A Star is Born (2018)

Everyone gets attached to a particular story more than others at some point. Everyone has a film that touches them more than they could ever expect and they leave the screening completely blown away, instantly looking for a way to watch it again ASAP.

I'm 23, bisexual, i love Gaga more than I love myself. I have a longstanding, secondhand perspective of the shit storm that can be created by drug and alcohol addictions. If it's got a queen in it, I'll watch it (even if it's only 10 minutes of Willam). So, for me - A Star is Born is that film.


That was a mouthful, right? But my point is, this film got me. I knew it could have a massive impact on me, but I didn’t think it actually would, especially not in the way it has.


A Star is Born, directed by and starring Bradley Cooper, and co-starring Lady Gaga is the story of Jackson Maine (Cooper) a famous country singer with attachment issues, a severe drug and alcohol addiction who is only certain of which spirit he is going to drink that night, and that his brother Bobby (Sam Elliott) is going to be there to clean up his mess.

He bumps into Ally (Lady Gaga), a small time singer and waitress who has always been told she isn’t enough, is too ugly, and doesn’t have the voice and so begins their bloody adorable, enticing, hectic, exciting, beautiful, horrendous, romantic adventure.


The story itself is enough, it’s a beautiful story and for a sucker like me, it’s perfect. It felt real, I mean obviously not all of us are mad talented and bump into famous, delicious looking men that want to whisk us away and get our career going, but it showed how difficult things can be, and if you want them bad enough, and if someone believes in you enough you’re going to be able to do it. One of the best things really, was the fact that crucial parts of the story are hidden from the trailers, there are a couple of things I didn’t think were going to happen so they were nice (maybe not the best word when you know what they are, but you get my point) additions when I actually watched it.

The writing is simple, but effective. There are some twists and turns in this, some events that do not pan out how you’d expect, but the simplicity of how they are presented is what makes them phenomenal. This is compliment to the acting and editing really, it shows that a hefty script isn’t always needed, sometimes the talent that is there can be enough.

The casting for A Star is Born is spectacular. I can’t explain enough how perfectly chosen each person was.
Gaga gave me chills, she exceeded every expectation I had before going into this screening. I knew I was PUUUUMPED before the film even came out, but that is simply because I felt proud to see her face for this movie on a billboard, and because I love her so much whatever she does. This is the same for Bradley Cooper, he is such a badass (dish), and I was buzzing that this was his directorial debut, I was ready to see what he had to offer and he didn’t disappoint.

As soon as the film started I had extreme goosebumps, the dedication from Cooper to make this a masterpiece is insane. Knowing the months of rehearsal and coaching he went through to make his vision come to life shows that he actually gives a shit about what he is putting out there to a massive audience. His performance was stellar. As I said above I know the shit that can come alongside alcohol addiction, and he did the role justice. It even brings tears to my eyes now writing this, just remembering parts of his performance that resonated with my life so well. I felt his happiness, his excitement, his genuine love for Ally, and I understood his escape through music. Credit where credit is fucking due. This felt like a different role for him, but one he should be proud of.



Where do I begin with Gaga... she wasn’t acting, she was her character. You can see that she put so much from her personal experiences into this role. She knew the story, she knew the meaning, she became her character as soon as the cameras were rolling, and it shows. I cannot see a more perfect person cast for the role of Ally. I just forgot it was Gaga, someone that has the power to make you forget that are someone other than the character they are playing has a talent that deserves to be talked about. As well as that, her voice is unbelievable, anyone that denies that is lying - whether you are a fan or not, you can’t deny that talent. Even down to her writing for the film, just an absolutely beautiful, perfect performance.

Both performances from Cooper and Gaga were genuine, and my god were they memorable.

So, the score... I have heard it in my head since the second I left the screening. It was so powerful, it complimented the script and the whole story so well. The whole score was so pure, and different and just helped to tell the story better than I could have expected. The story of these two characters wouldn’t have evolved so well without such powerful writing, and flawless musical performances.

Visually, I think it was great. They were lucky really that they were in pretty places. You can’t say a sunny landscape on a motorbike is unattractive, that Gaga and Cooper kissing is unattractive, that a drag bar is boring, that a montage of different stages, and set ups are boring, it was great to look at.

I know i’m not the person anyone should trust when it comes to films - I mean my film of the year for 2017 was The Disaster Artist... my opinion is just one, but this film is my film of the year. It’s only September as i’m writing this but A Star is Born is it for me. 



This is a must-see film, if you disagree with this that is okay... but for me, this film is spectacular. It is fuelled by excellent chemistry, and is a moving and exhilarating story

I’m sure there are flaws, but when you find a film with an average story that is made into something incredibly above average, it it flawless. I haven’t had this feeling about a film for a while, and i’m so happy this film was the one to bring it back for me.

