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Sam Quarton writes movie reviews for UK Film Critic. As one of the talented UK film critics, find out more here. Sam Quarton Writer for UK Film Review Follow On Twitter Read My Film Reviews

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 Mother Mary Ultimately, the Mother Mary trailer establishes a compelling promise: a film that uses the theatricality of the music industry to explore something primal about identity and obsession. Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come In the trailer for Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come establishes a new, thrilling chapter. It’s a sequel that dares to go bigger, transforming a single family’s twisted tradition into a full-scale, world-controlling bloodsport. Shelter People We Meet On Vacation People We Meet On Vacation looks set to be a thoroughly British affair in its tone and appeal—a charming, heartfelt escape, promising both belly laughs and a good cry. Doctor Plague Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery This first glimpse of Wake Up Dead Man isn’t just a trailer; it’s a brilliant statement of intent. The film looks primed to be a festive treat for audiences looking for a compelling, cleverly constructed mystery. Michael Michael is set to arrive in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on the 24th of April 2026, and based on this compelling first look, the world will indeed be waiting. The Carpenter's Son We anticipate that The Carpenter's Son will be less of a retelling and more of a deeply disquieting examination of power, temptation, and the human cost of being chosen. It arrives on 21st November. Eternity Eternity looks set to be a sophisticated, imaginative film that avoids the usual genre clichés by grounding its absurd plot in stellar performances. Kontinental '25 The promotional material and critical buzz surrounding Kontinental ’25 confirm that the winner of the Silver Berlin Bear for Best Screenplay is not only back, but operating at a fever pitch of urgency and daring. Anniversary Kenny Dalglish It's rare for a documentary trailer to stir the soul quite as effectively as the first look at Kenny Dalglish, the upcoming feature focusing on the life and legacy of one of British football's most revered and complex figures. Is This Thing On? Searchlight Pictures has premiered the teaser trailer for Is This Thing On?, and it suggests we are in for a sharp, melancholic comedy that mines the humour and heartbreak of mid-life crisis through the lens of stand-up. Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere The first official trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, the biopic chronicling the turbulent creation of the 1982 masterpiece Nebraska, has landed. The Bride The latest tease for The Bride, the highly anticipated 2026 offering from Maggie Gyllenhaal, has dropped, and if this brief glimpse is anything to go by, British cinema-goers should prepare themselves for a truly spectacular and unsettling cinematic experience. A Tooth Fairy Tale Overall, the trailer for A Tooth Fairy Tale delivers exactly what it needs to: a clear premise, an exciting quest, and the promise of high-quality vocal performances. Delivery Run From the first stark frames of the trailer for Delivery Run, it is immediately clear that this is a thriller operating under pressure. In Your Dreams "In Your Dreams," a new animated comedy set to enchant audiences. This delightful film, co-directed by Alex Woo and Erik Benson, promises a fantastical journey into the boundless landscape of dreams, arriving on November 14, 2025. A House of Dynamite A House of Dynamite, a gripping new thriller that plunges audiences into a high-stakes global crisis. The trailer for Bigelow's latest offering paints a chilling picture of a world on the brink, arriving in select UK cinemas on October 3rd The Man in My Basement With an intense psychological trailer that leaves you with more questions than answers, Andscape’s new film The Man in My Basement is poised to be a must-watch for UK and Ireland audiences, arriving on Disney+ on Friday, 26th September.

Watch Finding Wilson at the 2022 UK Film Review Festival. See the UKFRF 2022 lineup and buy your festival pass. Finding Wilson Listen to our review on the film podcast What our film review said: READ FULL REVIEW This short is a powerful drama that explores emotional trauma, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder, war trauma and bullying, including online bullying. It effectively presents two individuals who are suffering due to distressing experiences. The narrative focuses mainly on the encounter between Jess and Nicky and it includes flashbacks of Jess being bullied and Nicky engaging the enemy during combat. Proudly supporting MediCinema for our 2022 film festival.

In the Ghostbusters: Afterlife Official Trailer 2, we also get a glimpse of a fan favourite - but in mini-form - the Stay-Puft Marshmallow! If this doesn't get film fans onboard for another outing of Ghostbusters, we don't know what will.. Brand new film trailers. Ghostbusters Afterlife Official Trailer Ghostbusters: Afterlife Official Trailer 2! Directed by Jason Reitman, this reboot of the classic Ghostbusters franchise stars Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace and Carrie Coon, as well as a smorgasbord of other terrific acting talents. In the Ghostbusters: Afterlife Official Trailer 2, we also get a glimpse of a fan favourite - but in mini-form - the Stay-Puft Marshmallow! If this doesn't get film fans onboard for another outing of Ghostbusters, we don't know what will. Following in the semi-recent boot steps of 2016's female-led Ghostbusters , which starred Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy, Ghostbusters: Afterlife has already been on the receiving end of a wave of criticism from die-hard fans, who want the original series left alone. If this Ghostbusters: Afterlife official trailer is anything to go by, though, this could be a fantastic addition to a well-loved movie collection. Mother Mary Ultimately, the Mother Mary trailer establishes a compelling promise: a film that uses the theatricality of the music industry to explore something primal about identity and obsession. Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come In the trailer for Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come establishes a new, thrilling chapter. It’s a sequel that dares to go bigger, transforming a single family’s twisted tradition into a full-scale, world-controlling bloodsport. Shelter People We Meet On Vacation People We Meet On Vacation looks set to be a thoroughly British affair in its tone and appeal—a charming, heartfelt escape, promising both belly laughs and a good cry. Doctor Plague Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery This first glimpse of Wake Up Dead Man isn’t just a trailer; it’s a brilliant statement of intent. The film looks primed to be a festive treat for audiences looking for a compelling, cleverly constructed mystery. Michael Michael is set to arrive in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on the 24th of April 2026, and based on this compelling first look, the world will indeed be waiting. The Carpenter's Son We anticipate that The Carpenter's Son will be less of a retelling and more of a deeply disquieting examination of power, temptation, and the human cost of being chosen. It arrives on 21st November. Eternity Eternity looks set to be a sophisticated, imaginative film that avoids the usual genre clichés by grounding its absurd plot in stellar performances. Kontinental '25 The promotional material and critical buzz surrounding Kontinental ’25 confirm that the winner of the Silver Berlin Bear for Best Screenplay is not only back, but operating at a fever pitch of urgency and daring. Anniversary Kenny Dalglish It's rare for a documentary trailer to stir the soul quite as effectively as the first look at Kenny Dalglish, the upcoming feature focusing on the life and legacy of one of British football's most revered and complex figures. Is This Thing On? Searchlight Pictures has premiered the teaser trailer for Is This Thing On?, and it suggests we are in for a sharp, melancholic comedy that mines the humour and heartbreak of mid-life crisis through the lens of stand-up. Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere The first official trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, the biopic chronicling the turbulent creation of the 1982 masterpiece Nebraska, has landed. The Bride The latest tease for The Bride, the highly anticipated 2026 offering from Maggie Gyllenhaal, has dropped, and if this brief glimpse is anything to go by, British cinema-goers should prepare themselves for a truly spectacular and unsettling cinematic experience. A Tooth Fairy Tale Overall, the trailer for A Tooth Fairy Tale delivers exactly what it needs to: a clear premise, an exciting quest, and the promise of high-quality vocal performances. Delivery Run From the first stark frames of the trailer for Delivery Run, it is immediately clear that this is a thriller operating under pressure. In Your Dreams "In Your Dreams," a new animated comedy set to enchant audiences. This delightful film, co-directed by Alex Woo and Erik Benson, promises a fantastical journey into the boundless landscape of dreams, arriving on November 14, 2025. A House of Dynamite A House of Dynamite, a gripping new thriller that plunges audiences into a high-stakes global crisis. The trailer for Bigelow's latest offering paints a chilling picture of a world on the brink, arriving in select UK cinemas on October 3rd The Man in My Basement With an intense psychological trailer that leaves you with more questions than answers, Andscape’s new film The Man in My Basement is poised to be a must-watch for UK and Ireland audiences, arriving on Disney+ on Friday, 26th September.

Read the film podcast transcript from the episode titled UK Film Club 010 - Dream Scenario - Miracle Club - Earth Mama - Paw Patrol on UK Film Club part of the UK Film Review Podcast. < Back UK Film Club 010 - Dream Scenario - Miracle Club - Earth Mama - Paw Patrol Listen to This Episode UK Film Club 00:00.00 ukfilmreview And make you famous. Make sure you tell all head office that you're on the UK film of your podcast. You know. 00:00.00 Brian Penn Yeah I know it's got. It's good. It's got potential wasn't it. We got we got to look at every possibility aren't we Chris really to spread the word. You know. 00:11.17 ukfilmreview Yeah, we could find out what his ah favorite Christmas film is maybe and you know get that in there. 00:16.43 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, that's true. That's true Tis the time of time of year isn't it really such a tradition is that we start talking about our favorite Christmas films I mean I notice we've got a smattering of Christmas movies to review tonight haven't we say. 00:33.49 ukfilmreview Yeah I mean some of that was ah purposeful by me and some of that was just ah chance there was a filmmaker who submitted ah a Christmas film which we'll get to um, but yeah, no, this episode is is a mix and it's got. 00:42.43 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 00:50.25 ukfilmreview s got everything really you know, not only that we've got a film that I've seen at the Cinema So this is huge news. You've you've also seen something pre-release because you got you into a screening. So I think the listeners are going to be in for a real treat. 00:52.46 Brian Penn Are yeah ah no yeah, yeah, that's right? yeah. 01:06.68 Brian Penn That we're gonna we're spoiling and not me really with all this this truly ecletic. Next. 01:09.80 ukfilmreview Um, two. And also I have a stinking cold which if you can't tell from my voice. That's what's going on. But so I'm not giving it to them by doing this as a podcast rather than going up to them in the street like I like to do and tell them my opinions on Films. So. 01:17.46 Brian Penn Um, yeah, ah. 01:22.28 Brian Penn Um, that's yeah yeah I I mean I just got over a rather back hole myself. So you know I I do understand there's a lot of it about that's what we normally we say don't we under under these circumstances. There's a lot of it about and that well no. 01:33.26 ukfilmreview Yeah, there's a lot of it about yeah and not always about cold. So yeah, that's the her exactly all yours and. 01:41.90 Brian Penn Don't get cold. Don't get too close to your microphone Chris that's when I say oh my? Yeah exactly? yeah. 01:47.96 ukfilmreview If this is your first time to UKFilm club you're probably wondering what the heck is going on one of these 2 guys blaing about um, there's going to be a lot of that and if this is your first time. Welcome u k film club is a place where we review all films any type of film including as we've mentioned Christmas films. 01:52.93 Brian Penn And I ah. 02:07.89 ukfilmreview Um, but that is largely just this time of year. We're also going to be reviewing a bunch of cinema films which Brian has seen we're going to be on one I've seen we're going to be reviewing a streaming pick something that's on Netflix then we're going to head into a bunch of indie short films that we get submitted to the website. And we're going to review about 5 of those and finishing up with the nostalgia pick which is a film from the past and this episodes nostalgia pick is a Christmas classic. Um, but I won't say exactly what of it is. 02:34.30 Brian Penn E. 02:44.99 ukfilmreview But you could probably just read the description of the episode if you're really that yeah desperate to know? Um, but anyway, ah yeah, there's lots to get through. Um, and as I said I've seen something in the somo going to save that because is a pretty special film. So why don't we kick off Brian with. 02:48.14 Brian Penn A yeah. 02:57.17 Brian Penn That the a. 03:04.38 ukfilmreview The new Ah Nicholas Cage Film Dream scenario. 03:06.29 Brian Penn Oh right? Okay, yeah let's start off with that one so written and directed by Christopher Borgley is stars Nicholas cage as you just mentioned and Julian Nicholson Paul Matthews is a quiet mild mannered university professor. Bres through life without much incident. This apparent calm is disturbed when he also relates a dream that she swepts away and her father does nothing to stop it. Paul is still be troubled by the dream. Why would he just stand by and watch his daughter in mortal danger. Even in the concepts of the dream. It runs country to the natural inclination to protect his children. This is the list of his problems as he also creeps into the dreams of his students. What is initially seen as a joke becomes more sinister as a dream so increasingly explicit and violent Paul's life and personal relationships are affected. As the dreams mysteriously spread across the nation Nicholas cage thoroughly buries his existing persona in favor of a Bordin gray bearded academic. This makes the character even more refreshing because it seems so different from his previous work christopher borgby. Has crafted a character that outwardly couldn't be less threatening if he tried and would be the last man with a starring role in someone's nightmare. This is a weakness in it. There is a weakness in the narrative that doesn't move very far and fails to properly explain why it's happening. But then again, maybe that's exactly the point. 04:37.55 Brian Penn The unexplained subconscious creating a dream scenario that makes no real sense. All good fun as long as the audience doesn't get too logical. 04:46.56 ukfilmreview So as like that last bit is like true about every film right? there Don don't pull it apart too much. 04:53.29 Brian Penn Work. Yeah, and ic we are critics like Chris aren't we um and that natural inclination is to sort of ask why I mean look you could be as outrageous an outlandish as you like with any plot as long as you keep some grip on reality. Something quite fascinating about dreams because they are symbolic. They do mean something or we turn ourselves on means something but this is taking it a stage further and if you question the the plot too much it loses its power to us to a certain extent but all very good fun like and. Pretty much in the horizon and not comedy as it's being bashed by some reviewers. 05:27.32 ukfilmreview Ah. 05:32.87 ukfilmreview Yeah, because when I looked it up I thought it's a interesting mix of genres obviously comedy horrors are always a bit kind of ah risky I would say and to stick Nicholas Cage in who has these is. 05:38.33 Brian Penn Yeah. 05:47.77 ukfilmreview But a toe in both camps. But I would say probably more in the comedy side of things than the than the horror. Um to then see I like you say the type of character the physical appearance of this character was like so far removed from what you expect from cage. Is it kind of like ah is it darker. 05:50.14 Brian Penn Um, yeah I think so yeah. 05:58.86 Brian Penn That Yeah, like. 06:07.57 ukfilmreview Is it is it a darker film than comedy or is it more light. Ok. 06:09.30 Brian Penn Now I think it is very dark I won could I wont put a comedy at all I mean I didn't I mean maybe it was the mood I was in the I sort of film but I didn't find anything remotely funnier Ben said right? Some people might find an element of humor that but it is very dark. It is. The horizonre it sits very well there because it's dealing with with some very challenging themes that we can't necessarily explain and you know it ties in with horror supernatural. You know that type of bag. It's definitely It's definitely in that territory. But I think it's all the stronger for it though and that's where it rightfully belongs. But I I imagine that it won't work for a lot of a lot of people because perhaps they do expect cage to make light of it because because he is ah a very good comedy outs. He can play straight but he can play comedy really well. But. He plays it straight here and his appearance as to say his appearance looks totally different. You would barely recognize it. It looks like he's put on weight as well for the palm not Sony has but it just looks like that. So. It's completely out of carrots if you if you compare it to sort of lackey's biggest films. Like I don't know the rock. For example, um, it's I mean the carist could be more different but that might be what appeals to him is that it is very differently something. He hasn't really done before. 07:24.60 ukfilmreview There. 07:34.87 ukfilmreview Well, especially you in recent years we've had a lot of nit cage films even a film about him right? The massive a kind of unbearable weight of massive talent something something like that. Um, that actually was very good I enjoyed that film. But. 07:43.55 Brian Penn Yeah, the bit. Ah, it's yeah, that's the one? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's good fun. Yeah. 07:52.27 ukfilmreview You know, even to be picking fun at himself. You know he's become kind of pasti. She's become this character that is almost just iconic upon itself that for him to step into a role like this. It's It's true of a yeah, a great actor. It's a sign of a great actor that they're able to do that. They're able to even be. 07:57.84 Brian Penn Um, yeah, yeah. 08:10.82 ukfilmreview What on 1 hand like the butt of the joke and then on the other hand doing a what sound sounds like more of a horror slash comedy and really changing the physical appearance to just throw himself into it I think that's great I really do like Nicholas cage I think he's got a great filmography. Um. 08:16.16 Brian Penn Um, yeah, yeah. 08:23.19 Brian Penn Um, yeah, yeah, yeah I I think he's a good answer I think he's underraced in some ways you know he's always made films that are popular that make a certain amount of money in the box office. But I think he he. And don't think he's been fully accepted as someone who can ask who can handle different genres different characters and this proves that even more that he's very versatile and he can do it. So yeah, a good film, a good sort of film again may not work for everyone. But. Challenging and it's worth seeing. Yeah, that was from that was very good that great Seway you know. 08:59.28 ukfilmreview Okay, yeah, so that's dream scenario and I'm currently in theaters. So if you can catch it. Do catch it. That's what we say but don't catch our cold. Whatever you whatever you do. You know what? and that that came to me with a head full of cold. So no 100% not I don't rehearse anything off the co. Um, so yeah, checks notes. Yes, that's what I say next? um, well from 1 incredible actor to some more. 09:18.20 Brian Penn Oh you haven't rehearsed that thing very cool and I saw one sign is off the calf. Yeah course it course it is yeah ah ah. 09:34.57 ukfilmreview We're going to go to the Miracle Club now. Um, and this this is a hell of a lineup. 09:36.54 Brian Penn Ah, right? Okay, yeah, it is yeah very much so directed by thados o Sullivan starring Maggie Smith Kathy Bates Laura Linney and Stephen Ryan we go back to Dublin in the 1960 s locals are increasingly agitated by a talent composition offering a trip to the holy shrine at lords now. Everyone's looking for a miracle as lil and iileen join an unlikely goal group in the composition. They both win tickets and make plans for their pilgrimage but they face a part. Well. Ah, face from the past deraled the preparations Chrissy was best friends with eile but suddenly left sound following a tragic incident Leo was the mother up of Chrissy's fulov and also has many axes to grind can a trip to Lord's hilllar rift that's festered for 40 years there are caricatures in thelyration dubious accents to match Laura Liny gets away with it playing a character that that's lived in America for 40 years Maggie Smith and Kathy Bates give the accent a fair run for its money like the truth espians they are but the accents remain an ongoing weakness throughout the film. Stephenn Ray lends strong support as ere's husband Frank but it's quickly relegated to a hymn indoors role when the goal leave for lords for all, its obviously effects the miracle club keeps away from the 2 star territory. Thanks primarily to an outstanding caste. The story carries a much stronger message than it might initially suggest. 11:05.66 Brian Penn Deals with faith in superstition in the most practical way and that's refreshing to see on the big screen. But if there was ever a film that was saved by the cast is this film frankly but again, very nice, very watchable. It's some good performances. The accents are a bit variable. You know they do hover between Belfast and Dublin via Birmingham but you know I'm prepared to forgive them that um, a good watch a good watch. Really. 11:29.17 ukfilmreview Ah, perfect. 11:34.57 ukfilmreview It's funny isn it how that can really affected an enjoyment of a film because often it's like why like why would you cast I mean I get I get it here because these are absolute Titans of film. But even so it's like you're gonna. 11:42.30 Brian Penn A here? Yeah Smith. 11:51.53 ukfilmreview Yes, have great actors but you're going to lose that sense of authenticity by not casting someone that is yeah from the place and I yeah I just feel that that's such an important part because it does really dry I come we were watching something recently my wife we got like halfway through it. She just said I can't actually carry on. 11:52.95 Brian Penn He yeah. 12:04.56 Brian Penn There. 12:11.41 ukfilmreview Because of this person's accent and that's how bad the film is I can't actually even what the film was but it was someone putting on an American accent and they were clearly British and it just kept coming through. But anyway so the Miracle Club we're saying kind of what midlink kind of film. It's not. 12:12.71 Brian Penn Um, and I be there? Yeah yeah. 12:25.88 Brian Penn Yeah, it yeah, it's it's a threestar film I mean I mentioned twostar territory because it's something as simple as that in my own mind where it could lose a star and it becomes a 2 wo-star film but because it. 12:28.53 ukfilmreview Up there. But it's worth a worth a punt. 12:46.90 Brian Penn I Think right for the big spring. 12:57.55 Brian Penn Ah case. So with the miracle club then that my my feeling was that it was ah a 3 star film that won an extra star in my own mind because of the performances of the as involved we will. We've already mentioned the ah variable accents which is often an issue for a film like this. And we know it doesn't have the authenticity. It might have had with irishborn answers but star quality wins through the cast they have got helps us sell the film in America which is always an important consideration. So for that. It gets an extra star but you get to see some very good answers. Breathing life into what would otherwise have been a very rusing story about superstition about faith but they do it very well and they were fortunate to have a caste that was so capable and that will carry a film and it's the trip. It's It's the true indication though of good actors who can make it work. Yeah. 13:54.74 ukfilmreview Yeah, and I think audiences will know what they're getting if they go to the cinema for a film with this type of cast that's not winning any kind of massive favor with the critics I think they'll sort of know where it sits but it is in cinemas right now. Um, so if you're listening to this on release and. 13:58.13 Brian Penn With him waiting. Me Not yeah. 14:12.90 ukfilmreview Yeah, it's called the miracle club let' us know what you think if you see it um and see if you agree with Brian's 3 star rating um heading hopefully now to something slightly stronger and better. Um, Brian was very fortunate to go to a prescreening of earth mama over Toba. 14:13.80 Brian Penn Um, yeah, yeah. 14:21.24 Brian Penn Is a. 14:29.64 Brian Penn That's right I was okay then so written and directed by savannah leaf starring Ti Noel and Erriica Alexander Jia is a mother of 2 children in care with another on the way she is a recovering addict and enrolled on every recovery program humanly possible. 