Change Your Image
danieljfarthing
Reviews
Blitz (2024)
Engaging & educational Brit WWII drama with a Disneyesque simple plot
In writer / director Steve McQueen's Brit WWII drama "Blitz" young Elliott Heffernan (on his debut) is evacuated from London's East End during Nazi Germany's 1940 intense bombing... but he jumps the train to try getting back to mum Saoirse Ronan (good again) & grandad Paul Weller (also on his debut) - and on his adventure crosses good guys (like Benjamin Clémentine) and bad (like Stephen Graham, Kathy Burke & Christopher Chung). The plot is Disneyesque simple (padded with supports from the likes of Joshua McGuire & Harris Dickinson) but the detailed way London during The Blitz is depicted lifts it greatly. It's an engaging & educational film.
We Live in Time (2024)
Heavily-schmaltzed Brit rom-drama that forces its sentimentality in a way some genre fans will love
Director John Crowley's heavily-schmaltzed Brit rom-drama "We Live In Time" covers the gamut of Andrew Garfield & Florence Pugh's relationship from 'meet cute' thru parenthood to 'tear jerk ending' (for those with easily jerkable tears) via Nick Payne's cleverly chopped non-linear screenplay (the film's strongest aspect). Along the way there are some strong scenes (like an incredibly visceral 'birth' scene - with Kerry Godliman cameo) but overall it's relatively niche, and will appeal mainly to those who love the way the likes of "The Notebook" force the sentimentality with over-cooked dialogue & performances. Those who love it will love it, but beware, it won't be for all.
Meantime (1983)
Bleakly authentic blue-collar Brit drama honing in on life's miserable futility
Prolific writer / director Mike Leigh's 2nd ever film was 1983's "Meantime", studying the bleak East End London council estate existence of teen brothers Phil Daniels & autistic Tim Roth (excellent), their folks Jeffrey Robert & Pam Ferris, aunt & uncle Marion Bailey & Alfred Molina, and pals inc Gary Oldman (great) & Tilly Vosburgh. That's a bangin' cast (with the likes of Peter Wright in support) on fine early career form... to ultimately conclude (it seems) that life sucks. Like America's Edward Burns, Leigh crafts authentic depictions of blue-collar life - but while Burns focusses on its warmth & camaraderie, Leigh hones in on its miserable futility... which is a crying shame.
Starve Acre (2023)
Disappointing '70s-based Brit folk-horror that falls (almost farcically) flat
In '70s-based Brit folk-horror "Starve Acre" Matt Smith (rising star) & Morfydd Clark move into the titular farmstead on the bleakly beautiful Yorkshire moors - where ancient supernatural forces stir. Second-time writer / director Daniel Kokotajlo draws on inspirations like Stephen King (with hints of "The Shining" & "Pet Sematary") and older genre greats like "The Wicker Man"... but lives up to none of them, as his tale flattens before ever taking off, and though the atmospheric music is superb the action on screen never matches it (becoming laughably farcical in the end). It has a couple of bright elements, but "Starve Acre" is ultimately a major disappointment. Flush it.
I'll Be Right There (2023)
Wonderfully warm gentle triumph of a blue-collar drama
In wonderfully warm blue-collar drama "I'll Be Right There" middle-aged mum Edie Falco struggles under the weight of constantly running around her NY-state small-town after her mum (Jeannie Berlin) and her two young-adult kids (Kayli Carter & Charlie Tahan) that ex-hubbie Bradley Whitford's no help with. She's also juggling romantic relationships with Michael Rapaport (always great), Sepideh Moafi, and maybe even Michael Beach... it's all a bit much! Thru Falco's terrific performance, Jim Beggarly's pitch-perfect screenplay, & Brendan Walsh's rich direction, it is a gentle triumph - but will probably become a largely undiscovered gem. Discover it - it rocks.
The Buckingham Murders (2023)
Disappointingly flat Brit crime drama infused with Bollywood talent
In crime drama "The Buckingham Murders" DS Kareena Kapoor (under Keith Allen & Ash Tandon) probes the High Wycombe murder of a 10yr old Sikh boy, for which a Muslim teen is prime suspect. Writers Aseem Arrora, Raghav Raj Kakker, & Kashyap Kapoor weave strands of racial tension, grief (as Kapoor recently lost her own son), domestic abuse, forbidden love, & the drug trade... but none have enough deprh or gripping strength, particularly under Hansal Mehta's tv-standard direction and with some of the support performances falling short (tho Kapoor in the lead is strong). Pulling so much Bollywood talent into a Brit movie is brave... but it doesn't quite gel. Disappointing.