What we thinking, I’ll watch this 5 times on the big screen and wait a week to pre-order this??

Congrats Bradley Cooper, it was the success you’d hoped.


8.5/10

CINEMATES - S






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Father Figures (2018)

Kyle (Owen Wilson) and Peter Reynolds (Ed Helms) attend their Mother’s wedding to find out that after years of thinking their father had died due to illness, their Mother had lied and their real father may still be out there. they both set off on a trip to try and find him, they get to spend some time together, and they meet some interesting characters along the way.

First of all, I wanted to see this because the trailer looked like this would be okay. The reviews, however… THE REVIEWS!!! People can be so mean, but it worked, it roped me in further and I decided I had to see it.

So, this story isn’t an original idea, siblings set off to find their parents, they get into a pickle more than once, there’s a twist, and at the end everyone is happy and after years of bickering – the siblings get on great. But it was fine, I don’t want to use the word light-hearted, (because what is light-hearted about absent parents?) but I will, because it is an easy comedy. It doesn’t intend to offend anyone.

The most redeeming thing about this film was the cast.

                                 

I’ve seen so much controversy around the cast, and didn’t realise before how much of a ‘marmite’ actor Owen Wilson is for some people. I think he’s a gem, he’s like Hugh Grant; he basically always plays the same character, but it works, and rarely flops. I thought he was good in Father Figures, but I am a Wilson fan. This is the same with Ed Helms, I am a fan, so I thought he was good. The chemistry between the two though, is what I’ve seen to internet kicking off about. Was it really that bad? I mean, I had to remind myself that they were brothers sometimes, but it wasn’t completely awkward throughout. The cast did an alright job, I guess?

I have to say though, I believe a chunk of the responsibility for the bad parts of this film have to go to the script. The writing for this was poor, it could have been rounded up in a much neater way. There were times when this film went off on a tangent, and other times it just dragged. You were given glimpses of what the characters are actually like, and it started to get good, and sometimes even funny… and then we lost this. The pacing was just so off, it was almost like the editors were like ‘ehhh, that’ll do, I’ll just put whatever in, it’s nearly home time’.

Saying that, though… I don’t think the comedy was a massive flop, that kept the film light, and actually watchable, however – if you don’t like dad jokes, dick jokes, or dirty jokes about mums even slightly amusing, just don’t bother. I’m sure this film could offend some people, but really, it was pretty harmless. It’s no comedic masterpiece, but there were some bits of dialogue that absolutely tickled me, and I ended up doing a massive belly laugh.

One problem I did have, was the score. I was SO aware of this throughout the film, because we get a nice landscape of one of the random places in America they arrived in and playing on top of this was Grouplove’s Ways to Go. I don’t remember hearing more than 1 chorus of a song. Was there a soundtrack? Was there any other sound? Did they forget to put that in?

This film wasn’t bad in any sense. Well, not as bad as the internet claims it is anyway… It just wasn’t really very good.

Average comedy, average performances. Bad pacing, bad writing. Though, despite all that – somehow it was watchable.

5/10

CINEMATES - S

Coco (2018)

Miguel’s family have a very different view on a career as a musician compared to him. He dreams of becoming a star, and perusing his dream to be a musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. He disobeys his family, and enters a talent competition. Miguel end up finding himself in the Land of the Dead. After meeting Héctor, who agrees to help him do what he needs to, in order to get home. The two of them start their journey, and start to discover the true history of Miguel’s family.

This film is stunning. It is a beautiful new addition to the Disney Pixar universe. The characters are so different to previous Disney films, and it was so refreshing to watch. Of course, there are always going to be some similarities in an animated film, but this one managed to stand out from the crowd.

Visually, this film is beautiful. There is definitely serious attention paid to detail in this film, this was down to the little things like the strings of a guitar, the bridge of marigolds, the intricate details like the bones of a skeleton, to the widepan views of the land of the dead, or the village that Miguel lived in. They got the visuals spot on, and even if you thought the story was crap (which would be difficult), you’d be hooked because of the fact that it is so visually appealing.

Another thing about Coco that got me, was that it was even more appealing because Disney really embraced the darker side of the world. They tackled the topic of death, but still kept it light, and enjoyable – because after all this is a kids film. This film manages to pack in an interesting, and tense adventure, yet manages to keep the moving story with such an important message in it.

The characters were what got me the most. It was paced well enough that the audience is given a chance to connect with more characters that just the main characters. We had moments of being able to empathise with characters, who were all in different situations.

