2020-2029, Film Review

Anyone But You (2023)

Posted on January 6, 2024October 8, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

(c) Sony Pictures Releasing, SK Global, RK Films, Olive Bridge Entertainment and Columbia Pictures

Anyone But You – Film Review

Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, Bryan Brown, Rachel Griffiths

Director: Will Gluck

Synopsis: A blossoming romance between a couple quickly sours and takes a turn for the worse when they find out they’re both attending a destination wedding…

Review: Perhaps it is Disney’s influence and the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with a happy-ever-after tale, but there’s something refreshingly simple and effective about a good romantic comedy. They have an effortless appeal, which we as human beings lap up, because who doesn’t love a good romance when two people, after much will-they-won’t-they antics, finally come to the realisation they are destined for each other and fall in love? It definitely doesn’t hurt when the two people at the centre of this particular tale are two of the most attractive human beings on earth with an equally beautiful setting to go along with it.

Bea (Sweeney) and Ben (Powell) randomly meet at a coffee shop and strike up a romance, leading them to spend the night together at Ben’s place. Despite what seems to have been a perfect first date, Bea decides to leave first thing in the morning before Ben has woken up. A change of heart leads her to head back, only to hear Ben verbally lash out at her for leaving without saying a word, to his friend Pete (GaTa), all while she is in earshot. The sparks which initially flew at their first meeting are soon replaced by uncomfortable frostiness when they find themselves again in each other’s company at a party several months later. The two are further dismayed when after being invited to the wedding of Bea’s sister Halle (Robinson) and Pete’s sister Claudia (Shipp) in Australia, they will be staying in the same house. Amid possible schemes from other wedding guests to get them together, Ben and Bea decide to pretend to be in a relationship to get the other wedding guests, as well as their parents off their backs. Who knows, maybe this will make them realise what made their initial connection so memorable?

Loosely based on William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing, the script by Will Gluck and Ilana Wolpert does everything it can to channel the spirit of the Bard himself, as the central couple at the centre of this love/hate relationship sharing the names of the protagonists for good measure (Beatrice and Benedick). Seeing two people who would almost certainly prefer to be in anyone else’s company other than each other’s lends itself to some humorous moments. Despite this animosity, they try to make things as seamless as possible and avoid making a scene at the wedding of two people close to them. Shenanigans are had, with one particular highlight being when the wedding party is out on a hike taking in the scenery that the land down under has to offer, as well as a recreation of the iconic scene from Titanic while the wedding guests are having a party on a boat, what could be more romantic than that? Well until, it goes just a bit wrong and ends up with an unplanned dip while wearing fancy party attire.

It is a fundamental aspect that any rom-com needs chemistry between its leads. Luckily, when you have two of the hottest (literally) rising stars in the business, it counts for a lot as Sweeney and Powell’s chemistry sizzles like the hot Australian sunshine. Their charisma and charm are enough to carry the film practically all by themselves, and Gluck seems to recognise the easy on the eye appeal of his leading couple as much as possible, while cinematographer Danny Ruhlmann utilises the beautiful picturesque Australian scenery to his advantage. However, their blazing hot chemistry and on-screen charisma can only do so much to elevate the material, as it cannot escape the very formulaic nature of the plot. Despite their bittnerness and resentment they initially have, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the hostilities between them will inevitably give way to a realisation that maybe these two have romantic feelings for each other after all.

While Sweeney and Powell dominate much of the screentime, Dermot Mulroney provides excellent comedy relief as Bea’s father, scheming with some of the others to get his daughter and Ben to realise what is staring everyone in the face. While they have the limelight stolen from them due to the antics of Ben and Bea, Alexandra Shipp and Hadley Robinson get their time to shine, and so they should what with them being the couple whose wedding is the reason for this gathering in the first place. It doesn’t break any new ground, but if you’re looking for some glorious sunshine, some attractive people and a simplistic but effective story of two souls taking a long time to realise what the audience knew from the beginning, it certainly ticks all the boxes. But be warned, you will not be able to get Natasha Bedingfield’s certified 2000s pop banger “Unwritten” out of your head for several days afterwards.

