MovieSonic

I loved it. I haven't laughed like that in ages. Some of Jack's retorts are painful-cringe-funny. Especially when he insults Rachael Harris' character (Dr. Lois Schmieckel-Turner). At one point, I was screaming at my screen "just elbow her in the face". Speaking on behalf of all sensible women: we would have forgiven you.

You know Burr is quoting from life with a lot of these interactions, and he's right to highlight the absurdity of some behaviours, but I absolutely loved that he also showed the progress we've made as a society.

When the men are having their toxic conversations in the car and Travis (Justin Miles) breezily and confidently calls the friends out for it, I was very happy because media is a great way to normalise these types of conversations between men. I also liked that Jack pointed out it was a private conversation and people are entitled to privacy.

There was never a lull, I didn't feel the need to check my phone, and the pace was sharp. I actually forgot I was watching Bill Burr after only a few scenes. He's a genuinely good actor and fit in very well with the rest of the cast. They all had great chemistry as friends - Mike and Connor (Bokeem Woodbine and Bobby Cannavale) were the perfect combination with Jack (Burr). Mike in particular did some fine acting as a man having a bit of a mental breakdown, and Bobby has perfect comedic timing, as always. Absolute natural.

Justin Miles as Travis gets two of some of the most memorable laugh out loud scenes: one with Mike (Woodbine) in the car. Genuinely think I startled my neighbours with my cackling at that scene.

Other mentions are the actresses portraying Leah, Britney and Cara (Katie Aselton, Reign Edwards, Jackie Tohn). It makes all the difference when your actors can.. erm.. act(!) I really felt Leah's frustration and empathised with her even through just a handful of scenes. Britney had even less screen time (and her Beyoncé level of beauty was frankly, distracting..!) but she was effortless and likeable. Cara was hilarious!! Somehow, she was written to be infuriating and endearing simultaneously. She has a habit at the beginning that had me rooting for someone to punch her in the face!

I liked the ending. It didn't feel forced and because I follow Burr, and have watched films before, I knew what to expect. What makes this film great isn't the originality. Is that a thing anymore, anyway? It's the writing, the acting, the fact that you're invested, and the realistic outcomes. I particularly loved the very final scene(s). They summed up the film really well. I took away from this that we can all meet somewhere in the middle.

It's 9/10 for me.

Where to start?! I have been laughing out loud, with a wide variety of cackles, all the way through - I'm still watching now and just had to rewind because I spent about a minute choking on a laugh. So many random, what the f moments and actors contributing to the scene. I don't particularly like the character Adam Devine plays in all his films and TV shows but the writing and the slapstick is coordinated superbly so that every scene works. Poorna Jagannathan steals the entire film. She is a revelation in this. It's just one of those layered films where even while the main action is happening, something will happen or be said in the background that you weren't expecting and it sets you off laughing, but will also be why it can be repeat watched - you likely missed a lot the first time around.

Just finished the film and they even managed to make the 'resolution' scene(s) memorable and interesting. As far as I'm concerned, it's the best film in its genre in a long time.

Just finished watching and I'm sharing my thoughts before reading other reviews. First, a stripped-back, context-free review:

It does what it says on the tin. It's not a history lesson and every episode warns about 's*x' content. It's soft p*rn wrapped in fancy period dresses and stunning jewellery all your favourite retailers will be stocking. And it's superb. I've loved everything Shondaland has delivered. Witty commentary, not taking itself too seriously, whilst also hooking you emotionally. It's not a 'guilty' pleasure - it's just a pure pleasure to watch and I'm really hoping for an extended series with many more episodes. India Amarteifio is stunning and an engaging actress: really detailed and subtle facial expressions so you feel everything she's going through. Innocent without being grating, strong without being aggressive. Perfect casting. Adjoa Andoh and Arsema Thomas are a dream younger/older pair. Arsema had big shoes to fill and she nails the mannerisms and inflections while commanding her own presence. Loved the side romance and funny dialogue with Sam Clemmett and Freddie Dennis. I wish there'd been more time to fully explore and develop other story arcs.. I don't really want another split like last time (in case they get it wrong) - I know it's a gamble but I'd rather have more episodes and tie all the stories together.

