LFF 2021: Petite Maman – Review

Release Date – 19th November 2021, Cert – U, Run-time – 1 hour 12 minutes, Director – Céline Sciamma

When her mum suddenly leaves one morning, eight-year-old Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) discovers Marion (Gabrielle Sanz), a young girl who looks exactly like her, in the woods outside of her late grandmother’s house, and her mum’s childhood home.

For my money Tideland is Terry Gilliam’s best film. It’s a view that in holding puts me in a very small minority. However, there’s something about the childlike perspective that Gilliam captures, pushing across the feeling of innocence that works really well and brings you into the world of creativity and imagination. I found this feeling arising again within writer-director Céline Sciamma’s latest, Petite Maman. As eight-year-old Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) explores the woods outside of her late grandmother’s house, building tree forts and briefly playing with a paddleball she comes across a young girl who looks exactly like her in the form of Marion (Gabrielle Sanz). Over the course of the short 72 minute run-time of the piece the two gradually form a close bond in the games they play and the conversations they have.

Dialogue is often relatively simplistic yet it manages to form a big impact in the light of the events that are going on in Nelly’s home life. While her mother (Nina Meurisse) and father (Stéphane Varupenne) are clearing out her recently-passed grandmother’s house her mum, also called Marion, suddenly leaves one morning, with dad claiming that she’ll be back soon. It’s made apparent that the younger Marion is the same as the one that Nelly knows as her mum, and soon her mind begins to piece together lessons about grief and emotion. Yet, the film never feels overbearing or forceful. Much like Nelly herself, or perhaps any other child, you gain the slightest pieces of information that develop overtime, and in your mind, without you overly realising. Adding to the emotional aspect of the piece and further putting you into the childlike exploration of the themes that the film handles so well.


It’s a feeling that’s expanded upon by not having any overall explanation as to the presence of the younger Marion. No major mystery or sci-fi links; it simply just is. It’s an acceptance that’s found with Nelly as she finds herself connecting to gradual unforced parallels in her own life while simply being able to just be free and play. Expressing herself and growing without realising. Even the viewer may not realise it as they’re taken on this open and personal journey. One that’s quiet, collected and gradual, knowing exactly where it’s going, even if the character’s don’t. And much of this is down to Sciamma’s carefully written dialogue and understanding of her characters – which she continues to demonstrate after her screenplays for the likes of the sensational Portrait Of A Lady On Fire and My Life As A Courgette.

There’s an overall childlike innocence to Petite Maman. It’s displayed in so many elements, not just the U rating, where you don’t truly realise the information that has been dropped in an absorbed until the more emotional, yet still quiet and collected, points in the latter stages of the short and effectively used run-time. Everything flows from the perspective of the young central figure as she simply plays and explores through playing and creating with her friend. Allowing the theme of friendship to be key to the film, explored deeply with simplicity and effectiveness that helps to bring you in to the film as a whole. One that on the surface is about the central friendship, and yet subtly provides you with detail and information, preparing you for a deeper, more thoughtful piece on grief through the eyes and mind of a child, whether for the child or adult, or both, in all of us.

Petite Maman’s detail is subtle yet effective. It comes through the play and imagination of the central friendship, pushing the theme of childlike innocence while allowing us to unknowingly absorb and store information, like a child, for a rounded and emotional conclusion.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

LFF 2021: King Richard – Review

Release Date – 19th November 2021, Cert – 12, Run-time – 2 hours 24 minutes, Director – Reinaldo Marcus Green

Richard Williams (Will Smith) does everything he can to help train his daughters, Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton), become the most successful tennis stars in the world, despite anything, and everything, that might stand in his and their way.

One of the questions that may arise about this biopic about the rise of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams is why does it focus on their father? Perhaps that’s because King Richard isn’t your standard sports biopic, or really a biopic at all. It’s about one specific time in the life of the pair, as their careers appear to finally be properly taking off. It’s just as their father planned in the 78 page plan he wrote for their whole career before they were even born. The film follows him passionately trying to see them succeed, no matter what stands in their way. “This would ain’t never had no respect for Richard Williams” he tells them in the packed family van “but they gonna respect y’all”.

Will Smith is great in the central role and with his standard brand of charisma, mixed with the dramatic hits we know he can deal, makes for an engaging figure. One striving and fighting for his family to make their lives the best they can possibly be, trying to prove those who attack him late at night on the nearby public tennis courts wrong. While those around him, from neighbours to famous tennis coaches, doubt his ability as both a father and a coach the abilities of Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton) soon turn them quiet and gain high-attention. Moving them from the streets of Compton to the estates of sunny Florida where fortune comes ever closer, and barriers of all kinds begin to fall down around them thanks in part to the persistence of their father – his high demands causing bafflement amongst coaches, managers and many other industry figures around him.


