Molly's Game' is written and directed by esteemed screenwriter Aaron Sorkin of whom it is the directorial debut. It is adapted from the book of the same name by Molly Bloom herself. The film stars Jessica Chastain as the eponymous character in a commanding performance which keeps the audience hooked when the story itself fails to do so. Idris Elba plays Molly's lawyer in another good performance to add to his collection. The story is about Molly who was once an Olympic-hopeful skier who got sidelined due to injury which is shown in an engaging opening scene accompanied by her voice over. After to this she moves to LA and after a brief stint as a cocktail waitress ends up working as an assistant at a high stakes poker game featuring Hollywood stars, business moguls and unknowingly the Russian mob. When her boss refuses to pay her because she is making some much in tips she strikes out on her own and moves the game to a new location making sure to alert all the regular players of where to show up in the process. She also has a game set up in NYC and runs them both at the same time.

Of course this after we watch her being arrested by armed FBI agents in the middle of the night in an earlier scene. Sorkin does this throughout the movie intertwining events before and after she was taken in. It was works for the most part however it does slow down the pace at times when the audience gets invested in Molly's activities before her arrest (running the poker games) and then Sorkin suddenly cuts to events after which are far less attention grabbing (her legal trouble). I will say though that these less intriguing scenes are made more watchable by Chastain and Elba's performances. They are both really good in this movie and two of the strongest parts of 'Molly's Game'. There are a few other noteworthy performances as well namely Kevin Costner as Molly's father, Michael Cera as Player X (apparently based on Tobey Maguire!) and Chris O'Dowd as another one of the poker players. The other major strength of the movie is the script which is full of wit which one has come to expect from Sorkin. This gives Chastain a lot of ammunition to shine and she uses it brilliantly.

The constant voice over does get a little distracting quite often especially when filled with Sorkin's signature choc-a-bloc style dialogue. Thought again it less irritating due to Chastain's fine performance of it. I will also add that the direction is a tad undeveloped but then again this is Sorkin's debut so I'm sure he can only improve from here on out. Despite this though he does use some nice techniques to make high stakes hands of poker more exciting to watch. Overall this a decent directorial debut for Sorkin and one that will hopefully lead to better films from him in the future.

'The Disaster Artist' is written by Scott Neudstadter and Michael H. Weber, based on a book of the same name by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissel, and is directed by James Franco. It also stars Franco as Tommy Wiseau. The film is about the friendship between the aforementioned Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero and how it led them to make what is often called the worst movie of all time namely 'The Room' . And that is an important point to make- Franco and co were not so interested in superficially showing how Wiseau made a terrible movie and getting us to laugh at it but rather in showing that Wiseau is a passionate artist and legitimately believed that he was making a masterpiece.

The strong elements of the movie lie in Franco's lead performance as Wiseau, which is one of the best of the year, and in the script which allows us to engage with Tommy and learn about his inspirations as well as his often wacky and peculiar mannerisms. The direction is less impressive and rather understated but I imagine it is rather difficult to direct yourself directing a movie which is exactly what Franco does here. Dave Franco costars as Greg Sestero in a competent performance but one which is overshadowed by his brother's. As I mention in the headline of this review it is very funny but not in the typical way Franco tries to be in his usual stoner comedies with Seth Rogen. It is funny because of the genuine bizarre behavior of Tommy Wiseau and especially the reactions he garners from his cast and crew on the set of 'The Room'.

Coincidentally, Rogen is also in the movie as Raphael i.e. the script supervisor on 'The Room' who in actuality ended up directing a large portion of the movie due to Wiseau's constant lateness to set and general incompetence. This is also a departure for him as you won't hear his patented 'pot laugh' in this film. All in all 'The Disaster Artist succeeds wildly (and even elicited applause at the end in the screening I attended) due to the strong central performance by James Franco and the comedy and heart and he and the screenplay bring with it.