Context-based review:

Like most TV and film.. if everyone had happy, healthy relationships, there'd be no drama and what would keep us watching? The King and Queen's relationship is very damaging for young girls and their understanding of healthy interactions. The way George treats Charlotte is abusive. I'd like more balance in how relationships are portrayed. The narrative must change. Women shouldn't accept men (or any life partner) treating them like garbage 'because there might be a reason and they love me really'. No. A healthy relationship is people communicating their fears and concerns, not hiding them.

I've been saying for many years I want to see people of colour playing all roles (not just slaves) otherwise you perpetuate discrimination. Historical accuracy cannot be used to justify limiting acting opportunities for people of colour in the present. Because then how do you ever equalise opportunity? The past will never change. Maybe we should just pretend it never happened (as an experiment somewhere..) - anyway, I love what Shondaland is doing and the progress made since Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997). Casting was perfect - also looking forward to a dark-skinned lead in the near future.

At some point in episode 1 or 2, I was laughing out loud a lot and wondering why the humour seemed familiar - I noticed Jason Bateman in the credits. Not sure if he had input in that area or if he helped select the right cast and crew, but if you like Ozark / anything with Jason Bateman, you'll like this.

It has the usual tropes but it's all done really well with superb acting and comedic timing where needed. Abbey Lee is a natural and the whole cast is believable and charismatic. Sad it was only 7 episodes but better than dragging out too long.

Ignore rotten veg - I don't trust them if they can give a series like this one star.

A low key atmosphere throughout the film, relies mostly on intriguing cut away scenes of horror and mystery - which work as expected (you'll cringe and hide behind a pillow when you're supposed to). The writing was a little stiff and the actors did their best with what they had to work with - some interesting choices. Chai Fonacier was a revelation (not seen her in anything before). There's a scene with her and Mark Strong that's particularly funny/squirmy (as intended). The editing and filmmaking in general is high quality and the twist is satisfying. It doesn't matter that it's predictable. It progresses by telling a story you're engrossed in and it still hits home. I teared up - it was really well acted and shot. The ending is by the numbers but well done and not over-egged though Mark Strong's character did seem a little redundant. Still, it's a very good little entertainer - does what it says on the tin.

9/10 (this does seem to be the bar these days.. old days it may have been a 6 or a 7 at a push)

I was gripped all the way through. Thoroughly gripped, as in I was gutted I had waited so long to watch it. Jason Segel and Jesse Plemons are a duo we need to see more of in a future project. Jesse just casually inserting what the audience is thinking at crucial points to inject the right amount of humour. The "are you sleeping" scene (!!!) So funny. And I was so intrigued by the mystery and the questions raised. I was super invested in the characters and their outcomes. Then the film ended. I was so confused! There is a hint at an ending so this isn't really a spoiler (I selected spoiler in case saying there is an open ending is a spoiler) - it's rare for films to need an open ending. But this film did all but promise it would tell us what was really going on and we were working up to it and then, without warning - curtains up. Or down. Or closed. Anyway, it was jarring and I feel like I watched half a film. Please produce a sequel. I will watch it, if you promise to finish the script properly.

The more I think about it.. the more I think they 'might' have been able to get away with that ending if they had suggested it before it happened. Maybe have a few discussions / the actors set out what they hope the machine / recording showed? But nothing. Not really anyway or not enough.

6/10 (could easily have been 9 or 10)

This is a low-key, close up and realistic portrayal of a monster. It's told from the perspective of a co-worker and each shot feels calculated, controlled, and relevant. There is nothing 'spectacularly memorable' here i.e. No gratuity or over-dramatic scenes. But there is tension. There is devastation and a questioning you're (deliberately) left with. When there finally is a 'cathartic' release, it's well-earned. The acting is outstanding from everyone involved. This is one of those projects you really want on your CV.

There is plenty you 'could' criticise. But filmmakers have to make choices, especially when basing a film on true events. The filmmakers chose their story, their focus, the tone and they hit every note beautifully.

When you're in the mood for low-key tension from an extremely well-crafted and well-told story, this is the film.

10/10.

