Tag Archives: Good

Drama

The Last Showgirl

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

Date watched: February 26, 2025
Date Reviewed: February 27, 2025

Review

Wednesday night I hosted a private screening of ‘The Last Showgirl’ as a fundraiser to raise money for a charity walk that I am doing with a group of friends later in April.

When selecting a film for these fundraisers (this has now become an annual event) I try to look for something that is likely to be popular at the box office (i.e. an Oscar nominated film) and/or something that I think people will like and is interesting.

While it was tempting to try and sway my friends to request for a screening of ‘Wicked’, when I searched for upcoming films and saw the trailer for ‘The Last Showgirl’ I knew that this would be the one. Second choice would have been ‘The Brutalist’ but with a runtime of over 3 hours, it would not have been a wise selection.

For the event we had an audience of 39 people (myself included) and I’ll have to go by people being honest with me, as I must acknowledge that saying you didn’t like the film to the organiser of the event might have been uncomfortable. While I didn’t run a poll, I would say on the most part people did enjoy the film. There were a few that I heard from that weren’t too sure about it or on the fence.

Considering that I liked the film, and a lot of the audience were friends of mine, perhaps it also skews to being in a bubble of like minded people!

‘The Last Showgirl’ is a film directed by Gia Coppola and written by Kate Gersten and tells the story of Shelly, a showgirl who has been in a 30-year run of a Las Vegas show which is coming to an end. To Shelly this comes as a deep shock as she still appears to be ‘stuck’ in the days when the show first started and hasn’t been able to move along with the times easily.

It’s the type of story that I am craving to see in cinema. Something that reflects on real life, that shows the rough and hard parts of life. That features ‘older’ women (I don’t think I like that phrase, but I’ll use it for lack of an alternative.)

Women over the age of 55 are at great risk of financial and housing insecurity and are over represented on the poverty line. That’s something that this film is highlighting. Yes, the characters are living in Las Vegas, performing in a show but it’s not the typical glitz and glamour that might normally be portrayed on screen. The film uses the lives of its characters to reflect on the issues of this demographic and what they often face – not having the superannuation they need or getting by without a house. When a lot of people think of someone who is homeless, they often think of the person living rough out of the streets as they walk past. But there are many forms of homelessness and one of those is featured in this film – someone sleeping in their car and using the showers at work.

To quote Shelly, “Feeling seen, feeling beautiful, that is powerful.” It’s a film about this demographic being visible and relevant.

To also have a film with so much female representation from the director, writer, cinematographer, and actresses fills me with much joy. Miley Cirrus also features on the soundtrack with the closing song, which she performers and cowrote.

Pamela Anderson, who plays Shelly, pours so much emotion into her performance and she is just a joy to watch on screen. Shelly isn’t a perfect character, but who is a perfect person in real life? She has her flaws, but she is out there trying her best and living her dream.

Admittingly I am a fan of Pamela Anderson. While I didn’t really watch Baywatch as I was probably that bit to young for it while it was on air, I remember her in the series ‘Stacked’ while I found her comic acting brilliant. I haven’t seen that show since it was on air so no idea how it rates nowadays – so don’t judge me for that!

While this film isn’t a comedy, Anderson gets to flex her dramatic skills and gives a very worthy performance. And if it’s ok to say so, she certainly has still got it! I uttered a verbal ‘wow’ when she appeared in her sparkly dinner outfit.

The film also features Jamie Lee Curtis, another actress whom I am very much a fan of. She features as Annette, an ex-dancer who worked in the same company as Shelly and is also a friend. Without it being established in words, they are probably best friends. Her performance in this film is also very good. The sequence which features her dancing to ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ shines and really establish who Annette is. Funny to hear that the scene was improvised.

The two together (Anderson and Curtis) have a brilliant chemistry that reflects well on screen. The film also features a well assembled cast but I can’t go on naming everyone individually!

While I enjoyed the film, I felt that there was certainly a potential to dig a little deeper and flesh it out more. I just felt like there was more space available and something was missing. I would have liked to have seen more from some of the supporting cast and their relationship with Shelly, although there is something fun about creating a backstory for some of the other characters yourself and filling in what might have been.

I say give this film a go, even if it may not be your usual cup of tea. There are some great acting performances and I really did find it a charming and emotional story.

