Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

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! 

Caught Stealing 

This film is both a perfect blend of homage to two separate filmmakers in the best way. Now Darren Aronofsky has crafted a film that melds both of those in a way that dose not feel in any way like a rip off or remake but is very much it’s own thing. The film is a melting pot of all the great things that come to memory of 90’s crime thrillers of that decade and it feels like time capsule of a film we don’t really get anymore and it is a pressure cooker of a film that revolves around maybe 3 days and the suspense and pressure of what happens to this guy just continuously gets worse and worse and we as the audience have to see how he can get himself out of this tricky situation. Caught Stealing is a film that is a callback to old cinema crime thrillers of the past while giving viewers an experience that will have them on the edge of their seat the entire way through. 

Firstly, The film does not have a ton of character depth for the supporting characters that surround the main character but this is a film that does need to as the pacing of this film is so rapid fast their are big names in this film that contribute greatly to the screen with their characters for the amount of time they have. For instance Matt Smith is amazing in the film but maybe has 15 minutes of screen time for the entire film but once he leaves the frame you ache for more but I love how they perfectly placed each actor in this film as they all help move the plot along even if they aren’t in it for long. The film has themes of Trauma, addiction, family and owning up to your past and it is greatly shown in emotionally raw detail the way Darren has perfected the craft of showcasing that in his films over the years. The film shows bits and pieces of this nightmare that Austin Butler’s character has throughout the film that calls back to something traumatic that happened to him and he does not talk about it or emotionally open up about it until much later but the whole arc of that was greatly shown through the course of the film and the way it was handled by Austin onscreen was amazing. The tone and style of this is hard to put into words but I keep coming back to punk rock as that is what the characters and overarching tone feels to me like a punk rock dialled up to the loudest frantic feeling that has you not knowing what will come in the next few minutes for these characters. the viewer will have no idea that comes around the next corner as it keeps you on your toes the entire time and keeps you guessing on how this film will wrap up. The film is a frantic high octane film that has you stressing out about Austin’s character until the final frame and the way the film just progressively escalates and we see things just getting harder for him worked so well as we see how his character acts in these emotional tough situations which presents Butler in places emotionally we had not seen him tap into before to this extent. The film also has a great sense of comedy that arises out of the seriousness of the situations he is constantly finding himself in and it is done in a very dry way that works and never felt out of place. The comedic wit and seriousness of the film compliment each other that is why so many will draw comparisons to films like Snatch and the Gentlemen due to the witty crime nature of the film that Guy Ritchie has perfected. The whole creative team involved did a great Job at evolving this troubled main character and fleshing him out greatly on an arc that has you rooting for him and seeing all these wild characters that surround him that are also as interesting and many are scene stealers in their own right but again the film gives this old rugged look at filmmaking in the crime action category we don’t really see anymore and you can feel the passion pouring out of Darren Aronofsky who captures the paranoia and troubled youth of this character amazingly onscreen. Overall the tone and the way this film is structured is so fun and fast paced it moves a mile a minute in the best way possible while also delving into deep rooted themes that are shown in very emotionally honest ways. 

Secondly, The cast of this film is huge and all of them contribute greatly to the film in their own special way! Now the film of course revolves around Austin Butler who I think gives one of his strongest performances we have seen so far in a role that has him go through the full spectrum of emotions and we see him rattled to the core of how the situation he is thrust into impacts him. The highlights that stood out for me in the great cast was firstly Matt Smith he plays this over the top shady character who is not really in the film for much he maybe shares 15 minutes of screen time but when he is onscreen he lights up the frame with his great onscreen presence and commanding charisma. He plays this fast mouthed witty personality that is dealing with some questionable characters but we don’t learn that until much later he walks into the scene in the beginning with such energy you can’t help but want to see more from him. He does show up later on but disappears shortly after he comes back and they had the perfect amount of length for his character as he was great in small amounts and when he was offscreen he made you want to see more of him as he leaves such a lasting impression in the film. You can clearly see Matt Smith having the time of his life letting loose and playing this unpredictable character that does and says what he wants when he wants and we never fully know the extent of who he is and I love that. Matt Smith delivers a hilarious and memorable performance to this film that I would say is among one of my recent favourites of his. Then you have Zoe Kravitz who plays in many reasons the voice of reason for Austin Butler’s character. Austin’s character does not listen to her advice despite her many efforts to try to help him and Zoe Kravitz’s character clearly wants to go deeper into the relationship they have and not have it be just psychical but have it go somewhere on an emotional level and she voices that to him in a great scene early on. If he listens is one thing but she voices what she values in a relationship and sure Zoe is not in the film a great deal but the reason he thinks with his heart in many ways is in large part due to how she got him to open up as before her he was a very closed off person that held things close to the chest. Zoe brings an emotional guidance for him while also doing her best to flesh her out as much as she can in this small part she has she did a great job! Then you have the star of the film Austin Butler who I think gives one of his finest performances of his career with his work on this film. He packs such an emotional punch in this film cementing himself as a bonafide movie star that isn’t just a pretty face but can actually show quite an amazing range and is a force to be reckoned with in the new wave of actors being ushered in Butler is sensational! Now the rest of the cast of the film is superb but the main person that walks away with this film in term of performance is Austin Butler. 

