Of Souls & Secrets film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Sujoy Prosad Chatterjee directed by Uttaran De. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Of Souls & Secrets Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Aug 27, 2021 Directed by: Uttaran De Written by: Uttaran De Starring: Sujoy Prosad Chatterjee A mesmerizing journey through nature, accompanied by a man's thoughts. An unknown person speaks about his views regarding life, his voice working as a voice-over, while shots of wilderness are shown. These terrific shots consist of mountains, many trees, waterfalls, lakes and rivers. The colour green plays a significant part in this film, as it pretty much dominates nearly the entire viewing. However, there is also civilization to be seen, including people with backpacks walking in the woods and street lights illuminating a road. De is also responsible for the editing and does a wonderful job, utilizing dissolve techniques to great effect. The editing is very constructive, putting the images together in a way that reveals the wonders of nature. With the exception of a few shots, there are no people here and the protagonist could be nature. The beauty and magic that it possesses is vividly shown in the outstanding shots that this film contains. Shooting took place in West Sikkim, India and nearly all the shosts are of wilderness. Chatterjee's voice-over is another plus. His voice is gentle and calm as he speaks about his character's perspective on various things, including secrets and whether he is living his life the way he is supposed to. He talks about trees and compares them to secrets, emotions and clouds. His words give the impression that he is dealing with regrets and has lost his way. The score consists of beautiful flute and piano music and listening to it while looking at the magical scenery adds further value to the experience. The audience will also hear the peaceful sounds of birds chirping and water flowing. The camera work makes watching this short is a rather calm experience. The camera is almost constantly stationary and the movement that is seen often belongs to acts of nature, whether that is leaves moving due to the wind or the river flowing. This achievement is twelve minutes of beauty. De's outstanding directing shows how breathtaking natural environments are and the addition of Chatterjee's words create a thoughtful viewing. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Taste the Difference film review by UK film critic Swati Verma. Starring Mark Prendergast, Houston Rhines , Kevin M Walsh directed by Sohale Dezfoli. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Taste the Difference Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Swati Verma | Posted on: Apr 1, 2022 Directed by: Sohale Dezfoli Written by: Nicholas Begnaud Starring: Mark Prendergast, Houston Rhines , Kevin M Walsh The title of the short film- "Taste the difference" is chosen by Sohale Dezfoli to attract the audience to the film. The red font for the title of the film has connotations of vigor, and courage needed to participate in the Pepsi challenge. The mention of a big brand like Pepsi helps increase the views on YouTube and Vimeo. The genre of the cinematic piece is experimental comedy. The creative piece explores the subject of the Pepsi challenge for painkillers. The cinematographer Paul W Sauline uses a combination of long, mid, and close-up shots to establish the topic of the film. The white and grey colour palette of the film gives the desired boost to the experimental comedy mood. The use of blood, violence, and swearing in the experiment increases the gruesomeness of the examination taking place in the movie thus the makers introduce some comic relief in the narrative. The use of an intense music piece and voice modulation by the analyst can enhance the research by demanding the full attention of the viewers. The plot of the film revolves around whether Painkillers can be replaced by Pepsi and if the experts can find significant evidence to prove the assumptions made earlier is the question the film raises. In terms of performances, Mark Prendergast has excellent comic timing in the movie, making sure there isn’t any dull moment for the viewers. He portrays the desired variations in the range of emotions the candidate of the experiment is forced to go through effortlessly. Houston Rhines plays the role of the scientist. The facial expressions, eyes, and voice modulation assist the actor to maintain the seriousness of the experiment. Kevin M Walsh plays the role of the assistant to Houston's character. He ensures the smooth flow of the study of the Pepsi challenge Kevin proves to be a strong support system to the structure of the storyline. The short film transforms into the marketing campaign for Pepsi with loud music and an orchestra, the billboards. It is like a fest organized for the celebration of the cold drink giant in the market. It is a smart collaboration between the director of the movie and Pepsi. The inclusion of common people of America in the campaign increases the degree of interaction with the short film and also makes the content relatable to the masses. The public after watching the marketing campaign should express their desire to be featured in it. In my opinion, the film has a well-written script to strike a perfect balance between the analysis part and the drive but the elements like blood, violence and swearing can be detrimental for the film. The movie fails to cater to those who only want to get entertained by the movie. I also feel developing liking of Pepsi in children can major boost in their sales graph of the company and depicting such unsocial components can be harmful for the image of this large brand. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Swati Verma Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Last Conception film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Nazanin Mandi, Callie Schuttera, Matt Richards, Veena Bidasha, Marshall Manesh directed by Gabriela Ledesma. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Last Conception Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Sep 26, 2021 Directed by: Gabriela Ledesma Written by: Gabriel Constans Starring: Nazanin Mandi, Callie Schuttera, Matt Richards, Veena Bidasha, Marshall Manesh The fact that a young Indian-American woman is attracted to other women creates complications for her family. Savarna Sikand (Mandi) works as an embryologist at an IVF clinic and is in a happy relationship with university student Charley (Schuttera). When she decides to tell the news to her family, initially they are surprised but eventually they accept the facts. However, things change when it is discovered that the Sikand family are Buddhists and are actually direct descendants of Buddha, meaning that it is up to Savarna to maintain that honour by having a child. This causes her to get stuck in a dilemma between honouring her family and following her own wishes. This lighthearted romantic comedy is based on a book by Constans, who also wrote the screenplay. It deals with family values, relationships, friendships, the idea of supporting one another, self-discovery and religion. There is clever humour, well-written characters and the plot is intriguing. It is entertaining watching how the protagonists react to situations and attempt to find solutions and it does have sentimental scenes as well. The story deals a lot with Buddhism and there are plenty of elements related to that religion to be seen, including monks wearing traditional clothing and engaging in relevant religious activities such as meditation and praying. There are also scenes that take place in Buddhist temples, filled with statues and decorations. The film also provides an insight into Indian traditions and includes characters wearing traditional clothing. The acting is fine with Mandi leads the film well as an intelligent individual who wants the best solution to her problems. Richards is amusing and emotional with his presence as a cheerful guy who always looks at the bright side of things. The actors who play members of Savarna's family portray caring people. Regarding the soundtrack, it contains conventional Indian music, that develops a feeling that this movie is about Indian people. There is also a comical score that accompanies the comedic scenes effectively. Ledesma does a great job as director and creates wonderful establishing shots of buildings and neighbourhoods. This comedy is a character study and a decent viewing. Well acted with a story that is interesting to follow, it manages to provide a fair amount of amusement. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

You'll Never Find Me film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Brendan Rock, Jordan Cowan directed by Josiah Allen, Indianna Bell. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS You'll Never Find Me Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Mar 20, 2024 Directed by: Josiah Allen, Indianna Bell Written by: Indianna Bell Starring: Brendan Rock, Jordan Cowan A somber experiment in atmospheric horror, Josiah Allen and Indianna Bell’s feature You’ll Never Find Me waits out a storm with a couple of curious characters. Patrick (Brendan Rock) sits quietly if unhappily in the kitchen of his trailer. It’s late—after 2 in the morning—and he seems a tad morose. When a persistent knock on his door punctures the noise of the storm, he ignores it as long as he can. Eventually, he admits a stranger (Jordan Cowan), barefoot, drenched and shivering. She was caught in the storm and just needs a ride to town. At this time of night? What’s really going on here? The film feels lost in a dream—the lighting, the silences, the pair’s lonesome and broken expressions. The co-directors linger on the actors’ faces, allowing the paranoia to shift so you’re never fully sure of either character. Everybody in You’ll Never Find Me moves slowly. Everything moves slowly. You don’t know who to trust because neither of these two seems to trust the other, and you can’t judge either of them for it. Surely, they’re not both up to something nefarious. Maxx Corkindale’s sometimes roving camera reveals something creepy in the trailer’s tidy, tightly enclosed ordinariness. The sound design is hushed and foreboding, blending with Darren Lim’s score to work the nerves. The result allows the film to suggest something supernatural, although all other signs point to very human crimes. A slow boil like this requires committed, compelling performances and both Cowan and Rock deliver. Eventually the gender politics on display unnerve, and what’s what the film is more than truly scary. It’s unnerving. The third act doesn’t entirely deliver on the promise made earlier in the film, but Bell and Allen have crafted an unsettling and spooky feast for the senses. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Digital / DVD Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Cocaine Bear film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O'Shea Jackson J r. directed by Elizabeth Banks. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Cocaine Bear Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Feb 23, 2023 Directed by: Elizabeth Banks Written by: Jimmy Warden Starring: Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O'Shea Jackson J r. As misbehaving bears go, Elizabeth Banks’s Cocaine Bear puts Winnie the Pooh to shame. The laughs are intentional, for one thing, but the outright carnage outstrips anything I’ve seen in a genre film this year. And it’s not even a horror movie! The year is 1985, from what I can piece together from an inspired soundtrack of pop hits spilling out of speakers, and one Jefferson Starship fan is about to make a jump from his plane with an awful lot of coke. Things don’t go well, and next thing you know, drug kingpin Syd (Ray Liotta in his final screen performance) is sending his reluctant son (Alden Ehrenreich) and best guy (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) to Blood Mountain to retrieve $14 million in missing blow. As you may have guessed from the title, a bear found it first. It’s barely accurate to say that Jimmy Warden’s screenplay is based on true events. In fact, a smallish black bear overdosed on drugs dropped into a Tennessee wilderness, only to be stuffed and displayed in a mall. That’s just sad no matter how you look at it. So, Warden says to himself, what if the bear was like three times bigger? All hell might break looks. We meet an assortment of folks trying to stay out of the bear’s way, as well as those trying to track down the cocaine. One mom (Keri Russell) is looking for her errant daughter (Brooklynn Prince) and her buddy, Henry (Christian Convery, scene larcenist). The great Margo Martindale as Ranger Liz is hysterically deadpan opposite three skate punks (Aaron Holliday, J.B. Moore and Leo Hanna, all superb). And even with as little time as we get to spend with the paramedics (Scott Seiss and Kahyun Kim of the badass blue eyeshadow), you’ll miss them. That’s really Banks’s trick. The film offers little more than a loose assortment of national park visitors/bear meat, but the filmmaker and her comedically able cast invest enough in each character that you like them. You root for them, despite the fact that most of them are bad people. And bound to die. For a very dark comedy, Cocaine Bear is light entertainment. It’s hard to imagine expecting anything more. Not every animal lover is going to appreciate the comedy in this film, FYI. An enormous black bear is high out of her mind for 90 minutes and, in that deranged state, does some funny things but mostly tears humans to pieces to the delight of the crowd. If this doesn’t sound entertaining to you, maybe don’t see Cocaine Bear . Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Room Next Door film review by UK film critic Jack Salvadori. Starring Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton directed by Pedro Almodóvar. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Room Next Door Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Jack Salvadori | Posted on: Sep 3, 2024 Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar Written by: Pedro Almodóvar Starring: Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton After two short films in English, Pedro Almodóvar delivers his first feature not in his native Spanish with The Room Next Door . And he somehow succeeds in the task: the film has the same integrity of his recent works, since his soapy dialogues are just as bad in any language. It definitely feels like an “Almodovar” from the first frames, but this is not necessarily a positive trademark. Strutting random bright colours to paint the screen with endless green furniture and fuchsia shirts is arguably not a style but a mere design choice. And it is no news how the iconic Iberian director became “lazier” in the last couple of decades, limiting his camera movements to uninspired close ups and reverse shots. The cherry on the "tarta" is the usual intrusive, exaggerated, TV-like soundtrack that never abandons the character on-screen. But to each his own, these defining traits of Almodóvarian cinema seem to be the reason why his fans love him so much. Yet, these are not the only stumbles in The Room Next Door … Once again, Almodóvar sets the plot on familiar grounds, directly addressing death in a self-aggrandising way. Novelist Ingrid, played Julianne Moore, reconnects with her former colleague Martha (Tilda Swinton) when the latter is diagnosed with inoperable cancer. Rather than waiting for the inevitable, Martha chooses her freedom, and through the support of her friend, she embarks on the path of euthanasia. Hugs, kisses, tears- naturally you get the whole cliché package as these wonderfully talented thespians tango between the dense, wordy dialogues on the verge of the emotionally manipulative, searching for melodrama in the obvious. The film’s greatest flaw, disruptive and otherwise intriguing dynamic, is the constant, heavy exposition, where the character unrealistically feel compelled to tell everything, even when most of it is unnecessary, like the entire flashback sequences showing Swinton’s first marriage. They look cheap and gratuitous, and dilute the narrative without allowing it to explore its full potential. My last disappointing note is on a kiss that is given in one of these flashbacks: on a cinematic scale of kisses, it would rank as the antithesis of Vertigo. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jack Salvadori Film Festival < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Julius film review by UK film critic William Curzon. Starring Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Bryan Mittelstadt, Karen L. Stanford directed by Wilhelm Kuhn. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Julius Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: William Curzon | Posted on: Apr 23, 2026 Directed by: Wilhelm Kuhn Written by: Wilhelm Kuhn Starring: Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Bryan Mittelstadt, Karen L. Stanford Julius follows a Union veteran, Jim Brennan (Bryan Mittelstadt), as he desperately searches for a war orphan he has promised to adopt. Set in Georgia in 1865, the piece tells the story of a pivotal moment in American history, marking the transition from the end of the Civil War to the promise of justice and freedom for slaves. One of the most astounding aspects of the piece is how distinct the presentation feels for the time period of 1865. Firstly, the black and white photography is immaculate; every frame feels like a painting, as if the audience has been transported back to a specific point in time in American history. Sheldon J. Walker, serving as the film's cinematographer, primarily utilises tracking shots when following the protagonist in his search for the titular character, and switches to fixed framing in dialogue-heavy sequences. It's an impactful way to frame the piece, as it feels incredibly lived-in with some impressive production value, despite its budget constraints. The backdrop of ravaged Georgia feels incredibly raw and places the viewer in a visceral fly-on-the-wall experience, which is impressive to witness throughout. Alienor Duplessis and Wilhelm Kuhn, serving as the film's editors, do a commendable job of maintaining a fluid presentation, keeping the narrative engrossing despite its occasional sluggishness. While the pacing is stagnant throughout as the narrative unfolds at a leisurely pace, it's hard not to be in awe of the technical prowess on display, used to demonstrate the themes and premise of the film. These are mostly apt; however, the narrative never really truly explores the implications of the Civil War beyond its surface level. Perhaps a more prolonged runtime could have delved more into the impacts of the Civil War and the effect it had on the innocent and the vulnerable. Whilst the formal aspects of the piece are jaw-dropping, the screenplay sadly leaves a lot to be desired. The piece is described as a short photoplay, which is appropriate given how each frame feels like turning over the page of an old American history book with its distinct visual flair. The performances across the board are phenomenal throughout, in particular, Aaron Kingsley Adetola’s portrayal of the titular character. Despite his limited screentime, he conveys so much with his vocal performance and nuance throughout. Another standout in the cast is Bryan Mittelstadt’s portrayal of Jim Brennan. He portrays the character's stubbornness incredibly well as he stops at nothing to find Julius in an attempt to adopt him. Both central performances are compelling and drive the narrative to its conclusion. Whilst the narrative unfortunately amounts to fairly minor, it's a solid piece of filmmaking with flashes of incredible filmmaking on display, which elevate the barebones material. The conclusion, unfortunately, is abrupt and doesn't feel fully developed, leaving the viewer wanting a more satisfying resolution to the prolonged setup. There are not many compelling thematic elements to chew on, and it's a shame because the formal elements profoundly work. Julius is a gorgeous-looking short piece, boasting some incredible black and white photography on display. Despite its shortcomings, it's a well-made piece of indie filmmaking with its heart in the right place and a delicacy for the raw material. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic William Curzon Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Read the film podcast transcript from the episode titled Challengers - The Fall Guy - Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes - UK Film Club Ep 15 on UK Film Club part of the UK Film Review Podcast. < Back Challengers - The Fall Guy - Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes - UK Film Club Ep 15 Listen to This Episode UK Film Club 00:01.11 Brian Penn You came online everything started loading up when it said recording downloaded and then it got me then it said reload again. So I did that I got back on then then I had that you ah I couldn't hear you. 00:10.95 ukfilmreview You yeah know that so there was a recording accidentally done because I I press start and stop says oh got stop that so we've got like a 9 second recording but I couldn't hear you anyway. But anyway got you now. 00:19.48 Brian Penn I Oh okay, you know you know me or I won't dare touch anything if I could if I could work a laptop just by thought alone I would. 00:26.10 ukfilmreview Just don't touch anything Brian don't touch a single button on your computer. Okay, yep. 00:39.19 Brian Penn I never had to touch a laptop because you know I just have this kind of non-magic touch like King Minus in reverse when it comes to laptops and pcs mind you my pc my old old pcs just packed up. You remember the old one that I had that was really old and ancient. It still it was still it went it worked for another 4 years and it's just finally packed up 14 years 01:00.73 ukfilmreview Wow I mean you must have had some kind of ceremony for that. Did you like put it in the ground and you know. 01:06.16 Brian Penn Well you yeah sure shit I haven't buried it. Yeah oh God be honest, so but I still can't quite part with it either. So maybe I meant in oil. Perhaps I don't know. 01:16.78 ukfilmreview Mean I mean that is impressive 14 years I mean just to I mean I'm sat here with 3 glasses of water around my laptop that mine just don't last that long. Um because I'm just so clumsy so hats off to you for not spilling something all over it. 01:28.42 Brian Penn Well well I'll probably have that at some point I mean i' it'd be a miracle if I didn't because that's the sort of thing I would do but you know it it served me well you know, but now um I've just got my sole laptop now the the one eye bull when I thought the. The Pc was going to pack up So this is about 4 years old. So I yeah. 01:49.69 ukfilmreview Oh wow I mean it's been an integral part of the podcast journey so we have salutations to Brian's computers it 01:56.56 Brian Penn I yeah I know I know it was there at the very beginning when we starting our first podcast and might have been partly responsible for it crashing that first one that we did. But yeah yeah. 02:07.16 ukfilmreview Oh that was overload right? when there was about 6 of us on the same show. Yeah, that was even I was like my computer and internet is not liking this I had to I had to call virgins I have some better internet because that they just couldn't handle Ian's Nolan bashing. 02:15.87 Brian Penn Ah I Ah and ah well now course something were not naturally yeah I mean how could anyone bear that really yeah I'm I'm a lot better now I had a terrible cold last week. 02:25.49 ukfilmreview Exactly but have you been you been? Okay, how was this you sound a bit bunged up Brian. 02:34.49 Brian Penn If we'd have been recording I know and if we'd have been recording this show last week well I would have sounded like mo and Brian though from the godfather you know you know that sort of thing so it's probably just as well. It was this week and not last week but you know I do sound a bit deeper than normal you know, but. 02:51.88 ukfilmreview There go I mean yeah, you still sound like you just you know you got a bit of cold. Yeah, and so it's your lovely movie brain that we want you know to to your best. Um well I went to a wedding this month 02:53.93 Brian Penn Ah, yeah, hopefully it come out all right? You know I so sell like me Well, that's the main thing isn't it? Well oh thank you? Well I I'll do me best you know that? Oh wow. 03:10.27 ukfilmreview Um, it was my brother's wedding which was very nice. Lovely Um, lovely day once a devise is and yeah, absolutely spiffing It was spiffing Um, spiffing don't get it enough. Do you know spiffing I think it sums up this podcast pretty well spiffing. 03:11.64 Brian Penn Very nice. 03:15.64 Brian Penn Oh lovely, a good word spiffing. We don't need. We don't use it enough. Do we In fact, we don't use it at all all now different spiffing. Yeah, okay yeah, that. 03:30.27 ukfilmreview And have I'd have that um but it did get me thinking what you if any comes to mind if you think of wedding films because I feel like it's quite a big category. It's quite a lot of entries. It's not like my my chocolate film debacle where there's only about 2 or three films weddings comes up. 03:40.10 Brian Penn I yeah so lot. No and I with a slides we kitchen. Yeah, 4 winnings in a funeral but yeah, straight away optimistic really. 03:50.13 ukfilmreview Straightway doesn't it because obviously've yeah in the title. Um I thinking in Muriel's wedding have you ever seen that as classic. Yeah they were talking about on them gay actually recently. But yeah, um, that one's pretty good us is there I feel like there's more. 03:56.39 Brian Penn Mirrors Yeah, that's so an Australian film isn't it. Yeah, good film. Very good cool. 04:09.18 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, cool. So I think there are a lot more um, odd well actually fatheror the bride. Yeah, but the the remake was Steve Mason and I think was Diane Keaton wasn't it that spawned 2 or 3 sequels. But. 04:15.35 ukfilmreview Ah, that came to my mind. Yeah, obviously um that Steve Mine yeah 04:21.10 ukfilmreview E. 04:27.14 Brian Penn You know I think they're very easy to the wedding singer wedding singer and and yeah, oh yeah, yeah, that's a good one. Yeah, they're easy to to. Um. 04:30.30 ukfilmreview Wedding singer that's great I I love any reason to watch Madam Sand the film crazy rich asians that's a Britain more modern when in film. 04:43.80 Brian Penn Get wrong I think they're surprising and easy to get wrong. Those sort of films because they they can be sickly sweet and sentimental or they try too hard to be funny and it's still got to get the balance just right I reckon with any anybody move because it's someone we all relate to you know. 04:57.14 ukfilmreview And I think yeah you mentioned 4 ends in furre funeral and then also so Richard Curtis did love actually and there's quite a big wedding scene in that one and I think that there's that sense of you have the the emotion of of a wedding but you also have the humor and the kind of ah. 05:02.76 Brian Penn Yeah, there is yeah. 05:09.85 Brian Penn And. 05:14.18 ukfilmreview Slapstick sometimes elements of things going wrong all that pressure put on that day and obviously it makes for a great film because it's very theatrical and dramatic. 05:15.23 Brian Penn Yeah I yeah yeah, yeah, it's it's a great canvas. You know if you and I were sitting down to write a screenplay and you'd look at a wedding. It's a blank. Canvas's so much you can do with it isn't there. You've got all these tensions and these resentments that are festering away within a family or within a social circle and it could all come together at a wedding couldn't it. You know we've we've got Christmas as the the focal point and you've also got any any wedding any family event. It's got a kind of similar dot. D and damism since her hasn't it really. 05:55.11 ukfilmreview Well I mean let us know if you're listening what your favorite wedding movies are and congratulations to anyone you know because we're entering wedding season. You know it's may when we're recording this. It probably be June by the time you're listening um, and yeah. 06:05.43 Brian Penn Well yeah, a yes I arrived? Yes, Ah yeah, but I do I do. 06:10.69 ukfilmreview It's lovely weathers here. So why not get married. You know those things those things keep us going. Um, but yes this is your first time to U k film club this is kind of the the banter that you can expect. It's me and Bryan um from uk film review chatting. 