Gervais is a naturally funny bloke ('I find'!). He will never do something that isn't funny. So ignore 'woke' pitchforkers complaining and watch it. 5 minutes in, I wondered if Ricky was trying to get cancelled. Halfway through, I knew he was. I got the impression Ricky decided 'f it, I'll just tell every joke I want - actually try to get cancelled - and see what happens'. If he's still around after this, he can rest easy knowing he's cancel proof.

I loved it and will actually watch it again which I almost never do with other comedians.

I watched this following a gruelling day and needed it - thanks for the laughs!

10/10.

This is easily just as good as any Transformer film in terms of enjoyment / satisfaction.

Taylor Kitsch is hilarious, and this is the second time he's had me laughing out loud and really enjoying a film I might otherwise have groaned at (I reviewed John Carter a while back giving it 9/10 and said it was better than Avatar...!).

I'm old enough to vaguely recall the marketing for this film and while I don't usually like to place blame for a film not doing too well at the box office (not sure how you can call a film that makes a £100 million profit a flop!), I am going to say that I remember not being too interested after seeing the trailer - maybe cinemas were oversaturated with this type of action film? Maybe they tried to be too universal? I just know that while watching, I felt they should have focused the trailer on the humour, sense of global cooperation and respect for veterans. I also remember not being clear about whether I'd just be watching two ships fire at each other throughout the entire film - it didn't seem too gripping. What was with the board game sponsorship? Did they sponsor the film? If so, they needed a better way to plug the game (like the brothers playing the game as kids and growing up to be in the navy.. instead of that weird 'wish-making' dialogue no two grown men have ever had in their lives.

This isn't a masterpiece but it isn't supposed to be - it's fun, inspires fantasies and has some really great messages - as mentioned, 'cooperation' - Tadanobu Asano and Taylor Kitsch have some superb scenes and I loved the involvement of veterans; I really enjoyed the side story with Gregory D. Gadson.

It was a different time for women back then.. (remember women have only 'just' got their right to be portrayed as 3D human beings) so ignore the 'permission' stuff (and the fact that men can apparently fall deeply in love with you before even having one conversation... so we'll just take the bloke's word for it that she's kind and funny... all we know for sure is that she's tall, blonde, and has huge breasts).

Anyway, keeping the year in mind, it's a great action film and I recommend it along with John Carter.

8/10 (switch off and enjoy)

Spoiler signposted later in this review. I enjoyed this film. I have no idea why critics were so negative - I wonder if it's tactical (sabotaging Netflix??) - "Bright" with Will Smith got the same treatment but I watched that film after a friend highly recommended it and thought it was great.

What I liked about Mute:

Two separate (but connected) stories unfolding, each with a different angle - one, a love story and mystery. The other, a man's struggle to change his life (seemingly). Both stories are gripping for different reasons.

I didn't find the film convoluted. I reserve that word for when I can no longer follow what's happening in what's meant to be a linear story. This film isn't linear. It's like two trains backing into each other to link up and become one train i.e. One story. There is also some 'circling' within the progression of the two stories i.e. We discover certain connections along the way and I felt it was done very well - to the point where 'convoluted' doesn't seem like a fair description.

All of the acting was brilliant. All of it. I laughed where I was meant to, cried where I was meant to, and felt tense and disgust and all the other emotions I was supposed to feel - how can a film be so bad when it evokes this many emotions in you?

In particular, there were two standout scenes burned into memory due to how shocking and/or powerful they were - most movies are lucky if they have one.

I enjoyed the unique world, the detail, thinking about which elements will be in our own futures (definitely the flying takeaways!) and I loved the many messages you could take away from this film. I also enjoyed the romance, the action, the humour and the character development. There really is something for everyone.

*********************SPOILER********************* *********************SPOILER********************* *********************SPOILER********************* *********************SPOILER********************* *********************SPOILER*********************

Hoping I adequately signposted this..

The 'mystery' element of Leo's story was rendered a bit moot (sort of pun intended) when I realised that instead of searching, he just needed to wait for the message he received telling him exactly where to go. Or... have I missed something? I stayed engrossed in that story, in part, to see Leo's investigative efforts pay off! I'm hoping the messages began because the person sending them found out Leo was searching but... I really don't think this plot choice was clear enough about a) why the messages were being sent and b) what prompted it - the reason given seemed a bit 'throw away' and the only 'convenient' thing about the script. Most movies I watch have at least ten 'convenient' script moments where someone says or does something either out of character, that no reasonable person would ever do, or for no reason at all, just to make the script work. I may well have missed why the messages began but I definitely don't think the reason for it made sense. Minor script issue and for a two hour film, it's easily forgiven.