There is very little need for introduction to this movie as it is by far the most popular cult film in recent times and maybe ever. Also if you are reading this you have either already seen it or are planning to give it a go anyway. And I would encourage you if you haven't already to experience this piece of bizarro genius at least once especially if you're a cinephile. It truly is unlike anything else you will ever see. It might not be possible to make a more uproariously funny unintentional comedy than 'The Room'. Tommy Wiseau, the financier, producer, director, writer and star of this movie poured heart, soul and all of his passion into this disaster-piece. From the atrocious acting to the laughable dialogue to the inexplicably abandoned subplots to the women stereotypes, virtually every scene elicits thunderous laughter from the audience. What might be even funnier is when you find out that Wiseau intended the film to be a Tennessee Williams level drama. And there are obvious allusions to the melodramas of the 1950's/60's with stolen lines like 'You are tearing me apart!' taken directly from Nicholas Ray's 'Rebel Without a Cause' but without any of the context and spun into hilarity.

What is truly remarkable about 'The Room' is how it has sustained for this long and how it became a cult classic. There are tons of bad movies that get released every single year and fade into obscurity but not this one. No, not 'The Room'. It has even managed to make its ridiculously high budget of $6 Million back after countless midnight screenings worldwide since it first came out in 2003. You see what sets this particular awfully bad movie apart from other awfully bad movies is that it never feels like Tommy Wiseau is not trying to make something special. And make something special he did with what is now widely known as 'The Citizen Kane of bad movies'.

If you want to find out more about 'The Room' and how it was made then check out the book 'The Disaster Artist' written by Greg Sestero, the actor who plays Mark in the movie and Tommy's real life best friend, and journalist Tom Bissell. Then go watch the adaptation of the book, which keeps the same name, directed by and starring James Franco as Tommy Wiseau. It also stars Franco's brother Dave as Greg Sestero and a plethora of other recognizable faces such as Seth Rogen, Alison Brie and Paul Scheer. The movie is garnering a lot of awards buzz and at this point in time has been nominated for two Golden Globes including Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) and Best Actor (Musical or Comedy) for James Franco. Its going to be truly surreal seeing Tommy Wiseau finally attending these awards shows in the coming months, something which he thought 'The Room' would allow him to do all those years ago. Instead he had to wait for a great movie to be made about his terrible movie.

'Call Me by Your Name' is directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by James Ivory based on a novel of the same name by Andre Aciman. It is the story of a sophisticated and cultured seventeen year old named Elio (Timothee Chalamet) whom over the course of a gorgeous northern Italian summer experiences first love, romance and what it feels like to truly find oneself. He is on vacation with his parents at their beautiful 17th century villa spending his time writing and playing music and flirting with his girlfriend. His father Mr. Perlman (Michael Stuhlbarg) is an archaeologist who specializes in Greco-Roman culture and his mother Annella (Amira Casar) is a translator. Every summer Mr. Perlman hires an assistant to help him with his work and this particular summer he brings in and American college graduate student Oliver (Armie Hammer) which completely throws off Elio's easy going behavior. Elio is immediately taken aback by the new arrival. Oliver is a tall, handsome, smart and good-natured young man and Elio's admiration for him begins as soon as they are introduced by Mr. Perlman. He spends as time with him as possible, wherever Oliver goes he goes and he attempts to court with unbeknownst to Oliver until he a certain scene when he subtly reveals his intentions. Eventaully they bond over such things as their friendship, their shared Jewish heritage and of course their summer romance. Subtle is actually one of the many words that describe this film very appropriately. Things are often said without words but simply through the performances of the amazing cast. Particularly Chalamet and Hammer who both give career best performances. Stuhlbarg as also shines in a few standout scenes especially towards the end of the movie.

One of the things I like the most about this film is how the writer and director treats a gay romance. There have been countless movies about the victimization of gays and struggles they face which are also important when done correctly. However it is remarkably refreshing to watch a gay romance depicted just like any other. Elio is not persecuted in this movie for his sexuality, which is technically bi-sexual as he does have girlfriend at some points in the movie but nevertheless, he simply learns to deal with his emotions and how to express himself in an honest way. Another major strong achievement of 'Call Me by Your Name' is its ability to create a sense of mood thanks in large part to the cinematography, musical soundtrack and on- location production design. It enjoys a number of original songs which are very much complimentary to the themes present in the movie. They are topped off by 'Mystery of Love' by Sufjan Stevens. The movie moves along with a wonderful simmering pace, not too fast, not too sluggish. Thanks to this you legitimately feel like you are spending a whole summer with these characters and are just a fly on the wall observing their experiences.

