The Eyes Of Tammy Faye (2022) - Movie Review

After two far-from ideal releases from Jessica Chastain’s Freckle Films in the form of Ava and The 355, I damn-near used every last hope reserve I had left and aimed it directly at this film because I want something good to come out of Chastain as a name-brand producer. And truth be told, she seems to have finally found a production worth having her name on it, both as producer and as title star. Having been somewhat familiar with her work since seeing her in Zero Dark Thirty all those years ago, I’ve always thought of her as a good actor but never one that had a central mind-blowing performance to her credit. Until now, that is.

tick, tick... BOOM! (2021) - Movie Review

Well, my last pick turned out to be a total dud, so let’s try this again. Let’s go with a musical film made by someone I have a reasonable amount of faith can actually pull off this kind of production: Lin-Manuel Miranda. I have all manner of respect for what the guy has done already, between giving Daveed Diggs the kind of platform his talents deserve, and just how brilliant Hamilton is all on its own. However, despite some shared DNA, theatre isn’t cinema. And with him stepping into the director’s chair for the first time here, I am definitely rooting for him but I would totally understand if this doesn’t work out as planned. Not that I even need to entertain the thought of that being the case, though.

Under The Silver Lake (2019) - Movie Review

The latest from It Follows writer/director David Robert Mitchell is… a tough one. Like, this is the kind of film designed to be looked at over the course of several months just to figure out what in the fresh hell is even going on. It’s a puzzle film, and like the best of its kind, all of the pieces are presented to the audience, even if it isn’t entirely obvious that what is being shown is part of the completed picture. After having to admit to my previous critical shortcomings a few times already this past month, I’m in the mood for some serious deep diving, so if the following review comes across like the desperate scribbles of a madman, not only is that likely accurate, it’s also fitting for the film itself to be analysed in this way.

Breathe (2017) - Movie Review

The plot: Tea broker Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield), after being stricken by polio and rendered paralysed from the neck down, has been given only three months left to live. However, between his wife Diana’s (Claire Foy) words of encouragement and his own resolve, he plans on being around for a bit longer than that. As he adjusts to his new living conditions, his friends and family all chip in to help him out, starting a movement that would lead Robin Cavendish to become one of the most famous advocates for the disabled in history.

Silence (2017) - Movie Review

When talking about a filmmaker as lauded as Martin Scorsese, traditional adjectives like “important”, “influential” and even “lauded” still feel too small to properly illustrate his reputation both in the industry and with audiences. Aside from his ground-breaking work with crime epics like Goodfellas, Casino and The Departed, he has also shown himself to be one of the most incredibly versatile filmmakers this side of Steven Soderbergh. Psychological thrillers, philosophical dramas, family films, even blacker-than-pitch comedies like the nuttiness of his last film The Wolf Of Wall Street; the man’s well into his 70’s and he still shows no signs of slowing down. So when someone of this calibre comes out with a film that they have apparently been trying to bring into fruition for literally decades, it’s no wonder that it’s gotten the attention that it has. But is it worth the acclaim it has already garnered? Let’s pretend I’m in a position to comment on such things and find out.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016) - Movie Review

In no uncertain terms, I don’t have the will nor the intestinal fortitude to ever consider joining the military. I’m a proper soft lefty that sees all life as sacred and not worth ending over what are usually rather petty squabbles, and the very thought of killing another person for any reason makes me incredibly uneasy. However, that doesn’t mean that I hold any ill will towards those who fight in my place. I may have my issues with the higher-ups who send them out, usually for the reasons why certain governments see fit to get involved in war, but I have nothing but respect for those who do the fighting themselves. Not that cinema seems to share that respect, though, as more times than not, modern military cinema goes for the murky and moralistic approach that is meant to make us question just whose lives are being affected, be it through death or otherwise. So, with noted firebrand Mel Gibson returning to the director’s chair, how does today’s war film turn out?