06:26.47 Brian Penn You move. 06:30.38 ukfilmreview But all films really we we cover everything Brian covers the the cinema releases and we got some some cracking ones on there tonight or spiffing I should say spiffing ones. Um, we do a streaming pick so that's a film from the streaming services. We do some indie films. So that's films from independent filmmakers who ask us to review them. And then we head back into the archives to find a film to review which we call the nostalgia pick. Um and this month it is bear boys bear boys what you're going to do and that's enough of that and because that will be embarrassing and people will clip it and replay it to me. 06:52.53 Brian Penn Un. 07:02.30 Brian Penn What you can do and and I Ah yeah I know you know. 07:09.67 ukfilmreview Um, yeah, which is ah to celebrate the release of a new bad boys film in June we're going to just revisit the original which I could not believe was 1995 I was I was like what and it did. We'll get into it but that was like. 07:19.37 Brian Penn And know and I was know. Yeah yeah, ah I think you're right? it hars back a bit earlier doesn't it. It's not just a bit nicely. So yeah I know. 07:25.63 ukfilmreview It feels 90 s right? It always feels a bit eighty s to be honest, why I was watching us always is got some as Michael Bay as well I mean come on an early baster as he's not known I mean no one calls him the base there. Do they. 07:39.31 Brian Penn Ah, the it will well done. He may well pick up on that now I were hey. 07:44.40 ukfilmreview But based when he was younger he would have been master based less as a a we we're off so cracked stuff. Um, yes, so what we're gonna go to first though is just as cracking I hope um which is. 08:00.70 Brian Penn Oh I Oh challenges yes is it's me. It's all me right? Okay, fair enough. 08:03.79 ukfilmreview A tennis film called challengers. So um I don't have a clip for this so Brian it's just going to be purely on your expert review. So no pressure. Yeah. 08:17.95 Brian Penn Okay, so challenges directed by Luca Guag nino starrings and was it wrong was it wrong I bet you had ah okay yeah, thank you? Yeah big confirmation wise. Thank you for that anyway. 08:19.99 ukfilmreview Good Good try good. Try Yeah no i' have no idea I've no idea I've got I've just go with it I know yes it was completely correct If yeah, yeah. 08:35.33 Brian Penn Um, so I'm starrings and day are Mark Facet and Jos O'connor this is again. It's as you say a tennis film tashi is a former tennis prodigy certain coach. She mouls her husband art donson into a tennis champion but he has to overcome a loss of form. And he also comes up against his ex- best friend and Tashi's ex-boyfriend Patrick Zwig so a 3 hree-way relationship settled on a tennis call. Um, this film is not as easy a watch as you might think now we all know about. Flashbacks don't we or what the text the but the technical bods call analysis and prolepses flash forward this film uses both techniques. It's going back and forth constantly. So it's like three years ago 4 our years later 10 minutes earlier 20 minutes later it's ah it's a bit of a it's a bit of a tennis match literally? Yeah, yeah, it could well be. It could well be. You could be sitting in the middle watching so it becomes it becomes more challenged more challenges there. You go um. 09:35.78 ukfilmreview I Choose about say is that because they want you to feel like you're doing that umpire thing where you're looking yeah here. 09:47.19 ukfilmreview So this is. 09:50.91 Brian Penn I was gonna say it becomes more challenging to watch. It's it's a very well well-axed movie. It's very very well. It's self-contained. It's about 3 characters and this slightly odd relationship. They all have and in in the process. So of the flashbacks and the flash forwards. You see how their respective relationships develop and the fact that Patrick and ah and who's an art were once's best friends but they they found out for all kinds of reasons but Tashi was one of the reasons I found out this one. 1 way in which two friends can fall out is it's so real woman you know it happens doesn't it so it has that kind of dose of realism there and it gradually winds up to the to the climax when they actually face off against each other that part of the film is filmed almost in slowmo or it seems like it. Which is frustrating because tennis is a fairly fast game when when they're in play but everything is slowed down and they they to me my opinion they overcrank it a little bit. They try. You know you can heighten tension by slowing things down. But I think they do it a bit too much That's a minor quibble it still works and daya looks good, but both ah co-stars are excellent Josh O'connor an english actor from Cheltenham swallows his home county's accent and becomes the most convincing american you could ever imagine. 11:24.38 Brian Penn Being played by an englishman, a fantastic accent and you might recognize them as well from ah the crown you play Prince Charles as a young Matt so ah to jump from one extreme to another and play this slightly slightly gobby tennis player with a. Bit of an attitude. He's quite a jump and he does it really? well. But um, a very enjoyable film but a very choppy ride visually but I think once you get used to that then you see the story unfolding. It's a question of whether you prefer to see your films told sequentially from start to finish or whether you like the idea. Of being of jumping back and forth I think most people are okay with with flashbacks. But when you got flash forwards. Maybe not so much but if you can get on top of that. It's ah it's a very engrossing enjoyable film and. 12:14.79 ukfilmreview There's always a danger would flash forwards of undermining the Story's Peril right? because there's this sense of oh okay, well we know how it all eventually ends up like even if it's not even related to the story. There's this sense of oh okay, but that's that's where we're going to end up is yeah the scene of them. 12:25.76 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 12:32.66 ukfilmreview Not friends or something that I know I haven't seen the film but I and that's sometimes when these devices do um that they're like an idea and if they're to support the story then that's great and it works. But if it doesn't sometimes it can be like a gimmick that's being used that then feels like oh what you've done. There is. 12:33.00 Brian Penn Yeah. 12:48.16 Brian Penn So yeah, yeah. 12:52.33 ukfilmreview Sort of almost ruin it for yourself and then the audience is sort of and also it's one like it's because you've mentioned it several times in your review of challenges that to me that means that it was too noticeable. The fact that you were so kind of oh I'm going 40 and oh I'm going back again that. 12:53.69 Brian Penn Yeah. 13:06.61 Brian Penn But yeah, yeah, it was a bad. 13:08.41 ukfilmreview You shouldn't feel like when you are having a story told there should be a sense of like oh I kind of I went with it I went with it and it was like when I watched um Tene and watched Tene I was very much kind of what is going on last all over the I was I was so concentrated on the methodology. 13:12.98 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, all right? yeah and I there. 13:25.11 ukfilmreview I Just was not being sucked into the story and I think that can be a problem. Um. 13:30.51 Brian Penn Yeah, ah yeah I think it look. It's a technique I mean as to say we're all used to flashbacks aren't we but I think to use them both together in the same films quite unusual I Don't think you see that a lot you often see flashbacks and I think as an audience as a viewer. 13:47.77 ukfilmreview I Think Flashbacks provide often exposition right? because it's like oh okay, that you you can get like the background and you can get the idea of what why we're at where we're at, but the idea of saying well this this story is happening now and this is the bit that we kind of care about Oh but there's other bit in the future that you might also care about. 13:47.98 Brian Penn But kind of accustomedtoms to that. But I think it's film. Yeah. 14:01.34 Brian Penn Yeah, it. Yeah yeah I mean it's it's context doesn't it you you flashback and you you give the story more context you fill out the characters by doing that flash forwardward now. 14:06.59 ukfilmreview Yeah, not sure. 14:14.53 ukfilmreview Yep. 14:18.41 Brian Penn Is something slightly different because as you say you're seeing something of the the solution The payoff you know the yeah the finale and you think I don't really want to see that yet necessarily. 14:22.89 ukfilmreview Yeah, because I to give an example that when I've had it ruin a film is I was watching like a bank heist kind of film and they were like flashing forward showing one of the bank robbers like in his old age sat in a. 14:37.88 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah. 14:39.39 ukfilmreview Chair like yeah by the River and it's like well he clearly survives all this and he clearly isn't in Jail so he's fine that it just kind of undermines that sense of what's going to happen So I don't yeah obviously I've not seen the film. But um I think if if the filmmakers had a reason to do it and if there's ah sort of like ah it worked then that's fine. 14:48.25 Brian Penn The. 14:56.67 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 14:58.86 ukfilmreview But I definitely have have issues with it when it's been used wrong. 15:03.36 Brian Penn Yeah, so I mean really I's the same I mean it's purely an opinion I mean listeners can can get in touch with this and let's know what they think but I found it slightly um uncomfortablefor it would have worked better without the flash forward. Really I mean some films do need it. Um. 15:15.46 ukfilmreview Yeah. 15:21.30 Brian Penn And it's there for a reason. But as you say that there can be a um, a lack of Jeopardy where where you think right? I kind of know I mean people might feel they they know what's going to happen anyway that you're watching off films. You can kind of predict the ending in the finale. But. Really good films. Catch you out. Don't they and they surprise you now I'm not going to say whether I was surprised by the final in this film or not but when you when you see too many glimpses it. It can be an almost without an anticlimax but having said that it's a very well-made film and very enjoyable. You know in as far as it goes but not I wouldn't I won't put it top draw I wouldn't say it's it's that good. It's good, but it's not that good. Our 5 3 it be a 3 star film for me. Yeah. 16:06.40 ukfilmreview Our 5 3 3 stuff I mean ah again me getting in trouble with categories by feel a bit on safer say for turf with this one so I did that um that it I am on form today I'm I'm a it a that it good. 16:16.93 Brian Penn Yeah, hey you're you're on Fromceai aren't you Yeah, oh well. 16:24.00 ukfilmreview Ah, yeah, but in terms of tennis films. There are quite a lot of great tennis films out there. Um you I think you reviewed King Richard on a previous episode. Um, but I really enjoyed battle of the sexes that was out a few years ago borg versus Macenroe that's a good one. 16:31.60 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, oh that's good. Yeah yeah, did yeah. Yeah, yeah, there was sort poor Bethany Paul Bethany wasn't it. Yeah i. 16:43.32 ukfilmreview So there's quite a few I think there was a Wimbledon film many years ago I've yeah I only vaguely remember it I can't say whether or not I liked it or not um, but yeah, but I mean this is this kind of lower tier tennis films. 16:55.57 Brian Penn So I would say so yeah, you know anything that doesn't vehicles Wimbledon kind of loses a bit of it shine for me because that's that's what you think I mean you think of the grand yesp because that you think of the grand slam tournaments and it doesn't specifically refer to any particular. 17:06.60 ukfilmreview That's that's peak isn't it. Yeah. 17:15.13 Brian Penn So ornaments or not ones that most people would know let's put it that Way. So Um I think Tennis is an ideal subject for for any film. Ah, you know you look at different sports and the way you film them. There's ah, there's a great sort of visual drama about tennis and the the way it goes back and forth and. And there is that kind of face-up between 2 opponents I think that works very well in any film. So. It's always a good sports of film in that way. So yeah, but good stuff though. Well done. You know? yeah. 17:44.33 ukfilmreview Well let's know what you think about challenges feel free to send in your reviews you can Dm us on social media If you're interested I'm moving on now to the full guy which I'm very happy to say I do have a clip. 18:00.70 Brian Penn Oh nice said. 18:31.19 ukfilmreview So I mean a short clip that time. Um, but full of exciting things to pick your interest I mean you got Ryan gossling you've got Emily blunt. Do we care about the full guy go Brian. 18:33.57 Brian Penn Boo. And yeah, yeah, yeah. So do we care about the full guy. Yeah I think we do in the very sort of broadest and lighthearted sense of the word that is caring and yeah, look for those of a certain vintage I am me might remember the 1980 STv series of the same name starly majors. So there will be some familiarity for older viewers. There. It's a nice straightforward storyline. You know colt seers is a stunt man who breaks his back when a stunt goes wrong a year like's recruited to work on the directal debut of jadi moreano colt and Jodie are old flames quickly rekindled. However, producer Gail Mayer sends colts to find the films star Tom Rider who's gone missing. 19:34.64 Brian Penn And look it's ah it's a film about s stump men and well the stunts they've got to speak good haven't I and yes they are. They're excellent stunts. Um, there's a couple of really unusual stunts that but I've not seen before. Um. So you need to look out for those great soundtrack. It's got kiss the darkness even the Miami the theme for Miami vice turns up at 1 point um Ryan goldsling and Emily blunt are both very engaging in the in the leading roles very likable and it was interesting. I saw um I was I was looking at the interviews that were being known for the premiieer in London and Emily blunt actually mentioned that there should be an Oscar the best stunt man and best stunt woman I mean you get oscars for best makeup and best costume or what have you. And I think it's a good point and it's it's about some I introduce the category and I think this film really proves it on the close. Yeah. 20:33.71 ukfilmreview Yeah, especially yeah, it's there's things. Yeah, like yeah you mentioned it, someone's getting an award for hair makeup. Absolutely 100% agree because it's something that enhances the film and a stunt totally does that? Yeah, there's things that are like jaw dropping. 