Rumours (2024)
Surreal, supposedly comedic, political satire garbage. Awful.
In surreal, supposedly comedic, political satire "Rumours" the leaders of the G7 nations (inc Cate Blanchett, Charles Dance & Nikki Amuka-Bird) with EU President Alicia Vikander (speaking Swedish only) convene at a German castle in whose wooded grounds they get cut-off from the world that MAY have been hit by devastating catastrophe. Facing vigorously masturbating zombies and a huge gelatinous brain they try making it to safety (while drafting a joint statement). Who knows what co-directors Evan Johnson (who also wrote this garbage), his brother Galen, & Guy Maddin were thinking when spewing out this tosh, but the quicker it and they are forgotten, the better.
Black Cab (2024)
Well performed, modest, spooky, British psycho-thriller with a fudged ending
In modest, spooky, British thriller "Black Cab" troubled couple Synnove Karlsen & Luke Norris end a night out with a ride in chatty cabby Nick Frost's cab... that quickly descends into a kidnap nightmare with dark & ghostly supernatural undertones. Frost excels as a psycho (despite his comedic background) and Karlsen & Norris give strong support, all directed with stylish atmosphere by Bruce Goodison. Its key flaw however is in the fudgey ending to Virginia Gilbert's screenplay, which may leave some a tad confused & disappointed (avoidable with a little more clarity applied). It is though a solid enough genre entry, but it coulda been better still with a sharper ending.
Saturday Night (2024)
Pacy real-time origin story of tv's 'Saturday Night Live' that its fans should enjoy
"Saturday Night" is the true-tale, in pacy real time (props to co-writers Jason Reitman (who also directed) & Gil Kenan), of the chaotic two hours preceding 1975's first ever epsidode of iconic tv-show 'Saturday Night Live' (or 'NBC's Saturday Night' as was) when producer Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) & wife Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennott) tried coralling the likes of Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith - good), Dan Akroyd (Dylan O'Brien), John Belushi (Matt Wood), Jim Henson (Nicholas Braun) & Billy Crystal (Nicholas Podany) while old-skool NBC brass like Willem Defoe & JK Simmons prep for them all to fail. Fans of the show itself should particularly enjoy it.
Megalopolis (2024)
Star-studded & spectacular looking art-house passion-project that's also bloated, baffling tosh.
Dire but star-studded epic "Megalopolis" puts iconic writer / director Francis Ford Coppola firmly into Terrence Malick territory, with an over-long, pretentious, art-house passion-project that looks great but is ultimately baffling tosh. Adam Driver & Giancarlo Esposito are competing politicians in a city that's a stylized blend of '30s NY & ancient Rome. With the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LeBeouf, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Voight, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jason Schwartzman, & Talia Shire they play out a bloated psuedo-Shakespearian analogy over a LONG 2hrs 18mins. Bewilderingly frustrating it is downright awful... but LOOKS spectacular.
Magpie (2024)
Taut little Brit psychological drama with a terrific lead performance
By far the best aspect of taut little British psychological drama "Magpie" is its cracking lead performance from Daisy Ridley as a doormat wife trampled on by narcissist hubbie Shazad Latif as she edges towards insanity in their beautiful yet remote country home. Things come to a head when young daughter Hiba Ahmed is cast in a film shooting nearby, where Latif gets drawn to captivating lead actress Matilda Lutz (rising star)... but how will Ridley react? Sam Yates' direction's fine, Tom Bateman's debut screenplay's neat enough (albeit with holes), and the support cast's solid - but the big fish here is unquestionably Ridley. A terrific actress, so strong again.
A Mistake (2024)
Dry, downbeat, depressing, tv-standard NZ medical drama
In writer / director Christine Jeffs' tv-standard New Zealand medical drama "A Mistake" senior surgeon Elizabeth Banks leads a team in an operation in which an error is made, that MAY have contributed to the patient's death hours later. The patient's parents formally complain, Banks & team are scapegoated by the hospital's administration (led by Simon McBurney (excellent)), and their lives begin to miserably crumble. Being so dry, downbeat, & depressing it was perhaps a mistake for star name Banks to get involved. Its noble message is that healthcare workers are over-worked & under-appreciated, but there must be more effective ways of conveying that.