Lastly, Caught Stealing is one of the best crime Thrillers I have seen all year! Darren Aronofsky has crafted an homage to a old school way of filmmaking that we don’t see anymore within this genre while Also serving up fresh ways of presenting his plot without it falling into the tropes and stereotypes of this genre that has been visited to many times over. It has great thrills and twists and turns and brings you places narratively you don’t see it going along with truly hilarious comedy that is placed in the right areas for it to work. It has the style feel Of Scorsese’s After Hours and Wit of a Guy Ritchie film with a truly well centred performance by Austin Butler Caught Stealing is one of the most energetic crime thrillers I have seen all year and one I can see becoming a classic in years from now. I recommend anyone who again is fans of Scorsese and Guy Ritchie to check this film out it very much feels in the same vein of both filmmakers while still being it’s own thing.

This film surrounds around a troubled young man who is told to look after his neighbours cat for the weekend but when people from his neighbours life come knocking he quickly learns he has been brought into a situation he couldn’t of expected. 

Rated R : (Some Sexuality/Nudity|Pervasive Language|Brief Drug Use|Strong Violent Content

Austin Butler : Butler delivers what I think is his best onscreen performance yet and yes even better than his work in Elvis! Now here’s the thing he really blew up in 2022 with Elvis as his performance from that film was the talk of the film and well deservingly so as his hard work and dedication to bring the king of Rock and Roll to life was no easy task and he gave a sensational turn in that film their is no disputing that. That being said he has slowly but surly been building an amazing body of work since then from Dune part II, the Bikeriders, his small role in Eddingtion to now Caught Stealing he has been constantly finding new roles that challenge him as an actor to stretch his emotional abilities with new characters. Here he plays this guy who is just getting by but we learn he was a baseball prodigy that lost his shot at the big times due to a tragic accident he went through many years earlier and so that is why he is working at a bar and has a small apartment and has a girl he sees when he can having this quiet life that you can clearly see he enjoys. It isn’t until his neighbour goes away for a weekend and asks him to watch his cat that things start to shake up his life in ways he couldn’t even imagine and when two thugs show up demanding answers he is thrown in a whirlwind constantly trying to find answers to piece together what is happening and from that moment on his situation we see just gets progressively worse and harder and he is met with emotionally gutting moments that would break most people. We see throughout the film he is having night terrors and seeing an accident play out in these nightmares but their fragments of bits and pieces and isn’t until much later we learn what that is and I love the whole aspect of that being a full arc for his character to come to terms with. His girlfriend even has a moment where she tells him flat out that she wants a relationship that will have deep connection and not just be psychical  love and he has a tough time communicating his feelings to her as he is a pretty guarded guy which only his relationship with her become strained due to his lack of clear commutation to her about his feelings towards her. He has so much bad things happen to him one after the other their comes a moment when he is on the beach and just punches his leg over and over and just lets out this blood curling scream coming deep from his soul letting out all of that pain he has just been getting crushed by for the last couple of days and you can feel every ounce of it in that moment. Austin Butler brings this emotional restraint to the role for a good half of the film and as the film progresses the film peels layers back of why he holds so much to his chest. He has been plagued by tragedy early in his life and seeing him deal with all this stuff only makes him have to revisit those old feelings and in many ways have to deal with his untreated trauma.  Their is a moment where he comes to term with his past in a great full circle moment later on but again Austin shows such fierce emotional rawness and he bears his soul onscreen in ways we have not seen him do before and I love that he just plunged himself emotionally into this character to keep raising the bar on what he can do as an actor. He goes through the full spectrum of emotional hardships from denial, sadness, being totally numb, anger and then acceptance and Austin is able to channel each emotion with such great believability through his speech and his body language he Is truly fantastic in this film. I cannot stop praising his work In the film I also have said and I stand by this his work in this film also shows he is not just a pretty faced actor but is a legitimate actor with great range and versatility as he stretches himself from both ends emotionally to give audiences complex characters and here he shows he is a bonafide movie star. Austin shines in this film when he is constantly knocked on his ass multiple times he gets up and finds a way out of this tough spot he finds himself in and the way he brings this emotional tenderness through this character was brilliant and I think it is his finest work we have seen from his so far Austin is amazing in this film! 