                                         

The original score for this film was of course, going to be great, its Disney, of course the score would be great. Don’t get me wrong ‘Remember Me’ is no ‘I Just Can’t Wait to be King’, but it’s catchy, and I imagine kids all over the world are singing together.

It feels like there isn’t enough to say about this film, considering how good it was, but it is definitely worth the watch.

Stunning, fun, film. It’s funny without being bad, it’s happy, and emotional but without making you cringe, or roll your eyes. It will probably make you cry, but I’m not sure if it’s a sad cry, or a happy cry.

7/10

CINEMATES - S

Darkest Hour (2018)

Great Britain are losing faith in their current leader, Neville Chamberlain. The Nazis are becoming unstoppable and something needs to change, Britain needs a new leader who is willing to stand up and fight, and protect. Some of the cabinet members are reluctant to take on this role, so it looks like Winston Churchill is the man for the job. Darkest Hours tells the story of Churchill’s early days in parliament, and gives the viewer a slight glimpse into the struggles and triumphs Churchill faced as the Prime Minister of Great Britain during World War 2.

Okay, first things first. I wasn’t there, I don’t know what happened, nor was Joe Wright. But this is the case for all productions based on true events, right? I didn’t know Winston Churchill, and embarrassingly, for a British Citizen, I can’t say I’m full of fun facts about him, I have a basic amount of knowledge, like anyone would when it comes to a leader of their country from decades ago. I’ve barely heard more than a handful of his speeches, and I’ve honestly never considered looking at his policies. So again, what is, or is not true I do not know. From what I do know about Churchill, praise deserved to go to Gary Oldman, as one thing that is widely recorded, are his characteristics. He was a fiery, serious man, but also unusually sarcastic, and had a particularly dry persona. If all of that is true, based on the accounts of those that knew him, then Oldman has smashed it. I mean, for starters we know how he spoke, so we know that Oldman got that right. 

The thing about his performance that deserves the most credit though, is the fact that you could believe, and use your imagination. He was a man struggling for approval. He was scared, but was fantastic at hiding it when he needed to, he was professional, unless he was in a situation in which he could let his guard down. He had strong opinions, and was a bold character, and was willing to do anything he could to find a solution to problems the country faced, but needed to be honest with himself and the nation about the reality of the situation. Oldman managed to take these characteristics and make that performance his own. 

He didn’t present Churchill as a good, or a bad character, but as a human being, and realistically that it what we would have seen if we could have been around at the time. In terms of the cast though, I honestly can’t say that anyone else stole my attention, which is of course credit to Oldman, but possible indicated a bad script in places? A lot of the characters were almost treated as fillers in some scenes, and none were given the opportunity to really shine, but then again, they didn’t need to and this wasn’t a bad thing. This film just wasn’t full of minor show-stopping performances.

I can’t say that this film was particularly stunning, visually or aurally. It was fine, and it suited the story that was being told. The score was what kept the mood for this film, it was tense, and depressing. The lighting complimented this well, and the theme was strong, and didn’t falter throughout. 

The editing, although nothing spectacular, was what really tied up all the loose ends in this film. The beginning and end of the film was captioned, which of course set the scene, and allowed us to jump straight in, and allowed the film to be wrapped up solidly, ensuring nothing was left hanging. The timing of this film was perfect, it was just enough that the viewer’s attention could be regained if they started to drift away. About every other scene, we were given an indication of how much time had passed, and this is something that an historical account needs.

Overall, this wasn’t phenomenal, and sure there are other actors, films, directors etc. that are worthy of an academy award, but I wouldn’t be mad if this won anything. I am aware that it is completely coincidental that Darkest Hour, and Dunkirk run alongside each other, but they work wonderfully together. Watching Dunkirk straight after this boosted my opinion of this film, both of them complement each other nicely, and really tie in nicely together. What a happy accident.

                                   

Better than expected, a nice, inoffensive account of Winston Churchill’s early days as Prime Minister. This film will – because of Gary Oldman, hold your attention. If anything, his performance is really why this film should be watched.

6/10

CINEMATES - S

Brad's Status (2017)

Brad is a 40-something American living a ordinary life with his wife, and son Troy. He has a pretty good job, a pretty good home… a pretty good life. He goes on a trip with his son to look at his possible future colleges, and because of certain circumstances along the way, he ends up getting back in touch with some old, arguably - more successful friends, and then starts to doubt himself and his life choices.

What a good plot for an easy watching comedy, with Ben Stiller in, right?

Wrong.

