Firstly, a look at films I have rented on Amazon.
Following from his starring-turn in Calm with Horses, Cosmo Jarvis delivers another superb performance in Nocturnal. He plays Pete, a painter and decorator in a small Yorkshire coastal town. Newly moved into the area with her single Mum, 16 year old Laurie (Lauren Coe), catches Pete’s eye…
As well as Jarvis, Coe is also excellent as the disaffected teen, and it is the performances of the two, with their on screen chemistry, that keep the film compelling despite its flaws. Nathalie Biancheri (who also directs) and Olivia Waring’s script is mostly fine but the setting of an out of season and seedy coastal resort to signify the bleakness of the characters’ lives is something that is becoming overused, and the big reveal of why Pete is seemingly obsessed with Laurie is sign posted way too early.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
We have had a glut of movies recently about female spies and assassins, but Ava is one of the better ones despite the holes in the plot. Ava (Jessica Chastain), is a contract killer who is beginning to displease her bosses as she is engaging with her marks too much in an effort to find out what they have done to warrant being killed. When a hit becomes messy, her handler (John Malkovich, clearly having fun) tries to protect her but, Simon, his superior (Colin Farrell) decides to eliminate her.
Although Chastain is not most associated with action roles, she has shown she is adept at them in the past and acquits herself really well once again. Director Tate Taylor handles the fight scenes efficiently and with a certain style. Both Malkovich and Farrell could have done with more screen time, but I also enjoyed their performances.
The problems though, are twofold. The subplot involving Ava’s family takes up far too much of the running time, and Common, as her ex lover and sister’s partner is badly miscast. Additionally, the ending involving a fateful decision made by Simon does not make any sense based on what we have seen before. But, despite those issues, the film did rattle along pretty well.
Rating: 7 out of 10
You might think a Brazilian film titled Socrates would be about the sublime 1980s midfielder. But, despite a few of the characters sharing their names with famous ex-footballers, it is actually the story of an impoverished 15 year old lad in Sao Paulo who has to learnt to fend for himself when his mother suddenly dies.
The film starts off really well as Socrates tries to find work and receives little sympathy or help from the authorities. But, when it becomes more about his burgeoning relationship with a guy he meets, it loses its freshness and begins to drag a little. It regains some of its urgency towards the end as Socrates’ situation worsens, though.
Christian Malheiros is never less than convincing in the title role and Alexandre Moratta’s handheld camera work adds to the overall feeling of realism and urgency. But, even at just 71 minutes, the material feels a little thin for a feature film.
Rating: 7 out of 10
Over on Sky, the latest batch of premieres on their movie channels do not impress. A true story about a Vietnam veteran being posthumously honoured, The Last Full Measure, despite an outstanding cast, was far too saccharine and manipulative for my taste. The Wretched, about a teenage boy encountering a witch is the definition of a bog standard horror movie that just about passes muster in the Halloween season.
The Last Full Measure: 4.5 out of 10
The Wretched: 5 out of 10
A much better bet for Sky subscribers, and for those people in areas with cinemas still open is White Riot. This is a detailed and fascinating look at the founding of the Rock Against Racism movement in 1976 through to the huge anti-fascist carnival in Victoria Park two years later. Director Rubikah Shah pieces together archival footage with mostly contemporary interviews with some of the main protagonists.
The format is not new but this is a story worth telling. It is tempting to view this as a look at events in a particular time and place. The National Front had secured a foot in mainstream politics by the middle of the 1970s, fuelled by rhetoric from politicians like Enoch Powell and musicians such as Eric Clapton.