Darren Aronofsky : Darren gives his nod to 90’s crime thrillers of the heyday with his work on this film! Now I have been following this director ever since 08’s the Wrestler and ever since I saw that film I have constantly loved his approach to storytelling and his ability to show characters at their most vulnerable. As he has tackled some incredibly hard subjects in his films and here I will say it is the most lighthearted he has been in terms of emotional exploration if that makes sense. As I mentioned he has gone to some very dark places tone wise in the past and here he still has some very deep tones but not to the extent of his past work. He is having fun creating a crime caper that is about a guy who’s back is constantly against the wall and has to find his way out of a very hard situation and as I mentioned earlier you can feel the homage to Scorsese’s After Hours and I know their will be tons of companions to that film and the style of Guy Ritchie’s snappy dialogue in this film. It never felt like a rip off of his other colleagues other work but more of a tip of the hat as this film is still very much his own and I love that he went for an approach that is very kinetic and fast paced with over the top characters that never feel cartoony but have a great deal of comedic value to them for the audience to laugh at through the serious moments as a breather. Their are so many big names in this film and a ton of colourful characters that all give great impressions on the screen but they never overstay their welcome they help push the story forward and then they leave like Matt Smith his character is so wild and fun but we don’t see a ton of him he rather leave the audience wanting more and not grow sick of him by having him in for too long I respect that. The film deals with alcoholism, numbing ones pain in order to not deal with the past but ultimately having to confront one’s past in order to move past it. As the Austin Butler character has never been the same since the accident he had earlier in his life and that gets explored In great detail but what is so great about his arc is he constantly shuts down about his pain on the topic until later on you can see he has to deal with it or else he will never ever be out of pain because of it. The film also has great comedic relief their is some genuinely great laughs that emerge from the serious moments or the actors themselves having great timing in when to give a joke and it never makes the serious scenes feel deflated by the comedy but it works for this type of film that they are going for that is able to balance drama and comedy in a perfect blend in the way Snatch or the Gentleman does. Seeing a fun crime caper film like this we don’t really see on a large scale like this anymore and I love that Darren wanted to recapture the magic of that genre once again and I think he did a terrific job at it giving one of his most lighthearted but still deep films where audiences can have fun but still feel emotionally moved Darren soars once again with another greatly directed film. 

Weapons 

This is one of the most brilliant Horror films I have seen all year! Now Zack Cregger gives us the follow up to his horror breakout film Barbarian with this fresh new story called Weapons which was a terrific follow up to his previous film. As this picture cements himself as one of the best original voices in the horror genre that is among one of the best filmmakers working today. As what stands out greatly about this film is the ability to think you know where the story will go and then it goes in a totally different direction you never expected. This film keeps you on edge from the first frame to it’s final shot Weapons will stay with you long after it is over and it is one of the most brilliant films within the genre I have seen all year from Writing, performance, score and direction Weapons is a terrific film that I can easily see being on people’s favourites of the year. 