The Outrun (2024)
Classy, stylish & engaging addiction drama
Addiction drama "The Outrun" is amongst its genre's best, being stylishly shot (by director Nora Fingscheidt) with a clever chopped-timeline screenplay (from Fingscheidt & first-timer Daisy Lewis) and Saoirse Ronan's excellent career-best lead performance. On breaking down under her alcoholism in London 29yr old Ronan returns to mum Saskia Reeves & bi-polar dad Stephen Dillane on Scotland's harshly beautiful Orkney Islands - trying to get a grip on her life. Like all addiction dramas it's a tough watch at times, and ocassionally slips into self-indulgent pretentiousness, but it's still a classy & engaging movie. Props particularly to Fingscheidt & Ronan.
My Old Ass (2024)
Surprise! It's a gently enjoyable & intelligent teen drama parable
"My Old Ass" ain't what it might appear to be. Despite its low-brow title & silly central premise it's not a gawdy role-reversal comedy but an intelligent teen drama... in which Aubrey Plaza has a surprisingly minor support role while lesser-known Maisy Stella takes the lead (very well) as a Canadian farm-girl about to leave for uni, who on her 18th b'day does 'shrooms... 'hallucinating' Plaza as her 39yr old self, bringing advice from the future, especially about the disarmingly charming Percy Hynes White (good). With her second movie as writer / director Megan Park defies expectations, to deliver a gently enjoyable parable that'll doubtless be adored by its target teenage audience.
The Critic (2023)
Polished but unambitiously simplistic Brit-crime-drama with a superb lead performance
Polished but unambitious Brit-crime-drama "The Critic" boasts a superb lead performance from Ian McKellen as the feared & revered theatre critic for a leading late-'30s UK newspaper. When Mark Stone inherits the paper tho, McKellen's position is threatened, so he stoops to plotting with assistant Alfred Enoch & actress Gemma Arterton (good yet again) to fight back... from where events spiral. Anand Tucker directs with rich polish, the likes of Lesley Manville support well, but experienced writer Patrick Marber's screenplay never twists & darkens as it should - it's ultimately too simplistic. Looks good, McKellen excels, and yet it still falls a tad flat.
Outlaws and Angels (2016)
Flawed, overlong, sluggish, violent Western
JT Mollner musta honed his writer / director skills in the eight years tween his 2016 debut "Outlaws And Angels" and his follow-up "Strange Darling", as the latter thriller rocks, but the former western is flawed & overlong. In 1887 New Mexico, Chad Michael Murray's violent bank robbing gang (inc Keith Loneker & Steven Michael Quezada) evade lawman Luke Wilson (solid) by holding up in the remote homestead of Ben Browder, Teri Polo and their teenage girls Francesca Eastwood (good) & Madisen Beaty... where tones & elements of "The Beguiled" & "Deliverance" unfold, tho way too sluggishly. It carries Mollner's distinctive style ok, but "Strange Darling" it ain't.
Strange Darling (2023)
Excellently twisty, bloody & bold serial-killer thriller with a cleverly chopped timeline
With his second movie, the excellently twisty & bold serial-killer thriller "Strange Darling", JT Mollner explodes into the elite pack of relatively new, hard-hitting writer / directors that already boasts Ti West, Coralie Fargeat & S Craig Zahler (tho where's Zahler gone?!). With a cleverly chopped timeline (those who loved "Memento" will like this) a bloody tale unfolds of the fallout of an attempted one night stand between Willa Fitzgerald (superb) & Kyle Gallner (also strong) which ropes in the likes of Ed Begley Jr & Barbara Hershey. The central twist is predictable but its backing detail is neat, and it's all brilliantly played out by Mollner. Top film, top film-maker.
The Groomsmen (2006)
Magically relaxing melodrama from the king of indie blue-collar friends & family dramas
Writer / director Edward Burns is king of the indie blue-collar friends & family drama (with a US East Coast Irish-American emphasis)... which 2006's "The Groomsmen" is an example of. As mid-thirties Burns (with the film's weakest perfomance btw) approaches marriage to pregnant Brittany Murphy (RIP) he gathers pals & family like John Leguizamo, Matthew Lillard (great), Jay Mohr, & Donal Logue for pre-wedding jinx like drinkin', ballin', fishin', puttin' the band back together, & delvin' into the personal issues that EACH has. It slips into melodrama, and certainly won't be for all, but for many it'll be like relaxing with old mates... which is the understated magic of Edward Burns.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Post-apocalyptic actioner prequel that's deeper, more interesting, better than the original
Post-apocalyptic actioner "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" is the origin story of the titular bad-ass from "Mad Max: Fury Road". Taken as a child (Alyla Browne) by wasteland warlord Chris Hemsworth (thoroughly enjoying himself) she then ends up with Lachy Hulme's rival tribe before growing into Anya Taylor-Joy (great), teaming with Tom Burke, and sparking a war through which to wreak revenge. George Miller & Nick Lathouris' screenplay (written without Brendan McCarthy this time) is deeper & more interesting than their first, and Miller's directing is even more stunning & stylish than last time. It's not always the case, but this prequel is better than the original movie.
