Gladiator 2, Juror #2 and Paddington 3 - UK Film Club Episode 21

00:00:00.69
Chris Olson
Yeah, I think my move into children's books isn't far away. you know I think i'll be I'll be there soon.

00:00:04.98
Brian Penn
I know. Yeah, I know. That inspiration is close at home. Make the most of it, Chris.

00:00:10.56
Chris Olson
Absolutely. But have you been?

00:00:11.65
Brian Penn
Yeah, I've been very well.

00:00:12.00
Chris Olson
You been all right?

00:00:13.78
Brian Penn
Thank you. You know,

00:00:15.01
Chris Olson
Yeah, very well. I didn't blow away with the storm, so that was good.

00:00:18.31
Brian Penn
well, where I am, we could have waited very lightly. Bit of wind, a bit of rain, you know, nothing to write home about really. So we were lucky compared to some. That's for sure.

00:00:28.28
Chris Olson
Yeah. Yeah, it wasn't too bad out here in Kent.

00:00:30.70
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:00:31.14
Chris Olson
It was all right. um Oh, yeah, we don't.

00:00:32.88
Brian Penn
We're sport living in the in the southeast, I think, really, aren't we? Weather ways, you know?

00:00:38.34
Chris Olson
At the moment, we don't tend to get the the crazy weather, do we?

00:00:41.52
Brian Penn
No, no. So I think we're very fortunate and we can feel very, very, very sorry for those who are affected. But, you know, thank you lucky stars that but we live in a very mild climate, I guess.

00:00:55.47
Chris Olson
Absolutely. and Yeah, I mean,

00:00:56.46
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:00:58.80
Chris Olson
Where are we now? It's the penultimate episode of the year, I would say.

00:01:05.00
Brian Penn
Right. Okay. Yeah.

00:01:06.72
Chris Olson
Well, in theory, we'll do one more in December, in theory.

00:01:10.11
Brian Penn
All right. Yeah.

00:01:13.12
Chris Olson
So yeah, that would be, that's a lot of episodes this year.

00:01:16.65
Brian Penn
and I know. Well, when you add in the, uh, the indie specials as well, it's been a busy time, isn't it really?

00:01:21.06
Chris Olson
yeah Busy time, we've got some Christmas films on this show.

00:01:26.45
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:01:27.16
Chris Olson
um yeah no it's been a fabulous year thank you very much brian for all you've done all the hard work um but yeah i mean we'll kick it off because this is a 21 episode 21 officially of the uk film review podcast uh well uk film club and we've as brian said here we've had a few indie specials mixed in there which were just indies i think we have on it this month actually should but

00:01:31.80
Brian Penn
Pleasure, pleasure, no worries.

00:01:56.68
Chris Olson
On this episode, we're back to normal scheduling. We've got cinema releases, we've got a streaming film, we've got indie films that have been sent to us, and we've got a nostalgia pic, which is one of my absolute all-time favourite Christmas films.

00:02:00.79
Brian Penn
yeah Yeah.

00:02:11.43
Brian Penn
Oh, yeah. I know. I know. It's a jam, isn't it? I can't wait to talk about that one.

00:02:15.88
Chris Olson
Absolutely. Yeah, I've been waiting years to talk to Brian about this film.

00:02:20.17
Brian Penn
it but Yeah.

00:02:21.43
Chris Olson
So here we go. But first up, as always, is the cinema releases. So these are films that Brian has very kindly gone to the cinema and watched.

00:02:30.83
Brian Penn
Hmm.

00:02:31.22
Chris Olson
And yeah, he reviews them on this portion of the show. First up, Ridley Scott's back with another gladiator.

00:02:40.50
Brian Penn
yeah oh yes yes rudy scott is back and gladius is back so again rudy scott filmed starring paul mezcal pedro pascal denzel washington and connie nelson now the story moves on one generation maximus decimus meridius had a son lucious who, for his own safety, escaped to Numidia as a boy. The land is subsequently conquered by Roman forces commanded by General Acacius. Lucius is enslaved, but Macrinus, the master of gladiator, sees potential. He quietly makes a name for himself, but stormclowns are gathering in the Roman Empire. Joint Emperors Gita and Caracalla have their rivals and knives are being sharpened behind their backs.

00:03:30.16
Brian Penn
So this is fantastic entertainment.

00:03:33.85
Chris Olson
Yeah.

00:03:34.14
Brian Penn
For pure action, it doesn't get much better than this. The combat sequences are jaw-droppingly good. I won't describe them here. It needs to be seen without any prompts or tips.

00:03:45.01
Brian Penn
So that's all I'll say. Having said all of that, it's not for everyone. It's violent, bloodthirsty and brutal. But it's an authentic portrayal of life in the Roman Empire.

00:03:57.98
Brian Penn
I mean, after all, Christians were fed to the lions for entertainment. But occasionally, they put a sword in in their hand and became gladiators and they had a chance. But this is top-notch entertainment. You can't really go wrong with this. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. And Ridley Scott is already working on the script for Gladiator 3 already. So we won't have to wait 24 years for the next one. Let's put it that way.

00:04:24.34
Chris Olson
well it's interesting isn't it that they've already got that in the pipeline it's happened quite a lot with these

00:04:28.32
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:04:30.40
Chris Olson
reboots and sequels that have you coming from classic films.

00:04:31.64
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:04:33.84
Chris Olson
I think it's because these studios have realized the built-in audiences for these films are pretty much the only way to go, right? For cinema releases, we need it's very unlikely now for news stories to come out and dominate, unless they're attached to like the Marvel universe or something like that.

00:04:42.19
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:04:51.59
Brian Penn
Yeah. yeah

00:04:53.03
Chris Olson
So it's interesting that these, and it's also, because obviously directing, There isn't so much in terms of limitation, like acting, there's definitely a limitation towards yeah what they can get away with.

00:05:04.00
Brian Penn
Hmm. Yeah.

00:05:06.18
Chris Olson
ah But with the directing, you know, we see filmmakers going to a ripe old age. And, you know, I think it's great that Ridley Scott is still there.

00:05:11.55
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:05:14.69
Chris Olson
but Obviously a different cast this time and ah but some great, you know, fresh talent plus Denzel Washington.

00:05:17.11
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:05:20.65
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:05:21.82
Chris Olson
I've heard very good things about Denzel in this film. Is he good?

00:05:24.82
Brian Penn
I think he's very good. Denzel's always good value. You always put some a shift. I can't I can't recall about Denzel Washington film.

00:05:32.69
Chris Olson
no No, there isn't one.

00:05:33.02
Brian Penn
You know,

00:05:33.65
Chris Olson
There isn't one. We looked we did an episode on it.

00:05:34.45
Brian Penn
you know

00:05:35.73
Chris Olson
I did I did one back Yeah, that was good episode that you know what that was one of those episodes where we have to watch these films when we go I'll go back and watch as many good I just enjoyed every minute if it was like, oh, this is these are all great Yeah

00:05:35.78
Brian Penn
ah Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. i

00:05:42.68
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know. I know, I know, I know. The thing is, when you think about it, it took him a while to break through big, you know, in a major way. He was probably mid to late thirties before he became a major player. But he chose his films well, Denzel Washington. And he's done that this time as well. You know, he's just good. He's totally convincing in every role. You know, you buy into it. He's good. It's a great cast anyway. But the visuals are just stunning.

00:06:14.59
Brian Penn
As I say, yeah it's it's really a question of whether you're into it or not. You know, it's it's a strong storyline. you but You would call it an action movie, I guess. You would you couldn't call it anything else. But everyone wants the socks off. It's a great production. Ridley Scott is 86 years old now. And he's still going strong. I mean, it's so it's a strain to direct any film when you're half that age, let alone 86.

00:06:42.40
Chris Olson
I was gonna say, I'm 36 and I can barely get this podcast to work. you know so It tests me, so yeah, and it hats off.

00:06:48.82
Brian Penn
but But, you know, I mean, I love Ridley Scott because he dares to do things that are different and there aren't many directors that try different things. And as far as I know, I mean, I'll stand corrected on this.

00:07:01.55
Brian Penn
I think this is the first sequel he's ever directed of anything.

00:07:04.42
Chris Olson
Ooh, that's an interesting point.

00:07:05.97
Brian Penn
I think so. I'm not sure.

00:07:07.70
Chris Olson
I'm going to be honest.

00:07:07.73
Brian Penn
I should have checked before we came on out.

00:07:09.11
Chris Olson
Well, I'll be honest listeners. I can't be able to check. So please look and let us know because I'll probably get it wrong anyway.

00:07:12.57
Brian Penn
but

00:07:15.11
Chris Olson
i'll To be fair, AI probably tell me when, if I do that.

00:07:17.66
Brian Penn
It should do, yeah, it should do. If it behaves itself and you ask it nicely.

00:07:20.70
Chris Olson
Yeah. Yeah.

00:07:24.33
Brian Penn
But yeah, so as I say, great a great piece of filmmaking, undoubtedly. But if you can get your head around the violence, and it is pretty graphic,

00:07:35.17
Brian Penn
but it would be it would be it's it's portraying a a very violent era you know so you you kind of expect it and you you you've got to give it that allowance that it's not good choices they're telling it like it was oh yeah of course yeah it didn't have a two in this light although did it that's the thing

00:07:36.69
Chris Olson
Hmm.

00:07:50.42
Chris Olson
So alien they're saying, cause he did Prometheus technically. So technically. No, and and I feel Prometheus is quite a different film, to be honest.

00:08:02.43
Brian Penn
Yeah, yeah, um okay, okay, so, yeah.

00:08:02.84
Chris Olson
But anyway, yeah well where does this how well, how does this hold up against the original Gladiator, though? Because the original is an absolute classic, right?

00:08:11.63
Brian Penn
Yeah, it's, yeah, of course, Oliver Rivers and Richard Harris.

00:08:11.79
Chris Olson
Russell Crowe and all that.

00:08:15.97
Brian Penn
I mean, you had some genuine superstar actors in the first gladiator movie. That's not to say that the cast this time isn't great, they are, but I don't know, I think, I think, the first gladiator movie just about shows it for me.

