I always like to catch up with as many films from the year as I can in the Christmas period and as I’m laid up at home after an operation, I have had plenty of time to do so this year…
This time last year, Concussion was getting a lot of award buzz for its star, Will Smith, prior to its release. When the gongs were handed out, it was ignored and that wasn’t surprising as he is average at best in this dreadfully dull drama about an important subject of how playing American Football causes head injuries.
Rating: 4 out of 10
The three documentaries I have watched have been of varying quality. The 13th, about the US criminal system’s treatment of black people started out worthy but not breaking new ground. The second half of it, though, was excellent as the influence of big business was examined. There was also a brilliant montage of a Trump speech over shots of black protesters at 1960s political conventions.
Rating: 8 out of 10
I have liked most of Louis Theroux’s shows on TV but his My Scientology Movie felt completely pointless after last year’s much better Going Clear.
Rating: 4.5 out of 10
I’m pleased that veteran journalist John Pilger is still getting stuff made but his The Coming War on China really had no new insights.
Rating: 5 out of 10
The Forest was a by the numbers horror film kept afloat by its creepy woodland setting.
Rating: 5 out of 10
Much better is Under the Shadow, set in Iran during the war with Iraq. Although overpraised by critics, and I can’t help feeling that foreign language films are sometimes given an easier ride – its use of jump scares and it was only a dream moments weren’t pointed out on release – it has a nice air of menace and the war backdrop is a unique one.
Rating: 7 out of 10
Two other are house films that got good reviews in the early part of the year were Couple in a Hole and Rams.
I found Couple in a Hole dreary and uninvolving.
Rating: 3 out of 10
Rams, however, despite its unpromising premise of being about two feuding Icelandic sheep farming brothers drew me in from the start. I cared about the characters, excellently played by Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Theodór Júlíusson.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Maggie’s Plan was heavily trailed earlier in the year but hardly shown in cinemas near me. It looked like it might be a nice low key comedy and it certainly has an impressive cast : Great Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, and Julianne Moore. However, I really didn’t care about any of their characters. Moore, with a jarring accent, has never been worse and Gerwig really needs to do something different.
Rating: 3 out of 10
Similarly quirky, but nowhere near as tiresome is Elvis & Nixon. A fictionalised take on the meeting between the crooked president and the singer. Its a nice little time-filler.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Another ‘comedy’, is Rock the Kasbah, a waste of Bill Murray’s talents.
Rating: 3.5 out of 10
Funnier is the New Zealand set story about a man and a young boy stranded in the wilderness, Hunt for the Wilderpeople. I wasn’t that engaged to start with but it really picked up as it went along with nearly all of the best gags in the last minutes.
Rating: 6 out of 10
The Ones Below is an interesting but not wholly successful British thriller that is a decent showcase for David Morrisey.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10
Another British film that was released to little fanfare was Despite the Falling Snow. A cold spy movie that is unfortunately short on thrills thanks to two romantic plots. It is nicely shot with some good location work. Rebecca Ferguson looks stunning in dual roles and Antje Traue confirms the promise she showed in Criminal earlier in the year.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10
Its been a decent year for westerns and Bone Tomahawk is another one I’d recommend. Although a little overpraised by others, it has some good dialogue, and some nicely gory moments. The reliable Kurt Russell impresses in the lead.
Rating: 7 out of 10
Learning to Drive is a sweet, touching story of an older woman (Patricia Clarkson) who starts a relationship with her driving instructor (Ben Kingsley) when her husband leaves her. Good performances, despite the casting of Kingsley as an Indian which seems odd in this day and age.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Little Men can’t compare to the director Ira Sachs’ last effort, Love is Strange. Its another example of having no connection with the characters, despite good performances all round.
Rating: 4.5 out of 10
And finally to one of the big summer blockbusters: Independence Day: Resurgence. I was expecting some variable special effects and a dodgy script and I duly got those. What surprised me was that a film about an alien attack could be so boring. The plot was both predictable and ludicrous and the young leads all lacked charisma. Jeff Goldblum tried to save the film but wasn’t in it anything nearly enough.
Rating: 4 out of 10