I want to give special mention to the following actors:

Justin Theroux - not an easy part to play at all but he managed to elicit empathy and ultimately, left a lasting impression.

Paul Rudd - paired extensively with Justin and really gave a believable and intense performance, starting out the 'everyday' likeable guy and revealing slowly, with each scene, a deeply disturbed and genuinely frightening human being. He showed great range with this film and should be very proud of his performance.

Robert Sheehan - just outstanding. His idiosyncracies, accent, commitment and ability to bring humour even into dark moments.

Alexander Skarsgård - playing a mute character lets you focus on the actor 'as an actor' (rather than the 'eye candy' type roles he has played previously). In every scene where strong emotion is required, he delivers. One of the two standout scenes belongs to him (the other to Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux) and I was surprised how much he let himself go to deliver it. There are plenty of good-looking actors and actresses out there but this alone doesn't draw you in, keep you engaged or jolt you into crying or expressing the intended emotion - Alexander deserves credit for single-handedly carrying and delivering his side of the story i.e. Keeping me engaged and relating to his character, wanting to know how his quest would turn out.

On balance, this was a very good film. When trying to think of reasons to rate the film lower than a 7... I can't think of any. I feel like a lot of work went into this film, by a lot of people, and there was so much to like about it. I can't even articulate why I'm knocking three stars off. Needed more character development? No, plenty of that. Needed less gratuitous violence? No, there was only an expected amount of violence throughout and only one particularly prolonged, gruesome (and deserved) violent scene. Should the film have been shorter? No, this is a creative decision and no scene felt unnecessary or drawn out. Should the technology have played a bigger role in the film so it didn't seem pointless being set in this unique world? Hmm... possibly. It did seem odd as well that adjustments for disabilities didn't seem to be a thing.. but movies are supposed to inspire fantasies and spark creativity. Why not just enjoy the world and the story unfolding for what they are?

I think the main reason I deducted stars is that 'repeat watchability' does matter to me. I probably won't watch this film again and there must be a reason for that even if I can't quite explain why. But I didn't feel the need to watch Phone Booth (2002) again after watching and that film was great.

You can safely ignore the excessively negative reviews and make up your own mind. I'm glad I did because it was an entertaining two hours.

7/10.

15 minutes in I messaged my friends to stop what they were doing and watch The Hunt on Netflix. I rewound numerous scenes to rewatch them because they were funny, shocking or both.

I thought The Hunt was original and satisfying.

The Hunt has many surprises when the story properly kicks in at the 15 minute mark and I loved the premise. It isn't accurate to say there is gratuitous violence - quite the opposite. Given the nature of the storyline, there does have to be some but they don't linger on it or show unnecessary close ups (some, yes but not over the top) and where it is explicit, there's a humorous vibe. The acting from everyone was spot on and I kind of wish there'd been time for a couple more 'scenarios' during the Hunt (can't say more without spoilers).

Best movie Netflix (/ the film industry in general) has put out in years.

Glad I finally got around to watching it. Other than messaging my friends a few times about various scenes, I didn't get restless and start using my phone or find my brain wandering. I was engaged from start to finish and loved the dark humour throughout. More like this, please.

9/10 (I would have gone more creative for the very final scene).

Did you enjoy John Wick? I could stop there but Polar is the next generation of kill films. There was a comedic thread throughout offsetting the horror and a feeling that someone was (masterfully) sending up the genre with a deliberate, stark contrast between Duncan Vizla's story arc and the clown-like quality of the bad guys. This was time well spent as it was very clear the film had been made by people who understood the genre and that audiences want a layered and meta approach to the storytelling. The plot had depth, twists and a satisfying ending. Easily deserves a 10 for its genre.

Love it. First season was inspired. Second season lost its spark (though it was still funny and interesting) while the third season is so funny I'm repeatedly having to skip back scenes to re-watch because they are too funny to fully enjoy in the few seconds they are available - they should add filler scenes when they've nailed it so I have time to laugh and catch my breath before moving on with the story.