00:08:32.11
Brian Penn
Because you you had the freshness of the idea, but this is good I mean, you know, I'm looking forward to gladiator 3, you know, I'm not a huge fan of sequels, but and I Know whenever as good as this bring it on bring it on Yeah, yeah, I I've definitely a thumbs up.

00:08:32.35
Chris Olson
ah

00:08:34.87
Chris Olson
Yeah.

00:08:42.20
Chris Olson
No, and that is high praise indeed. Well, you can't see our thumbs, but Brian's doing that whole thing where he hovers his thumb and it's a thumbs up for this one.

00:08:55.00
Brian Penn
Yeah, it's not even hovering.

00:08:55.44
Chris Olson
them

00:08:55.96
Brian Penn
Yeah

00:08:56.65
Chris Olson
even ho

00:08:56.88
Brian Penn
so

00:08:57.62
Chris Olson
ah But yeah, if you've seen, oh, actually, someone may have seen Gladiator. Let's check the old listener reviews. So these are people that have sent in very kindly their reviews, and I know someone did.

00:09:05.41
Brian Penn
Ah, OK.

00:09:07.81
Chris Olson
So Sean, Sean Baguley, I'm almost definitely pronouncing that wrong.

00:09:14.85
Brian Penn
All right.

00:09:14.91
Chris Olson
Sean Baguley, B-A-G-U-L-E-Y. I'm so sorry, Sean. and Yeah.

00:09:19.81
Brian Penn
It was a good effort, Chris, I'm sure.

00:09:21.47
Chris Olson
I don't know if it was. Sean gives it three out of five, so not a massive fan.

00:09:24.89
Brian Penn
um Oh, no.

00:09:27.87
Chris Olson
ah

00:09:28.35
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:09:29.47
Chris Olson
From the beginning, we are tuned right back into the original Ridley Scott, using it as a support to try and get this film off the ground running. Again, you can understand why he would want to use Gladiator as a springboard, but in doing so, it loses a missing piece, which makes you his story great originality.

00:09:45.59
Chris Olson
So something that we have mentioned, obviously it is a sequel, they are visiting the same world.

00:09:47.40
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

00:09:51.02
Chris Olson
Denzel Washington does what he does best whilst playing Macruness, but doesn't give a level of performance i would argue he gave us in fences for example so that's interesting

00:10:02.02
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:10:02.28
Chris Olson
um Yeah, I mean, that's a very good review, Shaun, you've gone on through a lot.

00:10:07.64
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:10:07.79
Chris Olson
It's really the end bit there. An enjoyable ride, you don't find yourself checking your watch for how long was left but is but it's without any story depth or real meaning to get involved with the characters.

00:10:12.38
Brian Penn
Oh, no, absolutely not.

00:10:17.92
Chris Olson
And by the time the ride comes to an end, the dream that is Rome can be whatever. I mean, that is very poetic at the end, I love it.

00:10:26.16
Brian Penn
Yeah, well, yeah, of course.

00:10:26.32
Chris Olson
But yeah, thank you, Shaun, for the review. And obviously, um

00:10:28.18
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:10:30.37
Chris Olson
all opinions are welcome, which is fabulous.

00:10:31.53
Brian Penn
Of course so, yeah.

00:10:32.09
Chris Olson
you know We aren't gonna put you to the lions, not not yet anyway, not until I'm in charge.

00:10:33.97
Brian Penn
No, no, absolutely not. No, no, no, no, not at all.

00:10:37.51
Chris Olson
When I'm fully in charge, then maybe. But yeah, Gladiator 2 at the cinemas.

00:10:40.07
Brian Penn
But, yeah.

00:10:41.91
Chris Olson
I mean, it's gonna do good business, um I think.

00:10:44.76
Brian Penn
Oh, I'm sure. ah um I'm sure that's ah that's a banker, really, I think.

00:10:49.24
Chris Olson
yeah Another film likely gonna bank is Paddington.

00:10:50.59
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:10:54.94
Brian Penn
Oh, dear old Paddington.

00:10:57.29
Chris Olson
Paddington 2.

00:10:57.31
Brian Penn
Yeah, yeah.

00:10:59.21
Chris Olson
Oh, no, sorry, 3. We're on 3, aren't we?

00:11:00.28
Brian Penn
History, this is Paddington Goes to Peru, right?

00:11:01.28
Chris Olson
It's 3. goes to perun

00:11:03.76
Brian Penn
So, okay, yeah. So, directed by Dougal Wilson, starring Hugh Bonneville, Emily Walsomer, Judy Walters, Anseli Banderas, Olivia Colman and the voice of Ben Whishaw as Panerson himself. So, Panerson goes back to his roots where he decides to visit Aunt Lucy with the Brown family in her descendants. She now lives in her home for roots on her bears.

00:11:29.91
Chris Olson
Mm hmm.

00:11:30.97
Brian Penn
Run by nuns, strangely enough. However, they seem to discover Aunt Lucia's mysteriously gone missing. They aim to find her and go on a trek through the Amazon rainforest with the help of Hunter Cabot, an explorer of some renown.

00:11:45.60
Brian Penn
Now this is great fun, fantastic fun, charming, funny, and it's actually turned Paddington into an action hero, something you think was impossible really, but racing through the jungle, avoiding all kinds of pitfalls armed with just an umbrella, it has the feel of Indiana Jones about it in some ways.

00:12:04.50
Brian Penn
but you know this this maintains the the standard again we're talking about sequels aren't we right but this maintains the standard it it's very consistent there's some nice cameos there but this is a great family movie for me it works so well and it's and parson is just so cute it's it's it's just not fair you know that this bear who just gives you that anyone this iron stare but they've not they've not um they've not shown proper manners

00:12:37.09
Chris Olson
Yeah.

00:12:37.60
Brian Penn
it is It's a lovely film and a good film for the holidays to take the kids to go and see, definitely. um But yeah, look, what can you say? It's great entertainment. The actors are perfect. They enjoy the the roles they play. And Ben Whishaw manages to put a significant amount of himself into the character, even though you've only got his voice there. you know I think that's not easy for an actor to do, but he he manages it.

00:13:07.11
Brian Penn
You know, and so he puts personality into the character whilst not even being on screen, which I think is a difficult one, but...

00:13:12.84
Chris Olson
Have you um seen the first two?

00:13:14.56
Brian Penn
Yeah, I have, yeah.

00:13:15.94
Chris Olson
Yeah, they I mean they're all good aren't they? I think they've just got a good standard and you know that like you said I think the cast plays a big part in it because it's got that fabulous charm to it with all these big names playing sort of not silly characters but you know I mean they kind of got

00:13:17.72
Brian Penn
Oh, good, yeah. Yeah.

00:13:24.90
Brian Penn
yeah

00:13:29.30
Brian Penn
Sunken chic, sunken chic.

00:13:30.19
Chris Olson
But yeah, it's it's fun. And yeah, I think films like this are great, especially, you know, this time of year, taking kids to the cinema, because it's whether it's a bit rubbish.

00:13:32.63
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:13:40.44
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:13:41.53
Chris Olson
And I think Paddington, Peru is going to fill that mark brilliantly.

00:13:44.08
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:13:44.83
Chris Olson
And it's, as far as I'm aware, it's not a Christmas film. So it's sort of doesn't have that limitation to it.

00:13:48.85
Brian Penn
No.

00:13:51.23
Brian Penn
No.

00:13:51.32
Chris Olson
So yeah, no that's really interesting.

00:13:52.44
Brian Penn
Yeah. So, yeah, but it's it's a lovely film. You you can't really. Of course, all films have faults, I guess. yeah I was going to say it's a perfect film, but nothing's perfect. But it's perfect for the market.

00:14:04.48
Brian Penn
It's aiming at. I think that's what I'm alluding to there.

00:14:09.30
Chris Olson
Yeah.

00:14:09.30
Brian Penn
you know they They know who the market is, they know who's going to watch this sort of film. And it's been released at just the right time for the holiday season as well. you know Kids ah will be breaking up soon, won't they? They'll be going off on Christmas holidays and they'll be at home. ah So they pitched it just right. Late November, early December, the kids will be off on Christmas holidays.

00:14:33.49
Brian Penn
that'd be one of the first ports of call but but it is it's a really really lovely film you know no probably best not really no best not no

00:14:35.78
Chris Olson
Yeah, perfect.

00:14:40.17
Chris Olson
because you can't take them to see Gladiator too. You're not allowed. The old authorities get quite hot on that, don't they?

00:14:49.58
Brian Penn
Well, yeah, I know. I tend to wonder what difference the ratings make these days because films can be accessed from so many different channels currently and platforms. And in my my own sort of, in my own perception, it almost feels like um but they become redundant, you know, because that's just the way of controlling what what people see, making sure it's right. I mean, we're talking about kids, aren't we, really?

00:15:18.68
Chris Olson
Hmm.

00:15:19.40
Brian Penn
And I'm not so of so sure it always achieves that anymore because of the way we access films has changed over the years. But no.

00:15:28.17
Chris Olson
It definitely has. I know as a parent I know that I will heavily rely on their certification. So I know that the guidance is always, I'll try and watch it first so you'll know whether you're a child, but that's so almost impossible.

00:15:35.35
Brian Penn
one

00:15:39.47
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:15:42.48
Chris Olson
Like to go, I mean, just to get to the cinema with the kids is hard enough, let alone to go without the kids.

00:15:46.29
Brian Penn
Well, yeah, yeah and I know.

00:15:47.81
Chris Olson
And I'm not going to go and sit through Paddington by myself to then come back with the family.

00:15:52.08
Brian Penn
No, that's right. Yeah, don't say it again, yeah.

00:15:53.56
Chris Olson
So Yeah, it's it's interesting. But I mean, I i think they're very important. I think sometimes they're wrong. Like I've been on, I've watched films with my kids that are on Netflix, it says PG.

00:16:04.85
Chris Olson
And I'm like, this is not a PG. And I've looked it up on the BBFC and it's different.