14:35.72 ukfilmreview Are. 14:47.43 Brian Penn Every positive step brings her closer to getting her children back gea dreams of the day she can stand up in court and prove her fitness as a mother a social work in this car and becomes a friend and honest broker could adoption be the solution to gea's Problems Earth Mammamo pulls. Absolutely no punches in a bleak. But sadly realistic snapshot of Urban Life. It's a story that's been told many science before but some hit the spot better than others. There is a detached almost visceral quality that really stands out as a character jeer will ask for no favors nor will she complain about how she got here to her raking over the past is a waste of energy. The present has plenty to keep her busy. She's simply Asking. What do I do now as a viewer it easy to buy into Ge's predicament as she battles to do the right thing. There is a natural glowve of simplicity that doesn't feel staged or constructed. It's hugely reminiscent of flying the wall documentary. The characters are facing problems that are universally Understood. We see real people living in real lives which gives the story an undeniable impacts any it directs you can project this level of realism onto the big screen has achieved the rare feeds. It was good. It was good. It. 16:01.54 ukfilmreview I Mean it's as good as say as ah, a very strong review and I know that you like to film after you'd been, but it's really powerful to hearing how you're describing the film as well because it's clearly you know, deep and meaningful and there's a lot there. Um yeah I think. 16:04.27 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 16:15.86 Brian Penn Are um, yeah. 16:18.92 Brian Penn Yeah. 16:19.80 ukfilmreview It sounds fabulous. Um, is it the sort of film people should see at the Cinema is it that kind of immersive experience that you're going to want. 16:25.78 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, I feel they should you know I mean this type of story people may think it belongs on the small screen. It's a kitchen sink Drama or you could call it that but this is ah the way it's made the way it's short. It's designed for the big screen and it's not a comfortable watch. But. 16:43.12 Brian Penn Therein lies. The real power is that it's it's shown you a side of life that isn't pleasant to think about, but it happens it happens across the world. You know you've got a young girl. We're still growing up but also tries to be a mother as well with and she has all these other issues in the life to deal with. So it's ah it's ah, an excellent portrayal of a tough life of somebody living a very soft life at a very young age and it works really well. This film goes on general release on the eighth of December and I hope people do go go and see it but it might not necessarily sit very well with. Ah, the Christmas crowd and the other films that are on release at the moment but it deserves to it deserves to a go on the big screen and people should give it a chance but it's very good. The fact that i. I was able to talk so much about it and speak so much about it. Gives you an idea of the effects it had on me and. 17:40.93 ukfilmreview Yeah, and I think yeah, it's a kind of film that often when you go see something like at the cinema you get surprised by how affecting it is whereas something I don't like the the last one we just reviewed it could be like yeah you know what to expect? you know how that's going to go. Whereas with this I think it's doing something different. It feels like it's yeah more of a unique story and also I believe it's the filmmaker's first feature length Savannah Leaf I think it's her first featurelink film I'm just done some shorts I think beforehand quite a few shorts to be fair music videos but still. I think it's really powerful to support like a filmmaker's first directorial for a feature because you then get to experience you. This is how they'll handle. It. The first time. Yeah, obviously yes, they might not be want to be the perfect film but to have come away with such good reviews already just shows that she. Yeah, must be a pretty promising director. Um, yeah, let me just pause it. There. Okay, well next up is a film I saw at cinema largely because. And wanted to take my daughter. She's 5 and it's the first time she's been to the cinema. So yeah I took courtesy earth Mama as well. No I didn't really I took it to see I still get to see paul patrol the mighty movie which. 18:55.39 Brian Penn Oh. 19:05.65 Brian Penn Um I had. 19:11.71 ukfilmreview We are big fans in this household we've seen lots of poor patrol of the the other movies and the ah the series and yeah, this was the sort of perfect time for me to bring my daughter to the cinema because I knew it's something that she would sit through because it's hour and a half. It's not like a short film and yeah I was. 19:25.41 Brian Penn A. 19:30.80 ukfilmreview Thoroughly impressed by my daughter's resolve to sit there and watch it. She was perfect in the cinema you'd be very proud Brian knows no no shouting no throwing anything she didn't even get up from her seat to go to the toilet which is to be honest unheard of for that length of time. So I am yeah. 19:37.48 Brian Penn Brilliant, Fantastic. Well yeah, you got a very well trying done. Yeah, you've obviously got a very old trying. 19:50.20 ukfilmreview Sure I I did strap her in but and I this is um for anyone that is ah, not aware of poor patrol. It's um, a group of dogs who solve crime or crime crime save they sort of have different abilities and a different skill set and they have their leader called rer who is a human. And basically they normally operate in Adventure Bay going around and it started as a sort of simple tv show and they're doing simple things. It has now escalated up to the point where we're getting these big blockbuster animated movies that are more akin probably to something along the Marvel sort of franchise. Really. Um, and also relying heavily on merchandise hence why I am now incredibly poor. Not to mention going to the cinema these days my goodness that was expensive. Um, but that just shows you how infrequently I go? Um, but yeah in in this. 20:37.82 Brian Penn A. 20:48.90 ukfilmreview Movie The Pul Patrol Pus get superpowers. Um, which actually happened in the show. So I'm not sure where the crossover here happened and yeah, it's got a big um, big cast depending on where you see it because or how you see it because this is kind of more of ah, an in thing. But. 20:56.74 Brian Penn Are. 21:06.45 ukfilmreview With poor patrol if you watch it on say Netflix you get the american cast voices. But if you watch it on say like 1 of the british cu channels or something or channel 5 You get the english voice cast. So when I saw it at the cinema it was with the british voice cast which was quite. 21:12.70 Brian Penn Um. 21:22.70 Brian Penn Um. 21:24.85 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah. 21:25.11 ukfilmreview Ah, jolting say theise because you're used to these voices being american and suddenly it British British cast so I'm not 100 % sure who's in the british version and I know who's kind of in the american version but that's not the one I saw so just a heads up for any parent that's planning on seeing the Paul Patol movie um yeah the the voices might differ slightly? Um, but it's good. It's good. Fun. It's very much fast pace. Lots of you know, structured ah sequences of action. You know you have there, you could you could plot this film exactly identically to the previous film. Um. 21:57.66 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm sure I'm sure. Yeah. 22:02.86 ukfilmreview But it's it's it's good. It's that they know what they're doing. They know how to make a few in jokes for the parents. Um, but largely they do rely on these characters which have been well sculpted. You know they spent a long time with these characters. Um, and they're just doing something a little bit bigger I think for the for all the fans out there. Um, yeah. 22:12.71 Brian Penn Yeah. 22:21.56 ukfilmreview I don't think this is good. There was a film that has come out before this current. What's called ah but the 1 is actually was slightly better. Um, but this one is is pretty good. It's worth your time. Your kids are gonna like it if they like pull patrol. Um, but yeah I wouldn't go it. It's not. In the same league as something like ah you know Spider Spidy verse yeah all that sort of stuff. Um, in terms of it being kind of more of a grown up animated film. This is still very much geared towards young children. Um, but it is good if you like Borderdol so it's in ah. 22:41.35 Brian Penn Like yeah. 22:47.40 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah. 22:57.20 ukfilmreview I mean I was lucky to see it because he's been in cinemas for a while since September it's one of those films that because it ticks the box for a family film of all ages I think they do very well and they get to just kind of stay there as long as bums on seats are coming in. You'll get a lot of repeat visits. Love. 22:57.95 Brian Penn Yeah. 23:03.68 Brian Penn A a. 23:12.18 Brian Penn Um, yeah, it is is so well it seems to me I mean I've only seen the odd trailer here and there and read up a bit on it but it does the job doesn't it I mean it's a perfect film for the family isn't it really that. 23:14.45 ukfilmreview Yeah, parents coming again and then sitting there through it all again. 23:29.51 Brian Penn It's sure you know your kids don't have to concentrate for too long. What is it ic 8 minutes it's put it's perfect's in that way and I mean I think it is it save you series as well. 23:34.90 ukfilmreview Ere. 23:39.17 ukfilmreview Yeah, so it's been a series for a long time. Um, quite a few seriess but they they started making kind of feature length episodes that were more about mono feature length but they were 40 minutes um so they were kind of like because ah, a standard episode is more like. 23:50.80 Brian Penn E. 23:57.49 ukfilmreview 10 or or 20 I think so yeah, they were doing these sort of longer episodes then they started graduating more towards the sort of our hour twenty Mark um, but what they did with the first film. The the bigger film it was they gave you the origin story of 1 of the characters and then with this. 23:59.93 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 24:10.10 Brian Penn Yeah, ah right. 24:14.71 ukfilmreview Film They've done it on a different character So I am wondering if that's kind of their plan is to just try to go through all the characters and say this is how they kind of came into the portraital but that's absolutely fine. More power to him um does really work. 24:21.66 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah, come ah well I think it's interesting though is that they used the british caste to voice the characters for the Uk and they've stuck with an american cast for. 24:37.56 Brian Penn The the North American version which yeah I think's an interesting approach isn't it really because that. 24:40.24 ukfilmreview Yeah, it it feels on it feels a bit unnecessary for Western audiences that are yeah from English majority speaking countries because I say we're all quite used to American voices and with us so with something like this the action the characters even just down to things like you. 24:58.47 Brian Penn Um, yeah, yeah, yeah. 25:00.22 ukfilmreview How they drive where they drive. Yeah, it is kind of American It feels American so to give it British accents in my opinion kind of is quite jolting. It was like this doesn't really fit. Um, but I think if if you've only ever watched it with the British voices I think you wouldn't notice. But for me I was like oh this is. 25:09.66 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah, they try to make it more accessible I guess aren't they really you know the the fact that they've given them that they're making them english or british it's a deliberate move to try and make it more accessible to Uk audiences. But I almost wonder whether that's even necessary really because. 25:17.85 ukfilmreview Weird. Yeah. 25:33.47 Brian Penn You know we become used to American accents on C film and cv for God those how long so it shouldn't really present that much of a barrier but it's interesting that they've done that but it's for. 25:42.21 ukfilmreview Maybe we should do that with this podcast. No that anyone in America listening we should get some american versions of us. You know they could be there is I mean after after you having a go at you know Maggie Smith's irish accent I'm not sure we should start trying on accents Brian. 25:46.81 Brian Penn yeah yeah I mean maybe we should try american accents. You know we might need a bit of coaching I mean we don't well and and maybe we aren't on shaky ground Chris there is one one small point I like to come back to with regard to earth mama. 26:03.91 ukfilmreview Ok, yeah, different. 26:06.15 Brian Penn Ah, you know we mean you know we've always mentioned with short films is that there's potential for it to become a future lengthng film right? Well with Earth Mammama that actually happened because it is actually based on a short film that Savannah luther directors are made. It's called the short version. It's called the heart still harms. 26:11.13 ukfilmreview Yeah. 26:22.71 ukfilmreview Okay. 26:24.80 Brian Penn And based on the success of that short feature. We got this film so I wanted to mention that because we've often spoken of that haven't we about short? yeah. 26:31.76 ukfilmreview Well that is fabulous. Yeah I mean it's actually really powerful to hear that because we get a lot of filmmakers and some of which will review today who've done short films and with the idea of making it a feature. So yeah, it's always really great seeing that actually happen. 26:38.39 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, so I wanted to mention that specifically because it kind of dos tell us with what we've always discussed about short films and the potential they want how to go on and become a series or a feature film. But earthbaler very good I can't recommend it enough out ah out on general release seaact for december. 27:02.65 ukfilmreview There you go and you know par patrol also started as a short Tv show and then became this mighty movie. So it all links really think big. 27:09.31 Brian Penn Um, yeah, you guys? Yeah think big think big. Yeah. 27:16.16 ukfilmreview Um, probably not the case with the next film. Um, we're moving on now to our streaming pick now this is a film from any streaming service which I decide on really largely. It's mostly been Netflix movies because they are very good at letting us know what's coming. 27:25.64 Brian Penn Boy. 27:32.20 ukfilmreview Um, kind of wish I hadn't picked this um but but yeah'll, we'll get into it. Um, it's a Christmas film and it's called best dot christmasdot ever exclamation mark so I'm already annoyed and it's ah it's yeah bent. 27:41.94 Brian Penn Yeah, ah yeah I yeah. 27:50.33 ukfilmreview And essentially a family ends up at the house of a semi old kind of um University friend. She's not old but their friendship is old. Um, but the the friend seems to have an amazing life going on. 27:59.18 Brian Penn Are. 28:08.45 ukfilmreview So our protagonist played by Heda Graham is largely jealous because of what she reads in their Christmas newsletter and that her child ends up taking care of the satnav and directs them to this amazing house where they get snowed in and have to ah spend Christmas with this. 28:14.00 Brian Penn A. 28:19.88 Brian Penn A I think there. 28:28.40 ukfilmreview Other family ah albeit whilst um, questioning their own family life Now if the word contrived ever could be a use for the plot of a film. It feels like it is this one? Um I There were so many points in this film where I was like. 28:35.47 Brian Penn Um, no yeah, really really. 28:47.77 ukfilmreview Yeah, but that's not how people would act. That's not anyway anyway, what do you think of best Christmas ever bride. 28:50.14 Brian Penn Ah, and I I I thought it was just about bearable if I'm being absolutely honest, it does stretch credibility as its a breaking point my my first big big quam with this film was the the premise that they. All got into a car. Um sort of the 2 kids and they set off apparently to spend Christmas with her sister right? and the kids secretly reprogramed the saturn knife. Ah so that they had end up going to Jennifer's house now. How on earth. 29:16.32 ukfilmreview Um, yeah. 29:25.67 Brian Penn Could they get to Jennifer's house and only just realize they're at the wrong house that that there are they're not at their sit. Her sister's House. They're at Jennifer's sounds how could they travel all that way and not think to themselves hang in a minute this isn't the the right way. We're not going to my sister's house. But they don't question it until they actually get there if you see I'm getting it am I am I being picked 2 pickage you think. 29:47.45 ukfilmreview I Thought well I don't want to try and explain it for them. But the only thing I think is I don't think they've been to her sister's house yet. So I think it is a new house and I I think I might be wrong. But I think there's that plus I think they do arrive kind of at night and I kind of. 29:56.24 Brian Penn Oh I Never knew. 30:04.78 ukfilmreview That bit I can kind of say do you know what? I'm gonna ah let you off that you didn't know the kid had done it and we are all kind of slaves to sat now for these days if you drive you you do kind of just follow it mindlessly. But I do think you I think one of them says oh we've been dry for an extra 4 hours 30:13.97 Brian Penn Um, yeah, well yeah, but yeah, this is what I'm getting at and that kind of rips the the heart out of the storyline a bit for me. 30:20.10 ukfilmreview That it should have taken and it's like well maybe you should have realized. 30:28.14 ukfilmreview That. 30:30.82 Brian Penn You know, but look so that's that right to start with now we I think we know more or less that Christmas movies are going to follow familiar lines aren't they, they're not going to deviate too far from what is accepted on what the formulas are for making a Christmas movie but it was. Ah, bit twey a bit corny but it just stayed on the right side of bearable for me. 30:56.41 ukfilmreview Yeah, for me, it felt like um Christmas vacation but nowhere near as good like it was like that. Yeah feeling of Christmas is the time to reflect on your family and often they kind of. 31:01.10 Brian Penn A. 31:10.42 Brian Penn Um, yeah. 31:11.67 ukfilmreview You feel oh my family's not very good and then you kind of go through Christmas and you realize your family is good and that's fine I don't mind these tropes and that they are there because it's comfy and warm. But with this it was flimsy and it was boring I must say I was watching I was getting bored. Um. 31:21.11 Brian Penn Um, yeah. 31:31.45 ukfilmreview Just felt like it was by the numbers. It felt like Netflix had said guys made a christmas film. You know, get a few people in it who know? yeah, the audiences are going to know rope it all together. You could write you could bash this out in a day you know in terms of the writing and it just felt like. 31:42.41 Brian Penn Yeah, but I it. 31:48.94 ukfilmreview There wasn't enough because with Christmas films. You either go down the line of you're going to do a kind of of satirical look. You know like Christmas vacation where it is kind of you're playing maybe on the scrooge thing but largely, you're going to do a ah look at a realistic. 31:51.55 Brian Penn And. And and. 32:07.65 ukfilmreview Jaunt or you're going to go down the route of pure fantasy. You know like the nostalgia pick. We've got this month but with this it was like they didn't think of anything kind of that clever to do the the more realistic route and then they threw in a little bit of like ah fantasy like. 32:09.90 Brian Penn A. 32:26.55 Brian Penn Um, yeah there. 32:26.70 ukfilmreview Out of no that really didn't work. Um, and it's kind of like yeah it felt very just thrown out there and they didn't even bother to come back and and rewrite it to make sense and to even make it interesting. Um, one thing that for me did. 32:40.76 Brian Penn Really yeah, one day. 32:46.70 ukfilmreview Save the film from being complete disaster was brandy norward um, she was good. She was very funny, very charismatic. Um, she felt like a character we wanted to spend more time with and obviously offset by Heather Graham's kind of nitpicking slash. Ah. 32:48.94 Brian Penn She was good. Yeah, very good. Yeah. 32:58.80 Brian Penn When. 33:06.70 ukfilmreview Cynical character who is questioning her choices in life. And yeah, all that stuff that was it was okay that was okay, but other than that it felt like something that was a small part of a totally different film. It was like they could have just had something else happen and it would have been absolutely fine. Um. 33:07.15 Brian Penn Um, yeah there. 33:18.77 Brian Penn Ah, yeah, yeah, no it yeah wasn't good I know I'd be very surprised if it was it. You know. 33:25.36 ukfilmreview Yeah I don't it won't end up on. Anyone's favorite Christmas film list. 33:32.96 Brian Penn You're write about Briy Norwood I think she was probably the star of the film in many ways but she had a more sympathetic character as well. Heather Graham's character was quite and wasn't particularly likekable. She didn't endea herself particularly did she by the way she behaved. You know she had all this festering resentment that Jennifer had everything. 33:37.56 ukfilmreview Tri yeah. 33:51.90 Brian Penn And she didn't when really she has a nice life but there's always somebody better off There's always somebody worse off so it didn't it didn't handle those basic Christmas messages particularly well and I think you're right I think I think it was you know. Ah, bit like oh we need. We need a new Christmas movie to promote and it had a decent budget by the look of it. But you know it it didn't really work that well but it was bearable. It was bearable just about. 34:20.76 ukfilmreview It was yeah I yeah think it was bearable and I think it's a sort of film that I don't know. Maybe if you've got a connection to someone in the film or whatever you might want to watch it but largely. It's it's pretty avoidable. Um, but that was best Christmas ever which. 34:29.42 Brian Penn A not not either gray. Yeah yeah, does yeah 9 34:38.58 ukfilmreview Again I still don't understand that title. But anyway I'll get in sidetrack now. Um, that was our streaming pick for the month but I do apologize because it's not 1 You should actually really seek out. Um, unless you do need to go to sleep. We are moving on now. 34:48.94 Brian Penn No oh oh oh. 34:54.41 ukfilmreview But actually we're not. We're not going too far. Actually we're staying in the Christmas vibe. Um, but this it's more. It's a Uk christmas film called Christmas time now this is an indie film that's been submitted to us for us to review. It's already been reviewed on our website and I can say up front that. 35:03.26 Brian Penn Are. 35:13.98 ukfilmreview Joe Beck who reviewed it did not like this film I enjoyed it ah much more than he did I must say um, but if you want to read Joe's review that's absolutely fine. Um now Christmas time John to go for the plot on this one Brian. 35:14.98 Brian Penn No no. 35:21.73 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah of course so pirates are by Dan Daniel Coler starring Neil Jones and Shelley Bentley this is really a spin on Christmas Carol. It's basically scrooge the central character Kevin Snowden a science teacher who hates Christmas he drags his family off skiing just to avoid the festive period only this time his wife has switched their booking to Lapland so they can enjoy a proper Christmas but this excursion takes an unexpected turn and forces Kevin to def front. Fraie Stephens I actually quite enjoyed this I think if you take it for what it is that it is an independent film with a small budget relying on a familiar Christmas theme I think it works really well and it's quite it's quite sweet it's quite endearing I enjoyed it. 36:14.38 ukfilmreview Yeah I enjoyed it. Um I think I went in with low expectation because I'd read Joe's review but I am also very aware that a lot of people don't like Christmas films in general. 