William J. H. can make anything funny and all of the personalities just work! I knew Kristen Bell was funny and loved her in House of Lies (why did that end??) but everyone is equally responsible for why this show is so good.

Highly recommended 10/10

In a nutshell: if you're looking for an entertaining blockbuster, this is it. The world of Atlantis in particular was beautiful and I hope future films focus on this and expand a lot more on the people and sea creatures.

Surprises: the acting was great from everyone and the storyline made sense (some tropes of course).

The reason the film lost a star for me was that some of the writing was super lame. I understand these hero films don't want to take themselves too seriously but the acting was so good and the story so engaging that some more earnest and sincere responses would have been appreciated instead of lines like 'what a d*ck'. I also didn't like that they made Aquaman come across as a bit of a douche. This is a guy who (thought he) lost his mum as a child and has seen some horrific stuff while saving people's lives but comes across as some carefree surfer dude. I hope the next film shows him exploring Atlantis, taking on his duties and really seeing what it means to be King - perhaps also losing either his mother or wife in some tragic way so that he can grow as a person and change his character's personality in a legitimate way so that the writing can improve as well. As it stands, Aquaman is like a watered-down, less-funny version of Thor and needs his own unique personality.

Minor issues which can be fixed in subsequent films. I'll definitely be watching sequels.

9/10

You will enjoy this film if you like the fantasy and buddy cop genres. If you don't like those genres... I'm not even finishing that sentence. Who is reviewing films these days and why are they bald-faced lying? Are the stakes really that high now that Hollywood is dying and Netflix is taking over? I can't wait for the epic docuscandal heading our way ten or twenty years down the line when Netflix is running everything and the scandal of Hollywood using fake reviews and lies to try to take them down comes out in film form. "Bright" is a standard buddy cop film with a new twist: Middle Earth meets L.A. The effects are superb, the storyline makes sense and the meta dialogue is kept to a minimum i.e. there's just enough so that the easily-confused can follow the storyline and whenever it happens, it's always done with the right amount of humour. "Tikka" (really?) was a bit / a lot annoying as she's written as the typical damsel in distress (until she can be bothered getting involved it seems) but no film is perfect and I won't waste time writing about plot holes or improvements they could have made. The film is what it is and so we only need to know if we will enjoy it and we will. We will because we care about what happens to Ward and Jakoby, the world they live in is plausible (suspending disbelief about how it came to exist of course) because it's exactly the world we live in now minus magic and dragons. The fantasy genre isn't exploited to make up for a weak script, it just adds to the existing story allowing those of us who enjoy more than one type of film to watch both elements superbly combined to create a great film which deserves better, and more genuine, reviews for all involved from cast to crew to fans and for future non-typical projects which depend upon the reactions to films like this to get off the ground - which ultimately circles back to benefiting those currently cutting off their noses...

What "aubuchon" said...but to add to it: I also had reservations and only watched because I'm a huge Game of Thrones fan and figured if Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau was in it, then chances were, it would be good. Then you have Gerard Butler so I knew it wouldn't be a waste of my time. The film was even better than I could have hoped. I think it's more to do with the times we're living in whereby film makers can no longer get away with having two dimensional characters (and still expect a high IMDb rating) or women who just stand there looking pretty, or have an all-white cast with a few token darker-skinned people who get thrown one or two lines...erm...well, there's always going to be 'some' of that (society hasn't progressed that much) but this film at least 'tries' to avoid those clichés. The two main women have real personalities and Hathor, a.k.a. the Goddess of Love (Elodie Yung), portrays her sexuality in a refreshingly modern way (no crying about feeling taken advantage of for her own decisions etc.) The action is spectacular, there's a lot of originality in most of the fight scenes, and I liked the storyline. It was predictable but again, they at least explored other possibilities before returning to the road more travelled.

Gods of Egypt was a very nice surprise and it deserves a much higher IMDb rating. I'd have given it a 10 if they had stuck to one of the possible less-predictable endings but 9/10 it is.

I haven't reviewed anything for a very long time despite having watched many excellent and deserving films. I try to avoid trailers and reviews because they all too often ruin my enjoyment of films, either by giving too much away or just by increasing my expectations too much.

