Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

F1 : The Movie

This film is one of the most pulse pounding and thrilling films of the year Brad Pitt and the creative team involved have given a treat with this slick action blockbuster that reminds us why we fell in love with old fashioned sports thrill rides like this. Now coming off the massive success of Top Gun : Maverick Joseph Kosinski tops himself once again with yet another exhilarating story this time around the sport of formula one. Brad Pitt delivers one of his finest performances in this film I think his character work and emotional grit of the character is amazing and then you have a truly solid breakout performance from screen newcomer Damson Idris who is so so good in this film having to go toe to toe with Brad Pitt and holding his own amazing well in a truly dazzling performance. F1 is a reminder to why we love movies and again is all done practically no green screen no big use of CGI it is all done in camera. This film is so fun on all levels from racing sequences, the performances, score, editing, sound design all of it captures the fun  anxiety and love of formula one in one of the years most enjoyable blockbusters.  

Firstly,  The whole team involved should be applauded for their amazing hard work they put towards this film as it paid off massively resulting in one of the best blockbuster films of the year! Now I remember when this film was announced years ago and Brad Pitt was going to do this formula One film with the director of Top Gun : Maverick and hearing that collaboration yes I was very excited as I know how impressive the practical artistry that was put into the Top Gun sequel and having that now be geared towards Formula One I knew could be something very special. So I deliberately  did not watch any trailers after the teaser dropped for this film almost a year ago as I wanted to be genuinely surprised of what Brad Pitt and everyone else had in store for how this film could be done as it was shot for a long time on location against real drivers. The film takes the old dog approach what I mean by that is the race team is at the end of their ropes in popularity and a old friend comes to pitch to Brad’s character to help save their image and now as we have seen this premise many many times before the way it is done is what makes the film enjoyable. Some have called it predictable or cheesy even and I will say does it use old themes that aren’t that much different from films of the past sure but it is in the way the filmmakers went about the story that makes it stand out the way it does. It has great uses of the theme of wanting to prove yourself regardless of age and having a shot at a age old dream and wanting to see that become realized and the sheer passion and energy that comes from the entire crew you can feel through the whole film as they put together a pulse pounding story that is magnetic and a massive love letter to Formula One but also to old school blockbusters of this genre. What makes this film work so well is the commitment to the topic and genre of Formula One and the way they use in camera practical stunt driving with the actual actors doing 95% of all the stunt work which only heightens  the intensity of the scene and just draws views in that more the entire cast of actors and creative team involved need a massive round of applause for their commitment to go above and beyond to deliver the most exciting Formula One film while showing it in a way that is Also as realistic and practical as possible. The plot itself may be very overly used but the use of the driving sequences, score and sound design far make up for the overused plot. The film walked a fine line as it services fans of the sport for sure and satisfies the thirst of what people have come to love about the completive and intensely fan driven thing we know as Formula One but they also access it in a way that if you have never tuned into a race or engaged into the fan base you can still enjoy the film for what it is. And being able to give both audiences what they want and deliver on that was amazingly well handled. The film executes beautifully the tone and sheer style of the film keeps you invested into the characters of Damson Idris and Brad Pitt while keeping you on edge not knowing where the film will go next. Sure as I mentioned the plot is a bit overused but it is all in the way we get to the finish line that makes it really memorable and the sheer love passion and hard work from everyone involved that made this a stand out sports film instead of just another run of the mill sports film.

Secondly, The performances from both lead actors was so so good! Now as I highly praised earlier I think this is Brad Pitt’s finest work at least since Babylon due to the complexities of this character and the way he goes about exploring this veteran of the sport. Brad Plays this rough and rugged guy who has seen his fair share of bad luck in terms of his career and he knows he is talented but just had never had the life he had hoped for due to a traffic moment in his career that still haunts him. The emotional vulnerability he brings and how he peels back the skin of this character as the film evolves was a great presentation of his emotional strength we have not seen him access to this magnitude in some time. Then you have Damson Idris who plays this up and coming hotshot who feels he deserves the fame and popularity due to his skill and at first he comes off very aggressive but as the film excels we see why he is so intense about his image. Damson Idris soars in a breakout performance that I hope garners a lot of attention for him as the chemistry he also shares with Brad onscreen is magnetic. Kerry Condon also gives a tremendous supporting turn along with Javier Bardem both of them are fantastic in the screen time they have bringing great emotional depth and weight to the scenes they’re in. Overall the whole cast did a terrific job but it is the work of Pitt and Idris that walk away with the film in terms of performance. 

Lastly, F1 : The Movie is one of the years most fun and thrilling blockbusters that has a ton of great action, heart and soul that will satisfy fans of the sport but also keep the average film viewer locked in until the very end. F1 reminds us of why we fell in love with movies with the sheer passion and amazing style of films like this and I believe F1 will become a massive hit with dads and film fans as well as it is both a love letter to Formula One but also a homage to old school filmmaking at it’s finest hour in ways we don’t really see be done like this anymore. F1 is a damn good film and will be among some of people’s favourite of the year for sure I recommended people check this film out on the biggest screen possible with the best sound system to get the full experience of this film the way it is meant to be seen. 

This film centres on a racing team struggling for their identity and when things get dire they call in an old cowboy of the sport to help rebrand their image even though he has a interesting way of doing things to get them attention 