00:16:06.37
Brian Penn
Yeah, I know.

00:16:08.73
Chris Olson
So I think it's it's important that they have those standards and that they do

00:16:08.95
Brian Penn
I know.

00:16:12.33
Brian Penn
Yeah, they they should be there. Of course, they they need to be there and they serve an important function. But ah as you say, the race things are kind of inseparational. It's just opinions, isn't it, in the end?

00:16:23.78
Chris Olson
Well, also you'll you'll have, ah so some people, even if they're of age, they might not like films that have certain distressing elements in them.

00:16:23.93
Brian Penn
us

00:16:28.39
Brian Penn
a

00:16:32.41
Chris Olson
So for example, actually my my six-year-old is probably more scared of things than my three-year-old.

00:16:32.46
Brian Penn
Yeah. Hmm.

00:16:39.15
Chris Olson
My three-year-old is kind of like, oh, it doesn't have any context, right? She's like, oh, it's fine. It doesn't doesn't doesn't care.

00:16:42.95
Brian Penn
Yeah, that's my fear, my fear, yeah.

00:16:45.28
Chris Olson
yeah Whereas my six-year-old is more like, oh, that could be in my bedroom. you know That could be hiding under my bed.

00:16:49.09
Brian Penn
Yeah, I know.

00:16:50.25
Chris Olson
she's She's a bit more sort of like with it. um

00:16:52.65
Brian Penn
Yeah, yeah.

00:16:53.87
Chris Olson
And then also, yeah, yeah I don't know, absolutely fearless toddlers. And then, you know, I'm scared of stuff. You know, it's a nightmare, but um yeah, it's interesting.

00:17:01.96
Brian Penn
Yeah, and I know.

00:17:04.20
Chris Olson
I think, do you do you have a film from your childhood, Brian, that absolutely scared you? Was there something you watched way too young and...

00:17:11.23
Brian Penn
um Oh, that's a good question. i i up Sorry, after you.

00:17:15.09
Chris Olson
No, I was gonna give you a bit of breathing time by telling you mine, which...

00:17:19.85
Brian Penn
Oh God, let's tell me yours.

00:17:20.86
Chris Olson
Yes, so mine was Goodfellas.

00:17:22.91
Brian Penn
Oh really?

00:17:24.22
Chris Olson
Well, I'd walked in on my dad watching it and I i must have been about 10, 10 or 11.

00:17:25.15
Brian Penn
Nah.

00:17:28.29
Brian Penn
Nah.

00:17:31.51
Brian Penn
Hmm.

00:17:32.49
Chris Olson
And it was the scene with the baseball bats and the they're beating this guy in a shallow grave.

00:17:36.83
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

00:17:38.68
Chris Olson
and I walked in and I think my dad didn't quite know what to do like did he did he make a deal of it or did he kind of sort of just let it play out and if for he let it play it out and I kind of was absolutely just watching this happen and it was like oh my god and I yeah I struggled with that one.

00:17:52.04
Brian Penn
yeah I know, and it's strange what it does here, isn't it? But we can also become anaesthetized to violence. I think the films that really made an impression on me when I was younger were probably the horror films, like the really big horror films, like, for example, ah The Wicker Man, the original version with Christopher Lee.

00:18:09.75
Chris Olson
Yeah.

00:18:12.87
Brian Penn
That was amazing, and it was terrifying. And I can remember not being able to get to sleep, having seen that film. But as I've grown up, I've become less shocked by horror movies, for example. I've often said the horror movies don't work for me anymore. But when I was young enough to be captured by my own imagination, it was The Wicker Man. i think And it's still frightening, The Wicker Man, the original one from 73 with Edward Woodward.

00:18:42.13
Brian Penn
is really, really scary. I think that was probably the one film that stands out for my childhood, that when I saw it, that had that kind of impression on me.

00:18:47.01
Chris Olson
Hmm.

00:18:51.11
Brian Penn
So yeah, it's it's interesting how these films still stand out. But um yeah.

00:18:58.07
Chris Olson
Especially, yeah, well made horror, but I mean, Paddington and Peru, not a well made horror, to be honest, but a well made family film.

00:19:00.20
Brian Penn
but yeah No, no, no, no, no. Yeah, a well-made, foamy film. Yeah, you've nailed it there, I think.

00:19:07.91
Chris Olson
If you enjoy it, or if you don't, let us know send us your reviews or comment on this podcast if you're listening on a platform where you can do so.

00:19:07.91
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:19:11.80
Brian Penn
ye

00:19:16.70
Chris Olson
And we'd love to hear from you.

00:19:17.78
Brian Penn
Yep.

00:19:18.23
Chris Olson
We're moving on to the last film in the cinema releases, which is Jura number two. And I'm interested in this because this is another, shall we say, experienced director, I'm trying not to use the word old, the Clint Eastwood directing

00:19:26.32
Brian Penn
Yes. Nice. thanks so yeah yeah So this stars Nicholas Holtz, Sonny Collette and JK Simmons. In a nutshell, juror number two is Justin Kemp, a member of the jury trying the case of a man who's on trial for the murder of his girlfriend. However, he has information that proves the defendant is innocent, but just ends up against 11 jurors who are convinced he's guilty. Now,

00:20:00.69
Brian Penn
If you've ever seen the film, 12 Angry Men, which in my opinion is one of the greatest films ever made, in black and white, 1957, directed by Sadie Lumatz, starring Henry Fonda, amongst many others.

00:20:05.35
Chris Olson
Yep. Amazing film. I love that film.

00:20:16.62
Brian Penn
That's really the template for jury number two. Although there is a twist that you will have to discover when you see it. This is a really strong, well-contained thriller.

00:20:27.68
Brian Penn
It drips with tension and atmosphere. The storyline is totally realistic. You look at it and think, yeah, this could happen. So it presents the audience with a genuine moral dilemma. What would you do if you were in his shoes? The cast is excellent. Sonny Collette as the DA is very good. JK Simmons always good value you as a coach. What I find surprising, though, is the um the attitude of Warner Brothers.

00:20:54.05
Brian Penn
They've given it a fairly limited release in the USA. It's got good coverage in the UK, by the way, but not in ah in America. And for some strange reason, they aren't promoting it, which could harm its chances of an Oscar. And it is a Clint Eastwood film. And at the age of 94, it's probably going to be his last film. So there's adiculos. But I'm amazed that Warner's haven't given it more space, more prominence than they normally would do. Because this is a very, very good film.

00:21:24.00
Brian Penn
And I think it's a missed opportunity if they don't give it a stronger showcase than they are. But a great thriller, excellent thriller.

00:21:32.56
Chris Olson
Yeah, I mean, I love Clint Eastwood films anyway. And this, I also love courtroom dramas, all that stuff.

00:21:35.50
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:21:38.00
Brian Penn
Oh, I do as well. Yeah.

00:21:39.00
Chris Olson
I love a legal thriller.

00:21:39.08
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:21:40.12
Chris Olson
It just, yeah, it just gets me going.

00:21:40.27
Brian Penn
yeah

00:21:42.95
Chris Olson
And when something like this comes out, it's the sort of film that can stand up just on its credentials alone. I'll look at that list of things going on and think, yep, I need to see this.

00:21:52.12
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:21:53.40
Chris Olson
I absolutely need to see this.

00:21:53.78
Brian Penn
yeah yeah Yeah, it's definitely your kind of film, Chris, really, in that way.

00:21:56.60
Chris Olson
I love it.

00:21:57.89
Brian Penn
I love courtroom dramas. There's an inbuilt drama by itself. In fact, it's in courtroom. You have that degree of formality. You've got advocates on both sides.

00:22:08.44
Brian Penn
You've you've got the jurors. They're under pressure. You've got the defendant under pressure. All passes to those proceedings are stressed out. They're under pressure. And that's what you what you plug into.

00:22:20.72
Brian Penn
It's a really, really good film. And um if that is the last one Clint Eastwood makes, because as I said at the age of 94, you were talking about Ridley Scott just now, weren't we?

00:22:32.89
Brian Penn
86.

00:22:33.12
Chris Olson
Yeah.

00:22:33.53
Brian Penn
But, you know, ah I'd be surprised if Clint makes, directs another film now at the age of 94, but it's got a hell of a track record for making films, directing them and starring them.

00:22:42.07
Chris Olson
Hmm.

00:22:47.69
Brian Penn
Really a strong back hassling. And I just wonder, though, where where the next Clint East was coming from, somebody who could fill his shoes and directs as well, because I don't think there are many acts like him around today. Not really.

00:23:04.88
Chris Olson
Yeah, he's got that element of being from the old school, but still very relevant in the new school. I think that's sometimes what happens to a lot of actors is they're in one side or the other, but he's he' still become so relevant in a lot of his more modern films and acting in as well.

00:23:10.89
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. yeah

00:23:22.48
Brian Penn
yeah

00:23:25.66
Chris Olson
So like Gran Torino, he's directing and he's acting in it, but with that was a great film.

00:23:28.21
Brian Penn
That was good. That was great. That was great.

00:23:30.71
Chris Olson
um

00:23:31.13
Brian Penn
I love that. Yeah.

00:23:32.30
Chris Olson
And yeah, I mean, my favourite out Clint Eastwood film, if I may, is it's Unforgiven. I love that film. I think that is, that's the type of film, if it's on, I will just stop whatever I'm doing, even if I'm, I don't know, driving a car.

00:23:41.24
Brian Penn
Oh, fantastic. Yeah.

00:23:49.81
Chris Olson
I'm not sure why I would be driving and watching the film, but I would, I would just stop and just watch that film.

00:23:50.15
Brian Penn
Well, I was going to say, yeah.

00:23:54.75
Chris Olson
And I just, it's an absolute all time classic.

00:23:54.91
Brian Penn
i mean Yeah.

00:23:58.13
Brian Penn
It really ah reactivated the Western, didn't it? Because the Western, the classic Western movie as we know it, died for a long time. It it just disappeared, didn't it, really?

00:24:09.36
Chris Olson
Yeah.