Lee (2023)
Well-cast, dry, hefty & often hard to watch historic biopic
In well-cast dry biopic "Lee" Kate Winslet (good as ever) is American model come photographer Lee Miller who moved from France to London with bf Alexander Skarsgård as WWII broke out. For Vogue (under Andrea Riseborough) she covered (mostly with fellow photographer Andy Samberg) The Blitz, the liberation of Paris (and friends like Marion Cotillard), and most tellingly / harrowingly the uncovering of the sickening death camps - all told in flashback sequences punctuated by Josh O'Connor. Director Ellen Kuras and writers Liz Hannah, Marion Hume & John Collee give a post-#metoo edge to what is another hefty (often hard to watch) historic tome.
Prevenge (2016)
Modest but macabrely fun & deadly dark Brit dramedy
Comic actress Alice Lowe's directorial debut (and the second film as writer) was 2016's deadly dark Brit dramedy "Prevenge" in which she's 'told' by the baby she's heavily pregnant with to bloodily murder those apparently responsible for its father's recent death (inc Tom Davis (funny), Kate Dickie, Kayvan Novak, Dan Renton Skinner & Gemma Whelan). With Jo Hartley also in prominent support it is modest, but also macabrely fun and with a Halloween-time setting it's perfectly seasonal. Props to Lowe who does well all round, especially as lead actress and writer (avoiding many genre clichés - tho those who dislike ambiguous endings may not be thrilled). Good stuff.
Vice Squad (1982)
Cult classic seedy thriller that hasn't aged well over its 42 years
Despite its status as a cult classic, seedy 1982 thriller "Vice Squad" looks badly dated these days in terms of performances & production quality. It's set across one Hollywood night when the titular cops led by Gary Swanson rope working girl Season Hubley into going undercover to help them nail psychotic killer pimp Wings Hauser (best performance here (not saying much))... but when things go awry the race is on thru Tinsel Town's underbelly to stop Hauser wreaking his grisly revenge. Director Gary Sherman went on to a coupla other ok films, but this is just about his most notable... even tho it plays like an episode of 'Starsky & Hutch' without the charisma & humour of that tv series.
Some Freaks (2016)
Terrific, rich, original, & authentically ambiguous teen drama
Based on his first two film's Ian McDonald's a helluva writer. Prior to the superb "Woman Of The Hour" he penned terrific, original 2017 teen drama "Some Freaks". At high-school Thomas Mann & Lily Mae Harrington connect while being outcast by all others (but mutual pal Ely Henry) due to him having lost an eye & her being overweight... things tho get messy when she leaves for college across country. McDonald avoids cliché to tell a rich & authentically ambiguous tale (which'll frustrate some) while btw as director (it's only movie he's directed) he elicits great performances from his cast (also inc Marin Ireland & Lachlan Buchanan). McDonald's def'ly one to watch alright.
Mort in Sherman Oaks (2024)
Weakly meandering LA indie dark comedy
In weakly meandering LA indie dark comedy "Running On Empty" science has developed a way to accurately predict everyone's natural death date. On learning he has less than a year to live meek Keir Gilchrist's life takes a jolt. Fiancee Francesca Eastwood (Clint's daughter) dumps him, but he befriends Lucy Hale. Pimp Rhys Coiro steals his car and repeatedly tries extorting cash out of him. Oh, and his weird job for mortician uncle Jim Gaffigan (good) carries on as normal. Daniel André may have hoped his debut as writer / director would strike a bleakly genius tone similar to that of the likes of "Wristcutters: A Love Story"... but it doesn't. Disappointing.
Brothers (2024)
Lamentably weak, silly & forgettable gross-out comedy wasting terrific talent
Despite the talent involved, unoriginal comedy "Brothers" is WAY off the best of the silly gross-out genre. Peter Dinklage & Josh Brolin are twins (would calling it "Twins" push the unoriginality TOO far?) raised by mum Glenn Close as petty crims til she left when they were 15. Brolin ended up in domesticity (with Taylour Paige - so under-rated) while Dinklage carried on in crime (involving the likes of Brendan Fraser (terrific again), Marisa Tomei & M Emmet Walsh) - which he tries to pull Brolin back into here. Everyone involved (inc director Max Barbokow & writer Macon Blair) have done so much better than this lamentably weak, forgettable tosh. It's a turd. Flush it away.