Trainspotting 2
What’s it about?
Twenty years after Mark Renton stole the stash of cash from his friends, he returns home but exactly what awaits him?
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: It’s easy to argue this cult classic didn’t need a sequel but it’s a surprising relief that this follow up stays true to the characters and story. Not as dark as the original, Trainspotting 2 goes for a bit more humour and focuses more on the quirky relationships between the dysfunctional group. Good characterisation, entertaining and faithful stories and quality homage references will leave any fan of the original content though it’s probably unlikely to be a classic itself. Director Danny Boyle uses an impressive soundtrack featuring Iggy Pop, Blondie, Queen, Run DMC and jarring, almost experimental, camera angles to highlight the emotion and anguish particularly of Ewan Bremner’s Spud who almost steals the show during his withdrawal periods. Wonderful to see Ewan McGregor, Johnny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle on the big screen together again as Boyle slyly and ironically explores nostalgia in a light that is anything but flattering.
The Great Wall
What’s it about?
European mercenaries make their way to the Orient in search of the super weapon ‘black powder’. They discover a powerful army with just one purpose: defending the world against monsters. But are the true monsters… us?
No. It’s quite obviously the giant green lizard things.
What did we think?
Dan says: This is a film about ideas. The story is pretty average and the character motivations are thin on the ground. The film jumps from design idea to illustration idea and every time it’s dazzling. It’s a bit like flipping through the sketch book of that art geek from high school who would shyly tell you what she’d do if she had access to funding. Well someone got access to funding. They don’t know how to write dialogue but their visual story-telling is epic.
Hidden Figures
What’s it about?
1960’s America was a vortex of social upheaval: apartheid (segregation) was rampant; women’s equality was unimaginable; the space race was nuclear hot; and national pride, if not survival, was at stake. Against all odds, three genii stepped out from the shadows to help NASA realise an impossible dream. Three genii who happened to be black women.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: This movie should be compulsory viewing for every man, woman and child. Equality is something many pay lip service to (even today), and while other Oscar-nominated movies show the ugly face of racism via a negative tirade, Hidden Figures lifts you up with a heart-warming, truly accessible story of the little person overcoming insurmountable odds. Inspiring and hopeful.
Incidentally, I never thought I’d see the day where I’d cry watching a man smash a toilet sign off a wall with a crowbar.
Fences
What’s it about?
Life as a black man in 50’s America was hard – you had to fight for every ounce of respect. You are constantly reminded of this by Troy, garbage man and would’ve-been baseball legend (if he had’ve been white).
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: Adapted from an award winning play, Fences reminds us that before TV enslaved us, people talked to each other for entertainment. They talked & they talked & they talked & they talked. And they talked really fast. They talked about mundane things. About important things. About daily grind. About judgement. About being a black man in a white world. Really fast. A lot.
Talking fast makes Shakespeare natural sounding (a basic rule for theatre productions), and Fences feels like they filmed a theatre show then CGI’ed realistic backgrounds in to make it a movie. It’s blocky. It’s talky. It’s a play made into a film. It’s a beautifully made play made into a film with exceptional acting. But it focuses on style rather than the story. Almost as if it was made to get people nominated for award shows.
A Street Cat Named Bob
What’s it about?
A recovering heroin addict uses up five of his nine lives when he survives an overdose, gets a leg-up from a case-worker/guardian angel, meets a girl who might help him straighten out his life, tries to reconnect with his father, and is adopted by a street cat.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: Homelessness and drug addiction go hand in hand; and this story opens your eyes to what happens on the other side of the tracks, and just how incredibly hard it is to get a second chance. Whilst a little clunky in its telling, the emotional connection of this harrowing, yet heartwarming story will leave you with a tear in your eye, and the knowledge that cats are indeed the best people.
Fifty Shades Darker
What’s it about?
The sequel to Fifty Shades of Grey sees sexually dominant Christian Grey beg his lady love, Anastasia Steel to come (snigger) back into his life, but not without women from his past shaking things up.
What did we think?
Andrew Danyals says: I have to admit that while watching this, I had the urge to be tied up and licked. Or spanked. Pretty much anything to get my mind off this dreadful movie. While it has slightly better eroticism than the first one (not necessarily saying much), the sequel suffers from a discordant narrative that drove me nuts. It’s all over the place. I like seeing the exploration of erotic themes and empowering situations on the big screen but this barely qualifies as the former and still confuses as the latter. I still can’t get over how a film about this sort of sex is somehow so very vanilla.
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Tully
What’s it about?
GAH! Charlize Theron and Ron Livingston have a third baby! It’s awful. The other two children are bad enough. So many children! Nappies! Sore nipples! Sleep Deprivation! Dear Lord! It’s like one of those educational health films from high school except this time they’re using a more persuasive technique to get you to use condoms. At any rate, a savant babysitter turns up and everything settles down a bit.
What we thought
Dan says: This paints the portrait of parenthood, warts and all, and when Tully finally turns up to get things in order it’s with a sigh of relief from the audience as well. Great moments of cinematography, charming performances and some decently funny jokes allow this film to stick the landing.
If you’re single, watch this film and pat yourself on the back for good decisions made. If you’ve had kids, enjoy watching what you’ve already survived. And if you’ve got a newborn…
God help you.
Breath
What’s it about?