36:17.68 Brian Penn Um, like so. 36:21.50 Brian Penn I. 36:26.90 Brian Penn Yeah. 36:28.90 ukfilmreview They don't they just as a genre like some people who just don't like horror films. So if someone is very anti christmas films I kind of get that a lot from their writing. Um I didn't know Joe didn't like Christmas films before I assigned him. But that's absolutely fine because I think you know Joe's a very good critic and he likes a lot of films. He just didn't like this one. And when I went in with that low expectation I was able to kind of appreciate what the film had done very well obviously you can pick up some bits which aren't fabulous. There's a few issues with the film. But what I did really enjoy was that yeah it was playing on the scrooge thing. It also. Similarly to what we just reviewed. It did have a Christmas vacation vibe because you've got this kind of character like his his obnoxious friends or or like neighbors web they're on the on the trip as well and causing him to get into situations that he doesn't really want to get into um and I I just found watching the. 37:13.24 Brian Penn Um, yeah, yeah, on some trip. Yeah. 37:23.33 ukfilmreview The dad's exasperation just really enjoyable I was just like he's he's clearly having like the worst tire of his life and I'm I'm here for it I was I was really enjoying it. Um I did feel you know that what 1 big issue with this film. 37:25.19 Brian Penn Yeah, and I there the. 37:40.63 ukfilmreview Is they go to Lapland right? This the part thing that they the the wife switches their plans to go to Lapland instead of where they normally go in Scotland and when they get to Lapland it looks nothing like Lapland it's clearly not Lapland. It's clearly just somewhere in the uk that they found because like all the staff. 37:42.47 Brian Penn Um. 37:45.38 Brian Penn And. 37:51.30 Brian Penn I know I was going to say that? Yeah yeah, yeah, like I know and I I. 38:00.54 ukfilmreview Sound like they're from the Uk all the vehicles have got like Uk license placed and I'm just hope I get you you we need to suspend disbelief. But maybe if you aren't planning on going to that location or at least being able to convince us that that's where you are then don't put it in the story because I felt they could have re. 38:06.98 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and I yeah that yeah I mean this is where I think a limitedive budget comes into flame where. 38:19.75 ukfilmreview Redone this film differently without having to lose that sense of disbelief. 38:28.51 Brian Penn The money just wasn't available but it was plainly obvious it wasn't disguised at the soul that you you knew for a fact, there were nowhere near that down that burn you know, but I mean as to say that's that's where you're exposed with a limited budget and I think it. It kind of makes up for it because I quite enjoyed the way the story unfolded gently it gently unfolded you you got to see why Kevin hated Christmas quite as much as he does and you came to understand more as a kart. So I like I like the introductions to the film where where he was. In class with his students and they were talking about whether ah five Christmas was scientifically feasible like I enjoyed that I've not seen that done before quite on that. So. There's a lot to enjoy in the film. You know there are things that they do very well but it does get exposed slightly where they have. Like don't have a lot of money to play with and it does does show. 39:24.14 ukfilmreview And I think that what that is um for me. That's when I I I will judge a filmmaker based on that because you got your story that you want to tell I get that. But if you don't have. 39:32.84 Brian Penn A. 39:37.64 ukfilmreview Resources you need to find a way to make the story work and I felt that that was a big part missing from this because when you compare this to some. It's quite similar in in terms of I said I suppose tone anesthetics to something like nativity. Yeah, with that British British very british film. You've got a lot of. 39:39.60 Brian Penn And. 39:49.48 Brian Penn Um, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 39:56.40 ukfilmreview Non- actors in that film and yeah, they've done it that can't be a big budget film. There's no way that's a big budget other than Martin Freeman and like it's quite a low low costs. Yeah, there's not many people that are going to be on the poster and the locations are all pretty simple. You know it's like a school. Basically. 40:05.59 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. Yeah, me. 40:13.81 ukfilmreview And I felt with this. It was like why are you trying to convince us this is Lapland it's really annoying me and I know yeah the latter part of the film. There's a reason but they could have written around that they could have done it in a different way that was the only thing that really kind of I thought that's too ambitious. You've gone too ambitious there and I think you're going to lose a lot of people with this. 40:21.53 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. A a yeah. 40:32.72 ukfilmreview Um, and then up than now I actually felt that the film had a lot to to offer like he said I think that dad is a great character. The mum gets slightly written out a bit if I'm honest, um, but his relationship is kids is really sort of interesting to watch you know and how he's. 40:35.99 Brian Penn Yeah there A yeah yeah. 40:48.97 ukfilmreview Struggling as a parent and how he is actually struggling as a husband as well and what he's trying to do and how this time of the year is ah is a time to potentially address that. Um, so I really I really like that and I thought the the film has some really good set pieces in like they they've got this dries. 40:58.59 Brian Penn Um, yeah, that. 41:07.99 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah I was good I was good fun. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah. 41:08.27 ukfilmreview Gee slope and things like that like added a little bit of like look but good fun. Yeah I think that's probably the best word for it. Um, and it's it's quite twe, but it's charming as well at times and I think as a british audience I think we'll get more out of this. Then you would say out of best Christmas ever I think this is more geared towards a british audience who are going to understand the foibles of a character like this. 41:25.24 Brian Penn well well yeah of course but I mean it's interesting that you can compare it to best and best Christmas ever. You know the the opening gambit of the story was that his wife changed the booking to me that's much more credible than the opening to best Christmas ever. 41:40.43 ukfilmreview Um, yeah. 41:45.60 Brian Penn Where the kids put a different address into the into the siteath that kind of hangs together better than best Christmas ever for me if you were just comparing the two where they kind of Kicktart the story. This is how we get to where we are. This is how they get to the friend's house in best Christmas ever and this is how we end up getting to laland. 41:52.91 ukfilmreview Yeah. 42:04.91 Brian Penn Because she simply switched the flights that works better that has more credibility if yeah, well yeah, pardon that pop pop. Not yeah. 42:10.51 ukfilmreview Yeah I think yeah, this is a very believable film. Um, that's that's stuff other than the lap lamp bit. Um pa up. But I think they? yeah yeah, if you if you're gonna watch a Christmas film out of the 2 I definitely pick christmas time I would I would watch this again and now I think. 42:24.70 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, no I know I don't think I'd watch it again. Best Christmas ever but particularly with the 4 stops are for each word I think it begins. 42:27.42 ukfilmreview That's the power of a Christmas film I said oh yeah and I'd watch that again if that was on I'd watch that um I wouldn't watch best Christmas ever I would I would avoid that. 42:41.34 ukfilmreview A gram. Yeah grammatically it was annoying. Um, but Christmas time not so much so they go um, let me find out if this is available I believe it is going to be available. But. 42:43.92 Brian Penn Yeah, but yeah, it begins. Yeah now christmaslu's good. 42:55.32 Brian Penn Um. 42:58.39 ukfilmreview Yes I think you can rent or buy on prime video I believe um so yeah, do check it out if you can get hold of your copy or watch it online and yeah, let's know what you think of Christmas time. Um. 43:04.99 Brian Penn Um, yeah, yeah. 43:13.85 ukfilmreview We are now moving on to a web series. That's right Brian we are broadening our horizons. We are now into the Tv miniseries. Um, this is ah, an anthology. Ah which has 5 episodes this is available on prime video if you're in the u k. 43:15.30 Brian Penn 2 Yeah, why not? yeah. 43:30.31 Brian Penn And. 43:32.17 ukfilmreview And I I believe when I watched it it was actually included in the prime video subscription which is really good. So it's called trail of dark matter and this follows 5 43:36.53 Brian Penn Are and in. 43:47.33 ukfilmreview Completely separate episodes but they are in the same kind of universe. There are characters which are shared between some of the episodes. Um and each episode is largely ah consisting of 2 main characters probably or or 3 at the most conversing. 43:49.90 Brian Penn A. 44:03.12 Brian Penn A. 44:07.20 ukfilmreview And in in the same location for the whole piece now on paper that feels quite limiting and it feels like oh okay, yeah is it is it gonna be boring but I actually found every episode pretty engaging and it got increasingly more um, sort of sinister and controversial and things that they were delving into became quite gripping. 44:07.83 Brian Penn The. 44:19.31 Brian Penn Yeah, no yeah. 44:24.93 ukfilmreview Like any good Tv series does um but like said each episode on its own is still powerful to watch because you've got these 2 characters often going through a very sort of rich scripts. Yeah, such as like the first episode is like about this couple chatting. Um and she wants to know why he left her. And they're going through like all these like relationship problems that they had and just that on its own I found really compelling I was watching now I thought oh and then there's a little twist and stuff. Um, there was another episode where these 2 women are chatting in the laundette. They come from quite different worlds but then they realized actually they've got a lot of shared experiences as women and yeah I won't. 44:48.49 Brian Penn Um. 44:49.69 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, Well. And I. 45:02.91 ukfilmreview So spoil too many of the episodes because I think that it's really worth people watching But what did you think of trail of dark matter right. 45:08.90 Brian Penn Yeah I ah really enjoyed all of them I think that as individual segments you can appreciate them. They have a standalone feel but you can also watch them something in one go I I really enjoyed the the um the heads to heads where relationships found. So. Ones that stand out for me because there are some some are better than others to be fair, but they're all good. Um, old flame which was the the first statement where the woman was having a conversation with her ex-boyfriend now the ex-boyfriend came across as something of ah, a counselor or a therapist. Trying to explain to her why and their relationship didn't work out and tried to emphasize to her that it was just as much her as it was him and I quite enjoyed the way they handled that and book ending the the 5 episodes was adversaries where an ex-boyfriend a girlfriend had tied up. In a room somewhere and you think where on earth is this going but it was fascinating to see the interplay between those 2 characters gradually ah unfolding taking you to a place that you wouldn't really expect to be in terms of the plot very cleverly done I also thought um. 46:21.92 Brian Penn Blood relations was good as well where the brother and sister were meeting her father. Ah and the brother had something to tell his father which of course we won't dieulge here but very sort of um, engrossing sort of playlets. Really, there are only 20 minutes long age aren't like. 46:30.32 ukfilmreview That. 46:38.52 ukfilmreview Yeah. 46:40.62 Brian Penn I Think the only one that didn't work quite as well for me was strangers with the two girls in the warm dress. It seemed to to ah take too long to get to where it was going. There was something vaguely interesting about it but probably wasn't strong for me Anyway I see other four. Um. 46:54.61 ukfilmreview I like that when I was happy with that one I thought I found the um the 2 characters really interesting terms of they were quite different and then yeah again, not not to spoil it. There is a bit of a twist near the end. But yeah. 46:58.46 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 47:03.41 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, and it is a twist and all them and kindred as well. That's the brother and sister preparing for a pari and the father turns on. Ah yeah. 47:15.94 ukfilmreview Yeah, that I would say actually I like that one I was probably my favorite one. Ah. 47:20.36 Brian Penn They're they're They're all good, but as to say the the strangest I don't I'm not so sure about but you know as to say it's a bit like ah, a sketch show isn't it. You could call call this um, a serious sketch show where you got fire sketches and. 47:39.56 Brian Penn Reasonably quick fire 20 minutes each and they come at you at pace they all they all follow. Ah a similar theme because the the title of the um, the 5 episode the title of the series gives you some idea of how um conversations concerning so in a certain direction. And they constantly surprise you they'll do. They're not what you're expecting very clever but like any kind of sketch based program is that some stand out more than others some work better than others but overall very impressed, really impressed. Yeah. 48:10.58 ukfilmreview Very impressed as I say it's available on Amazon prime currently this trail of dark matter. Yeah, thoroughly recommend it and we don't often review our web series but it has become more common now and I think it works these these work well as individual. 48:19.52 Brian Penn Um, yeah, definitely. 48:27.20 Brian Penn A. 48:29.10 ukfilmreview Short films but it also works as an overall piece too. Just also to mention with Christmas time if you did want to find out more about the film. It's an Instagram Christmas time movie or 1 word. This doesn't have any social media as far as I'm aware trend of that matter. But you can find it on. Prime so you don't need social media to find out about it. You can just go and watch it. Um, so that's the trend of dark matter now moving on to a short film called eurobos am I saying that right? which is that how you would say euroboris. 48:56.80 Brian Penn Um. 49:03.56 Brian Penn Ah I think that's how I would say it to be on it. You're a boros. Yeah yeah, we are film. Yeah. 49:07.40 ukfilmreview We're getting into our irish accents again Brian it's been ah It's been a it's been an episode of that. Um, now this is an incredibly powerful short film set in 1950 S Ireland and it starts with this quote as sort sort quote about ah is it trauma trauma. 49:17.97 Brian Penn In. 49:23.88 Brian Penn Um, yeah, yeah, steeper than that. But yeah, that will do that will do that would do. 49:26.68 ukfilmreview Ah, being a time traveler I am absolutely paraphrasing them by the way. It's much more fitting in the film. yeah yeah I thought would do um and yeah, a really powerful start to what is an incredibly powerful short film. It's only 10 minutes um directed by di a donnna who. 49:40.96 Brian Penn If why. 49:46.13 ukfilmreview And yeah, it's about this girl. She's at the beginning of film. She sat by the lake with a for my guess is her boyfriend. She then realizes she's late for church. She runs off forgets her shoes and the her family chastise her when she gets there um things then happen and she gets. 49:51.98 Brian Penn O. 49:59.48 Brian Penn A. 50:05.77 ukfilmreview Committed to a a mentor hospital and the film takes on a very dark and sinister tone with lots of sort of nightmarish sequences happening. Um, what do you think of this one. 50:12.72 Brian Penn Um, yeah, very good, very disturbing very scary. You know we get to see inside. Moira's mind you know and experience flashbacks to key events in her life. That effects of running through the corridors of her confinement again. It's that word. Symbolism isn't it that she opens a door to another disturbing episode and it is frightened to watch. It's gripping. You can't set your eyes off it and it is indicative of. Ah, the attitude in a ah, very strict and devout country like Ireland used to be and it feels again. It feels real. You feel that sense of Claustrophobia. It's incredibly powerful very grim though. But you know there is someone who is trying to break out of the. A religious and emotional strike jacket very strict strict upbringing and she's trying to live an normal life have a boyfriend have a relationship and that sense of panic that kicks in when she realizes she's like for church and it gives you some insight into. What faith can do you know it's almost kind of like a negative thing that faith does it where it becomes obsessive and it becomes restrictive but frightening incredibly frightening but it's something that you you try and not watch but you you have to watch. It's that type of thing. 51:45.57 Brian Penn But they've captured an image and a view of life that we only hope and pray doesn't exist anymore. They existed back in the 50 s but not now we hope from praying. But. 51:58.40 ukfilmreview Yeah, and obviously any film being made now. Obviously you have to question why are they making this and I think there is this rise of conservatism and you know, um, especially in the last few years since ah 52:01.45 Brian Penn And by. 52:12.20 Brian Penn Like. 52:12.77 ukfilmreview Ah, de trump ah rocked up and caused everyone to get a bit crazy again. Um that I think there's always a reason to be telling these stories and also to not forget the people that went through these sort of situations I think there's a at a March page at the end I think what was really powerful about this film was the way they. 52:20.92 Brian Penn Yeah, no I. 52:31.38 ukfilmreview Captured not just like because you said that? yeah I captured it visually. But for me, it was the atmosphere because it was very frenetic. The editing was like kind of terrifying and it it made you feel it almost in a palpable way of it being part of her experience and. 52:33.57 Brian Penn Are there. 52:46.82 Brian Penn There. 52:49.37 ukfilmreview From what starts off as quite a sort of okay I don't know where this is going because it just seems like a kind of average drama to go to being something a little bit more forceful. It's I mean it doesn't say it's a horror as a category but I would say it is. It's a thriller kind of horror for me I found it horrific at times and and and very. 52:51.44 Brian Penn And. A. 53:02.21 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, very yeah. 53:08.27 ukfilmreview Very compelling. Um, yeah, it it's it's incredible. It really powerful and you know when you watch a film like this, you're watching you go? Yeah, we're in safe hands. There's this this whole cast whole crew knew the assignment they knew what they needed to pull off and they've pulled it off incredibly. They've executed this absolutely perfectly. 53:15.10 Brian Penn Is. 53:20.84 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, and yeah I totally agree Emma Dargan Reid deserves a a mention who plays Moira the central character who's very good. Got great lines very very very striking and very very telegenic or photojaic I'm not sure what's the right term sotogenic photogenic you know, but she comes across very well yeah, you. 53:50.66 ukfilmreview Absolutely really powerful. Um, and yes euro boro so that's UROBOROS because I had trouble that spell it is a view divs. Um, but that's definitely our ignorance. Not there's um, hundred percent recommend this film. 53:57.10 Brian Penn I know? Yeah yeah. Yeah, of course Yeah, definitely. 54:07.39 ukfilmreview And you can find out more about it if you go to Instagram and search for their handle which is constant motion pictures or 1 word. Um and you will find it if you can't find it drop us a line and we will put you in the right direction I don't know if it's available anywhere. 54:14.70 Brian Penn Right. 54:22.13 Brian Penn Um, so well. 54:24.80 ukfilmreview Um, as far as I'm aware. It's not I think did we get a private screener. Ah yeah, so not available to child to aware but definitely find out more if you can it really powerful stuff is Irishris Drama Great performances, incredible, filmmaking. Very. Dark and atmospheric and it would just it will linger with you as well like when I finish watching it I felt it I was like oh I'm still feeling that like way after finishing that film. Um, so okay, we'm sticking with the shorts. We are now going to review Filmmaker Katyia plates. 54:45.44 Brian Penn Um, yeah, yeah, definitely there. 55:02.30 ukfilmreview Las Noggas now if ever there was a interesting premise I think this film is it. Ah, it's a stop motion film and set in the future. Um, where humans have kind of been eradicated by. 55:03.24 Brian Penn Um, yeah. 55:06.89 Brian Penn The. 55:19.78 Brian Penn Yeah, pretty much there. 55:20.81 ukfilmreview Their own kind of greed and stupidity I think yeah, which is yeah yeah, that's pretty scary straight away but very on the nose. Um, and we're now living in a world of animals who are trying to survive I guess they're having quite a lot of problems ah making it rain I believe this. Is a third part of a bigger set of films that I believe is is like a they they describe it as an ecological adventure. Um, and yeah, there's a few characters that are kind of standing out. Yeah I think one of the characters called Dr Almo 55:43.15 Brian Penn Oh. 55:57.23 ukfilmreview Um, and there's going to be potentially a feature length about that character. Potentially Um, and yeah, they need her because they've got these things called homies which are characters that I believe scraped from the remains of humans. Um. 55:57.49 Brian Penn Um, cop Um, oh right? okay. 56:11.80 Brian Penn Here are. 56:15.60 ukfilmreview And they use those to potentially create rain or water because they're now using up the loss of their reserves but they are getting ill with this mysterious sickness and they need Dr Alma to come in. Ah, save them now if this sounds like I'm rambling is because ah it is is. It's a very hard film to follow. Did you feel that way. Brian yeah. 56:26.58 Brian Penn Um, yeah I Again, it's that word. Symbolism isn't it. You know that it's It's kind of it's talking about. Global warming climate Change. It's even not in towards Covid isn't it and other ah fatal viruses that that could could appear but it's it's not particularly easy to follow I mean what I got from it as is what I got from it I could be slightly wrong about this but you know. 56:45.30 ukfilmreview Um. 56:58.67 Brian Penn It's imagining a ah time when humans as you as you pointed out have made themselves extinct that they finally pushed this this drop button where they don't exist anymore. So the world has gone back to the animal kingdom where it's Cis animals and. 57:17.54 ukfilmreview The. 57:20.14 Brian Penn And animals are ah basically in charge now now Dots Alma looks like a turkey to me or is it turkey and hitch hitch the the scientists that contacts her looks like an owl they all look like birds or insect insects to me. So I get the impression that that the earth is gone back to nature now that it is animals that's running the world because animals were here before humans. That's what I was kind of getting from it now. It sounds like I'm rambling now. But but it shows how. 57:50.43 ukfilmreview Her. 57:56.47 Brian Penn Kind of challenging it is you know something that appears very simplistic stop motion animation is very simplistic but that's what makes it watchable. That's what gives it an edge. But um, you know that's what I got from it and it's very interpretational. But it it does sort of touch on common themes that we should all be aware of it's all about preserving the environment and imagining what might happen thousands of years in the future. 58:23.61 ukfilmreview Yeah, and I think like yeah using stopmotion to to go into these themes could have been. Yeah, okay, they're going to make it like a friendly a child's child aimed kind of peace but actually this is. Not at all aimed at younger audiences. It's very much an older audiences film is. It's quite um, disturbing I think at times and there's bits that some of the characters look quite creepy. Um I think in the review we did Jason mentioned that it was kind of a bit. Ah. 58:41.37 Brian Penn No, no yeah. And free me. 59:00.22 ukfilmreview Was that timber and film the nightmare night before Christmas saw a night before because that kind of idea and yeah I think what? yeah casia plate is doing with this is quite bold. It's ambitious and you I think it is difficult sometimes to follow. Albeit it's definitely the third part. 59:01.40 Brian Penn Oh right? Yeah yeah. 59:10.89 Brian Penn A. 59:18.21 Brian Penn If. 59:18.31 ukfilmreview And I've looked into and yeah, there was a second part we reviewed quite a few years ago it's 18 called meeting Mcguffin and that was the so second in the film. It's all about global warming. So there must be a first part at some point so we're coming into this yeah slightly later? Um, but as it is as a standalone film. It is. 59:26.71 Brian Penn Right? yeah. 59:38.20 ukfilmreview Very interesting. It's intricate. It's been brilliantly made lovingly made. You know there's so much here I Think my favorite part is a bit where she goes off on her bike and she goes across the landscape on her little sort of motorbike and I thought that was just delightful. It was so great to watch. Um, but I must say I think. 