I mean, the story was fine, and this was played out well. It had a message behind it, which you understand throughout, you are experiencing everything with Brad, as we get a glimpse inside his mind. We get a visual representation of his thoughts, and sometimes this is where the humour is. Thinking about it though, I genuinely didn’t find this that funny. I think I belly laughed once, and after that I didn’t even let out an amused ‘snort’. To be honest, Brad annoyed me. He was being a massive whiney bastard. He kept talking about how great he had it, and then kept convincing himself he could be better, but he didn’t try and do anything about this, at any point in his life… B O R I N G.

This film was so SO badly paced. It was getting on for 2 hours long, and my god did it feel like it. I felt like I was in the cinema for a decade. The cast looked so great, and I was sure that this was going to give it a boost, but it didn’t. I mean, of course Ben Stiller was fine – he’s Ben Stiller, he knows his way around a light-hearted comedy. Mike White – WE DIDN’T EVEN HEAR HIM SPEAK. He’s a genius, and he didn’t even write himself into this properly, the one redeeming feature I thought this film was going to have just wasn’t there.

Of course, though we had Martin Sheen (DISH). Again, we just don’t get a lot of him. But we got a decent chunk towards the end of the film, and he did his job. We learn about his character throughout, and hear stories about things he’s said, or done previously, and the kind of person he is, and it’s nice to actually meet this character, and then see that the actor is playing up to what is let be honest, pretty much the job description for this casting, but done well.

I think the biggest thing that kept me going through this was Austin Abrams. His performance wasn’t phenomenal, because there wasn't much space for a stand-out performance... but he played a bored, grumpy, pissed off at my dad for flirting with my friends, 17-year-old well. He was also 100% the funniest, maybe that’s because I understood him, and his character wasn’t overly cringe.

The score in this was annoying, it was like elevator music, but the elevator stops for too long at each floor with the door open, and a cold wind comes in. Irritating.

Sure, it was a pretty film, but nothing was shot exceptionally well.

This film was bad, because I was bored. It’s a comedy, and I was bored. Honestly, this was all down to the fact that it was all over the place. There was no structure, and it really showed. I don’t think I’d never watch this again.

3.5/10

CINEMATES - S 

The Disaster Artist - video review!

THE DISASTER ARTIST

Wonder (2017)

Wonder, is the story of young boy August Pullman, who until fifth grade is home schooled by his mum. He suffers from a genetic disease which causes his facial differences. The story explains the difficulties he faces as a child who isn’t quite ordinary, and the effect this has on his family and others in his life.

The trailer for this film shows you everything already, right? No, it doesn’t. I was definitely happy about this for starters. The way the story is split definitely helps give this story some further depth. So, for example it’s not just a story from the point of view of August. We start of learning about him, then how this affects his sister, Via – here we get to learn more about her experiences past and present. Next we move on to Via’s best friend Miranda. After this we learn about Jack Will, another young boy who is in the same form class as August at school, and so on. There is a nice chunk of character development throughout this film, which means it straight away reduces the risk of the story becoming disjointed.

To be fair, it is well written. It is paced fine, though for a film of this genre – seems to be quite long. I can’t say that this is a bad thing though. I really think this level of development is crucial for it to have any effect on the audience. It is a touching story, and the way it is structure is good.

The cast in this film do deserve serious credit. As well as the team of make-up artists, whose work although not breath-taking, was pretty damn good.

There are numerous moving moments, and if you are even the slightest bit emotional, you will cry at least once. Again, something that shows this film has done it’s job, you leave feeling disappointed that people can actually treat people in a way August is treated. This is because you have truly connected with the characters on screen. The chemistry between Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts was perfect. You could tell that they had a strong bond as parents because of all they had been through with their family and their child. You could see the strains the past, and current events were putting on relationship’s such as Robert’s character, as the mother, and her daughter. As well as this, you could see the August was a young boy who just had difficult things going on – like kids do, and he wanted his dad to help him out of it.

Of course, the way certain characters are portrayed is dramatized, and in some scenes it got too much. For example, the way children were shown as being incredibly mean – yes, I am completely aware things like this do happen in society, but not to the extent that it was emphasised in this film, necessarily. By that – I don’t mean, people just are mean in such a way, I mean it as there are 5 or 6 kinds of people in the world, and events don’t always occur in the way they do in Wonder.

But, whatever, if you want nit-picking, that’s my criticism. It’s a fictional story – admittedly, it claims to be based on a true illness etc. but there are, from what I’m aware, no true events on which this film is based.

I liked this film. I think it is moving, inspiring, and it made me feel all sorts of things. I recommend this film, and I’m sure I’ll be watching this again.