Rating:  Good

 

If you’d like to support our efforts for the walk, you can donate here: https://www.surfcoasttrek.com.au/t/one-trek-to-rule-them-all

Action, Australian, Comedy

The Emu War

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: June 23, 2024
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2024

Review

This film has been a long time coming (seven years in the making to be precise) and I am so happy that I got the chance to see it over the weekend at a Q&A event held at my local independent cinema.

What started off as a web series to now film, ‘The Emu War’ is a not at all accurate but hilarious account of an event that actually happened in Australia in 1932. Don’t believe me or not familiar with the story? Go google it or find the episode of Drunk History Australia with Joel Creasey.

Film makers Johnathan Schuster, Jay Morrissey, John Campbell, along with cast member Aaron Gocs attended the Q&A event that I went along to who explained the inspiration of making a film parodying the war film genre where they often find those type of films to be so earnest and serious, that it teeters on the line of comedy without ever going over. That’s the space they wanted to play in.

I had a vague idea of what I was getting myself into after watching the trailer and was expecting a wild ride, which is certainly what I got!

At this time I think is also worth pointing out that I don’t think this is going to be everyone’s cup of tea shall we say. To say it best I will quote film maker Johnathan Schuster to say that it does get “naughty”. To those who don’t appreciate a bit of nonsense, I don’t think you’re going to like this one.

Fortunately for me, I like the nonsense and it was so great to be in a cinema with an audience who found the film just as entertaining as I did. A room full of laughter is a glorious sound and I hope the film makers were happy with the reaction their film got.

I will admit that I did feel slightly uncomfortable with the death of Prime Minister Harold Holt. I felt a little guilty for laughing and did find it somewhat over the top. I’m not sure if it was some form of national pride or maybe how comedian Cameron James, who portrays the PM, is going to look back at that scene in years to come!

Putting aside some of the ‘crude’ humour I was probably expecting there to be more violence, which even when done in a humous way I tend to look away from. Instead I found a lot of story elements that I really enjoyed. For instance, looking back on the story of ‘Emu boy’ which in hindsight was probably obvious, was a development I found quite satisfying as it wasn’t something that I was looking for. It provided a deeper character connection behind the ludicrous story of the war against the emus. But don’t worry, before things get serious or sentimental the silliness factor goes into overdrive!

Something else which I really loved was the inclusion of some of our Australian legends, particularly of Ned Kelly which was done so very well. My favourite scene however would have to be the one featuring Dane Simpson and the bush tucker. Fishing for fish and chips – comedy gold!

Lastly, I should also give a shout out about the puppets! During the Q&A it was mentioned that there were three primary puppets used for the filming of different emu sizes from a baby, adult, and the Queen.

It may be a low budget film but that should not be a deterrent to your enjoyment.

Please support the film by looking for a session at a cinema to go see it. I didn’t think to ask if it would be added to any streaming services, hopefully it will be. Until then, there is a DVD which can be ordered if you go to the Umbrella Entertainment website.

Rating:  Good

Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Force of Nature: The Dry 2

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: March 10, 2024
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2024

Review

Yesterday evening I went to see the next instalment of Jane Harper’s adaptation of Federal Agent Aaron Falk in The Dry 2: Force of Nature.

It isn’t a sequel to the first instalment which was released in 2021 but I can perhaps see why after the success of The Dry, why the film has attached itself in this way. The only overlap is the character of Aaron Falk and you don’t need to have seen the first film in order to understand anything about this one. I had re-watched the first instalment during the day for a refresher and just in case there was any carry over link – I can confirm, there is not.

While I did enjoy Force of Nature, it unfortunately does fall short compared to the first. The sub-plot storyline didn’t feel to add to the main story line and felt a lot like filler. I can see parallels to the first film and the use of the two storylines against each other flashing between past and present, it just didn’t really pay off in this instalment. I am not sure if we were to ever believe there could have been a link and it doesn’t feel to have the same resolution for the character as in the first one.

The main storyline however was quite compelling, and I did not guess how it was going to end up. I think it would be quite impossible to work that out! I do like these kinds of stories as nothing is black and white. There is depth to the characters – no one is truly innocent nor evil.