00:24:10.16
Brian Penn
But The Unforgiven was a film that brought Western's backs to life. And I think it deserves so much credit for doing that, really, because Westerns ah are a fantastic genre ah that I grew up watching. My dad was a massive Western fan of Westerns. You know, my brothers were as well, and still are. You know, but um it's a genre that that belongs in cinema. And The Unforgiven brings it back. I suppose, really, my favorite paintings would fill.

00:24:42.81
Brian Penn
I mean, there are so many to choose from really, but I think it would be the first Dirty Harry film for me.

00:24:48.39
Chris Olson
Mmm.

00:24:50.40
Brian Penn
It kind of spawned so many imitations, know that type of cop that's got a rough edge, but he's basically a good guy, trying trying to deal with the bad guys.

00:25:04.46
Brian Penn
That character's really strong. and um endures for me and the the follow-up film Southern Impacts was a great film as well and a great catch line a great tagline from those films go ahead make my day I mean yeah no I know but this is it so it was very influential for that type of film and as you say it's becoming grain that and he's as you say Clint Eastwood is

00:25:19.43
Chris Olson
yeah I mean, that has yeah embedded itself into popular culture so much that yeah you forget where it started from sometimes.

00:25:36.93
Brian Penn
He represents movie history. He represents the past and still represents the present. So as I say, it's a shame that this might be his last film. I don't think he's going to act anymore, that's for sure.

00:25:52.45
Chris Olson
Hmm, well, does he feel lucky punk?

00:25:54.08
Brian Penn
But do you feel lucky?

00:25:55.32
Chris Olson
That's the question. Does he feel lucky?

00:25:56.96
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:25:57.82
Chris Olson
Because which film, Brian, we've got Gladiator 2, we've got Paddington Peru, we've got Dura 2, and and they they kind of, they all rhyme.

00:25:59.58
Brian Penn
Yeah. Oh, yeah. They were right.

00:26:05.25
Chris Olson
What's going on there?

00:26:06.32
Brian Penn
Have we managed that? Have I managed to pick three films that are right?

00:26:07.61
Chris Olson
but And which one is film of the month?

00:26:11.66
Brian Penn
It's a tough one because they're they're all great films. They're all worth going to see at the cinema.

00:26:17.38
Chris Olson
I'm going to punk. My guess is going to be Gladiator 2.

00:26:21.56
Brian Penn
Yeah, I think I think it shows it because just for pure spectacle, adrenaline, excitement, you know, it is bad.

00:26:22.15
Chris Olson
Yeah.

00:26:31.86
Brian Penn
Yeah. So that's that's the big. fit It's one of the films of the year and not only the film of the month. But, you know, passing goes to Peru during number two could have been films of the month in in a previous month.

00:26:45.63
Brian Penn
They're all very good films.

00:26:46.06
Chris Olson
Oh, that's good.

00:26:46.87
Brian Penn
I think over overall though, I think it's been, and I don't think it's been a vintage year for the films, but it's been a solid year. There have been some really good films, mate. But yeah, so i definitely gladiator too.

00:27:00.81
Chris Olson
There you go, Film of the Month, Gladiator 2. Another big thumbs up, no wobbly thumb, it's just it's just good.

00:27:05.03
Brian Penn
No, we'll be fine, man. Yeah.

00:27:07.38
Chris Olson
Now moving on from the cinema releases, we now move to the streaming pic and we've gone festive.

00:27:14.51
Brian Penn
Mm.

00:27:14.95
Chris Olson
This is a rom-com, I'm gonna go rom-com, yeah.

00:27:20.51
Brian Penn
Yeah, I guess so, really. Yeah.

00:27:21.94
Chris Olson
chris Christmas rom-com, a crim-con, I'm not sure how that works.

00:27:22.19
Brian Penn
Wrong call. Yeah. Yeah. A criminal. Yeah, I like that.

00:27:27.18
Chris Olson
Crim-con, hey, i'm I'm coining new terms as we go along.

00:27:30.08
Brian Penn
Yeah, all right. Hey, what the hell?

00:27:31.24
Chris Olson
A crim-con.

00:27:32.28
Brian Penn
Let's remember that one.

00:27:32.36
Chris Olson
um yeah Meet me next Christmas on Netflix, directed by a Rusty Kundeaf.

00:27:37.57
Brian Penn
Yeah,

00:27:42.32
Chris Olson
Almost definitely pronouncing that wrong.

00:27:43.99
Brian Penn
the

00:27:44.13
Chris Olson
and yeah and you Did you get round to seeing this one, Brian?

00:27:45.12
Brian Penn
yeah maybe. Yeah, I did. Yeah, I saw it.

00:27:49.75
Chris Olson
um you're You're so good, aren't you?

00:27:49.85
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:27:51.59
Chris Olson
You're so good at keeping up with everything.

00:27:53.28
Brian Penn
Well, yeah, I did my best. I used to do my best, you know.

00:27:55.23
Chris Olson
to of nurse Yeah, I mean, you go.

00:27:57.50
Brian Penn
So, should we describe the storyline here? All right.

00:28:04.22
Chris Olson
you go

00:28:04.34
Brian Penn
All right, let me try the story out for science. Whilst waiting for a delayed flight on Christmas Eve, Laila makes a connection with fellow traveler James.

00:28:16.40
Brian Penn
Whilst there's an instant attraction, Laila rebuffs him as she's already in a relationship. However, they resolved to meet next Christmas Eve at the Pentatonix concert if things change. She's later convinced that James is the one and fate will lead us to him once again. But the race is on to find a ticket it for the gig and she employs Teddy, an underperforming concierge to seal the deal. So for me, this film is nice enough

00:28:47.68
Brian Penn
But for a film that purports to deal with fate, which I think is really up at its center, it kind of misses the point for me. You know, I'm a romantic, Chris. I believe in destiny, that fate puts us in a certain place at a certain time.

00:29:01.50
Brian Penn
But seven minutes in, you know exactly what's going to going to happen.

00:29:04.17
Chris Olson
hey yeah

00:29:04.55
Brian Penn
And that's not fate. That's not fate. It's a foregone conclusion. So whilst it as it has its moments, I think ah Christina Milian is a charming lead, likeable,

00:29:18.02
Brian Penn
It falls down a bit. It falls out a bit crisp for me.

00:29:21.97
Chris Olson
Yeah, first off, can I just say Brian, I don't think you get enough praise on your synopses.

00:29:24.17
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:29:26.99
Chris Olson
You're very good at a concise few, you know, not too much.

00:29:28.07
Chris Olson
heh

00:29:29.75
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:29:31.69
Chris Olson
You don't give away too much. heh heh

00:29:32.59
Brian Penn
I try not to.

00:29:32.91
Chris Olson
You keep everything very, that was excellent.

00:29:35.09
Brian Penn
Thank you.

00:29:35.21
Chris Olson
I was listening to that thinking there's no way I could have done that that well.

00:29:37.98
Brian Penn
but

00:29:38.29
Chris Olson
I would have waffled on for like five minutes.

00:29:40.42
Brian Penn
Well, but see to me, when you look at what we're what we're presenting here, it's it's an outline of the film.

00:29:41.04
Chris Olson
so

00:29:47.55
Brian Penn
People listening are going to think, right, what's this film about? Who's in it? Is it any good? you know But when you describe the storyline, I think it's knowing when to stop, isn't it? It's knowing when to say, right, this is as much as you're going to get.

00:29:57.49
Chris Olson
Yeah.

00:30:00.41
Brian Penn
right you You know enough now.

00:30:01.14
Chris Olson
Yeah.

00:30:03.40
Brian Penn
The rest you need to see when you when you when you watch the film. you know So what do you think of it, though?

00:30:07.73
Chris Olson
um So, everyone knows, I'm a big Christmas fan, they know this.

00:30:12.24
Brian Penn
then Yeah.

00:30:12.94
Chris Olson
i I've reviewed lots of Christmas films on UK Film Review and on this podcast, and as a genre, I put it right up there, I love it.

00:30:15.42
Brian Penn
i don't know

00:30:21.34
Chris Olson
Now, this I say would fall straight into the, it's what we always used to call the TV Christmas movie, it was sort of, it's in that realm, it's not not worthy of cinema release, I'll be honest.

00:30:28.40
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

00:30:32.50
Brian Penn
Nah. not yeah

00:30:34.53
Chris Olson
Even though with any Christmas film, you've got spectacle, you've got colour, you've got vibrancy. It's one of these films that's just, it's formulaic.

00:30:45.13
Chris Olson
It's basically moving the characters from one place to another.

00:30:47.53
Brian Penn
Hmm.

00:30:47.61
Chris Olson
As you say, you know exactly where they're all going to end up.

00:30:50.27
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:30:50.75
Chris Olson
And I think along the way in this film, what they tried to do was give you enough barking mad side characters to make you kind of not question what was going on with the central dynamic, which was very, very obvious.

00:31:00.03
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:31:02.82
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

00:31:05.26
Chris Olson
But you're thought you presented with a really strange couple or and ah a performance, shall we say, at one point.

00:31:09.07
Brian Penn
Hmm.

00:31:12.98
Chris Olson
And it's it's all meant to sort of distract you from the reality that actually you know where this is all going.

00:31:15.68
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. yeah

00:31:18.27
Chris Olson
I think it's ah you could shave 20 minutes off this very easily. You didn't need it to be quite as long as it was.

00:31:22.87
Brian Penn
you know Yeah.

00:31:25.79
Chris Olson
that all being said I think it has its heart in the right place I don't think because sometimes I watch these movies and I'm like you didn't even try you didn't even try to sort of make it and say I thought that I like the addition of the the actual pentatonix characters or or signals they're actually in the film I think that was

00:31:29.17
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

00:31:33.13
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

00:31:38.83
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. I did well. I think I did quite well with that, actually.

00:31:43.17
Chris Olson
Yeah, that was a fun little addition.

00:31:45.33
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:31:45.99
Chris Olson
I think the the chemistry between the leads was great. I sort of enjoyed that, I bought into it. And as you see, I think Christina Miliana is brilliant. I thought she was she really did hold up the film.