I honestly do not think that there is a single flaw with this movie and if there is I couldn't find it. It is immaculate from the first scene to the last. 'Call Me by Your Name' might not be the best movie of the year but it may just be the most perfect. It is a knockout and deserves every bit of praise and recognition it gets this awards season. I couldn't recommend it enough.

At this point, 'Justice League' has already been torn to shreds by most critics and rightly so. It is a mess of epic proportions and features some outright bizarre creative and technical choices. However I still felt compelled to give my two cents on it in a sort of post-mortem if you will. In a way we should have all knew this movie was doomed when WB announced that they were switching directors three quarters of the way through production. Although this is not always an automatic nail in the coffin of a film, it rarely ever turns out for the good especially on a tent pole project. Also given the previous incompetency of the people running the DC Extended Universe division at WB, it comes as no surprise that they couldn't make the director switch a smooth transition. But then again they may have been dealing with an original version of the movie by Zack Snyder which was already mediocre and so they tried (and failed) to patch it up. So when they brought Joss Whedon on board, a director with a style completely different to Snyder's, it's a possibility they were trying to prevent a ship from sinking. However this is all speculation and the way they got to the finished product is rather irrelevant to a review of said product. So now to the reasons why the movie is mostly disappointing but with some enjoyment to be had with these iconic characters.

The structure and plot of the film is predictably generic and par for the course as far as team up superhero movies go. A superhero team comes together, superhero team fights big bad, superhero team eventually defeats big bad and saves the world. In this case the team consists of Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) and Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) who are, in continuation of 'Batman V Superman', looking to assemble a team of people with special abilities to combat a huge alien threat that had been alluded to by Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg). The newcomers are Barry Allen/The Flash who has super speed, Victor Stone/Cyborg who is well... a cyborg and Arthur Curry/Aquaman who is a half man half Atlantean. And in this case the big bad is Steppenwolf (not the rock band) who is unfortunately just a walking CGI punching bag. But he does have a cool voice thanks to Ciaran Hinds who does his best to deliver some menacing monologues as the character. The baffling thing here is why they didn't just do motion capture instead of a full CGI character that looks like something out of a PSP Lord of the Rings game. But I digress, so essentially Steppenwolf comes to Earth to retrieve three items called mother boxes for reasons that are poorly explained. The movie flashes back to the first time Steppenwolf invaded and shows the forces of Themyscira and Atlantis fighting him off to prevent him from getting one of these mother boxes. He needs them in order to and I'm paraphrasing 'unify the realms of evil' or something or other but the reason ends up being pointless and completely inconsequential anyway. So we have a movie of the team assembling and trying to figure out how to defeat Steppenwolf and then eventually doing so with the help of a resurrected Clark Kent/Superman (Henry Cavill) . This is not a spoiler as is it virtually common knowledge at this point.

As far as the performances go everyone is fine and give serviceable turns particularly Aflleck and Gadot as the leads. Momoa is also very cool as a surfer dude type. Ray Fisher in his first big screen role impresses as a man who lost his limbs in an accident and had to be put back together by his father using bionics. Ezra Miller as talented as he is eventually becomes annoying and almost cringe worthy in his role as Barry Allen. However this isn't entirely his fault. In fact the writing of his character is the main culprit as most of his screen time is comprised of forced jokes and childish humor. There are some pluses to his portrayal in how he represents innocence and vulnerability as kind of the 'kid' of the group dynamic. Th main fun to be had with this flick is the interactions between the characters who all get their moments in either funny moments or downright awesome moments. However that leads me into another way the movie falters and that's focusing on moments rather scenes. Scenes are not allowed to breathe and develop, it just feels like you are constantly being told 'ok this happened' and it then cuts immediately to the next scene or moment more appropriately. This is the same problem that 'Batman V Superman' had and it really needs to stop if the film makers of this cinematic universe want to replicate the success they had with Wonder Woman. It is very apparent that this is what happened here when you realize the original cut was 165 minutes long and they managed to shave it down to 120 minutes. Clearly a lot of footage is missing from the finished product as one can deduce just by watching one of the trailers for this movie. It's also sad that this run time was a mandate set by the head of the studio. Apparently it was a response to audience criticisms that 'Batman V Superman' was too long but ironically in 'fixing' this issue they have arguably made a worse product.

