#204 - The Night Comes For Us (2018)

"While I'm often critical of films that put plot on the back burner to focus mainly on set pieces, The Night Comes For Us manages to deliver so highly through its ultra violent, wonderfully choreographed depictions of action that it can be forgiven for being more long variation of fights sprinkled with the bare bones of a plot to make you invested in what you see.

Loosely a redemption film about an ultra high ranking member of the Triads who betrays them to find his humanity again in the guise of rescuing a girl he is supposed to kill, the audience doesn't need to be bogged down too much in the detail as opposed to the viciously gory scenes of splendour that erupt on the screen without giving a minute for breath. 

The work put in for both action and the practicalities of shying away from CGI blood (mostly) makes this an admirable and at times eye boggling indulgence in reality bending human endurance as every cut and punch is laced with a ferocity normally seen only in sparse moments of even the grittiest of films.

 Satisfying for both gore and actions fanatics alike, this is a thriller in every sense of the word"

- 7.5/10

#203 - Halloween (2018)

"Retconning all but the original, Halloween wears the original on its sleeve not in petty imitation but constant admiration. 

From Carpenter doing the score to the shape being genuinely threatening again, there is much to love about this newest addition in what was a stagnant series. 

Set 40 years after the original, Laurie Strode has become a recluse and survivalist Sarah Connor style. The unmoving and ever present danger of Michael has moulded her life into a dormant cocoon waiting to break out when he inevitably escapes.

Despite being set in modern day this feels like it could be taken from the 70's in costume and setting, with only smart phones hinting at the current year. It's as if the escape of Michael triggers not only memories but life itself to be transformed back to the original.

For all it does well, the flaws stab sharp. The granddaughter in highschool subplot didn't go anywhere nor was needed, and some of the dialogue seems to have been pilfered from a stoner comedy rather than a horror film and is all rather stilted. 

Nevertheless, the menacing monstrosity that is Michael Myers reminds us why we fell in love with this franchise in the first place"


- 7/10

#202 - First Man (2018)

"Focusing more on the personal traumas unleashed on the test pilot/astronauts involved in the space race, First Man is an at times perplexing blend of dark drama and breathtaking spectacle. 

Gosling is subdued and muted as he come to terms with his daughters death by throwing himself into his work to take a man to the moon at the potent cost of his family life.

Dull eyes and monotone inflection riddle every stern sentence half mumbled, perhaps to touch on the unhealthy way of dealing with trauma, but instead comes across as distant and cold but never overcome. 

Maybe that's the point, the numerous funerals of deceased pilot friends as wives look on statue like and taut makes you wonder, as one reporter asks in the film, if it's all worth it. 

Well, the space scenes are a view to behold. Never before has it felt so visceral, claustrophobic, and dangerous; there is genuine suspense dripping from every shot outside the earth's atmosphere. 

The eerie calm of the landing is a poignant finale before the return to earth and reality, a closing shot of husband and wife staring through quarantine glass an uncomfortable reminder of the sacrifice in search of exploration"


- 6/10

#201 - Faces Places [doc] (2017)

"A warming and poignant testament to art and the joy of experiencing art, this documentary pairs the iconic filmmaker Agnes Varda and photographist JR on a roadtrip through rural France capturing the human spirit through pictures as they go. 

JR's van doubles as a photo booth printing giant pictures that are then plastered on dilapidated houses, craggy rock, silos - wherever the eye can trace, their pictures end up telling a story. 

JR, the enigmatic figure always hiding behind darkened sunglasses, and Varda are a brilliant if unlikely duo who both share a love for creation, mischief, and exploration of people. At every leg of the journey they want to know the stories behind the eyes they photograph, the lives led. 

There is a fantastical feel to the film as if slipping through a dream as we travel from place to place and meet a myriad of people from all walks of life. 

Every frame captures a still and contemplating mood that feels welcomingly detached from the hustle and stressful bustle of modern day exertion. 

In this we get the chance to sit back and marvel at the power of art and those that dedicate their lives to exploring just what that entails"

- 9/10

#200 - A Star is Born (2018)

"Another to be added to a small list of 'remakes worth being done', A Star is Born is a wonderfully gripping tales spanning through drama, tragedy, and inspiration all on the backs of two strong performances from Cooper and Gaga. 

This film lives or dies by the believably of the central relationship as it forms the backbone through which everything else hangs from. Luckily for the viewer, both Cooper and Gaga are on electrifying form in their respective roles, Cooper as the veteran singer battling his personal demons (a cliche, but expertly acted and explored) and Gaga the undiscovered talent thrown adrift in the past due to a perceived lack of 'the look' to make it. 

Their interactions are both charming and heartfelt, with the blossoming relationship and subsequent marriage never feeling forced or embarrassingly convoluted. Instead there is a raw honesty about how it is played, a truth which makes you want them to succeed and makes the spiraling plot of drink abuse even more heart breaking. 

Keeping the engine turning is Cooper's solid direction, especially as it is his directorial debut. Uncomfortable close ups of our protagonists give an almost documentary feel at time - a realism well earned"


- 7.5/10

#199 - Gangs of New York (2002)

"Dashing between excellent and flawed, Scorsese's sprawling epic flits between a gritty revenge tale and a historic period drama.

Set in the mid 1800's, focusing on the notorious gangs of the five points in New York, the film definitely looks the part. 

From every costume to building, this screams of a trained eye that has fine tuned every small detail to impeccable detail. This instills an almost unconscious sense of validity that  lends the characters that inhabit it a vibrant and grounded sense of realism - vital if we are to care for the protagonist and his journey over this almost three hour piece. 

Through Daniel Day Lewis this film evolves from respectable to masterful. His performance is hypnotic, evoking both astute awe and breathless fear, as he plays a ruthless boss running the five points after killing DiCaprio's father in a bloody and thrilling opener. 

Alas, one performance, even as astonishing as Lewis's, cannot save a film. The film meanders frequently, almost losing itself in the spider's web of a plot it threads itself. All too quickly subplots are begun and finishing, with an ending rushed that feels like 5 fragmented ideas instead of one or two completed ones"


- 7/10