6.5/10

CINEMATES - S

Suburbicon (2017)

I honestly don’t know where this review is going to go, because I am just so confused. You know when you head into a film screening, having read the synopsis beforehand… but come out even more curious and clueless that you were to begin with? Suburbicon is one of those films.

Before going in, I was sure this was a film – BASED ON WHAT THE INTERNET DESCRIPTIONS SAID, about a family who had to deal with a lot, due to difficulties arising in Suburbicon, and Matt Damon played a ‘Liam Neeson in Taken-esque’, super-dad that kicked ass. I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE WRONG.

I honestly can’t say that this was a bad surprise though, because I can’t think of a film that I have experienced, which is anything like this. I’m going to try and keep this review as generic as possible because of the fact that the synopsis seems to do the same (This film can be spoiled in a second, so I am going to attempt to skip detail where I can).

Suburbicon is the story of an all-white American town/community living situation, in which everything is very calm, and running like clockwork. Nothing bad happens in Suburbicon. Everyone lives in perfect little houses, with a white picket fence, a back porch, a decent sized garden - you get the drift. Then suddenly, things begin to go downhill in the town, and the Lodge family are the ones that are suffering because of this.

The thing that I took away from this film was the awfully random, ill-fitting, unexplained part of the story involving a black American family moving into the town. It was a story about a town of racists in parts. I understand that due to the era this film was meant to be set in, and it being an all-white living area, it makes sense that the event of a black family moving in, will cause conflict. Yes, you can assume that the reason the horrific events that occur, supposedly (from the point of view of the citizens) occurs as a direct result of 3 black people suddenly moving in to the area. But this is just such a disjointed part of the plot, and honestly brings nothing to the story whatsoever, and in fact just confused the plot. As well as it confusing the story, it’s just such a bad depiction of such an event. We have tonnes of films incorporated this theme, and doing something creative with it. The creativity that seemed to be attempted was a giant flop.

The story itself, obviously ignoring this part was gripping. I liked the theme that was chosen, I like how dark it was, and I liked the (possibly) unintentional comedy. Matt Damon plays an awkward Psycho, and his performance surprised me, as it was one that I enjoyed. 

The progression of the story was quick, which was both good and bad. It was good, because it meant it was well paced, overall. I didn’t feel like the film was too long, or too short. It certainly lacked detail, but it was still fine to watch. The setting, at the start of the film, reminded me of the beginning of Edward Scissorhands, so at that point made me feel a bit worried, because that setting can be used badly. In this case, I think it was used well, and it complimented the story… Especially as I thought I was going in to see a TOTALLY different film. But it gradually started to impress me.

The greatest fault that this film has, besides the story, is the script. The script in this film was boring. It was not ‘meaty’, for lack of a better word. I would have written this film off had it not been for the cast, who - on the whole, did the job. This was also the case for the score. Although the score is DEFINITELY not noteworthy, there was one, and it worked with what we were seeing on screen.

Suburbicon is a film that starts off incredibly slowly, and then increasingly becomes more tense, more gritty, and more worth the watch.

5.5/10

CINEMATES - S 

The Death of Stalin (2017)

The Death of Stalin is quite simply, a political comedy… if there even is such a thing. The story walks us through Stalin’s last moments alive, and the challenges the rest of his cabinet faced after his death, with a nice dose of comedy.

We caught the Death of Stalin before its release at an Oden Screen Unseen, and it has taken me until now to face writing this review. This isn’t because it was a bad film, it was enjoyable – but it was a bit of something and nothing at the same time. So, I can already tell it’s going to be a short review.

I really think this film will be appealing to certain audiences, while others may find this if not boring, perhaps offensive, but this genuinely depends on your sense of humour. This film takes a serious event, and basically takes the piss out it, which comes with strengths and weaknesses. The film jumps straight in and sets the scene, which is perfect because it’s something people shouldn’t really need much of a back story for. Which is emphasised right at the beginning when we see characters who seem to be incredibly paranoid that they are at risk and are being watched. If you are going into this film blind, not knowing anything about Stalin, you get the idea that there are some bad things going on…

The cast in this film were the redeeming quality. The performance of Steve Buscemi was probably the most noteworthy. This was the only person I distinctly remember being in this film. His character really brought across the fact that while we are dealing with something very dark, there is still room for a little chuckle. 

While I don’t want to comment on the historical accuracy of this film, it is obvious in certain scenes that events are painfully dramatized, and I do remember sighing because I got bored of the cheap satire. The only way I can describe some of the comedy, is by calling it ‘Dad comedy’.

There is nothing unbelievable about the tools used in this film, the lighting in this film was consistently dull, which suited the atmosphere that was being displayed, which was great. The score… I know there was one, but it’s nothing to write home about. Honestly, the production was fairly average.