It does not win points for its orignality, but with Sweeney and Powell’s endless charisma, charm and attractiveness to swoon over, combined with the very picturesque backdrop elevate the material that will satisfy die hard rom-com fans.

2020-2029, Film Review

Barbie (2023)

Posted on August 1, 2023August 1, 2023 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**© Warner Bros. Pictures, Mattel Films and Heyday Films**

Barbie – Film Review

Cast: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, Will Ferrell, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Sharon Rooney, Dua Lipa, Nicola Coughlan, Ana Cruz Kayne, Ritu Arya, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa, Michael Cera

Director: Greta Gerwig

Synopsis: After suffering an existential crisis, one Barbie (Robbie) must journey to the real world in search of answers…

Review: A parody of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is probably one of the last ways you’d expect a film centred on one of the most influential toys to have ever been created to start. “Since the beginning of time, since the first little girl ever existed, there have been dolls. But the dolls were always and forever baby dolls,” intones Helen Mirren’s narrator. It wasn’t until 1959, when a company called Mattel launched a toy which would change not just the doll industry, but the toy industry forever with over a billion dolls sold worldwide, and her name is Barbie. A plethora of animated movies followed since, but while it has been mooted for a long time, a live-action film had for a long time looked as though it would never escape the doldrums of the plastic box of development hell. This is until, Greta Gerwig, after her success with a beautiful directorial debut and a superb adaptation of one of the most beloved novels of all time stepped in, and the result is one of the funniest, and pinkest movies you will ever see in your life.

In the picturesque world of Barbie Land, live all of the Barbies, each of whom has their own unique role in their perfect society. One such Barbie is the stereotypical Barbie (Robbie), who wakes up every day living her best life, spending days by the beach, having parties in her dream house, and organising girls’ nights with all of the other Barbies in the community. Nights filled with sleepovers, parties and the dulcet tones of Dua Lipa and Lizzo providing an irresistibly catchy soundtrack. This is until one night, one passing comment about death causes everything in her perfect world to go very wrong, including cold showers, falling off her roof, and worst of all, gasps, flat feet. Determined to find answers, Barbie must journey, with her partner Ken (Gosling) in tow, to the real world to figure out what is causing the imperfections in her perfect lifestyle to happen and whether she can fix them before it is too late.

**You can see why they ran out of all the pink paint…**

As is the case with superhero movies, or murder mystery movies, it pays to know as little as possible before making the journey to Barbie Land. Beyond what is teased in the trailers, this is no ordinary Barbie movie. Gerwig’s screenplay (co-written by her partner Noah Baumbach) really goes all in on the themes it chooses to approach and is not afraid to tackle meaningful social commentary surrounding feminism, gender roles, the negative impact that Barbie has had on the standards of beauty for women, and the patriarchal nature of the real world and its abject treatment of women, a very stark contrast to the idyllic world of Barbie Land. A severe rude awakening for Barbie, but one that considerably piques Ken’s interest who finds a new sense of purpose to his existence beyond merely being an accessory for Barbie. Gerwig and Baumbach deserve great credit for their scope and ambition as the script strikes a playful balance between thought-provoking social commentary and Barbie’s toy history and also goes for some big swings, all with fantastic wit and sharp meta-humour.

From the moment she was cast, Margot Robbie felt like the perfect choice to play the lead role of Stereotypical Barbie, and she does not disappoint. Throughout her career, she has portrayed a wide range of charismatic characters and has always embodied those roles perfectly, whether it’s her perfect turns as Harley Quinn or as the no-holds-barred party girl in Babylon. Now she can add Barbie to that list of roles which felt tailor-made for her because she looks the part, but also has the required acting chops necessary for both the film’s light-hearted moments and the more serious moments. Alongside her, Gosling is equally perfect as Ken. His career has often seen him in intense dramas where he appears stoic and cold. However, he has also proved he has serious talent as a comedic actor and never has that shone more brightly than in The Nice Guys. His performance as Ken is unlike anything you have seen from him before. No matter if he’s showing off his muscles, or a passionate song and dance number, he owns every minute of screen time he has. In such a star-studded cast, Robbie and Gosling stand out among all the respective Barbies and Kens, though Weird Barbie (McKinnon) is given plenty of moments to shine. Outside of the would-be plastic dolls, America Ferrera gives a noteworthy as a disgruntled Mattel employee who might hold the key to why Barbie’s world is falling apart.

