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

The Disaster Artist - video review!

THE DISASTER ARTIST

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

From the first time I saw this trailer, I was genuinely excited about this release. I feel there hasn’t been a decent looking feel good film for a while, and Call Me by Your Name seemed to be one with a refreshing story to get me even more excited.

Call Me by Your Name is a film set in 1983 about the Perlman family, who every year have doctoral student stay with them every year. This year, Oliver comes to stay with them and work with the Father of our main character, Elio – a seventeen-year-old boy. Over the time they spend together all summer, they discover a mutual passion which is seemingly something new for Elio.

First things first, this film is beautiful. It’s such a great film to look at, Guadagnino has certainly realised the ticket to this film’s success and taken full advantage of it. There is so much focus on the beauty of the Italian buildings, the relaxing family breakfasts, the views out in the countryside when Elio and Oliver are out on a bike ride, the lunchtime banquets in the garden, the massive group games of volleyball – you get the picture, it was summer, and it is what makes this a feel good film. There’s something about seeing these kinds of scenes on the big screen that taps into so many different emotions for me.

The score was beautiful, it was probably one of my favourite aspects because it tied in so perfectly with the different things the characters were going through, and the events that you were watching. It really connected all the events on screen together. The only way I can describe this feeling, is by saying that it felt like I was part of the experience with Elio. It perfectly helped the transition between scenes, and I do not think this is a feature that was overused.

There really was attention to detail in this film, and the script in part was surprising. It was filled with comedy, sadness and drama. Conversely, there are a great deal of silences – some of these filled with the great pieces of music, but some that are just truly chilling. For this to work an excellent cast is needed, and that is definitely what this film has. Excluding Hammer, I was clueless about the rest of the cast, but went home desperate to find out what else I might see Chamalet in.

This is definitely a must see film. Not in the sense of – ‘I couldn’t keep my eyes off the screen, so much is happening’, but the opposite. It’s easy, it’s pleasant, it’s an extremely emotional story that will make you feel all kinds of things. I will be seeing this again, and encourage others to do so too.

7/10.

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

The Mountain Between Us (2017)

This film sounds more dramatic than it is overall, but the story captures you regardless.

Alex and Ben (Winslet and Elba), are complete strangers who meet because they have share the need to get to the same place, but a storm is going to prevent them from doing this. Alex then comes up with the idea that they can hire a tiny plane and someone to drive it. Unfortunate events result in them crashing and only having their dead pilot’s dog for company. They need to figure out how to survive on a completely snow-covered mountain, whilst debating whether to leave to attempt to find help, risking Alex’s health – as she injured her leg in the crash or battle it out, and risk their lives by staying there.

OOOOOH DRAMA.

 

I feel like in recent years we’ve had a few films like this with the undertones of survival in them, and I’m not mad about it. They aren’t getting repetitive, because although there are going to be obvious similarities, the cast, and intricacies of the story vary. This film was no different. This is what initially intrigued me with this – the cast. Both fantastic actors, both with some big titles under their belts, and both bloody British (yaaaaaaaas!), but was there going to be chemistry? They were really, the only two actors we saw throughout this whole film, so they HAD to be good together for this film to be even slightly successful.

My god, there was chemistry – they both worked wonderfully together, and I must say Kate Winslet – your American accent isn’t infuriating. As soon as the film starts we are left with just the two of them, and very, very early on in the film the plane crash happens. At this point I really thought, there is no way this is going to be good. There is no way they can be amusing for nearly 2 hours. I was so wrong. We really got to understand the characters, and over those few weeks they were together we got to learn about them, and share a journey with them – the experience really was as corny, yet thrilling as I’m making it sound.

There were some thrilling moments, like the very real (for them, anyway) danger of going for a walk right at the top of a mountain, slipping, and almost falling off the edge of a mountain. The struggle of being stuck with either just yourself, or someone you barely know and might not like. The fear that you could get attacked by a Cougar. It was all captured well, of course dramatized, but not to the point of it being uncomfortable to watch.

The story was well paced, and set in a beautiful location – it’s hard to believe tonnes of effort was needed for this to be shot well – but then again, what do I know about shooting a film at all, let alone in the snow? The film only had one slight downfall for me. This was the fact that a love story was introduced. I cannot say it wasn’t powerful, because of the connection that Elba and Winslet had, but it at the end of the film because kind of cringe because of the conclusion to the story. I will not deny that the situation they were in couldn’t happen in real life, it was just a perfect example of oh, for god sake does everyone HAVE to fall in love and live happily ever after? Couldn’t one get killed by a bear and the other tell their story?

