Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Wake Up Dead Man : A Knives Out Mystery 

This is one of the best films of the year! Now this film I think will be the most divisive film of the trilogy due to the themes this film discusses and it is not as comedically strong as the previous films as the direction this film goes into is a far more dramatic depth which I think is really cool as it refuses to repeat what it has already done. Now people will say the formula is getting repetitive but these are murder mysteries but it is all about how we get to the destination that matters and the way Rian paints these characters and the over arching look of the the plot is riveting and gives one of the most unpredictable ways to the revel you genuinely do not see coming. Wake Up Dead Man is a blast to be had with truly solid performances from the entire cast involved. 

Firstly, This is Rian Johnson’s most personal story he has written as he explores the themes of faith and devotion to religion in this film that has some of the most polarizing writing he has put to the page. We see a lot of Rian Johnson’s personal feelings about his thoughts on faith really shine through the frame in a way that comes across really exciting in his feelings on the subject. As Josh O’ Connor’s character is someone who has had a troubled past and feels finding his faith has saved him from continuing down that troubled path and Josh Brolin’s character uses his platform to spew anger to his followers and those two clash constantly on how they use their power within the church to preach very different outlooks on faith. As one is coming out of a place of anger another coming from a sense of calm and seeing both sides of that coin was very intriguing to watch unfold. You can see how this film is far more dramatic in its execution compared to the films that came before it as the first two are yes Murder mysteries but it has very smartly placed humour within the narrative this film felt more like a straight forward murder mystery in a sense and the comedy seemed to take a backseat this time around which I didn’t mind but I feel some will feel it is less good in comparison to the other two due to the lack of comedy that is here. I love that 3 films in Rian Is still bringing such fresh ideas in where he wants these films to go and what themes they can tackle and having it take on faith and beliefs I think was such a great way into this murder mystery while also not repeating the same patterns of the previous entries so it never becomes repetitive. This film takes as I mentioned a more serious approach to the subject matter and the way they go about expressing it was brilliantly tackled. The writing is still as sharp as the other two films but it is a tall order to try to top the first film as that is in many ways a perfect film that is impossible to try to recapture that magic again. But I love how episodic these films feel what I mean by that is none of these films are continuing plot lines that carry over to the next they start fresh in each film so you can watch them in any order you want. Wake Up Dead Man has razor sharp dialogue that opens up conversation about deep discussions on faith and religion while still giving that signature style of murder mystery we have come to love from this franchise. 

Secondly, The performances of the entire cast is solid but I have to say the single best performance from the ensemble is Josh O’ Connor! Now I will say a minor gripe I had with the cast here this time around they were good but they didn’t stand out to me as memorably as the past few cast we have gotten now to be fair the biggest draw of the performances aside from Daniel Craig as I mentioned is Josh O’ Connor who gives a sensational turn as a priest trying his best to be the most clear headed priest that wants to spread pure forms of faith that represents positivity in a very difficult time where it is easier to spread hate instead of joy. He brings such emotional tenderness to the role that has you invested into who he is within the first Frame Josh O Connor is magnificent in this film! Then you have Daniel Craig stepping back into the role that I will say is his second most iconic role of his career and he still finds new things to reveal about the character within the the mystery without taking away the mystique of who he is and keeping us in the dark of who he is. We for the first time see his stance on religion and the topic of faith while also delivering another sensational turn as the detective we love and here he seems more grounded in drama instead of comedy while he gives great laughs his performance of the iconic detective he played a lot more straight and I think it was amazing to see Craig still find new things to peel back about this wonderfully written character. Craig is tremendous and has a great back and forth chemistry with Josh that results in crackling chemistry onscreen. Overall the performances are all solid but Josh O Connor did steal the show with his magnetic turn as the conflicted priest in this film. 

Lastly, Wake Up Dead Man is one of the years best films that has some of the sharpest dialogue I have seen as well as Rian Johnson has crafted a film that makes him come to terms with his personal feelings on faith and giving it a fantastic platform through this film and giving great twists and turns you genuinely do not see coming and again brings another great cast together all of which give solid performances with a scene stealing Josh O’ Connor! Now the film pulls back on the comedy and grounds itself with more dramatic depth this time around and I think it is one of Rian’s best written films he has ever put to the screen and another truly fantastic entry in the Knives Out brand with Daniel Craig also giving another great charismatic and magnetic performance this film is phenomenal and will make you want to watch it over and over again! I recommend seeing it on the big screen if you can and if you’re a fan of the Knives Out films you will love this next chapter in the franchise. 

This film centres on a murder that occurs in a church after a Monsieur gives his sermon and they have to get to the bottom of who committed this heinous crime

Rated PG - 13 : Some Crude Sexual Material|Smoking|Bloody Images|Strong Language|Violent Content

Josh O’ Connor : Josh gives a sensational turn as the priest with conflicted feelings of emotional torment going on in his heart! I first really took notice of O Connor in 2024 when he did the tremendous film Challengers and his amazing turn in that film made me keep a look out for anything he does moving forward as he is a terrific actor with fantastic emotional range. He plays Father Judd who is doing his best to follow the way of Christ within a time where there are shady people everywhere he turns. You can see that he has been working his best to try to cleanse himself of his past and write a better path for himself moving forward as he yes acknowledges the person he was in the past which was angry and even hateful but he dose not want to associate himself in that emotional frame of mind anymore and instead wants to help lead people into a peaceful and loving way and unfortunately when he is transferred to a new church and the current Priest that resides there spews anger and toxic ways of using his platform to persuade people into this negative mindset and Josh O’ Connor’s character takes serious offence of using the image and representation of Christ and his faith in a negative way in any form instead of the way he was intended to be represented as in his beliefs. The two clash over their ways of speaking their views on faith and you can see how his character will stop at nothing to make sure people see the good in others and not to feel lied to and or mislead in their pursuit for finding answers that help them on their path to enlightenment. Then when a death shakes the place he is the person everyone turns to as suspect number one due to his strong disliking for the priest but even though he didn’t like him he wouldn’t go as far as ending his life to rid of him. Josh O Connor gets to play in the arena of emotional back and forth with this personality that is done in such an incredibly nuanced way that has you glued to his arc the moment he comes onscreen. You can see that he is trying his best to see the best in others even when people refuse to see the light in him he is doing his absolute best to be a shining example of how redemption in others can be shown with a troubled past. He tries not to let others shake him and he takes emotional hit after hit and their is a point where he is almost in tears within the house of god but when the detective we love comes in played by Craig it gives him someone to confide in that isn’t corrupted by the thoughts of the priest in town but sees him as a person that wouldn’t do these horrible things he has been found to be accused of. They also share differences in views on religion but they can still respect each other despite their differences which is what he can’t do with the other priest. Josh O Connor tries to prove that his past dose not define him as a person and he truly has changed into a better person and that in so many ways faith saved his life and the way O’ Connor channels into the emotional depth of the character is truly terrific to watch as you see the raw emotional pain he is for a good portion of the film for being the number one suspect but still feeling the need to prove that he isn’t the person people view him as. Josh has this way of showing the vulnerability to who he plays with great honesty through his ability to read it all over his face and his eyes and he is truly outstanding in this film I think it is one of the best pieces of acting he has shown so far and with every performance he seems to prove upon the last one as he is an amazingly talented actor that I hope goes on to do big things. Josh O Connor plays the conflicted priest who’s heart is in the right place and the amount of layers that are peeled back about this character is magnificently shown by O’ Connor in a truly sensational turn in this film. 