00:31:56.87
Chris Olson
but yeah If you took her out and put someone else in there who didn't know what they were doing, this would have really felt flat.

00:31:58.67
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

00:32:02.92
Chris Olson
But as it is, it's watchable. It's a three-star film. It really is.

00:32:06.15
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

00:32:06.80
Chris Olson
It's the definition of a three-star film.

00:32:08.94
Brian Penn
Yeah, I think so. I think you're right. It's it's a pleasant way to pass an hour and 40 minutes. And it is TV film territory.

00:32:14.65
Chris Olson
Yeah.

00:32:17.76
Brian Penn
I can see why it's gone straight onto Netflix. But, you know, it's um it a nice film. so Just sit down, unwind a little bit. You know, it's quite light. Doesn't demand too much of you.

00:32:30.54
Brian Penn
You know, so it all works. And in some ways it becomes almost like a promo video for Pentatonix as well.

00:32:36.01
Chris Olson
Oh, yeah.

00:32:36.80
Brian Penn
yeah The acapella group, because like they they stand out really well. um So it's kind of, it does that, it's got that going on as well. But a very nice film, but you know, lacks, I think lacks the weight to be a great Christmas movie.

00:32:54.06
Chris Olson
Yeah, it doesn't it doesn't land in that territory at all, but it's gonna be around and people can check it out.

00:32:54.38
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. yeah

00:33:00.97
Brian Penn
yeah

00:33:01.15
Chris Olson
It's on Netflix and it's called Meet Me Next Christmas. You will guess the plot within 10 minutes and that's fine.

00:33:09.14
Brian Penn
Oh, yeah. Easy. Easy.

00:33:11.46
Chris Olson
But don't worry, we've got another Christmas film coming up, which is possibly one of the greatest films ever made.

00:33:14.42
Brian Penn
it

00:33:16.49
Chris Olson
So don't worry, listeners.

00:33:17.28
Brian Penn
and

00:33:18.79
Chris Olson
Dear listener, don't worry. We are moving on to the indie film section of our show, which is where we review a selection of movies that have been sent to us.

00:33:24.87
Brian Penn
Hmm.

00:33:28.29
Chris Olson
They've been said specifically said, can you review the film? Yes, indeed we can. We're gonna review them now. The first film is an indie feature film, which we reviewed several years ago.

00:33:39.92
Chris Olson
The title is The Misadventures of Mistress Man Eater. I had to look that up several times because i've I've done a few promos for this episode and I've already messed them all up.

00:33:48.98
Brian Penn
All right. I know.

00:33:50.55
Chris Olson
I had to keep going back.

00:33:52.22
Brian Penn
Easy done.

00:33:52.44
Chris Olson
But yes, ah The Misadventures of Mistress Man Eater. If you say that eight times, I think you go crazy, but I'm not sure. um Directed by CJ Julienis and written by Larissa Julienis, who is also in the film.

00:34:02.88
Brian Penn
yeah

00:34:09.07
Chris Olson
it yeah I mean, as plotlines go, I'm going to say some words soon that should never really be together for the synopsis of a film.

00:34:19.87
Brian Penn
okay

00:34:20.00
Chris Olson
So we have an art historian who has turned dominatrix in her post-college life, um who is in debt with a loan shark and must repay this by

00:34:24.65
Brian Penn
yeah

00:34:35.05
Chris Olson
well we trying to win the attention of a local priest who has the name Dracula I think and essentially the film comes up will she seduce this guy and manage to repay her debt

00:34:42.49
Brian Penn
Okay. Hmm.

00:34:51.66
Chris Olson
Or will she fall for him? And yeah, it's a very strange premise with lots of different character themes being thrown into one thing.

00:34:56.81
Brian Penn
and

00:35:00.48
Chris Olson
It's almost like they've sort of got a ball of characters and gone, ah okay, a dominatrix, a priest, and an art historian walk into a bar.

00:35:00.85
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:35:03.34
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. but Sounds like a gag, doesn't it, to start with.

00:35:07.21
Chris Olson
And yeah, it absolutely does.

00:35:10.61
Brian Penn
you

00:35:11.10
Chris Olson
and It's one of those films that is more serious than you think. Like you're watching it thinking, oh, they're going to be taking the absolute Mick here. But then when you start watching, you realize, oh, no, actually, they're telling a natural story here.

00:35:20.55
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:35:24.24
Chris Olson
And there's some depth there. There's some character development. What did you think of this one, Brian?

00:35:28.50
Brian Penn
Well, it's an interesting one. It's original. I kind of like the set up because you're throwing in all these disparate characters ah in together into a kind of a mix.

00:35:39.59
Brian Penn
But they're mixing good ideas in to watch, but it should be a strong plot. But in some ways, I think it loses its way. You know, this leans this seems to leave more towards comedy than anything else.

00:35:54.07
Chris Olson
Mm.

00:35:54.09
Brian Penn
You know, it's more comedy than it is thriller, you know, and ah if you are going to go down the comedy route, which it seemed to be more than it was going down the sort of serious thriller route, then you need a much stronger script. It's got to be sharp and funny and you see glimpses of it, but it's not really getting there. Give this to a top screenwriter and it could be a massive hit because it is different, it is weird and it's unusual, but it just kind of lacks that precision that

00:36:27.61
Brian Penn
clear direction of where where this film's going, where you're sending it.

00:36:31.50
Chris Olson
Yeah.

00:36:31.71
Brian Penn
And ah that's what I think it's missing. um But it has real potential. They rely on the risk of Julianus a bit too much. Very attractive, charming, photogenic, but the film needs a bit more than that.

00:36:46.49
Brian Penn
And whilst I think there are lots of good ideas floating around there, it' They've not but they not brought all those strands together properly, or well enough for me. But this's there's something there, but it just needs to be shakes better.

00:37:01.04
Chris Olson
Yeah, I agree. The story is a bit convoluted and they could have done with maybe chopping out numerous scenes that didn't really aid the plot for me.

00:37:09.29
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:37:11.73
Brian Penn
No. Yeah.

00:37:12.67
Chris Olson
I liked the the development of the relationship between our main character and the priest. I thought that actually was quite genuine.

00:37:19.25
Brian Penn
Mm.

00:37:20.97
Chris Olson
It felt quite well-earned and there was depth there to what was going on.

00:37:22.05
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

00:37:27.67
Chris Olson
And I say, I think it does definitely have strong comedy elements. For me, that wasn't what I bought into.

00:37:31.75
Brian Penn
yeah

00:37:34.40
Chris Olson
I actually bought more into the drama side of it. I liked what was going on with them.

00:37:36.94
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:37:38.80
Chris Olson
I liked this sort of sense of

00:37:38.94
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:37:41.45
Chris Olson
they were complicated characters with strange backgrounds as to why they ended up where they ended up, because both of them have got a history.

00:37:47.87
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

00:37:49.59
Chris Olson
And I thought that was a really clever idea.

00:37:49.92
Brian Penn
yeah

00:37:52.89
Chris Olson
And then being put under this pressure, this time pressure of having to fulfill some kind of debt, it made the tension rise. But I think it gets lost along the way with lots of different gags and little things that didn't quite pan out the way they maybe should have done.

00:38:03.73
Brian Penn
Yeah. you know Yeah. I

00:38:09.76
Chris Olson
And yeah it felt a little bit wayward by the time i sort of finished it i thought okay yeah i think i liked a good amount of that but there was a lot of that i felt could have just you know been stripped away

00:38:20.16
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. and i I mean, it wasn't, I mean, we often speak about the length of films, don't we? But I think it is relevant to the viewing experience. And this film is one hour fifty one.

00:38:31.53
Brian Penn
And I think you're right. You said 20 minutes. I think if they were taking 20 minutes off it, it would have been a lot better, would have been a lot more lean, efficient and would make the the plossing a lot a lot easier to follow as well.

00:38:40.62
Chris Olson
a

00:38:46.76
Brian Penn
But, you know,

00:38:46.80
Chris Olson
Yeah, and and I think some of that was given to side characters that didn't really need it. They they had ah were leaning into sort of this mellow drama with certain characters that felt, whoa, you're you're sort of losing it here.

00:38:58.60
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah.

00:39:01.72
Chris Olson
It's going off the rails a little bit.

00:39:03.00
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:39:03.28
Chris Olson
like Get back to the main characters.

00:39:04.61
Brian Penn
I know.

00:39:05.12
Chris Olson
Get back to what they're doing.

00:39:05.34
Brian Penn
I know. Yeah.

00:39:06.92
Chris Olson
and Yeah I tell you what I did like I liked her relationship with her friend she's got this like gay best friend that was really quite sassy and I thought that was fun.

00:39:13.76
Brian Penn
yeah Yeah. Yeah.

00:39:15.81
Chris Olson
I like the fact that her ringtone is people moaning it's like her customers is a dominatrix it's them moaning I thought that is brilliant it took me a while to work out what that was and I thought why am I watching?

00:39:17.86
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:39:21.94
Brian Penn
hello yeah No. yeah i knowing and i

00:39:25.96
Chris Olson
ah Yeah, it's just got this kind of quirky charm to it at times.

00:39:30.11
Brian Penn
if

00:39:30.35
Chris Olson
And I thought, do you know what?

00:39:31.56
Brian Penn
but

00:39:31.79
Chris Olson
that it's As you said, it's it's original. It's a bit different. I've not seen anything really like this.

00:39:36.67
Brian Penn
no

00:39:37.35
Chris Olson
I think it could be sharper. I think there could be elements that just kind of work a bit better.

00:39:39.01
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:39:41.60
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:39:41.65
Chris Olson
But as it is, it's got that indie feel to it that is going to appeal to people that they are watching something that is not mainstream.

00:39:45.75
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:39:50.18
Chris Olson
It's just a little bit unique.

00:39:50.50
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:39:52.01
Chris Olson
And yeah, enjoy it for its sort of delightfulness.

00:39:54.05
Brian Penn
Yeah, but it's it's got a lot going for it, but it just needs tidying up more. ah You know, but hey, it's it's good. You know, it's good enough to watch and and sort of get something from it.