In addition to the storyline being different between the two films, so is the setting. While still set in the state of Victoria, Australia, Force of Nature is set in the fictional Giralang Ranges where one of the filming locations used was the Dandenong Ranges, which I have spent a bit of time around this year as part of training for the Oxfam Trailwalker event last week. It was nice to have memories of those hikes as well as understanding the confusion that can happen while you are out hiking in bushland if you do not know where you are going. One wrong turn could have you lost and even if the characters had their phones, service would have been unlikely. As in many Australian films, the scenery becomes another character within the film and as the title implies, the same is true in this film.

The cast is a strong one lead once again by Eric Bana and filled with many familiar Australian faces including Jeremy Lindsay Taylor (who returns as Aaron’s father in the flashback scenes), Jacqueline McKenzie, Anna Torv, Richard Roxburgh, and Deborra-Lee Furness.

Force of Nature may not live up to the expectations of The Dry but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth seeing. That might also be an unfair thing to say given this this story isn’t a true sequel. That said, it is probably one to leave until it appears on streaming services.

Rating:  Good

Comedy

Barbie

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: July 28, 2023
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2023

Review

When the trailer for the new Barbie film dropped all those months ago it looked like something that was going to be offbeat and a lot of fun.

And it (mostly) was!

The film walks a fantastically executed tightrope between what makes the doll loveable to some and ludicrous to others. So it doesn’t really matter if you love her, don’t, or are somewhere in the middle – there will be enjoyment for you to find. For most of the film I couldn’t help but laugh my way through.

Initially I did have some concerns that this film might end up being a long advertisement for Mattel, like how ‘Air’ was received for Nike. This fortunately isn’t the case, although I can see that Mattel will get a positive response which will no doubt mean an increase in profits. There are probably a few exceptions to this statement, one scene which jumps to mind is where some of Barbie’s accessories are shown in an advertorial way and I’m not quite sure if this is poking fun at the way these used to/are advertised to children.

What I enjoyed about the film is that it is more than just light entertainment, there are levels to Barbie that would warrant a re-watch to pick up on the nuances. At times I felt that what was left unspoken was just as impactful as the carefully crafted dialogue delivered. The use of humour to make you laugh at something with dark undertones was effective.

Yet something changed towards the end of the film which felt like a gear change. I haven’t been able to pinpoint the exact issue, but it does feel like the conclusion of the film is somewhat of a letdown. I wouldn’t say that the whole second half is weak, just somewhere along the line it was a bit of a fizzle out. Especially after charging out of the gate so strong.

Perhaps the runtime was a bit long, perhaps too much content was pre-released, perhaps I just need another viewing. This is just the way it made me feel in the moment as the credits rolled.

I found the ending quite strange (and I don’t mean the final line, although I’m not sure the joke landed that well, especially in our cinema) which is a bizarre thing to say, given that I was onboard for the fantasy storyline from the beginning! Having had a bit more time to reflect I think that the message being sent is that living in a ‘perfect’ world isn’t something that makes you happy and likely isn’t so perfect afterall. It’s the ups and downs of everyday life that make you feel more than just wanting things to be the same forever. And if that’s the case, I’m all on board.

All that being said, there really is a lot to like about the film. I touched on it earlier but it is a great script with a lot of laughs, even if some of the jokes hit a little too close to home (cue Mr. Darcy). It had a great soundtrack and a great look up on the big screen.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are both excellent in their roles of Barbie and Ken that I cannot imagine any other actors bringing these roles to life. I thoroughly enjoyed Barbie going through an existential crisis and the fight scene between the Kens was pure perfection!

And of course my favourite group were the weird and discontinued Barbies and Kens! Kate McKinnon – who is called Weird Barbie behind her back and to her face – was an absolute delight and plays an integral role to the plot. It was also amusing to see Magic Earring Ken as I had one of those Kens growing up.

America Ferrera was also a stand-out in what is an all star cast that I simply can’t reflect on everyone individually.

Overall, for someone like myself who has a challenging relationship with Barbie I found a lot of enjoyment with the over-the-top ridiculous fun the film brings.

I will be giving this film another chance once it is available to stream (in my Mojo Dojo Casa House), as it did feel like a lot was going on and I’ll be interested to see if I have another perspective down the track.

Rating:  Good

Biopic

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

Date watched: January 16, 2023
Date Reviewed: January 18, 2023

Review

What do you get when two adults try to schedule going to the movies together? You end up going to an 8.30pm session on a Monday night!