Two young boys growing up in 70s Australia are befriended by a stranger who lures them out of their comfort zone as they struggle with their identity.
What did we think?
This simply delightful coming-of-age film is incredibly intimate and wonderfully genuine. It’s unapologetically Australian and that rawness only adds to the emotions of the characterisation. Simon Baker’s directorial debut is ridiculously impressive especially given the constraints of weather dependence and an inexperienced cast. However the cast are magnificent from the two young boys – Ben Spence and Samson Coulter – to the understated Richard Roxburgh.
I grew up in the 70s but in the desert hundreds of kilometres from the surf which sets the background and culture for this flick. The fact it still spoke to me so strongly just shows what an impressive film this is. Slow-paced and stronger for it, this is not a surfing movie as such, but one where surfing is merely important.
Unsane
What’s it about?
Sawyer (Claire Foy) is a young woman starting a new life in a new city but is still traumatised by an incident from back home. After a single session with a counsellor, she unwittingly signs herself in to being committed to a mental instituton. She insists there is nothing wrong with her, but her stay becomes involuntary when the staff begin to question her sanity, and she is forced to confront her greatest fear.
What did we think?
James Tinniswood says: I am so happy Steven Soderbergh is back pumping out movies, especially interesting little gambles like this. Shot entirely on an iPhone but with a good thriller script, this fits in somewhere between his studio and indie/experimental films. Claire Foy is excellent, and Jay Pharoah is also solid support. The ambiguity about what’s really going on gets resolved maybe a bit too early and it becomes more of a conventional thriller, but it’s still an impressive experiment in tension.
Avengers: Infinity War
What’s it about?
Thanos sends his cronies to acquire the remaining infinity stones while our heroes try to stop him. That’s it.
What did we think?
After this movie the term ‘action-packed’ will never be the same. Cramming nearly every Marvel hero into two-and-half hours means non-stop quips and fights. As such, the actual storyline is extremely thin and simple, but the investment in the characters we’ve built up over the past ten years ensures you’ll cheer, laugh and gasp regardless. The sheer number of potential spoiler moments in this movie makes it difficult to write about, but if you’ve enjoyed any of the Marvel films, rest assured you’ll love this ‘roided-up herofest. It’s a delightful romp that is a culmination without being a finale.
Editor's Choice
Tully
What’s it about?
GAH! Charlize Theron and Ron Livingston have a third baby! It’s awful. The other two children are bad enough. So many children! Nappies! Sore nipples! Sleep Deprivation! Dear Lord! It’s like one of those educational health films from high school except this time they’re using a more persuasive technique to get you to use condoms. At any rate, a savant babysitter turns up and everything settles down a bit.
What we thought
Dan says: This paints the portrait of parenthood, warts and all, and when Tully finally turns up to get things in order it’s with a sigh of relief from the audience as well. Great moments of cinematography, charming performances and some decently funny jokes allow this film to stick the landing.
If you’re single, watch this film and pat yourself on the back for good decisions made. If you’ve had kids, enjoy watching what you’ve already survived. And if you’ve got a newborn…
God help you.
Breath
What’s it about?
Two young boys growing up in 70s Australia are befriended by a stranger who lures them out of their comfort zone as they struggle with their identity.
What did we think?
This simply delightful coming-of-age film is incredibly intimate and wonderfully genuine. It’s unapologetically Australian and that rawness only adds to the emotions of the characterisation. Simon Baker’s directorial debut is ridiculously impressive especially given the constraints of weather dependence and an inexperienced cast. However the cast are magnificent from the two young boys – Ben Spence and Samson Coulter – to the understated Richard Roxburgh.
I grew up in the 70s but in the desert hundreds of kilometres from the surf which sets the background and culture for this flick. The fact it still spoke to me so strongly just shows what an impressive film this is. Slow-paced and stronger for it, this is not a surfing movie as such, but one where surfing is merely important.
Unsane
What’s it about?
Sawyer (Claire Foy) is a young woman starting a new life in a new city but is still traumatised by an incident from back home. After a single session with a counsellor, she unwittingly signs herself in to being committed to a mental instituton. She insists there is nothing wrong with her, but her stay becomes involuntary when the staff begin to question her sanity, and she is forced to confront her greatest fear.
What did we think?
James Tinniswood says: I am so happy Steven Soderbergh is back pumping out movies, especially interesting little gambles like this. Shot entirely on an iPhone but with a good thriller script, this fits in somewhere between his studio and indie/experimental films. Claire Foy is excellent, and Jay Pharoah is also solid support. The ambiguity about what’s really going on gets resolved maybe a bit too early and it becomes more of a conventional thriller, but it’s still an impressive experiment in tension.
Avengers: Infinity War
What’s it about?
Thanos sends his cronies to acquire the remaining infinity stones while our heroes try to stop him. That’s it.
What did we think?
After this movie the term ‘action-packed’ will never be the same. Cramming nearly every Marvel hero into two-and-half hours means non-stop quips and fights. As such, the actual storyline is extremely thin and simple, but the investment in the characters we’ve built up over the past ten years ensures you’ll cheer, laugh and gasp regardless. The sheer number of potential spoiler moments in this movie makes it difficult to write about, but if you’ve enjoyed any of the Marvel films, rest assured you’ll love this ‘roided-up herofest. It’s a delightful romp that is a culmination without being a finale.