All I can really say is that this film is entertaining. It is definitely funny, but also serious. It uses classic British comedy to lighten a difficult subject, and that is something I enjoy.

However, I don’t think it’s everyone’s cup of tea, and I doubt I’d ever watch it again.

5.5/10

Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017)

Goodbye Christopher Robin is the story of English writer A.A. Milne and his life post WW1, and how he stumbled upon the idea of his later success which was of course – Winnie the Pooh. There isn’t anything else to this story…

THAT ISN’T A FAULT THOUGH!

The film begins and we jump straight in to Milne’s life right after he comes back from the war and meet his wife, and begin to gain insight into the private life of him and his wife, and how his time away affected them both, and off we go on their journey. They move out of London, as the hustle and bustle is badly affecting Milne mentally, and productively, meaning he is unable to write. His wife falls pregnant and we then meet the inspiration behind his most famous work – their son, Christopher Robin.

The issue I have with films of this nature as always, is how true are some of these events, and how much are they exaggerated for dramatic effect? We won’t know, no one experienced this other than the characters that are being portrayed. So, I suppose the most important thing for this film is, how good were the cast? Could I connect with these characters? OH, GOD YES. 

I cannot fault the cast, I really believed there was a difficult father/son relationship there between Milne and his son, and I really felt for them both in many scenes. I could relate to the idea that a childhood had been stolen, and a Father didn’t understand or appreciate this at the time, and that a child couldn’t explain this when it was happening to them. Domhnall Gleeson was the absolute star of the show, without a doubt. His performance was incredible. I believed his struggle with quite obvious PTSD, I believed he struggled to look after a child, when he was suddenly asked to do this, I believed that the success he had brought him both joy, and sadness. It was a convincing performance and it did the ‘character’ justice, in simple terms. The performance of Margot Robbie in this, though also convincing and enjoyable, somewhat average. 

It was a truly enchanting story, it made me laugh, cry and generally entertained me. It made me realise why I enjoyed Winnie the Pooh so much as a child, yet also made me remember why I didn’t so much as I got older. It was heart-warming, and beautifully made. I just hope that it was somewhat a true representation of these non-fictional characters.

Daphne (Robbie) appeared to be was sickening, she infuriated me, which is good, if that is what you are trying to be, right? But something about it I didn’t enjoy. I feel like the intention was for her to be more powerful and more controlling, and I feel like Olive, Christopher Robin’s Nanny was more powerful. It’s like she was almost there… and then though nah that’ll do I’ll calm down. She was portrayed as a very selfish character, but there was nothing to explain this. Nothing that Milne did seemed to spur these actions on, so in a way it’s like her character should have made much more sense. Now, Will Tilston. Let’s talk about little Will. What a gem, I love it when a child is better at acting than an adult, and all I can really say is not only was he cute as a button, but he made me cry, and this kid is going to go far. There’s not much to say other than he was perfectly casted, I was really impressed by him.

The score in this film was as to be expected, it fitted beautifully, and if memory serves me correctly we obviously had original music made for Winnie the Pooh. The location helped a great deal with making this film look good, but I honestly don’t think that this would have made a difference to the story. I mean it made sense, it was nice to look at but there is nothing much more to say about that.

7/10 

CINEMATES - S 

Flatliners (2017)

Flatliners is the story of 5 medical students, who all take part in an experiment, to find out what happens to us in the afterlife, or if there is even such a thing. To do this, they take it in turns to stop their hearts for long enough to have their own experiences, but come back and tell their stories. However, this isn’t as simple as they might have imagined when their ‘sins’ come back with them and start wreaking havoc in their everyday lives. Resulting in serious complications for some of them. This idea to me was still quite refreshing, and the aspect of supernatural beings and life experiences being brought into this is what really hooked me in, well… and Ellen Page… and the 4% Rotten Tomatoes rating (oh and I love giving remakes a go).

As I mentioned, the cast was mostly what hooked me in with this remake, Ellen Page is a gem, and I was excited to see her in this because she takes on different characters and plays them well. This role for her, was no exception. You did understand the determination possessed by Page’s character from the beginning, and by the end you genuinely did fear for her, and in some parts empathise with what she was having to deal with as a consequence of her experiment. This hooked me when the film began. This part of the story was complimented wonderfully by Diego Luna’s character, who was concerned about what was going on because it was such a stupid thing to do, and frequently raised the incredibly real point that getting into a good medical school, and training to be a doctor is hard, don’t ruin all your hard work. Oh and, living is great, why are you all essentially committing suicide?