59:41.76 Brian Penn Um, yeah. 59:45.60 Brian Penn A. 59:51.25 Brian Penn Yeah. 59:56.27 ukfilmreview Some of the harder hitting themes and the story I were kind of less attaching themselves to me and I got that I got the themes like I understood that but I don't think I was really immersed in that. Ah that side of things. Um like say yeah, it's a proof of concept I think for a feature like about Alma. So. 59:58.89 Brian Penn I Yeah yeah, yeah, it's good. Yeah, it's got yeah, it's got a lot go for it I think it's got potential and it's very watchable but it's very interpretational as Well. You know, but I think the. 01:00:16.27 ukfilmreview If people want to check it out I think it's worth it just to sort of see what might be coming because I think with a longer time period and a more spaced out approach to the plot might help you know. 01:00:35.89 Brian Penn Ah, think you you kind of broadly get the points. It's trying to make that you know we only have one world. We need to look after the environment we need to look after the climate you know you get all of that you know all those messages come through loud and clear. But it's It's also quite Scary. You know as you pointed out. It's not.. It's not one for kids at all I think it's quite alarming when you look at the subject matter that it deals with. But then again, it's good that it's challenging. It should you know viewing shouldn't be that comfortable where it doesn't make you think at All. So I think it's important that it does that. 01:01:10.45 ukfilmreview Absolutely um, so that was less norgas a short film and you can find out more about Katya plate on auto on Instagram so Catia plate all 1 word um or just drop us a line if you are interested. 01:01:13.49 Brian Penn Are. 01:01:27.44 Brian Penn M. 01:01:29.52 ukfilmreview And we'll let you know, um, whether or not you can see the film anywhere. Um, and also what's happening with the feature length because I would actually like to see it I would like to see what this could look like as a feature that needs to maybe. 01:01:37.67 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 01:01:45.64 ukfilmreview Structured in a way that the audience can get the whole thing in 1 go because I feel like we kind of been maybe brought in at the end of this and it's not making as much sense. Yeah, so there you go. 01:01:46.99 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah, it needs to be a bit more accessible I reckon. Yeah. 01:01:58.96 ukfilmreview Moving to our last indie film which is a feature length called trust in Love which as titles go that is was it wasn't the strongest point I was like oh trust in love Oh here we go and I. 01:02:02.70 Brian Penn M. 01:02:12.46 Brian Penn Um, yeah. 01:02:15.17 ukfilmreview Brought to mind kind of like those 80 s rock songs that trust in nerve car I can imagine it be that and then when I watched the film was I actually you know I wasn't that far off. Um, so in this film. It's about a music producer who is going through the throwes of a divorce. 01:02:18.79 Brian Penn Um, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 01:02:33.82 Brian Penn And. 01:02:34.85 ukfilmreview Um, and his son and daughter are obviously going to be victims in this situation he in the meantime is also struggling with his career because he's got this band that of yeah, maybe they're I think they're from they are from the 80 s or or something. 01:02:52.20 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 01:02:54.64 ukfilmreview And they were were famous but now they're struggling to sort of make it in the you know Post-social media world where yeah they need a they need a hit to keep going and never has it been harder for music artist to make it and yeah, essentially it's about the. 01:03:04.40 Brian Penn Never yeah. 01:03:13.18 ukfilmreview The the main character this this music producer having to come to terms with what's happening to his family and his career at the same time and his yeah rock and roll Lifestyle and whether or not that will carry on. Um I enjoyed this I actually thought it was It was. 01:03:14.79 Brian Penn Who. 01:03:20.48 Brian Penn In. 01:03:30.71 Brian Penn Um. 01:03:32.48 ukfilmreview Serviceable it worked. Um, they're go be wrong. There's parts to it which feel kind of ah so light and cheeky that they sort of were getting away with um, but it's got a kind of rock and roll film style I like that there was like bits where it would like pop up. 01:03:38.53 Brian Penn Are. 01:03:43.92 Brian Penn A. 01:03:51.26 ukfilmreview But there was like a line in the film about films and then it popped up with like a little message saying oh there's a ah ah recommended films that you should click so it kind of felt modern. It felt relevant. It felt that it was doing something to kind of. 01:03:52.70 Brian Penn A. Yeah, there Yeah, and. 01:04:05.22 ukfilmreview Ah, merge this sense of ah of an older character living in ah in the new world and and how the 2 lifestyles don't really gel. Um, what do you think of of this one right. 01:04:08.42 Brian Penn A. 01:04:14.10 Brian Penn Yeah I enjoyed it I don't think it's really breaking any new ground I think the storyline itself is fairly predictable. You know there, you've got this record producer Mickey Ferrera who what used to be a big noise and he's got this band that. Try to make ah a make or break new album. That's either going to ah push into new heights or it's going to finish them off altogether so he's under pressure and his marriage is falling apart. His kids have got issues I think it's a familiar storyline that we've we've seen often seen before but very likable. And I like the music in the in the film as well. The music made by a bang was still heart who had never previously heard but I quite enjoyed the music to and nice cameo from shall we say a well-known pop star from the 1960 s pops up who who. It's always nice when you see a cameo so I enjoyed that as well. Overall yeah, really good fun but nothing nothing um, groundbreaking wind blowing in so far that it's a very typical story of a failing relationship and the kid's suffering because the marriage is is beginning to crumble. 01:05:10.54 ukfilmreview That. 01:05:30.30 Brian Penn And ah, the glamour that attracted sophie to to Mickey is kind of fading now because he's not what he used to be but I think it's it's a very nice setup. He's very watchable, very likeable. But. Nothing you haven't seen before but enjoy the music watch it for the music. Yeah. 01:05:49.12 ukfilmreview Yeah, that's what I got for it was the it was a tone thing also come from a music background I enjoyed that um and I like that it was trying to grapple with some big themes like divorce and there's like a they talk about attempted suicide and things like this that it wasn't. 01:05:53.13 Brian Penn Are. 01:06:02.55 Brian Penn Yeah, not. 01:06:08.87 ukfilmreview Completely light but I did feel that those things were kind of getting overshadowed by things scenes that were being like flashy for a flashy sake like swimming pools and supercars and tennis courts and lots of. The lifestyle stuff which people are going to want to watch from the Instagram side of things but it didn't really do anything for the for the plot. Um I think your enjoyment of this film really makes or breaks on whether or not you get on with the central character. Um I think he is. 01:06:31.13 Brian Penn Yeah, um, yeah. 01:06:37.45 Brian Penn Love. 01:06:42.20 ukfilmreview Flawed and you know he's not the the best role model but I think if you're on his journey and you you're happy to to see where he goes but I could imagine some people maybe not getting on board with that and I think the filmmakers know that that he is a kind of strong presence wrong because I think it's based on a real person. Um. 01:06:58.64 Brian Penn Yeah, and it's written by Jim Patuor who plays Mickey he write the screenplay didn't he as well. So. 01:07:01.38 ukfilmreview Ah, it pops up at the beginning it says that it's based on a real person. Yeah. 01:07:08.71 ukfilmreview Yeah, yeah. 01:07:13.78 Brian Penn You you feel? there's there's a closeness and and intimacy between the character and the answer which always always helps but you know I say good fun in a song as it goes they did drop in some typical West Coast Rock cliches but you kind of half expect it. 01:07:16.63 ukfilmreview Um, yeah. 01:07:31.44 Brian Penn But you know you, you'd take that for what it is but you know good fun. It works and it's a pleasant way to spend some time which is what you've always got to judge a film by you know, have I have I just spent 2 hours watching a film and I'm not going to get those 2 hours back or can you say I enjoyed those 2 albums. You know it's that's the way you got to look at it and I ah quite enjoyed it for what it was? Yeah yeah. 01:07:55.34 ukfilmreview Yeah I did too I must say as ah, especially a feature like yeah these sort of films. It can be difficult if you aren't on board I was I I found it more engaging than I thought I was going to um, if you are interested in in the film. Ah there is a website trust in lovethemovie.com effect 01:08:04.10 Brian Penn So. 01:08:12.25 ukfilmreview Isn't your bag on Instagram you can find them trust in love the movie. All 1 word. Um, that is the only information I can offer at this stage I don't know if it's out anywhere I believe again we had a private screener for that one? um. 01:08:16.52 Brian Penn In. 01:08:21.94 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 01:08:28.98 Brian Penn Um, and. 01:08:29.89 ukfilmreview But yes that was trust in love and that is all of the indie and short films. We're going to review if you have submitted your film recently as in this month or in November um, we will be doing an extra show. Ah in December to catch up on all of the extra films we got submitted. We do have a lot. So thank you for everyone who sends them in. 01:08:39.94 Brian Penn E. 01:08:45.47 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, absolutely oh, that's right? and you you're a trooper absolute trooper. 01:08:49.64 ukfilmreview Um, we just want to make sure we have enough time to go through all the films properly rather than rushing them. Pardon me I've made it through almost a whole episode with out coughing. Ah ah, but I yeah, just before the the nostalgia pick I'll let out a cough because we need to you know. Take ah an intake of breath ready for what is our Christmas film review of the year we're heading back to 9094 S Tim Allen starring the Santa Claus um this is a firm childhood favorite of mine I must say what's just a lot growing up. 01:09:13.10 Brian Penn A a. 01:09:23.83 Brian Penn Oh oh. 01:09:27.51 ukfilmreview I was a a kid in the 90 s so this kind of ticked a lot of boxes for me. Um, but ah also um, it spawned a couple of sequels not not going to go into those they they are very hit miss. Um, but but the original. 01:09:41.70 Brian Penn Um, no. 01:09:46.17 ukfilmreview Had a lot of charm if you've not seen the film before it is about a a dad played by Tim Allen who Scott Calvin and yeah you eagle ear listeners will realize SCScott Calvin Santa Claus it's all linked. It's all like um, he. 01:09:53.50 Brian Penn Count in. 01:09:58.88 Brian Penn A a. 01:10:04.64 ukfilmreview Is having Christmas eve with his son who they're also is's a divorce story and but he's spending Christmas eve with his son and inadvertly knocks Santa Off the roof. Um and santa. 01:10:16.87 Brian Penn I Should do I should do. That's one does? Yeah, yeah, yeah now. 01:10:20.38 ukfilmreview Yeah I mean it's quite. It's quite dark if you aren't looking at this from of the comedydies San Santa's dead quite early on in this film. Um Tim Allen then picks up the the suit and wears it and therefore accepts the santak clause as in a contract and becomes santa. 01:10:34.57 Brian Penn A. 01:10:39.35 ukfilmreview He then delivers all the presence of the night but he believes it to be a dream at first and he kind of writes it off as that. But then things start to happen and he starts to transform into santa whilst his son is going through the whole throes of whether or not he still believes in Santa. 01:10:53.65 Brian Penn Um. 01:10:57.30 Brian Penn A. 01:10:59.33 ukfilmreview And yeah, it's it's ah it's got a lot of cynicism from Tim Allen you know there's a lot of funny lines and jokey stuff for the for the older people but there is also a very heavy fantasy elements like yeah, what i' was saying earlier. This is a film that really just jumps. 01:11:04.83 Brian Penn Yeah, there. Yeah. 01:11:12.85 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:11:17.73 ukfilmreview Two feet into the santa idea. Ah yeah, we go to the north pole we meet the elves. Yeah, all that stuff. Um, as said childhood favorite of mine but Brian had you seen this before and what's your feeling on it. 01:11:18.66 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:11:25.20 Brian Penn Me Yes I had since before a long time ago I probably saw it when it first came out because I like your arms up nus. Go to the movies but then and don't think you were we. 01:11:37.57 ukfilmreview Only just say Brian right? You only just yeah, only jazz? Yeah, we won't go into it. 01:11:42.80 Brian Penn Ah, only just yeah, un just I was ah I was more than merely a child myself. But you know now I really I really enjoy it I think it's I think it's very sweet, enduring incredibly inventive I love the idea that the moment he touches san's jacket he creates abinding contracts and he becomes Santa Claus ah like that. It's very clever. It's a good play on words and it explores a different angle to a typical plot for a Christmas movie that is children who want to believe in san of Claus but they're getting to the point where they're questioning whether Santa Claus does exist or not so I like that side of it I thought I think it's just very invinsive. I think judge Reinhart's very good playing the playing the smart ass would be stepfather. You know the the the boyfriend to to the mother I think he was really good Sim Allen I think has as avoided um big movie stardom a bit. 01:12:26.32 ukfilmreview Her. 01:12:39.46 Brian Penn Too often I think he should be a bigger star than he really is um yeah, he probably has equal fame playing playing buzz night. You doesn't equal from toy story. But I think always felt that so sim Alan was capable so much more and should be a bigger star than he is, but. 01:12:46.53 ukfilmreview Um, yeah. 01:12:57.47 Brian Penn You know alongside toy story Santa Claus is probably the film that we we know him for it's beautiful. It's beautifully put together I think it's inventsive. It's clever and it I like the transformation where he gradually turns into Santa Claus you know where he. Just goes grey and his beer grows and he can't stop it and then his belly gets big doesn't it. You know I like I love all of that that kind of gradual progression and you would be convinced. There is Santa Claus you think he's father of Christmas by the end of the film. So you know you pick so I've got Sayris she picks some great films for the nostalgia slot. 01:13:20.64 ukfilmreview Um, there. 01:13:34.91 Brian Penn And heaven knows there's a white choice out there. But this is a good pick because I think honestly believe as good as it is I I believe it's so underrateive as a Christmas movie and you know it seems to be that elf gets all the headlines you know of the recent Christmas movies itself. 01:13:49.57 ukfilmreview Yeah. 01:13:54.12 Brian Penn It's wall feral but what about sant cla what about Sun Claus what about similar to him. 01:13:57.90 ukfilmreview I So much prefer this to elf I like Elf is is okay but I think this what why we love about this film is this ah this ongoing friction between what happens if you lose your sense of belief. Yeah, your faith. Yeah. 01:14:14.26 Brian Penn Who yeah. 01:14:17.80 ukfilmreview The idea that you've you've lost that magic because you've decided that actually yeah, the world is just as cynical as we all think it's meant to be and why bother? yeah and like you see that in um the 3 kind of adult characters displayed in different ways and what's really funny is because you got Tim Allen 01:14:22.69 Brian Penn A A. Is. 01:14:35.15 ukfilmreview When he's talking to Charlie his son. He's very much like yeah, no, it's all real. Of course it's real like he really wants him to still believe even though he himself is a very cynical character like when he's not with Charlie he's the one going this is ridiculous I this isn't real. Why am I why is this happening and I think there is that really lovely kind of ah. 01:14:37.48 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like. 01:14:54.70 ukfilmreview Like cotomy going on between the 2 characters of of it. Yeah, he's living this double life that he's going to have to choose this path and accept that either he is Santa and you give into that side or he's not and then it's like the final nail in the coffin for him being you know this like miserable loner. Basically um. 01:14:54.80 Brian Penn A like there. 01:15:09.52 Brian Penn Um, giving email a. 01:15:13.35 ukfilmreview And so there's that going on but all within what is actually quite a light and fluffy and easy going Christmas film. Yeah I just thought it was a really good one to revisit. It's on Disney plus so it's very accessible. There are two more films and I would say they get worse much worse. Um. 01:15:15.80 Brian Penn You know? Yeah, yeah, yeah I can talk. They are. 01:15:28.72 Brian Penn As as like as sequels always do almost always do no. 01:15:32.97 ukfilmreview Always do um, it's It's not a great franchise and I think the the strength of the first film gets very diluted when they start moving into the other territory and it it starts to get very silly. Um, but yeah, no, this really stood up Still very funny. It's got great. Score. It's a whimsical. 01:15:41.80 Brian Penn A. 01:15:47.27 Brian Penn Right. 01:15:52.80 ukfilmreview Lots of fun set pieces and bits for you to enjoy and like I said I think the fantasy element to it is really fun because this could have easily been different. It could have been. Oh he's Santa but like yeah, it's going to be more kind of sad and and gritty and upsetting. It's more like no no, they're going to give you lots of the. 01:16:06.47 Brian Penn Ah, a. 01:16:10.76 ukfilmreview Child side of it as well as the adult side of it. Um, so yeah, no glad glad you agree Brian I'm glad I'm glad you haven't ruined my childhood as well I thought you're gonna come in just you know. 01:16:11.17 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, no absolutely no, not I perished the thought honestly know brilliant. No really I really enjoyed it and it was great seeing again because 1 thing that. Nostalgia slot dances that it reminds me of great films that I've seen and forgotten that I've seen it's that type of thing you know and that's what's great about the nostalgia slot because it's a memory breaker and it makes me go back to films that I've forgotten how much I enjoyed. 01:16:32.35 ukfilmreview Um, yeah. 01:16:44.13 ukfilmreview And there we go Santa Claus available on Disney plus now that's it for this episode. Um, as I said we'll be back in Mid -december with an extra indie show and then we won't be back till January with. 01:16:53.73 Brian Penn E. 01:16:59.66 ukfilmreview Well maybe a look ahead I'm not sure brush sure what we're doing January look ahead. Sounds good. 01:17:00.87 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, that that will will include a look ahead but there there are be there'll be plenty of films or general release that we can also review as well. So bit. Yeah yeah I know that's right, yeah were we're growing as people we were developing. 01:17:07.18 ukfilmreview So review. Yeah, we we we're gonna play it by ear because by that point we'll be totally different people me and Brian would have advanced by a whole extra month and you know who knows I might knock Santa Off the roof and then I'll have to be him and I won't be able to do this podcast anymore. 01:17:23.16 Brian Penn You never know. Yeah know yeah, you'll have a big fluffy white bed and you'll be busy. We yield them preparing all less present. Ah, ah. 01:17:25.14 ukfilmreview You know you know the white bid's not far off anyway, it's getting its getting quite white as it is. Don't don't talk about that. Um, but yeah, we hope you've enjoyed the Uk Film Willview Podcast this has been be film club with me and Brian there are other shows to check out. 01:17:40.90 Brian Penn What. 01:17:43.67 ukfilmreview On our feed so do go give those guys and girls lots of love. Um, but yes, if this is the last episode you hear this year then thank you for being with us. We hope to see you again in 2024 01:17:47.25 Brian Penn We. And yeah, good seasons to you all play for now. 01:18:00.35 ukfilmreview But good season to you all. Previous Next

Trailer for the latest Disney release.. Brand new film trailers. Raya and the Last Dragon Watch the Raya and the Last Dragon trailer from Disney, coming to UK cinemas in March 2021 (hopefully). Starring Awkafina and Kelly Marie Tran, Raya and the Last Dragon is the story of a warrior called Raya looking for the last remaining dragon. Read our Raya and the Last Dragon film review . Mother Mary Ultimately, the Mother Mary trailer establishes a compelling promise: a film that uses the theatricality of the music industry to explore something primal about identity and obsession. Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come In the trailer for Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come establishes a new, thrilling chapter. It’s a sequel that dares to go bigger, transforming a single family’s twisted tradition into a full-scale, world-controlling bloodsport. Shelter People We Meet On Vacation People We Meet On Vacation looks set to be a thoroughly British affair in its tone and appeal—a charming, heartfelt escape, promising both belly laughs and a good cry. Doctor Plague Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery This first glimpse of Wake Up Dead Man isn’t just a trailer; it’s a brilliant statement of intent. The film looks primed to be a festive treat for audiences looking for a compelling, cleverly constructed mystery. Michael Michael is set to arrive in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on the 24th of April 2026, and based on this compelling first look, the world will indeed be waiting. The Carpenter's Son We anticipate that The Carpenter's Son will be less of a retelling and more of a deeply disquieting examination of power, temptation, and the human cost of being chosen. It arrives on 21st November. Eternity Eternity looks set to be a sophisticated, imaginative film that avoids the usual genre clichés by grounding its absurd plot in stellar performances. Kontinental '25 The promotional material and critical buzz surrounding Kontinental ’25 confirm that the winner of the Silver Berlin Bear for Best Screenplay is not only back, but operating at a fever pitch of urgency and daring. Anniversary Kenny Dalglish It's rare for a documentary trailer to stir the soul quite as effectively as the first look at Kenny Dalglish, the upcoming feature focusing on the life and legacy of one of British football's most revered and complex figures. Is This Thing On? Searchlight Pictures has premiered the teaser trailer for Is This Thing On?, and it suggests we are in for a sharp, melancholic comedy that mines the humour and heartbreak of mid-life crisis through the lens of stand-up. Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere The first official trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, the biopic chronicling the turbulent creation of the 1982 masterpiece Nebraska, has landed. The Bride The latest tease for The Bride, the highly anticipated 2026 offering from Maggie Gyllenhaal, has dropped, and if this brief glimpse is anything to go by, British cinema-goers should prepare themselves for a truly spectacular and unsettling cinematic experience. A Tooth Fairy Tale Overall, the trailer for A Tooth Fairy Tale delivers exactly what it needs to: a clear premise, an exciting quest, and the promise of high-quality vocal performances. Delivery Run From the first stark frames of the trailer for Delivery Run, it is immediately clear that this is a thriller operating under pressure. In Your Dreams "In Your Dreams," a new animated comedy set to enchant audiences. This delightful film, co-directed by Alex Woo and Erik Benson, promises a fantastical journey into the boundless landscape of dreams, arriving on November 14, 2025. A House of Dynamite A House of Dynamite, a gripping new thriller that plunges audiences into a high-stakes global crisis. The trailer for Bigelow's latest offering paints a chilling picture of a world on the brink, arriving in select UK cinemas on October 3rd The Man in My Basement With an intense psychological trailer that leaves you with more questions than answers, Andscape’s new film The Man in My Basement is poised to be a must-watch for UK and Ireland audiences, arriving on Disney+ on Friday, 26th September.

