Starting this week on Netflix with a brief mention of ‘Earth and Blood’. A French action thriller about Said, a saw mill owner inadvertently getting involved with a gang of drug runners when one of his employees hides a stash stolen from them. Sami Bouajila gives a brooding performance as Said, but the story is both riddled with holes and very predictable.
Rating: 5 out of 10
Over on all the usual rental sites, ‘Seberg’ follows up its blink and you miss it theatrical run earlier this year with a low key rental release. Kristen Stewart stars as the French actress Jean Seberg who got involved with a civil rights activist, and gave financial support to The Black Panther movement, when she went to work in Hollywood in the late 1960s.
This is one of those films that you know was never going to be as box office hit, especially in the US, what with the double whammy of being sensitive to the cause of black people and starring Stewart, who is bizarrely hated by a large section of American men for appearing in a teen franchise that they didn’t like. In fact Stewart is fine in the role and the story, one that I wasn’t very familiar with, is pretty interesting. There is also a hugely impressive supporting cast including Jack O’Connell, Colm Meaney, Anthony Mackie, Vince Vaughn and Stephen Root.
However, the depiction of the FBI agents pursuing Jean did not really convince. One was too good to be true, one too bad to be totally believable. Also, the subplots about their home lives wasn’t needed to tell this particular story. But there is enough of interest on offer and it feels like a timely release after recent events.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
There is also a belated release for Woody Allen’s ‘A Rainy Day in New York’. Ashleigh (Elle Fanning), a college journalism student, secures an interview with a film director in New York. She is accompanied to the city by her boyfriend, Gatsby (Timothee Chalamet). Gatsby’s plans for a romantic weekend for the pair are scuppered as they both become embroiled in the lives of people they meet.
It’s fair to say that Allen’s output since the turn of the century has been patchy. For every gem like ‘Midnight in Paris’ and ‘Blue Jasmine’ there is a, well, any of his three duds set in England! ‘A Rainy Day in New York’ embodies that inconsistency. There is plenty to like for Allen fans, from Chalamet taking on the familiar mantel of the Allen substitute, to some excellent one liners and Woody knows how to film New York. I also enjoyed how events spiralled out of their control for both Gatsby and Ashleigh.
On the other hand, it does at times feel both like it is stealing the best bits from his previous films and is an 80 year old’s view of what young people are like. Also, having both the lead characters come from such wealthy and privileged backgrounds felt like a mistake. It means that Gatsby came across as somewhat pretentious and Ashleigh spoilt. If you don’t like Allen, this wont change your mind, but there is just enough in it to keep it out of a list of his missteps.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Much more ambitious is ‘The Lighthouse’, Robert Eggers’ follow up to 2015’s ‘The Witch’. In the latter part of the 19th century, Thomas Howard (Robert Pattinson) and Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) begin their lonely and gruelling 1 month stint manning a lighthouse off the coast of New England. Beautifully shot in stark black and white by Jarin Blaschke and presented in the square 1.19:1 Movietone ratio, the bleak surroundings and sheer back breaking work are well depicted. Also the atmosphere is thick with dread and tension.
I have seen this described as two mens’ descent into madness. Truth be told that was a short journey. Both actors attack their roles with relish. Howard is clearly a troubled soul and Wake is a full on nut job from day one. If the characters had started saner, their subsequent behaviour would have been more startling and dramatic. In the end it completely descends into a pretentious and I have to say boring, mess.
Rating: 5 out of 10
Somewhat of a palette cleanser after that, and comfortably film of the week is ‘Days of the Bagnold Summer’. A simple, bittersweet and extremely touching story of a single Mum trying to navigate a summer with a resentful teenage son who was expecting to be spending the time with his Dad in Florida. It is a superbly well observed look at relationships, not only between a parent and a child but also of alienated teenage boys.
‘Friday Night Dinner’ star Simon Bird makes a really impressive debut behind the camera and the performances of Monica Dolan and Earl Cave are note perfect. Bird used his connections to get Tamsin Greig, Rob Brydon and Alice Lowe to supply memorable supporting turns. The story unfolds in an utterly realistic way and the thawing of the relationship between mother and son was completely believable.
Rating: 9 out of 10