Phantom Thread **

Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day Lewis reunite after the intense There Will Be Blood with Phantom Thread.

Phantom Thread is a psychological Drama about a emotional dysfunctional highly regarded dressmaker Woodcock (Day Lewis) who after he dispatches his current girlfriend begins a new romance of kinds with a waitress he just met Alma.

Woodcock is basically a emotional crippled highly sensitive perfectionist who catching him smiling is about as often as the full moon who can make life for those around him pleasant or painful.

Women are drawn into his life as his muse as he make dresses for them and they become the face of his label but they all fall under the hammer once his interest or patience runs out which is frequently.

Woodcock regards little or no need for the permanence of Love treating his girlfriends coldly and like staff even telling Alma at one point the painfully obvious “If you don’t like it, fuck off to where you came from” yes no quite Romeo but point made. Alma however is going to try to break Woodcock and get into his life whatever the cost.

Loyalty to the script is paramount with the direction painfully slow and purposefully dated, it looks as through this could have been made decades earlier in the directorial style employed here. This helps the style but certainly not the pace which moves with the urgency of a snail. We are here to engage with every single character trait exposed at every single point.

It’s effectively a punishing watch to get through, much like Silence was but Silence pulled it off where as here unless your hardened fan or have the patience of a saint this film will deliver a outcome that may require repeated viewings I was told I understood it in one and one was enough.

Day Lewis puts his all into his role but after Gangs Of New York and There Will Be Blood it’s a shame this performance will be his rumored last in a love or hate film that may be interesting in a film study class in a University classroom or in film journalist coffee room but to the average viewer this film will be hard painful work like making a wedding dress. 

Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool ****

Fantastic Anette Benning and Jamie Bell hand in powerhouse performances in this emotional packed true life Drama.

 

Jamie Bell plays the struggling actor who becomes romantically involved with Annette Benning’s former Hollywood star twice his age.

The film adapted from a book based on the real event captivates in it’s bitter originality of such a unlikely romance occurring in such unlikely of circumstances and directed with elegance.

The unlikely romance begins and true story of love unfolds in the rarest of kinds from Hollywood bold, sad, honest and with sterling performances from all involved.

That cast by the way happens to include Stephen Graham, Julie Waters and Vanessa Redgrave who all hit their parts hard adding to the nice ensemble.

Benning really does give it her all in career best that unfortunately has occurred the same year as 3 Billboards otherwise an Oscar for Benning’s work could well have been guaranteed. Meeting her every step of the way is Bell who not since Billy Elliot has worn his heart on his sleeve with his every emotion captivated across his face we feel every aspect of character’s emotion just looking at him.  

Whilst Graham and Redgrave are some what underused they still make the most of their scenes but it’s Waters who has the most lines from the supporting cast and hits them all. 

Kenneth Granham plays the quiet spoken Father, who hands in a underrated performance with sadness, humor and ultimately a moral compass for the film. This is summarized in touching little scene in the pub with his son where the full complexity of the situation is captivated through a full array of emotions and thought process. Certainly the casting director can raise a class of champagne as the right actors were assembled for the right tasks here.      

The story unfolds at a nice pace and utilized a change of perspective in the third act effectively to pull on the heartstrings and add to the tragedy of circumstance.

In many viewers the dark subject matter at times will become a little too heavy for some to enjoy with a depressing tone as romantic comedy this is not.

This is not easy watching or for the casual viewer but if you do invest you will come away with a story that captivates the emotions from such unlikely of origins of human attraction and love from a multitude of angles and emotions. 

The 15:17 To Paris ** 

Hot off Sully Director Clint Eastwood returns to the true story big screen adaption genre with The 15:17 To Paris the true story of the foiled terrorist attack on a train heading to Paris by three Americans.

It sounds great on paper, with Clint’s CV as well what could go wrong? Well the problem is that is does unfortunately.

Clint’s riskiest choice was to cast the real life people in the film as themselves. Its sounds bizarre but in an attempt to reach real life accuracy Clint changed them from consultants to actors or both I suppose technically.

The real problem is they are heroes yes but actors no and unfortunately no matter how hard they all try, they never actually reach a point of true naturalism or fit that comfortably into the roles of themselves.      

A reinforcement of this point was when I saw all three stars a Talk Show where they all seemed relaxed happy and different to the onscreen personas. So if the film versions still weren’t a true version of them it doesn’t seem a move worth the risk really and certainly didn’t make my day Clint.  