Rated PG - 13 : Strong Language|Action

Brad Pitt : Pitt delivers what I think is his finest performance since 2022! Now I thinK Brad Pitt gives sensational work in whatever he does I do think though when he does character centred films with a ton of depth for him to sink his teeth into is when he gives some of his best work examples being Moneyball, Fight Club, Babylon I would even say his work in Burn After Reading which is such a slept on great performance of his that does not get nearly the love that it should. Here he plays this rugged old sports star that has been through a string of bad luck and was the heartthrob back in his heyday but that time has passed and now he lives in his van and even has to brush his teeth when showering as he has no place to live he just goes where his next gig takes him. We have no idea what led him to such hardships until it is revealed later that due to a tragic blow that happened on the track that day way back when and has to this still lingered in trauma that he has a tough time coming to grips with. When we first see him with people it is so hard not to already like him for his charm and fun swagger in the way he presents himself as this very confident sure of himself person when on the inside he is going through such emotional pain and anxiety. As the film progresses and we see him go and help Formula One rebrand this one team he has a very old school look on things in terms of how to make their presence on the track known again and he used to be labeled as reckless and cocky in his day for the way he went about things which is exactly what he does he has not changed in terms of the way he handles his work on the track he brings that same mentality to Formula One even though the way he deals with things a lot of people have a tough time accepting the new ways of doing things as he is met with a lot of criticism and resistance. He just wants to get in the car and race he knows that is in his blood and that is what he is meant to do what I love about his character is he is not chasing a payday or fame he just wants to make his mark on driving and he has his own personal reasons of why he has such a deep love for the sport but he keeps that to himself we aren’t really revealed much of why he just wants to be behind the wheel and I love that. We are not spoon-fed everything about him their are bits we are told through the course of the film that helps paint a picture of the man behind the wheel for sure but their is this mysterious aura of why he does certain things that never get fully revealed. Example is when he always goes on the track he carries a playing card in his pocket and never looks at it before he gets on the track and their is a moment where he forgets to bring it on the track with him and he missteps that day and has a not so great performance. That though is a great classic example of showing and not telling about a character as in the entire film it is never explained to us why he has them why it affects him to such a great deal we the audience can chalk it up to it being a good luck charm but it may be that it may not we don’t know and having it being open to interpretation makes it that more fun in learning of the character.  We see that he keeps to himself as he does not want to get hurt but also just keep it about the racing despite one of his co workers prying to try to get beneath the surface of all this macho super confident mentality he shows off that he knows is not his full self. Brad Pitt brings the cool guy factor to the role within minutes and has you captivated by him oozing charm and great charisma but at the same time he does have moments of frustration, outbursts of anger and wanting to be the best driver to help lift up this team and the way Brad emotionally brings that to the screen was great a lot of his best emotionally strong scenes are all without words and are conveyed with a look in his eye and his great ability to read a scene emotionally all through his body language. He is able to show the calm and collected confidence on the outside of who this man is but also show the inner anxiety and pain of him when he is alone and that is what makes this character shine in my opinion then some of Brad’s recent roles is due to his ability to strip away so many parts of himself and show his heart on the screen in a performance that has so much depth to it. He is cool, emotionally charged, romantic and funny their are great moments of humour he has too that works greatly into the scenes that never feels forced or misplaced Brad Pitt Shines in this film in a role that may be one of his finest to date and exploring so many aspects of who this cowboy driver is.

Damson Idris : Idris gives such a terrific performance! Now this actor has had roles in films over the last couple of years but his presence and impact on this role will have probably the biggest success rate for him after what comes from this role he plays. He plays a young and up and coming race car driver that has been doing what he needs to do to show his importance on and off the track the only downfall to him is his arrogance. He thinks in his mind he needs a strong social media dominance and to have heavy sponsorship and if he is heavily liked and can win people over that he will have a strongly liked profile.  We see the competitive nature happen between him and Brad Pitt’s character from the very first day as they are constantly clashing if it is on the track and then their personality types are so far apart they cannot see eye to eye as he thinks he is their to try to outshine him and in his eyes he does not need the help as he seems himself as the best person for the Job. Brad is a team player and knows that in order for this team to succeed they need to work together and not against one another so if he lets Damson’s character win the races everyone involved wins in the end and Brad is able to take the second place in terms of credit if it means he gets to be the representation of the future of this team. Damson Idris is too stuck in his ways to see that he is trying to just work with him and not against him and the way he goes about presenting that arrogance and hostility around Brad was brilliantly shown as you can see the simmering anger and resentment in his eyes and it is just constantly bubbling under the surface of his eyes and body language. You can see he wants to help the company but is going about it in all the wrong ways and his way of being so self absorbed about himself prevents him from seeing the damage he actually is not just doing to the company but to his brand as well. Idris plays this young up and comer with such fire in his heart and passion in his eyes that he is hungry for fame and will do whatever means to get his way including resisting to help when it is thrown his way Damson Idris had to go toe to toe with one of the most well known A listers in the game Brad Pitt and that is no easy feat he was able to hold his own and make his character stand out in a performance that has a great impact on the over arching narrative. His character as well goes on a fantastic arc that shows him as this arrogant young driver in the beginning and by the end he is an entirely different person and the progression of that arc is amazingly well shown through the emotional depths he goes on through the course of the film as Damson Idris shows his emotional range of why this person carries himself the way he does and with each word he utters he speaks it with such meaning and has a great weight dramatically to his line delivery that just hits you square in the chest. Damson Idris gives a compelling performance in this film that is among one of the best breakout performances of the year and I hope to see a lot of success come his way as he shows here his great ability to deconstruct this character in a way that makes him stand out next  to a cinematic giant and soar onscreen still with a great onscreen presence Damson Idris is amazing in this film!

Joseph Kosinski : Kosinski has crafted another technical marvel that is a feast for the eyes! Now coming off the huge success of Top Gun : Maverick and coming back together  with Hans Zimmer to compose the score made me so giddy to know he was going to take the same approach in terms of realism for the story as he did for Maverick. Exploring the world of Formula One is such a great way into the world as the fandom for it is so big and then you throw the massive star of Brad Pitt front and centre to helm the film is such a strong pitch right their. Now I will say the only weak point of the film is the way the plot is structured as we have seen this type of film before with this kind of plot that has been explored many times over I am not saying the formula one story but the old sports star coming in that whole trope we have seen time and time again so does it retread water we have seen before yes it does for sure. That being said in the way they get to the end of the film and the sheer design of how the film is packaged is what makes this film stand out as using Brad practice for months on end along with the other actors to do this all for real on top of the way the sequences were shot to the score and sound design all of that is heavily why this film is so stunning to watch is due to the commitment to practical old school filmmaking techniques. He takes the same mindset he had for Maverick as I mentioned and applies it to cars this time and then also throwing as much information he could gather about Formula One racing and all the technical aspects and make the closest realistic depiction to the sport that he could craft and it paid off hugely. As this film is a love letter to fans that are in love with F1 but also he was able to make the film mainstream enough that people who are casual viewers can still enjoy it and digest it in a way that never feels overly complicated and you don’t have to have a deep understanding of Formula One to enjoy the film and he walks both lines so greatly. The themes he touches on in this film is about legacy, following your dreams and trying to accomplish them even if your many years later in your life it is still possible and sure some may label the way he presents said themes in a cheesy way but I got so locked in and engaged within the world he painted and it’s great characters as you can see everyone put their best foot forward to give the best work they could for this film and it shows in the finished product. This film is done in a way that is made for the theatrical experience and it is such a great popcorn flick that I will see so many people labeling this as their favoruite of the year due to the sheer enjoyment factor this film gives audiences as it is a thrilling ride that people will want to revisit over and over Joseph Kosinski has crafted a film with a predictable but fun narrative that is a technical genius film that will be studied and praised by so many of his use of in camera techniques to capture the pulse pounding scenes In the film while also giving a great summer blockbuster people will go crazy for this is a truly great film and none of it would of been possible if it wasn’t for him and the creative team behind the project he did a truly solid job at brining this film to the screen.