Yet, amongst the more serious points that the film makes – including just how much the rise of Venus and Serena means in terms of representation of black players in what is shown to be a sport almost exclusive and only accessible to white people – there’s plenty of heart emitted in the family core. The unexpected needle drop of Bananarama’s Cool Summer sets the tone of one scene to later lead into a family road-trip singalong of Kenny Rogers’ The Gambler – an instant joy creator if ever there was one. It’s joy that begins to be toned down as the girls begin to enter the world of professional training with Jon Bernthal’s Rich Macci. He’s worked in the industry for a long time and knows the best, and often only, ways for a player to reach the heights that Richard has in his eyes. However, the two somewhat clash when father begins to claim he knows best in regards to this and won’t have his daughters play in junior matches and tournaments. As the film begins to feel more like a traditional sports biopic, somewhere in the vein of Le Mans ’66/ Ford Vs Ferrari – perhaps pushed by Bernthal’s presence – you begin to question whether the passionate figure of Richard really knows what he’s talking about.

It’s perhaps in this second half, where relationships with coaches and training become more of a focus and perhaps take centre-stage, where the more traditional feel brings a new overall tone to the film. It’s certainly not vastly different and you’re still able to remain in the piece, but the general feeling is one of traditional familiarity. What helps it along, and perhaps helps keep you truly situated in the unfolding events that build up to the tennis match finale – which is played out rather well and begins to bring you back to the state you were in before the slight shift – is Smith’s performance. There’s been plenty of awards season discussion around his role in this film, and it’s very likely that he’ll get a nod, and you can understand those who say that he may very well win. It’s certainly his best performance in years, thanks to the laidback nature that he gives Richard’s exterior, yet the consistent concentration, worry and hope that lies within him for the future of his daughters. It’s very likely him who stops the film from feeling as much like a traditional sports film and biopic as it could.

Yet, the feeling of a father trying his best to push his kids is still there. Needing to be reminded not to go too far, while some wish that he would go further when it comes to sponsorship deals, or simply just listen to others. While his three half-daughters don’t get a great deal to do there’s at least time for his wife Brandy (Aunjanue Ellis) to shine in a particularly effective scene in the later stages of the piece. It’s another reminder of the family unit and feeling that runs throughout the film and acts perhaps as the biggest push for Richard, amongst everything else and the more dramatic tones. It adds an extra layer to the tennis matches that he watches with pride as his daughters, in the views of the frequent players and coaches in the junior tournaments, come from nowhere and go from strength to strength and win to win. It’s what largely sets the film aside from a number of sports biopics, and, alongside Smith’s engaging and connecting central performance, stops it from wholly feeling like one too.

While it might slip into the realms of a more traditional sports biopic as it focuses more on training, Will Smith’s performance in King Richard keeps the film’s passion, spirit and drama afloat. Reminding us of the striving father trying to see his daughters succeed in both tennis and breaking down barriers, even if to the frustration of others who he may see as such barriers.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife – Review

Cert – 12, Run-time – 2 hours 4 minutes, Director – Jason Reitman

After moving to their late grandfathers run-down house siblings Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) soon discover links to the long-parted Ghostbusters and the ghosts that remain in the quiet town of Summerville.

Logan Kim’s Podcast – self-called because of his podcast and the recording equipment he carries around with him – claims that his series “really finds its voice in the 46th episode”. While this might not be the case with Ghostbusters: Afterlife, not just because of the film, it does admittedly take some time to gradually warm to it. The 2016 remake was its own product, something different from the original 80s classic(s), however this latest take is a continuation, even being directed (and co-written with Gil Kenan) by original director Ivan Reitman’s son Jason Reitman. It’s been claimed that Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a film for those who grew up wanting to be Ghostbusters. And in many ways that feeling is present, it comes across in what’s perceived as nostalgia for those making the film. However, the feeling is one of the film trying to be nostalgic rather than actually being nostalgic. It’s a presence that lingers in the opening stages as we see single mother Callie (Carrie Coon) move, along with her two children 12-year-old Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and 15-year-old Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), move to the quiet town of Summerville, where her late father left her his run-down, falling-apart house.