20:44.16 Brian Penn So. 20:49.40 Brian Penn Yeah. 20:50.61 ukfilmreview And yeah I mean the only thing would be you would encourage people to go to like increasingly crazy lengths just to win an Oscar do you know I mean they kind of go oh he shot himself into space from a cannon. Um, but yeah. 20:59.32 Brian Penn And yeah, ah I know for any any action movie without without stunt men and women. Um the film wouldn't work. You wouldn't have a film was so watching and I I think even. The non-action movies do rely on stuunt workhop to a certain extent. Don't they if if there's a fight scene or or a robbery of some description stunt stunt some people stunt experts will be involved in some way they'll be coordinating making sure that it's done in the right way so they're such an inttegral. Part of filmmaking you think it's about time they got the recognition I think it was really good that as part of all the publicity bloodr for this film. They actually put it out there and said yeah, let's have I mean I'm sure they got their own industry walls haven't they ah but it should be in the mainstream. It should have an Oscar. Should have a baffta best st work and a very enjoyable film. It's it's candy floss Chris you know what you see is what you what you get a a lot of it. You've seen before it' compet done. Um, and if you stay long enough for the closing titles when you go and see it. 22:01.00 ukfilmreview Um. 22:12.53 Brian Penn Ah, you'll get to see all the well some of the outtakes Some of the things have got wrong, but it just gives you some of the background ah into how the starts are put together but a very un enjoyable romp. Let's call it that it's good fun I Yeah I enjoyed it's good. Yeah. 22:25.83 ukfilmreview And and enjoy romp loving it. Good um I mean just for the sake of consistency well about out 5 22:31.56 Brian Penn Yeah. 22:35.81 Brian Penn Out I I would go can we go for a half star I don't give out ho all right can come can I go for a three and a half stars 22:41.46 ukfilmreview I'll let you off on this occasion I don't normally let people do half stars I good I thought you might go through because you you weren't ladling it with enough praise for it to be a four so I thought he's going to want this three and a half so I'll let you have that that's fine. Um. 22:52.20 Brian Penn So yeah, yeah, know yeah I thank you Chris thanks a lot. Well appreciate my thanks much. 22:57.70 ukfilmreview Yeah I mean on the site hope mad reviewed it and she gave it 3 so that made me think you were probably going to be in line with hope. So yeah. 23:02.56 Brian Penn Yeah, ah yeah, but again, very very enjoyable I mean it's again, we always come back I always come back to this phrase of spiillberg. It's a popcor movie. Is it a great pop call movie which is would you happily sit there for a couple of hours and watch this filming. Yes, she would. It's very. It's. 23:21.00 ukfilmreview Well fabulous. Let us know what you think about the full guy with Ryan Goslin and Emily blunt and moving to a film franchise which we haven't seen a film in this set for a while. 23:22.49 Brian Penn Good, Good fun, good fun to watch. 23:38.43 ukfilmreview But is the new Kingdom of the planet of the apes and again I have a clip here. We go. 23:41.90 Brian Penn Or oh wow. 24:39.90 ukfilmreview Well there we go um kingdom of the planet of the apes that is ah currently in cinemas I believe and what did you think of this one Brian. 24:42.69 Brian Penn Um, yeah, well okay, let's do the basics so directed by Wes Bull starring o and tigue fre allen. Kevin Durand and piece of makeon. Yeah, it's amazing. How long planet the apes has been around as a brand the original books written in the early sixty s the first film starring Chelton Heston was made in 1968 and there was also a cv series in the nineteen seventy sea starring Rody Mcdowell and this is the ninth film in the series. Story picks up many generations after the reign of caesar his legend endures as a benevolent leader of the ape kingdom but his teachingings have been have now been twisted by proximus who has enslaved clans with the aim of capturing human technology Noah is a young ape who begins a journey to free his own clan. Along the way he meets a human called may they form an alliance but she has her own agenda apes are now the dominant species with humans reduced to feral status but will Noah and may so may survive. This is great storyta I absolutely adore this. Strong visuals a great film to watch on the big screen I really like what they've done with Cgi and Ai as well. Um, you're portraying animals for human characteristics. You've got to go down that road prosthetics animatronics aren't really going to work that well anymore because we've moved on so far from. 26:12.40 Brian Penn What planet leap apps used to be about where they would use prosthetics and emmaronics now it's kind of moved on. Um and that's kind of okay with me because the ass still contribute their ah talents. They still contribute their voices and apparently the Ai used in this film scans the ah the face of the axis. And translates that into an image of an ape that that plays them. Um, it's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. It's riveting you can't take your eyes off the screen and it's ah in a way. It's a film that you you don't want to end as soon as it does so. It's very economical in the way but it. It puts the story across. It's very neat and it's very tight. It explores themes that are familiar to all of us the film of the month Chris without a shadow of doubt. 26:59.48 ukfilmreview I Was gonna say that it was easily when you started to do your reviews like this film of the month. It's gotta be um I mean I'm a I am a fan of the newer films I remember watching the original I haven't seen the original set I've seen the very first one I Know there's like. 27:04.96 Brian Penn And I it's good. Okay. 27:16.43 ukfilmreview A lot of ones in that set and Tv shows as he said I've by watched the original kind of the apes which I enjoyed I thought it was good actually I did enjoy that I think it was one of those films where it had been rubbed into popular culture so much that it was like. 27:17.39 Brian Penn So yeah I. 27:32.60 Brian Penn So um. 27:32.98 ukfilmreview You know, like the whole you blew it up you it is zo as a ah all that sort of stuff that um it kind of felt like it was like the fact that I watched space balls before I watched Star Wars so I couldn't really take it seriously. 27:35.60 Brian Penn So I know Yeah, yeah, yeah. 27:45.19 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 27:46.48 ukfilmreview Um, whereas when the newer films came out. They were really dark and gritty and and as you say very cinematic that they felt perfect movies to go and see on the big screen. Worth your worth your money. You get a lot of film. Not bang for your buck and I've. 27:59.14 Brian Penn Yeah, you doing they deserve them as well. They really do yeah. 28:01.99 ukfilmreview Yeah, this feels like that. It's been getting some really good reviews across the board. Um, which is great to see and I agree with you about the the use of Cgi you know like we reviewed gremlins on an episode in the back catalogue anything it was. Can't do that now you can't have gremlins coming up with actual puppetry and everyone going. Okay, yeah, you know it has to be Ai or your Cgi. 28:19.36 Brian Penn Um I down know yeah and ah, yeah, the thing is in in the past I've always been wary of a I I mean I would not. We would never want Ai to replace actors. Would we right but but enhanced. But if they can enhance a film which is what they've done here with it right? It's it's legitimate isn't it so you still got the as involved right? Must be great for the actors because I don't have to worry about how they look do they because I've got. 28:31.20 ukfilmreview No, not. So. 28:46.14 ukfilmreview Her. 28:49.80 Brian Penn They've got they. They're just putting the voices on the ah on the visuals which is great. So but now an amazing piece of filmmaking. You know as to say easy film of the month and is likely to be 1 of the films of the year and I hope it gets the credit that it deserves and then it's not simply launching with another It's just another action movie just another pseudo dc comics Marvel type movie That's what I think it needs to steer clear of that. It's different. It's a different sort of genre and it deserves the attention. It's getting It's very good. So. 29:24.34 ukfilmreview Yeah, because Andy Circus was involved in the previous ones wasn't he and he's not other thing's involved in this one. So it's good to see that the mantors like been handed over but it's still of a good quality and it's still you know pleasing people. The viewers are finding it. 29:29.36 Brian Penn Yeah, no I. 29:38.47 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 29:40.69 ukfilmreview Engaging. So it's good to see that because sometimes with franchises they often are you have the filmmaker. That's like the linchpin and if they're no longer involved. It's like game over. Um so it's good to see they've been able to sort of avoid that pitfall. 29:48.41 Brian Penn Yeah, so well. Yeah, but I think it's important that you do have different people involved that if you're going to have the same directors involved and the same axis but it's not It's not moving on in anywhere different. It's just. Restelling the same story and you've always if you change directors they're going to. They're going to have different ideas and different approaches. So the brand stays fresh you know and that's what what? I've I think they've done here I mean I've not seen the the 2 previous planet the os movies since they came out. 1 came out in 20 full scene or something 2011 so I've not seen I've not seen those ah for a long while but this film stands on its own I don't think you you would necessarily have needs to have seen the the previous films to appreciate this because it is a a very strong story and. 30:44.40 Brian Penn I Always enjoy films with the ah would you call it an action movie I suppose you would in a way but there's a strong storyline um strong characterizations I think proximates is a great badie. You'll enjoy watching him and know is a good. A really good goodie. 31:01.28 ukfilmreview The good goody. Well film of the month everyone you've been told kingdom of the planet the apes and that's it for your cinema films this month guys. We're gonna be moving on to. 31:03.29 Brian Penn Just put it that way you know a good goodie. So yeah, very enjoyable like that go out and see that Definitely yeah. 31:19.93 ukfilmreview Our streaming pic next? Um, so yeah, rustle up a hearty bowl because we are moving on to Jerry Seinfeld's unfrosted which came out on Netflix this month may if you're listening to it may and. Yeah, it's the story of um, Kellogg's and how they had this rivalry going on with ah another breakfast cereal company called post and all about creating pop tarts. That's basically the the gist of it. Um, it's the you. 31:48.90 Brian Penn So. 31:54.37 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 31:58.50 ukfilmreview They're trying to figure out this sort of pocket pastry that could go in the toaster and both sides have got something that might work but it's filled with different random issues and lots of crazy characters going along and. Um, hijinks and different things that basically lead to chaos and escapades I think I'm I'm I'm right thinking they've completely enhanced this and yeah I don't think this is the true biography I think there is a lot of lot of embellishment going on here. Um. 32:15.59 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah. 32:27.59 Brian Penn So no, yeah, absolutely yeah I think so I think you're right there. It's a safe bet say that? yeah that. 32:33.91 ukfilmreview I mean just looking at Hugh Grant in the film just is enough for me to kind of go this had this can't be real. Yeah, this has to be a bit. Um, but yeah, it's it's got that sort of um, crazy caper kind of feel to it. There's there's lots of shenanigans things that are baffling when you're watching it. 32:38.23 Brian Penn And I and I. 32:46.55 Brian Penn The. 32:52.55 Brian Penn I Know yeah I. 32:53.51 ukfilmreview Because they just they they it. It becomes kind of cartoonish I was watching it going it like they've sort of just really got gone to 11 Yeah, the amps have gone to 11 with this film. But what did you think of unfrosted. 33:04.83 Brian Penn Yeah I know well you know I really didn't know what to make of it Chris to be absolutely honest with you. Um, we can only say as you just mentioned very very very loosely based on facts. Um, and it's. 33:22.50 Brian Penn I mean look 1 thing for example at the the funeral when they start pouring milking into the gra then conflates and there's a woman slicing bananas and she's crying and you think wait a minute is there something more sublime going on in here. Um, is there a message here that I'm missing. 33:29.25 ukfilmreview Edit it. 33:40.40 Brian Penn And but I I just sense I mean I'm not a big fan of Jerry Seinfeld by the way I mean he's kind of okay, but that's I mean there's some really nice cameos in the film I think Melissa Mccarthy was good Amy schumers in it. Yeah yeah, but yeah. 33:49.13 ukfilmreview Yeah, they're both really good. Actually it was him I wasn't that bothered with I felt Jerry time for was a bit hit much. Yeah, and that always gets me a bit worried when especially in a comedy film because some of these skits and and bits they put in there. 33:59.40 Brian Penn I mean but he did direct it as well though didn't he So yeah. 34:08.54 ukfilmreview Like I think that was a funny random idea that got thrown across the desk and somehow ended up in the film. It was like you didn't test to see whether or not that works you just thought ah keep it in. There's a lot of that kind of bagginess to it. It's very baggy with the jokes. There's some bits that are funny and there are other bits which are. 34:18.70 Brian Penn And I it Yeah, it. 34:27.65 ukfilmreview All right? They're funny because they're farc cool I guess but then there's a lot of it which doesn't hit you you I was watching it game. That's not funny. That's not funny. That's not funny. 34:30.52 Brian Penn I Yeah yeah and I you know a lot of the gargs fell flat for me and you know the gags were make me visual weren't they but ah it kind of wasn't working for me. It struck me as being very self-indulgent. 