In conclusion, if you can tolerate the scattershot comedy, the often distracting CGI especially Superman's top lip- They had to digitally remove Henry Cavill's mustache due to his role in Mission Impossible 6 which prevented him from shaving it- and the derivative plot and villain then you might some fun with this one if you are already a fan of these characters and the DC Extended Universe. Let's just hope 'Aquaman' is much, much better.

Given Taylor Sheridan's previous works as the writer of "Sicario" and "Hell or High Water", I was rather excited to see what he would do when also taking the helm. This feature "Wind River", as Sheridan has said himself, completes his unofficial trilogy of stories exploring the American frontier and it does so on a high note.

The film is captivating from beginning to end due to well paced writing, directing and editing and raw performances particularly from Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen and Gil Birmingham.

Renner plays a Fish and Wildlife officer/tracker named Cory Lambert who patrols the Wind River Indian reservation in Wyoming which gives the film it's name. Olsen plays an FBI agent named Jane Banner who is called in to investigate the death of a Native American woman found at the reservation. She represents an outsider looking in perspective of this culture as Renner represents the opposite of someone who lives within in it and understands the landscapes due to his occupation.

When the autopsy of the body reveals it was a homicide, Jane asks Cory to help with the case due to his expertise and he agrees so they set out to investigate. It is revealed later on that Cory's daughter was murdered too and he feels responsible for it so he is using this case as a chance for redemption and closure.

The film's slow but deliberate pace and crisp cinematography makes you almost feel the biting cold of the environment and the harshness that this culture deals with on a day to day basis. The film highlights some unfortunate truths like the fact that even though the medical examiner believes the case is a homicide he can't report it as one due to a technicality. Also, it is revealed just before the credits in the form of text on the screen that there is no record keeping of missing Native Americans therefore nobody knows how many are truly missing.

It is clear that Sheridan likes to explore uncomfortable subject matter such as the Mexican drug cartel in "Sicario", disenfranchised Middle America in "Hell or High Water" and now the mistreatment of Native Americans in "Wind River". It is also clear that he is very good at it as each of these films are filled with palpable passion and care.

The only thing I had a problem with in "Wind River" was editing in the third act. I felt the way the flashback is utilized is disorienting and a little clumsy which makes the whole final act somewhat disjointed.

However, other than that, "Wind River" is a well crafted crime drama/noir thriller which sheds light on issues seldom talked about.

This film had very high expectations from most people going in given it's excellent marketing campaign. It's crazy to think that it's first trailer is the most viewed trailer of all time within twenty- four hours beating the likes of huge franchise movies like "Star Wars" and "Transformers". However, it just goes to show how popular Stephen King's novel "It" and the property as a whole really is. People really like being scared by clowns for some reason. Anyway, I'm glad to say that this film not only met my expectations but wildly exceeded them.

The movie just like the novel follows the seven teenagers of the self-proclaimed "Loser's club" in the seemingly timid town of Derry, Maine as they are terrorized by an entity simply called "It". This entity takes the form of your worst fears but usually appears as a 'Pennywise the dancing clown' to lure children in before essentially brutally devouring them. Each of the kids at some point are confronted by "It" as he torments them with his shape-shifting abilities. But with all their courage and teamwork they must overcome their fears in order to rid the town of "It".