I don’t want to focus on the fact that this is a remake too much, so I don’t want to say the reason this film got bad is due to the choice of cast, the cast weren’t bad, it’s just the performances aren’t exactly memorable, but I guess this is possibly due to the writing. This was extremely poor in some areas, and I got a few eye-rolls in. The story was reasonably strong up until the point of shoving 2 new romances into an already busy film, it wasn’t needed, and took away some of the potential for originality. Similarly, the end is basically given away at the start. You are made aware of what is going to haunt Ellen Page’s character within the first 3 minutes, which again got a massive eye-roll.

There is really nothing much to say about it, and this seems to be the general consensus from those that have seen it. It was fine, it was well made from the point of view that it encorporated some comedy, some drama, it was a thriller, and possibly could be at a huge push a horror, and I would recommend that it is something you watch if you have either seen the original, and want to laugh at the attempt to make another average film from an already reasonably average film, or if you just want to see it, because it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t great. I mean, I would watch it again, just maybe don’t get too excited about it.

5.5/10

The Dark Tower (2017)

I just don’t know where to begin…

The Dark Tower is a story about young boy Jake Chambers who realises he is different from others in his life, whilst battling constantly being told he’s crazy, whilst trying to battle the mystery of his abilities and ‘shine’. He finally encounters the Gunslinger, and the villain of this series – Walter. Jake ends up being stuck in the middle of their battle and all are trying to keep the universe stable by protecting the Dark Tower that stands in the middle of our universe(s).

This sounds like a simple film with a straight forward story, right? It’s not, and this wasn’t what is portrayed in this film. My main struggle here is to not write a book review, or explain how much I adore the mind of Stephen King, because this should be emphasised as not something that represents King’s body of work, and should be viewed as something independent.

The film starts, and we’re straight in which as all film viewers know, comes with both successes and failures. We quickly come to understand the struggles Jake is going through, and are given the chance early on to empathise with him, and his mother. However, due to the length of the film, the only character development we are allowed is his – surprising as there are two main characters we honestly don’t know much about.  

The way the story is presented to us isn’t the only problem this film has. Firstly, the cinematography is consistently poor in this production. I mean, take into consideration the fact that not only are we shown that a lot is happening in a whole different part of the universe, we are also filming in New York. It felt like we were on the same part of planet when flicking between these two worlds, this really took away from the main points in the plot. This could have such a greater impact if even the small things such as the lighting were altered. I understand where the creators were trying to go with this, to emphasise the dark, but come on… no lighting at all? REALLY!? EVEN IN NEW YORK?!

As well as this, the score… it was in no way memorable, this could have helped create an impact by being used as a transition from actions of one character to the next, it’s surprising how noticeable it is that the sound in a film is important when there is almost none.

This film did lack. It wasn’t all bad, it would be unfair to claim that it was terrible, because it wasn’t. The cast was chosen well, they did the job, and Idris Elba was well suited for his role as the Gunslinger, but I don’t know that I can say that is a solid across the entire cast. When we are introduced to the Gunslinger and Jake working together you do understand that there is a connection, but you are left wanting more from them. Matthew McConaughey as Walter… I’m not so sure. As I said, he did the job, of course, and it was fine, but he wasn’t convincing it was an average representation of a character that I remember expecting more from prior to the release of the film.

The only area this film didn’t lack – which I expected, was some okay action. But again, we just needed more! As it began to get good, and we began to see something happen the film switched to a new event because it was just too short for what it tried to do.

Honestly, I just don’t know how I feel about this as a film, let alone something that is part of a serious cult following. Don’t get me wrong, it was entertaining, but there is nothing about it that stands out very well. In comparison to the trailer, I feel disappointed because it set us up for a chunk of Stephen King’s universe. There were some very subtle references to other key parts of his universe in this film, and they just weren’t explained at all. But again, am I making a bigger deal about this because I know about the universe we’re in?
If you are a fan of King’s writing, and are ready to watch this expecting some juicy King greatness, you aren’t going to get it. You will leave wanting more.

I await the next addition to the world of Stephen King, with the upcoming re-release of It, with seriously baited breath. I hope significant attention has been paid to the details in comparison to this production.

It was average, and definitely not for the King super-fan likely to get irritated by missed details.

4.5/10

CINEMATES - S 

My Life as a Courgette (2016)

Young Icare – or Courgette, as his mother called him has a troubling childhood and ends up in a children’s home. With the help of a police officer, and the few friends he makes whilst after his arrival, his life ends up being better than he could have imagined. 

My Life as a Courgette is a French animation film. Even though it is only just over an hour long, and it is jam packed with so many different amazing things. 