00:40:08.39
Brian Penn
You gain something from it. You know, that's the important thing.

00:40:12.00
Chris Olson
absolutely

00:40:12.87
Brian Penn
and Like I say, yeah things can always be improved. Things can always be better. sir But you think a film like this has got so much potential. You can do so much with it, with a clearer focus. But, you know, maybe that's the essence of in indie filmmaking in some ways, is that they collect together these ideas and just throw it out there, see what happens. It's good, good effort though.

00:40:38.29
Chris Olson
And so the film is called The Misadventures of Mistress Manita. I'm not sure I'm allowed to say it anymore if I might break some kind of rule.

00:40:43.50
Brian Penn
no

00:40:45.79
Chris Olson
The film is available to rent on Prime Video, I believe, and there's some other places. It may also be available on YouTube, which is where we kind of watched it. So if you are able to check it out and let us know what you think, I'm sure the filmmakers would love to hear your opinions.

00:40:53.92
Brian Penn
ye

00:41:00.23
Chris Olson
And yeah, it's 2020 film, so... Yeah, let us know. We're moving on now to a film I reviewed on the website called Orango, and we have a clip which I will play right now.

00:41:06.47
Brian Penn
Oh, know nice.

00:41:38.17
Brian Penn
yeah

00:42:22.07
Chris Olson
Brilliant clip ah from the film. Really gives you a taste of what Orango is like, your terms of atmosphere and tone. It has this quasi-documentary feel. And as we heard in there, the character of Eni played by Staniel Ferreira, who travels back to West Africa after living in the West for 17 years.

00:42:46.56
Chris Olson
to find out more about who his family were, his mother, his father. His mother actually passed away, which is sort of the reason for his journey back. The first part of the film is him traveling to see his father and his hometown and to reconnect there, get answers to the questions that have been swirling around his sense of identity. Then I won't ruin that bit, but I will just say that the second part of the film, then he moves on to travel to find out more about his mother's family who live in Orango and to research more about the land of their ancestors.

00:43:30.15
Chris Olson
It's a really fascinating film. I found it, I was watching it and constantly questioning, is this a documentary or is this a film? Because it was so blurring the lines. I think there is an element of autobiography about this.

00:43:44.91
Chris Olson
And the writer who is in the film, Staniel Ferreira, who co-writes with Samuel K.

00:43:45.12
Brian Penn
Hmm.

00:43:52.10
Chris Olson
Forrest, who directs, they are, I think consciously, bringing in all these actual real people to do real scenes that are actually related to Staniel and it's meant to kind of confuse you at this sense of identity and sense of someone's past trying to look into that but in this in the and this sort of frame of a fictionalized movie which that was a very strange experience for me I think that put me in this state of very much engaged because I was like I'm not quite sure whether this is a documentary or not and that was ah just one of the things that made it fascinating I think obviously a country like Africa with its beautiful landscapes and all the different

00:44:24.51
Brian Penn
Yeah. Hello. Yeah.

00:44:38.64
Chris Olson
sunsets and things that we get given. It looks and feels so cinematic. It's got a brilliant vibe to it.

00:44:42.97
Brian Penn
Hey.

00:44:45.11
Chris Olson
And it's emotional. It's just really cut steep at times. What did you think of Arango, Brian?

00:44:50.98
Brian Penn
Yeah, I found it powerful and grossing and moving, but actually confusing in places because, you know, you touched on it in your review, in the review that you wrote, where it says it's based on a true story, but it seems the brother, sister and father are telling their own story.

00:45:09.50
Brian Penn
you know, they're not acting apart, which is what it suggests. um They're all related anyway, aren't they? Even though they've got different names in the film. Because, you know, there was one conversation between father and son, which to me wasn't acting at all.

00:45:26.06
Brian Penn
That felt like a complete documentary where they were eavesdropping on a ah quite a heated conversation between father and son.

00:45:33.22
Chris Olson
Yeah.

00:45:33.94
Brian Penn
um So I'm not sure why they did that. Was that deliberate to keep you guessing? Why not badge it as a documentary? I mean, it's very good. As I say, very powerful. It holds your attention. You can't take your eyes off it. you know This brother and sister retracing the roots you know um in memory of their mother going back to their homeland to discover where they came from. you know it's It's an incredibly moving account.

00:46:05.16
Brian Penn
ah they'd been ah He'd been away for 17 years and they went back. And that in itself is fascinating. ah That need of not wanting to know who you are and where you came from. um So, excellent, very good. But i'm I'm still kind of unsettled by this kind of balance between a documentary and a and film. Aside from that, it's really good.

00:46:31.74
Chris Olson
Yeah, you mentioned that scene where he confronts his father and the camera just doesn't quite actually make it into the scene and it's sort of easier from the outside.

00:46:34.60
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:46:40.66
Chris Olson
And that's what gave me a feel of, okay, I think this is where the tension between blurring the two sides is coming in because on the one hand, it's a really good cinematic device to keep us on the outside, but on the other side, it's like, okay, yeah, but we're now not really seeing what's going on other than

00:46:48.46
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:46:52.63
Brian Penn
Hmm.

00:46:58.85
Chris Olson
yeah getting a gist of what's happening.

00:46:58.98
Brian Penn
Yeah. yeah

00:47:01.57
Chris Olson
I actually found i found it worked for me. I really liked that idea. and um I think the use of or authentic African feels to things like there's this cinematography that I talked about, the the score, it had a real essence to it of someone's journey back to their homeland that was done in a way that felt honest and authentic even with this slightly confusing mix of genres that i yeah i found it really really interesting and powerful i love when i watch something and i kind of don't quite know how i feel about it until the end and i definitely felt that way here i think

00:47:30.43
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:47:40.38
Brian Penn
but no Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

00:47:44.20
Chris Olson
there are parts to the film that work better than others.

00:47:46.11
Brian Penn
Hmm.

00:47:47.89
Chris Olson
There's some bits which feel more like, okay, yeah, that's footage that they've gained from characters that are maybe trying to give an insight, but it's not really that valuable to say a storyline.

00:47:59.66
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:47:59.88
Chris Olson
um But then other bits of the work really, really strong, really enjoyed them. It's yeah, for me, it was one of those films that meant I got a story, but also an experience at the same time.

00:48:14.37
Chris Olson
I kind of came away, it was like a cinematic experience.

00:48:14.85
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. That's a good way of explaining it really, yeah.

00:48:17.23
Chris Olson
I come away and go, yeah, that I felt, okay, well, I've seen something very ambitious, very different.

00:48:18.98
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:48:22.39
Chris Olson
And I think saying that it's based on a true story just immediately sets you up in that sense of, okay, well then it's definitely not a true story right because that's what all the films do right now they say based on a true story when they're not it's like or they are but they're we're watching a very fictionalized version i liked his his voice as the narration i thought that was really powerful he's got a really deep voice and it kind of sucks you into like what was going through yeah yeah with his with with what's going on with him and what's in his mind he's got a lot of anxiety about

00:48:43.61
Brian Penn
Yeah. Yeah. It's nice, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah.

00:48:55.11
Chris Olson
his family members and who he is and how it's affected him. I felt that there could have been more of that in terms of maybe extra characters or things that are going on around him because

00:49:08.39
Brian Penn
Hmm.

00:49:10.92
Chris Olson
He travels with his sister and we don't really get a lot from her. We don't get much of an information about what's going on with her and what her deal is.

00:49:18.71
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:49:20.85
Chris Olson
But I felt that obviously it's very much Ennies film. But as it is, I think a lot of people will connect with this. I think they're going to feel the

00:49:30.51
Brian Penn
Yeah, definitely.

00:49:32.16
Chris Olson
burning sense of who someone can yeah who someone feels they are as an adult by going back to where they come from and trying to find out more, especially yeah people who've got estrangement from parents and things like that, that it worked for me on a lot of levels.

00:49:32.86
Brian Penn
no right

00:49:48.25
Chris Olson
I do agree it's not going to be for everyone. I know a lot of people are going to struggle with that mix of being quasi-documentary.

00:49:50.71
Brian Penn
and Yeah.

00:49:56.94
Chris Olson
But I think if you go in maybe knowing that, that might help. It's one of those few occasions where actually a little bit of knowing what's going on might assist you. And yeah, I think Samuel K's forest direction is brilliant.

00:50:08.73
Chris Olson
he He really knows how to shake the scenes and guide.

00:50:11.11
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:50:12.02
Chris Olson
He also knows when to not say something, which is so crucial, especially in documentary filmmaking, when not to say something, you know?

00:50:17.82
Brian Penn
Well, yeah, silence silence can work just as well as noise, as dialogue, cancer if you use it in the right way.

00:50:23.80
Chris Olson
Hmm.

00:50:25.64
Brian Penn
And you can you can say a lot more by buy remaining silent. So to appreciate how silence works within a film like this is really important.

00:50:35.93
Brian Penn
So he's done that well.

00:50:37.45
Chris Olson
Yeah, and it's that. use of silence plus the sunsets and the changing of the time which allows that introspection I think as an audience member you're watching this and you're being told whether you understand that or not that is now is a time for you to contemplate what you've just seen and to sort of digest it before we move on and I thought that was really cleverly done it was done in a way that was smartly handled so yeah I like i thought that was great I really enjoyed it and

00:51:03.89
Brian Penn
Yeah. It's good. It's very good.

00:51:08.90
Chris Olson
I reviewed it on the website, if you haven't read the review yet, and I also did a video review, which you can watch on our YouTube channel. I may say different things to which I've just said, who knows?

00:51:19.22
Chris Olson
you know I did that yeah a few weeks ago, so I may have changed, but yeah, I definitely enjoyed it, and I thought it was a very interesting film.

00:51:19.41
Brian Penn
yeah'm like Yeah. No. No, it was good. Very good.

00:51:29.22
Chris Olson
I don't believe it's available online, unfortunately, at the moment, which is always a bit upsetting, I find when, you know, we we say such lovely things about these films and then they can't watch them, but they come to us first.