So with our schedules aligned, a friend and I went to see the new Whitney Houston biopic: I Wanna Dance with Somebody. I wouldn’t call myself a huge Whitney Houston fan (in the true meaning of fanatical) but I do love her music and she features across a few of my playlists.

Like so many artists, when you get a chance for a deeper give you realise just how many hits they have and this film certainly shows not only how successful Whitney was but how many well-known songs are in her repertoire. I’m probably going to be listening to Whitney for the rest of the week. I may be listening to her as I am typing my reflections on the film – I’m highly influenced in that way.

For many of us, I think the story of Whitney Houston is a somewhat sad and troubled one which was ultimately tragically cut short. As the film is from the same creatives that brought us Bohemian Rhapsody, I thought this film would be done in a similar fashion where it won’t show us the tragic end and instead end on a high note of how we should remember Whitney.

And that’s certainly what happened. The film is a homage to the once in a generation voice Whitney had and the incredible legacy she has left behind. A legacy that includes seven consecutive No. 1 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the first woman to enter the Billboard 200 at No. 1.

That said, I was still preparing myself for a sombre experience. This however did not happen. For some reason I didn’t feel as if I got to know Whitney. It was like something was lacking, I’m just not sure what.

Given that White is no longer with us, it’s not her story to tell. It’s her life presented through the eyes of others. The film is said to have been authorised by the Houston family and I noticed that Pat Houston was listed as an executive producer in the opening credits – Pat is Whitney’s sister-in-law (which I found out during and post the film).

There is a lot of content which is covered in the two and a half hour run-time but ultimately the narrative presented is somewhat confused. Rather than focusing on one or two plot points to develop a richer story, the film attempts to explore too many relationships across her lifetime leaving the viewer with too many unexplored threads.

Setting aside the story the film is trying to tell, there is a lot to like here.

Firstly Naomi Ackie in the lead role did an incredible job with her performance, showing the rollercoaster life Whitney had in such a short period of time. Ackie portrays each stage of Whitney’s life from teen up until her last day and you can tell she gave a lot to the performance. I would have loved to see her given scenes with more grit, I saw glimpses and this might have given the film what it needed.

While Ackie provides some vocals on the soundtrack, most of the singing used was of Whitney’s actual voice. Quite simply there is no one with a voice like hers.

I really enjoyed the process shown for how Whitney selected what songs she wanted to record (as she wasn’t a song writer) and loved the way the music videos were recreated as part of this.

The costumes were stunning adding a lot of joy and glamour to the film. And stick around for the real life photos and videos that the film recreated – I love it when biopics have real footage included as part of the credits.

It would have been impossible to show case all of Whitney’s back catalogue and while you always want more, the choice of songs used were great. I thought the way each number 1 hit was show via a champagne bottle (which was a stipulation in her contract) was a clever technique but I wish they had of made it clearer what each song was in that sequence.

While I do tend to take these kind of films with a grain of salt, as there is always an element of embellishment or timelines being changed to help with pacing, what I will take away from the film is a great appreciation of the incredible voice that Whitney had.

I would have liked to seen more about Whitney but perhaps we just don’t know how she felt and worked through those periods in her life.

Rating:  Good

Comedy, Drama

Love Actually

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

Date watched: December 11, 2022
Date Reviewed: December 19, 2022

Review

Love Actually is another of those ‘modern classic’ films that is universally much loved and for whatever reason, I haven’t gotten around to seeing yet. I did know about some of the storylines and scenes due to the film’s mass appeal and it being nearly a couple of decades on! I had just never taken the time to sit down and watch it.

So in Christmas 2021 all that was going to change. I was committed to setting time aside to finally watch the film…then stuff happened. I got busy, other films popped up, and then Christmas passed. Therefore, I was adamant to try again in 2022 but still having to find time amongst a busy schedule.

Luckily, I noticed that my local cinema had a special Christmas screening of the film playing that also happened to be on a weekend with nothing planning. Seeing as I was already committed to watching the film, why not see it at the cinema?

I reached out to a friend who was distressed to recently hear that I hadn’t seen Love Actually before and she excitedly agreed to come along with me.