Daniel Craig : Craig gives another strong turn as the southern detective we all love! Now Daniel Craig has played Benoit three times now and what I love about his approach to the role each time is he finds new ways to explore sides of him we have yet to see and keep him fresh each time we see him onscreen which makes it so fun to see what fun antics he will be up to. I love the approach of not revealing everything about this amazingly well written role that is one of the most compelling original characters we have seen in the last 30 years. He does not want to tell you each aspect about him but keeping that mystique about him is part of the fun of seeing him is not knowing everything is part of the fun. Instead of just laying out his entire personality for us to know all about him he instead gives tidbits of sides to his personality within every film and case. Like we learn his stance on religion and how he does not believe and we learn why but that there is not revealing too much about him but it gives you enough to find out something new to be intrigued by and Daniel Craig gets those new bits of his personality that is revealed that he gets to play within of the detectives arc. We see him grapple with his thoughts on how faith how impacted himself personally and that Father Judd isn’t trying to convert him but try to listen to why he thinks the way he does about faith. Both of them also have amazing onscreen chemistry and they bounce off one another so well Craig does not overstay his welcome with his character which I think is important to talk about because he lets the conflict that is going on with Father Judd be explained in great detail first before dropping into the story and I love that Rian only injects Benoit into the story when he feels it is the right moment. Craig also is not as comedic as he usually is which I think was a great change of pace he does sure have moments of comedic wit for sure but it is not the driving tone of his performance this time around and I love that he will find new ways into the character to explore we don’t know about him and even if it means changing up how we have seen him in the past is amazing. Craig once again delivers another great turn as the southern detective he may not be in the film for as long as people expected but he does such a great job with the screen time he does have and shines a hole through the frame in each scene he’s in Craig is magnificent and even though Benoit may not be a believer by the end of the film you can see his newfound respect for religion and faith Daniel Craig is amazing once again. 

Rian Johnson : Rian has crafted truly one of the best films of his career with the writing on this third entry in the Knives Out Brand he has carved out for himself. Now these films he has given us over the course of 6 years have been amazing as he surrounds each film with such a terrific set of actors and all of which give their absolute all while capturing such great dialogue that perfectly suits each character and layers it with mystery and intrigue that you have no idea where the film will turn next. I wrote back in 2019 in my first review for Knives Out how incredibly hard it is to craft a well thought out murder mystery and Johnson has cracked that formula and knows exactly how to give some of the greatest murder mystery stories we have seen in over 30 plus years. Each film he has given us has had commentary on something larger at hand as the first one was about immigration and the rich and the power dynamic between the two the second film was about the pandemic and out of touch billionaires and tech bros and then with this film it is about religion. I think the way he tackles his thoughts on faith is very profound as Rian Johnson has been very vocal about his conflicted feelings on that specific subject since his early upbringing and how his relationship with faith has changed over the course of his life so incorporating those complex personal thoughts and injecting it into the narrative was a smart way for him to come to terms with his thoughts on the matter. The film is about being a better person through the prospect of faith and the way he opens the film up with Father Judd and how he has had a troubled past but wants to be better then what he was in the past is so touching and so he turned to faith for a recourse of his life going forward and how he wants to show people how they can as well be shown the positive ways of religion. When he is met with a very hostile person who uses the subject of faith in a very negative way he finds that he has to protect the church in anyway he can to preserve the pure message of what the church is supposed to represent and Rian is able to tackle all of that all before Daniel Craig even enters the frame is is amazing as he wants the audience to become emotionally so drawn into father Judd and his journey before he drops Craig into the narrative which I think is such a genius idea. As then the moment Craig is in the film we see how his relationship with Blanc is and how Blanc is not a believer of the subject of religion and despite their differences can still respect one another and the film still wraps the audience in the murder mystery you come to expect from these films but it is not just a retread of what we have seen before. He is able to pack such a powerful emotional punch with the themes of faith, redemption and religion that yes I was deeply satisfied with the way he was able to incorporate the two in a way that complimented one another and worked thematically so well. The film at times I felt this old fashioned gothic mystery element to the frame because of where the film’s location takes place. Some people will knock this film for not having a more detailed Mystery element in the sense the first film made motives on how each character could of potentially of done the murder where as this film is more about a meditation on religion and the way the murder mystery element is done is from the perspective of a locked room mystery which they actually point out within the film. I think this is right next to the first film for being the second best Knives Out Story as a film but in terms of wiring this is his sharpest Knives Out film. Rian Johnson only seems to get better and better with each entry and I cannot wait to see what direction the next one can go into As Rian Johnson has cemented him as the modern day Murder mystery genius writer overall great direction and phenomenal writing by Johnson that is about the fragility topic of religion wrapped in a murder mystery.

Bugonia

This is one of the best films of the year and is right next to Poor Things to being my nee favourite second Yorgos Lanthimos film! Now I have been very vocal of how I am a huge fan of Yorgo’s films over the years and how he has such a distinct and specific style that is so uniquely him. This film is about paranoia, damaged hearts and what happens when conspiracy theory goes to total madness Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone deliver dominating performances that are among some of the best work of their career Bugonia is strange, a twisty and turny tale of sheer insanity to the 100th degree Yorgos may have just delivered the best work of his career with his execution of this narrative. 

