Babylon (2023) - Movie Review

Damien Chazelle might be the single most self-confident filmmaker working in Hollywood right now. No matter how idealistic (the grand romantic tones in La La Land), or familiar (the story of Apollo 11 in First Man), or just downright goofy (the colourful string of expletives in the script for Whiplash) his ideas get, there’s never an inkling that he’s meeting any of it halfway. And even when I find myself on the wrong side of some of those aspects, I’ve been unable to deny that there’s a certain infectious quality to how much conviction the man pours into each of his directorial efforts thus far. But his latest seems to be the ultimate test for that methodology, as we’ve gone from a film that would merely benefit from that much confidence behind the camera, to a film that outright requires it to work even slightly.

Mank (2020) - Movie Review

Well, after the travesty I sat through for my last review, I think I’ve earned myself a break. I’ve spent the last few days chasing after Netflix features by filmmakers I had a presumption I could trust for quality to no avail, so I’m gonna hedge my bets on someone I don’t believe, but know, can deliver: David Fincher. Music video director turned auteur cynic extraordinaire, even if I’m not endlessly devoted to every one of his films, I can never deny that the man has a control of the medium that few others can lay claim to. Which is why his latest, a look into the writing process of what is widely considered the greatest film of all time, is also something that few others would be able to accomplish with this level of sheer brilliance.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019) - Movie Review

The latest from neo-exploitation junkie Quentin Tarantino is quintessentially him. A period flick set during the golden age of Hollywood, everything from the visuals to the soundtrack to the tan lines scream the 60’s as loud as they can. It’s a flurry of contemporary footage, new footage seamlessly integrated into the contemporary footage (seriously, this has some of the best integration of newer footage over older footage I think I’ve ever seen; Forrest Gump, eat your heart out) and recreated locales and old-school staples that create the most vivid picture of what Tarantino has spent his entire career doing: Tipping his hat to the old guard of cinema that made him who he is as a filmmaker.

Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool (2018) - Movie Review

The plot: Old Hollywood actress Gloria Grahame (Annette Bening), after a health scare backstage in the U.S., decides to go to Liverpool and stay with Peter Turner (Jamie Bell), an aspiring actor and Gloria's former lover. As Peter and his family take care of her and the two reconnect over their past, Gloria is faced with not only her own mortality but also how her age, his past romances and her career have shaped her and how she is perceived by others.