28 Years Later 

This film is going to be among one of my favourites of the year as Danny Boyle and Alex Garland have struck gold once again crafting an incredible story that takes place within the world of 28 Days Later and builds upon the lore with new characters, a brand new setting that works so well for the plot and has great jump scares but at the heart of it is about humanity and the human condition. The actors brought together for this film is also solid as you have the likes of Aaron Taylor - Johnson, Jodie Comer and newcomer Alfie Williams who gives a tremendous screen debut that is among one of the best young actor performances I have seen all year! This film draws you in the moment it starts and refuses to let go and then scares the daylights out of you effectively and then breaks your heart and brings you to tears 28 Years Later is one of the most complex and sharply written Zombie Films I have ever seen! 

Firstly, The approach taken to bring people back into the landscape of 28 days later I thought was masterfully done as Danny Boyle brings a great visual flare with pulse pounding direction here that made that first film such a cult classic and then coming back with Alex Garland who gives a razor sharp screenplay and expanding the world of the rage virus by making it be set in a whole new setting with a brand new set of characters I thought was a great way into the story in order to keep it fresh and not just be a retread of what we have already seen. The film has many deep rooted themes that are very well touched upon within the course of the story from Family, Death, humanity and as I mentioned the human spirit is a big one and the way that it is presented visually onscreen is honestly so moving in it’s execution. A lot of people have voiced their dislike for the direction this film takes as a lot of people were hoping for a more fast paced gritty bloody and gore fest which this film does have a lot of violence and gore for sure but it is not by any means a fast paced horror thriller. This film I would categorize it more in the area of a slow burn film that has the backdrop of a horror film for sure and their are parts that will genuinely scare the audience but it is about a mother and son dynamic and the emotional love they have for one another and a lot of people were not expecting that approach to this franchise and honestly I found it so refreshing. The film takes it’s time in telling the events of this narrative as the film is mostly told through the perspective of Spike the young kid in the film and what makes it so compelling to me was how the film has a kid who has strictly only been raised in a post apocalyptic world only known isolation and having to follow strict rules and living far outside of what we deem normal society. So when a character later asks him about what a cell phone is or the mail service or things of that nature he has no way to respond to that as his way of living has always been in a wold of the rage virus which is so fascinating from a character perspective. The film also makes you question the community he resides in and that it may be cult like in its approach to how they train the kids to basically become soldiers and Spike runs at his first opportunity when he sees the lies and mislead parenting being done in large part by his father. The way the film has the picture be a story about him wanting to help his mom who is severely ill is very touching and it delves into as I mentioned themes of death and mortality the way they go about these themes was very raw and emotionally moving that moved me greatly. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland do deliver with the thrills and scares their is no doubt with that but what made these films stand out compared to your typical Zombie film is that it has always been about the human connection and how one goes about surviving in these very tough living conditions and I think they bring that theme into places we haven’t seen them go with it in 28 years later that is phenomenal. As it expands the world of the lore while also giving us new characters to fall in love with and fleshing them out and of course leave us on a cliffhanger of an ending to have us hungry for what comes next and the set up for the sequel was perfectly done. The film also on a technical level is gorgeously shot aside form Sinners this is the second best shot horror film I have seen all year it is beautiful the way the are able to use the camera to really present the setting the film resides in. Aside from the great imagery the editing once again is frantic and intoxicating while keeping you on edge the entire way through. The way this film delivers with the bold new direction, great screenplay and fantastic look and feel of it 28 years later delivers on all fronts. 

Secondly, The performances from the whole cast are splendid! Now  I will start with  Aaron Taylor -  Johnson who plays the father of the film and does a heartbreaking performance at showing his complicated relationship with his son and wife. We see him in the beginning wanting his son to hunt and kill and be able to do what he does and when his son sees him for who he really is their is a growing resentment that builds between the two. Aaron Taylor Johnson shows that loving proud father quality in his eyes and tone in the first 20 minutes when they go hunting but he also has a stern quality that can be pretty harsh but he brings that characteristic to the character with such fierce emotion. He has a great scene with Alfie Williams in the stairwell at the top of the house in the first half of this film and both of them work off each other so well when their sharing the screen that scene is a tremendous talent of both performers as Alfie is delivering the hard hitting dialogue and all Aaron Taylor has to do is react to what he is being told and the way the emotion hits him like a wave is so powerful. Aaron Taylor Johnson once again brings his A game and gives a terrific performance that I hope we see explored more of going forward as he is so so good in this film. Then their is Jodie Comer who I remember seeing in The Bikeriders last year and being blown away with her talent and ever since have been keeping a eye on her and here she plays a mother sick and just wanting to be a good mother to Spike despite her illness she has. A lot of her performance is shown through what she does not say verbally it is through looks and how she emotes with her body language as you can tell whatever she is sick with is taking a mental toll on her as the film progresses her speech and memory worsen. Jodie brings such a tender emotional vulnerability to the character that has you ache for her as she is trying her best to hold on for her son despite the dire situation she is in and the way that she delivers this character to the screen is amazing as you can see the sheer emotional and psychical pain she goes through. Jodie Comer does a tremendous Job at brining this role of Spike’s mother to life in a truly moving performance that is among some of the best I have seen from her. Then you have the star of the film Alfie Williams who plays Spike and wow does he do a splendid Job he is the heartbeat of this film and plays the role of a kid grown up in a post apocalyptic world perfectly. He has never known what “ normal society” is and seeing him face challenges mentally and psychically that test him constantly as amazing to witness as for a kid who has never really had much onscreen experience he is a total natural. Alfie Williams plays the role with such emotional sincerity and great leadership as he is very young and to be leading a huge film like this is no easy feat and he knocks it out of the park with his onscreen performance. Everyone in this film is great even Ralph Fiennes who plays a small role in this film pivotal to the plot he may not have much screen time but his impact is huge. Each actor in this film did a terrific Job no weak links at all in the whole cast. 