34:47.36 ukfilmreview Um, yeah, yeah. 34:48.42 Brian Penn You know, ah you know you think god it isn't Jerry Seinfeld lucky man to get Netflix to Stu up stump up what must have been a pretty decent budget to make a film like this and I would have much preferred to have seen a film that stay closer to what happened and not try and be. 35:07.95 Brian Penn Quite so Zany ah because I don't feel it works really you know and whilst it has its moments. Um I don't think it was great to be absent. 35:19.34 ukfilmreview I think the moments that are enjoyable are largely down to the performance of that particular actor. So for example, a christian Christian Slater plays this like the Milkman he was funny right? Any bit that he was off oh actually? yeah, he's funny Hugh Grant I did find him quite funny at times. Um. 35:24.73 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah, he was good. He was good. Actually yeah yeah, he was good. Yeah. 35:35.77 ukfilmreview And and so I think that Amy Schumer was good. Um I think it's one of those films that they just got this absolute gaggle of celebrities in a lot of comedians and of course yeah, something's going to hit something's going to be good because you can't put these people in room and something not be good, but. 35:45.53 Brian Penn They took their. 35:50.87 Brian Penn Oh yeah, yeah I. 35:55.11 ukfilmreview There's just so much to this that I'm going to? yeah use a serial punny but it was soggy I was just just good. Oh I Just I it's It's not got any bite to this and it's yeah yeah I would yeah I was groaning a lot. 36:00.84 Brian Penn Yeah know I know is it. You just grown a bit aren't you really. 36:10.00 ukfilmreview Come on get on with it like it felt very immature and I get it. You have fun and it's like but you can't do that unless it's really funny and it wasn't really funny. It wasn't like you like team America see americas one films where it's absolutely farcical, but my god is it funny I yeah hurt my size laughing at that film. 36:19.78 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it so I know yeah and know it's it's worth a look I mean it's only 90 minutes so it's short enough for you to kind of stay with it. But you stay with it more out of curiosity. 36:29.17 ukfilmreview This I think I've chuckled a few times. Yeah, that was about it. 36:38.52 ukfilmreview In. 36:44.22 Brian Penn Then you're being entertained by it in my opinion but it you know it's it's it's one one for Jerry Seinfeld fans more I think. 36:52.67 ukfilmreview I Think the best bit was the outtakes at the end there were some outtakes over the credits that were quite funny and yeah, that's never a good thing like if you're sort of desperate for those. Yeah I mean I'm a big fan of outtakes but that's normally when it sort of enhances the film I've just watched. 36:58.17 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah I could say that's always a bad sign isn't it. 37:09.48 ukfilmreview Whereas with this I was like oh I would have just watched this and then moved on. Um, but yeah I'm I'm not going to waste much more time on I frosted because for me, it would be a 2 star film to be honest I would I would not recommend it to. It's not awful. It's not like oh god I can't watch this but it's more like why am I watching this. 37:11.24 Brian Penn I know and I no it. Yeah it yeah. In spite of the actors that are involved and it might be worth watching just for them and there were 2 very good kids in it as Well. And yeah, the the kids and yeah in the dumps they were very good, but really, you know. 37:29.22 ukfilmreview And. 37:35.61 ukfilmreview They're brilliant aren't they yeah the ones in the dumpster right here. 37:43.20 Brian Penn There's nothing to recommend it and it is firmly a 2 wo-star film for me. 37:44.83 ukfilmreview Yeah, absolutely 2 stars for unfrosted and yeah, unfortunately that was our only yeah streaming pick this month but hey look maybe we've saved you guys some time. Maybe that's an hour you don't have to spend watching that. So why don't you go back and listen to an episode of our podcast instead. 37:56.15 Brian Penn I know we? yeah we yeah, we've done we've done them. A service haven't you Chris really yeah, we saved them saved them with a bit of sign. Yeah. 38:04.53 ukfilmreview Exactly we don't charge. We don't charge. Um, so we're moving now to indie films now these are films that were submitted via the Uk film review website and they asked us to review it on the podcast I'm we're more than happy to and we've got 2 feature length movies. To review and I've got clips for both so we're going to start with 2024 s paddling. 38:24.83 Brian Penn Oh Wow lovely. 40:01.63 ukfilmreview So paddling 2024 film from director James Popperwell who co-writes with Adam Acota and as you can gather from that clip I think that's a great clip to to play to give your real sense of the film is. 40:04.65 Brian Penn So you. 40:21.35 ukfilmreview It's this kind of intense drama and about a character who is going through I'd say sort of like a feels like a midlife crisis Really he feels like he's in a real sort of dark place about his life. Um, and struggling with his relationship. 40:31.26 Brian Penn The wing. 40:40.54 ukfilmreview Ah, very much the ah thought in the side of his partner Juliet who sort of seems becoming more and more upset with him. Um, so yeah, it so Sam's the main character isn't it. Um. 40:46.87 Brian Penn The. 40:56.17 Brian Penn Yeah fruit. Yeah. 40:57.93 ukfilmreview By Aaron Parry great performance really enjoyed its performance. Um, and yeah, we see that as their relationship goes from more and more difficulties and he's he like gives up his job at 1 point and I think that creates a lot of tension and. 41:10.62 Brian Penn And. 41:15.87 ukfilmreview But nothing seems to so be making him happy. There's this idea of paddling obviously from the the title that you hear it in the clip about him. He wants to go to stand up on the paddle board and that gave the sort of sense to me that you it is about a man trying to get on his. 41:17.62 Brian Penn So. 41:23.80 Brian Penn Yeah. 41:32.32 ukfilmreview Two feet you know it's struggling to get on his two feet and and and be happy with his life and the waves keep knocking him off and everything just seems to be so overwhelming him and yeah I I was really gripped by this. What did you think of paddling Brian. 41:46.25 Brian Penn Yeah I enjoyed it I loved the pace of it. You know it wasn't a break net you know it was their breakneck pace but it it was slow enough for you to absorb the characters and really get to understand Sam and and the way he sees his own life. 41:58.53 ukfilmreview Um. 42:03.98 Brian Penn The way he feels for Juliette and obviously the paddle board is a euphemism isn't it's a metaphor for his life. Their relationship him trying to find his way through a life that isn't going the way he wants it to go. 42:23.21 Brian Penn Yeah, so um, yeah, very good. Nice performances and um, as to say you you get to know the counts. It's a lot better and that it's only an hour and 20 minutes but you you do sort of. 42:41.34 ukfilmreview They they flesh out a lot. Yeah. 42:41.58 Brian Penn To understand you got time to expand on the cars a lot more because yeah, they do Yeah, that's why I'm trying to get at is that they flesh the the ah the characters out a lot because they are time to do it. But it's so much the better for it. Okay. 42:52.81 ukfilmreview I think that's also what impresses me with indie filmmakers when they do a film like this where they know how to keep it tight it. You could easily have ran this film to 2 hours right you could do a bit of 2 hour drama and we just go through the same story but in in a much you. 43:04.71 Brian Penn Yeah. 43:11.90 ukfilmreview Longer way. But actually it's just the perfect length because we're watching Sam sort of struggle and we're watching him kind of ah go through these issues with with Juliet but in a way that we were it. It felt coherent. It felt like everything was meant to be he um. 43:11.35 Brian Penn Yeah. 43:26.23 Brian Penn I. 43:30.45 ukfilmreview There's a lot of scenes as he becomes more and more reckless I don't want to give anything away as to what he does, but there's a few more so things where he gets a bit reckless and it was that right level of escalation. It escalated just the right way that you were like oh where's this going and but there was a heart to it because you were so gripped. But as you say I think it was. 43:33.98 Brian Penn Now. 43:43.35 Brian Penn So. 43:49.97 ukfilmreview Quite um, a big part that was down to the performances you were so gripped by what was going on. Um between them and where it was going to go that that was the the bulk of the appeal for me and that was why I was so I was really intense on watching I really was. 43:52.41 Brian Penn Yeah. 43:58.70 Brian Penn Yeah. 44:08.70 ukfilmreview Like I know what this is really bad obviously as a film Greg but I know when I'm watching a good film because I'm not clock watching I do watch the clock a lot because I'm a busy guy. What 2 daughters I've got a very busy life but I love watching films and when they're good I know they're good because I'm not looking at the. 44:16.19 Brian Penn Um, well yeah, but yeah I I Yeah but brook Yeah, that's true. You do I mean I. 44:24.34 ukfilmreview Clock. Yeah I'm very much ah aware that I'm watching a great film. 44:30.79 Brian Penn Watched it on my laptop and I just sat there for the whole hour 20 minutes and I didn't move and that's unusual for me because I am a terrible fidget and I will put I will pulse things and I'll go off and get a drink and whatever but I sat there and that's that is the measure of a good film that holds your attention and that you do. 44:40.70 ukfilmreview E. 44:46.86 ukfilmreview So I put it on the because I I cast to my my big Tv and it did have a nice visual quality to it because um, there's scenes that are in London where he's sort of part of the rat race and he's yeah, very much not having a job but then there's also scenes at the coast obviously where he paddleboards and where they live. 44:52.96 Brian Penn There. I yeah morg a smog guy I think Margate. Yeah. 45:03.97 ukfilmreview Not quite sure where that was ah is Mar is oh wasn. Yeah I do remember now. Yeah um, which was beautiful and there's lots of these sort of lovely shots of the of that and that's also really nice to see sometimes with a film like this where you're getting that juxtaposition of locations and it's done kind of. Smartly There's this really lovely scene which happens a couple of times in the film where he walks down this big slope to the sea and he's got his paddle board and his wetsuit on and he's very much Alone. He's like there's nothing around him. But it's so it's very calm and tranquil and that seems to be the only peace he has in his life. 45:33.31 Brian Penn So yeah and I yeah. 45:41.59 ukfilmreview Whereas everything else is chaos. Everything is stressing him out and he's really sort of struggling. Um with that that the irony is that yeah he feels the yeah, the calmest in the waters that he's so sort of struggling struggling to overcome but he can't stand up on the board but actually that's his safe place. That's his. That's his happy place. 45:49.96 Brian Penn Um. 45:59.80 Brian Penn Yeah, perhaps like that. 46:01.45 ukfilmreview And I loved that and so the visuals were great in the the clip you heard the score the sort twinkling piano which was it happens a lot in the film is great I loved the piano I Loved that warm sense that it was giving because there's like an intensity to the coloring on the film as well. 46:13.33 Brian Penn So moon. 46:20.80 Brian Penn Yeah, but. 46:21.31 ukfilmreview And those 2 together it made that sense I think that's why you you gripped? That's why you sort of like get drawn in because you could do easy seeing that that they wouldn't have maybe invested in those things as indie filmmakers I'm glad they did because it made it look really polished. 46:26.94 Brian Penn It Yeah it. Yeah yeah, it does I mean I I like films that that give the characters and the story space to brief that they don't pack it with dialogue that there's not. Not being visually assaulted by all kinds of different images but it's just a story about people and that you don't feel the need to have lots of lines. You know these characters aren't particularly complex because I don't need to be.. It's just a story about relationships and life. 46:49.89 ukfilmreview M. 47:05.15 Brian Penn And how people struggle to make their lives work and go in the right direction and that's why I think the paddle board is very symbolic of Sam as a character and what he's trying to do in life as you say trying to stay up trying to stand up trying to sort of ride the waves of life you know and. 47:16.11 ukfilmreview And you you hit the net on the head about the relationships because that becomes more apparent you obviously it's not just Sam as well. Like we see his parents and there's things going with them and there's other people and. 47:23.86 Brian Penn So yeah. 47:28.32 Brian Penn Yeah. 47:32.50 ukfilmreview I Think the idea about you until you can stand up by yourself. You shouldn't really be in a relationship because he can't properly commit to do that. He can't properly do the things that he should do especially not in any meaningful way that because he's not happy with himself and I think that was really powerful and really moving. Um. 47:34.49 Brian Penn So yeah, yeah, look the. And and very very natural good acting very natural. You know that you don't really feel like they're acting in some ways. 47:50.71 ukfilmreview Yeah, but. 47:56.84 ukfilmreview No so Beth and Waller plays Juliet her and and Aaron Parry the chemistry was just right. It really did feel like this was like a ah relationship teetering on the brink of destruction that but it all in that kind of like silent ah conflict kind of way of like you she she's. 48:02.16 Brian Penn Yeah, and I yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah I Yeah on I Be again, look you. 48:14.65 ukfilmreview Looks and the the way he's sort of oblivious I think to the pain he's causing around him that was really sort of hard to watch at times as like God come on Mate put it together. 