Change Your Image
christopherbradbury
Reviews
Await Further Instructions (2018)
A Reflection of Us
This is an underated and clever little film. Intentionally or not, it is a great reflection of modern society and how media led we all are. David Bradley, as ever, is spot on and the rest of the cast lenf weight. It's a film that makes you think. I like that.
Crawl (2019)
Winds of Change
To take a single concept on what is essentially a single set and to keep the suspense up so consistently for so long, really is an achievement. The closest comparison I have is the Shallows, but that is probably unfair to both films as they each have their own identity. It is not Jaws, there is little of the depth of character of that film, but it is relentless, with A1 special effects, great direction and editing. We'll worth an hour and a half of your time.
Joker (2019)
This is not a joke!
Just a quick reaction review. This is one of the bravest and most remarkable comic book adaptations I have seen. It is a study of psychological descent. Myth into further myth. It is a landmark in comic book adaptations. One Oscar to Phoenix.
The King (2019)
Henry the Fifth - The Myth.
Wow! This is a brave and controversial movie. It takes Shakespeare's Henry IV (in part), Henry V (in part), a pinch (a really tiny pinch) of history and throws it all into a pot. The pot is shaken vigourously and out comes Henry V: The Myth. The timeline is messier than Bohemian Rhapsody - and that was a mess - and the screenplay plays hard and loose with the truth, but the end result is so captivating and so utterly entertaining that I could not help but love it - once I had realised that it had no basis in fact but for a couple of names.
Written by Joel Edgerton and David Michôd, the director, they throw history and the truth out of the window and just go for pure, sincere entertainment. Edgerton, bravely or foolishly, even takes on the icon that is Sir John Falstaff and is triumphant, giving Falstaff the role of glue between king and commoners. His accent wanders and is not historically accurate, but I really didn't care - this was no Russel Crowe as Robin Hood via the Beatles, George Best and Jim Bowen. The performances are, without exception, spot on, but credit goes to Sean Harris as William, Chief Justice (a role inflated greatly from the original) who plays the role with powerful understatement and innate menace, much in the mode of Mark Rylance as Cromwell in Wolfe Hall. It is, dare I say it, almost Oscar-worthy. Also worth noting is Robert Pattinson in his scene-stealing cameo as the Dauphin. He is perfectly accented and suitably cyclothymic in the role and adds a tremendous amount to what could have been a throwaway role. The screenplay did, of course, allow for this, but he really takes it to another level.
I think this is the important lesson to be taken from the film. It is very much a team effort. Nobody hogs the limelight, nobody's ego is on show. The director has presented an ensemble piece that is both intimate and epic. The music provides a sturdy emotional core. The camerawork is as good as it gets. The costumes and production values are given full reign.
I don't like to give films a high score generally because it raises expectations and can lead to an equally strong counter-feeling, but in this case, I will take the risk.
Great film. I think I might buy the Blu-ray when it appears, it's that good.
The Red Sea Diving Resort (2019)
This isn't about politics or religion, it is about being human.
A tense throwback to the thrillers of the 1970s, Red Sea is about the aided exodus of Jews from Ethiopia by Israel in the late 70s. The script, direction and cast, main and supporting, are pretty much faultless and Chris Evans proves, without doubt, that there is life beyond the MCU; the boy can act. I do question political and religious bias, especially in light of Israel's record on human rights; however, I do not question heart and entertainment value. A great film. See it.
Astral (2018)
Intriguing, well acted and directed.
This is a low budget movie, but it is obvious that a lot of thought and effort has gone into it. The lead is a charming, slightly dark actor who clearly has learned from previous experience; he holds it together well. The film is well directed and has enough depth to the script to keep the patient watcher absorbed. I like seeing new people practising their art and getting it right and they did so on many levels. A great team effort. And if you don't get the ending...really? Really? If I have to be critical, and I suppose I should, then the script, only once or twice, became slave to the budget; there were a couple of moments where I wished it had been allowed to breathe, but this is the compromise those just starting out have to make. Make the effort. Support the talent. They are worth it.