Firstly, As I mentioned it is no surprise I sing the praises of Yorgo’s work as I have been praising his talents since I saw the Lobster in 2015. He has given some of the most striking films with truly mind boggling stories that spark such great discussions among the film community and I love that. He always infuses his own spin on very deep rooted themes and here he gives what may be his most political take on things we have seen so far and I love the ballsy moves he is doing with this film in particular. As this film delves into the places of conspiracy theory and how maddening it can be and how there are some people that are so deep into that mindset that whatever they read off the internet they will believe with their full being to a terrifying extent. He shows what happens if someone who believes in that toxic way of thinking could go a step further to dangerous degrees and I love the exploration of it. As the film toys with the idea and concept of this woman they think is an alien and their so sure of it their is no turning their brains but what the film also shows is the paranoia of it all because the film plays devils advocate in a way where they think their an alien and Emma Stone is constantly trying to tell these two men she isn’t but what Yorgos captures so well is self doubt with the audience because he makes you start to not know who to trust because is Emma Stone being totally truthful or are they guys purely insane and made a huge mistake abducting this powerful woman. It goes back and forth arguing both sides and the film weaves through so many twist and turns that you don’t see coming it kept me on edge the entire time their was not one moment I was bored or felt disengaged from the story. Yorgos and the whole team have crafted a film that I think is one of his finest films that again is able to have serious discussions while showing it in the obscure way he likes to do and some may shrug this film off and say it is too weird and obscure but I disagree because if you have seen any of his other films you know that is how he goes about telling his stories. This film though do I think is better than kinds of Kindness? yes but that isn’t a knock on the quality of that film I just felt this film is more tightly written with a engaging plot line that grabs hold of you. He once again brings that pitch black humour to the frame he is known for the film is the exploration of madness and conspiracy to the the most wild degree and Yorgos captured it magnificently the tone set for the film was great and the way it was written is truly terrific. 

Secondly, The performances from everyone but I will say now the biggest performance of the film that really chews up the scenery is Jesse Plemons who gives I think his finest performance in this! He plays this man obsessed with the notion that their are aliens walking among us through the bodies of rich millionaires or wealthy people and he is driven by the notion of trying to stop them and he feels so sure of it that nothing can shake him and he brings a awkwardness and unpredictability to the role that is utterly terrifying but you can’t look away from it is his finest hour as an actor and shows everyone he is a perfect fit for leading man roles. Emma Stone is equally as great giving what I think is her second best performance right next to Poor Things as she plays a woman that is thrust into this situation where she has to find ways to better her situation without making it worse for herself as she knows it can end vert badly if she says the wrong thing and the way she shows the pure desperation in her eyes while also trying to remain strong in spirit is truly incredible to watch onscreen. The two performances from Jesse and Emma are phenomenal and seeing them going back and forth is a great chess match of acting to watch that left me floored. 

Lastly, Bugonia is one of Yorgos’s strongest films of his entire career with his ability to keep finding ways to bring the audience into his strange worlds and approaching them in fresh new ways that never feel repetitive as he crafts his most political spin through his obscure lens with his work on this. He never made the film feel preachy but worked it into the story that felt smart and packed a powerful punch that will make you think. the film shows what happens to someone who gets in their own head with paranoia and acts on it and goes about it in all the wrong ways to the most insane degree and the way he explores the mindset of these characters is incredible while packed with truly spectacular performances Bugonia is one of the most thought provoking and well acted films of the year that will for sure be on a lot of peoples favourite films of the year list I know it’ll be on mine for sure Bugonia is chaotic madness presented masterfully by Yorgos. I recommend if your a fan of his work or just great original storytelling go see this on the big screen. 

Two men abduct a powerful business woman under the impression she is an alien 

Rated R : Bloody Violent Content|Suicide|Grisly Images|Language

Jesse Plemons : Plemons delivers his finest work of his career with his turn in this film! Now as I said last year seeing him getting his first big lead role with Kinds Of Kindness was a big deal as he has for a long time has been playing supporting roles and he proved with his work in that he can anchor a film as the lead and here he shines amazingly as the lead of this film once again giving full confidence he is leading man material. Here he plays a man dead set on the notion that there is a woman that he has been following for a while is an alien that must be stopped. The film opens with lots of dialogue of why he thinks the way he does and we get a crack inside his brain of how he ticks and it is disturbing because their are so many people that do think the way he is speaking and their is so much reality in his performance. You can tell that what he has read on the internet has infected his way of thinking and going about his way of living we see that he is so confident in those topics because of his heavy research on it and by believing it heavily gives him a purpose as you can see in his eyes he is a lost soul that has a heavy amount of trauma and disguises it through his maddening obsession on this topic. When he abducts Emma Stone’s character at first we think he just grabbed her because he thinks she is an alien and has studied her for so long but as the film goes on we learn that they have a shared history between the two of them and the reasoning he targeted her could of been due to being emotionally motivated instead of it at first feeling like a isolated event. Jesse has perfected the ability to play these socially awkward characters that feel so uncomfortable in their skin but here he plays someone that has so many insecurities and at the core of it feels he has a handle on the situation when in reality he has no idea what he is doing and when Emma’s character calls him out on his lack of planning and sloppy execution he gets mad very easily as you can see he has a short temper that can’t take criticism. He thinks he has the upper hand in what is happening but since he is so off the deep end mentally what makes him scary is he will resort to psychical violence if it means it proves to her that he is in control and not her which is scary as it shows that he has no limit to what he can and will do to protect his pride. You can see in the way he looks that he feels so confident in the beginning but as the film goes on you can watch the layers of insecurity just shed off him like a snake and his patience and calm way of dealing with it become less and less and he starts cracking under the pressure leading to violent outbursts that make the situation only worse for himself furthering proving the point that he has no idea how to deal with what he chose to do. This character is so multi layered in insecurity and to a degree insanity as well and he didn’t just play him as this big terrifying antagonist but you can see that he took the approach of people that have been mentally unstable and clutch themselves to unhealthy things on the internet and then blow that up to a crazy degree and what would happen if someone acted on those ill thoughts and believed all these outlandish things and spoke it as if it was their truth. Jesse has this slow but gradual progression into mental madness and he cranks up the volume on it slowly but surely in a way that works for the film and is so incredibly emotionally affective in his screen delivery. I think the way he plays the character is brilliant and is his finest hour as An actor as he has so much to work with in terms of showing sides of who this person is and you can see the sheer amount of depth exploration that Plemons puts into the role is truly amazing. Jesse Plemons delivers a phenomenal performance of a man that starts as a guy that could not be rattled but then becomes sick with paranoia in his brain and the way Jesse shows that onscreen truly blew me away from his line delivery to the emotional vulnerability he presents from just the look in his eyes he is amazing here I really hope he gets award attention for his work in this film he is outstanding! 