So I'll keep it short: the first ten minutes or so were boring and had I not read a glowing review and seen the first film already, I likely would have turned the film off. It's when Howard (John Goodman) and Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) finally have a conversation that I felt engaged. Every scene from that point onwards was riveting. There's something for everyone in this film and it feels modern (i.e. Michelle doesn't do anything stupid...maybe one thing...) and there's nothing gratuitous.

There aren't many films of this calibre being released so stop reading reviews and just watch it.

10/10

I finally watched this and it was much better than I was expecting but was still hampered with a few too many clichés (or rather, 'borrowings' from other films).

It's a bit cheesy in places (e.g. dialogue, plot points) but the pacing is great and the characters are really engaging.

Tom Schilling and Elyas M'Barek have great chemistry and special shout out to Wotan Wilke Möhring for his dancing!! I had to rewind that a couple of times until I'd stopped laughing! Trine Dyrholm was wonderful throughout. All I could think when I saw her was, "this is Portia de Rossi's twin from another mother".

I was gutted with the twist at the end...at first...but by the time the film ended, I was pretty happy (except for that last 'wink', what was the director thinking?!) I hadn't read any synopses of the film so I won't spoil the surprise for others because as soon as you mention the similarities between this and 'another film', you know what's coming.

I watched with German subtitles as I'm not 100% fluent in German and didn't want to miss any of the dialogue but I found it to be very straightforward.

This is a good, solid film and well worth watching.

7/10

I'll keep this brief. I liked the film up until about halfway through when it became clear that absolutely nothing was going to happen.

I thought there would at least be an interesting twist; there wasn't.

The conversations between the leads should have been engaging but they weren't and I got the sense that James Franco and Jonah Hill were struggling to act seriously during their scenes together.

There's a particular scene involving Hill's wife and Franco's character which is just unbelievably stupid and pointless. There were so many red herrings in terms of character reactions to things (mostly by the wife) and set ups for future plot events which never materialised.

The film gained some momentum during the court scene, mostly just because of the graphic and disturbing scenes of child murder, but this quickly fizzled due to poor script and/or story writing.

The end credits state this film was written based on a true story and whilst I have nothing but empathy for the real life people affected by these events, this film was a waste of talent and should have been much better executed.

5/10 (I didn't switch it off though in hindsight, I should have)

I love Sci Fi. I love well-written and well-acted character-driven films and Ex Machina mixes both, albeit with some considerable faults.

First off, if you're a fan of this genre, definitely watch Ex Machina. You won't be disappointed. But be warned:

The opening sequence was distant and cold and didn't fit the tone of the rest of the film. The first 15 minutes were so unbearably slow and unremarkable that I decided to stop watching. But being such a huge Sci Fi fan, at the last minute, I decided to skip ahead to see if things would get more interesting. I'd skipped to just past the hour mark and I can confirm that 'things would definitely get more interesting'! I skipped back to the scene I'd abandoned and realised that if I had kept watching the second session with Ava for just 20 seconds longer, I would have been fully hooked so my advice: keep watching!

From that point forward, the tension was palpable as the interactions between Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) and Nathan (Oscar Isaac) were intensified and there was so much investment in the outcome of the experiment, not to mention the subtle twists and turns of the plot.

What really lets the film down is the ending. There is so much anticipation building, so many clever ideas thrown around and it does start off incredible, actually becoming powerful and it seems like it will all pay off in this wonderful climax and then... devastation. Like when your bowling ball is heading towards the gutter and you're urging-pleading-begging it to curve in the opposite direction, but it doesn't.

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***SPOILER***

(I confirm if Ava lives or dies, I hint strongly at Caleb's fate but there is one shocking twist at the end which I don't discuss.)

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After a powerful scene involving Ava, I realised what was intended for Caleb and I distinctly remember shouting at the screen: "No!", "Don't you dare ruin this film!" - Caleb's fate is infuriating because it's not even certain what 'does' happen to him. As it stands, we're clearly expected to believe one thing (otherwise, why bother going to the trouble of filming those events?), but the very first thing that pops into your head is: "The secondment was for a fixed period", "Someone knows about this place", "This guy is a computer genius and has access to all of the best technology"... so it's hard to care when the scenario is so flimsy.