48:30.33 Brian Penn He makes you James Popperwell makes you care about these currencies because you find yourself liking all the people involved all the people are seeing you think I will like Sam I like Juliet they just seem like very nice people and you want them to work it out. You want him to pull himself together. You know you want it to work for them. And if you if you get as I've always thought if you get as a film make if you get the audience to care about occurrences then it's job done. 48:57.70 ukfilmreview Absolutely and what's great about paddling um, is available to watch. It's on Amazon prime and it's hopefully going to be on Apple Tv as well soon. So you have no reason not to watch it and we would thoroughly recommend it. 49:08.87 Brian Penn Oh excellent. 49:16.29 ukfilmreview Um, I really enjoyed it like so I was one of those films where I was engrossed. It's not necessarily a film I rush to watch again very quickly because I be think it all. Yeah, that was is quite emotional. It is a lot of sort of heavy themes. But I think that's true of most good dramas like when you watch a good drama. There is that sense of Ju not that affects me I'm gonna. 49:17.87 Brian Penn Yeah. 49:27.37 Brian Penn They it's there. Yeah yeah. 49:35.80 ukfilmreview It's not yeah if you you watched Brian Gosling or stunt manel. You might be oh yeah, go watch I again there is just sort of bit of a laugh. Um, but with paddling it's very much like it does take its toll on the viewer because you are. It's an intense watch. Um, but thoroughly recommend it. So definitely go check it out if you can ah it's on. It's on prime video. 49:38.57 Brian Penn Yeah, oh yeah. 49:48.83 Brian Penn Yeah, definitely yeah. 49:54.68 ukfilmreview Um, okay, moving on to our second indie feature film this time from filmmaker Anthony Villa and this is called tomorrow never comes you want to give the rundown on this one Brian. 50:07.52 Brian Penn Yeah, sure. Um, so starring Danny Jones Claire stains Francis Brody Francis Brody odridge Aldridge Beth Mcshane keyan singleton oh it's a scary one. This isn't it. It's a family literally contemplating the end of the world. A 90 r wide meteor is about to hit the earth and cause mass destruction tv screens bleakly make announcements as the meteor edges closer to earth and how to protect themselves from the impacts. In the meantime, the family play monopoly they get drunk and survey life on earth I really really like this. It's it's the sort of film that can in some way scare you but makes you watch it reminds me a little bit of. Public information films. They used to make back in the 1970 s and yeah, yeah, only back then it was nuclear war between ah east and west that you kind of got um, but now this is a nice r one wild meat wide meat meets you. 50:55.21 ukfilmreview Yeah, there was definitely that sense of of of putting on that wasn't there. 51:14.55 Brian Penn Ah, it's thought provoking. It's chilling. It's frightening but but it's actually quite endearing as well. You know that faced with a prospect that they might this might be their last night on earth that they want to say all the things that they want to say. Make all those calls right? and you think god this is this is really heavy stuff. It really is but it works really well. It's very well written very well acted deals with with very dark subject matter and heaven knows we live in a world that's full of. Strife and wars and uncertainty and that you could substitute that ninety mile meteor for any other manner of possibilities. Um, but you you kind of you hope in your own mind. That's never going to happen so it makes you this film makes you face. The worst case scenario it makes you face those possibilities which might not be for everyone. You know some people might find this really too disturbing to watch but it puts out it. It carries a valid message about where we are in the world today. What we're doing to the earth what we're doing to each other. Um and how we see each other and also the bottom line is you know, tell the people you laugh how much you love them is saying that as well isn't it. 52:38.81 ukfilmreview Yeah, definitely there was that sense of yeah, what is put these characters into a position where their priorities suddenly shift. Yeah to to what actually matters. It's funny how that's not our priority all the time and yeah little things like he has his whiskey. 52:51.35 Brian Penn Yeah, no yeah of that sit? Yeah yeah and I. 52:58.37 ukfilmreview If is is expensive whiskey that he's been saving and is oh well I I'll drink it then you know because the end of the world's coming and that sense of you're delaying all those pleasures in life because we you know we think we have loads of time. Yeah, and what if we suddenly didn't um so there was that really sense I loved that? um. 53:09.28 Brian Penn Yeah, you know. 53:17.65 ukfilmreview Feel of the film I thought because it was definitely a budget film. You know this is that ah the filmmaker sent me a few note touchly and saidio shot over a weekend. So yeah, gives you an idea of how much resources they had budget was just I Love this the budget was some takeaways and hotel rooms I Love that like yeah. 53:20.97 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 53:30.22 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah, well. 53:36.66 ukfilmreview You know what get it made anywhere you can and make sure you look after your crew and cast. Yeah. 53:39.97 Brian Penn But but but really though Chris when you think about it. Yes, they they so they shot it all in 1 room obviously right? they didn't move but in some ways you don't need a huge budget for the story. You're telling there. Not really because you know. 53:52.50 ukfilmreview And also that can be a distraction right? If you do start to go elsewhere because yeah, this is like an apocalyptic style film where the end of the world's coming and we want to focus on these characters and what their thoughts are that had they decided oh let's do a shot inside of over the. 54:04.32 Brian Penn And. 54:10.27 ukfilmreview 10 downing street. Let's do a shot inside the newsroom it removes that intensity and that's what I found actually really strong in the film was the sense that we were given lots of long takes lots of time with this family to really care about. You know what. 54:10.31 Brian Penn So yeah. She. 54:20.34 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah, o. 54:24.40 ukfilmreview What they're going through because really otherwise it could have just been any family in the end of the world situation and it was only because we spent that close quarter time with him. It reminded and not in terms of tone or genre but it reminded me of the way that the Royal family was filmed. Do you ever watch that that sitcom the way It's just you that sort of. 54:38.72 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, cool. Yeah, a lot that yeah. 54:42.67 ukfilmreview Typical british living room and you're just in that room with them. Um I love that I mean there was a fusi I think they went through the door at one point see let's the neighbor in ah there was 1 bit that but he because he got a gun right? There was a gun in his house I thought that was a bit strange because obviously yeah british homes don't tend to have guns lying around so that. 54:49.73 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, asteroid up. 54:58.37 Brian Penn No, no yeah I was that was bit of a cur that wasn't really I know I know yeah. 55:00.83 ukfilmreview And also it was really ever properly explained it was like I was like what's going on now where is this going to go? Um, but it doesn't actually sort veer that way which is good. Um, but I I thought there was this sort of real sense of playing to strengths knowing that look we got got. Ah, story together on this limited budget and it's a feature link. It's not as not a short film. Um, really really worked. Ah the one you talk about those broadcasts the the way the broadcast popped up which I think again the the director actually created those um but they were annoyed. 55:21.22 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 55:31.95 Brian Penn They they very good. Actually oh yeah, they were well I know I know but I think they were well well put together and I like the yeah yeah, it's meant. 55:37.71 ukfilmreview I Find they're very annoying the noise the noise when they came I was oh God that's annoying which I think was on purpose right? is meant to sort of go. Oh you a jerk you out of whatever ah reverie you're in there. Um. 55:51.68 Brian Penn Yeah, it's meant a shock hue isn't it and it does that? Yeah, but very good though. Very good. Yeah. 55:56.60 ukfilmreview I like the yeah yeah, this is sort of sensey it his kids like so the characters kids are like having alcohol and like there's like an older daughter who's a bit like right? Maybe she's had a drink but the younger boys never had the black beer so he has his first beer and he starts to look a little bit drunk as I thought I was quite funny. 56:01.60 Brian Penn The I. 56:11.87 Brian Penn Yeah I know well I would I was wondering whether he did have ah actually have a proper beer just ah, you know that's methodizing for you isn't it I. 56:19.62 ukfilmreview I'm gonna I'm gonna go out on a limb and say straight away that wasn't a real bit but I'm sure it's like non-alcoholic because he did literally crack it open and had it but you know, um, let's hope so no, no, no children were turned into alcoholics in the making of this film. Hopefully. 56:24.19 Brian Penn Well yeah, well less hope something but obviously proves what a very good a is then doesn't yeah I know and of obviously a very good. A let's put it that way. Yeah. 56:36.30 ukfilmreview Um, yeah, yeah, absolutely convinced me. Um, there was a sense that you know see as the scripts and the film developed towards the end and things did start to kind of they they'd had enough time maybe getting a bit drunk and stuff. 56:50.51 Brian Penn And. 56:52.89 ukfilmreview It did get a little bit preachy I found like they were being very over with their criticisms on society and culture and having little sort of political rants about you politicians and stuff that that it did feel a bit sort of on the nose. Um. 56:55.50 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah. 57:05.22 Brian Penn Yeah, ah yeah it you know I think the problem but I think the problem with that is that yes it's It's fine for characters to sort of comment on politics the way countries are run the way Wars are full. 57:10.63 ukfilmreview Yeah. 57:22.85 Brian Penn It's perfectly valid to so to speak about that under those circumstances but there was a jump between them being just a normal downsworth family right? Play Monopoly having a few drinks trying to cheer themselves up and then launching into this really very aerudite and very ah detailed exposition. 57:39.50 ukfilmreview Yeah. 57:42.38 Brian Penn Of what politicians do and shouldn't do it. The characters jump from one extreme to another and you think well that's not what you'd expect to hear really from a family that you know ah could be spending their last night together. So yeah, jumped. 57:53.72 ukfilmreview Because I think it makes sense that in terms of the sense that you their tensions and emotions are running high by this point. Yeah, they've been in the situation but and they're drunk. You know so people do sometimes get a little bit sort of loose lipped. But as you say it was almost like it was too polished. They were too clear and concise with what they were saying about people. 58:06.18 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah I know yeah. 58:13.51 ukfilmreview And things and I was like this. Yeah, it's really jerked me into a different space. It's almost like we're sort of in this this discussion and exploration on society that it's lost that that dramatic sense I was connected to these characters because now they just feel like they're they're speaking. 58:17.35 Brian Penn Yeah, so. Yeah. Yeah. 58:31.51 ukfilmreview The the voices of the writers and that that didn't feel quite as believable to me. 58:32.48 Brian Penn Yeah, well it felt like they were making speeches didn't it really rather than having conversations which was the strength of of that scenario that sets up that Premise. It's the fact that you've got mom dad son and daughter and best friend. Come to join them and they's they're just sharing memories and talking about life so you know then they start they sense to start making speeches. It's all very well written and very well done but it kind of takes it out of out syncs slightly. 59:08.86 ukfilmreview Yeah I think that is one of those things that you have to be very careful about the balance if you're going to do that. Um, and yeah I would still recommend the film 100% enjoyed it. Um really did. 59:10.80 Brian Penn You know? yeah. 59:18.99 Brian Penn So yeah I would yeah I would say. 59:25.22 ukfilmreview It's a hard 1 to find um from what I can see we were given unlisted Youtube so that would say to me that it will be available on Youtube at some point. Um, but for example I couldn't see a imtb page for it. Um, and so yeah. 59:36.49 Brian Penn Um. 59:43.15 ukfilmreview If you need help sort of directing you to information about the film as it was um, was directed by Anthony Villa and starring Danny Jones clairetains I think go to our website because we've got a review of it Chris Bek reviewed it so it's worth reading Chris's review as well. 59:58.35 Brian Penn And. 01:00:02.20 ukfilmreview Um, but yeah, if you do want to know more about the film. We will do our best to direct you to it? Um, but yes that was tomorrow never comes and that's the last of the indie films we're going to review which only leaves our nostalgia pick and as we earlier mentioned we're heading all the way back almost. 01:00:16.70 Brian Penn So yeah, yeah, and I. 01:00:22.99 ukfilmreview 30 years my goodness to 9 five s Michael Bay's bad boys. Um, the baster as we said the the baster. Ah now it feels like 1 of these films. You shouldn't need to introduce but I'm gonna do anyway because I feel that. 01:00:27.20 Brian Penn I Yeah we yeah the voice slept. 01:00:40.72 ukfilmreview Yeah, if there is anyone out there. That's not seen bad boys where have you been wolf you been doing. Um so will Smith the Martin Lawrence Play cops detectives who are um, working the you the mean streets and. 01:00:43.44 Brian Penn Okay, hello yeah put. 01:00:58.66 ukfilmreview They get onto a case because a robbery of drugs gets taken from the police precinct and they need to track it down pretty quickly otherwise their whole unit is going to get put in the bin. Um, now this leads to um. Then looking after a suss sorry a witness who witnesses a murder which is linked to the drug theft and they must look after her but things are not quite as simple as that because of a mixup. The 2 cops. Who are very different characters. 