Now that the hell that was A-Levels is finished, I'm free to kick back and watch as many movies as I want. Rather than bombard you lovely people with several dozen review, I've decided to give a brief summary of each.
1) Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) - 4 Stars
I was massively impressed by this movie. It takes it's sweet time to establish the world and it's characters before accelerating into some incredibly visceral action. Vince Vaughn is really terrific, and it's nice to see him playing against type as a Bruce Willis esque action hero. It's a slow burn and it's definitely not for the faint of heart, but it's a really great watch.
2) Garden State (2004) - 4 Stars
Your enjoyment of this movie revolves around your opinions of Zach Braff. Personally, I love him and as a result I really loved Garden State. It's a really impressive directorial debut, with some intelligent and quirky methods employed to create a sense of originality and style. Braff is also great in front of the camera, proving he has some real acting chops. Natalie Portman is tremendous and her performance elevates the whole film.
3) Moon (2009) - 4.5 Stars
Rewatching only further solidifies how brilliant this movie is. With a budget that couldn't by you a Transformer's foot, Duncan Jones crafts a visually stunning world and a captivating narrative. Sam Rockwell's performance is outstanding and made all the more impressive by the fact he is playing off of himself most of the time. As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the most accomplished Sci-fi movies of all time.
4) Atomic Blonde (2017) - 3.5 Stars
David Leitch is one of the best directors of action working at the minute and this is a really showcase of his ability. The whole film oozes style, from the steampunk cold-war aesthetic to a phenomenal soundtrack. Charlize Theron and James McAvoy are great in the leading roles. It has it's issues - some elements of the plot linger on for a little too long and the ambitious triple twist ending doesn't quite stick the landing. However, the one take fight sequence in the middle more than makes up for it.
5) Dunkirk (2017) - 4 Stars
I was gutted to miss out on Dunkirk upon it's release. For my money, Christopher Nolan is one of the best directors to ever live and whilst Dunkirk doesn't quite reach the heights of some of his other works, it's still a great film. The sound effects are editing to perfection. The sense of claustrophobia and tension is consistent throughout. The performances are all strong - even Harry Styles does a solid job. It's a quality movie that serves as an appropriate tribute to the miraculous real life events.
6) Children of Men (2006) - 5 Stars
This falls firmly into modern classic territory - Children of Men is a masterpiece in filmmaking. The story is high concept and compelling. The world that is crafted is the right blend of dystopian and realistic. There are some astonishing performances from a stellar cast . Clive Owen, whom I usually find to be quite dry, gives a career defining turn. The action set pieces are simply exceptional. The lengthy, one shot sequences in the car fight and the war in Bexhill are truly staggering and are among the best action scenes ever filmed. This film is perfect in every aspect.
7) Call me by your Name (2017) - 4.5 Stars
Another of last years Oscar crop that I was really late to. Call me by your Name is a really lovely movie. The story is impossibly charming, the whole film is shot and scored beautifully and the ending will jerk a tear from even the most reserved of audiences.
8) The Prestige (2006) - 5 Stars
This is, to me, one of if not Nolan's best works. Given that it's from fairly early in Nolan's illustrious career (before Batman begun), it's so assured and confident. The dialogue is smart as a whip, delivered brilliantly by the stacked cast. The chemistry between Jackman and Bale adds a whole other level to the turmoil and torture of their relationship. Nolan shows even better slight of hand than the magicians themselves, offering you just enough information to let you think you know what's going on before hitting you hard with an always shocking twist ending.
9) Unbreakable (2000) - 4 Stars
I'm not a massive fan of everything that Shyamalan has done, but I'm very excited for Glass in 2019 and Unbreakable is the main reason why. This is the film that made audiences sit up and take notice of him in his early days as a director. There are some ingenious uses of framing and blocking in this film. Whilst you can argue that many of them are purely style over substance, there is no denying that Shyamalan had such an eye in his early works. Unbreakable also offers one of the few successful Shyamalan twists.
10) Jurassic Park (1993) - 5 Stars
I adore this movie. For a film that is primarily scary - the raptors in the kitchen scene still shocks me to this day - there is so much charm and warmth to the story. The animatronic dinosaurs still looking incredible today. Sam Neil, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum are all fantastic. The iconic theme has never sounded better. Frankly, if you don't like this movie, we can't be friends.
That's all folks. Stay tuned for part 2.
*Also please be sure to follow me on Twitter (@T_F_T_S_R) and Letterboxd (theboymarshall) for more film related fun.
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