Their hatred and pro-Nazi posturing was shored up by a police force that had demonstrated its racist leanings all the way back to at least The Battle of Cable Street 40 years earlier. Also, the popular music scene was arguably in its most vital period with the emergence of punk and the popularisation of reggae and other more socially conscious musicians like Tom Robinson. It does, though, feel contemporary and relevant at a time when the Black Lives Matter movement has been met with resistance and a racist resides in 10 Downing Street.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
White Riot would make a good double bill with Rocks which is still showing on some cinemas and is also on Netflix. Shola, aka Rocks is a 14 year old black kid living in London with her Mum and younger brother, Emmanuel. When her Mum leaves without warning, Rocks tries to keep her situation secret from the authorities whilst looking after Emmanuel. Director Sarah Gavron follows up the excellent Suffragette (2015) with another vital but more contemporary film.
It smacks of complete authenticity from the wonderful performances from the inexperienced cast to the script by Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson that largely avoids cliché or sentimentality. Bukkry Bakray shines in the title role and is well supported by a mostly young female cast including Kosar Ali, Ruby Stokes and Shaneigha-Monik Greyson. Brilliantly paced with a marvellous ending, Rocks is a great look at modern Britain.
Rating: 9 out of 10
In contrast, Miss Juneteenth (now available to rent on Amazon), despite its qualities, feels a little tired and obvious. President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1862 officially outlawed slavery in the United States. However, it took almost two and a half years for it to be scrapped in Texas. That date, 19th June 1865, is now celebrated as Juneteenth. Part of those celebrations is a beauty pageant for black girls. Turquoise Jones (Nicole Beharie) won the pageant in 2004. She is now a single Mum working two jobs and wants her daughter Kai (Alexis Chikaeze) not only to emulate her success but also make more of the opportunities it will bring.
This is a solid piece of filmmaking from Channing Godfrey Peoples with decent performances. But the uncritical embrace of the idea of a beauty contest in 2020 feels a bit uncomfortable. Sure, the winner gets a college scholarship but the idea of giving one education opportunity to a black girl based on her looks, seems to be tokenism to me.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Finally back to Netflix for two more new offerings. Famed screenwriter Aaron Sorkin is responsible for two of my favourite TV dramas: The West Wing and The Newsroom. He follows up his excellent directing debut, Molly’s Game, with The Trial of the Chicago 7. Outside the 1968 Democratic Party Convention, protest groups were attacked by police using clubs and tear gas.
Once the corrupt Richard Nixon was elected president a year later, his equally corrupt Attorney General John Mitchell, arranged for the arrest and prosecution of eight people deemed most responsible for the protests. The film concentrates almost entirely on the subsequent trial with just a few flashback scenes along with sparely used archival footage of the police brutality.
The trial was a complete sham. The judge was extraordinarily biased, at one point disallowing a vital defence witness because his testimony might sway the jury. He was also evidently racist, not only denying the one black defendant a lawyer but also having him bound and gagged when pointing out the violation of his rights. This shocking story is brought to the screen with tremendous wit and pace by Sorkin. The courtroom scenes are electrifying, with the writer’s theatrics toned down most of the time.
The characters are well fleshed-out and the performances are terrific across the board. Eddie Redmayne and a very funny Sacha Baron Cohen provide career best turns as two of the defendants, along with the always great John Carroll Lynch. Mark Rylance is fantastic as their defence lawyer, Frank Langella chilling as the judge and Joseph Gordon-Levitt dignified as the somewhat conflicted prosecution attorney.
The parallels between the historic events depicted at the behest of a mendacious president and what is going on in 2020 are obvious, but still need to be made.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10
The other current major Netflix release is the somewhat unnecessary new version of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca. Hitchcock’s lauded 1940 film of this story is, I think, one of his lesser works and this adds little that is new. I haven’t always liked director Ben Wheatley’s previous movies but they have all had more life and originality than this rather run of the mill recounting of the story.
Aside from the stiff Arnie Hammer as Maxim, the rest of the cast that includes Lily James as the new bride, Kristin Scott Thomas as Danvers and especially Keeley Hawes as Beatrice all contribute good work. The settings are lavish, so this is a great looking but completely run-of-the-mill film.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10