Finally, everything we'd been led to believe about Ava's artificial intelligence fell apart the moment she left. Sociopaths are not human, they are machines. The only real test of a human being is our inexplicable ability to feel compassion and show mercy even when it's not expected of us. Is this random? Is this also socially conditioned, or 'programmed', just like everything else about us? I'm not sure, I'll leave that to the experts. But regardless, I would have preferred an ending where Ava walked outside; saw, heard and felt the world, "turned human" (referencing an earlier conversation in the film) and then went back to Caleb and when asked why she returned, she'd reply (with something less trite than): "I don't know". This final interaction would 'prove' her artificial intelligence and they would both leave together.

As it stands though, I suppose the chosen ending left them with the option of filming a sequel. I would definitely watch a sequel, but please don't sacrifice a powerful and logical ending to set up another film!

This deserved a 9 until the end.

7/10

All romcoms have a hook and with Focus that hook is con artistry. As a pure 'con' film, I would have rated it slightly lower due to the superficial con scenarios and over-the-top premise but when judged as the genre it is at heart, the film exceeds expectations.

This is the perfect romcom for everybody; there's a beautiful woman (who is funny and endearing), a stunning man (who is also funny and acting for his life), the jokes come hard and fast and the script manages to maintain the prerequisite level of romcom predictability while delivering clever twists along the way. Bonus: it's not an obvious romcom i.e. there are no cringeworthy or sappy moments.

The two leads, Will Smith and Margot Robbie, don't necessarily have that undeniable chemistry that makes them instantly believable as soulmates but both actors have so much likability and charm that I found myself rooting for them straight away. I loved that we saw them developing a bond (as opposed to just looking into each other's eyes and 'knowing') and there's a lot of intelligence to the romance aspect; we see them have a friendship and interact on a level which explains why they care about each other and therefore, why we should too.

No matter how silly, I did enjoy all of the cons, much like in Now You See Me (2013). I probably enjoyed Focus a little bit more than that film as Focus had more...well...focus! In the sense that, there's always a sense of purpose and control i.e. nothing ever becomes too convoluted.

I enjoyed the ending too, there's nothing new here but there was a nice little twist and overall, I felt like it was a well-spent hour and half.

Worth noting: Having watched so many films, I often 'drift' and when I return I find I haven't missed much and don't care to check if I have. On the two occasions where my mind wandered, I found myself frantically rewinding as there are so many clever and/or hilarious one liners that I didn't want to miss even one. Also, the trailer didn't spoil all the best bits. In fact, I think they went for understated appeal which beats overhyping any and every day of the week in my book.

Highly recommended 8/10

I've watched a fair few German films now as part of my mission to improve my language skills so I feel confident in pointing out one or two commonalities I've noticed among them: No matter what year/decade German films are made, they always feel like they were made in the 90s. Granted, Anatomie was made in 2000 but even more recent German films (and TV shows) always have a 90s feel to them due to various reasons, the most prominent being the typically all-white cast. German films are very 'Disney' in the sense that there seems to be this 'ideal' vision of what Germany looks like or rather, what the German audience looks like but the reality is that times have changed and even Disney is finally updating its thinking. German films need to diversify, stop portraying women as simple stereotypes, and stop promoting smoking in films. I am sick to the back teeth of seeing the main protagonists light up in every single German film I watch. Not just because 'morals' but also because it's distracting. As soon as someone takes that first drag, you know their breath absolutely stinks so if this is happening right before a love scene, it's completely off-putting.

Another thing I've noticed is that German films will often have a fascinating premise and will start off strong but will then falter towards the middle, like they don't know how to properly pace a film or write an engaging story from start to finish. I sometimes wish people would send me their scripts for review before selling them to studios! I did feel that the film was very predictable but luckily, Anatomie doesn't try to be a 'true' mystery. The bad guy(s) is revealed fairly early on but there was at least one twist which I didn't figure out until near the end.

A special mention for Benno Fürmann; a powerful actor who simply terrifies in every scene. He also worked with Franka Potente in the superb Der Krieger und die Kaiserin (2000) where he put those tremendous eyes of his to good use too.