Lastly, 28 Years Later is a film that pushes the franchise to go to new limits in exploring the human condition, It also shows the places people will go emotionally for the ones they love in such dire times and the way that Danny Boyle and Alex Garland were able to still even after all this time still find new places to bring this franchise is truly amazing to see. As Danny Boyle injects the film with that frantic tone needed for this kind of material and then Alex Garland rips through the screen with his amazingly well done screenplay that brings these fresh characters into places emotionally that will move you while still serving that classic terror and scares we have come to expect from these films but at the same time give audiences something new without just giving the exact same thing we have seen before. 28 Years Later is a film about what happens when you push a community to have to adapt to a unbearable new reality and what would happen if a child was raised in that environment what that would do to them mentally and how they would adapt to that setting. With Death all around them it is easy to loose focus on things like humanity and looking out for each other despite the bleak situation surrounding them it perfectly describes the human spirit and 28 Years later is a film that is breathtaking, terrifying, emotional and a film that will have you wanting to see what happens next the moment it is over this film is a freaking masterful film Danny Boyle and Alex Garland did a tremendous Job with this film. 

This film centres around the rage virus 28 years after it’s initial outbreak and how the world has had to figure out a way to stay away from the infected and be able to still live their lives

Rated R : Grisly Images|Graphic Nudity|Brief Sexuality|Language|Strong Bloody Violence

Alfie Williams : Alfie gives a sensational breakout performance as Spike in this film! Now keep in mind he has not much prior acting experience before this film came out as he is a new face within the industry. To take on a massive franchise like this is no easy feat and he is the starring role of the film whose co stars are Ralph Fiennes, Aaron Taylor Johnson and Jodie Comer to stand toe to toe with those acclaimed actors at the age of 12 is so impressive. Now he plays a kid that only knows a world in where he has been quarantined but to him that is his sense of normal he has no real memory of what life was before the rage virus spread across the country. He brings Spike to life with such wonder in his eyes in the beginning but the more he sees the real world that he was kept from the more that sense of joy drains from his eyes and he goes into full on survival mode. When his father feels he is of age to hunt and kill an infected as in a way of looking at it like it is some sort of sport he goes along but the entire time he has no idea what he is doing and feels almost sick in a way to be killing a person as he is not used to doing something of that nature. You can see him hesitate to shoot them and is quivering as he dose not want to cause harm but his dad think’s it will be a good bonding experience and toughen him up in the process if anything it terrifies him and does it sharpen his skills sure but his father clearly went about teaching that lesson the wrong way. As after they return home and their is a massive celebration he feels his dad is not telling him the full truth of what is going on and he grows resentment towards his fathers for his laps in judgement of how he looks after his family. Spike feels he has to step up as the “man” of the house and take proper care of his mother if his dad is not going to he knows he has no choice but having to step into that role and he and his mother sneak off to the mainland to try to see if they can treat her illness. Alfie Williams shows such emotional distraught in his eyes and you can see the genuine concern he has for his mother but also the sheer love that he is willing to put his life on the line to save her and he won’t rest until she gets the care she needs. Willliams brings this emotional tenderness to the role that makes you want to just huh him and tell him everything  will be okay as he has never had to fight for his existence until now as he has no father to look out for him as his dad did not do what he was supposed to as a father so now he has to fend for himself. Everything he encounters is his first time when he is running from infected ones to camping out for the night he is doing things his father taught him for years and Is putting those skills to use. In a way it is very tragic as to see a kid be stripped of his childhood like this and to know he will never be able to have a normal childhood and this grim reality his all he will ever know. Alfie also is able to rip your heart out in the dramatic heavy scenes so well as the moments with the father early on was emotionally powerful in his presentation of showing how disappointed he was with his father and how sharp his tone was to the sheer anger seething in his voice. But when he is around his mom he never gets mad at her he is so sweet and gentle and knows that she has had a hard life and wants to make it easier on her by trying to make her smile even though the world around them is not the happiest situation. Alfie Williams’s character Spike has such a tremendous arc he is set on from the first frame and in the beginning he is this terrified kid who has no idea what he has gotten himself into and is petrified of what is lurking around every corner and by the end he has perfected the art of survival and how to keep himself alive his a entirely different person he is a fully realized character by the last act and even though this film ends on a cliffhanger I am so excited to see the places he explores with the character in the next films. As their are so many things about Spike that can be explored and without giving anything away their is a very heavy emotional scene in the mid point of the film that almost brought me to tears and the reason it did was in large part due to how well Alfie Williams can just strip his soul bare onscreen emotionally and be so incredibly vulnerable and just give himself over to the scene and fully wrap himself up into it as you can feel the thick emotional sadness weighing on him. Alfie Williams delivers a performance that is among one of the greatest young performances I have seen from an actor ever and he has such a bright future ahead of him I cannot wait to see what he does next all I do know if this was a taste of what he can do wow he did a incredible job. Alfie Williams is phenomenal giving a mesmerizing leading performance that will have you stunned. 