It’s been well documented when designing the film’s incredible sets, they needed so much pink paint that it contributed to a worldwide shortage of that particular colour, no expense spared for Barbie’s dream house, as it should be, and it was most definitely worth it as the film’s production design is immaculately impressive and rich in its detail. The same is also most definitely true of the costumes which have been faithfully recreated for the big screen. While the film blasts through its 114-minute running time, there is one side plot with Will Ferrell’s ~~Lord Business~~ Mattel CEO which can feel a bit throw away but it does not detract from the fact that Greta Gerwig has created a film which manages to be a fuschia-infused party, an uproarious comedy, and a thought-provoking look at modern society rolled into one and completes Gerwig’s hat-trick after her success with Lady Bird and Little Women. Come on Barbie, let’s go party!

A feminist and hilarious ode to the doll which has defined generations and will almost certainly continue to do so for many more generations to come. Life in plastic is truly fantastic!

2010-2019, Film Review

Dark Phoenix (2019)

Posted on June 8, 2019June 9, 2019 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**Image is property of 20th Century Fox, Marvel and TSG Entertainment**

Dark Phoenix – Film Review

Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Sophie Turner, Nicholas Hoult, Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Chastain, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp

Director: Simon Kinberg

Synopsis: After a mission in space goes awry, a deadly cosmic force connects with the powerful Jean Grey creating an unstoppable force that threatens to have deadly consequences for mutants and humanity alike…

Review: Fox’s X Men franchise was for a time, the pinnacle of superhero films in the 2000s, at least before the genesis of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet even as the MCU grew, Fox remained undeterred and, even with a few misfires, produced some outstanding superhero showdowns. However, with the deal to bring Fox under the Disney/Marvel umbrella now officially complete, this franchise is now coming to its conclusion. Though there is one more entry to come before the passing of the torch, this represents one final opportunity for the franchise to go out with a bang, but unfortunately it fizzles out into nothing.

Eight years after the events of the Apocalypse, the X-Men are summoned to a space mission that has gone badly wrong, leaving the lives of the astronauts in serious peril. During the rescue mission, a cosmic force of unknown power latches itself onto Jean Grey, creating the very powerful Dark Phoenix. Upon touching back down on Earth, though everything seems to initially be fine, trouble begins to brew and the X-Men must try and contain Jean’s power before she becomes too powerful for any of them to stop.

For every high that this franchise has experienced, there has always been a crushing disappointment, and sadly Dark Phoenix falls into the latter category, which given its troubled production, shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. Things started off brightly when we first met these characters, though in the wake of the underwhelming Apocalypse, this continues that downward trajectory. For a story that is very popular in the comics, and one that has already been attempted before in The Last Stand, writer/director Simon Kinberg efforts to translate it for the big screen fall completely flat. It has a promising start, but once the Phoenix is born, the plot meanders along, only occasionally perking up every now and again to deliver an action scene, which while exciting, is not nearly enough given what we know this series is capable of.

One thing these films absolutely got right was the casting of the younger versions of these characters. James McAvoy is once again excellent as Xavier, being that father figure presence. Though he doesn’t get nearly enough material to work with, Michael Fassbender is solid once again as Magneto. Though, Jennifer Lawrence has definitely had better moments in the blue of Mystique. The key player here is Sophie Turner’s Jean Grey, she does a sterling job conveying the pain and anguish that her character is experiencing at that moment in time, but her arc definitely had room for improvement. Jessica Chastain’s presence as a villain adds nothing substantial to the plot. Her motivations are threadbare and she’s just not intimidating enough to be taken seriously, a scandalous waste of her immense acting talents.

With the future of this franchise now in the hands of the folks running the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans were probably hoping for the franchise to sign off in spectacular flaming glory. The potential was there, but even with the talents of all these actors, and another excellent score from Hans Zimmer, it’s just not realised. The great journey that we have been on these characters started off well, but they didn’t get the send off that they would have wanted. It’s a real shame that the penultimate entry in this iteration of the X-Men franchise flickers briefly before being extinguished with a whimper.