Emma Stone : Stone gives another sensational turn with her partnership with Yorgos! These two have become such great collaborators and they creatively bring the best out of each other as once again Emma shines as this rich mogul that is thrust into a dangerous situation that she has to find a way out of without getting killed. Now I want to add Emma Stone has become one of my favourite actors working today she constantly finds characters that challenge her as an actress that raises the bar of what she can do each time which makes her so fun to watch their is really not any genre she can’t do. Here as mentioned she plays this rich mogul and when she is awakened in the basement to these two men that are under the impression she is an alien her first response is to get angry and try to tell them that their horribly mistaken and that the law enforcement will be knocking their door down any minute as she finds if she approaches it by instilling fear then that will get them to crack under the pressure of using her power status to intimate them. When she comes to the hard realization early on that tactic won’t work to her surprise as she thought it would scare them and when they are found to just laugh her off and go upstairs showing they are the ones in control she then goes to her second option which is desperation and she goes through many levels of emotional stages as the second one yeah was desperation as she begins to plea and beg to let her go and regardless how many tears she sheds or how she tries to reason with them she finds herself still cuffed to that bed and unable to go anywhere which then leads to her third attempt which is to play along and feed into their delusions when she starts cooperating and just begin agreeing that she is an alien they are at first not convinced and takes a lot for her to make them agree that she isn’t manipulating them but is she? She knows that these men are mentally not well and so why fight them when she can just try to agree for a while to talk her way out of it. She tries to be kind she really does but their is a moment where she gets into a heated disagreement with Jesse’s character over some past business they had with one another and it results in his hands being around her throat and after that moment she realizes this man’s violent outbursts has caused her to have to get out of there asap as she knows he will end her if it comes to it as at first she just he may never lay a hand on her but when that is proven false she then does her final attempt to find a way out which is shedding the begging and pleading and kindness persona and showing him that she is strong at heart and has never been weak and she has this monologue that feels 5 to 7 minutes long and it left my jaw on the floor as like I said when we first see her she is desperate but by the final act she makes Jesse full of self doubt and second guessing his moves as she proves to him he messed with the wrong person. What is so brilliant about Emma in this film is the many phases she goes through and how she is able to deliver such a powerful punch of emotion in each layer that is peeled back she brings such a amount of emotional grit to the role and again she gets so much to work with in terms of emotional range with this character. Emma is phenomenal and you can tell that upon the first night in that basement that she is someone that has the confidence Jesse’s character wishes he had and you can see the seeds of resentment grow from that first encounter. Emma Stone gives an emotional stability to Jesses’s madness which makes for a great acting showcase between the two onscreen the entire time. Emma Stone once again gives another terrific turn in this film that is among her best work she has ever done she is emotionally powerful in this film! 

Yorgos Lanthimos : Yorgos gives again another modern masterpiece with his work on this! Yorgos I will never stop gushing about his creative brain as he is one of the most imaginative creatives working today that finds such engaging stories that never feels like his previous films he is always giving fresh new takes with such unique looks on the human condition. Now again this could be his most polarizing film yet with the political take he has on it and some may say it is too heavy handed I don’t think so as I have not seen such a true and honest look at conspiracy theory to a psychotic degree shown like this before. He does not his punches he shows how mentally unstable, scary, and dangerous it can be when you let falsehoods from the internet become your version of the truth and then at the same time is Emma’s character being totally truthful we don’t know which then makes us what agree with Jesse’s character not exactly but it creates self doubt in both characters which makes for a more unpredictable ending. You have no idea how the film is going to shake out and I think Yorgos did a tremendous job at not letting people know where the plot was going to go keeping the audience on their toes the whole time. he does not spoon feed the audience and tell them who is right and who is wrong he is amazing at showing flawed characters and their actions but leaving it up to the viewer to decide if what their doing is wrong or not and the only other filmmaker that has perfected that is Scorsese. Yorgos explores paranoia, madness and what happens if someone was pushed too far to act on their own suspensions from what they read online and the way he delivers that is amazing and so well done as he also gets great performances from his lead actors while giving that signature Yorgos black comedy as well where you don’t if you should laugh at parts of the film but find yourself giggling. Yorgos once again proves why he is one of the most compelling voices working today and he has yet to find a genre he cannot tackle he loves exploring what makes people tick and here Bugonia is one of his finest films he just did a truly remarkable job.  

Good Fortune 

This film is one of the most heartwarming and wholesome films of the year that left me with a big smile on my face! I remember seeing the announcement of this casting when it went into production with the likes of Aziz Ansari, Seth Rogan and Keanu Reeves was such perfect casting as firstly we have not seen Keanu Reeves in a traditional comedy in quite some time. Not only is he good in this film he is the scene stealer of the picture and gives one of the finest performances of his career. The film packs so much heart and humour and I do feel with the release of all of the films that have come out this month this film will be looked over which is unfortunate  as it is a gem of a film. It feels like a modern take on Frank Capra’s Its a wonderful life and now I feel it does a great job at modernizing the message of that film here. Good Fortune is a wonderful time that has great laughs an amazing amount of heart and a lesson for the audience to walk away with.

Firstly, This film does have quite a lot of political and social issues woven into the narrative that some may feel is far to political for a comedy like this but I found it quite affective in it’s approach. Now the film talks very much about eat the rich in terms of it’s political message and for a lot of people they either will get behind it and see the huge significance  in that especially in the moment we are in right now or will not be invested in that entirely. For me I liked the fact the film was able to go those deep places with current political and social issues that do tackle it in a way that Is serious sure their is a comedic element to it but not in a way that undervalues the seriousness of the tone it is trying to set it with. The film talks about the Class differences between the working man and the rich 1% of the world that gets to enjoy the fine things in life with very little concern where majority of people have to scrap to get by and their is a serious sense of relatability for a ton of people in the conversation Then you also have the subject of treating service workers like human beings and not just disregarding them like their feelings don’t matter their is so much current political themes in this film that this film hits right on the head and I think delves into each single one masterfully. Some may as I mentioned will say it is too heavy handed I disagree I think Aziz Ansari did a tremendous job at balancing the comedy with the drama as the comedy never felt over the top or too cartoony but it also is not your straight forward drama either it was able to blend both elements that compliment one another really well. The film walks a fine line as I said between comedy and drama while also serving a ton of political and social messages throughout for the audience to relate to in a very authentic way. The sheer tone and way this film is done was greatly executed. 