00:51:38.38
Brian Penn
and I know, I know. Look, yeah.

00:51:42.62
Chris Olson
You know, that's the way they roll.

00:51:43.56
Brian Penn
Yeah, see, we we break the ground, don't we?

00:51:46.00
Chris Olson
We do.

00:51:46.13
Brian Penn
You know, we saw people how good it is and just gotta find it after that.

00:51:50.38
Chris Olson
Yep. Good luck. The film does have an Instagram page which is at mother earth films dot orango so it's O-R-A-N-G-O and yeah if you search online you will find it very very easily and yeah I recommend staying up to date with it it's an interesting piece and it's interesting to see what people might make of it from that filmmaking experience side of things you know to watch something where it is blurring the lines a little bit

00:52:21.60
Brian Penn
Yeah, yeah.

00:52:22.52
Chris Olson
So yeah, a very interesting one to watch.

00:52:24.27
Brian Penn
and Good stuff.

00:52:26.29
Chris Olson
Good stuff.

00:52:26.31
Brian Penn
phone Good stuff.

00:52:28.07
Chris Olson
Moving on to our last film of the indie section before we move to our nostalgia pick is a short film, which I also reviewed.

00:52:34.65
Brian Penn
You have, haven't you?

00:52:35.70
Chris Olson
I've been busy this month, Brian.

00:52:37.46
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:52:37.72
Chris Olson
I have. I've been, I'm trying to get onto Santa's good list.

00:52:41.21
Brian Penn
Yeah, yeah.

00:52:42.23
Chris Olson
Finally.

00:52:43.01
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:52:44.68
Chris Olson
Yeah. Short film, A Place to Fall Down. And I am very pleased to say we have a clip.

00:52:50.89
Brian Penn
Awness.

00:53:55.93
Chris Olson
So interesting clip, if you've seen the film, if you haven't seen the film, it's probably going to be quite baffling because that's not our main character or anything.

00:53:57.79
Brian Penn
Hmm. Hmm.

00:54:04.06
Brian Penn
nine

00:54:04.50
Chris Olson
Essentially, actually, b Brian, did you want to take the synopsis on this? Because I've reviewed this, so I'll let you give your lovely, yeah brilliantly eloquent synopsis.

00:54:07.44
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:54:10.10
Brian Penn
long i Oh, I'll do my best, Chris. So this is a story of a man, Jose, who is experiencing deep grief. He's lost his wife, but he works as a top mechanic, ah has an assistant who hasn't shown up for work, so he's left with his own company and surrounded by his own faults. The script itself is reduced to text and telephone conversations with customers and his daughter, Charlotte. I think this is so good.

00:54:39.79
Brian Penn
This is so, so good.

00:54:41.68
Chris Olson
Mm.

00:54:41.99
Brian Penn
its There's minimal dialogue, but it seems appropriate somehow because grief is is something we can't articulate because the words don't exist. They've not been invented. You're feeling something so deep and so profound.

00:54:55.83
Brian Penn
You can't put it into words and that's what comes through in this film. it like I mean, you that you came up with a really good analogy in your review because you You mentioned the fact that he's a great mechanic and he looks around and he can fix things around him, but he can't fix his own grief because it runs its course.

00:55:15.34
Brian Penn
And what comes in between is what you see on the film, bewilderment, shock, despair, but essentially a determination that he's going to get through it.

00:55:27.42
Brian Penn
I think it's brilliant. It's so good what it does. But part of the reason why it's so brilliant is because they don't pack it with dialogue. You know, the clip the clip that you just played

00:55:36.03
Chris Olson
Yeah.

00:55:38.74
Brian Penn
was the was a bit like a kind of a self-help tape you kept on listening to. um That kind of sets it up well and it just makes some very basic, straightforward and profound statements about grief and loss and how we cope with grief and loss and and how there is a way through it in the end. So I think it's a damn good piece of filmmaking.

00:56:03.33
Chris Olson
Yeah, it looks and feels great. It's got such a good tone to it. yeah The filmmaking side of things is is on point, absolutely. I like the minimalism to it as well.

00:56:13.72
Chris Olson
The dialogue is meant to be sparse. you know Anyone who's dealt with grief and gone through loss, especially on a very close level, you'll understand how often there isn't words to say.

00:56:27.56
Chris Olson
There's not things that you can just talk about and talk around it.

00:56:30.10
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:56:30.70
Chris Olson
that it's more of ah

00:56:31.14
Brian Penn
Mm.

00:56:32.32
Chris Olson
yeah feeling and I like the way the central actor, yeah the character being played here by um Clifton Collins Jr yeah knows how to do the physical side of this performance.

00:56:38.14
Brian Penn
Mm.

00:56:47.04
Chris Olson
It's a difficult performance to give if you don't understand it and he does really really well to convey what's going on inside because he just seems lost you know he's in you amongst all these this labyrinth of cars and he's sort of just by himself completely isolated with his own thoughts and he is lost and he's he's hoping for a lifeline he's hoping for something to come through that's going to break through this wall of grief that he's feeling and

00:56:58.67
Brian Penn
and Yeah.

00:57:08.95
Brian Penn
you know Yeah.

00:57:17.50
Chris Olson
something does, you know, not to give it away, but something does. And I think that's the real essence of this film. And it does have this post COVID quality to it of, you know, we all went through a lot in that time, there was a lot of loss, everyone was touched by it, whether it was directly or indirectly. And the filmmakers here have dealt with that subject brilliantly. They've given it a lot of time and attention to make sure that it's dealt with in a way that felt sincere,

00:57:47.80
Chris Olson
but didn't fail didn't feel like it was overly explained. yeah it was almost It gave the audience you enough credit to know that they were going to keep up with this and not get bored, not need lots of exposition and lots of reasoning. we are We understand enough about the character by the end of the film. We understand what happened to him and and yeah why he's where he is.

00:58:08.63
Chris Olson
But it is a film that treated its audience with more intelligence than another filmmaker may have done. And I think it's got a lot going for it. It's a lot here that would actually entertain audiences. You emotionally connect with that character very early on. And that's crucial. I think it is quite a lot down to the performance. And I think when filmmakers do try and serve up something that it does have this very strong element of sadness and sorrow and somberness.

00:58:40.62
Brian Penn
Mm.

00:58:42.61
Chris Olson
You know, you're gonna be tempted to throw in some lighthearted stuff. And I don't think they do that. I think they keep to their line well. They know the story of what it is.

00:58:51.34
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:58:51.63
Chris Olson
They're written and directed by Dwayne Hanson Fernandez.

00:58:52.98
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:58:53.96
Chris Olson
And yeah, brilliant job of sticking to your guns and going, you know what? Actually, we're gonna tell this story the way it was meant to be told because he is a tragic character, you know?

00:59:00.95
Brian Penn
But, uh... Yeah, yes. I mean, I think it's really impressive in in every respect and it doesn't bombard you with lots of information. It doesn't pack the film with too much dialogue. As you say, they they give the audience credit. They write the issue and the audience are intelligent enough to understand what's happening.

00:59:24.05
Brian Penn
What's happened to this character? What is feeling? But it's done without too much dialogue because you don't need it. Because I would always like saying that but grief cannot be easily explained in and dialogue. It can't. It's a feeling. And they're portraying those feelings visually by expressions and mannerisms and body language. But it gets there. It it makes the point so well. It's very well done.

00:59:54.78
Chris Olson
Yeah, it's just got a really well thought out structure to it as well.

00:59:56.94
Brian Penn
Yeah.

00:59:57.93
Chris Olson
I mentioned a review about you and you mentioned it as well, being surrounded by broken cars and his job is to fix them.

01:00:03.31
Brian Penn
Yeah.

01:00:04.61
Chris Olson
And yet, you know, he seems completely broken himself.

01:00:04.99
Brian Penn
Yeah. Hmm.

01:00:07.63
Chris Olson
A lot of people are going to resonate with that. A lot of people are going to yeah see, if not themselves and someone they know definitely that's gone through that.

01:00:09.61
Brian Penn
Yeah.

01:00:13.28
Brian Penn
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

01:00:15.12
Chris Olson
So yeah definitely check it out if you can.

01:00:16.97
Brian Penn
Hmm.

01:00:17.00
Chris Olson
It was password protected this film A Place to Fall Down it's called. There is an Instagram page which they've got a lovely profile because it's at A Place to Fall Down which is really handy to say you know that's logical.

01:00:28.50
Brian Penn
Logical? Yeah.

01:00:29.89
Chris Olson
You can find that and we yeah will tag them when we post the review and things like that.

01:00:30.30
Brian Penn
Logical. Yeah.

01:00:35.11
Chris Olson
my review is on the website and my video review again is on the youtube channel i am just on fire this month it's just you know i don't know um i mean do you know what it is i've been such a bad guy all year i've got a lot to make up for you know i've said some horrible things uh yeah that's the way we go um and yeah ah do check it out the trailer is also on our um

01:00:39.74
Brian Penn
Wow. You're on fire. Yeah, I know. What? You can make it up, Graham. you You're smashing it, Chris. Don't worry. Yeah, I'm absolutely smashing it. Yeah.

01:01:04.24
Chris Olson
review page of the film so if you search for it it'll probably come up and if not IMDB page there's a link there to the review so yeah you've got no excuse not to go and find out more about a place to fall down because it was very very good um we're moving on now too i'm just going to leave a little pause because it just needs a pause

01:01:24.92
Brian Penn
right okay well then Yeah.

01:01:27.78
Chris Olson
one of the best Christmas films ever, if not the best Christmas film. And I say that knowing that there are some incredible films out there. No, it's not Muppets.

01:01:38.31
Chris Olson
That's up there, but it's not Muppets. No, it's not Love, actually. It is Arthur Christmas, the animated film from 2011 that is quite simply a masterpiece.

01:01:44.08
Brian Penn
Yeah.

01:01:50.05
Brian Penn
right

01:01:50.53
Chris Olson
And I won't hear anything else. Actually, we should just stop the podcast because I don't want to hear anything else.