A really interesting thing about the story and each of the character's respective arcs is that it's not just the entity that causes them problems that they must learn to deal with. Instead most of the characters have very tangible conflicts. For example, Bill must deal with the loss of his younger brother, Eddie has an overbearing Mother which makes him a hypochondriac, Beverly has an abusive Father and they all deal with viscous bullying at the hands of the "Bowers gang". All of this realism gives the film a cerebral feel which is then complimented by the supernatural terror provided by "It".

The reason this film works so well is because it nails down three- dimensional characters in a human story about childhood, fear, courage and friendship. The writing, directing and acting are all to thank for that. The director Andy Muschietti and the writers including Cary Fukunaga clearly understood the essence of the novel and what they needed to keep and remove to keep the film's pace steady.

The cast of mostly unknowns is superb with the standouts for me being Finn Wolfhard as Ritchie who was hilarious, Jack Dylan Grazer as Eddie who was also funny but really gave his character innocence and vulnerability too and Jaeden Lieberher who gave a nuanced performance as the leader of the "Loser's club", Bill.

Bill Skarsgards gives a delightfully creepy turn as Pennywise which heightens the tension of any scenes he appears in. If I had to pick one gripe with this film it's that some of the main characters such as Stanley and Mike are not really developed as well as the others but hopefully this will be rectified in part two when they are adults.

But other than, all in all, this is a great adaptation of one of Stephen King's greatest and most popular novels and I can't wait for part two.

A surprisingly, consistently funny comedy with a fantastic cast and a sharp script. All four lead actresses are on top form in this movie but the clear standout is newcomer Tiffany Haddish. A few gags don't quite work but she hits the mark every single time. Another reason the movie works is because it has actual characters who are all unique and dynamic unlike similar comedies. It is hilarious and it has heart which is why it succeeds wildly. A pleasant, laugh out loud summer comedy.

This is a very different film from the rest of Christopher Nolan's filmography thus far in that it is based on historical events namely the evacuation of Dunkirk in WW2. Nevertheless, he still finds an effective way to use his signature non-linear story structure and here divides it into three time periods; one week, one day and one hour. Each corresponding to the perspectives of land, sea and air respectively.

On land we have two soldiers played by newcomers Fionn Whitehead and Harry Styles along with a whole host of other soldiers trying to escape the beach and moving from ship to ship as they are attacked in doing so. At sea we have three civilians lead by Mark Rylance on a small pleasure boat trying to save as many stranded soldiers as possible. In the air we have two RAF pilots in spitfires played by Tom Hardy and Jack Lowden dog-fighting with German planes.

The technical achievements in this film are astonishing from the stunning cinematography to the brutally realistic sound design to the harrowing score. Hans Zimmer will most definitely be nominated by the Academy for his work here and will most likely win.

Nolan decided to shoot as much of this film in camera as possible and it is very telling given the impressive practical effects present in the film from the real ships to the real RAF spitfires to the real pleasure boats from that era to actually shooting on location in Dunkirk.

The action scenes are incredibly intense and visceral and very well directed. The aerial dogfights are often shown from the viewer's POV making them subjective and immersive. This leads to a thrilling and goose-bump inducing experience throughout.

The actors give fine performances all round despite the fact that none of them have many lines. This film is very much about the event of Dunkirk, which is appropriate given the title, and not so much about individual characters per se. But this is where the film falters for me. There is no emotional anchor. No memorable characters and it is rather jarring.

Other than that, it is a superbly effective survival thriller and I can see it getting an abundance of nominations and wins come awards season.

Wow. First off let me just say how excited I am for Matt Reeves to direct 'The Batman'. He took the reigns of this franchise from Rupert Wyatt after 'Rise' and really made it his own and elevated it with 'Dawn'. I also believe he elevated it again with 'War' which closes out this superb prequel trilogy.

There is not a wasted shot in this film. Everyone of them is composed with an impressive attention to detail that just leaves you in awe. It is clear that Matt Reeves is a strong visual director and he works with his cinematographer Michael Seresin very well here to deliver some of the best visuals of the year so far.