Secondly, The performances of the whole cast was splendid! Now you have the likes of Aziz Ansari, Seth Rogan and Keke Palmer but the person that stole the show in terms of performance is none other then Keanu Reeves giving what I think may just be a top 5 all time performance from him! He channels a lot of Bill and Ted into his performance of Gabriel the angel while also showing that his man wears his heart on his sleeve. Their is not one moment when he is onscreen you get tired of him when he is offscreen your constantly waiting for him to show up again as the way Keanu explores the depths of this character is staggering and you can tell he is having a blast with this role. Keanu Reeves is sensational! Now Seth and Keke do a solid job for sure and the only gripe I would give the film is as well directed and written the film is I did not think Anziz had to star as the lead of the film as well he could of found another actor to play his part and it would of been just as affective. Now again the performance to walk away with that really blew me away was Keanu Reeves work in this. 

Lastly, Good Fortune is one of the funniest, charming and feel good films of the year! Keanu Reeves delivers one of his finest performances of his career and has electric chemistry with Seth Rogan and they make for such a fun comedic duo you never would have thought you needed they are amazing together onscreen. As the film delivers genuine laughs that work each time thanks to the great writing by Aziz Ansari but it also has a great amount of genuine heart that relates through the viewer of struggling to get by in a time where their is a divide between the rich and the blue collar workers and how their lives could not be further apart from one another and what would happen if they saw things from the other perspective from once. The film is hilarious, emotionally affective and one of my favourite films of the year I can see becoming a classic in no time Good Fortune is a great time that I can see myself revisiting multiple times over. I recommend anyone who loves films like the old fashioned early 2000’s comedies of that era will find a fantastic time with this picture. 

This film centres on two guys who couldn’t have more opposite lives with one running into hurdle after hurdle until s Guardian Angel steps in and swaps their lives to show them how the other side lives only for it to backfire 

Rated R : Some Drug Use|Language

Keanu Reeves : Keanu delivers one of the finest works of his career with his turn as Gabriel the angel in Good Fortune! Now I have been a fan of Keanu from when I was a kid to now and he has always constantly been around in terms of his films if it was the fun nature of Bill and Ted, the science fiction masterpiece that is the Matrix or the thrilling action franchise that is John Wick even his summer action blockbuster Point Break is one of my favourites of his. He has always delivered top notch quality films and I think I can speak for many when I say he is a favourite to watch onscreen regardless of what the role is he is just so charismatic  in whatever he does. Here he plays Gabriel an Angel with a heart of gold and the way that Keanu springs this character to life harkens back to the comedic roles he did in the late 80’s and early 90’s and you can see him channel that kind of personality for this role and it works beautifully. As I heard someone say “he acts as if Paddington bear was a human being” and that honestly sounds like the perfect description for his character as their is a childlike innocence he shows onscreen thorough the lens of this role that just makes you smile from ear to ear. As he constantly is worsening the situation for others and himself but has no idea he is as he means well he just has no idea how to go about things in a way that benefits himself and others as he thinks with his heart and not his head. For instance when he is punished for not doing his duties the way he is told to he is stripped of his powers and has to be a human until things are fixed and when he gets to explore the world as a human for the first time it is the most hilarious and heartwarming thing you’ll see onscreen. As in a way he is seeing the world for the first time as he has never had a meal, danced or enjoyed the basic things in life we take for granted in our day to day routine and the way Keanu goes about showing that through his performance is magnificent. He does not play this character as a one note performance as so many actors would have but he tries to explore the human element in someone that has never explored the human condition before and you see him go through moments of doubt and depression on himself and at times really beat himself up over the situation he is in as all the hardships do get to him eventually. Keanu goes through an amazing arc feeling the highs and lows of what it is to be human while also giving this golden retriever persona that is one of the most wholesome things you will see all year. Keanu’s comedic timing is also so freaking brilliant he knows exactly when a joke is the perfect place to hit and is executed amazingly well overall Keanu Reeves delivers what I truly thing is one of his finest hours onscreen in a performance I would rang among one of his all time best Reeves is a revelation in this film giving a comedically brilliant turn that will leave you warm and fuzzy.

Aziz Ansari : Aziz you can tell is tapping into A Wonderful Life and Trading Places with his film Good Fortune! Now he is not making a carbon copy of those two classic films but is giving his own spin on a genre that has been revisited many times over but he does it in a way that sure is familiar but is different enough in his presentation of it that keeps it fresh and new. The film does have at times a predictable outcome of where the characters end up but the performances are so good you’re willing to overlook the tropes that Aziz falls into. Now the only gripe I will give him is the fact he cast himself as the lead in this film he did a decent job directing and writing the film for sure but their was no need to have to throw himself as the lead of this film a good replacement he should of hired would of been Dave Franco but if you were to replace him as the lead and cast someone else it would not make any difference on how the film would of looked in some areas it would of improved as Aziz I find to be a far better creative behind the scenes that is not in front of the camera. I do though love his ability to craft a story that feels very much like the comedies of the early 2000’s we have not seen in a long time and the only other film that comes close to capturing that magic was Bottoms and No Hard Feelings. Now the film also is able to walk the great line between comedy and drama as he has some very social and political themes he wants the audience to take away from this and I thought it was greatly done. The casting of Seth Rogan and Keanu Reeves is truly amazing work and getting Keanu to play a guardian Angel is one of the best casting choices I have seen this year in a film. The film is able to deliver well earned laughs that work and don’t ever feel forced same goes for the dramatic weight of it was able to have great depths for the characters we follow through the course of the story. Aziz Ansari brings homage to films that came before it while also delivering a magnetic film that is destined to be a classic and will leave the audiences feeling good and learn a lesson or two along the way great writing and direction from Aziz Ansari.  

The Long Walk 

This film is my favourite Stephen King to screen Adaptation! Now I know that is a bold statement to make with films like Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, IT chapter one and I love all of those films hell even the Life Of Chuck was solid but what The Long Walk achieves so well is its ability to build amazing character development in a setting that for most would make it very dull and or boring but Francis Lawrence is able to infuse this blue knuckled terrifying atmosphere with just a long stretch of road and multiple characters and he builds upon it in a truly engaging way that keeps you wrapped up in each moment of the film and has you utterly terrified for the outcome of these characters. The Long Walk showcases great performances from the cast but the standout performances are Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson who both give sensational performances that will bring tears streaming down your face. The Long Walk is brutal, amazingly well acted and a film that will stay with you long after it is over. 

