Showing posts from July, 2017

The Big Sick

To call the Big Sick a rom-com is to do it a huge disservice. The genre is seen in general as a low effort money machine, with only a handful of gems usually ending up lost amongst the trash. Kumail Nanjiani's film soars far above the genre, crafting the perfect balancing act between razor-sharp comedy, raw emotion and an overwhelming amount of charm. Produced by Judd Apatow, the Big Sick is smarter and funnier than any of Apatow's previous films, landing every single one of its cleverly crafted punchlines without pulling any of its punches when it comes to emotional weight.

Based on Nanjiani's own personal experience, he plays himself as a middling stand up comic in Chicago, with Bo Burnham and Aidy Bryant delivering excellent turns as his comedian buddies. Kumail meets Emily, here played by the endlessly charming Zoe Kazan (who stole the show in 2013's What If), and the connection is clear straight away. But a large barrier facing their relationship comes in the shape…

War for the Planet of the Apes

1968's Planet of the Apes is a much revered classic that spawned multiple sequels and has lived on in popular culture ever since. Featuring a central performance from the beloved Charlton Heston and delivering one of the greatest endings of all time, it was an instant hit and is still remembered fondly today. So when the series was rebooted in 2011, there was considerable scepticism and doubts over whether such a project could succeed 40 years after the original. 

But Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a hugely deserved success and was such a hit that it spawned 2014's sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which was equally brilliant. So now we have War for the Planet of the Apes, with the return of director Matt Reeves (who previously took charge of Dawn).

The biggest difference between War and its two predecessors is how much the focus has shifted towards the apes. Rise was a largely human-led story, where we witnessed Caesar's upbringing by scientist Will Rodman (one of …

It Comes at Night (or Why Movie Marketing is Garbage and Misleading)

If you're looking for a fun, uplifting summer movie, you may want to steer clear of It Comes at Night. A brutally tense, constantly oppressive and absolutely gripping indie project from director Trey Edward Shults, it is a fascinating exploration of the human psyche when under intense strain and in the worst of situations. Treading the line between horror, thriller and drama, Shults crafts a bleak world where man has grown increasingly paranoid and fearful. 

For films that feature such a tiny ensemble, the casting becomes an even more important factor. And here it was absolutely nailed. Joel Edgerton excels as the gruff Paul, struggling to protect his family in this barren, post-apocalyptic world. 
His constant fear and paranoia, desperately trying to maintain the security of their house amidst the thick forest is a key driving force of the film, as his reluctance to trust anyone from the outside world is increasingly strained. Carmen Ejogo as Sarah, Paul's wife, delivers a sim…

Baby Driver

Of the most important parts of a film, the soundtrack has always been key. It conveys the whole mood of the film more effectively than almost any other technique and a well curated tracklist can only serve to maximise its success (just look at Guardians of the Galaxy). However, no film has used music in quite the same way as director Edgar Wright's new high-octane heist thriller Baby Driver. The film is literally built around the soundtrack, an energetic bag of foot-tapping, head bobbing tunes that complement the action like never before. 

Almost as impressive as the soundtrack is the star-studded cast that Wright has managed to pull together. An indicator of his increasing recognition in Hollywood (after the iconic comedies Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz and the simply flawless Scott Pilgrim vs The World), Wright pulls together a cast including Jon Hamm, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx and Lily James, resulting in a set of stellar performances that complement each other perfectly.