Firstly, Now this film is going to be talked about I feel all year for how it can be interpreted with the story. The film is told in a non linear form of storytelling which I love as their are some films that use that way of narrative explaining that works and some they just do it for a stylistic way but it does not work for that specific kind of story here it works in the best ways. As they sync up previous character arcs with the next so it feels like it comes back around to the exact same moment again and the film follows multiple adults within the backdrop of kids who one night just went missing and it takes place a month after the occurrence happened and the strain emotionally and mentally it has taken on the people closest to the kids. The film has this dreading feel to each frame you can sense within how each character carries themself as Judy Gardner has developed a drinking issue due to her stress, Josh Brolin has become utterly obsessed with finding someone to Balme in an attempt to find answers and we see all of these people’s stories overlap with each other. The way the film deals with the loss of a child and the sense of not knowing what to do in those uncertain times is greatly brought to the screen. The film is much different then Barbarian his last film but I will say that film made such a huge impact on the success of this film because that previous film was so different stylistically and the way that it approached it’s storytelling made such a impression on audiences people have been aching to see what he has in store for his latest film and Weapons does not disappoint if anything he has outdone himself in terms of growth as a filmmaker since then. This film has stronger character growth, tighter writing both for the narrative and its characters and the performances are so damn good from everyone involved. Weapons has this eerie presence always lurking in the frame and it is able to greatly discuss the grieving process of loss and how it effects others in different ways and the many shapes and forms that can take on the human spirit. There is horror and scary elements for sure but for me the quiet moments about the character’s pain and how they go about dealing with it stuck with me longer than the horror aspect of the film. It walks a great line between social commentary and also giving those chills and thrills we expect from this type of film and it has so much to say to the audience I am so happy to see this film spark serious conversations as their is so much to think about when walking away from this. The way Zach Cregger approached this film in terms of style, writing and direction was masterfully brought to the screen in what I think is his best written film yet and the reason why this film stands out so much and is getting so well received is due to the incredible way this film was put together creatively. 

Secondly, The performances from the whole cast is amazing! So first off they’re Julia Garner who gives a sensational turn as a woman who is falling out emotionally every passing day due to the overwhelming emotional distress she is put under by the entire town. Julia Garner shows this woman who is just wanting the kids to be alright like the rest of them but is an unfortunate target due to the public thinking she had a hand in their disappearance. Overall Julia Garner gives an emotionally devastating and raw performance that stays with you. Then their is Josh Brolin and if she embodies the sadness and emotional weight of hurt by what is going on his character is the embodiment of anger of the parents as he wants his kids back like everyone else but just like when a child goes missing parents will do things they normally don’t do in order to get answers. Josh Brolin targets Julia’s character as he thinks she is hiding things and you can see the sheer seething anger in his eyes and the determination for him to find his child and Brolin brings the required emotional depth to properly bring this character to the screen and show the sheer emotional frustration he goes through he is absolutely terrific. Then lastly there is Amy Madigan who brings a terrifying and relaxed presence to the screen that sent chills through my spine. She has this command to the screen she is in that you have not any idea what she will do or say next and she does the most horrifying things with a grin on her face and soft spoken tone and it makes for a much more terrifying performance then if she was to be constantly screaming or yelling her calm like state while doing terrible things was so unsettling. Her supporting turn in this was a scene stealing performance that will be talked about all year in terms of horror films that just sticks with you she is a highlight of the film and one of the strongest parts of the film. The whole cast is terrific there is no weak link in the entire film all of them give their absolute all. 

Lastly, Weapons is one of the most layered and well structured horror films that stays with you long after it is over. You can see Zach Cregger has grown greatly as a filmmaker since Barbarian and has woven deep rooted themes in this film for people to pick about and study for years to come while still giving those signature scares he is known for without just feeding the same thing we have already seen. This non linear picture is about grief, desperation and what lengths parents would go to in order to get answers to find their child with supernatural elements wrapped around it as well and all of it is greatly explored. Weapons is by far one of the best horror films of the year and the sheer writing that is behind it is one of the defining reasons why this film is so damn good Weapons is phenomenal! I recommend anyone who enjoyed Zach Cregger’s previous film Barbarian to check this out as he serves another dish of great horror and social commentary messages once again. 

This film revolves around the disappearance of a classroom of children who one night went missing never to be seen again and after a month of them being gone we see the impact of their disseverance has had on the town around them

Rated R : for strong bloody violence and grisly images, language throughout, some sexual content and drug use.