Film news - The Night House Gets UK Cinema Release Date. Find out more at UK Film Review. The Night House Gets UK Cinema Release Date Chris Olson Friday, June 11, 2021 at 11:52:41 AM UTC THE NIGHT HOUSE WILL BE RELEASED IN UK CINEMAS ON 20 AUGUST THE NIGHT HOUSE follows a widow (Rebecca Hall of THE TOWN) who begins to uncover her recently deceased husband’s disturbing secrets. STARRING REBECCA HALL, SARAH GOLDBERG, EVAN JONIGKEIT, STACY MARTIN AND VONDIE CURTIS-HALL DIRECTED BY DAVID BRUCKNER WRITTEN BY BEN COLLINS AND LUKE PIOTROWSKI PRODUCED BY DAVID S. GOYER, KEITH LEVINE, AND JOHN ZOIS The King's Man UK Home Release Date Announced The Latest King’s Man Film Will be Available on Digital February 9 and 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on February 21. Read Now BFI Future Film Festival announces 2022 Awards Jury and full programme Find out who the jury is for the 2022 BFI Future Film Festival. Read Now The Wonderful: Stories From The Space Station UK Release Date The Wonderful: Stories from the Space Station is a Dog Star Films production in association with Fisheye Films. Directed by Clare Lewins (I Am Ali, Kareem: Minority of One, The Lost Tapes of Memphis.). Read Now Redemption of a Rogue UK Cinema Release Date Read Now Cryptozoo Coming to Mubi This October Having made a splash at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, filmmaker Dash Shaw's upcoming fantasy animation Cryptozoo is a highly anticipated film coming to Mubi later this year. Read Now Another Round UK DVD And Blu-Ray Release Date Announced Following its acclaimed cinema release, STUDIOCANAL are excited to announce the release of Thomas Vinterberg’s intoxicating Oscar winner, ANOTHER ROUND, starring Mads Mikkelsen, on early EST 24th September 2021 and DVD, Blu-ray and Digital on 27th September 2021. Read Now Marvel Studios Announces Black Widow DVD and Blu-Ray UK Release Date Marvel Studios Announces Black Widow To Land Early On Digital (August 10th) and 4K, Blu-Ray and DVD September 13th. Read Now My Little Sister Gets October UK Release Date My Little Sister is due for a cinema release in the UK, on Friday 8th October 2021. Read Now Grimmfest Reveals Line-Up for 2021 Film Festival After a year of “home invasions” in the form of virtual screenings and online events, this October sees Grimmfest returning to the cinema at last. Read Now Helen Mirren Narrates Powerful Documentary Escape From Extinction Kaleidoscope Entertainment presents Escape From Extinction, a powerful feature documentary narrated by Academy Award winner Dame Helen Mirren, coming to selected cinemas from 17th September celebrating ‘Great Big Green Week’ (18-26 September). Read Now Supernova UK DVD and Blu-Ray Release Date Following critical acclaim and standout performances, STUDIOCANAL are excited to announce the release of the heartbreaking British love story SUPERNOVA, arriving on EST 24th September 2021 and DVD and Blu-ray on 27th September 2021. Read Now The Djinn UK Release Date The story follows a mute twelve-year-old, Dylan Jacobs, as he discovers a mysterious book of spells inside his new apartment. Read Now Come Play UK Digital Release Date Jacob Chase’s directorial debut feature COME PLAY tells the story of Oliver, a solitary autistic boy who comes across a creepy children’s story on his new tablet. Read Now 15m Giant Starfish in Leicester Square Ahead of UK Release of The Suicide Squad British actor Peter Capaldi (BBC’s Doctor Who, World War Z) ‒ who stars in THE SUICIDE SQUAD alongside Margot Robbie, Idris Elba and John Cena as genius scientist ‘Thinker’, was bravely photographed with the imposing creature Starro in London’s Leicester Square earlier today in celebration of the film’s UK release this coming Friday. Read Now West Side Story In Cinemas December 2021 From acclaimed director Steven Spielberg, the 2021 remake of West Side Story will be coming to cinemas in December 2021. Read Now The Last Job UK Digital and DVD Release Date Screen icon Richard Dreyfuss takes on The Last Job in a brand new, all-action thriller, that stars Modern Family’s Mira Sorvino as his daughter. This rip-roaring gangster movie hits the UK on DVD and digital this August from 101 Films. Read Now Rise of the Footsoldier Origins UK Cinema Release The eagerly-awaited RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER: ORIGINS, starring legendary leading man Vinnie Jones, is showing exclusively in cinemas from September 3, courtesy of Signature Entertainment. Read Now Random Acts of Violence UK DVD and Blu-ray Release Date Jay Baruchel writes, directs and stars in his horror debut Random Acts of Violence, which makes its UK Blu-ray debut from Acorn Media International in conjunction with Shudder, following its success on the streaming service. Read Now Spirited Away 20th Anniversary Special Edition SPIRITED AWAY COLLECTOR’S BOXSET WITH DVD & BLU-RAY DOUBLEPLAY AVAILABLE 27 SEPTEMBER 2021 Read Now A New World Order Premieres in UK 23 August Black Mirror meets A Quiet Place in gripping sci-fi thriller A New World Order from director Daniel Raboldt in his feature debut, which gets its UK premiere on DVD and digital 23 August 2021 from Reel 2 Reel Films. Read Now

WHERE DOES LONELY WOLF TAKE PLACE? The Lonely Wolf: London International Film Festival was reconceived by Adrian Perez in 2020 after an inactive period, as his response for the need of a modern film festival fit for the global age. Lonely Wolf hosts 4 online seasonal competition rounds, followed by an annual week-long film festival event hosted in some of the most impressive cultural venues in London (the St Pancras Clock Tower already a confirmed venue). WHY IS IT CALLED "LONELY WOLF"? ​ WHAT MAKES LONELY WOLF? "Why did I create Lonely Wolf? Because as a former filmmaker myself, I was lacking an online film festival that truly engages with its filmmakers and provides a positive experience for all regardless of your status in the competition. Lonely Wolf’s concrete pillars are its community of filmmakers and the experience we create for them. ​ I also recognised the need for a hybrid forward-thinking festival; one that retains its carefully-curated exhibited programme through its traditionalist annual big-scale film festival and week-long cultural event, whilst champions the online film festival arena, currently saturated by below-the-radar online film festivals." -Founder and CEO Adrian Perez Founder and CEO Adrian Perez keeps his focus on those filmmakers who don’t top the competition as much as on those who do. Lonely Wolf came into being for the very ideal that "no wolf gets left behind"; Adrian's mission for Lonely Wolf is that it pushes beyond its principal faculties of an aspirational creative contest and carefully-curated programme, to providing a forever home and educational resource for filmmakers across the globe. Hence the name "Lonely Wolf", renowned for granting filmmakers the rare opportunity to watch all the best films of the competition from the comfort of their home, via its members-only digital cinema; which is also accessed by film buyers and the wider industry. Lonely Wolf has set itself up to ensure every filmmaker doesn't walk away from the competition merely checking a published list of results, but see themselves nurturing their growth and passion for the craft of filmmaking in the process. Lonely Wolf is most renowned for its mystical "wolfpack" community spirit, in the form of filmmakers' constant engagement with and affinity for the brand, through their UGC content and sendings of celebratory howls via social media. Every filmmaker upon entering the competition is invited into the festival's secret "wolfpack" group, which includes some renowned Emmy and BAFTA award-winning members. Here’s a film festival championing the online arena for managing to create the buzz and networking opportunities only annual venue-held festivals are capable of. Your online networking at Lonely Wolf can take you from meeting like-minded passionate filmmakers and potential collaborators; to meeting your next investor or having your film exposed to a potential film buyer who will grant you a distribution deal; to making friends for life. Lonely Wolf is perfect: it’s most prestigious for hosting its annual week-long carefully curated programme and cultural event in some of the most spectacular cultural venues in London (the St Pancras Clock Tower already a confirmed venue); but then it’s also fit for the global age in that it recognises filmmakers’ desire to skip the year-long wait for their films’ results--so we simultaneously host 4 online seasonal competition rounds. ​ Why seasonal and not monthly? Because it’s a better balance this way. Lonely Wolf’s online competition rounds run frequently but not so frequently they’re an easy laurel giveaway; each of Lonely Wolf’s rounds see you up against an average of 1K+ worldwide films; you’re up for a fight without an excruciatingly long wait for results. It’s a much more worthwhile competition and fulfilling experience. Lonely Wolf: London International Film Festival WHERE DOES LONELY WOLF TAKE PLACE? The Lonely Wolf: London International Film Festival was reconceived by Adrian Perez in 2020 after an inactive period, as his response for the need of a modern film festival fit for the global age. Lonely Wolf hosts 4 online seasonal competition rounds, followed by an annual week-long film festival event hosted in some of the most impressive cultural venues in London (the St Pancras Clock Tower already a confirmed venue). WHY IS IT CALLED "LONELY WOLF"? WHAT MAKES LONELY WOLF? "Why did I create Lonely Wolf? Because as a former filmmaker myself, I was lacking an online film festival that truly engages with its filmmakers and provides a positive experience for all regardless of your status in the competition. Lonely Wolf’s concrete pillars are its community of filmmakers and the experience we create for them. I also recognised the need for a hybrid forward-thinking festival; one that retains its carefully-curated exhibited programme through its traditionalist annual big-scale film festival and week-long cultural event, whilst champions the online film festival arena, currently saturated by below-the-radar online film festivals." -Founder and CEO Adrian Perez Founder and CEO Adrian Perez keeps his focus on those filmmakers who don’t top the competition as much as on those who do. Lonely Wolf came into being for the very ideal that "no wolf gets left behind"; Adrian's mission for Lonely Wolf is that it pushes beyond its principal faculties of an aspirational creative contest and carefully-curated programme, to providing a forever home and educational resource for filmmakers across the globe. Hence the name "Lonely Wolf", renowned for granting filmmakers the rare opportunity to watch all the best films of the competition from the comfort of their home, via its members-only digital cinema; which is also accessed by film buyers and the wider industry. Lonely Wolf has set itself up to ensure every filmmaker doesn't walk away from the competition merely checking a published list of results, but see themselves nurturing their growth and passion for the craft of filmmaking in the process. Lonely Wolf is most renowned for its mystical "wolfpack" community spirit, in the form of filmmakers' constant engagement with and affinity for the brand, through their UGC content and sendings of celebratory howls via social media. Every filmmaker upon entering the competition is invited into the festival's secret "wolfpack" group, which includes some renowned Emmy and BAFTA award-winning members. Here’s a film festival championing the online arena for managing to create the buzz and networking opportunities only annual venue-held festivals are capable of. Your online networking at Lonely Wolf can take you from meeting like-minded passionate filmmakers and potential collaborators; to meeting your next investor or having your film exposed to a potential film buyer who will grant you a distribution deal; to making friends for life. Lonely Wolf is perfect: it’s most prestigious for hosting its annual week-long carefully curated programme and cultural event in some of the most spectacular cultural venues in London (the St Pancras Clock Tower already a confirmed venue); but then it’s also fit for the global age in that it recognises filmmakers’ desire to skip the year-long wait for their films’ results--so we simultaneously host 4 online seasonal competition rounds. Why seasonal and not monthly? Because it’s a better balance this way. Lonely Wolf’s online competition rounds run frequently but not so frequently they’re an easy laurel giveaway; each of Lonely Wolf’s rounds see you up against an average of 1K+ worldwide films; you’re up for a fight without an excruciatingly long wait for results. It’s a much more worthwhile competition and fulfilling experience. SEE MORE FILM FESTIVALS

Watch Powdered Dandelions at the 2022 UK Film Review Festival. See the UKFRF 2022 lineup and buy your festival pass. Powdered Dandelions Listen to our review on the film podcast What our film review said: READ FULL REVIEW Whilst Powdered Dandelions may not have the same ethical quandaries as Catfish the popularity of this theme with younger adults forms an interesting and concerning cultural marker for where we are as a society. A well-crafted visual style and an excellent performance from Virago make Powdered Dandelions a heartfelt and moving short that effectively drills down into the public consciousness. Proudly supporting MediCinema for our 2022 film festival.

Read the film podcast transcript from the episode titled Gladiator 2, Juror #2 and Paddington 3 - UK Film Club Episode 21 on UK Film Club part of the UK Film Review Podcast. < Back Gladiator 2, Juror #2 and Paddington 3 - UK Film Club Episode 21 Listen to This Episode UK Film Club 00:00:00.69 Chris Olson Yeah, I think my move into children's books isn't far away. you know I think i'll be I'll be there soon. 00:00:04.98 Brian Penn I know. Yeah, I know. That inspiration is close at home. Make the most of it, Chris. 00:00:10.56 Chris Olson Absolutely. But have you been? 00:00:11.65 Brian Penn Yeah, I've been very well. 00:00:12.00 Chris Olson You been all right? 00:00:13.78 Brian Penn Thank you. You know, 00:00:15.01 Chris Olson Yeah, very well. I didn't blow away with the storm, so that was good. 00:00:18.31 Brian Penn well, where I am, we could have waited very lightly. Bit of wind, a bit of rain, you know, nothing to write home about really. So we were lucky compared to some. That's for sure. 00:00:28.28 Chris Olson Yeah. Yeah, it wasn't too bad out here in Kent. 00:00:30.70 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:00:31.14 Chris Olson It was all right. um Oh, yeah, we don't. 00:00:32.88 Brian Penn We're sport living in the in the southeast, I think, really, aren't we? Weather ways, you know? 00:00:38.34 Chris Olson At the moment, we don't tend to get the the crazy weather, do we? 00:00:41.52 Brian Penn No, no. So I think we're very fortunate and we can feel very, very, very sorry for those who are affected. But, you know, thank you lucky stars that but we live in a very mild climate, I guess. 00:00:55.47 Chris Olson Absolutely. and Yeah, I mean, 00:00:56.46 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:00:58.80 Chris Olson Where are we now? It's the penultimate episode of the year, I would say. 00:01:05.00 Brian Penn Right. Okay. Yeah. 00:01:06.72 Chris Olson Well, in theory, we'll do one more in December, in theory. 00:01:10.11 Brian Penn All right. Yeah. 00:01:13.12 Chris Olson So yeah, that would be, that's a lot of episodes this year. 00:01:16.65 Brian Penn and I know. Well, when you add in the, uh, the indie specials as well, it's been a busy time, isn't it really? 00:01:21.06 Chris Olson yeah Busy time, we've got some Christmas films on this show. 00:01:26.45 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:01:27.16 Chris Olson um yeah no it's been a fabulous year thank you very much brian for all you've done all the hard work um but yeah i mean we'll kick it off because this is a 21 episode 21 officially of the uk film review podcast uh well uk film club and we've as brian said here we've had a few indie specials mixed in there which were just indies i think we have on it this month actually should but 00:01:31.80 Brian Penn Pleasure, pleasure, no worries. 00:01:56.68 Chris Olson On this episode, we're back to normal scheduling. We've got cinema releases, we've got a streaming film, we've got indie films that have been sent to us, and we've got a nostalgia pic, which is one of my absolute all-time favourite Christmas films. 00:02:00.79 Brian Penn yeah Yeah. 00:02:11.43 Brian Penn Oh, yeah. I know. I know. It's a jam, isn't it? I can't wait to talk about that one. 00:02:15.88 Chris Olson Absolutely. Yeah, I've been waiting years to talk to Brian about this film. 00:02:20.17 Brian Penn it but Yeah. 00:02:21.43 Chris Olson So here we go. But first up, as always, is the cinema releases. So these are films that Brian has very kindly gone to the cinema and watched. 00:02:30.83 Brian Penn Hmm. 00:02:31.22 Chris Olson And yeah, he reviews them on this portion of the show. First up, Ridley Scott's back with another gladiator. 00:02:40.50 Brian Penn yeah oh yes yes rudy scott is back and gladius is back so again rudy scott filmed starring paul mezcal pedro pascal denzel washington and connie nelson now the story moves on one generation maximus decimus meridius had a son lucious who, for his own safety, escaped to Numidia as a boy. The land is subsequently conquered by Roman forces commanded by General Acacius. Lucius is enslaved, but Macrinus, the master of gladiator, sees potential. He quietly makes a name for himself, but stormclowns are gathering in the Roman Empire. Joint Emperors Gita and Caracalla have their rivals and knives are being sharpened behind their backs. 00:03:30.16 Brian Penn So this is fantastic entertainment. 00:03:33.85 Chris Olson Yeah. 00:03:34.14 Brian Penn For pure action, it doesn't get much better than this. The combat sequences are jaw-droppingly good. I won't describe them here. It needs to be seen without any prompts or tips. 00:03:45.01 Brian Penn So that's all I'll say. Having said all of that, it's not for everyone. It's violent, bloodthirsty and brutal. But it's an authentic portrayal of life in the Roman Empire. 00:03:57.98 Brian Penn I mean, after all, Christians were fed to the lions for entertainment. But occasionally, they put a sword in in their hand and became gladiators and they had a chance. But this is top-notch entertainment. You can't really go wrong with this. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. And Ridley Scott is already working on the script for Gladiator 3 already. So we won't have to wait 24 years for the next one. Let's put it that way. 00:04:24.34 Chris Olson well it's interesting isn't it that they've already got that in the pipeline it's happened quite a lot with these 00:04:28.32 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:04:30.40 Chris Olson reboots and sequels that have you coming from classic films. 00:04:31.64 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:04:33.84 Chris Olson I think it's because these studios have realized the built-in audiences for these films are pretty much the only way to go, right? For cinema releases, we need it's very unlikely now for news stories to come out and dominate, unless they're attached to like the Marvel universe or something like that. 00:04:42.19 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:04:51.59 Brian Penn Yeah. yeah 00:04:53.03 Chris Olson So it's interesting that these, and it's also, because obviously directing, There isn't so much in terms of limitation, like acting, there's definitely a limitation towards yeah what they can get away with. 00:05:04.00 Brian Penn Hmm. Yeah. 00:05:06.18 Chris Olson ah But with the directing, you know, we see filmmakers going to a ripe old age. And, you know, I think it's great that Ridley Scott is still there. 00:05:11.55 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:05:14.69 Chris Olson but Obviously a different cast this time and ah but some great, you know, fresh talent plus Denzel Washington. 00:05:17.11 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:05:20.65 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:05:21.82 Chris Olson I've heard very good things about Denzel in this film. Is he good? 00:05:24.82 Brian Penn I think he's very good. Denzel's always good value. You always put some a shift. I can't I can't recall about Denzel Washington film. 00:05:32.69 Chris Olson no No, there isn't one. 00:05:33.02 Brian Penn You know, 00:05:33.65 Chris Olson There isn't one. We looked we did an episode on it. 00:05:34.45 Brian Penn you know 00:05:35.73 Chris Olson I did I did one back Yeah, that was good episode that you know what that was one of those episodes where we have to watch these films when we go I'll go back and watch as many good I just enjoyed every minute if it was like, oh, this is these are all great Yeah 00:05:35.78 Brian Penn ah Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. i 00:05:42.68 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know. I know, I know, I know. The thing is, when you think about it, it took him a while to break through big, you know, in a major way. He was probably mid to late thirties before he became a major player. But he chose his films well, Denzel Washington. And he's done that this time as well. You know, he's just good. He's totally convincing in every role. You know, you buy into it. He's good. It's a great cast anyway. But the visuals are just stunning. 00:06:14.59 Brian Penn As I say, yeah it's it's really a question of whether you're into it or not. You know, it's it's a strong storyline. you but You would call it an action movie, I guess. You would you couldn't call it anything else. But everyone wants the socks off. It's a great production. Ridley Scott is 86 years old now. And he's still going strong. I mean, it's so it's a strain to direct any film when you're half that age, let alone 86. 00:06:42.40 Chris Olson I was gonna say, I'm 36 and I can barely get this podcast to work. you know so It tests me, so yeah, and it hats off. 00:06:48.82 Brian Penn but But, you know, I mean, I love Ridley Scott because he dares to do things that are different and there aren't many directors that try different things. And as far as I know, I mean, I'll stand corrected on this. 00:07:01.55 Brian Penn I think this is the first sequel he's ever directed of anything. 00:07:04.42 Chris Olson Ooh, that's an interesting point. 00:07:05.97 Brian Penn I think so. I'm not sure. 00:07:07.70 Chris Olson I'm going to be honest. 00:07:07.73 Brian Penn I should have checked before we came on out. 00:07:09.11 Chris Olson Well, I'll be honest listeners. I can't be able to check. So please look and let us know because I'll probably get it wrong anyway. 00:07:12.57 Brian Penn but 00:07:15.11 Chris Olson i'll To be fair, AI probably tell me when, if I do that. 00:07:17.66 Brian Penn It should do, yeah, it should do. If it behaves itself and you ask it nicely. 00:07:20.70 Chris Olson Yeah. Yeah. 00:07:24.33 Brian Penn But yeah, so as I say, great a great piece of filmmaking, undoubtedly. But if you can get your head around the violence, and it is pretty graphic, 00:07:35.17 Brian Penn but it would be it would be it's it's portraying a a very violent era you know so you you kind of expect it and you you you've got to give it that allowance that it's not good choices they're telling it like it was oh yeah of course yeah it didn't have a two in this light although did it that's the thing 00:07:36.69 Chris Olson Hmm. 00:07:50.42 Chris Olson So alien they're saying, cause he did Prometheus technically. So technically. No, and and I feel Prometheus is quite a different film, to be honest. 00:08:02.43 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, um okay, okay, so, yeah. 00:08:02.84 Chris Olson But anyway, yeah well where does this how well, how does this hold up against the original Gladiator, though? Because the original is an absolute classic, right? 00:08:11.63 Brian Penn Yeah, it's, yeah, of course, Oliver Rivers and Richard Harris. 00:08:11.79 Chris Olson Russell Crowe and all that. 00:08:15.97 Brian Penn I mean, you had some genuine superstar actors in the first gladiator movie. That's not to say that the cast this time isn't great, they are, but I don't know, I think, I think, the first gladiator movie just about shows it for me. 00:08:32.11 Brian Penn Because you you had the freshness of the idea, but this is good I mean, you know, I'm looking forward to gladiator 3, you know, I'm not a huge fan of sequels, but and I Know whenever as good as this bring it on bring it on Yeah, yeah, I I've definitely a thumbs up. 00:08:32.35 Chris Olson ah 00:08:34.87 Chris Olson Yeah. 00:08:42.20 Chris Olson No, and that is high praise indeed. Well, you can't see our thumbs, but Brian's doing that whole thing where he hovers his thumb and it's a thumbs up for this one. 00:08:55.00 Brian Penn Yeah, it's not even hovering. 00:08:55.44 Chris Olson them 00:08:55.96 Brian Penn Yeah 00:08:56.65 Chris Olson even ho 00:08:56.88 Brian Penn so 00:08:57.62 Chris Olson ah But yeah, if you've seen, oh, actually, someone may have seen Gladiator. Let's check the old listener reviews. So these are people that have sent in very kindly their reviews, and I know someone did. 00:09:05.41 Brian Penn Ah, OK. 00:09:07.81 Chris Olson So Sean, Sean Baguley, I'm almost definitely pronouncing that wrong. 00:09:14.85 Brian Penn All right. 00:09:14.91 Chris Olson Sean Baguley, B-A-G-U-L-E-Y. I'm so sorry, Sean. and Yeah. 00:09:19.81 Brian Penn It was a good effort, Chris, I'm sure. 00:09:21.47 Chris Olson I don't know if it was. Sean gives it three out of five, so not a massive fan. 00:09:24.89 Brian Penn um Oh, no. 00:09:27.87 Chris Olson ah 00:09:28.35 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:09:29.47 Chris Olson From the beginning, we are tuned right back into the original Ridley Scott, using it as a support to try and get this film off the ground running. Again, you can understand why he would want to use Gladiator as a springboard, but in doing so, it loses a missing piece, which makes you his story great originality. 00:09:45.59 Chris Olson So something that we have mentioned, obviously it is a sequel, they are visiting the same world. 