Firstly, This film has phenomenal pacing and the depths of emotion that are explored within the characters is tremendous. Now as I mentioned this film takes place all while their walking miles and miles to see who lasts the longest so the entire runtime is watching a bunch of young men walking on a road and they were able to find a way into the story to make that look and become thrilling. Not only is it a film that keeps you constantly on edge but it also explores the minds of these young men as all they have is each other on this long challenge ahead of them. Now the film delves into many of the secondary characters and not just the main ones which I appreciated as none of the characters in the entire story felt like throwaway characters whatsoever they all serve the plot in a way that is important and their arcs and meaning to the narrative all matter. They may not have as much screen time but enough that if they ever come into peril you are scared to see what may happen to them the ability to make the audience invested into each character was so smartly done. The two leads though are brought excellently to the screen by Cooper Hoffman and David Johnsson who both deal with their fair share of emotional baggage and the approach it took to unpacking what they individually go through to make us closer to them and seeing them bond and become in a way like brothers by the midpoint of the film was so moving. Because all of these men are in this pyshcially exhausting exercise that tests their limits and they all can bond over this that no one else can relate to and it makes them close very quickly due to the circumstances they find themselves in. The film discusses themes of Death, Family, Love and trying to be better then the life you had before starting this challenge and wanting to leave a positive impact if you become financially better off then some others. The way the creative team tackles all of this was so greatly done as it is not a horror film by any means but it is for sure shown through a lens of a dystopian future and the way the characters all interact with one another and discuss their thoughts on life and deep rooted topics seemed so organic and natural. It is able to discuss deep thought provoking discussions that will spark conversation and also be an edge of your seat thrilling film that has you guessing the whole time how the film is going to turn out. The way that it ebbs and flows through the violence and the smaller more intimate moments was greatly presented as the violence is shown in all the ugliness and brutality of it as they don’t want the audience to feel sheltered from it but to see up close how uncomfortable the situation is for these young men while also showing the mental toll it takes on them. The way the themes are explored and how well fleshed out the arcs of each character was done is masterfully executed by the creative team involved. 

Secondly, The performances from everyone in the cast is tremendous the standouts that really left an impression on me though was it’s two leads Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson. Cooper Hoffman gives a performance of emotional intensity that is brought on from emotional hurt in his past and you can see the bubbling frustration from him crack through his heart as the plot progresses. Hoffman is still a rising name and here he gives what I think his best onscreen work as of now and I cannot wait to see what he does going forward his chemistry with David is also incredible. Then you have David Jonsson who steals the film for me in terms of performance as he at first glance seems like this laid back guy who wants to enjoy this challenge while also being the one to relieve the tension but as the film goes on we see he has a terribly painful past full of trauma and the sheer amount of depth that David digs into with this character was amazing. He brings a subtle emotional depth that just leaves a huge impression on you and again David Jonsson blew me away with his work on this film. Everyone else in the cast are all solid but it is the two of its two main leads that will break your heart. 

Lastly, The Long Walk is the greatest Stephen King adaptation I have seen so far as the way Francis Lawrence made this film was greatly done. He never veers away from the brutality of it but faces it head on to show the ugliness of the situation and gets the audience to feel so attached to these characters through the amazing actors he cast to play them and all of which give solid performances. The film keeps you on your toes and also discusses things that will spark conversation between people The Long Walk is a masterful film that may just be the very best Stephen King adaption ever made and will go down as one of the years best pictures. 

This film centres around a bunch of young man with the challenge to walk as long as they can and whoever last the longest gets a huge prize of millions of dollars

Rated R : Pervasive Language|Grisly Images|Sexual References|Strong Bloody Violence|Suicide

Cooper Hoffman : Cooper delivers a sensational turn in this film that broke my heart! Now Cooper Hoffman has been slowly carving a name for himself within the industry in the last couple of years from his work in Paul Thomas Anderson films to the role he had in Saturday Night to now this and a lot of people are holding him up to the impossible standard of his dads shadow he now lives in which is no easy task. He plays the role of Ray who has been himself in this contest due to what he says is for his mother and himself to help them be better off but as the plot progresses we learn his real intentions of why he is their is far more personal and linked to the challenge then he lets on at first. Cooper is able to show this slow anger and frustration due to the brutality of what is going on around him start slowly affecting him more and more as the time goes by. He shows the sheer anxiety and stress that washes over his face as we see people getting knocked off as at first he is so hopeful but that light slowly becomes more and more faded as we see the mental and psychical toll it takes not just on his body but his heart. Cooper feels each line he delivers with such raw authentic emotional realness that hits you in the centre of your chest. Cooper brings ray to life with such emotional grit but we see he also has a tender heart as he thinks more with his feelings and not his head which is what gets him in trouble a good few times but I loved that though as he is not a one note character Cooper is able to explore the depths of this man’s heart and why he is here to start with. We see under the surface he is a person aching to have unfinished business be dealt with and we see to a degree how it has consumed him. Hoffman gives what I think is his most emotionally nuanced performance yet that shows so many sides of him we have yet o see him tap into before and it is for sure one of his strongest performances of his career and if this is just the beginning of his career I am so excited to see what lies ahead for him. You can see the ways he is trying to lift peoples spirits by the beginning and by the end he is just so done with it and seeing that light in his eyes slowly dim is just greatly captured by him and the way he brings this character to the screen is utterly heartbreaking and so so brilliant Cooper Hoffman delivers a truly tremendous performance that is among his best. 

David Jonsson : David gives one of the best performances of the year with his turn in the Long Walk! Now this actor I have been keeping an eye on since Rye Layne in 2023 and seeing him pop up in Alien Romulus and now with the Long Walk he has become one of my favourite actors working today! He has such a dominating charismatic screen presence that just oozes leading man quality. David plays this man named Pete who is more closed off then Ray is and their is something about how he carries himself that just makes him so intriguing as since Ray wears his heart on his sleeve he is more someone to just not talk about his past even though he wants to know more about Ray he is not great at revealing things of himself. We can see that he is aching to open up to someone but his faith in people has gone down to many years of being nothing but hurt by people he put his trust into but as we see he is sharing in a very intimate experience with Ray that many cannot relate too so he feels their is a sense of comfort in confiding in him emotionally which you can tell he does not do often. He has this laid back approach to talking to people as tensions are high but he tries to keep people’s anxieties at bay with helping in ways that he can to relive the thick tension going around them. But as the nights go on and it gets harder for him to stay hopeful he remains positive and when people are all grim around him he tries to find the beauty in such a dire situation. David Johnsson is a revelation in this film as he Also shares how he comes from a tough upbringing as well but does not want his hardships to define who he becomes going forward and the way he expresses his feelings about who he is touched me and is so moving. David lives and breaths this role to life with such emotional sincerity You can see in his eyes the pain and hurt he has gone through and how emotionally hesitant he is to open himself up to new people as he does not want to experience that pain all over again. David Jonsson is phenomenal in this film and for me was the scene stealer in terms of performance as he peels so many parts of this character back and revels his heart and the way he goes about showing it onscreen was just outstanding you can feel every ounce of emotion in either his eyes or through his line delivery he is fully deconstructing this character so the audience can get a full scope of who this guy is and by the end of the film you just want to hug him. David Johnsson delivers a performance that will rattle you to your core and is one of my favourite performances of the year he is truly tremendous. 