It was heart-warming, heart breaking, shocking, and pleasant all at once. It was everything I wanted from it, and I would recommend it – and say it’s worth more than some of the ratings I have seen so far.

7.5/10 

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 

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 

CINEMATES - Ghost in the Shell (2017) First Reactions!

Get Out (2017)

So. Get Out. I will say now, without a doubt, it this film will be different depending on who's watching it. Yes, there are clear messages but there is a line open for interpretation to the individual watching. But we'll get to that.

So the story, black boyfriend anxiously meeting white girlfriend's parents for the first time. Or shall I say, African American boyfriend. Because there's a difference as Samuel L Jackson has recently pointed out. That's it, it a simple set up with some mystery involved. Now I watched the trailer for this a good while ago and I couldn't tell how satire it was meant to be, how much of a horror it was meant to be. But I'll be honest, I didn't think it looked great, I knew I was gonna watch it but I didn't have any expectations. Then the reviews started coming in, steam rolling in and I thought, what is this film, what has happened, I need to see this as soon as I can. Now I've seen it it's what I expected and more.

Now we've got Daniel Kaluuya, playing protagonist Chris, who is captivating. I feel like I'm watching a friend, I believe him and I want what's best for him. Granted I might be a little bias, as I am with most British actors (you did it mate!) but I was thinking about it, is it because he's closest person to me for relate to? Race is of course a huge deal in America, now more than the past few years, and people are aware of it. People that don't experience it personally are still aware of it, even if not the bigger picture. Kaluuya brings to life the dulled frustrations of the day to day prejudice Chris has to deal with, with a sad respect. He jumps through the social hoops that he's given because it's easier than not, he almost doesn't register the offence personally now. The character was a great mix of highly controlled yet in some scenes so raw. He's the audience's eye, not just because he's a photographer but because, bar his comedy relief friend, he's the only person we see and trust. I think this builds understanding with the stereotypes as well as his reaction to them. You get why he's tired, you get why he's cautious, yes he's dealt with it before but what if he hasn't and what if the unknown is worse? Well it is.

Among the parents manor we meet a total of 3 black characters, all stemming so far from the stereotypes they've been pigeon holed to, that Chris finds it uneasy. There's the absence of them, not just of any remnant of culture but of a person being present at all. Now Chris doesn't actively seek out answers to this, why you ask? Partly because it's a horror and he's a black man, he's not gonna search out the danger, don't you know how films tend to go? But on a more real note, why search for what's likely to be conflict, he just wanted to escape it. Because it can't help but find him. He's frequently reminded of his background and a range of attitudes towards it. Now there aren't too many overtly racist things, just the ignorant ones. Now these add up, don't let that slip, but they're all calculated. No word is an accident with those comments. Reading into the film a bit more, a lot of the scenes had the opportunity for the actors to improvise. But some had lines of clear purpose.

The cast was great, Allison Williams, who played the girlfriend, Rose, has some humour. If you've ever seen Girls, then you'll probably go into this not liking her due to only knowing her in that. But she has won Chris over so we're inclined to do the same. The parents, do well in playing exactly that, oddly caring mother and poor joke telling father. Rose's brother, a little more on the nose with his classic race statements, is more uneasy to watch, and that doesn't let up. Chris' friend Rod, who acts as the spectator for the most part, has some great scenes. Most of the actual jokes come from him, theres the odd few from Rose, in the form of teasing girlfriend, but any other laughter is nervous. The collection of white family members and friends that visit for the weekend event all have the same singularity. They're faceless and their comments about race and Chris all line up to make them a single entity. The unity of this group of characters emphasises the Us vs We mentality held by many that have issues with race.

Visually the film was crisp and clean. Had a great use of colour as well as the lack there of. One of my favourite shots was Chris sneaking out of the house to smoke standing in the garden in moonlight. Kaluuya unsaturated against the white building comes very close to being entirely black and white, a subtle image within the film. Peele chose a very artistic way to portray Chris' interaction with his mother-in-law. She hypnotises him and he wakes up the next day with a foggy understanding on the night before. Great cinematography in these scenes, a really interesting perception of how the character feels.

The sound was great, opening song from Childish Gambino, 'Redbone', is perfectly fitting, singing the words, 'stay woke'. The score was highly strung as expected from a thriller/horror, there was a particularly jolting moment which relied more on sound than visuals. And it worked wonderfully.

Now I want this to keep this spoiler free. It's a great film and it unravels naturally. You put things together yourself, even encouraged to so by some characters as well. After getting to climax of the narrative you're able to think back and put together many things. All of which I wish for you to learn yourself. Parts regarding Chris' past, as well as Rose and her family's. Hints towards divulging the real intentions of the family become clear and fitting. As I said before, there's no accident. This film has such purpose and it does everything on purpose.