Danny Boyle : Boyle has given a return to form with 28 years later. Now I think Danny Boyle is one of the most underrated filmmakers to ever come out of the UK as he has given such great films from Trainspotting, 127 Hours, Steve Jobs and his Oscar winning film SlumDog Millionaire he has shown time and time again he can entertain an audience with a truly captivating story as he has such an intriguing style to his films that just pop out. Now he did the first film in this franchise many many years ago but did not do the film directly after it but was kept on creatively to oversee it and I love how involved he has been in the process of these films and his passion and excitement for the films you can feel in each frame of his films especially this one. He did not want to just do a legacy sequel that was retreading the same water we saw from previous instalments that so many legacy sequels have done he instead took an approach with Alex Garland and they worked together to make a film that yes takes place within the same universe but make a whole new trilogy with a new set of characters for the audience to get invested into. The film takes a big swing at having the film centre around a son and his ailing mother and their close bond along with trying to survive in a world that is very grim around them. It still has the scares and pulse pounding horror for sure but Danny places it in parts where you least expect it that catches you off guard and when you see the gore it is brutal and gory but he never makes the violence the showmanship aspect of the film where the heartbeat of the film lies is within Alfie Williams’ character Spike we are seeing everything from his perspective and some may think it is not a great direction for the film to go but I think it is great as taking a child who was born after the virus had infected the world and telling the film from his perspective is unique. Their is also so many themes that are brought to the surface that of Love, Death wanting to find the truth in a world full of lies, survival and grief and all of those tones are shown in brutally real ways that Boyle never sugarcoats I will say in all of his films when he discusses deep themes he never does it in a glamorous way  it is shown in very raw ways and I respect his approach to his storytelling and he has that same mindset here once again. The visual’s of the film are also so well done on a technical level from the score, editing and cinematography it brings the audience in with its breathtaking views and jarring editing and a haunting score. Danny Boyle brings an amazing sense of style and vision to this film and explores the human experience with such emotion that will emotionally impact the audience. Overall Danny Boyle brings a fresh look on this franchise and leaves the views wanting more with a truly great cliffhanger ending Danny Boyle did a terrific job bringing this tale to the screen. 

Materialists

This film is one of the most emotionally honest takes on love and the complicated subject matter of relationships I have seen put to screen. Coming off the heels of their critical hit Past Lives Celine Song brings a New York story to life with these three roles played greatly by Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal and Dakota Johnson who I think gives one of her finest performances I have seen in this film. It is not a film that is designed to puff up material and be a walk along the clouds romantic film but it has a lot to say with its deep commentary on trying to find your soulmate in a time where people have become incredibly picky and judgmental and won’t settle unless they check all the boxes they have in their mind for their ideal partner. Materialists is a film that I think will become a classic of its genre while at the same time having a lot to say that will for sure spark discussion for what it has to say. 

Firstly, Right off the bat so many people have had issues with how this film was marketed as a ton of people thought it would be a love triangle between Pedro Chris and Dakota with great fun humour and be in ways like a Nora Ephron film which this is not even slightly. I can’t even confidently call it a rom com as it has not much humour in it the film is more within the genre of romance drama and that is where it lost a good amount of people. They just wanted to see a film that was like Ghost of girlfriends past or even When Harry Met Sally they didn’t think this would be a deep meditation on love which it is and it is not a fast paced 90 minute film it is instead a slow burn film about the emotions of these three people and how they feel emotionally at this time in their life. Now for me I liked the approach the film took their are routes they go that is a bit stereotypical of the genre but aside from those few things I like that it didn’t fall into what most romance films do which is just repeat the same thing over and over again I am in the mindset if we are going to revisit this genre show me something new we have yet to see be explored from this genre which it did. The way Celine Song captures the aching pain of wanting to grow old with someone but told though a landscape through this dating guru played by Dakota Johnson I thought was incredibly emotionally impactful due to how she shows how society has got to a point where we prioritize Materialistic things before the person’s personality but at the same time people who have been hurt in the pain just start putting a list of what their ideal partner is and if they don’t fit that criteria they aren’t going to romantically pursue them. Then it gets to a point when your at an age and you just want someone to grow old with and their is a inner struggle Dakota’s character faces that makes her revaluate her  entire outlook on love and what she thinks it means to her. The film really lies best in the writing in my opinion as the film is not trying to be this sleek stylistic film that has tons of jukebox tunes that transition from one scene to the next their are long stretches of silences in the film where you can feel the emotion in those long pauses of silence. The writing by Celine Song is top notch as she has great character growth for it’s central Lead and she is able to write dialogue in a way that is perfectly catered to that specific actor as she knows how they would deliver it in their tone that would also work best in the interest of the character also. The film shows themes of self identity crisis, depression, Love lost along with love found, being hyper focused on things that don’t matter in the scheme of things. The film calls out the utter nonsense of how outlandish the dating scene has become and I feel a lot of people will feel seen in this film in one way or another if it is Dakota’s character Chris’s character or the clients she represents their is something that everyone can relate to from a human connection level of the topic of love and wanting to be loved which this film is able to hit on it’s head perfectly that just rings true to it’s topic in a way that I haven’t seen shown in such a realistic space like this in quite sometime. The way it discusses how materialism has overtaken how people evaluate relationships is shown in brutal truth and sure this is not the rom com people may have envisioned but it is better then that as we have seen films of that time and time again this film is a mediation on love and the many complexities that come with it told from the perspective of a love guru which I think is so refreshing and had me hooked from the first frame to it’s final shot. The way the writing is done to the sheer great character arcs all three leads go on is terrific Celine Song has captured what people have been chasing after which is to belong to someone to love them back and their is a primal relatability  to the material Celine Song captures so beautifully that I think is such incredible writing that has a style to it but is done in a subtle way The sheer way the themes were tackled and the message of the film is executed was terrific again one of the biggest strengths of this film lies within the written word that is done by the person at the helm of it all Celine Song. 