The cinema was filled with many people who had seen the film before, and it was clearly a favourite (particularly of the person sitting in front of us) but I did spot a couple others in a similar position to myself. I always love seeing films at the cinema, there is something about sharing reactions as well as seeing how others respond that enhances the experience. Much better than sitting home alone laughing out loud, or worse, pointing at the screen remarking “that’s funny”.

At this point you’re probably thinking, spare me the build-up, what did you think of it? So here it goes…

My initial reaction to Love Actually is that there were a lot of laugh out loud moments and that it was well written. All the independent stories which are running concurrently have a good pace to them, switch focus at the right time to give enough coverage between stories, and by the end all the stories wove together, what feels to be, seamlessly. No easy feat to achieve with such a large ensemble cast.

My favourite storyline of the couples from the film would be the relationship between Jamie (Colin Firth) and Aurelia (Lucia Moniz). Despite the language barrier between the two and the clear attraction, the fact they are on the same wavelength I just found adorable. They were practically having a conversation together or saying the same things to each other but just didn’t understand. And while I wasn’t a fan of the hasty marriage (come on guys just go on a few dates first) I do find it pretty romantic they both started to learn each other’s primary spoken language. Urgh that made me sick to admit!

I’d be here forever if I started to comment on each of the cast but before I make a quick couple of mentions, this is my blanket statement to say that I thought the cast was really well put together and all delivered equally good performances. By not making a specific comment, is in no way a negative reflection.

All the American actors that were chosen were a perfect fit. From Billy Bob Thornton as the American President to the girls the character Colin brings back home, Shannon Elizabeth and Denise Richards.

Then there is Rowan Atkinson as the jewellery salesman, who for me stole the scenes he was in. This just gave an extra lift to the film that I really enjoyed. Especially his distraction tactic at the airport towards the end of the film.

Hugh Grant has a typical performance from the time the film was released, that bumbling romantic fool. It works for him and it works for the film. I now live for the scene of him talking to a picture of Margaret Thatcher on the wall and calling her a saucy minx!

There is a scene however where his character as the UK Prime Minister takes action to speak out against the American President at a press conference, after a rather grotesque display of power against the girl he fancies. I would have hoped that the Prime Minister would have down the same thing for anyone who found themselves in that situation, not just the girl he likes.

That’s sort of when you think about a few of the stories having similar things that are a little uncomfortable or cringey that I didn’t much enjoy. While some of those moments have a place within the film, there is also quite a lot of questionable behaviour that doesn’t. For example, I found there to be a lot of fat shaming which really felt out of place. This might be something that just hasn’t aged well, like the sitcom Friends.

Putting aside some of the negatives I experienced, I found myself enjoying the film. And while it hasn’t become my favourite Christmas film, I can see it being added to the rotation of movies that I have playing in the background while putting up the Christmas tree in years to come.

Rating:  Good

Comedy, Drama

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: November 27, 2022
Date Reviewed: December 04, 2022

Review

I’m mixing things up a little bit today, as I write this review, I’m sitting at an airport terminal waiting to board my flight in an hours’ time. It’s the first time being back on a plane since the pandemic hit and seems an appropriate time and place to reflect upon this film.

Last Sunday evening I ticked off one of the films I’ve had on my ‘trailers I’ve seen at the cinemas’ watchlist for some time now. Something a little different and after a busy few weeks and a packed weekend, it was a nice way to relax into a Sunday evening.

I’d also arranged with mum we’d go see this film together a few weekends ago, as it was the next available day in the calendar!

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is a gorgeous film and at its heart, is the story of an underdog overcoming the odds.

Set in post WWII London, Mrs. Ada Harris works as a domestic house cleaner for many well-off clients, living in hope that her beloved husband Eddie will return to her from the war. She is a woman who works hard with a small yet strong support network and who believes in a bit of luck.

As she fears, Mrs. Harris soon receives confirmation that her husband is presumed and declared dead during an accident that occurred in the war. This news sets off a chain of events, which ultimately leads Mrs. Harris on a journey to Paris to buy a couture Dior dress.

It’s a relatively simple story with no major twists and turns, which I don’t mean in a negative way. Mrs. Harris is the underdog that we are cheering on in her seemingly small dream. While the film doesn’t portray being ‘nice’ or ‘good’ to getting what you want, it does show that kindness can go a long way.