8/10 Solid social commentary, incredibly well put together, wonderfully paced and 100% needs another viewing. Must watch.

CINEMATES - A

Logan (2017)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zggJx7TB1cc&t=211s

A Cure for Wellness (2017)

I remember watching the trailer for this film when it first came out and decided not to read or watch anything to do with it until I actually go and see. And thankfully I pretty much went in blind bar the synopsis and had no spoilers. A Cure for Wellness is based around Dane DeHaan’s character travelling to Switzerland to retrieve a follow wall street business man from a spa retreat. Unfortunate circumstances mean he’s struck not just trying to figure out how to find his colleague, but how to escape from the spa himself.

Now I like Dane DeHaan, I think he’s got an interesting face and a good career ahead of him. I liked him a lot in Chronicle (2012) and he’s done well since. He’s quite a serious chap isn’t he? Very intense little man. His characters always have a severity to them. In this he begins unlikable, though handles the weight of the cliched rude yet successful business man suited to older men well. His character Mr Lockhart doesn’t really have a great development or progression, he doesn’t really become a different person until pretty much the last 30 seconds of the film. Not due to DeHaan, who is very believable in his struggles and frustrations, and his eagerness to understand seems genuine. But more due to the amount of story. So we’ve got a few different subplots all weaving together. So on our way to try and retrieve his colleague, Pembrooke, our first subplot, we’re told a little about the history of the retreat and it’s relationship with the village. On this journey we also touch on Lockhart’s father, who we come back to further on in the movie. Then once there we meet a young woman named Hannah who is a special patient in this ‘Wellness Centre’. As the film goes on water is a big theme too, don’t make my mistake and watch the movie thirsty, damn. So we’ve got Pembrooke, history, daddy Lockhart, Hannah and water. Now it’s not that it’s overpowering but it’s that it’s kind of underpowering. We gather that they’re gonna be related but often they get treated as individual narratives. I get it, you don’t want to tell us the ending you want us to try and guess and be surprised. That’s all well and good but on occasion you kinda forget about the others, then when they come back up, you’re like, oh, oh yeah are we still meant to care about that? Oh Lockhart cares still so yeah I guess we should. The rest of the cast is good, well suited, Mia Goth playing Hannah was great, she’s got a list, albeit short, but a good list of interesting roles. Jason Isaacs was great, creepy and powerful, if you’re wondering why you recognise his sparkly blues it’s because he played Lucius Malfoy.

Let’s talk about the pretty pictures. So the cinematographer for this is Bojan Bazelli, now I wouldn’t personally say that he’s got a particular style of his own, he adapts to whats needed for the picture. Examples of his work go from The Ring (2002) to Hairspray (2007) so I was open minded on what was matching the director Gore Verbinksi, who also directed The Ring. The brief showing of the office world is as expected with dull muted colours, but once with get to the Swiss Alps and the wellness centre some colours get sparingly included. It’s a gorgeous place to shot and the old architecture is beautiful, it finds its way onto the screen as would a Grimm’s fairy tale. With the aforementioned theme of water we get a lot of blues and greys along with the medical whites. The opening monologue to the film discusses how humans are the only creatures capable of self reflection so that does become a motif, in water, glass and of course mirrors. Another frequent visual is explicit framing, doors, windows archways, you name it and DeHaan stood in the middle of it. I also really enjoyed the sound, Benjamin Wallfisch has a wide selection of films under his belt, many of which have emotive sound and music. Having Lockhart use a crutch for a majority of the film is almost reminiscent to Rear Window in having the protagonist be physically bound by something, it adds danger. And to be perfectly honest with out that I doubt the film would have the same sense of suspense.

One thing I really want to discuss is the certificate of the film. Before literally being at the counter buying the tickets I did not know this was going to be an 18, but it was. Why? I don’t know. Maybe I’m a harden adult and didn’t think there was much that counts as higher than a 15. Granted it’s probably the collection of things. I won’t reveal anything that is countered to the plot but there is a rather adult scene, which though uncomfortable, isn't explicit. There is nudity, but it’s a spa, so yeah there’s some naked people trotting around. Language, yes but not enough to notice. Violence, yes, though not a great deal. If you don’t like the dentist, you won’t like a scene in the film. If you are scared of water you’re gonna feel a bit claustrophobic in parts. If you aren’t a fan of eels or leeches, this film isn’t going to convince you otherwise. The small parts of which where special effects were used they were fantastic.