Frances Lawrence : This filmmaker did such a great job with The Long Walk now I have seen two films prior to seeing this film that this director has done which was Red Sparrow and the second instalment of the Hunger Games catching fire. I had not seen much from him in quite sometime so to see him take on a Stephen King adaptation really made me excited to see how he would tackle that. Now what I like with how he brought this beloved book to the screen was by not shying away from the ugliness of the situation what I mean is that when you see the young men get shot the camera never looks away to shield the audience from that moment of terrible violence it is close up and shown in all of its terrible nature so the viewer directly feels the uncomfortable nature that these people are going through. The film does not make the blood and violence seem cool or stylistic by any means but it is quick and brutal at times and the way that it is presented has you in shock. Then the way he takes on the character growth of these characters was amazingly well handled as the setting is not much it is just a stretch of road and somehow you have to make that entertaining and Francis Lawrence captured this sense of brotherhood and togetherness in how these men would rely on each other to stay alive for as long as they could. He gets amazing performances from each of his actors and he crafted this believable bond between them all that had you invested into what would happen to them. The deep themes of not letting your past trauma define your future self, knowing it is okay to open up to others in order to heal parts of you is beautifully discussed in this film and the way the conversations flowed about so many real world things was great as Francis was able to capture this sense of togetherness as I mentioned all the while their is this really tense situation going on and we have no idea who could be knocked off next but because he set up the characters so well and got us so invested into them when you see one of them go it makes it that more painful. Frances Lawrence did a amazing job at bringing this adaptation to the big screen as he explores so many great themes and also was able to make something that many would of struggled to be entertaining and turned it into a pulse pounding film that has paranoia and the sense of you not knowing what would come next he wove this story greatly onscreen to keep the audiences locked in the whole way through. I do think this is one of his strongest directed films that he has crafted and I would love to see him tackle another Stephen King adaptation as he has proven he can capture the tone and heart of what is required to successfully adapt one of his works overall Frances did a terrific job.  

One Battle After Another  

This film will be studied for decades to come! Now Paul Thomas Anderson people know is one of the greatest directors to ever work on the craft of filmmaking he constantly is finding new and creative ways to bring his stylistic stories to the screen. Here we have him covering the story of revolutionaries  that rise against the government and those that try to hold them down while also being a film that is about love and family Now this film has already caused waves in the film community for it’s craftsmanship and just the way the film is presented on a technical scale is truly breathtaking. It also will cause quite a stir in terms of its political stance and I think that is fine as this film does have quite a lot of political themes to it and it is able to poke fun at certain groups that take themselves far to seriously while also discussing the larger issue at hand and holding a magnify glass to it which I admired greatly. This has solid performances from top top to bottom and may be a top 3 best of all time from Paul Thomas Anderson this film is a masterpiece on every degree and at the core of it though it is about love and family and is able to show the tenderness among the chaos going on One Battle After Another is thrilling.   

Firstly, This film as I said will cause quite the impact with political parties due to the statement it makes with the film but I love Paul Thomas Anderson’s approach to it as he is able to show both the absurdity in it and show how odd it is while also showing the brutality of the situation that sticks with you. He holds no punches and shows it for how it is terrifying, at times oddly comedic in the way they take themselves too seriously but the film never veers into comedic territory it is able to walk a fine line between comedy and hard hitting drama. The film is so many things it blends genres of pulse pounding action, Espionage, comedy and then drama and all of them meld into each other in a way that compliments each other they never feel out of sorts even slightly. As Paul Thomas Anderson is able to play with the tones of this film so much but they all fall into place beautifully. The film takes on the backdrop of these revolutionaries that go to the absolute extremes at points to make their political message heard and then it is able to also operate as a father daughter dynamic film that is about wanting to show how one is committed to a loved one and how far your willing to go to show that person you care. Now the pursuit of getting to that final frame is the fun part as the journey to it is a hell of a ride as Paul Thomas Anderson and the whole team involved created this manic and high wired act that crackles in every frame that you have no idea what is going to be thrown at you next in terms of conflict for the characters. The film many will find comedy within the material but the laughs come out of those serious moments snd large part due to the way Paul Thomas Anderson writes dialogue in such a sharp way that can mix comedy and drama and have the audience laugh at things that one normally wouldn’t laugh at but due to the high tense situation he makes it okay for you to laugh at the absurdity of the situation only other two filmmakers I know that can do that well is Scorsese and Tarantino. The film is able to show the divided times between political power and wanting to just be left alone but having to rise up against said authority  when they won’t let people just be. Like I said this film will for sure have a massive affect on people who just wanna call this over political garbage as a way to just make a excuse for themselves because they see themselves too much in the material. It is a film that will be deconstructed and spoken in detail for years to come due to the way the themes are approached and also how all the genres overlap itself in such a well thought out way that just works. Paul Thomas Anderson gives us one of his most politically driven films that swings for the fences and it hits all the marks of one of his most complex films to date with rich writing and terrific exploration of so many themes. 

Secondly, The performances from the whole cast is amazing! First off I wanna give a huge shoutout to Chase Infiniti who makes her first screen performance in this film who is and she gives a terrific performance that goes toe to toe with Leonardo DiCaprio which is no easy feat and she brings this emotional vulnerability and conflicting nature of her place in the world with such fierce passion. She is a force to be reckoned with and gives one of the strongest debut performances I have seen this year next to Miles Caton’s from Sinenrs. I cannot wait to see what is in store from her going forward as she is a natural onscreen and rips through each frame with burning emotion. Then you have Teyana Taylor who plays a brief but deeply impactful role that is brought to the screen with such grit and charismatic energy that you cannot look away. I thought she would be in the film for a lot longer but she has limited screen time but for the scenes she is in she makes quite the impact as when she is onscreen you wanna see more of her due to the great impression she leaves onscreen. She plays this character with such a tough skin that makes it hard for her to open up and express her feelings and she conveys that emotional confusion of the character so well in the limited screen time we get of her. Then their is Sean Penn who plays this racist terrifying villain that is both comedic in many ways without him ever seriously trying a lot of the laughs towards his character comes out of the over the top serious nature of how he goes about trying to tear this family apart. He never makes the performance jokey but is able to dig the character in very serious roots and then have comedy arise out of it in moments which is greatly timed. Sean Penn gives one of his finest onscreen performances with his work in this film as the military man that will stop at nothing to find these revolutionaries.