00:09:47.40 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 00:09:51.02 Chris Olson Denzel Washington does what he does best whilst playing Macruness, but doesn't give a level of performance i would argue he gave us in fences for example so that's interesting 00:10:02.02 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:10:02.28 Chris Olson um Yeah, I mean, that's a very good review, Shaun, you've gone on through a lot. 00:10:07.64 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:10:07.79 Chris Olson It's really the end bit there. An enjoyable ride, you don't find yourself checking your watch for how long was left but is but it's without any story depth or real meaning to get involved with the characters. 00:10:12.38 Brian Penn Oh, no, absolutely not. 00:10:17.92 Chris Olson And by the time the ride comes to an end, the dream that is Rome can be whatever. I mean, that is very poetic at the end, I love it. 00:10:26.16 Brian Penn Yeah, well, yeah, of course. 00:10:26.32 Chris Olson But yeah, thank you, Shaun, for the review. And obviously, um 00:10:28.18 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:10:30.37 Chris Olson all opinions are welcome, which is fabulous. 00:10:31.53 Brian Penn Of course so, yeah. 00:10:32.09 Chris Olson you know We aren't gonna put you to the lions, not not yet anyway, not until I'm in charge. 00:10:33.97 Brian Penn No, no, absolutely not. No, no, no, no, not at all. 00:10:37.51 Chris Olson When I'm fully in charge, then maybe. But yeah, Gladiator 2 at the cinemas. 00:10:40.07 Brian Penn But, yeah. 00:10:41.91 Chris Olson I mean, it's gonna do good business, um I think. 00:10:44.76 Brian Penn Oh, I'm sure. ah um I'm sure that's ah that's a banker, really, I think. 00:10:49.24 Chris Olson yeah Another film likely gonna bank is Paddington. 00:10:50.59 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:10:54.94 Brian Penn Oh, dear old Paddington. 00:10:57.29 Chris Olson Paddington 2. 00:10:57.31 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 00:10:59.21 Chris Olson Oh, no, sorry, 3. We're on 3, aren't we? 00:11:00.28 Brian Penn History, this is Paddington Goes to Peru, right? 00:11:01.28 Chris Olson It's 3. goes to perun 00:11:03.76 Brian Penn So, okay, yeah. So, directed by Dougal Wilson, starring Hugh Bonneville, Emily Walsomer, Judy Walters, Anseli Banderas, Olivia Colman and the voice of Ben Whishaw as Panerson himself. So, Panerson goes back to his roots where he decides to visit Aunt Lucy with the Brown family in her descendants. She now lives in her home for roots on her bears. 00:11:29.91 Chris Olson Mm hmm. 00:11:30.97 Brian Penn Run by nuns, strangely enough. However, they seem to discover Aunt Lucia's mysteriously gone missing. They aim to find her and go on a trek through the Amazon rainforest with the help of Hunter Cabot, an explorer of some renown. 00:11:45.60 Brian Penn Now this is great fun, fantastic fun, charming, funny, and it's actually turned Paddington into an action hero, something you think was impossible really, but racing through the jungle, avoiding all kinds of pitfalls armed with just an umbrella, it has the feel of Indiana Jones about it in some ways. 00:12:04.50 Brian Penn but you know this this maintains the the standard again we're talking about sequels aren't we right but this maintains the standard it it's very consistent there's some nice cameos there but this is a great family movie for me it works so well and it's and parson is just so cute it's it's it's just not fair you know that this bear who just gives you that anyone this iron stare but they've not they've not um they've not shown proper manners 00:12:37.09 Chris Olson Yeah. 00:12:37.60 Brian Penn it is It's a lovely film and a good film for the holidays to take the kids to go and see, definitely. um But yeah, look, what can you say? It's great entertainment. The actors are perfect. They enjoy the the roles they play. And Ben Whishaw manages to put a significant amount of himself into the character, even though you've only got his voice there. you know I think that's not easy for an actor to do, but he he manages it. 00:13:07.11 Brian Penn You know, and so he puts personality into the character whilst not even being on screen, which I think is a difficult one, but... 00:13:12.84 Chris Olson Have you um seen the first two? 00:13:14.56 Brian Penn Yeah, I have, yeah. 00:13:15.94 Chris Olson Yeah, they I mean they're all good aren't they? I think they've just got a good standard and you know that like you said I think the cast plays a big part in it because it's got that fabulous charm to it with all these big names playing sort of not silly characters but you know I mean they kind of got 00:13:17.72 Brian Penn Oh, good, yeah. Yeah. 00:13:24.90 Brian Penn yeah 00:13:29.30 Brian Penn Sunken chic, sunken chic. 00:13:30.19 Chris Olson But yeah, it's it's fun. And yeah, I think films like this are great, especially, you know, this time of year, taking kids to the cinema, because it's whether it's a bit rubbish. 00:13:32.63 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:13:40.44 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:13:41.53 Chris Olson And I think Paddington, Peru is going to fill that mark brilliantly. 00:13:44.08 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:13:44.83 Chris Olson And it's, as far as I'm aware, it's not a Christmas film. So it's sort of doesn't have that limitation to it. 00:13:48.85 Brian Penn No. 00:13:51.23 Brian Penn No. 00:13:51.32 Chris Olson So yeah, no that's really interesting. 00:13:52.44 Brian Penn Yeah. So, yeah, but it's it's a lovely film. You you can't really. Of course, all films have faults, I guess. yeah I was going to say it's a perfect film, but nothing's perfect. But it's perfect for the market. 00:14:04.48 Brian Penn It's aiming at. I think that's what I'm alluding to there. 00:14:09.30 Chris Olson Yeah. 00:14:09.30 Brian Penn you know they They know who the market is, they know who's going to watch this sort of film. And it's been released at just the right time for the holiday season as well. you know Kids ah will be breaking up soon, won't they? They'll be going off on Christmas holidays and they'll be at home. ah So they pitched it just right. Late November, early December, the kids will be off on Christmas holidays. 00:14:33.49 Brian Penn that'd be one of the first ports of call but but it is it's a really really lovely film you know no probably best not really no best not no 00:14:35.78 Chris Olson Yeah, perfect. 00:14:40.17 Chris Olson because you can't take them to see Gladiator too. You're not allowed. The old authorities get quite hot on that, don't they? 00:14:49.58 Brian Penn Well, yeah, I know. I tend to wonder what difference the ratings make these days because films can be accessed from so many different channels currently and platforms. And in my my own sort of, in my own perception, it almost feels like um but they become redundant, you know, because that's just the way of controlling what what people see, making sure it's right. I mean, we're talking about kids, aren't we, really? 00:15:18.68 Chris Olson Hmm. 00:15:19.40 Brian Penn And I'm not so of so sure it always achieves that anymore because of the way we access films has changed over the years. But no. 00:15:28.17 Chris Olson It definitely has. I know as a parent I know that I will heavily rely on their certification. So I know that the guidance is always, I'll try and watch it first so you'll know whether you're a child, but that's so almost impossible. 00:15:35.35 Brian Penn one 00:15:39.47 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:15:42.48 Chris Olson Like to go, I mean, just to get to the cinema with the kids is hard enough, let alone to go without the kids. 00:15:46.29 Brian Penn Well, yeah, yeah and I know. 00:15:47.81 Chris Olson And I'm not going to go and sit through Paddington by myself to then come back with the family. 00:15:52.08 Brian Penn No, that's right. Yeah, don't say it again, yeah. 00:15:53.56 Chris Olson So Yeah, it's it's interesting. But I mean, I i think they're very important. I think sometimes they're wrong. Like I've been on, I've watched films with my kids that are on Netflix, it says PG. 00:16:04.85 Chris Olson And I'm like, this is not a PG. And I've looked it up on the BBFC and it's different. 00:16:06.37 Brian Penn Yeah, I know. 00:16:08.73 Chris Olson So I think it's it's important that they have those standards and that they do 00:16:08.95 Brian Penn I know. 00:16:12.33 Brian Penn Yeah, they they should be there. Of course, they they need to be there and they serve an important function. But ah as you say, the race things are kind of inseparational. It's just opinions, isn't it, in the end? 00:16:23.78 Chris Olson Well, also you'll you'll have, ah so some people, even if they're of age, they might not like films that have certain distressing elements in them. 00:16:23.93 Brian Penn us 00:16:28.39 Brian Penn a 00:16:32.41 Chris Olson So for example, actually my my six-year-old is probably more scared of things than my three-year-old. 00:16:32.46 Brian Penn Yeah. Hmm. 00:16:39.15 Chris Olson My three-year-old is kind of like, oh, it doesn't have any context, right? She's like, oh, it's fine. It doesn't doesn't doesn't care. 00:16:42.95 Brian Penn Yeah, that's my fear, my fear, yeah. 00:16:45.28 Chris Olson yeah Whereas my six-year-old is more like, oh, that could be in my bedroom. you know That could be hiding under my bed. 00:16:49.09 Brian Penn Yeah, I know. 00:16:50.25 Chris Olson she's She's a bit more sort of like with it. um 00:16:52.65 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 00:16:53.87 Chris Olson And then also, yeah, yeah I don't know, absolutely fearless toddlers. And then, you know, I'm scared of stuff. You know, it's a nightmare, but um yeah, it's interesting. 00:17:01.96 Brian Penn Yeah, and I know. 00:17:04.20 Chris Olson I think, do you do you have a film from your childhood, Brian, that absolutely scared you? Was there something you watched way too young and... 00:17:11.23 Brian Penn um Oh, that's a good question. i i up Sorry, after you. 00:17:15.09 Chris Olson No, I was gonna give you a bit of breathing time by telling you mine, which... 00:17:19.85 Brian Penn Oh God, let's tell me yours. 00:17:20.86 Chris Olson Yes, so mine was Goodfellas. 00:17:22.91 Brian Penn Oh really? 00:17:24.22 Chris Olson Well, I'd walked in on my dad watching it and I i must have been about 10, 10 or 11. 00:17:25.15 Brian Penn Nah. 00:17:28.29 Brian Penn Nah. 00:17:31.51 Brian Penn Hmm. 00:17:32.49 Chris Olson And it was the scene with the baseball bats and the they're beating this guy in a shallow grave. 00:17:36.83 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah, yeah. 00:17:38.68 Chris Olson and I walked in and I think my dad didn't quite know what to do like did he did he make a deal of it or did he kind of sort of just let it play out and if for he let it play it out and I kind of was absolutely just watching this happen and it was like oh my god and I yeah I struggled with that one. 00:17:52.04 Brian Penn yeah I know, and it's strange what it does here, isn't it? But we can also become anaesthetized to violence. I think the films that really made an impression on me when I was younger were probably the horror films, like the really big horror films, like, for example, ah The Wicker Man, the original version with Christopher Lee. 00:18:09.75 Chris Olson Yeah. 00:18:12.87 Brian Penn That was amazing, and it was terrifying. And I can remember not being able to get to sleep, having seen that film. But as I've grown up, I've become less shocked by horror movies, for example. I've often said the horror movies don't work for me anymore. But when I was young enough to be captured by my own imagination, it was The Wicker Man. i think And it's still frightening, The Wicker Man, the original one from 73 with Edward Woodward. 00:18:42.13 Brian Penn is really, really scary. I think that was probably the one film that stands out for my childhood, that when I saw it, that had that kind of impression on me. 00:18:47.01 Chris Olson Hmm. 00:18:51.11 Brian Penn So yeah, it's it's interesting how these films still stand out. But um yeah. 00:18:58.07 Chris Olson Especially, yeah, well made horror, but I mean, Paddington and Peru, not a well made horror, to be honest, but a well made family film. 00:19:00.20 Brian Penn but yeah No, no, no, no, no. Yeah, a well-made, foamy film. Yeah, you've nailed it there, I think. 00:19:07.91 Chris Olson If you enjoy it, or if you don't, let us know send us your reviews or comment on this podcast if you're listening on a platform where you can do so. 00:19:07.91 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:19:11.80 Brian Penn ye 00:19:16.70 Chris Olson And we'd love to hear from you. 00:19:17.78 Brian Penn Yep. 00:19:18.23 Chris Olson We're moving on to the last film in the cinema releases, which is Jura number two. And I'm interested in this because this is another, shall we say, experienced director, I'm trying not to use the word old, the Clint Eastwood directing 00:19:26.32 Brian Penn Yes. Nice. thanks so yeah yeah So this stars Nicholas Holtz, Sonny Collette and JK Simmons. In a nutshell, juror number two is Justin Kemp, a member of the jury trying the case of a man who's on trial for the murder of his girlfriend. However, he has information that proves the defendant is innocent, but just ends up against 11 jurors who are convinced he's guilty. Now, 00:20:00.69 Brian Penn If you've ever seen the film, 12 Angry Men, which in my opinion is one of the greatest films ever made, in black and white, 1957, directed by Sadie Lumatz, starring Henry Fonda, amongst many others. 00:20:05.35 Chris Olson Yep. Amazing film. I love that film. 00:20:16.62 Brian Penn That's really the template for jury number two. Although there is a twist that you will have to discover when you see it. This is a really strong, well-contained thriller. 00:20:27.68 Brian Penn It drips with tension and atmosphere. The storyline is totally realistic. You look at it and think, yeah, this could happen. So it presents the audience with a genuine moral dilemma. What would you do if you were in his shoes? The cast is excellent. Sonny Collette as the DA is very good. JK Simmons always good value you as a coach. What I find surprising, though, is the um the attitude of Warner Brothers. 00:20:54.05 Brian Penn They've given it a fairly limited release in the USA. It's got good coverage in the UK, by the way, but not in ah in America. And for some strange reason, they aren't promoting it, which could harm its chances of an Oscar. And it is a Clint Eastwood film. And at the age of 94, it's probably going to be his last film. So there's adiculos. But I'm amazed that Warner's haven't given it more space, more prominence than they normally would do. Because this is a very, very good film. 00:21:24.00 Brian Penn And I think it's a missed opportunity if they don't give it a stronger showcase than they are. But a great thriller, excellent thriller. 00:21:32.56 Chris Olson Yeah, I mean, I love Clint Eastwood films anyway. And this, I also love courtroom dramas, all that stuff. 00:21:35.50 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:21:38.00 Brian Penn Oh, I do as well. Yeah. 00:21:39.00 Chris Olson I love a legal thriller. 00:21:39.08 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:21:40.12 Chris Olson It just, yeah, it just gets me going. 00:21:40.27 Brian Penn yeah 00:21:42.95 Chris Olson And when something like this comes out, it's the sort of film that can stand up just on its credentials alone. I'll look at that list of things going on and think, yep, I need to see this. 00:21:52.12 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:21:53.40 Chris Olson I absolutely need to see this. 00:21:53.78 Brian Penn yeah yeah Yeah, it's definitely your kind of film, Chris, really, in that way. 00:21:56.60 Chris Olson I love it. 00:21:57.89 Brian Penn I love courtroom dramas. There's an inbuilt drama by itself. In fact, it's in courtroom. You have that degree of formality. You've got advocates on both sides. 00:22:08.44 Brian Penn You've you've got the jurors. They're under pressure. You've got the defendant under pressure. All passes to those proceedings are stressed out. They're under pressure. And that's what you what you plug into. 00:22:20.72 Brian Penn It's a really, really good film. And um if that is the last one Clint Eastwood makes, because as I said at the age of 94, you were talking about Ridley Scott just now, weren't we? 00:22:32.89 Brian Penn 86. 00:22:33.12 Chris Olson Yeah. 00:22:33.53 Brian Penn But, you know, ah I'd be surprised if Clint makes, directs another film now at the age of 94, but it's got a hell of a track record for making films, directing them and starring them. 00:22:42.07 Chris Olson Hmm. 00:22:47.69 Brian Penn Really a strong back hassling. And I just wonder, though, where where the next Clint East was coming from, somebody who could fill his shoes and directs as well, because I don't think there are many acts like him around today. Not really. 00:23:04.88 Chris Olson Yeah, he's got that element of being from the old school, but still very relevant in the new school. I think that's sometimes what happens to a lot of actors is they're in one side or the other, but he's he' still become so relevant in a lot of his more modern films and acting in as well. 00:23:10.89 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. yeah 00:23:22.48 Brian Penn yeah 00:23:25.66 Chris Olson So like Gran Torino, he's directing and he's acting in it, but with that was a great film. 00:23:28.21 Brian Penn That was good. That was great. That was great. 00:23:30.71 Chris Olson um 00:23:31.13 Brian Penn I love that. Yeah. 00:23:32.30 Chris Olson And yeah, I mean, my favourite out Clint Eastwood film, if I may, is it's Unforgiven. I love that film. I think that is, that's the type of film, if it's on, I will just stop whatever I'm doing, even if I'm, I don't know, driving a car. 00:23:41.24 Brian Penn Oh, fantastic. Yeah. 00:23:49.81 Chris Olson I'm not sure why I would be driving and watching the film, but I would, I would just stop and just watch that film. 00:23:50.15 Brian Penn Well, I was going to say, yeah. 00:23:54.75 Chris Olson And I just, it's an absolute all time classic. 00:23:54.91 Brian Penn i mean Yeah. 00:23:58.13 Brian Penn It really ah reactivated the Western, didn't it? Because the Western, the classic Western movie as we know it, died for a long time. It it just disappeared, didn't it, really? 00:24:09.36 Chris Olson Yeah. 00:24:10.16 Brian Penn But The Unforgiven was a film that brought Western's backs to life. And I think it deserves so much credit for doing that, really, because Westerns ah are a fantastic genre ah that I grew up watching. My dad was a massive Western fan of Westerns. You know, my brothers were as well, and still are. You know, but um it's a genre that that belongs in cinema. And The Unforgiven brings it back. I suppose, really, my favorite paintings would fill. 00:24:42.81 Brian Penn I mean, there are so many to choose from really, but I think it would be the first Dirty Harry film for me. 00:24:48.39 Chris Olson Mmm. 00:24:50.40 Brian Penn It kind of spawned so many imitations, know that type of cop that's got a rough edge, but he's basically a good guy, trying trying to deal with the bad guys. 00:25:04.46 Brian Penn That character's really strong. and um endures for me and the the follow-up film Southern Impacts was a great film as well and a great catch line a great tagline from those films go ahead make my day I mean yeah no I know but this is it so it was very influential for that type of film and as you say it's becoming grain that and he's as you say Clint Eastwood is 00:25:19.43 Chris Olson yeah I mean, that has yeah embedded itself into popular culture so much that yeah you forget where it started from sometimes. 00:25:36.93 Brian Penn He represents movie history. He represents the past and still represents the present. So as I say, it's a shame that this might be his last film. I don't think he's going to act anymore, that's for sure. 00:25:52.45 Chris Olson Hmm, well, does he feel lucky punk? 00:25:54.08 Brian Penn But do you feel lucky? 00:25:55.32 Chris Olson That's the question. Does he feel lucky? 00:25:56.96 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:25:57.82 Chris Olson Because which film, Brian, we've got Gladiator 2, we've got Paddington Peru, we've got Dura 2, and and they they kind of, they all rhyme. 00:25:59.58 Brian Penn Yeah. Oh, yeah. They were right. 00:26:05.25 Chris Olson What's going on there? 00:26:06.32 Brian Penn Have we managed that? Have I managed to pick three films that are right? 00:26:07.61 Chris Olson but And which one is film of the month? 00:26:11.66 Brian Penn It's a tough one because they're they're all great films. They're all worth going to see at the cinema. 00:26:17.38 Chris Olson I'm going to punk. My guess is going to be Gladiator 2. 00:26:21.56 Brian Penn Yeah, I think I think it shows it because just for pure spectacle, adrenaline, excitement, you know, it is bad. 00:26:22.15 Chris Olson Yeah. 00:26:31.86 Brian Penn Yeah. So that's that's the big. fit It's one of the films of the year and not only the film of the month. But, you know, passing goes to Peru during number two could have been films of the month in in a previous month. 00:26:45.63 Brian Penn They're all very good films. 00:26:46.06 Chris Olson Oh, that's good. 00:26:46.87 Brian Penn I think over overall though, I think it's been, and I don't think it's been a vintage year for the films, but it's been a solid year. There have been some really good films, mate. But yeah, so i definitely gladiator too. 00:27:00.81 Chris Olson There you go, Film of the Month, Gladiator 2. Another big thumbs up, no wobbly thumb, it's just it's just good. 00:27:05.03 Brian Penn No, we'll be fine, man. Yeah. 00:27:07.38 Chris Olson Now moving on from the cinema releases, we now move to the streaming pic and we've gone festive. 00:27:14.51 Brian Penn Mm. 00:27:14.95 Chris Olson This is a rom-com, I'm gonna go rom-com, yeah. 00:27:20.51 Brian Penn Yeah, I guess so, really. Yeah. 00:27:21.94 Chris Olson chris Christmas rom-com, a crim-con, I'm not sure how that works. 00:27:22.19 Brian Penn Wrong call. Yeah. Yeah. A criminal. Yeah, I like that. 00:27:27.18 Chris Olson Crim-con, hey, i'm I'm coining new terms as we go along. 00:27:30.08 Brian Penn Yeah, all right. Hey, what the hell? 00:27:31.24 Chris Olson A crim-con. 00:27:32.28 Brian Penn Let's remember that one. 00:27:32.36 Chris Olson um yeah Meet me next Christmas on Netflix, directed by a Rusty Kundeaf. 00:27:37.57 Brian Penn Yeah, 00:27:42.32 Chris Olson Almost definitely pronouncing that wrong. 00:27:43.99 Brian Penn the 00:27:44.13 Chris Olson and yeah and you Did you get round to seeing this one, Brian? 00:27:45.12 Brian Penn yeah maybe. Yeah, I did. Yeah, I saw it. 00:27:49.75 Chris Olson um you're You're so good, aren't you? 00:27:49.85 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:27:51.59 Chris Olson You're so good at keeping up with everything. 00:27:53.28 Brian Penn Well, yeah, I did my best. I used to do my best, you know. 00:27:55.23 Chris Olson to of nurse Yeah, I mean, you go. 00:27:57.50 Brian Penn So, should we describe the storyline here? All right. 00:28:04.22 Chris Olson you go 00:28:04.34 Brian Penn All right, let me try the story out for science. Whilst waiting for a delayed flight on Christmas Eve, Laila makes a connection with fellow traveler James. 00:28:16.40 Brian Penn Whilst there's an instant attraction, Laila rebuffs him as she's already in a relationship. However, they resolved to meet next Christmas Eve at the Pentatonix concert if things change. She's later convinced that James is the one and fate will lead us to him once again. But the race is on to find a ticket it for the gig and she employs Teddy, an underperforming concierge to seal the deal. So for me, this film is nice enough 00:28:47.68 Brian Penn But for a film that purports to deal with fate, which I think is really up at its center, it kind of misses the point for me. You know, I'm a romantic, Chris. I believe in destiny, that fate puts us in a certain place at a certain time. 00:29:01.50 Brian Penn But seven minutes in, you know exactly what's going to going to happen. 00:29:04.17 Chris Olson hey yeah 00:29:04.55 Brian Penn And that's not fate. That's not fate. It's a foregone conclusion. So whilst it as it has its moments, I think ah Christina Milian is a charming lead, likeable, 00:29:18.02 Brian Penn It falls down a bit. It falls out a bit crisp for me. 00:29:21.97 Chris Olson Yeah, first off, can I just say Brian, I don't think you get enough praise on your synopses. 00:29:24.17 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:29:26.99 Chris Olson You're very good at a concise few, you know, not too much. 00:29:28.07 Chris Olson heh 00:29:29.75 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:29:31.69 Chris Olson You don't give away too much. heh heh 00:29:32.59 Brian Penn I try not to. 00:29:32.91 Chris Olson You keep everything very, that was excellent. 00:29:35.09 Brian Penn Thank you. 00:29:35.21 Chris Olson I was listening to that thinking there's no way I could have done that that well. 00:29:37.98 Brian Penn but 00:29:38.29 Chris Olson I would have waffled on for like five minutes. 00:29:40.42 Brian Penn Well, but see to me, when you look at what we're what we're presenting here, it's it's an outline of the film. 00:29:41.04 Chris Olson so 00:29:47.55 Brian Penn People listening are going to think, right, what's this film about? Who's in it? Is it any good? you know But when you describe the storyline, I think it's knowing when to stop, isn't it? It's knowing when to say, right, this is as much as you're going to get. 00:29:57.49 Chris Olson Yeah. 00:30:00.41 Brian Penn right you You know enough now. 00:30:01.14 Chris Olson Yeah. 00:30:03.40 Brian Penn The rest you need to see when you when you when you watch the film. you know So what do you think of it, though? 00:30:07.73 Chris Olson um So, everyone knows, I'm a big Christmas fan, they know this. 00:30:12.24 Brian Penn then Yeah. 00:30:12.94 Chris Olson i I've reviewed lots of Christmas films on UK Film Review and on this podcast, and as a genre, I put it right up there, I love it. 00:30:15.42 Brian Penn i don't know 00:30:21.34 Chris Olson Now, this I say would fall straight into the, it's what we always used to call the TV Christmas movie, it was sort of, it's in that realm, it's not not worthy of cinema release, I'll be honest. 00:30:28.40 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. 00:30:32.50 Brian Penn Nah. not yeah 00:30:34.53 Chris Olson Even though with any Christmas film, you've got spectacle, you've got colour, you've got vibrancy. It's one of these films that's just, it's formulaic. 