Secondly, This film has a stacked three actor line up from Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal to Chris Evans all of them give solid work in different ways that contribute greatly to the screen. Now Pedro Pascal is not in this film for what many may think is a lot but I thought he was in it for the right amount of time as he is not supposed to be one of the main characters through the whole film we learn from who he is and he serves a great purpose to the narrative for sure but the way they use him onscreen I thought was smarty done. He comes onto the screen with such charm and sexual energy that oozes confidence and Pedro taps into it in such a greatly subtle and soft spoken way that just has you glued to him the whole time he is onscreen due to the way he carries himself. He never even raises his voice in the film he is this soft spoken gentleman that sure comes from money but is constantly trying to say that does not define him as a person he wants to be liked for his personality and not what he has. Pedro portrays this character with a great tenderness as he is very gentle and floats in a scene with his great line delivery and ability to just win over the audience with that twinkle in his eye but he also gives this character as much depth as he could for the screen time he had I think he did a solid job. Then Chris Evans who we haven’t seen really do anything dramatic like this since post endgame was refreshing to see as we saw him in Knives Out but that was about it and was 6 years ago now so it has been quite sometime since we have seen Evans really stand out in a film. Here he plays the best friend and ex of Dakota Johnson and he is the stark contrast to who Pedro is as if Pedro perfectly describes what wealth and the rich lifestyle is he shows the polar opposite of that in how incredibly poor he is and how he is just scraping by in life. Chris Evans has this puppy like quality to when he is around Dakota Johnson’s character as we see him with his roommates being easily set off but the moment he is around her this softer side to him emerges and you can see he likes who he is around her. Chris brings this emotional vulnerability to his eyes that tells you everything he is feeling without having to say a word and it is powerfully conveyed onscreen Chris Evans delivers a high caliber act that I would go as far as saying is one of his finest performances of his career. Then you have the star of the film my favourite performance of the entire film which is Dakota Johnson who plays this matchmaker guru who thinks she has a firm grasp on the topic of love and what people desire most in relationships and yet that may be her Job within her personal life her dating life is extremely complicated. Dakota shines amazingly well in this film she has had a rocky last couple of years with the fifty shades film to Madam Web she needed a hit even if it is just a critical hit and she hits gold with this film showing audiences she has quite a great range emotionally and can deliver a terrific performance under the right director and if the material is right for her which it is and she gives a sensational turn in this film that is so damn good. Overall the whole cast give solid performances and each of them stand out in their own special way. 

Lastly, Materialists is not your run of the mill romance film which people may of expected it is a slow meditation on love and companionship and how it is complicated, messy, not always perfect and sometimes just sometimes you may end up finding the love of your life and the way Celine Song weaves that narrative together is magic. The way the screenplay is crafted is a massive highlight for me her ability to write the perfect dialogue for her characters is amazing and then on top of the great direction and writing on the film you have amazing performances from all 3 central actors Pedro Pascal is charismatic, Chris Evans gives one of his finest performances and Dakota Johnson is electric in this film. Overall the film shows love at it’s most intimate and personal ways and that is why I think it is one of the best takes on love I have seen in a very long time Materialist is a film I will be revisiting for sure and a film that I think will find it’s audience in years to come. I recommended people who loved Celine Song’s Past Lives to check this out or if you just love a great romance tale to see this film. 

This film centres around a woman who is a love guru who puts people on dates for who they think would best suit them while her love life is an absolute overcomplicated mess of her own trying to navigate both worlds of her own

Rated R : Brief Sexual Material|Language

Dakota Johnson : Dakota finally shows us she is capable of giving a truly solid performance when the right material falls into her lap! Now I have seen the last couple rocky years that were the Fifty Shades of grey trilogy and then their was the disastrous Madam Web and so It was not looking good for roles that Dakota was getting and she sure needed a hit on her hands if that was a box office hit or critically and here she has a big hit on her hands finally showing people that she has what it takes to lead a film dramatically and be able to show her chops that best suit her. Here she plays this matchmaker that as we first see her has a grasp on her career and feels she knows what people desire most in their romantic partners and has shown successfully how to pair the right people with one another. As she goes to a celebration of one of her clients she is awe struck by a guy working the room played by Pedro Pascal and she sees how not only he checks off all the boxes of her own personal list he is kind of a enigma that she can’t figure out in how he is so perfect. She herself has no idea how to approach her dating life especially when it comes to speaking to him as no one has ever come this close to being so smooth in everything they do but she still engages with him to see what he is about at the same party she also sees her ex boyfriend who is seeming to be catering the event and catches up with him as we can see he has never really gotten over here regardless of all the time that has passed between the two. As the film progresses something terrible happens to a client of hers during a date she set her up with and it makes her reevaluate her entire way of approaching the dating world as she thinks maybe she was wrong about her attitude towards it and it gets to a point where she lashes out at her clients and can’t function the way she used to at her job all the while juggling all this stuff with the man she is talking to and her ex boyfriend trying to move himself back into her life. She sees that love us complicated and messy and not always what you think it was and she sees first hand the way she had used love as a selling point to her clients may of just been a tactic to get people engaged with her business and their comes the question does she really believe in the words she uses to sell her clients on or is it just all fluff. She also has these incredibly high expectations she puts on men that she gets romantically involved with that they have to meet or else she is not interested at all and that is all due to her past experiences and we see first hand she does not want to be as she calls it broke or fighting over money all the time but once she sees how she tries that rich lifestyle is nice and it offers great things it does not fill her up as she is noticing her life is just wanting to have nice things but at the end of the day having a meaningful connection and being able to open up to someone emotionally  is more satisfying to her then anything because then she knows she can confide in them in a way she cant with just anyone which is something she deeply needs. Dakota Johnson explores all these areas of the character in such an engaging way you cant help but get wrapped up in her arc that we see her set on as she goes from this super confident woman that seems so sure of herself to wanting to see how the rich and stylish side lives and when she explores that eventually and at first seems exciting and fun it does not last the way she thought it would. Until we see her broken down and have to look back on who she is emotionally does she finally find the answer of what makes her fulfilled.  Johnson is able to explore the depths of her heart in all these Many layers with such fantastic emotional grit that has you wrapped around her finger and she knocks it out of the park as she is able to present so many versions of herself we the audience had never seen before while also giving a fully realized look of this character by the end that is satisfying and Dakota delivers in spades when she is at the bottom of her ropes and is desperate to make sense of the madness that is her life we see the life drained from her eyes and her on the brink of tears and Dakota brings that emotional desperation to want to just figure things out so well that you are wanting her to find peace with herself within her love life by the end. Dakota brings what I think is her finest work to date to the screen as you get to see her just peel back the layers of this character more and more and she really shows her heart onscreen and bares herself emotionally it is a performance that is so well timed emotionally as her arc goes through many peaks and valleys and we learn at the core of it she just wants to be loved like everyone else. Dakota Johnson finds the truth of that character in such a terrific way you can’t help but be mesmerized by her work onscreen an overall incredibly strong performance by Dakota Johnson.