01:01:54.15
Brian Penn
well yeah ah Well, I've got to tell you Chris, I hadn't seen this film since it came out.

01:01:55.40
Chris Olson
It's just a amazing.

01:02:00.75
Brian Penn
so Honestly, ill I saw it once, and when we when we decided to review this film for the podcast, I watched it for the first time in what, 12 years, and it's still brilliant.

01:02:16.02
Chris Olson
Yeah.

01:02:16.34
Brian Penn
You know, it doesn't diminish one iota. It's so bright and clever and offensive.

01:02:23.24
Chris Olson
Do you know what I would say, and I say this with experience, this film keeps on giving.

01:02:28.72
Brian Penn
Yeah.

01:02:28.76
Chris Olson
I have watched this film, I am not kidding you because my kids love it. We've watched this film, I must say, I reckon about 50 times. And I'm i'm not um not exaggerating it, I think 50 times.

01:02:40.00
Brian Penn
Yeah.

01:02:40.14
Chris Olson
and every time i see something some little detail that's new they'll do there'll be a little thing on the screen or something a character says and it is genius because it's an argman film right and those guys know how to make fabulous comedies it's so so well read and it's got british charm splashed all over it you've got a fabulous cast if you don't know the story so the story is arthur is

01:02:42.95
Brian Penn
I know.

01:02:52.28
Brian Penn
Yeah. I know what they're doing, don't they? Yeah, ah no and I

01:03:08.11
Chris Olson
the son of Santa Claus, one of the sons of Santa Claus and he lives at the North Pole but he's a little bit useless.

01:03:10.74
Brian Penn
Hmm.

01:03:15.33
Chris Olson
ah that's a It's harsh but that's fair and after Christmas night Santa gets back and realizes they missed a child.

01:03:15.66
Brian Penn
Hmm. Yeah.

01:03:22.26
Brian Penn
Hmm.

01:03:25.54
Chris Olson
Arthur is absolutely distraught because he loves Christmas, he loves the whole premise of everything, he's Santa's biggest champion and

01:03:28.36
Brian Penn
Hmm.

01:03:34.01
Chris Olson
Santa and his other son, Steve, sort of run the show. They sort of say, oh, nothing can really be done about it. You know, it's just one child. Let's just yeah go to sleep and ignore it.

01:03:42.05
Brian Penn
and yeah

01:03:43.50
Chris Olson
But Arthur can't. And Arthur, with the help of his slightly wayward grandfather, known as Grand Santa, brilliantly played by Bill Nighy,

01:03:51.63
Brian Penn
grandentsor money

01:03:54.28
Chris Olson
um go on this adventure along with an elf to deliver this present to the child and the whole film just has got so many minute details in it it's been littered with all these references and jokes and things

01:04:06.01
Brian Penn
Yeah, yeah, yeah,

01:04:11.73
Chris Olson
ah you you miss them you need to watch it so many times this film and it's so so good and it doesn't as you said doesn't diminish i i'll watch this non-stop it just is such a good film yeah not least because of the amazing cast you've got bill nighy as we've said you're james mackivoy in the lead role

01:04:14.94
Brian Penn
Yeah.

01:04:21.44
Brian Penn
yeah hu ahhi jeen Yeah.

01:04:29.21
Chris Olson
You got Jim Broad, Ben, Hugh Laurie, yeah, Imelda Staunton, Asta Jensen. and and And also, I had to pick this up, but ah one of my very previous watches of this film, but Laura Linney does the computer voice.

01:04:41.13
Brian Penn
Yeah.

01:04:43.59
Brian Penn
ah nine and

01:04:44.24
Chris Olson
She does, you know, it's a bit where I think it's Steve, who was he says, oh, come on, guys, time to pick this up.

01:04:44.97
Brian Penn
yeah

01:04:50.97
Chris Olson
And then she's like this automated voice.

01:04:51.32
Brian Penn
yeah

01:04:53.13
Chris Olson
She goes, so picking this up, people.

01:04:54.98
Brian Penn
i like

01:04:57.14
Chris Olson
Oh, it's just brilliant.

01:04:58.51
Brian Penn
it ah

01:04:59.33
Chris Olson
Absolutely.

01:04:59.65
Brian Penn
the It's beautiful. It's just a wonderful film. It really is. But what I really love about it, though, is the ah concepts and the design of the film. you know The fact that they said, right, we're going to make Santa Claus ah ah in the guise of a ah military-style R.E.S.

01:05:22.21
Brian Penn
type pilot. I mean, he was wearing a red beret, wasn't he? he red He wears a red beret.

01:05:25.09
Chris Olson
Yeah.

01:05:27.03
Brian Penn
And all the elves, they're like an S.E.S. platoon, the way they work, aren't they? They're really super efficient, really clinical.

01:05:31.17
Chris Olson
Yeah.

01:05:33.93
Brian Penn
And I love the fact that they said, right, Sansa's real name is Malcolm, right? He's married to Margaret, and he's got two sons, Arthur and Steve.

01:05:44.51
Brian Penn
It just kind of brings it back down so straight back down to earth again, you know, so it's freaking you a kind of a fable, a fantasy, but then it brings it back down to reality again, which I think is brilliant. And they, you know, Santa is supposed to retire after sense emissions. And that again, you have the military association, the e association association with the or RAF, where they do a certain number of missions and they step down.

01:06:12.94
Brian Penn
And I love Grant Sandster as well. I'll sort it out. I'll do it the old fashioned way. I love all that. it's so much As you say, there's so much going on there. And there's always something you miss. And that's the sign of a great film where you watch it and you're going to miss something somewhere. There's so much detail there that you're not going to appreciate first time around. There'll be something new. As you say, it keeps on giving.

01:06:38.62
Brian Penn
But I loved it. I thought it was great. And Santa's got a spaceship that looks like Thunderbird 5 to me. I love that as well. There's so much to love about this film. It really is. I'm not a huge fan of modern animation as such. It's all right. It's OK. But I'm a bit of a traditionalist. But argument are the exception. They do something entirely new and entirely different.

01:07:05.45
Brian Penn
um and anything that comes out of the oven stable is going to be good. But this, I don't actually guys want to say this is the best thing they've ever done.

01:07:13.55
Chris Olson
Oh yeah I mean that's high plaudits they've done some great films but this is enduring it's so so good and there's so much to it

01:07:14.91
Brian Penn
Isn't it? Yeah.

01:07:24.68
Chris Olson
that you appreciate all those details and it's it's very applicable to anyone.

01:07:27.21
Brian Penn
Yeah.

01:07:28.65
Chris Olson
you it certainly It reaches any kind of audience that is going to enjoy movies for whatever, you commonly got action, Christmas, you got everything.

01:07:34.58
Brian Penn
yeah

01:07:37.90
Chris Olson
And what I love about it is it has the right balance of all its elements because it is doing a lot, it is frenetic, you' you'll watch it and it's kind of exhausting sometimes because it's got so much going on. But the balance is there between having that heart, you've got Arthur who's, he's a bit of a mess up, he keeps screwing things up and he's really scared and he needs to kind of overcome his fear. So you've got this little layer of theme there to gravitate towards, but it's also just loads of fun, loads of high jinks and,

01:08:10.25
Chris Olson
characters doing wacky things and ah yeah for me you don't get more perfect of a christmas film than after christmas it just is yeah so after christmas is up there that's what we are giving our holiday ah focus on you know it's on amazon prime isn't it i think that's where i made you watch it brian

01:08:26.47
Brian Penn
hmm yeah

01:08:35.05
Brian Penn
Yeah, Amazon Prime, yeah. now you didn' tonight Well, I mean, Chris, time and time and again, you you bring me back to a film that I've completely forgotten about or have missed or I haven't seen in years.

01:08:37.12
Chris Olson
um

01:08:47.47
Brian Penn
So you're making me watch a classic, which is what but we need.

01:08:50.49
Chris Olson
Yeah.

01:08:52.99
Brian Penn
We need to see something like that. And I think it's at the very top end of any Christmas film chart. It's definitely top three.

01:09:04.83
Chris Olson
ah For me, it's it's just, yeah, fabulous. Don't get me wrong, I've i've got a strong place in my heart for films like Home Alone and Muppet's Christmas Carol, but for this, it just ticks all the boxes.

01:09:15.63
Chris Olson
And let us know what you think.

01:09:15.67
Brian Penn
Yeah.

01:09:17.08
Chris Olson
If you've seen and loved Arthur Christmas, if you don't like Arthur Christmas, do not write in.

01:09:17.64
Brian Penn
Mmm.

01:09:21.92
Chris Olson
I don't say that very often, but but do not send anything in.

01:09:22.00
Brian Penn
No, no, don't sell us. Yeah.

01:09:24.99
Chris Olson
I won't read it. I will delete it.

01:09:26.06
Brian Penn
No, no, no.

01:09:27.39
Chris Olson
um Yeah, I can't handle that. So,

01:09:29.97
Brian Penn
It's not going to happen.

01:09:31.27
Chris Olson
Yeah, and find yourself very quickly on the naughty list.

01:09:34.41
Brian Penn
Yeah.

01:09:34.88
Chris Olson
How dare you?

01:09:36.13
Brian Penn
Yeah.

01:09:36.31
Chris Olson
So um yeah, that's your lot ah for this episode. Thank you so much for being with us. We've been through an absolute onslaught of films. Brian has been very busy at cinema.

01:09:46.82
Chris Olson
We had loads of indie films and we watched a couple of Christmas flicks. So what else can you ask for?

01:09:49.99
Brian Penn
no Can't be bad.

01:09:53.32
Chris Olson
We'll be back, hopefully, with one more episode before the end of the year. And if not, we'll see you in the new year. ah But we're go to um yeah we're going to thank everyone for for listening, for sending your films in.

01:10:00.85
Brian Penn
Yeah.

01:10:05.20
Chris Olson
Thank you, Brian, for all your lovely hard work and going to the cinema.

01:10:07.21
Brian Penn
like

01:10:08.68
Chris Olson
And yeah, we'll see you again next time.