00:30:45.13 Chris Olson It's basically moving the characters from one place to another. 00:30:47.53 Brian Penn Hmm. 00:30:47.61 Chris Olson As you say, you know exactly where they're all going to end up. 00:30:50.27 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:30:50.75 Chris Olson And I think along the way in this film, what they tried to do was give you enough barking mad side characters to make you kind of not question what was going on with the central dynamic, which was very, very obvious. 00:31:00.03 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:31:02.82 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 00:31:05.26 Chris Olson But you're thought you presented with a really strange couple or and ah a performance, shall we say, at one point. 00:31:09.07 Brian Penn Hmm. 00:31:12.98 Chris Olson And it's it's all meant to sort of distract you from the reality that actually you know where this is all going. 00:31:15.68 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. yeah 00:31:18.27 Chris Olson I think it's ah you could shave 20 minutes off this very easily. You didn't need it to be quite as long as it was. 00:31:22.87 Brian Penn you know Yeah. 00:31:25.79 Chris Olson that all being said I think it has its heart in the right place I don't think because sometimes I watch these movies and I'm like you didn't even try you didn't even try to sort of make it and say I thought that I like the addition of the the actual pentatonix characters or or signals they're actually in the film I think that was 00:31:29.17 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. 00:31:33.13 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 00:31:38.83 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. I did well. I think I did quite well with that, actually. 00:31:43.17 Chris Olson Yeah, that was a fun little addition. 00:31:45.33 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:31:45.99 Chris Olson I think the the chemistry between the leads was great. I sort of enjoyed that, I bought into it. And as you see, I think Christina Miliana is brilliant. I thought she was she really did hold up the film. 00:31:56.87 Chris Olson but yeah If you took her out and put someone else in there who didn't know what they were doing, this would have really felt flat. 00:31:58.67 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 00:32:02.92 Chris Olson But as it is, it's watchable. It's a three-star film. It really is. 00:32:06.15 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. 00:32:06.80 Chris Olson It's the definition of a three-star film. 00:32:08.94 Brian Penn Yeah, I think so. I think you're right. It's it's a pleasant way to pass an hour and 40 minutes. And it is TV film territory. 00:32:14.65 Chris Olson Yeah. 00:32:17.76 Brian Penn I can see why it's gone straight onto Netflix. But, you know, it's um it a nice film. so Just sit down, unwind a little bit. You know, it's quite light. Doesn't demand too much of you. 00:32:30.54 Brian Penn You know, so it all works. And in some ways it becomes almost like a promo video for Pentatonix as well. 00:32:36.01 Chris Olson Oh, yeah. 00:32:36.80 Brian Penn yeah The acapella group, because like they they stand out really well. um So it's kind of, it does that, it's got that going on as well. But a very nice film, but you know, lacks, I think lacks the weight to be a great Christmas movie. 00:32:54.06 Chris Olson Yeah, it doesn't it doesn't land in that territory at all, but it's gonna be around and people can check it out. 00:32:54.38 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. yeah 00:33:00.97 Brian Penn yeah 00:33:01.15 Chris Olson It's on Netflix and it's called Meet Me Next Christmas. You will guess the plot within 10 minutes and that's fine. 00:33:09.14 Brian Penn Oh, yeah. Easy. Easy. 00:33:11.46 Chris Olson But don't worry, we've got another Christmas film coming up, which is possibly one of the greatest films ever made. 00:33:14.42 Brian Penn it 00:33:16.49 Chris Olson So don't worry, listeners. 00:33:17.28 Brian Penn and 00:33:18.79 Chris Olson Dear listener, don't worry. We are moving on to the indie film section of our show, which is where we review a selection of movies that have been sent to us. 00:33:24.87 Brian Penn Hmm. 00:33:28.29 Chris Olson They've been said specifically said, can you review the film? Yes, indeed we can. We're gonna review them now. The first film is an indie feature film, which we reviewed several years ago. 00:33:39.92 Chris Olson The title is The Misadventures of Mistress Man Eater. I had to look that up several times because i've I've done a few promos for this episode and I've already messed them all up. 00:33:48.98 Brian Penn All right. I know. 00:33:50.55 Chris Olson I had to keep going back. 00:33:52.22 Brian Penn Easy done. 00:33:52.44 Chris Olson But yes, ah The Misadventures of Mistress Man Eater. If you say that eight times, I think you go crazy, but I'm not sure. um Directed by CJ Julienis and written by Larissa Julienis, who is also in the film. 00:34:02.88 Brian Penn yeah 00:34:09.07 Chris Olson it yeah I mean, as plotlines go, I'm going to say some words soon that should never really be together for the synopsis of a film. 00:34:19.87 Brian Penn okay 00:34:20.00 Chris Olson So we have an art historian who has turned dominatrix in her post-college life, um who is in debt with a loan shark and must repay this by 00:34:24.65 Brian Penn yeah 00:34:35.05 Chris Olson well we trying to win the attention of a local priest who has the name Dracula I think and essentially the film comes up will she seduce this guy and manage to repay her debt 00:34:42.49 Brian Penn Okay. Hmm. 00:34:51.66 Chris Olson Or will she fall for him? And yeah, it's a very strange premise with lots of different character themes being thrown into one thing. 00:34:56.81 Brian Penn and 00:35:00.48 Chris Olson It's almost like they've sort of got a ball of characters and gone, ah okay, a dominatrix, a priest, and an art historian walk into a bar. 00:35:00.85 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:35:03.34 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. but Sounds like a gag, doesn't it, to start with. 00:35:07.21 Chris Olson And yeah, it absolutely does. 00:35:10.61 Brian Penn you 00:35:11.10 Chris Olson and It's one of those films that is more serious than you think. Like you're watching it thinking, oh, they're going to be taking the absolute Mick here. But then when you start watching, you realize, oh, no, actually, they're telling a natural story here. 00:35:20.55 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:35:24.24 Chris Olson And there's some depth there. There's some character development. What did you think of this one, Brian? 00:35:28.50 Brian Penn Well, it's an interesting one. It's original. I kind of like the set up because you're throwing in all these disparate characters ah in together into a kind of a mix. 00:35:39.59 Brian Penn But they're mixing good ideas in to watch, but it should be a strong plot. But in some ways, I think it loses its way. You know, this leans this seems to leave more towards comedy than anything else. 00:35:54.07 Chris Olson Mm. 00:35:54.09 Brian Penn You know, it's more comedy than it is thriller, you know, and ah if you are going to go down the comedy route, which it seemed to be more than it was going down the sort of serious thriller route, then you need a much stronger script. It's got to be sharp and funny and you see glimpses of it, but it's not really getting there. Give this to a top screenwriter and it could be a massive hit because it is different, it is weird and it's unusual, but it just kind of lacks that precision that 00:36:27.61 Brian Penn clear direction of where where this film's going, where you're sending it. 00:36:31.50 Chris Olson Yeah. 00:36:31.71 Brian Penn And ah that's what I think it's missing. um But it has real potential. They rely on the risk of Julianus a bit too much. Very attractive, charming, photogenic, but the film needs a bit more than that. 00:36:46.49 Brian Penn And whilst I think there are lots of good ideas floating around there, it' They've not but they not brought all those strands together properly, or well enough for me. But this's there's something there, but it just needs to be shakes better. 00:37:01.04 Chris Olson Yeah, I agree. The story is a bit convoluted and they could have done with maybe chopping out numerous scenes that didn't really aid the plot for me. 00:37:09.29 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:37:11.73 Brian Penn No. Yeah. 00:37:12.67 Chris Olson I liked the the development of the relationship between our main character and the priest. I thought that actually was quite genuine. 00:37:19.25 Brian Penn Mm. 00:37:20.97 Chris Olson It felt quite well-earned and there was depth there to what was going on. 00:37:22.05 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. 00:37:27.67 Chris Olson And I say, I think it does definitely have strong comedy elements. For me, that wasn't what I bought into. 00:37:31.75 Brian Penn yeah 00:37:34.40 Chris Olson I actually bought more into the drama side of it. I liked what was going on with them. 00:37:36.94 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:37:38.80 Chris Olson I liked this sort of sense of 00:37:38.94 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:37:41.45 Chris Olson they were complicated characters with strange backgrounds as to why they ended up where they ended up, because both of them have got a history. 00:37:47.87 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. 00:37:49.59 Chris Olson And I thought that was a really clever idea. 00:37:49.92 Brian Penn yeah 00:37:52.89 Chris Olson And then being put under this pressure, this time pressure of having to fulfill some kind of debt, it made the tension rise. But I think it gets lost along the way with lots of different gags and little things that didn't quite pan out the way they maybe should have done. 00:38:03.73 Brian Penn Yeah. you know Yeah. I 00:38:09.76 Chris Olson And yeah it felt a little bit wayward by the time i sort of finished it i thought okay yeah i think i liked a good amount of that but there was a lot of that i felt could have just you know been stripped away 00:38:20.16 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. and i I mean, it wasn't, I mean, we often speak about the length of films, don't we? But I think it is relevant to the viewing experience. And this film is one hour fifty one. 00:38:31.53 Brian Penn And I think you're right. You said 20 minutes. I think if they were taking 20 minutes off it, it would have been a lot better, would have been a lot more lean, efficient and would make the the plossing a lot a lot easier to follow as well. 00:38:40.62 Chris Olson a 00:38:46.76 Brian Penn But, you know, 00:38:46.80 Chris Olson Yeah, and and I think some of that was given to side characters that didn't really need it. They they had ah were leaning into sort of this mellow drama with certain characters that felt, whoa, you're you're sort of losing it here. 00:38:58.60 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. 00:39:01.72 Chris Olson It's going off the rails a little bit. 00:39:03.00 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:39:03.28 Chris Olson like Get back to the main characters. 00:39:04.61 Brian Penn I know. 00:39:05.12 Chris Olson Get back to what they're doing. 00:39:05.34 Brian Penn I know. Yeah. 00:39:06.92 Chris Olson and Yeah I tell you what I did like I liked her relationship with her friend she's got this like gay best friend that was really quite sassy and I thought that was fun. 00:39:13.76 Brian Penn yeah Yeah. Yeah. 00:39:15.81 Chris Olson I like the fact that her ringtone is people moaning it's like her customers is a dominatrix it's them moaning I thought that is brilliant it took me a while to work out what that was and I thought why am I watching? 00:39:17.86 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:39:21.94 Brian Penn hello yeah No. yeah i knowing and i 00:39:25.96 Chris Olson ah Yeah, it's just got this kind of quirky charm to it at times. 00:39:30.11 Brian Penn if 00:39:30.35 Chris Olson And I thought, do you know what? 00:39:31.56 Brian Penn but 00:39:31.79 Chris Olson that it's As you said, it's it's original. It's a bit different. I've not seen anything really like this. 00:39:36.67 Brian Penn no 00:39:37.35 Chris Olson I think it could be sharper. I think there could be elements that just kind of work a bit better. 00:39:39.01 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:39:41.60 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:39:41.65 Chris Olson But as it is, it's got that indie feel to it that is going to appeal to people that they are watching something that is not mainstream. 00:39:45.75 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:39:50.18 Chris Olson It's just a little bit unique. 00:39:50.50 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:39:52.01 Chris Olson And yeah, enjoy it for its sort of delightfulness. 00:39:54.05 Brian Penn Yeah, but it's it's got a lot going for it, but it just needs tidying up more. ah You know, but hey, it's it's good. You know, it's good enough to watch and and sort of get something from it. 00:40:08.39 Brian Penn You gain something from it. You know, that's the important thing. 00:40:12.00 Chris Olson absolutely 00:40:12.87 Brian Penn and Like I say, yeah things can always be improved. Things can always be better. sir But you think a film like this has got so much potential. You can do so much with it, with a clearer focus. But, you know, maybe that's the essence of in indie filmmaking in some ways, is that they collect together these ideas and just throw it out there, see what happens. It's good, good effort though. 00:40:38.29 Chris Olson And so the film is called The Misadventures of Mistress Manita. I'm not sure I'm allowed to say it anymore if I might break some kind of rule. 00:40:43.50 Brian Penn no 00:40:45.79 Chris Olson The film is available to rent on Prime Video, I believe, and there's some other places. It may also be available on YouTube, which is where we kind of watched it. So if you are able to check it out and let us know what you think, I'm sure the filmmakers would love to hear your opinions. 00:40:53.92 Brian Penn ye 00:41:00.23 Chris Olson And yeah, it's 2020 film, so... Yeah, let us know. We're moving on now to a film I reviewed on the website called Orango, and we have a clip which I will play right now. 00:41:06.47 Brian Penn Oh, know nice. 00:41:38.17 Brian Penn yeah 00:42:22.07 Chris Olson Brilliant clip ah from the film. Really gives you a taste of what Orango is like, your terms of atmosphere and tone. It has this quasi-documentary feel. And as we heard in there, the character of Eni played by Staniel Ferreira, who travels back to West Africa after living in the West for 17 years. 00:42:46.56 Chris Olson to find out more about who his family were, his mother, his father. His mother actually passed away, which is sort of the reason for his journey back. The first part of the film is him traveling to see his father and his hometown and to reconnect there, get answers to the questions that have been swirling around his sense of identity. Then I won't ruin that bit, but I will just say that the second part of the film, then he moves on to travel to find out more about his mother's family who live in Orango and to research more about the land of their ancestors. 00:43:30.15 Chris Olson It's a really fascinating film. I found it, I was watching it and constantly questioning, is this a documentary or is this a film? Because it was so blurring the lines. I think there is an element of autobiography about this. 00:43:44.91 Chris Olson And the writer who is in the film, Staniel Ferreira, who co-writes with Samuel K. 00:43:45.12 Brian Penn Hmm. 00:43:52.10 Chris Olson Forrest, who directs, they are, I think consciously, bringing in all these actual real people to do real scenes that are actually related to Staniel and it's meant to kind of confuse you at this sense of identity and sense of someone's past trying to look into that but in this in the and this sort of frame of a fictionalized movie which that was a very strange experience for me I think that put me in this state of very much engaged because I was like I'm not quite sure whether this is a documentary or not and that was ah just one of the things that made it fascinating I think obviously a country like Africa with its beautiful landscapes and all the different 00:44:24.51 Brian Penn Yeah. Hello. Yeah. 00:44:38.64 Chris Olson sunsets and things that we get given. It looks and feels so cinematic. It's got a brilliant vibe to it. 00:44:42.97 Brian Penn Hey. 00:44:45.11 Chris Olson And it's emotional. It's just really cut steep at times. What did you think of Arango, Brian? 00:44:50.98 Brian Penn Yeah, I found it powerful and grossing and moving, but actually confusing in places because, you know, you touched on it in your review, in the review that you wrote, where it says it's based on a true story, but it seems the brother, sister and father are telling their own story. 00:45:09.50 Brian Penn you know, they're not acting apart, which is what it suggests. um They're all related anyway, aren't they? Even though they've got different names in the film. Because, you know, there was one conversation between father and son, which to me wasn't acting at all. 00:45:26.06 Brian Penn That felt like a complete documentary where they were eavesdropping on a ah quite a heated conversation between father and son. 00:45:33.22 Chris Olson Yeah. 00:45:33.94 Brian Penn um So I'm not sure why they did that. Was that deliberate to keep you guessing? Why not badge it as a documentary? I mean, it's very good. As I say, very powerful. It holds your attention. You can't take your eyes off it. you know This brother and sister retracing the roots you know um in memory of their mother going back to their homeland to discover where they came from. you know it's It's an incredibly moving account. 00:46:05.16 Brian Penn ah they'd been ah He'd been away for 17 years and they went back. And that in itself is fascinating. ah That need of not wanting to know who you are and where you came from. um So, excellent, very good. But i'm I'm still kind of unsettled by this kind of balance between a documentary and a and film. Aside from that, it's really good. 00:46:31.74 Chris Olson Yeah, you mentioned that scene where he confronts his father and the camera just doesn't quite actually make it into the scene and it's sort of easier from the outside. 00:46:34.60 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:46:40.66 Chris Olson And that's what gave me a feel of, okay, I think this is where the tension between blurring the two sides is coming in because on the one hand, it's a really good cinematic device to keep us on the outside, but on the other side, it's like, okay, yeah, but we're now not really seeing what's going on other than 00:46:48.46 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:46:52.63 Brian Penn Hmm. 00:46:58.85 Chris Olson yeah getting a gist of what's happening. 00:46:58.98 Brian Penn Yeah. yeah 00:47:01.57 Chris Olson I actually found i found it worked for me. I really liked that idea. and um I think the use of or authentic African feels to things like there's this cinematography that I talked about, the the score, it had a real essence to it of someone's journey back to their homeland that was done in a way that felt honest and authentic even with this slightly confusing mix of genres that i yeah i found it really really interesting and powerful i love when i watch something and i kind of don't quite know how i feel about it until the end and i definitely felt that way here i think 00:47:30.43 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:47:40.38 Brian Penn but no Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 00:47:44.20 Chris Olson there are parts to the film that work better than others. 00:47:46.11 Brian Penn Hmm. 00:47:47.89 Chris Olson There's some bits which feel more like, okay, yeah, that's footage that they've gained from characters that are maybe trying to give an insight, but it's not really that valuable to say a storyline. 00:47:59.66 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:47:59.88 Chris Olson um But then other bits of the work really, really strong, really enjoyed them. It's yeah, for me, it was one of those films that meant I got a story, but also an experience at the same time. 00:48:14.37 Chris Olson I kind of came away, it was like a cinematic experience. 00:48:14.85 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. That's a good way of explaining it really, yeah. 00:48:17.23 Chris Olson I come away and go, yeah, that I felt, okay, well, I've seen something very ambitious, very different. 00:48:18.98 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:48:22.39 Chris Olson And I think saying that it's based on a true story just immediately sets you up in that sense of, okay, well then it's definitely not a true story right because that's what all the films do right now they say based on a true story when they're not it's like or they are but they're we're watching a very fictionalized version i liked his his voice as the narration i thought that was really powerful he's got a really deep voice and it kind of sucks you into like what was going through yeah yeah with his with with what's going on with him and what's in his mind he's got a lot of anxiety about 00:48:43.61 Brian Penn Yeah. Yeah. It's nice, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. 00:48:55.11 Chris Olson his family members and who he is and how it's affected him. I felt that there could have been more of that in terms of maybe extra characters or things that are going on around him because 00:49:08.39 Brian Penn Hmm. 00:49:10.92 Chris Olson He travels with his sister and we don't really get a lot from her. We don't get much of an information about what's going on with her and what her deal is. 00:49:18.71 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:49:20.85 Chris Olson But I felt that obviously it's very much Ennies film. But as it is, I think a lot of people will connect with this. I think they're going to feel the 00:49:30.51 Brian Penn Yeah, definitely. 00:49:32.16 Chris Olson burning sense of who someone can yeah who someone feels they are as an adult by going back to where they come from and trying to find out more, especially yeah people who've got estrangement from parents and things like that, that it worked for me on a lot of levels. 00:49:32.86 Brian Penn no right 00:49:48.25 Chris Olson I do agree it's not going to be for everyone. I know a lot of people are going to struggle with that mix of being quasi-documentary. 00:49:50.71 Brian Penn and Yeah. 00:49:56.94 Chris Olson But I think if you go in maybe knowing that, that might help. It's one of those few occasions where actually a little bit of knowing what's going on might assist you. And yeah, I think Samuel K's forest direction is brilliant. 00:50:08.73 Chris Olson he He really knows how to shake the scenes and guide. 00:50:11.11 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:50:12.02 Chris Olson He also knows when to not say something, which is so crucial, especially in documentary filmmaking, when not to say something, you know? 00:50:17.82 Brian Penn Well, yeah, silence silence can work just as well as noise, as dialogue, cancer if you use it in the right way. 00:50:23.80 Chris Olson Hmm. 00:50:25.64 Brian Penn And you can you can say a lot more by buy remaining silent. So to appreciate how silence works within a film like this is really important. 00:50:35.93 Brian Penn So he's done that well. 00:50:37.45 Chris Olson Yeah, and it's that. use of silence plus the sunsets and the changing of the time which allows that introspection I think as an audience member you're watching this and you're being told whether you understand that or not that is now is a time for you to contemplate what you've just seen and to sort of digest it before we move on and I thought that was really cleverly done it was done in a way that was smartly handled so yeah I like i thought that was great I really enjoyed it and 00:51:03.89 Brian Penn Yeah. It's good. It's very good. 00:51:08.90 Chris Olson I reviewed it on the website, if you haven't read the review yet, and I also did a video review, which you can watch on our YouTube channel. I may say different things to which I've just said, who knows? 00:51:19.22 Chris Olson you know I did that yeah a few weeks ago, so I may have changed, but yeah, I definitely enjoyed it, and I thought it was a very interesting film. 00:51:19.41 Brian Penn yeah'm like Yeah. No. No, it was good. Very good. 00:51:29.22 Chris Olson I don't believe it's available online, unfortunately, at the moment, which is always a bit upsetting, I find when, you know, we we say such lovely things about these films and then they can't watch them, but they come to us first. 00:51:38.38 Brian Penn and I know, I know. Look, yeah. 00:51:42.62 Chris Olson You know, that's the way they roll. 00:51:43.56 Brian Penn Yeah, see, we we break the ground, don't we? 00:51:46.00 Chris Olson We do. 00:51:46.13 Brian Penn You know, we saw people how good it is and just gotta find it after that. 00:51:50.38 Chris Olson Yep. Good luck. The film does have an Instagram page which is at mother earth films dot orango so it's O-R-A-N-G-O and yeah if you search online you will find it very very easily and yeah I recommend staying up to date with it it's an interesting piece and it's interesting to see what people might make of it from that filmmaking experience side of things you know to watch something where it is blurring the lines a little bit 00:52:21.60 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 00:52:22.52 Chris Olson So yeah, a very interesting one to watch. 00:52:24.27 Brian Penn and Good stuff. 00:52:26.29 Chris Olson Good stuff. 00:52:26.31 Brian Penn phone Good stuff. 00:52:28.07 Chris Olson Moving on to our last film of the indie section before we move to our nostalgia pick is a short film, which I also reviewed. 00:52:34.65 Brian Penn You have, haven't you? 00:52:35.70 Chris Olson I've been busy this month, Brian. 00:52:37.46 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:52:37.72 Chris Olson I have. I've been, I'm trying to get onto Santa's good list. 00:52:41.21 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah. 00:52:42.23 Chris Olson Finally. 00:52:43.01 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:52:44.68 Chris Olson Yeah. Short film, A Place to Fall Down. And I am very pleased to say we have a clip. 00:52:50.89 Brian Penn Awness. 