It’s here that Phoebe begins to unravel links to the original, now parted, Ghostbusters. Eventually catching the eye of her summer school teacher, and fan of the original team, Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd). As the discoveries of old ghost traps and proton packs coincides with daily earthquakes in a town with no fault lines, it appears that the stuck-in-time town of Summerville still has its fair share of ghosts. It certainly makes what Phoebe initially describes as “a state sponsored work camp for delinquents”, where she would otherwise be shown VHS copies of Child’s Play and Cujo, that bit more interesting. Meanwhile her old brother finds himself working at the local fast food place, where the waiting staff still deliver food on roller-skates, in order to impress older-girl Lucky (Celeste O’Connor). It’s here that the film still feels somewhat uneven. While it begins to find its stride once the narrative is established and the plot is progressed, after a somewhat hesitant (mostly for the audience) opening 20 minutes, the one thing that remains is the strand for Wolfhard trying to get close to a girl he had only just met the night of his arrival in the town.


However, once even he begins to join the new ghost busting group, flooring it in the dusty and much-marketed Ecto-1, things begin to fully lift off. The entertainment value is boosted as you can’t help but smile at the joy of an Ecto-1 gunner-seat car chase through the streets of the town, racing after new ghost Muncher (think a slightly more solid, angrier and less fussy Slimer). There’s plenty of similar moments that just provide the right amount it joy and entertainment that you want from a film like this, and it seems as if the cast are having an equally good time – particularly Paul Rudd who, while being effortlessly funny, appears to be having as much of a great time as his character nerding out over old Ghostbusters equipment, and simply enjoying the fact that he’s in a Ghostbusters film. Rudd manages to make some of the more in-your-face throwbacks that bit more palatable. While the inevitable “who ya gonna call?” feels forced and somewhat cringe-inducing the more natural moments where the likes of the more major elements, such as the classic Cadillac, are simply part of the scene and made part of the fun.

Yet, the figure that really manages to connect you to the film – amongst all the cameos, the Stay-Puft marshmallow men and the slightly distracting score – is Mckenna Grace herself. Really capturing an intrigued spirit in everything that’s going on around Phoebe and capturing that feeling of a child learning how to be a Ghostbuster rather well. She’s a fine lead and captures a number of the feelings of excitement that the audience feels at various points too – while also managing to create a handful of laughs in the form of what may otherwise be groan-inducing dad jokes. She’s a pure delight and is backed up by equally enjoyable supporting characters (particularly the initial grouping with Rudd and Kim, who themselves would make a great podcasting double act). It’s a Ghostbusters that while looking back on the original – done best when not trying to feel nostalgic – looks towards a new generation of boiler suit wearing stream-crosses. It might take some time to get in to but once there this makes for a trip perhaps as enjoyable as a ride in Ecto-1 itself.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is at its best when not trying to be nostalgic, instead using its classic elements to progress the narrative of a new and entertaining set of Ghostbusters, who, while they might take different amounts of time to take a prominent step into it, eventually form an enjoyable team.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

LFF 2021: ear for eye – Review

Release Date – 16th October 2021, Cert – N/A, Run-time – 1 hour 23 minutes, Director – debbie tucker green

Three vignettes looking into the experiences of Black Britons and Americans in modern society.

Adapted from her stage-play of the same name, writer-director debbie tucker green brings a stage-like quality to the screen adaptation of ear for eye – which she has re-written especially for it to work on the screen. There’s a simplicity to much of the staging throughout the piece, often set against a plain black background, allowing for the barrage of verbal details to come through. In the fast-paced opening scenes we see a mother telling her son how to interact with the police. Nothing he does seems right, and it’s claimed that whatever he does will only get him into further trouble; often only speaking one word at a time. It’s again a simple interaction, and yet it comes at you so quickly and with such force that it can often seem overwhelming. The sequence, which almost doesn’t come up for air until it’s over, forms only the beginning of the short 83 minute feature, yet packs in much of the detail, tone and themes. The theatrical nature of the film, both in look and on some occasions performance-wise, means that it feels as if it’s being performed right in front of you, you begin to feel the passion emerging from the scene and the screen. Indeed whereas some stage-like films and adaptations sometimes create something of a barrier ear for eye doesn’t always appear to have this same issue.

From an opening with such modern day relevance the film moves on and eventually reaches a shocking conclusion. As white faces read out racial laws and restrictions that should feel as if they’re from a bygone era and yet are part of unbelievably recent history. It’s a much swifter portion compared to the two that have come before it, and yet still has its effect within its simplicity. It shifts away from the performances being the core connection that bring you into the piece as you’re reminded once more that this is indeed reality, adding a further feeling that allows the film to step away from the common ‘filmed theatre’ style and label.


Perhaps the standout exchange, and the one that truly solidifies the film and keeps you in place; after the busy, tone-setting nature of the first vignette, is the second part in which we a heated debate between Lashana Lynch’s US Female and Demetri Goritsas’ US Male (no characters in the film are credited with anything other than these basic descriptions). The two actually respectively play a student and professor, arguing over the content of the professor’s lecture, Lynch’s character claiming that he eased the severity of the actions of the white killer being discussed in class. The sequence flows well and brings you perhaps the most out of all three parts of the piece. The way the two actors bounce off each other throughout the debate as it escalates and swirls within the small confines of an office which is largely made up of one table on the platform stag puts you in place as you simply sit and witness it unfolding, points, arguments and protests shooting and tumbling in the process.

This sequence is perhaps the most effective of the three. It feels to be the one that doesn’t quite lose steam, or begin to lose you as the more theatrical stylings begin to come through. This isn’t to say that this is a major issue in the other two segments placed either side of this one, however the case of the less ‘theatrical’ performances and techniques that are on display perhaps allows the central two performances in the moment to further shine and land an engaged impact on the viewer. Of course, this may be far from the case to those who have more of a liking for features that come across as near ‘filmed theatre’, with the initial flow of details and information having more of an impact because of the further connection with the format – when it comes to that initial styling I’m certainly not the target audience, but I did warm to ear for eye fairly quickly and managed to not overly notice the stage-like nature, or put it aside, as I got caught up in what it had to say. And the film has a lot to say and certainly tells you it with passionate detail from both tucker green and the cast that she has assembled to display the passion, arguments, confusion, hurt and more faced by her characters plucked straight from modern society and placed into this screen adaptation of occasionally artistic realism.

Not holding a standard ‘filmed theatre’ feel ear for eye occasionally switches and changes pace, overwhelming you with real-life details before its passionate, sometimes theatrical, performances further shine and allow for more thought later on.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

LFF 2021: Mothering Sunday – Review

Release Date – 12th November 2021, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 36 minutes, Director – Eva Husson

While her employers (Colin Firth, Olivia Colman) spend the day with, long-distant since World War One ended, friends to celebrate an engagement, maid Jane (Odessa Young) spends Mothering Sunday in an affair with future-groom Paul (Josh O’Connor).

There are two lines of period drama in which director Eva Husson’s Mothering Sunday travels along. One is the standard Silver Cinema kind where Colin Firth comments on how much of a lovely day it is, what with the weather being so nice and fortunate for the occasion, in most of the scenes he appears in. The other is the rise in steamy kind of period drama where lust and passion, the kind that you would never expect to see in something like Downton, emerges with an in-your-face force that would turn away what you would think of as the conventional Silver Cinema audience. While the film boasts Sandy Powell as costume designer it seems that there are plenty of sequences where she may not have had much of a difficult job as Odessa Young and Josh O’Connor casually parade around a lavish house in their birthday suits.

However, the occasion being celebrated isn’t either, or any, character’s birthday, nor even Mother’s Day. It’s in fact the engagement between O’Connor’s Paul and Emma D’Arcy’s Emma. A group of wealthy figures, once much closer before losing their children during World War One – Paul being the only one to have returned – meet to celebrate, however the day is much more emotional than expected. We see them grieve, undistracted by the fine weather, particularly a very brief selection of appearances from Olivia Colman. However, this theme is far from the main focus. There are a selection of ideas on display within the film, yet not all get a chance to come to the fore to be properly realised, on some occasions even by the audience. Instead they’re traded in for scenes focusing on the affair between Paul and maid Jane (Young), who has been given the day off by her employers the Nivens (Firth, Colman).


Largely the film acts as a fairly quiet and calm period piece, reflected in the relatively gentle nature in which the narrative passes. Going along smoothly without any real bumps in the road, both in terms of difficulty and emotional beats. You generally sit there and watch things pan out for the characters, interested at some points but without any real emotional connection to the film due to the fact that it doesn’t seem to go into much overall depth. We see jumps forward to an older Jane, struggling to write a book in her now happily married state with husband Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù. It builds up an image that there may be something dramatic and impactful arriving, although the jumps into the future themselves are still relatively calm. It perhaps makes the, perhaps, eventual dramatic point less impactful than perhaps expected, if anything continuing the pace and tone of much which has come before. Especially when such moments are delivered more as passed on news rather than being properly glimpsed, character emotion often seems to be less of a focus when compared to the design and luxury of many of the settings within the piece.

At one point I found myself making note of an excellent, rather satisfying, looking pie. It’s layers all neat, uniform and formally coordinated. It parallels the film itself. It feels organised and in order, but perhaps not always completely satisfying. It passes by without any major trouble or disturbance with a kind of standard British period drama feel to it – but perhaps with a fair bit more full-frontal nudity. It’s generally fine for what it is, but perhaps lacks the drama that it may want, thus limiting the impact. It dwells on the peaceful nature of the grand house in which Jane finds herself for much of the run-time, enjoying the lovely day that we’re so often reminded of. It is indeed a nice day, a calm one where there seems little to worry about and that could go wrong. A feeling which impacts the film as a whole and your view of it as things continue to travel along a calm path that never truly has an emotional impact, as if it’s become so relaxed and used to its state that, much like Paul and Jane when together, it doesn’t want to leave it.

For much of the run-time Mothering Sunday is a generally fine period piece for what it presents, however its uninterrupted gentle nature means it rarely delves into more dramatic reaches and lacks an emotional connection with the viewer.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Eternals – Review

Cert – 12, Run-time – 2 hours 36 minutes, Director – Chloé Zhao

A group of immortal superhumans known as Eternals reunite as a race of thought-to-be-extinct aliens, called Deviants, re-emerge amongst discussion of the end of the Earth.

Director Chloé Zhao’s name was perhaps one of the biggest points of interest when it came to the 26th, and latest, entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Eternals. Her visual style is certainly on display in plenty of scenes and it forms an image different to that of other features produced by Marvel Studios thus far. However, the view is often distracted, rather interrupted, by extensive sequences of CGI fights, battles and spectacle – often causing a confliction between the locations and the visual effects that doesn’t completely sit well visually. There appears to be a slight rivalry throughout between the progressing narrative and the titular Eternals themselves.

With ten characters they each need time to form a connection with the audience and get across who they are, what their powers are and help to push the plot forwards. Leading the group of immortal superhumans sent to protect Earth from an alien race known as the Deviants is Ajak (Salma Hayek). Keeping the group in order as they try to fulfil their mission and reason for being on the planet, influencing human and societal evolution along the way. Largely we see the film’s events through the eyes of Gemma Chan’s Sersi, formerly in a relationship with fellow Eternal Ikaris (Richard Madden), but now happy – although not revealing her true identity – seeing colleague Dane (Kit Harrington) in modern day London. As the Deviants become a returning presence she must travel around the globe, with Ikaris and youthful, yet shapeshifting, Sprite (Lia McHugh) to find the reassemble the group.

Through various flashbacks we learn about the past of the Eternals and just how close a group they were in enforcing the task set upon them by rocky, red, six-eyed Iron Giant Arishem (David Kaye). It forms various introductions and contexts to each figure, who we are then re-introduced to later in the film when finally arriving at their respective locations. The film jumps back and forth both in time and location making it feel considerably busy, and causing it to reach a lengthy two and a half hour plus run-time. It feels like more than half of this time is spent simply meeting and re-meeting members of the titular team, all while trying to find space for fights with the creatures that they’re hunting down and battling. There’s certainly a lot going on within the film, creating certain elements of conflict between its focused elements and creating a slight sense of disorder. It’s a surprise when even Angelina Jolie doesn’t appear to get a great deal to do during her somewhat short amount of screen time.


It all leads to much repetition as instead of moving on and assuming that each new character has been told what’s already happened we essentially get told the plot all over again. It feels like the result of multiple hands involved in the writing of the screenplay. And while the Eternals are already aware of their powers and this isn’t an origin story there’s a fair deal of work going in to building all of them up as if characters that we’ve spent multiple films with already – almost like an Avengers style team within their first film, although the feeling doesn’t overly come across. You don’t even always get the united group style eventually found in James Gunn’s Guardians Of The Galaxy, although that only had half the amount of core members.

Once the elements have come together and the third act finally arrives the final battle is all set up. It’s here, once it seems the build-up is out the way, that things properly come together. We’ve had glimpses beforehand – the film builds itself up and improves however slightly knocks itself back with each new flashback – and generally the film has a number of elements that work in its favour to keep the audience engaged and involved, however as the final fight pans out this is where what is perhaps the highlight of the film lies. It no longer feels bogged down by repetition and greetings, instead getting on with the task at hand and providing some fairly decent fight action while at it. The less cluttered feeling helps and it actually allows for a handful of characters – particularly Lauren Ridloff’s Makkari – to have that bit more to do, while allowing their unique powers to also take a role in the team course of action.

There’s a long and slightly uneven path on the way to Eternals’ finale. While it occasionally builds itself up with new pieces of detail and an improved flow it soon feels knocked back by jumping to a new location for another character introduction, or to an extended moment and idea in the past. It pushes the run-time to beyond where it should be – closer to two hours than three, or rather two and a half. Yet, despite the conflicting nature of some elements there are those moments where the flow and tone improves and you manage to find yourself caught that little bit more in the piece and the world that has been created. It might not always be for long, but it helps make the third act an enjoyable finale in the wake of the clutter that comes before it.

Much like the titular team themselves, Eternals eventually comes together, and does so bit by bit over the lengthy run-time. However, it feels very busy and a bit all over the place beforehand.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

LFF 2021: Bull – Review

Release Date – 5th November 2021, Cert – 18, Run-time – 1 hour 28 minutes, Director – Paul Andrew Williams

Having been believed to be dead for 10 years, Bull (Neil Maskell) returns to exact revenge on those who suddenly turned against him all those years ago.

“Your family was put on this earth to destroy mine, and I’m not gonna allow it”. An idea which appears to be believed by both sides of the feud when believed-to-be-dead Bull (Neil Maskell) suddenly returns after ten years. He’s hurt, angry, grieving and most of all seeking revenge on those who suddenly turned against him all those years ago. He creates a path building all the way to the top, ex-father-in-law Norm (David Hayman). Bull’s trail starts quickly, swift and clearly. A stream of blood begins to flow as his thirst for revenge seems to have only strengthened over the decade – in which none of the characters appear to have aged – since he was seemingly disposed of after multiple arguments with Norm’s daughter, and Bull’s ex, Gemma (Lois Brabin-Platt), from whom he tried to get custody of their son.

The 18 rating is certainly lived up to in the case of the killings that we see Bull act out. He’s an unflinchingly tough figure who knows exactly what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. Such moments certainly have an effect on the viewer, however the scenes around them seem somewhat generic within the British gangster/ revenge genre. It’s pushed by the feeling that initially the film appears to be telling two stories at the same time. One of Bull getting revenge, and one building up the reason as to just why he’s seeking revenge in the first place. The two begin to feel as if they’re competing for space within the short 88 minute run-time and the shifts in focus turn to your shifts in attention and having to settle back into the other/ next point despite the fact that both are linked.


However, as we enter into the second half and the film builds further up towards an eventual meeting between Bull’s increasing anger and Norm’s growing worry, gradually not doing his best to hide it, things slightly pick up. A somewhat episodic nature is left behind and the narrative comes together a bit more to have a bit more fluidity. Maskell certainly makes for an interesting lead. The rage of the character particularly comes through his near-enjoyment of his revenge. One sequence in a fairground in particular has an effect as you feel his victim’s unease and knowledge that there is no escape from the uncertainty at what will happen with Bull confronting him on one of the rides. Yet, Bull isn’t completely a character that you get behind – in fact the film as a whole isn’t overly one where you find yourself supporting any of the major characters; although Bull does have the aim of trying to find his son, freeing him from a life within the crime family who attacked him all those years ago.

It’s a point that Bull doesn’t always dwell on as it moves from violent attack to preparations for further violent attacks in the guise of construction workers in a greasy spoon. There’s certainly plenty to like and generally keep you invested in the film as it goes over its fairly short course, and while initially feeling slightly conflicting with its narrative style it eventually comes together for the final standoffs and the core finale to have more effect than the more generic, slightly episodic stylings of the first half. It makes for a solid British gangster, revenge thriller. One that, like the character of Bull himself, knows exactly what it wants to go out and do and goes to do that with a direct plan, even if it does cause a few splatters along the way.

Once the narrative becomes more direct, with less competition between the build-ups, it’s easier to enjoy the violent British gangster revenge stylings of Bull, especially when it shifts away from more generic elements.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

LFF 2021: Spencer – Review

Release Date – 5th November 2021, Cert – 12, Run-time – 1 hour 57 minutes, Director – Pablo Larraín

1991, feeling increasingly repressed, Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart) spends a brief yet tense Christmas with the royal family at Sandringham House.

Spencer is very much a film not just concerned with restrictions faced by Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart) as a member of the royal family, but one where she finds her mental state declining when seemingly beginning to believe the rumours circulated about her. Harassed by the tabloids who will gladly print anything to put her less in favour with the rest of the royals it’s hard not to have your mind thrown to more recent echoing events. As Diana struggles through the endless, closing in corridors of Sandringham House she fears “all rumours of my disintegration confirmed”. We’re firmly placed in the spiralling state of her mind, pushed further by Jonny Greenwood’s eclectic, swirling score and director Pablo Larraín’s swirling use of the camera. Tension rises throughout the film and it truly feels as if there could be any outcome within the dark fantasy course that the piece seems to travel along.

As for the rest of the royal family themselves there’s little dialogue given to them. A handful of key exchanges, particularly heated arguments with an imposing Jack Farthing as Prince Charles. There’s something gothic to the presentation of many scenes involving the family. A number of dizzying dinner sequences where Diana finds it difficult to stomach the lavish dishes laid out in front of her almost play out like a horror film. The idea of “they don’t want us to be people” echoes in such scenes as daunting stares pierce through Diana and further bring her down; there’s an ease to which almost every other character is made to feel like an antagonist. It’s clear with very little being said that judgement and mistrust are placed heavily upon Stewart’s sensationally performed central figure while she simply tries to be a good mother to her two children (Jack Nielen and Freddie Spry as William and Harry respectively).


It feels that the only people who are there to show any sympathy are dresser Maggie (Sally Hawkins), constantly offering calm words of comfort and understanding solace to Diana at the most difficult of times, and head chef Darren (Sean Harris). While unable to do much in his position he does the best he can to look after Diana from the sidelines in preparing food especially for her, altering his menu in the process. They offer slight relief from the tension that’s felt rising throughout. However, during such moments you almost don’t want to completely enjoy the moment as you know that soon you’ll see Stewart thrown back into the ring with worry and fear flooding her tearful eyes. It’s a truly emotional performance that forms an almost immediate connection with the audience and holds them in place for the entire run-time. As she’s hounded by the press outside of a church on Christmas Day she glances away from the gaze of the cameras and it becomes immediately clear that Kristen Stewart IS Princess Diana and her effort truly pays off with a flood of impact.

When paired with the design and look of the piece – Sandringham is a cold residence often surrounded by mist or darkness to provide no way out – there’s a true feeling of entrapment. Each scene is so wonderfully and carefully shot to emphasise such feelings, particularly a heated exchange between Charles and Diana after she apparently hasn’t followed various instructions, including wearing certain clothes at specific times, you’re caught in the swirling nature that the film and Stewart’s performance – which will, deservedly, likely be a hit come awards season – so wonderfully capture.

There are plenty of layers that blend together with ease within Spencer. All excellently delivered through Kristen Stewart’s triumphant central performance as her central figure gradually breaks down under the pressure of both the press and those who she’s supposed to be spending Christmas with. It’s an often gothic depiction with horror-like elements that help to raise the tension and your immersion within in the piece. Topped off with the quietly lit design and visual strength of the piece, and Larraín’s swirling use of the camera to match Jonny Greenwood’s similarly spiralling score there’s plenty to bring you into Spencer. Helping you connect with the titular figure, reclaiming her identity, yet still leaving you with fear that something could go very wrong. It’s a finely drawn line and it’s walked along with strength and confidence that helps to further solidify this depiction of Diana Spencer.

Tense, gothic and dizzying, with little time for hesitant breaths of relief, there’s a lot swirling within Spencer, all perfectly captured within Kristen Stewart’s fabulous central performance. One which forms an easy connection with the viewer and truly gets you into the breaking-down mind of the repressed central figure.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Antlers – Review

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 39 minutes, Director – Scott Cooper

A teacher (Keri Russell) begins to investigate an isolated student (Jeremy T. Thomas) when his classwork becomes increasingly dark, reminding her of familial abuse in her past.

There’s a lot of director Scott Cooper’s Antlers which is concerned with the re-emergence of the past. Over the course of the 99 minute run-time we see a handful of characters face the demons, sometimes literally, which have held them back for times ranging from weeks to years. Predominantly we focus on quiet twelve-year-old Lucas (Jeremy T. Thomas). An isolated student whose increasingly dark classwork begins to concern his new teacher Julia (Keri Russell). Julia has moved back to the quiet Oregon town in which she grew up, living with her sheriff brother Paul (Jesse Plemons). Lucas’ work reminds her of the abuse she suffered from her father as a child. Occasional hints and beats throw back to this demonstrating the trauma that she went through in the exact same walls in which she finds herself living again now. She feels trapped in by them, much like Lucas does in the darkened room that he’s confined to. Crouched in the opposite corner to a door with the same number of locks that would take a ‘funny-not-funny’ amount of time to unlock in a comedic context, he scribbles by the light of his torch while an unseen figure crashes, scratches and roars all around him.

Particularly when dwelling on the ideas and themes of abuse Antlers often feels more like an emotional drama rather than focusing on the darkness of the horror. The overall tone feels slightly muddled, only truly choosing one – the horror – when it comes to the third act. The horror certainly seems to fit the piece better, however when the emotional elements are almost completely dropped in exchange there’s a slightly odd feeling overall. Different to that which has been lying over the film beforehand, slightly preventing the viewer from forming a proper connection with the piece and the characters within it. Characters who we jump back and forth between as they deal with their pasts or myths and fables of the past – an early scene in the school sets this up by discussing just what stories are – each almost telling a different story, or one pausing the main narrative to sidetrack to them not quite observing the main narrative, so that the film begins to feel somewhat lengthy.


Over time the film gradually builds up characters, trying to add more detail to some side characters who pop up every now and then. Plemons sheriff is one figure who the writers attempt to give more prominence to, however he feels underserved and therefore the actor has little to deal with when he is on screen. It gets to the point where the core antagonistic force even feels underserved and with little screen time. To the point where the titular reference of the film almost feels like a spoiler due to how late into the run-time it appears – although even after this we don’t see much development or action from the titular CG antlers. Instead we get further mystery and flashbacks to look at Lucas’ past and his family relationship – it appears that he almost lives alone, aside from the potential creatures on the upper floor, although it’s only known that his mother passed away a number of years ago.

Things tangle and twist and manage to build up the rough, if not completely detailed, plot of the film. However, with seemingly so many elements, most of which feel underdeveloped, there’s little room for engagement and connection with the film, leaving the viewer stuck outside of it, feeling fairly distanced. Even as the horror takes more centre stage and a barrier is slightly removed it’s still difficult to properly feel a part of the unfolding events as the scares don’t really add up to much and it all feels to have been done a little too late in the piece. While being emotionally rooted in various pasts and fables, Antlers spends little time properly creating scares and progressing the narrative in the present.

Part emotional drama, part dark horror. There’s a confliction of tones within Antlers, not helped by the confliction of characters and underdeveloped focuses which removes from the main horror force which should be more towards the centre of the piece.

Rating: 2 out of 5.

LFF 2021: Last Night In Soho – Review

Release Date – 29th October 2021, Cert – 18, Run-time – 1 hour 57 minutes, Director – Edgar Wright

New-to-London fashion student Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) finds herself transported to 1960’s Soho at night, observing the gradually darkening life of aspiring singer Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy) as the past begins to echo into the present.

We’ve become used to Edgar Wright’s taste for style and soundtrack choices to add extra flair to his films, and there’s plenty of both in his latest venture, Last Night In Soho. Yet, amongst the wonder-inducing visual style the effective sound mix of the film is not lost, further fleshing out the time-travelling confusion that central character Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) finds herself a part of. You too are taken back to 1960’s Soho to witness, alongside Wright’s love for occasional camera trickery taking the place of the fast-paced editing which he has become known for, Anya Taylor-Joy’s mysterious aspiring singer Sandie as she tries to build herself up from a backing singer on the variety stage. There’s a true open-mouthed sense of wonder as Eloise first treads into the brightly-lit past

As Sandie begins to find herself delving into a darker world which, according to Matt Smith’s boyfriend turned manager Jack, apparently comes as part of the job, her life, and indeed appearance, begins to echo into modern day London. Eloise begins to adapt her own look from the self-made clothes of a Cornish fashion student (her accent slightly wobbling at times, as does Smith’s occasional Cockney accent) to pricier 60s-inspired clothing from throwback shops. Yet, despite how well things appear to be going for Eloise in the present as she’s transported back in time, from her bed in her rented room in a scene-stealing Diana Rigg’s brilliant final role, each night things become more and more sinister for Sandie. The tone and effect of one particular revue scene as McKenzie’s character is trying to piece everything she’s missed out on during the day in a strong state of confusion matches that of the viewer. When mixed with the effectively excellent visuals there’s often a lot to bring you further into the blended world that Wright and his creative team have created.


When it comes to the elements of horror that make this stand out from Wright’s other work to date there are certainly moments which manage to establish a certain fear factor. A slight sense of fright, and even occasional terror, do line the piece. While not frequent, and not completely the dominating tone of the piece as a whole, they certainly manage to make an, even if brief, impact on key occasions during Eloise’s increasingly panicked investigation into the past that she’s becoming a part of, partly by her own choice. As things begin to blend together and the initial dreamlike nature of things turns into a nightmare for both central parties the past and present begin to support each other further. Initially the sequences of the past, with all their detail and style, feel a bit stronger than those focusing solely on Eloise. However, as we see more and the worlds further open up in various ways they begin to merge and work well together to further progress the story.

While this might occasionally lead to some more on the nose elements – including a, still kind of enjoyable, use of Dionne Warwick’s (There’s) Always Something There To Remind Me; matching a couple of other moments which could easily slip into a more comedic tone, aside from the couple of hit or miss laughs dotted throughout when compared with the tone of the rest of the film – there’s still enough to keep you engaged with the film and caught in its flow. This particularly in the build up to the various points and conclusions of the third act. It might not be to everyone’s tastes, however the style is still in place and manages to keep you engaged with the events and gives them more of an impact. It slightly steps away from the engagingly detailed 60s look, feel and style of what has come beforehand. But, still manages to work well enough to give a good conclusion to this fade from glamorous gaze of the darkening streets of Soho.

The past of Last Night In Soho is filled with strong attention to visual and audible detail that leaks into the present day scenes. Merging together for a further engaging story and world. The third act, with its more on the nose elements, might split some viewers, but its style is undeniable.

Rating: 4 out of 5.