 Lastly you have the man of the hour Leonardo DiCaprio who gives one of his finest actors as a perfumer in this film he most definitely is  bunching from comedic to dramatic constantly and it jells so well for him as the only other performance that reminds me of his work in this is Wolf Of Wall Street which he also was able to balance the seriousness of it and the over the top nature of it and channel it greatly into his performance which he does once again here playing this over paranoid father that will do anything to keep his daughter safe. DiCaprio gives a sensational turn that is among one of the strongest of his career and one that will be for sure remembered comer award season. everyone in this whole cast all does amazing work even Benicio Del Toro who has a small role but has such a fun time in the film for the time he has their is no weak link in the cast each actor made themselves in ways that made their character memorable.   Lastly, One Battle After Another is one of the best films of the year that tackles serious issues about immigration, Military intimidation and the pursuit of what a father will do to keep his daughter safe as I mentioned this film is very chaotic with how wild the story is but it never looses sight of the intimate nature of what makes this film really connect on a human level and how at it’s roots it is about the human condition and love. Paul Thomas Anderson makes his most ambitious film yet as he has never really delved into the world of politics in the way he has here and some will be split in their thoughts on it but I like that though as it shows that he is willing to really go for it and not always play it safe but have a film with a message and at this point in his career he didn’t have to but he is still finding new ways to entertain audiences in his presentation of storytelling and One Battle After Another is one of his best works to date both from a direction and writing point of view. The film is chock full of great performances and explores the complex nature of the polarizing political times we are in while still giving audience a great sense of escapism in his work. Once Again One Battle After Another is one of his finest works he has put to the screen and if you can see this film on the largest screen you possibly can. I Recommend anyone who is a fan of his films to check this out as it deserves to be seen in a theatre.   

This film centres around a man who was a revolutionary back in the day and his past catches up to him and he must act in order to find his daughter who is in danger   

Rated R : (Pervasive Language|Drug Use|Sexual Content|Violence) 

 Leonardo DiCaprio : DiCaprio gives his finest work well since Killers Of The Flower Moon! Now I always say when I review his performances it is the best work he has given since his previous performance because he always finds ways of topping his previous work. Here he plays a father who has been out of the loop as he used to be heavily involved as a political revolutionary back in the day. Years have gone by and now he has become incredibly paranoid. He is very worried at all times where his daughter is, who she is with, when she will be back as when he was in that past life their was a general lockjaw who he and his wife royally pissed off and not to his knowledge has had a personal vendetta on him and his family since then. What makes DiCaprio’s performance so memorable is his ability to channel this character that is both a paranoid overly cautious man that just wants to live his life but when circumstances become dire and he has to spring into action you see that man that was the revolutionary back in the day spring into action and that part of his brain just ticks back open. Now that is where also the Comedy comes in as he has no idea how to operate in that lifestyle anymore because he hasn’t been involved into it for so long. We see the stress of the situation constantly stressing him out as he is mad at himself not knowing the basic information of how to do these things but he puts himself through the ringer cause he knows his daughter’s safety is important and he will go through whatever stress he has to in order to get to her. Their are again many moments of comedy that is taken out of the dramatic moments and it also is due to the great timing DiCaprio has and knows when how to delver a line with comedic lightness and it worked so well. He plays this burnout dad that has his heart in the right place but is a walking panic attack essentially. DiCaprio surrenders himself to the material and gives a tender, comedically well timed, dramatically deep performance that has serious heart in it and I think it is among one of his best performances because of the great layers of this character he gets to peel back and present so many sides of him. You can see as the film goes on he just starts freaking out more and more as he became a paranoid dad but now all of his concerns have come true and he just wants his daughter home and safe but he knows he has to deal with some unfinished business he thought he laid to rest many years ago. He was a man that was razor sharp focused in the battle of political combat but has since then fried his brain with drugs and booze and Leonardo presents this high octane version of himself where he is constantly on edge and it works so well for this character and it just makes him pop onscreen. Leonardo DiCaprio is a tour de force in this film and soaks in the character from head to toe and gives a staggering performance that is truly outstanding!  

Paul Thomas Anderson : Paul gives one of his strongest films of his career with his work on this film! Now PTA is one of the best singular visual artist working today that has such a distinct style and an amazing body of work that whenever he comes out with a new film people will check it out due to his name being attached to it. He has given so many amazing films over the years and here he gives his most politically charged film yet with One Battle After Another! His last film we saw was a coming of age story about love in LA and here we see him go deep into the political arena with a film about revolutionaries. We see him discuss themes of immigration, political intimidation and retaliation to authority. In a very difficult time politically we are in at the moment this film rings true to a lot of the struggles going on at the moment and it will for sure spark conversation about what he is saying through the film. That being said he also shows the absurd nature of it to a degree and pokes fun at certain political groups and is it subtle? No not really but I respect Paul for going for the jugular like that and really going for it and making a political point with his themes of this film. He also has a great amount of heart and humility in the picture as their is a great message of a father going to no end to ensure the safety of his kid and working tirelessly to make sure she is okay so with all the political stuff going on at the heart of it the film is about a fathers love for his kid. Now their are a ton of other things going on for instance their is a great sequence involving Del Toro going through a building evacuating people in one of the most thrilling sequences of the film but for me the biggest most eye popping sequence of the film Paul showed was a car chase sequence that is among one of the greatest things I have seen filmed all year that left me speechless in the way he crafted it and left me on the edge of my seat the whole team. He also has the antagonist be a military man and yes we have seen that before but he also uses him as a mentor for government intimidation but also their are bits of racism woven into his character as well he is a very complex person and he explores that greatly though that character over the course of the film. Their are some people that will not like this film for the sheer fact that it is politically driven but I respect it because he hasn’t really swung this hard with a strong message in terms like this before with his storytelling and at his age to still wanting to delve into topics he has never done before and keep audiences on their toes with what he does next I find so exciting. He is still finding new avenues and ways of how to explore characters and themes he has yet to delve into. This film has great comedy, action and dramatic depth that will touch your heart it is among one of his best films ever put to screen and Paul Thomas Anderson did a magnificent job!