Julia Garner : Julia Garner is freaking brilliant in this film! Now there are tons of great characters in this but the way she goes about exploring her character’s arc really left an impression on me! She has had quite the year with this and Fantastic Four this summer she is on quite the hot streak. She plays this teacher that is dealing with being hated on by the entire town as they think she knows why the kids went missing and has all the answers when in reality she is as confused and lost as everyone else is. She has no idea why they all one day got up and left and she feels this need to talk to the one kid that didn’t go missing but the school and parents have said it’s in her best interest to have distance between the two and not engage with the kid as he also has gone through a lot emotionally and is trying to navigate his feelings through what has happened. You can see the emotional stress just crushing her heart from the inside out as she resorts to drinking to numb the pain she has dealt with for over a month now and lives very much in isolation and does not talk to people as she think she will be screamed at if she engages with anyone or scolded in some way. We see the life totally drained from her as she can’t take anyone else thinking she is this terrible person and Julia has a great way of conveying so much of what her her heart is saying through her eyes and that turmoil she is experiencing without having to say much words. She feels in a way she has to prove to people she is not crazy or did not do anything wrong by those kids and even if it means not listening to people that advise her to stay away she will do what she has to in order to find out what happened to these kids. As she lives in fear each night as her car gets vandalized she feels like she is always being watched and knows that is no way to live so she has to do something about it and move the eyes off her as she can’t take it anymore. Julia Garner brings this tragic person who seems like a good person that is going through a tough time to the screen in a heartbreaking realness that just makes you feel for her and want to hug her. She has this weight on her chest and brain that is eating at her as she is on the verge of tears in the film almost constantly and it isn’t to feel pity but to understand that a human being can only endure so much hate from people until they feel suffocated and paranoid that they could be hurt from such hatred and the way she wraps herself in that within the role really was striking and she goes through emotional hell and we see her just in the purest way wanting to know the kids are okay. She has no bad intentions like the town is painting her to be and the emotional vulnerability she brings to the character is astonishing Julia Garner is the lead of this film I would say and out of her two performances this and Fantastic Four she blew me away with her work on this as she just chews up the scenery and owns every scene she is in. Garner shines in this film delivering a devastatingly brilliant turn in what I think is one of her strongest performances to date. 

Zach Cregger : Cregger delivers a film that will studied for years due to the complexity of the story he has created! Now he has grown hugely since his work in Barbarian and has cemented himself as one of the best voices in horror for this decade! Now when he made Barbarian many had never heard his name before so the impact of his last film was huge as so Many people saw that film due to the positive word of mouth. Here he paints a film about children disappearance and the maddening affect it has on parents when they are gone for a long time with no answers. As yes this is a picture that has scares and horror but it is more of a psychological horror and not your traditional spooky flick it has quite a lot of commentary to say about the strain it takes on a parents heart when their child is gone and the sheer unusual activity they would do to find them. The film does still give the dark and terrifying scares you’d expect but he does not want to just repeat that he has already done he tries to find new ways into the horror genre he has yet to explore which I greatly admire. He is trying to show how each parent and adult is dealing with the impact of the situation and how emotionally their carrying themselves and putting in under the landscape of a horror setting I think is a great use of this topic as in so many ways it is horrific. Then he throws in supernatural elements that mixes in with the drama to heighten the suspense of the first theme and has this eerie feeling to it that just works and the sense of dread lingers in each shot of the film. Zach Cregger is able to have hard discussions about erratic behaviour adults do in order to find their kids but also is Able to work even deeper to show the depths of grief desperation and anger that comes along with that and then adding as I said scares to it makes it pop in such a engaging way. I think this is far better then Barbarian which is a huge compliment as a I loved that film when I saw it when it came out and he has outdone himself for sure and he is only getting stronger as a filmmaker. I can see this film getting dissected and analyzed to the 100th degree due to the many messages in the film which will spark deep conversations about it which I love and I cannot wait to see what he does next. His ability to insight terror in the audience with limited blood and gore but just from the impeccable story he lays out for the audience is so impressive it is the same kind of storytelling Jordan Peele does where it is more psychological terror and it is so effective in it’s execution overall Zach Cregger has crafted one of the best horror films of the year and a film with such multi layer complexity that is astonishing.