Spencer even asked Eastwood whether they should have acting lessons, which Clint declined wanting it just be natural.  However it doesn’t appear to be natural, how could it be reenacting your life in front of a camera is not a natural thing to do, were not all Kardashians you know Mr Eastwood. 

Then the back story which perhaps starts with relevance slowly differs in and out of the point, finishing on something that resembles a tourist promotion video rather than a thriller or drama or whatever.

The most useful part of the back flash was establishing what a flawed character Spencer is. The amount of failure he has in his life building to the vital moment of the train but it’s kind of white washed amongst such absolute non relevant sequences selfies, wine sipping, walking during their European travels. It almost seems like an attempt to simply boost the running time. It’s almost the equivalent of seeing Sully taking a shit the morning he landed on the Hudson. Yes maybe it is historically accurate, but does that make it pulse racing entertainment? I find it definitively unlikely.  

 

In Sully the inciting incident is short but it shown from different perspectives, different emotions built up and revealed.

Instead of filling the running time with such non relevant, interesting scenes before the train why didn’t they show (like Sully) what happens afterwards to beef out the story? We could have seen the parent’s reactions, the ill judging Head Teacher’s reaction, the Military’s reaction? The vindication of being a hero after years of negativity would have been a rewarding pay off.

What did the boys do next wit their hero status? They became stars. They talked a Hollywood Director into making there film! There lives were changed! Do we see that? No, we see scenes of them drinking flat beer in Dam instead, damn indeed. 

This film seems rushed into production and as a result the script lacks a more interesting narrative and when linked to such a interesting amazing story it’s a accomplishment in their own right how they got it so misjudged. 

A great idea misjudged none the less that does deflect from the amazing actions of bravery from tourists who did prevent a potentially massive disaster.  

Fifty Shades Freed **

The third and final part of the fifty shades trilogy has arrived!

Finally the Climax is here (see what those witty marketing department execs did there) in Fifty Shades Freed.

Each film usually jumps straight into action (not that type of action) with Freed no exception so the opening credits begin over Christian and Anastasia getting married. Then the honeymoon of a life time begins no not your standard Benidorm weekender the happy couple embark on a round the world trip. 

The first peril that beseeches our happy couple is Anastasia wanting sunbath without a bikini on a semi naked beach where no one is wearing a bikini at this point Billionaire Christian must thinking “Mo money, Mo problems”.  

Fear not make up sex can not be far away only to be interrupted by trouble back at the office with someone breaking into Christian’s computers and sabotaging. The culprit is none other than Jack Hyde Anna’s cruel boss from the previous film who has a dark vendetta against the Christian!

You may have gathered I may not be taking this review all that seriously but seriously that’s the key to enjoying this film. The minute to spend a second taking it in on a serious note your going to have problems. 

There gaping holes of logic for one that really require us to just shut down and follow the beats of the film (Or in this motion picture case abbs, cheekbones and breasts)

Then some of dialogue is a little frowning in terms of Anna telling Christian he is “Honorable man” which yes is a compliment and sweet but let’s be serious he still beats birds in his red room and tips ice cream down her privates so perhaps he won’t be nominated for Pride Of Britain Award this year. 

However there is some funny writing (perhaps we could have used more of) involving security trying to restrain someone and ask Anna if she has anything they could use, with the red faced response she might have cuffs. 

The other aspect about the film is notorious reputation of the sex. It’s the sex which is the selling point. It’s the sex that has the groups of girls queuing up with their mates for their fun night out. But all in all it’s really quite tame. Not just tame it really doesn’t go for it when in terms of a trilogy surely there is an escalation to make each film bigger than the last. An opportunity to make it the riskiest one yet is not capitalized on here. 

Like some sexual endeavors this might feel like anti climax for the amount of work put in but a climax none the less, that at least ties up the franchise securely like the cuffs from the red room. 

Let us all just hope with their rampant sex life, good looks and billions of dollars the couple finally find some glimmer of ever lasting happiness. 

Den Of Thieves ****

A modern day heist movie thriller that sees a gang of ex soldiers turned bank robbers hunted by renegade corrupt cops whilst they attempt the ultimate heist of robbing the Federal Reserve. 

A two hours four minute run time does ask the question of how that time is going to be filled in a genre that has been done time and time again.

Den Of Thieves plays well into the format and offers many twists and thrills in a film that Is trying desperately hit above it’s weight. 