The story, although quite simple, is powerful, and beautifully portrayed by these animated characters. You learn about learn each of them, and warm to them throughout the film. We get to know a little bit about the history of each character, but not too much that it takes away from the main point of the film. You can connect with, and a feel for each different character as their different personalities are presented through the everyday activities they are part of, or the smaller scale conflicts.

I came out of this showing truly touched by what I had seen, and the story that had been created. I appreciated everything about it. The music in this film, was once again, a simple touch, but it was something that fitted so well. The screenplay was filled with scenes that demonstrated the different simple emotions we all experience in everyday circumstances, and it was so heart-warming to see that it was from the point of view, and experiences of young children.

The main thing I took away from this was what seemed to be the variety of hidden messages within the script. We followed Courgette as he began to experience new things, new challenges, and new feelings. It was emphasised throughout that looks are not the only thing to make a person beautiful, and this was cleverly shown by the animation. Which is something to look out for if you see this film. 

It’s hard to explain this film without giving too much away, and like I explained, all the important qualities to this film are simple, but that it was makes them great. This is a film that must be seen and not just read about. This animation seems to be so natural that it is almost impossible for it not to tug on the heartstrings of anyone who watches it.

I highly recommend giving this a watch, whether you are an adult or a child. It is refreshing, funny, sad, and just so adorable.

7/10. 

CINEMATES - S 

My Cousin Rachel (2017)

I am usually a fan of romantic dramas set around the 1950’s (assumption, because that was when the book was released). So as soon as I saw the, admittedly confusing trailer, I was game.

My Cousin Rachel is a story about a young lad named Phillip who was adopted, and brought up by his cousin Ambrose. Ambrose falls is and is sent to Florence to try and recover, here he meets the first woman to ever catch his eye, Rachel. He marries her and following this he passes away. Phillip is horrified and sets out to discover who this woman is, and why nothing has been left in her name by his cousin Ambrose. Upon meeting her he is instantly swoon, and she captures him with her beauty and charm. He then becomes obsessed with making sure she is comfortable and well off, so much so that he will ultimately be left with nothing. Once she realises this Rachel attempts to do what is needed to ensure she will not lose her late husband’s estate. 

It seemed that director Roger Michell, having directed classics such as Notting Hill (1999), and Persuasion (1995), was in his comfort zone/area of expertise when it came to My Cousin Rachel. The screenplay although simple, did suit this type of film. He did justice to the fact that not much other than the acting and the few locations we had were enough. 

I am not sure what role he played in helping select the cast, but although it was clear that there was a much-needed connection between characters Phillip (Sam Claflin), and Rachel (Rachel Weisz), in some parts it seemed that it almost began to fade, and they were just acting together, and the amount that I believed the true connection between these two characters decreased.

When casting, I think they selected Weisz well. From the position of a viewer, I wasn’t understanding the charm and beauty that Rachel held when played by Weisz. That is not me being horrible, I liked that. I like that she wasn’t stupidly stunning (not saying that she isn’t), or made to look so, and wasn’t awfully bubbly and outgoing. You got the idea that he loved her for his own reasons, that we probably weren’t going to see. This emphasised the fact that Rachel was their ‘torment’. The other members of the case complimented the story and the other actors well, as this was noticed by other characters almost the same as it was by me. I could see this in the reactions of the characters played by those such as Holliday Grainger and Iain Glen. Who gave a variety to the characters we had on screen, and suited their parts well.

The feeling that given off by this feel was largely set up by the filming locations and minimal sets that were selected – as mentioned above. But this meant that we got some beautiful shots of the places that were supposedly important to the few main characters in this film, and did set a tone for the film. Alongside the costumes, the makeup, the jewellery worn by the characters, even the footwear, and in some cases the way actors held themselves, they were had this period drama sorted!

However, the story although it looks like a juicy one, didn’t do much. I was excited at the beginning as things were set out for us, very well, as we started by hearing a chunk about Phillip and Ambrose and then that kind of just faded away into nothingness, and ended with a few things not being tied up, and finally finishing up similarly to how it all began. There were parts when I believe it was going get dramatic, and we were finally getting to the good bit, but in this area, My Cousin Rachel did lack.

Even though the story did lack in places it was okay, and it wasn’t too badly paced, I didn’t feel too long, and it was a pleasant film to watch. I don’t think it’s a film for someone who has never seen a period drama, or dislikes them, as typically then can be quite straightforward films especially one with a story like this – however, this is not a bad thing.

This wasn’t a bad film, but it also wasn’t a good one. It was fine, but I may even consider buying it one day, though I can’t say I’m desperate to see it again.

5.5/10.

CINEMATES - S