Celine Song : Celine did a tremendous job at brining this film to the screen! As I have been praising already the sheer way the dialogue is crafted for each specific actor onscreen was masterfully done as well as shaping a film that comments on the outlook of modern dating and critiquing the many problems of how people look at relationships when searching for love. This film was not trying to go out of it’s way to be the next Sleepless in Seattle we have seen that film and many of them from that genre so the way to go about this film is how can you visit a genre people love to go to but bring something new to the genre that keeps it refreshing and what Celine shows is how utterly messy the dating world has become in todays day and age. The film is not looking down on how people have so many expectations sure their is some light humour at how ridiculous people can be when making their standards for the perfect partner that she comments on but she more explores of how people have lost their way in wanting human connection and while people are making a list that is so long of what best suits their needs they know in the deepest parts of their heart at the centre of it they don’t want to be alone they want companionship so when you take away the huge amount of expectation your left with people just longing to love and be loved in return that is what each single person that Dakota Johnson’s clients all have in common and Celine Song puts a spotlight on that and sure their will be a large amount of people when watching this film feel either seen or called out as they can see maybe a bit to much of themselves in the material onscreen. But the film is not wanting to just be another run of the mill Rom com that we have seen time and time again but instead operate as a think piece on the expectation of the dating world and the many forms and complications love takes on which I thought was a beautiful outlook to the picture. Pedro Pascal represents high society and Chris Evans is a look on the average person just getting by and then the girl thrown in the middle is Dakota Johnson seeing both worlds but which is the one that is more accessible to her on an emotional level and we see both sides of that coin throughout the whole film. I think Celine Song captured amazingly well the commentary that had to eventually be done on how the hunt for love has lost sight of what is important and she breaks it down to it’s core values of what matters most which is fantastic and it is presented through the three central roles and this is a film that some may like some may not but I give her massive credit for having the courage to be the person to finally call out the competitive, and to a degree ridiculous expectation that been put on dating for years now and this film just calls it out for what it is no sugar coating but brutal honesty and Celine Song once again gives a great film about the human condition shown through the lens of modern dating a truly well rounded directed film.

The Phoenician Scheme 

Wes Anderson has crafted one of his finest films in years! Now I think Wes Anderson has been doing a lot better recently since the French Dispatch as I was not a fan of that film whatsoever. When he did Astroid City back in 2023 I thought that was the step in the right direction and with his work now on his latest The Phoenician Scheme It feels like one of his strongest he has done in quite sometime. The film has a great set of characters that are worth investing into and leave a great impression on the audience that is memorable and the story itself has a great sense of heart and an amazing amount of emotion behind it as well. Wes Anderson gives a film that may not be his finest hour as a filmmaker but it is a film I can see myself revisiting due to the enjoyment I had with this picture. 

Firstly, This film to no surprise at all presents the film around family strains which a lot of Wes Anderson’s films are built around which is not an issue as it never feels repetitive of past films he has done he sure is revisiting a tone we are used to but is accessing it in a way that still feels fresh. The film takes on for the first time a father and daughter dynamic and I loved that take on the way he discusses family hardship through their relationship and the father is a business tycoon is constantly put in danger for his not so great reputation and is faced with putting his daughter to be the heir to his estate of who he has not met until he called upon her and we see how very different they are in terms of personality. The film also has a bit of touch of religion put into the film which is shown through the daughter’s perspective which is something Wes Anderson has never really taken the time to tackle in his films previously. The reason I had such a issue with the French Dispatch when I saw that film was it’s inability to get any of the characters to be remotely fleshed out where here their are 3 main characters we are constantly following along the entire way through and their is a progression of the character arcs for Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton and Michael Cera whom all give tremendous performances in their own right due to the great writing at hand by Wes Anderson. The film discusses themes of family, legacy and a touch of religion I think it is the best character development I have seen from a Wes Anderson film since Isle Of Dogs which more people should seek out that is a terrific film but I do think this film’s strength lies within the characters and how greatly they get along and how likeable they are which is due in heavy part from the writing yes but also the great commitment from the cast of actors as well. The tone of this film is in a way still very much Wes Anderson style which has in a way become self parody at this point but he does it in a way that does not feel as indulgent. The writing and tone set for this specific story was among his best in quite sometime. 

Secondly, The performances from the cast are all so fun! Now the two people who give a good job is Benicio Del Toro who delivers one of his finest performances in years with his take on this eccentric businessman who is known to deceive people at any moment if it means he gets himself something out of it but also knows it is the best course of action for himself and his brand. Del Toro has a great sense of comedic timing he is known for doing more dramatic things which he is great in but seeing him deliver such dry wit worked so well here as he is able to be both funny but have a tinge of heart at the end of his dialogue delivery. I think he is a tremendous lead and I would love to see him in more dry comedies like this as it suits him well we saw what he was capable of within a more lighter setting with the French Dispatch and here he is on full display giving a terrific leading performance of a father that is a man of secrets but longs for human connection and the way Del Toro is able to show that onscreen was so so entertaining and very touching overall a truly fun performance adding another great performance to his great body of work. Then you have Michael Cera who you would of thought would of been in one of Wes Anderson’s films long ago due to his specific comedic timing which works for Anderson’s films as this man has built a career from deadpan humour and the fun awkward characters he has perfected to a freaking T he is magnificent in this film! He plays this eccentric tutor that is thrust into the action and has this childlike innocence to him and he knows exactly when to inject that fish out of water charm to the scene to really make it stand out he is someone that is for sure one of the strongest parts of the film in terms of performance and he gives such a loveable performance of this endearing character in a witty and fun performance that was tailor made to his strengths. Then we have the big standout of the film that is my personal favourite which is Mia Threapleton who gives in my opinion the finest work in the entire film! She plays this young woman who devotes her life to the church in wanting to be a nun and at the same time is also trying to sort out her relationship with her estranged father and the longer she hangs around him the more his charm rubs off on her and she cant help but feel the need to develop their relationship more since she was robbed of it at such a young age. Mia soars in this film with no prior acting experience she is a natural on the screen holding her own next to Michael Cera and Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro is no easy feat and she is able to dig deep into the depths of who this character is and fully flesh out where her heart lies in this amazing turn that is for sure to be a massive accomplishment for her career. I cannot wait to see what she does next as her work on this film was truly spectacular. Each actor did a great job and in like most Wes Anderson fashion he brings his friends along to each film he does the cast is huge and even if some actors only have a scene they make the most of what is given to shine with the material they are given to work with their is no weak link in this film.