It also demonstrates that you should never judge a book by its cover, which can be said about all the principal characters in the film. At surface level it is easy to make assumptions about who a person is, however, people are getting by the best they can. This is especially the case in the period the film is set, after the war.

A couple of things that stood out for me in this film was firstly the soundtrack. It is beautifully scored, accompanying the film superbly. It’s one of those scores that at times you don’t quite realise it is there as it does its job so well. I’m actually listening to it right now as the background to writing my thoughts.

The second would be the use of cinematography when Mrs. Harris first sees a Dior dress and then again when she goes to view the collection, finding “the one”. The way the film captures how she is taken aback by the dress, gives the appearance as if she is floating as the rest of the world melts away. It is a great way to accentuate the moment you see something that you desire and have an instant must have feeling. Whether that be for a dress, a car, another person, or perhaps even a lego set!

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is more than a film just about a dress. It’s about finding your way in the world and sometimes that means looking at things from a different perspective. It’s about holding onto your dreams, for you never know what is around the corner.

It may not be a film you immediately find on your radar but I promise you’ll have a smile on your face by the end.

Rating:  Good

BONUS TRIVIA: I did also want to mention that in my research of the film I found that in other adaptations of this story, there was a 1992 TV movie made starting Angela Lansbury and Omir Sharif with the title ‘Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris’. I might have to have a look for a copy as that sounds like it would be delightful!

Horror

Halloween (2018)

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: October 15, 2022
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2022

Review

With the release of Halloween Ends this week, I had some catching up to do as I hadn’t seen either of the new films. When I found out that Halloween Kills was part of a trilogy I decided to wait until the final film was released before seeing all of them.

Halloween is not a remake or reboot of the original film from 1978 but a continuation so to speak. A few things are reset in this timeline such as Laurie and Michael no longer being siblings, as established in Halloween II.

The film is set 40 years on following the events of 1978 where Michael was found and again locked up. Over the years and following Doctor Loomis’ death, several doctors have examined Michael and all with differing opinions.

On the eve of Michael being transferred to another facility (sound familiar) two investigative journalists making a podcast about the babysitter murders are granted access to him but are unable to get any verbal response from him, despite a high level of provocation.

Meanwhile, Laurie appears to have turned into Sarah Connor. She has spent the years preparing for the inevitability of Michael escaping. Through an interview with the podcasters, we learn that Laurie has had her share of troubles dealing with the events that occurred that Halloween night resulting in a couple of marriage breakdowns and that she has an estranged daughter and granddaughter.

Now you’d think that after the last time Michael was transferred, they might want to put some additional precautions into place ensuring he doesn’t break free. Of course, if that were the case there wouldn’t be a film now would there?!

Nevertheless, Michael breaks free and it is total carnage. He doesn’t seem to care who he kills and one of his first victims is a 14-year-old boy.

I found this next instalment of the franchise to be much more violent than the original film. Michael appears to be experimenting with new ways to kill people. He seems to be a fan of grabbing someone’s head and repeatability bashing it against a surface. The infamous head tilt is back, curious as he explores what he has just done. With a nod back to the original film, he still seems to be a fan of pinning people to the wall with a knife.

Therefore, this film has a much higher kill count. It’s up from four in 1978 to seventeen in 2018. This feels more like a way of getting gore on screen than it does of innuendo. To me Michael’s motives don’t make a lot of sense. Is this supposed to be a build-up of 40 years being locked up? Of the evil pouring out? I guess his motives never really made sense and is part of the intrigue of the character.

The film also had a lot of call backs to the original 1978 film which I enjoyed. Some of those included footage from the original film, Michael being referred to as “the shape” which is a reference to the original script, as well as some familiar scenes for us fans. One example is with Laurie’s granddaughter Allyson, who sits at the back of the classroom in the same spot that her grandmother had sat. Although when she looks out the window, it is Laurie she sees standing there rather than Michael.

I’m interested to see where the three films take the story, but Halloween 2018 is a good starting point. There are some twists and turns along the way and enough links back to 1978 that would please fans of the original.

It’s quite an ending and I can’t wait to see how Halloween Kills will continue.

Rating:  Good

Comedy, Crime, Drama

Amsterdam

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: October 9, 2022
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2022

Review

There seems to be an increasing trend of filmmaking these days which blur the lines between truth and fiction. While some might say this has always been the case, I think many of us accepted that a fundamental part of the narrative was true with some embellishments added to enhance the drama. After all, it has often been said to never let the truth get in the way of a good story!