After the opening and an initial genuinely gruesome and terrifying scene, the horror of which Hostel (2005) later replicated, Anatomie loses momentum and meanders down an irrelevant path instead of focusing on the daily duties of the students at the medical school. That was a huge missed opportunity and like so many other German films I've watched, it felt like a case of 'the audience is invested now, we can switch to auto-pilot'.

I only watched this a few hours ago and already, I can't remember the ending. There was another ending during the credits so maybe that's interfering. No, I've got it: it was an extremely predictable, although fitting ending.

If you have time to kill, this is definitely worth a watch. It will however, be almost instantly forgotten.

6/10

It was difficult to determine the genre of this film. IMDb tags it as 'horror, mystery, thriller' but it's not any of those. 'Horror' requires a certain level of intelligence to the plot and filming style in order to generate fear; 'mystery' implies there is an actual plot with some depth giving the audience something to decipher and 'thrillers' are supposed to be tense, exciting and suspenseful which Creep isn't. There's a psycho on the loose randomly killing people and there's not much more to the story than that so I'd classify this as a basic 'slasher' movie.

There's a five minute opening sequence which sets the scene, none of it is important. The entire film is Kate (Franka Potente) running away from a mad man/monster. She meets people along the way who may or may not get killed (avoiding spoilers) and there's a bit of gore midway through.

As a brainless slasher flick, watched with friends while drinking, you'd likely enjoy this as it's inoffensive slasher/gore nonsense but if you actually concentrate on films while watching them and you don't like wasting your time then definitely give this a miss.

I'm a huge fan of Franka Potente and she's a wonderful actress but her acting in Creep during a handful of scenes was downright amateurish. It felt like she was there for the paycheck to be honest but she still managed to pull off a good performance, it was just a bit choppy.

I don't understand why the producers/studio chose 'order of appearance' to list the cast. Franka was the (only) star and should have received top billing.

Overall, this felt like a cynical money-making endeavour by everyone involved.

5/10

If you don't like Adam Sandler films, don't read any reviews because you have no reason to watch The Cobbler.

I would have given this a 7 but the ending was fairly by-the-numbers and in hindsight, the film could have been funnier.

I enjoyed it; Adam Sandler gives a somewhat stripped-back performance (i.e. his voice is less whiny) and it's an interesting idea. The plot is fairly predictable, although it does get a bit rapey part way through. There were a fair few laugh-out-loud moments and Sandler does have a way of projecting his emotions no matter how trite and manipulative they may be.

I think the film's current 5.8 is good because it lowers your expectations thereby increasing your enjoyment of the film and inspiring better reviews than it may otherwise have received.

6/10

Well I enjoyed it! I read the negative reviews, saw the slightly-under-6 IMDb rating (to date) and almost wrote it off but luckily, I'm a fan of both lead actors (Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis) and I love Sci Fi so I gave it a chance.

First off, the Sci Fi element is fantastic. The new technology, gadgets and aliens are brilliant. One species in particular reminded me of the Scarrans in Farscape. I wish they'd had a bigger presence, in the film but also in the film's fictional society as once again, despite Channing's character explaining how arrogant we are for assuming we're the only sentient beings in this vast universe, it appears that humans, with all our limitations, still managed to become the rulers of the universe.

The effects and chase sequences, especially one extended chase early on, were outstanding.

In terms of dialogue, character development, story progression etc. I'd place the maturity and intellect somewhere along the lines of Divergent (2014), The Hunger Games (2012) and at times, hints of Twilight (2008). This is definitely pure fantasy fodder for young people but like John Carter (2012), there are some genuinely hilarious and insightful moments that pull you back in at times when your post-pubescent brain may be wandering. Bonus: Sean Bean pops up part way through which is always a nice surprise.

I thought there could have been better direction because almost everyone mumbles their lines at one point or multiple and Eddie Redmayne basically whispers all the way through.

Depending on your mood, the reviews you've read (i.e. your expectations), your age and so on, you will either consider this an entertaining bit of fantasy fluff or, you will cringe at the predictability and resume your game of scrabble.

I switched off my brain for a couple of hours and thoroughly enjoyed it so it's 7/10 for me.