Lastly, The Phoenician Scheme is one of Wes Anderson’s strongest films character and plot wise I have seen in quite some time! Benicio Del Toro is a powerhouse giving a terrific leading performance that showcases his comedic timing in a way we have not seen before, Michael Cera finally gets to make his mark on Wes Anderson film and he is perfectly fit for the zany world he always paints it is mind-blowing he has never been in one up until now and Mia Threapleton gives a damn great breakout performance that is among one of my favourites of the year. This film has an over the top premise that is so fun with a ton of laughs so much heart and characters that you will fall in love with in minutes of them being onscreen. This film finally shows the family dynamic through the lens of a father daughter relationship and the way it is tackled is so so good. The Phoenician Scheme is so much fun to be had this is a Wes Anderson film I will find myself revisiting more then once for sure I also recommend people who are fans of his work and are just fans of great comedies mixed with dramatic depth seek this film out as June is a big month for film and this one I fear will get lost among the shuffle of films. 

This film centres on a business Tycoon that has to confront a bunch of business associates and get work done before he Is taken out at the same time rework his relationship with his daughter whom he wants to leave his family fortune to

Rated PG - 13 : Smoking Throughout|Nude Images|Bloody Images|Some Sexual Material|Violent Content

Mia Threapleton : Mia gives a truly outstanding breakout performance that is destined to make her a huge star! Now I have mentioned this a few times now because she has had only one other film in terms of prior acting work before this film and wow does she do an incredible job onscreen that comes across like she has been doing this for years. She plays this practicing Nun that hopes to work herself further into the church and devote herself fully to her practice but she has been summoned by her father to take over his estate in case something is to happen to him which for her she Is so curious why out of all this time he has picked now to finally form a bond with her. The way Mia Presents this character onscreen was so great as she has a dry sense of amusement on her face at all times throughout he film and it is In part due to not wanting to be associated with her dad’s schemes and also because she is so guarded after so many years of him not bring present in her life. She is very serious of devoting her life to the church and her father constantly questions why she has become such a devote to the practice of Faith and their is a line in the film where she utters it is about devotion and essentially staying loyal to a practice. He sees that as a massive thing for him as in his line of work loyalty is a big thing for him. We see that she again keeps a lot to herself and as the film progresses and they spend more time with one another that shield of emotional guard just veers itself down and we see her talk more and she isn’t as stern and you can see her curiosity peaking into why her father is the way he is. We see their relationship blossom in a way that is benefiting for him sure but massively improves her heartache of not having a father in her life for such a long period. The way Mia is able to show the depth and complexity of this character was so well presented as she in the first half like mentioned has this dry short wit to her that comes across in a dramatic fashion but has this certain comedic landing to the way she delivers the lines that is a perfect blend of humour and dramatic weight all at once. You can see the pain in her eyes early on and as the film furthers we see her becoming softer and letting her emotions be more on display and she just seems like such perfect fit for a Wes Anderson film you would of thought she had been doing this for ages. She is also curious to know how her mother perished which is another reason why she embarked on this journey with her dad to begin with to get closure over the family tragedy that has been itching the back of her brain for years and Mia Therapleton delivers a performance that at points had me laughing greatly due to her great timing of her humour that again is a result of her dry delivery that both can be taken as dramatic or comedy she walks a fine line between that and she also has such a great eye for letting her outer emotions speak for itself their is a ton she is saying at times without having to say a word and it is amazingly well tapped into onscreen. She also has great chemistry with Benicio Del Toro as they really make you believe their father daughter dynamic and they gell so well together I cannot wait to see what the future holds for Mia as if this film was an indicator of her talents her future is bright for sure her performance is amazing and she gives a knockout turn that is among one of my favourite Wes Anderson characters to ever grace the screen.

Wes Anderson : Wes gives one of his strongest narratives in quite sometime! Now as previously mentioned Wes is no stranger to the themes of family estrangement and here he taps into it from the father daughter relationship which he never really has explored before. The film also operates in a few ways like a mystery film as their are constant attempts on the main character’s life but we never figure out who is behind that until the last few minutes of the film so I liked that element to the story that we had not seen from any of his prior films which was very refreshing on top of the way he was able to capture the family themes without it feeling overly exhausted at this point. He again assembles the many collaborators he is known for working with on his projects and the list of A listers just grows longer and here the film is all about a father wanting his daughter to trust him again while also ensuring his family legacy is in order. The issue I had with the French Dispatch was that he had not much character development from any of the great actors onscreen so their was no attachment for me to have to any of them which made them very forgettable by the final frame of the picture. Then in 2023 he made the film Astroid City which is his commentary on a husband mourning the loss of his wife and is heavily about grief. Here the film’s overarching theme is about yes the daughter dad dynamic and her hesitating to trust him again after so long and this is the first character driven film I have seen from him in a while as the 3 main actors play characters that leave a great impression on the audience that  by the end of the film you are well invested into their individual arcs they set out on. He does not capture the magic of Fantastic Mr Fox or The Royal Tenenbaums but he isn’t trying to do that either he is just trying to tell a great well rounded story With yes fun characters and themes with a touching message for the audience to get behind which I think he does exceptionally well at achieving. The film also discusses themes of religion as well which at this point in his career I am surprised he has decided to tap into but I love the curiosity he has about it and is able to explore that through the daughter the film is so much fun and I enjoyed his signature style once again and I will admit this is among some of the best character work I have seen from him In at least 7 years as a lot of hi recent films have been very flashy but not much work in terms of character which this film thankfully does not have that issue with. Wes Anderson finally after years is putting the characters first and style second which has been a big issue of his as I mentioned as of recent. Overall I love the heart and fun antics the characters get into all while telling a touching story about a father just wanting to reconnect with his daughter. The great thing about Wes Anderson is even though he may get lost among the style the heart never gets lost and here it is more front and centre and I love that overall another well done directed film by Wes Anderson once again with some of his most memorable characters that are destined to become fan favourites.