However, I have noticed that more and more it is a granule of truth to which a narrative is based that is surrounded by fiction, yet I don’t think our previous acceptances have caught up. Given that it has been found that viewers will believe fiction when it is presented as fact, is it up to the film makers to point out the fact from fiction? Should it be made clearer that what the audience is about to consume is a work of fiction or should we just know that going in?

Amsterdam uses a true event which is known as the “Business Plot” to base a comedy murder mystery around it. The film opens with the line “A lot of this actually happened” and while it does give light to a remarkable political conspiracy alleged to have occurred to a wider audience who would largely be unaware of it, the film itself has little to do with the truth of those events.

Despite that ambiguous opening line, I took it in my stride. I’m the type of person who will go and read the trivia about the film after watching it and seek out some fact from fiction in my own time. So I very quickly got onto just enjoying the film.

There have been some mixed reviews of Amsterdam (beyond the fact vs fiction element), but I liked it. I found it to be a light, quirky, and funny film and what I really took away from it was a story of friendship built on trust and respect. The film’s title itself refers a period during the first world war where the three leads meet each other and make a friendship pact which is the catalyst to the murder mystery they find themselves involved in.

The biggest draw card Amsterdam has is its star-studded cast and unsurprisingly Christian Bale shines in an excellent performance. He has this ability to transform into the character he is portraying no matter the film. Which also reminded me of how under-utilized he was in Thor: Love and Thunder. I also really bought into the chemistry between Bale, Robbie, and Washington whom the story follows.

Visually it is a good-looking film that includes picturesque sets and some gorgeous costumes. I also really enjoyed the accompanying soundtrack, which was beautifully scored.

While I enjoyed Amsterdam, it didn’t quite seem to hit the heights that it perhaps could have. It’s not a spectacular or complicated plot. The narrative can be a bit clumsy at times which gives the appearance that it is more complex than it is.

That said the film has plenty of moments that have you laughing and gasping in the right spots and may even warm your heart at times.

Rating:  Good

Comedy, Mystery

See How They Run

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: September 29, 2022
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2022

Review

A friend of mine shared the trailer for this film a couple months ago, and I immediately put it on the to see list. I love a murder mystery and I love comedies, so having the two combine was sure to be a winner.

As my birthday fell on a weekday this year and my celebration plans were over the weekend, I decided to treat myself to a weeknight out at the cinema and it just so happened to be the opening week for See How They Run.

I was already in a good mood after watching some cartoons earlier in the afternoon that had me unexpectedly laughing out loud. This set me up for a somewhat awkward evening.

Let me set the scene.

It was a Thursday night so the session wasn’t crowded but there were still a handful of people in the audience. One of the trailers shown was for another film I have been hanging out to see (Bros) and I was laughing all the way through it, yet no one else seemed to be. If any of my fellow audience members thought something was funny, they certainly forgot to tell their vocal cords about it!

The same thing ended up happening during the film – I found plenty of laugh out loud moments, but my fellow cinema goers did not. It didn’t feel as if the jokes went flat and I didn’t hear any grumbling or bad words as people left, so perhaps they were just quiet laughers. And I’ve just been in one too many live studio audiences and have been conditioned to release the laughter!

What I liked the most about See How They Run is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously and they really poke fun at every murder mystery trope.

The film is set during the 1950s where a production of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is being performed on stage in the West End. The play is set to be turned into a film and it is within the theatre where the murder occurs.

And just like a classic Agatha Christie, things are hidden in plain sight. Everything that you need to know is presented right in front of you. I’m usually good at spotting the red herring in these things but I completely fell for it here – hook, line, and sinker!

Not only was I having such a good time, but the story itself is well crafted. Despite the film poking fun at the genre, I wouldn’t call it a parody per se. There is a brilliant scene that sets up the end sequence, but I can’t go into much more than that without revelling some spoilers.

See How They Run also has an all-star line-up and the story is told mostly from the point of view of the two detectives on the case, portrayed by Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan. The story is also told partly from the point of view of the victim, played by Adrien Brody.

With a multitude of funny lines and a stellar cast with solid performances, See How They Run is sure to have you set for an enjoyable evening.

Rating:  Good