1 is a so family man who's very much up against it. You know I did kind of have an affinity with ah Martin Lawrence's character. Um and will Smith's very cockup cocky sort of Playboy character but they have to switch. 01:01:32.45 Brian Penn Yeah, Well yeah, fair enough? Yeah yeah. So. 01:01:48.51 ukfilmreview Lives in order to keep the witness on their side because she thinks one is the other um and it's kind of this sort of odd couple situation going on as they get deeper and deeper into this conspiracy this this drug ring and try and stop. 01:01:50.74 Brian Penn Yeah, the. 01:02:06.20 ukfilmreview Bad guys I guess um had you seen bad boys previously Brian or have I made you watch this for the first time. 01:02:06.83 Brian Penn So. 01:02:12.76 Brian Penn no no I saw it when it first came out what I think is you know, particularly frightening is it is thirty years old next year and as as you as you said earlier on. It's just the mate. It's just incredible is that it's that age what we'd also have to say though is that. 01:02:21.10 ukfilmreview It's crazy. 01:02:31.77 Brian Penn It was produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Brockheimer who produced some of the greatest action movies of the 80 s and the 90 s and for listeners i'mfamiliar with their work. They also did topcom be hills caught dayss of Thunder the Rock Crimson side enemy this state the list goes on and. You kind of know what you're getting and they were the only producers that kind of had that profile where you know you'd normally say oh, it's a spelberg film. It's the score stay film got go and see that back then you'd find yourself saying oh it's so Simpson and brockheimer film got to go and see that. It had that kind of Sheen bounce it and it almost in some ways didn't matter who directed it not in that way because you knew you kind of knew what you were guessing but great fun to watch. You know it's a simple, another simple storyline some would say it's kind of. Boring heavily from say luhal weapon. For example, it's a bodydy movie isn't it and it is yeah the buddy cops and there is an element of good cop backup insof far that Burnett is so is the the married man with kids sees the sensible one and lowury. 01:03:30.40 ukfilmreview Yeah, buddy cops on there. 01:03:47.61 Brian Penn As you say the Playboy the womanizer the rich kid who's playing at being a cop is sometimes goes overboard it who steps over the line and you've also got the um the Captain Joe Paniano who's always very good value in in a role like that where he just screams at the top of his voiceist. 01:04:05.40 ukfilmreview I love the bit where he's played basketball and he's just so stressed like he's not getting any of them near and then like will Smith just like throws a 3 just. 01:04:07.17 Brian Penn Screams a lot doesn't know Joe Panley on me and know. Yeah hello I know it's typical is that um, great, great um soundtrack as well. Dinah King Shy guy great song that you heard that summer when it was. 01:04:20.32 ukfilmreview Yep. 01:04:26.94 Brian Penn Film was released that was a big hit top 5 hit so you heard that everywhere you went you know for some people it probably lacks a bit of substance right? but because it's Simpson and brockheimer because you've got will Smith and Martin Lawrence were both very likable actors. Very. Likeable leads. They play well together and it's so surprised that that it led to further sequels I'm just wondering now that the new film that's coming out in June which we'll be reviewing on the next edition about how well they they've worn really not just the characters but them. 01:05:02.74 ukfilmreview Um. 01:05:05.16 Brian Penn Za because they are 30 years older now aren't they as well. So um, that's going to be interesting to see ah but look. It's it's a great fun movie to watch again. Another great popcorn movie. It's a bit like the fool guy really that. You know there are strong characters. Great stunts. Lots of nice visuals going on good soundtrack. That's that's that does it that nails it doesn't it really and it's still entertaining even though 30 years is a long time in the film industry. You know things change and that our tastes that as. Filmgoers movie guys changes as well. But it still kind of works doesn't it. It still works. It's. 01:05:49.90 ukfilmreview 1 thing that was noteworthy because I watched this with my wife and um, she's used to watch these sort films all the time and we put it on and within about four ten minutes I could see that she was not not comfortable I you not enjoying this and right if she said it's very sweary isn't it. 01:06:06.20 Brian Penn So well. Yeah, and yeah. 01:06:06.96 ukfilmreview And I was like it is actually because it's an 18 Um and there's a lot of swearing. It's like very very sort of gone home with that whereas I think I don't know what the 1 for next month is but I know the one before that was a 15 So I think they did tone it down slight I think they made it maybe a little bit more palatable. Um. 01:06:13.96 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:06:20.80 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 01:06:25.74 ukfilmreview Try and get maybe to a bigger audience. But yeah, it's got a bit more of a grittiness that first film. Um, if you watch 2 2 wo's a bit more slick bit funnier. Um, but 1 has got a sense of right? It didn't quite know which genre to fall into yet whether it was going to be sort of like a full on action or comedy or. 01:06:30.46 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 01:06:40.92 Brian Penn It? Yeah yeah, yeah, it's finding its feet I guess isn't it really because you know that same I suppose franchise movies were beginning to really take hold weren't I I mean. 01:06:45.39 ukfilmreview Yeah car has a bit of everything in that ready. 01:07:00.39 Brian Penn We've we've discussed it before haven't we that franchising has always been been in the movies you know James Bond is a franchise but there was ah a shift away from what I would say of strong characters and strong storylines. But bad boys that particularly the first movie movie. 01:07:19.11 Brian Penn Is is quite strong. It is as you say gritty you know it. It doesn't have a lot sort of the frills that they added later on and it just makes me wonder now though that you you look at the the classification of a fulfill. And they look at the level of violence and sex and swear words and all the rest of it. You know the rating system seems to have gone out of the window slightly now because you can't restrict who sees what you know we can. We can see our films through so many different devices now and you can go online and see Clips. You know? yeah. Back then it was easier to control. You know you you could You could theoretically get a black market copy of a video of a new movie had come out. You know, but you know, um, things had changed down. It was. 01:08:09.70 ukfilmreview Yeah I remember doing that with the festival I was very kind of aware that we were putting in films on indie movies and I didn't know what the content of them was going to be like I didn't know whether um, it would be appropriate for certain viewers and if I needed to put classification On. But. It wasn't something that I actually got into I thought you know what? I'll just say content may not be appropriate because I was just worried that you people are going to come back and go oh God I didn't know it's going to be like adult theme because some of the films are reviewed. Yeah I remember some of them even the winners they were really heavy movies. So. 01:08:34.35 Brian Penn Yeah, so. 01:08:39.79 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, quite graphic. Yeah I. 01:08:45.22 ukfilmreview Yeah I think people now just kind of accept the fact that you might watch something online and it might not be appropriate. 01:08:50.51 Brian Penn Yeah, but you see the thing is I Just wonder whether we become slightly anesthetized to to what we see on screen whether it is very explicit very violent and whether we we absorb it and we're shots by it in the way we used to be. 01:09:00.20 ukfilmreview Um. 01:09:08.54 ukfilmreview Um. 01:09:09.76 Brian Penn Ah, don't think we necessarily are and it depends on the film it depends how it's shot as well because you know some some violence can come across like like like a comic strip almost you know and but other films can can be very very. Explicit and brutal and quite disturbing to watch and you would worry about um, younger people watching it. But as I say the way it is now with social media that you you can't control Content. You can't control who sees what and when they sit but you know that's inevitable really that. 01:09:38.85 ukfilmreview And. 01:09:44.44 Brian Penn The way times are changing isn't it really? well. 01:09:45.98 ukfilmreview Well I mean if you've seen bad boys it pretty much everyone has now. Um, yeah, that's not what you think but what yeah almost thirty years old is it worthy of that 18 certificate I'll be interested to hear um, previously on an episode. We reviewed mad max. 01:09:51.34 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:09:57.42 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:10:03.63 ukfilmreview 79 version and we were very lucky to have received a review from a listener. Um, so ah Nina remained got in touch and she just gave a little where. 01:10:10.25 Brian Penn Oh. 01:10:17.75 ukfilmreview Little review of ah the ah the original mad max film which I'm going to read out now. It's lovely to have ah a listener review. So this is ah Nina's review of Mad Max shot in 1979 in the australian outback this dystopian nightmare is a young drama student the then unknown 23 year old Mel Gibson 01:10:21.63 Brian Penn Oh yeah, okay. 01:10:37.26 ukfilmreview As max who is later dubbed the insane antihero of the title gibson is supported by Hugh Keyes Byrne as tow cutter who went on to play Immorton Joe in 2015 to mad max fury road the 79 indie flick is deadly serious unlike the big hair tongue in cheek. Comedy of the two 1980 s sequels full of gore and murder giving new meaning to the century's fuel shortages and obsession with road rage this road horror put Gibson on the international map that is a fantastic review I wish I could be as concise and as as insult. 01:11:09.10 Brian Penn But yeah I own it was slider up Chris Slider up Chris. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 01:11:14.87 ukfilmreview Yeah I know I think that is so insightful. Um, yeah thank you so much Nina for that review of Mad Ma because that was the original idea of film club. The idea that yeah listeners you are more and welcome to send in your reviews you can do it on the website or through our social media. Um, yeah. 01:11:27.13 Brian Penn Yeah, okay. 01:11:32.53 ukfilmreview Any film that we've reviewed or any film that we've mentioned we're going through review. Yeah, just drop us a line. We'll we'll try and read them out. Um, in the past I think when we first started someone did actually even submit an audio recording. You can also do that you send us ah an mpthree yeah does that be polished or anything like that guy is just like a voice note. Ah, you can send it to info at uk filmview dot coda uk and yeah, we'd love to hear from you. It'd be great to hear um some more of your reviews and might be the films you've seen at the cinema the ones that Brian's reviewed it might be the nostalgia pics that we've gone through it might be your your favorite wedding film. Yeah feel free to. 01:11:54.85 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 01:12:08.66 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah. 01:12:09.83 ukfilmreview Send those in because um, yeah, be great to have the yeah more inclusive community here and just share our love of film. Especially the people that have made it to all the way to the end of this episode because I'm always yeah, championing those people the people that stay with us. Yeah, they they get to the end a gritty end when me and Brian are like. 01:12:26.76 Brian Penn I Yeah and I Ah, ah yeah, yeah. 01:12:29.71 ukfilmreview Corpses across our mics. Yeah we're sort of basically just dragging onto the and um yeah I try and sound it a bit better than that when I tell people that we've done a podcast. But yeah, um, and yeah as I said you any films. We've reviewed this month any films that Brian's gunnna review next I think I think if I've got the list currently correct. It's gonna be furioa, um, bad boys ride or die and bike riders. Um, but that can change Brian doesn't always get to the films that he wants to get to so don't take that as gospel. Um, but yeah. 01:12:55.93 Brian Penn Yep. 01:12:59.41 Brian Penn So. 01:13:02.26 ukfilmreview Any of those films unfrosted if you want to check that out. Let's know what you thought of it. Um, and the indie films as well. If you can catch them that'll be amazing if you could catch. Yeah paddling if you want to watch it on prime and let us know what you thought we'd love to hear review and I know the filmmakers would too it means it means way more to them than you these ah big studio films There trust me. 01:13:08.89 Brian Penn So. 01:13:21.98 ukfilmreview Um, yeah, that has been our show and thank you for being with us for film club. And yeah, if this was your first time. Hope it was ah, an enjoyable time. Um, and thank you again to Brian for your wonderful reviews and terrific insight. Into the cinema releases and all the other films I make you watch bless you? Um, but yes, this has been uk film club part of the Uk film review podcast series that are other shows. Ah as you can see within our podcast wherever you're listening. You'll see. There's other show is like gay actually scream test. Um. And phantom zone don't why always forget their name. Phantom zone I have to really remember I don't know what it is I think all that because it was sort of is they it's a play on words right? and I think my brain goes don't get it wrong. It's like yeah, but at least let me remember it. Um. 01:14:03.53 Brian Penn But. 01:14:13.42 Brian Penn Ah, yeah. 01:14:15.29 ukfilmreview Yeah, Phantoms own A really really fun show. They all are actually they're all really good. Um, yeah, do go and check out the other episodes that we have on our channel and um, yeah, that's ah, that's your lot for this episode of uki film club. We'll see you again next time. 01:14:18.72 Brian Penn I yeah. 01:14:29.89 Brian Penn And Bye for now. Previous Next

