Spotlight (2015) (Tom McCarthy)
Best Picture winner. The movie is predictable, and told in a good vs bad way that you root for the journalists and can’t be in favor of the priests. The suspense is the best thing it has going for it, especially when Ruffalo is given an off-the-record lead at about 75 min into the film. The thriller/investigative aspect was also the strength of All The President Men (1976), which the film is influenced by. The scene between Tucci and Ruffalo reminded me of the Donald Sutherland and Kevin Costner bench scene in JFK (1991).
Spotlight is not a good as its influences, but there is a memorable sequence when a journalist reads an address and realizes the ugliness is close to his home in a nearby street. He runs over there and attaches a warning on the fridge to the kids. That part works on a cinematic level, whereas a lot of other scenes are forgettable. I expected the church would attempt to sabotage the journalists, but that was mostly cover up rather than explicit threats.
Could put you off supporting the Catholic church. A shame those priests tarnished the loving message of Christianity. You may also feel uncomfortable listening to a children’s choir which plays as part of the soundtrack.
Spotlight is what I would label a “consensus movie”. Almost everyone already agrees what the priests did is wrong and that the cover up was unacceptable. The film could have done more to show how the victims’ lives were affected, and then the audience would have understood the trauma better. However they were shamed into silence and if they had focused a lot on the victims, the end scene wouldn't have had the same impact.
For me, it's not the best film about the subject matter. Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012) was a powerful documentary where I felt the victim's pain.
Of course, the message of Spotlight is important so these tragic events stop happening. The film also draws attention to the continued need for investigative journalism.
Rating 7/10
The Martian (2015) (Ridley Scott)
Not a game changer, and follows the formula of other mainstream Hollywood blockbusters, but is entertaining enough. The power of the human spirit when faced with adversity is so overplayed at this point it’s a total cliché come awards season. The ingenuity in how to survive in tough conditions kept me interested. Has been labelled a comedy, the only time I remember smiling was when he made some dance moves to the disco music. Matt Damon is convincing and the scenes on Mars are believable.
Got to say, I’m not for a Mars mission, which to me is a first world problem. I know it's fiction, but I’m sickened that so many millions could be spent on rescuing an astronaut. People die of hunger on earth every hour in Africa. What should the money go towards? A white American to save NASA's reputation or 500 starving Africans? Interstellar justifies going far into space because earth is polluted. The Martian is simply NASA spending a bunch of money on unnecessary exploring. This article agrees with me,
why go to Mars?
Another reviewer commented: “For a film purportedly about the value of human life, there’s practically no interest in human behavior”
Rating 6/10
Wonderland (1999) (Michael Winterbottom)
Included on
Time Out's list of the 100 best British films. The filmmaking feels very turn of the century, with its intersecting stories telling us of the pressures of marriage, children, pregnancy and the search for love. Remember this was the time of Traffic (2000), Magnolia (1999), The Hours (2002), Amores Perros (2000), Happiness (1998), and Go (1999).
I liked the first date between Gina McKee and Stuart Townsend which had warmth and struck a chord. A film that at first glance seems bland, but certain scenes stuck with me, both the heart-warming and the vile moments. And yet you realize why they are frustrated and do mean things. Although you can read many things into the stories, I see it foremost as a film about loneliness and the search for those who make you feel good about yourself, where you don't have to try so hard and can just be yourself. The neatness of the last act brought my rating down, but it's still an engaging two hours. Nyman's score works well in Wonderland, and stirs the emotions.
If you are a Londoner you may recognize places here and there. Alex at Boycotting Trends championed the film in his article about London in film, which you can read
here
Rating 7/10
John Wick (2014) (Chad Stahelski)
Better than I expected. A return to the simple action movies of days gone by. A man with nothing to lose like John Wick is a dangerous prospect. The scene when he digs his weapons out from under the floor was like a metaphor for the past we try and forget deep inside of ourselves but which is still in there. A movie that could dissuade people from breaking into people's houses or stealing a car.
Rating 8/10
Sense and Sensibility (1995) (Ang Lee)
A captivating adaptation of Jane Austen's book. The scene when Emma Thompson breaks down is very moving, and I was glued to the screen the entire time. These are characters that stayed with me long after the film was over. There are also comedic moments which I wasn't expecting.
Rating 9/10
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) (Joseph Sargent)
This is how suspense thrillers should be made. The tension is held until the nail-biting conclusion. The rare film when you root for both sides.
Inspired the color names in Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992). The criminals call themselves Mr Blue and so on.
Rating 9/10