The film which is going to be compared on some level to great Heist genre films like Heat does attempt to stray into it’s own unique territory. 

The first element that provides uniqueness in this story is it’s totally unknown who we really are rooting for if anyone. We have the cop killing bank robbers on one side and corrupt torturing cops on the other. 

In fact as the film reaches its climatic shoot out it’s debatable who you want to win? By definition alone it has to go to the police surely but frankly with characters this faulted it’s hard to know. 

Talking of which it’s a pleasure to see Gerard Butler after years of hollow pay check roles in Geo Storm or London Has Fallen, and let’s not forget (No matter how much the therapy cost) Gods Of Egypt that here he actually hands a great performance of a haggard, drink abusing, suspect abusing, wife abusing, hard as nails corrupt sheriff.

He plays it well and unlike other 90% of characters we explore his personal life of which is a complete disaster. In fact it makes it obvious his only ambition to succeed to derived from the fact his no good at doing anything else nor has anything else to do. 

The bank robbers on the other hand it’s hard to really sympathize with any after the opening sequence sees them kill half a dozen cops and security men just doing their jobs. 

This however is the uniqueness of it all the real life aspect of trying to separate good from bad or bad and worse well you get the idea. 

The film offers twists in the tale that one point play out the genre beat by beat then start providing alternate beats to misdirect then back on the main plot. 

Being a LA Heist Movie and being in the same genre as Heat which was which contained a epic climatic shoot out you know Den Of Thieves is going to try and give it a run for it money and surely its does.

The build up to the shoot out is thrilling and with characters as flawed as these you have no idea who’s for the fatal bullet. 

A final Ocean’s 11 sequence near the end breaks the tone of the overall film but still its faults, mini plot holes etc are forgiven with a ambitious thriller that tries harder than most.  

Black Panther ***

Black Panther hits the big screen as another of the Marvel Universe characters get the big blockbuster treatment.

There’s a Shakespearean power struggle for the crown of the Black Panther and the future of the secret technological advanced empire Wakanda.    

There’s a nice sense of maturity to the film in it’s theme establishing the conflicts between family, friends, foes and outside forces as betrayal is rife.

 

The good news is the film is a big solid hit. It provides all the thrills, excitement and most importantly the quality that marvels seems to assure its films get.

Stand out performances really come from the villains in this film with a energetic Andy Serkis keeping it fun whilst Michael Jordan capitalizes on a generous character ark to fledge out a villain on multiple levels of emotion.

In the scheme of things how does it land in the Marvel Universe well it’s less funnier than Thor 3,  

less demanding than Civil War, better than Age of Ultron and better plotted than Guardians 2.

Yes it’s becoming a complicated old universe but all in all Black Panther holds it’s own establishing another strong Marvel Character. 

12 Strong Movie Review by Chris Hembury

12 Strong **

The true life story of how after 9/11 the U.S government sent a group of 12 special forces members on a mission to take a Taliban hot spot within 3 weeks. 

Chris Hemsworth (Thor) leads the charge with a excellent supporting cast with Micheal Shannon (The Shape of Water),Micheal Pena (End Of Watch) and Navid Negahban (Homeland). 

The story itself is captivating but the mistake here is the telling the story as commercial as possible this could have a been a TV movie by the Producers Bruckhiemer’s company that tel the film as if it was one. This is a American story the error is Americanising the telling of it in the usual fashion. If they could have told the story in a independent gritty way it could have been totally absorbing. 

Mel Gibson made big choices of how Hacksaw Ridge would have to play out in two halves and the second is full out absorbing horrific war. Spielberg made Saving Private Ryan visually 

12 Strong features almost TV coverage from the swirling aerials, pans and dolls shots by fails to have a distinctive independent style or vibe. 

The film’s true life story is well worth telling and in the hands of someone like Joe Carnahan (Narc) for instance it could have really found it’s tone.

By trying to look and feel like every other commercial film it loses chance to be truly original like it's source story.  

One sequence in particular where the soldiers charge the Taliban with missiles flying over their heads is a thrilling set piece. This shot POV or Normandy Beach style from Saving Private Ryan’s opening could have been a masterpiece of a cinematic battle. 

A by the numbers style war film of a truly remarkable achievement. It’s not a bad film by any means it just fails to be as remarkable as the achievement that was made in the story. If the filmmakers had been as fearless as the real life heroes who knows how daring this could have been.

A nice touch is showing the statue dedicated to the soldiers at the 9/11 site, fitting tribute.