Overall a somewhat engaging film though slow pacing, if you’ve got 2 hours and are curious, go right ahead. 6/10. Didn’t have the confidence to be completely experimental but had interesting elements.    

Hidden Figures (2017)

So we've recently signed up to be a part of Show Film First, a website which offers free cinema tickets to previews of upcoming shows. We're often going to midnight releases so we thought why not get some previews in before those too. As luck had it one of the first opportunities we had was to see one of the nine Best Picture nominations Hidden Figures.

The story of three African American women facing diversity as mathematicians in the early years of NASA. It sounds like something that's meant to be a film doesn't it? Like many I wonder why I hadn't heard of these women and their story before. I remember once reading online that there was a woman that worked at NASA that was so smart that when they first started using computers they had her double check the calculations. As one the the astronauts in the film says, 'it's hard to trust the workings of something you can't look in the eye.' Yet after hearing of this potentially fictional woman I was never told that she was African American. Being black in America is a tiring as it is, let alone in the 60's. Then on top of that, being a woman in a male dominated environment? Frankly it sounds exhausting. The film accents prejudice with a somewhat calculated restraint. Everyone watching the film is aware of the history, we're all aware of stereotypes and assumptions of the time. The audience is smart enough to know that it doesn't need to show brutal or explicit offence to get the message across that racism is bad. Yes racism is bad, but worse, racism at the time was the norm. The repeated incidents of disrespect and subtle degradation become standard. I found this a great way to wear the audience down. As when the straw finally broke the camel's back you got it. The emotionally charged scenes and outbursts felt justified. It felt like we all got there together. You understood and agreed with all three women. The racial tension is a strong backbone for the film and is not missed but it is not the whole story. The story is about the women.

My favourite character, and I find it odd saying character when it's a real life woman, but my favourite character is played by Taraji P Henson. Katherine G. Johnson is the woman in question that was the 'computer', an intelligent mathematician that joins the team responsible for America's first manned space flight Project Mercury. It is debatable that she has the most development over the course of the film, across all bets. Her career, her family life and her self confidence all improve. Granted at times it felt her love life appeared to advance a little quick and easy. But hey, the real Mr and Mrs Johnson have been married over 50 years so what do I know. With three powerful ladies it's hard to give all three equal character backstories. Which is why I couldn't tell you much about Octavia Spencer's character outside of work. Though Spencer's portrayal of Dorothy Vaughan earned her a best supporting actress Oscar nomination, because of course it did. To be honest there's not much to say about Spencer, if you've seen her in anything then you know what she's like. Her gives characters natural nuances that make you believe they existed before we meet them. Her performance in The Help (2011) was the same. Also she was arguably just as great in a few episodes of Ugly Betty if any of you remember that. She gives Mrs Vaughan a believably permanence. The film would not have the right weight without her.

The whole cast is stellar, it's been nominated for Best Film for a reason. Janelle Monae has done well starring in this as well as another Best Picture contender, Moonlight.  Her character in Hidden Figures, Mary Jackson, embodies progress. She became NASA's first black female engineer. Can you imagine having something you've done be recorded as the first time it's ever happened. Being the first. That's the message she gives, and it resonates. We also get a glimpse into family life with her husband and children, though briefly and granted somewhat unnecessary to the narrative, it does round out how the world is at the time outside of NASA. Now, Monae is a pleasure to watch (partly because of her crazy good skin, what is her regime!?) but because she'd proved that on top of to her own music career and record label she can act (in addition to performing on the soundtrack).

The soundtrack as you might have assumed is great, everything Pharrell Williams touches kinda turns to gold. Yes, some of his songs are overplayed, but that's partly due to their popularity, and you can't always argue with that. The man knows what he's doing, he produced the film, the soundtrack, and was involved with the score... And performed as well... And slayed.

All aspects of sound were made for this film. Really made for it. It all comes together completely as an equal part, everything fits. The music even goes with the cinematography, which was good though I think benefited from the period that it's in. The whole 60's look, the hair, the make up, the home, they all have this warmth to them that contrast the cold greys and blues of the NASA buildings. Clearly no mistake, but that definitely gave Mandy Walker, the director of photography, a lot to work with, and she did well. It definitely did not feel like a film that was over two hours, it handled itself well, and the pacing of the film is great, even though it began to slow towards the final scenes. However, this partly is due to there being no real climax to the film, just some good resolutions. It's a satisfying ending and gives some information and insight to the lives of the women after the story of the film. And I am a sucker for a freeze frame and 'this is where they are now'. So that was an extra point for me.

A happy 7/10. Great cast great story, and space is cool. Would not buy it on Blu ray but would recommend the soundtrack.

CINEMATES - A