There are many inspirations on display in this film that Matt Reeves has talked about from 'The Ten Commandments', 'Apocalypse Now' and 'Lawrence of Arabia'. Even the first appearance of Caesar in the movie has his colony of apes parting to make way for their leader a la the red seas for Moses. Also the score by Michael Giacchino is the perfect companion for this story and has a 'Seven Samurai' feel to it.

The story is powerful and emotionally resonant thanks to full bodied characters and a stunning performance by Andy Serkis as Caesar. If there was ever a time for him to receive an Academy Award nomination for his work this would be it. Steve Zahn is also fantastic as Bad Ape who works wonderfully as comedic relief in an otherwise grim and dreary film. Other performances of note are Woody Harrelson as The Colonel who gives you every reason to resent him but is also someone who is affected by personal tragedy (which leads to a moving scene where Caesar empathizes with him) and Amiah Miller as Nova who says a lot without speaking a word.

The 'War' that the title refers to is not a physical war but a war of ideals between both Caesar and The Colonel and within Caesar himself. So don't expect an all out action set-piece a minute war movie. It's a much more personal, dramatic and emotional story and the film is all the more better for it. A perfect movie to round out a perfect trilogy. Apes. Together. Strong.

Not the best Spider-Man movie but still a very good effort nonetheless. It feels very fresh and unique when compared with other MCU movies and even previous Spider-Man incarnations in that it feels like a high school movie first and a Spider-Man movie second. This movie really nails the 'day in the life of' Peter Parker type of feel that it needed to in order to take the character back to his roots which is clearly what they tried to accomplish and did accomplish for me.

Tom Holland is the ideal Peter Parker and Spider-Man in that he is shy, nerdy and charismatic all at the same time. I don't care much for the Stark tech version of the Spider-Man suit, however, and really feel that they made a mistake by taking the iconic Spidey-Sense away.

Michael Keaton is menacing and as realistic as MCU villains have come so far. He steals every scene he is in and is a great addition to the movie. It is clear with this movie that Marvel responded to the complaints about their weak villains by fleshing the Vulture out a lot more than most other MCU villains and even starting the movie out by focusing on him.

Although Tony Stark is not in the movie as much as the trailers would have you believe he is still in it a little too much for my liking. It really did feel like 'Spider-Man featuring Tony Stark' at times whereas I think more of a cameo with just two or three scenes would have worked better by further sharpening the focus on Peter Parker. This is not to say Tony isn't used well, however, as he basically fulfills the Uncle Ben role in this movie and it does work rather well. The supporting cast is fine and does feature a lot characters you will recognize if you are a fan of the Spider-Man comics.

All in all, the movie is a little uneven in that the first half is okay but the second half really does step up its game and ends on a strong note.

Edgar Wright does it again with one of the best movies of the year thus far, Baby Driver, which concerns a getaway driver named Baby(Ansel Elgort) who is trying to get out of his life of crime working for a crime boss named Doc(Kevin Spacey) so he can move on with a girl that he meets at a diner named Debora(Lily James). The problem is there always seems to be 'one last job' and when the last one goes horribly wrong Baby has to rely on his skills to get out unscathed with Debora.

The cast in this movie is stellar with the likes of Kevin Spacey as Doc, Jamie Foxx as Batts, Jon Hamm as Buddy, Eiza Gonzalez as Darling, Lily James as Debora and of course Ansel Elgort as Baby who all give fine performances. The script and direction are signature Edgar Wright with witty dialogue and fast paced, exhilarating action sequences.

The car chase scenes really put you in the front seat and are set to a 'killer' soundtrack which features many great classic songs. The way Wright uses music in this film is unprecedented in that nearly every scene is set to the beat or flow of the soundtrack and it fits perfectly. There's only a small handful of scenes where there isn't any music and those are when Baby himself is not listening to music as we essentially hear exactly what he hears throughout the whole movie. As Wright himself put it, he wanted the audience to be both 'Baby's eyes and ears' and he succeeded wildly in doing that.

To wrap up, Baby Driver is one of if not the best movie of the year so far and will likely feature in a lot of people's top 10 of the year lists. It's also Edgar Wright's best movie since Hot Fuzz.