The Job of Songs film review by UK film critic Christie Robb. Starring Eoin O'Neill, Kate Theasby, Luka Bloom directed by Lila Schmitz. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Job of Songs Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Christie Robb | Posted on: Nov 21, 2023 Directed by: Lila Schmitz Written by: Lila Schmitz Starring: Eoin O'Neill, Kate Theasby, Luka Bloom Paul Simon’s “59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” is a one minute and 43 second impression of being content and in the moment. It feels like a possible anthem for the Slow philosophy—an approach to life that values taking one’s time, doing things at the right pace, valuing the quality over the quantity in life. Writer/director Lila Schmitz’s one hour and 13 minute documentary has a similar approach. The Job of Songs is about the community of session musicians that populate the small village of Doolin in County Clare in the west of Ireland—the area around the Cliffs of Moher. An isolated village until the 1970s, folks gathered in homes to play traditional (“trad”) Irish music and to dance. Opening the Cliffs to international tourism brought in increased revenue and enabled musicians to pursue their art professionally, but it also changed the cultural scene. Folks dashed in on day trips to take a snapshot of the Cliffs, but failed to linger and really take in the place and the people. Tourism meant that performances moved from private to public spaces—out of the kitchen and parlor and into pubs and restaurants. But performing trad music is still a community activity. At a session, anyone is welcome to pick up their instrument or raise their voice and join in, even if they only know a couple of bars to a piece. Through candid interviews and emotional performances, Schmitz’s film explores the changing culture of Doolin and the various purposes songs have in the lives of the Irish of the West country. It’s a source of entertainment, yes. But songs also carry the often melancholy history of the Irish people and culture, allow the saying of otherwise unspeakable things, and give people permission to feel things that are not easily understood intellectually. The film explores the different aspects, both dark and light, that this musical culture has in people’s lives. While the session scene brings people together, it also has ties to drink, depression, and suicide. And though singing the old trad songs maintains a connection to Ireland’s past with its history of brutal colonization, famine, and emigration, Schmitz also leaves space to explore the change that technology, tourism, and a recent history of immigration has brought to the scene. She shows how a culture so rooted in a place can slowly change over time. The music of Luka Bloom, Eoin O’Neill, Kate Theasby, Christy Barry, and Ted McCormac (among others) could be draw enough, but slowing down to appreciate the way the cozy light of the pub provides an antidote to winter’s gloom goes a long way toward making a person feel pretty groovy. As does the drama inherent in the view of the green of the land ending abruptly in the pounding of the ocean. It’s a movie worth savoring. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Christie Robb Digital / DVD Release, Documentary, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Lennington Evening-Blooming Cellar film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring N/A directed by Blooming Cellar. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Lennington Evening-Blooming Cellar Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: May 31, 2026 Directed by: Blooming Cellar Written by: Blooming Cellar Starring: N/A The writer of this review recently had the privilege of reviewing a music video by British band Blooming Cellar, which was titled Tuesday and was a pleasant viewing. This one is even better. Like the Tuesday video, Lennington Evening consists of black-and-white animation accompanied by a song. Let's begin with the visuals. Viewing this music video feels almost like experiencing a slide show or reading a comic book. From start to finish a series of cartoon-style drawings are shown one after the other and they more or less tell a story about being a writer. What is seen in the drawings then? Well, first, there is a main character, a young writer and he is shown working hard on his typewriter, papers everywhere and he seems to be struggling with alcohol. Evidently, he meets a nice, young woman. The setting? Judging from the buildings, this seems to be New York City. Maybe the nineteen-fifties. Tall buildings. Airplanes. Civilisation. Reality appears to blend with imagination as flowers (gigantic flowers) emerge from the roads and take over buildings and countless of typewriter papers turn into paper planes, flying over nature and through space. There is brief animation that includes colours, which consists of images that resemble nineteen-fifties postcards. And now the audio, or should we say ''the song'', which was written in 1996, in London. Superb vocals, dynamic guitars and tense drums create a sort of rock song that is a joy to listen to. The melodies and words generate emotions concerning nostalgia, hardship and romance. So what is this about then? What messages are communicated here? As mentioned above (and as the drawings demonstrate) this is a project about being a writer, the struggles of being a writer, dealing with alcohol addiction and finding a partner. Moreover, the enormous flowers breaking through the ground and covering buildings might represent nature taking over civilisation, nature reclaiming its territory. Viewers can appreciate this four-minute-long music video via a number of ways, be it the impressive animation, the enjoyable song or the themes. Or, maybe all these together, why not? Overall, this short takes people on a dramatic, romantic and fantastical journey. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film, Music Video, Animation < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Gunslingers film review by UK film critic Patrick Foley. Starring Eric Jewett, Lucas Slope directed by Jacob Thompson. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Gunslingers Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Patrick Foley | Posted on: May 14, 2024 Directed by: Jacob Thompson Written by: Tim Chamberlain Starring: Eric Jewett, Lucas Slope What does the retirement plan for an old outlaw look like? There’s so many of them littered throughout fiction, one must question; does the remote ranch come as part of the package? Have mortgage companies agreed to just not run background checks on these guys? And most importantly, do they get a heads up that a young, ambitious upstart is inevitably going to hunt them down to prove point? Jacob Thompson’s Gunslingers looks at the latter, in a fun if frivolous short. In the mountainous wild, young outlaw Danny (Lucas Swope) has finally hunted down his target – the retired old gunslinger Henry McCarty (Eric Jewett). Danny is there to take out McCarty in a duel, to build his own notoriety, but the older man is unfazed. He invites Danny into his ranch to try and talk him down, but ambition and glory prove a deadly combination – leading to a moment of truth for the two of them. Gunslingers is a cliché-filled yet endearing short film, which impressively outperforms a budget that is on the lower end of the scale to result in a tightly-wrapped little old-west legend. Anchored by classic features of the Western, the film never threatens an original thought. But it caringly arranges them to populate its world with two engaging characters and ever-building (if predictable) tension. It also welcomingly takes itself seriously throughout, feeling no desire nor pressure to apologise for its embrace of the Western’s greatest hits. The film is a visual treat, wonderfully realising the vast mountain ranges that themselves are a staple of American cinema. The peaks protectively and ominously overshadow the McCarty ranch, the home and the hills intertwined in a comfortable embrace, which makes Danny’s arrival all the more discomforting. Tension starts to build within the home itself, director Jacob Thompson drawing the viewer closer and closer to the two men and using the normally reassuring staging of the family dinner table to harden their divide. Eric Jewett is a stone wall as Henry McCarty, echoing the classic stoic John Wayne/Clint Eastwod types that so prominently dominate the genre. He is a man at comfort with his past – aware of the carnage he has wrought but seemingly un-haunted by it. Yet a deeper interpretation of the character is inviting itself to the audience, particularly when it becomes clear that McCarty may have had a very different name at some point. Lucas Swope swaggers and sways as the cocky, ambitious Danny – whose frequent ticks and deep drawl present an unnerving temperament. Danny’s journey is of his own making – an interesting twist on the genre that adds a layer of intrigue. Ultimately, Gunslingers is a relatively straightforward Western short that extracts elements of its many inspirations and relies on the comfort of its genre. It doesn’t push any boundaries, but is entertaining enough to demonstrate why they lay where they are. It sits on the homestead rather than venturing on the frontier, but much like Henry McCarty, it shows there is still plenty of life left in the familiar. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Patrick Foley Digital / DVD Release, Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Adapted from JoJo Moyes’ best-selling novel THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER is a passionate, dual-narrative love story set in the French Riviera and London during the 1960s and present day.. Brand new film trailers. The Last Letter From Your Lover Trailer The Last Letter From Your Lover UK Trailer Released Adapted from JoJo Moyes’ best-selling novel THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER is a passionate, dual-narrative love story set in the French Riviera and London during the 1960s and present day. Directed by Augustine Frizzell (EUPHORIA; NEVER GOIN' BACK ) THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER stars Felicity Jones (THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, ROGUE ONE, ON THE BASIS OF SEX) , Callum Turner (WAR & PEACE, FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD, THE CAPTUR E), Joe Alwyn (THE FAVOURITE, BOY ERASED, MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS), Nabhaan Rizwan (INFORMER, 1917) and Shailene Woodley (THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, ADRIFT, BIG LITTLE LIES) . THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER ONLY IN CINEMAS AUGUST 6 Paper Tiger The Paper Tiger trailer suggests a searing, deeply moving examination of ambition, guilt, and the toxic pursuit of the American Dream. Ink The newly dropped trailer for Ink confirms those expectations, delivering a relentless, kinetic glimpse into Fleet Street's most disruptive era. The Social Reckoning Seeing the first teaser trailer drop for its spiritual companion piece, The Social Reckoning, sent an absolute chill down my spine. Focker-in-Law If the film can sustain the frantic, competitive energy displayed in this preview, Focker-In-Law might just be the rarest of cinematic beasts: a comedy sequel that actually manages to justify its own existence. We are officially on high alert. Heart of the Beast Heart of the Beast looks like a gripping, tear-jerking cinematic triumph that will resonate with action fans and animal lovers alike. We will definitely be front and centre with our popcorn when this one hits the big screen! Klara and the Sun Klara and the Sun looks like a heart-wrenching, beautifully acted triumph that will linger in the mind long after the curtains close. Power Ballad What has us incredibly excited about Power Ballad is the dynamic friction between its two leads. Paul Rudd seems perfectly cast as the rugged, everyday musician who just wanted a shot at the big time, acknowledging with a heavy heart that having his name on a song of that magnitude would have completely changed his life. The Debut UK Film Review hasn't yet seen the final curtain rise on this one, but if the film matches the sheer dramatic potency of its trailer, The Debut is set to be a staggering, must-see cinematic triumph. One Night Only One Night Only looks to be a sharp, subversively funny, and emotionally resonant look at how we connect when time is running out. It takes a wild, satirical premise and uses it to explore a timeless question: Who would you choose if you only had one night? Supergirl As we look toward the 2026 release, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow stands as a testament to the new direction of DC Studios. Masters of the Universe With the arrival of the first trailer for the 2026 reboot of Masters of the Universe, the cinematic landscape prepares for a collision of sword, sorcery, and surprisingly, suburban Earth. Wild Foxes Dune: Part Three Picking up roughly seventeen years after the seismic events of Part Two, the trailer immediately signals a shift in tone. While the first film was an act of world-building and the second a visceral war epic, Dune: Part Three—an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah—looks to be a far more claustrophobic and tense affair. In The Grey Scary Movie 6 The horror-comedy world is officially being turned upside down as the first trailer for Scary Movie 6 has finally arrived, marking a monumental return for the franchise that defined a generation of parody cinema. Empire of Lies Empire of Lies arrives in UK cinemas and on digital platforms on 27th March. Undertone Undertone is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on Friday, March 13th, 2025. If the trailer is anything to go by, we suggest you keep the lights on and perhaps think twice before pressing play on your next favourite podcast. The Moment The Land of Sometimes Twins Alfie and Elise find a magical Wish Watch on Christmas Eve and are swept by the Wish Collector into the musical Land of Sometimes, where they learn that wishes have consequences. Avengers: Doomsday Fans are elated at the release of the first teaser trailer for Avengers: Doomsday. Set for a theatrical release on 18th December 2026, find out more here.