00:53:55.93 Chris Olson So interesting clip, if you've seen the film, if you haven't seen the film, it's probably going to be quite baffling because that's not our main character or anything. 00:53:57.79 Brian Penn Hmm. Hmm. 00:54:04.06 Brian Penn nine 00:54:04.50 Chris Olson Essentially, actually, b Brian, did you want to take the synopsis on this? Because I've reviewed this, so I'll let you give your lovely, yeah brilliantly eloquent synopsis. 00:54:07.44 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:54:10.10 Brian Penn long i Oh, I'll do my best, Chris. So this is a story of a man, Jose, who is experiencing deep grief. He's lost his wife, but he works as a top mechanic, ah has an assistant who hasn't shown up for work, so he's left with his own company and surrounded by his own faults. The script itself is reduced to text and telephone conversations with customers and his daughter, Charlotte. I think this is so good. 00:54:39.79 Brian Penn This is so, so good. 00:54:41.68 Chris Olson Mm. 00:54:41.99 Brian Penn its There's minimal dialogue, but it seems appropriate somehow because grief is is something we can't articulate because the words don't exist. They've not been invented. You're feeling something so deep and so profound. 00:54:55.83 Brian Penn You can't put it into words and that's what comes through in this film. it like I mean, you that you came up with a really good analogy in your review because you You mentioned the fact that he's a great mechanic and he looks around and he can fix things around him, but he can't fix his own grief because it runs its course. 00:55:15.34 Brian Penn And what comes in between is what you see on the film, bewilderment, shock, despair, but essentially a determination that he's going to get through it. 00:55:27.42 Brian Penn I think it's brilliant. It's so good what it does. But part of the reason why it's so brilliant is because they don't pack it with dialogue. You know, the clip the clip that you just played 00:55:36.03 Chris Olson Yeah. 00:55:38.74 Brian Penn was the was a bit like a kind of a self-help tape you kept on listening to. um That kind of sets it up well and it just makes some very basic, straightforward and profound statements about grief and loss and how we cope with grief and loss and and how there is a way through it in the end. So I think it's a damn good piece of filmmaking. 00:56:03.33 Chris Olson Yeah, it looks and feels great. It's got such a good tone to it. yeah The filmmaking side of things is is on point, absolutely. I like the minimalism to it as well. 00:56:13.72 Chris Olson The dialogue is meant to be sparse. you know Anyone who's dealt with grief and gone through loss, especially on a very close level, you'll understand how often there isn't words to say. 00:56:27.56 Chris Olson There's not things that you can just talk about and talk around it. 00:56:30.10 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:56:30.70 Chris Olson that it's more of ah 00:56:31.14 Brian Penn Mm. 00:56:32.32 Chris Olson yeah feeling and I like the way the central actor, yeah the character being played here by um Clifton Collins Jr yeah knows how to do the physical side of this performance. 00:56:38.14 Brian Penn Mm. 00:56:47.04 Chris Olson It's a difficult performance to give if you don't understand it and he does really really well to convey what's going on inside because he just seems lost you know he's in you amongst all these this labyrinth of cars and he's sort of just by himself completely isolated with his own thoughts and he is lost and he's he's hoping for a lifeline he's hoping for something to come through that's going to break through this wall of grief that he's feeling and 00:56:58.67 Brian Penn and Yeah. 00:57:08.95 Brian Penn you know Yeah. 00:57:17.50 Chris Olson something does, you know, not to give it away, but something does. And I think that's the real essence of this film. And it does have this post COVID quality to it of, you know, we all went through a lot in that time, there was a lot of loss, everyone was touched by it, whether it was directly or indirectly. And the filmmakers here have dealt with that subject brilliantly. They've given it a lot of time and attention to make sure that it's dealt with in a way that felt sincere, 00:57:47.80 Chris Olson but didn't fail didn't feel like it was overly explained. yeah it was almost It gave the audience you enough credit to know that they were going to keep up with this and not get bored, not need lots of exposition and lots of reasoning. we are We understand enough about the character by the end of the film. We understand what happened to him and and yeah why he's where he is. 00:58:08.63 Chris Olson But it is a film that treated its audience with more intelligence than another filmmaker may have done. And I think it's got a lot going for it. It's a lot here that would actually entertain audiences. You emotionally connect with that character very early on. And that's crucial. I think it is quite a lot down to the performance. And I think when filmmakers do try and serve up something that it does have this very strong element of sadness and sorrow and somberness. 00:58:40.62 Brian Penn Mm. 00:58:42.61 Chris Olson You know, you're gonna be tempted to throw in some lighthearted stuff. And I don't think they do that. I think they keep to their line well. They know the story of what it is. 00:58:51.34 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:58:51.63 Chris Olson They're written and directed by Dwayne Hanson Fernandez. 00:58:52.98 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:58:53.96 Chris Olson And yeah, brilliant job of sticking to your guns and going, you know what? Actually, we're gonna tell this story the way it was meant to be told because he is a tragic character, you know? 00:59:00.95 Brian Penn But, uh... Yeah, yes. I mean, I think it's really impressive in in every respect and it doesn't bombard you with lots of information. It doesn't pack the film with too much dialogue. As you say, they they give the audience credit. They write the issue and the audience are intelligent enough to understand what's happening. 00:59:24.05 Brian Penn What's happened to this character? What is feeling? But it's done without too much dialogue because you don't need it. Because I would always like saying that but grief cannot be easily explained in and dialogue. It can't. It's a feeling. And they're portraying those feelings visually by expressions and mannerisms and body language. But it gets there. It it makes the point so well. It's very well done. 00:59:54.78 Chris Olson Yeah, it's just got a really well thought out structure to it as well. 00:59:56.94 Brian Penn Yeah. 00:59:57.93 Chris Olson I mentioned a review about you and you mentioned it as well, being surrounded by broken cars and his job is to fix them. 01:00:03.31 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:00:04.61 Chris Olson And yet, you know, he seems completely broken himself. 01:00:04.99 Brian Penn Yeah. Hmm. 01:00:07.63 Chris Olson A lot of people are going to resonate with that. A lot of people are going to yeah see, if not themselves and someone they know definitely that's gone through that. 01:00:09.61 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:00:13.28 Brian Penn Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. 01:00:15.12 Chris Olson So yeah definitely check it out if you can. 01:00:16.97 Brian Penn Hmm. 01:00:17.00 Chris Olson It was password protected this film A Place to Fall Down it's called. There is an Instagram page which they've got a lovely profile because it's at A Place to Fall Down which is really handy to say you know that's logical. 01:00:28.50 Brian Penn Logical? Yeah. 01:00:29.89 Chris Olson You can find that and we yeah will tag them when we post the review and things like that. 01:00:30.30 Brian Penn Logical. Yeah. 01:00:35.11 Chris Olson my review is on the website and my video review again is on the youtube channel i am just on fire this month it's just you know i don't know um i mean do you know what it is i've been such a bad guy all year i've got a lot to make up for you know i've said some horrible things uh yeah that's the way we go um and yeah ah do check it out the trailer is also on our um 01:00:39.74 Brian Penn Wow. You're on fire. Yeah, I know. What? You can make it up, Graham. you You're smashing it, Chris. Don't worry. Yeah, I'm absolutely smashing it. Yeah. 01:01:04.24 Chris Olson review page of the film so if you search for it it'll probably come up and if not IMDB page there's a link there to the review so yeah you've got no excuse not to go and find out more about a place to fall down because it was very very good um we're moving on now too i'm just going to leave a little pause because it just needs a pause 01:01:24.92 Brian Penn right okay well then Yeah. 01:01:27.78 Chris Olson one of the best Christmas films ever, if not the best Christmas film. And I say that knowing that there are some incredible films out there. No, it's not Muppets. 01:01:38.31 Chris Olson That's up there, but it's not Muppets. No, it's not Love, actually. It is Arthur Christmas, the animated film from 2011 that is quite simply a masterpiece. 01:01:44.08 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:01:50.05 Brian Penn right 01:01:50.53 Chris Olson And I won't hear anything else. Actually, we should just stop the podcast because I don't want to hear anything else. 01:01:54.15 Brian Penn well yeah ah Well, I've got to tell you Chris, I hadn't seen this film since it came out. 01:01:55.40 Chris Olson It's just a amazing. 01:02:00.75 Brian Penn so Honestly, ill I saw it once, and when we when we decided to review this film for the podcast, I watched it for the first time in what, 12 years, and it's still brilliant. 01:02:16.02 Chris Olson Yeah. 01:02:16.34 Brian Penn You know, it doesn't diminish one iota. It's so bright and clever and offensive. 01:02:23.24 Chris Olson Do you know what I would say, and I say this with experience, this film keeps on giving. 01:02:28.72 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:02:28.76 Chris Olson I have watched this film, I am not kidding you because my kids love it. We've watched this film, I must say, I reckon about 50 times. And I'm i'm not um not exaggerating it, I think 50 times. 01:02:40.00 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:02:40.14 Chris Olson and every time i see something some little detail that's new they'll do there'll be a little thing on the screen or something a character says and it is genius because it's an argman film right and those guys know how to make fabulous comedies it's so so well read and it's got british charm splashed all over it you've got a fabulous cast if you don't know the story so the story is arthur is 01:02:42.95 Brian Penn I know. 01:02:52.28 Brian Penn Yeah. I know what they're doing, don't they? Yeah, ah no and I 01:03:08.11 Chris Olson the son of Santa Claus, one of the sons of Santa Claus and he lives at the North Pole but he's a little bit useless. 01:03:10.74 Brian Penn Hmm. 01:03:15.33 Chris Olson ah that's a It's harsh but that's fair and after Christmas night Santa gets back and realizes they missed a child. 01:03:15.66 Brian Penn Hmm. Yeah. 01:03:22.26 Brian Penn Hmm. 01:03:25.54 Chris Olson Arthur is absolutely distraught because he loves Christmas, he loves the whole premise of everything, he's Santa's biggest champion and 01:03:28.36 Brian Penn Hmm. 01:03:34.01 Chris Olson Santa and his other son, Steve, sort of run the show. They sort of say, oh, nothing can really be done about it. You know, it's just one child. Let's just yeah go to sleep and ignore it. 01:03:42.05 Brian Penn and yeah 01:03:43.50 Chris Olson But Arthur can't. And Arthur, with the help of his slightly wayward grandfather, known as Grand Santa, brilliantly played by Bill Nighy, 01:03:51.63 Brian Penn grandentsor money 01:03:54.28 Chris Olson um go on this adventure along with an elf to deliver this present to the child and the whole film just has got so many minute details in it it's been littered with all these references and jokes and things 01:04:06.01 Brian Penn Yeah, yeah, yeah, 01:04:11.73 Chris Olson ah you you miss them you need to watch it so many times this film and it's so so good and it doesn't as you said doesn't diminish i i'll watch this non-stop it just is such a good film yeah not least because of the amazing cast you've got bill nighy as we've said you're james mackivoy in the lead role 01:04:14.94 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:04:21.44 Brian Penn yeah hu ahhi jeen Yeah. 01:04:29.21 Chris Olson You got Jim Broad, Ben, Hugh Laurie, yeah, Imelda Staunton, Asta Jensen. and and And also, I had to pick this up, but ah one of my very previous watches of this film, but Laura Linney does the computer voice. 01:04:41.13 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:04:43.59 Brian Penn ah nine and 01:04:44.24 Chris Olson She does, you know, it's a bit where I think it's Steve, who was he says, oh, come on, guys, time to pick this up. 01:04:44.97 Brian Penn yeah 01:04:50.97 Chris Olson And then she's like this automated voice. 01:04:51.32 Brian Penn yeah 01:04:53.13 Chris Olson She goes, so picking this up, people. 01:04:54.98 Brian Penn i like 01:04:57.14 Chris Olson Oh, it's just brilliant. 01:04:58.51 Brian Penn it ah 01:04:59.33 Chris Olson Absolutely. 01:04:59.65 Brian Penn the It's beautiful. It's just a wonderful film. It really is. But what I really love about it, though, is the ah concepts and the design of the film. you know The fact that they said, right, we're going to make Santa Claus ah ah in the guise of a ah military-style R.E.S. 01:05:22.21 Brian Penn type pilot. I mean, he was wearing a red beret, wasn't he? he red He wears a red beret. 01:05:25.09 Chris Olson Yeah. 01:05:27.03 Brian Penn And all the elves, they're like an S.E.S. platoon, the way they work, aren't they? They're really super efficient, really clinical. 01:05:31.17 Chris Olson Yeah. 01:05:33.93 Brian Penn And I love the fact that they said, right, Sansa's real name is Malcolm, right? He's married to Margaret, and he's got two sons, Arthur and Steve. 01:05:44.51 Brian Penn It just kind of brings it back down so straight back down to earth again, you know, so it's freaking you a kind of a fable, a fantasy, but then it brings it back down to reality again, which I think is brilliant. And they, you know, Santa is supposed to retire after sense emissions. And that again, you have the military association, the e association association with the or RAF, where they do a certain number of missions and they step down. 01:06:12.94 Brian Penn And I love Grant Sandster as well. I'll sort it out. I'll do it the old fashioned way. I love all that. it's so much As you say, there's so much going on there. And there's always something you miss. And that's the sign of a great film where you watch it and you're going to miss something somewhere. There's so much detail there that you're not going to appreciate first time around. There'll be something new. As you say, it keeps on giving. 01:06:38.62 Brian Penn But I loved it. I thought it was great. And Santa's got a spaceship that looks like Thunderbird 5 to me. I love that as well. There's so much to love about this film. It really is. I'm not a huge fan of modern animation as such. It's all right. It's OK. But I'm a bit of a traditionalist. But argument are the exception. They do something entirely new and entirely different. 01:07:05.45 Brian Penn um and anything that comes out of the oven stable is going to be good. But this, I don't actually guys want to say this is the best thing they've ever done. 01:07:13.55 Chris Olson Oh yeah I mean that's high plaudits they've done some great films but this is enduring it's so so good and there's so much to it 01:07:14.91 Brian Penn Isn't it? Yeah. 01:07:24.68 Chris Olson that you appreciate all those details and it's it's very applicable to anyone. 01:07:27.21 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:07:28.65 Chris Olson you it certainly It reaches any kind of audience that is going to enjoy movies for whatever, you commonly got action, Christmas, you got everything. 01:07:34.58 Brian Penn yeah 01:07:37.90 Chris Olson And what I love about it is it has the right balance of all its elements because it is doing a lot, it is frenetic, you' you'll watch it and it's kind of exhausting sometimes because it's got so much going on. But the balance is there between having that heart, you've got Arthur who's, he's a bit of a mess up, he keeps screwing things up and he's really scared and he needs to kind of overcome his fear. So you've got this little layer of theme there to gravitate towards, but it's also just loads of fun, loads of high jinks and, 01:08:10.25 Chris Olson characters doing wacky things and ah yeah for me you don't get more perfect of a christmas film than after christmas it just is yeah so after christmas is up there that's what we are giving our holiday ah focus on you know it's on amazon prime isn't it i think that's where i made you watch it brian 01:08:26.47 Brian Penn hmm yeah 01:08:35.05 Brian Penn Yeah, Amazon Prime, yeah. now you didn' tonight Well, I mean, Chris, time and time and again, you you bring me back to a film that I've completely forgotten about or have missed or I haven't seen in years. 01:08:37.12 Chris Olson um 01:08:47.47 Brian Penn So you're making me watch a classic, which is what but we need. 01:08:50.49 Chris Olson Yeah. 01:08:52.99 Brian Penn We need to see something like that. And I think it's at the very top end of any Christmas film chart. It's definitely top three. 01:09:04.83 Chris Olson ah For me, it's it's just, yeah, fabulous. Don't get me wrong, I've i've got a strong place in my heart for films like Home Alone and Muppet's Christmas Carol, but for this, it just ticks all the boxes. 01:09:15.63 Chris Olson And let us know what you think. 01:09:15.67 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:09:17.08 Chris Olson If you've seen and loved Arthur Christmas, if you don't like Arthur Christmas, do not write in. 01:09:17.64 Brian Penn Mmm. 01:09:21.92 Chris Olson I don't say that very often, but but do not send anything in. 01:09:22.00 Brian Penn No, no, don't sell us. Yeah. 01:09:24.99 Chris Olson I won't read it. I will delete it. 01:09:26.06 Brian Penn No, no, no. 01:09:27.39 Chris Olson um Yeah, I can't handle that. So, 01:09:29.97 Brian Penn It's not going to happen. 01:09:31.27 Chris Olson Yeah, and find yourself very quickly on the naughty list. 01:09:34.41 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:09:34.88 Chris Olson How dare you? 01:09:36.13 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:09:36.31 Chris Olson So um yeah, that's your lot ah for this episode. Thank you so much for being with us. We've been through an absolute onslaught of films. Brian has been very busy at cinema. 01:09:46.82 Chris Olson We had loads of indie films and we watched a couple of Christmas flicks. So what else can you ask for? 01:09:49.99 Brian Penn no Can't be bad. 01:09:53.32 Chris Olson We'll be back, hopefully, with one more episode before the end of the year. And if not, we'll see you in the new year. ah But we're go to um yeah we're going to thank everyone for for listening, for sending your films in. 01:10:00.85 Brian Penn Yeah. 01:10:05.20 Chris Olson Thank you, Brian, for all your lovely hard work and going to the cinema. 01:10:07.21 Brian Penn like 01:10:08.68 Chris Olson And yeah, we'll see you again next time. Previous Next

The Amateur film review by UK film critic Kieran Freemantle. Starring Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne, Caitríona Balfe, Holt McCallany directed by James Hawes. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Amateur Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Kieran Freemantle | Posted on: Apr 15, 2025 Directed by: James Hawes Written by: Ken Nolan, Gary Spinelli, Robert Littell (novel) Starring: Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne, Caitríona Balfe, Holt McCallany Based on the novel by Robert Littell, the 2025 version of The Amateur is the second adaptation, following an unlikely man on a mission of vengeance. Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) is a CIA cryptographer who’s happily married to Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan). Charlie’s world shatters when Sarah is murdered during a terrorist attack in London. Charlie seeks revenge and blackmails his superiors to give him training so he can hunt his wife’s killers. However, Charlie has made himself a target for bad actors in the CIA as he travels across Europe. The Amateur was a nut-and-bolts thriller: it wasn’t fancy and far from revolutionary, but it gets the job done. It came out after the release of Black Bag, and both films appealed to a similar audience of slightly older cinema-goers. The Amateur was helmed by James Hawes, a seasoned TV director, including episodes of Slow Horses, so he knows how to craft a spy-thriller. Although, as an action director, Hawes has a long way to go since it was obvious when stunt doubles were used for the fight scenes. The Amateur did feel like a throwback to thrillers from the early-to-mid noughties, whilst modernising certain aspects. The original novel was published in 1980, so the new film had to update the politics and technology. Charlie was a computing genius who communicated through encrypted devices, could hack into any system like security cameras, and used modern technology like 3D modelling. The Amateur felt like a cross between The Recruit and The Bourne Trilogy. The Recruit was a workmanlike thriller from 2003 that showed a young man training to be a CIA agent. The Bourne comparison came about due to the corrupt elements within the CIA, and Holt McCallany was in the same role as Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, and David Strathairn, men hunting a rogue agent. Like the Bourne films, there was a lot of monitor watching and searching everywhere Charlie has visited for clues. Scott Z. Burns, one of the writers of The Bourne Ultimatum, did uncredited rewrites for The Amateur. The Amateur was a slow burn. It took its time as it showed Charlie being trained, the CIA investigation, and Charlie going on his manhunt. The film made a point that Charlie was not a superspy like James Bond, Jason Bourne, or Ethan Hunt. There was a scene like Skyfall that showed that Charlie couldn’t aim a gun no matter how much he tried. Charlie’s first fight was with a woman having an asthma attack, in a scene that would annoy the Critical Drinker. Charlie had to use his knowledge, invention, and creativity to carry out his assassinations, acting like Agent 47 from the Hitman games. Charlie had to do this to emotionally distance himself so he could kill other people, and there was an emphasis on Charlie’s psychological torment. Rami Malik has proven himself as an actor on film and TV and earned acclaim and awards for it. In The Amateur, Malek played his role as someone who might be on the spectrum. Charlie was an intelligent, if socially awkward man who said he liked solving puzzles and was determined and focused. He was able to maintain relationships, as shown by him being happily married, and he has a sense of empathy as shown through his interactions with a character in Istanbul. Charlie didn’t fall into the savant trap that has appeared in other films. Laurence Fishbourne was also a highlight in the film as Charlie’s mentor who developed a begrudging respect for the computer programmer. For fans of spy-thrillers, The Amateur does scratch an itch. It was a competently made film that had been lacking for adults, even if it's an overly familiar story and plot points. About the Film Critic Kieran Freemantle Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

In a Violent Nature film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, Lauren-Marie Taylor directed by Chris Nash. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS In a Violent Nature Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: May 29, 2024 Directed by: Chris Nash Written by: Chris Nash Starring: Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, Lauren-Marie Taylor When a filmmaker upends slasher tropes, the result often takes a comedic turn. Scream benefitted simultaneously from the audience’s effortless acceptance of genre staples and Wes Craven’s wicked sense of humor. Likewise, the absolute treasure of a meta-slasher Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon zeroes in on slasher cliches to generate fear and horror, laughter and empathy. Chris Nash is not doing that. After years making horror shorts, Nash writes and directs his first feature. Though In a Violent Nature builds its unstated plot on your knowledge of slashers, the filmmaker is not in it for laughs. In a Violent Nature is unapologetically a slasher. A handful of young adults gathers in a secluded national park to camp. They are vaguely horny, annoying, drunk. One mourns some kind of recent tragedy. The fact that we will never get to know these characters by name seems fitting, since slasher characters are one-dimensional by nature. Why do we return to Crystal Lake year after year, sequel after sequel? It’s not for the campers. We hear their inane chatter, their campfire stories, their bickering and flirtations, but just barely because we’re at a safe distance. We’re far enough from the fire that they can’t see us. In fact, it isn’t until the third act that we finally find ourselves more than a few feet away from the unstoppable killing machine whose point of view defines our story. And even then, at the end, how far away could he be? What Nash does with his retake on the slasher—utterly minimalistic except for the carnage, which is generally inspired—is both a deconstruction and loving ode. This movie loves slashers. It does not mock them, doesn’t wink and nod at what we accept when we watch them. Nor does it add any depth to them. People watch slashers to see characters you don’t care about meet inventive, bloody death in a beautiful landscape. We watch slashers because death is comeuppance, it is coming no matter what, and it’s coming in the form of a hulking, horrifying mass with a tragic backstory. The practical fx are glorious. The storytelling is clever in that the story tells you nothing, but Nash’s thoughtful direction is enough. If you don’t like slashers, you won’t like In a Violent Nature . If you sincerely do, though, this film is not to be missed. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >