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Kill Bill Volumes 1/2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is a tail of revenge, which is certainly a dish best served cold. The bride (played by Uma Thurman) arises after a 4-year, Bill induced coma. Being pregnant before the coma her baby is now ‘gone’ and using all her skills, given to her by Bill she must track down and assassinate all the members of her former assassin team known as the vipers. Her codename was the black mamba and living up to her namesake, she will quickly work her way up her list to Bill. This is the perfect setting for Q. Tarantino to work his magic. The questions on the tip of everyone’s tongues is 'does it live up to the scratch of other Tarantino movies' and even more so to develop that question, 'is it a Tarantino classic?'. Both very good, reasonable questions and I'll answer them with a reasonable response. Yes, in my opinion it does live up to his other work even surpassing the weaker pieces. Now the main question. The trick about this question is its trying to disguise how basic the question really is. Really what it's truly asking in his elegant way is 'is it a good movie?'. Yes! Yes! Yes! It’s not only just good it’s a brilliant movie in all respects. An action movie that creates levels of adrenalin not usually plausible to experience. Volume 1 This movies tone is set at the start of the movie as it zooms in on the brides, broken and busted face, in black and white (the prelude to sin city perhaps) and lingers just for a moment, then moves on to tell us the exposition of the story. A bride, who at her wedding, her entire reception is massacred including (so they thought) her. The scene instantly shifts to the bride and the first name on the list, Vernita Green (Vivicia fox). Let the action packed fight scene commence. The movie suddenly breaks up the fight scene when the bride’s foes daughter returns home. In this more superhero, comic book kind of universe Vernita (Vivica fox) can fire a gunshot without it causing a major disturbance. This movie is set in an alternative universe slightly altered from our own. Something sometimes forgotten about in this movie, but is not entirely surprising to hear, is how amazing the soundtrack to this movie is. With special mention to the brilliant Bang Bang by Nancy Sinatra which helps to evoke western themes in the audience, and the theme of betrayal. Bravo Tarantino, the music is brilliant as always. The casting was one of the best things about the movie. Lucy Liu (O-Ren ishi) was a brilliant touch this movie completely blowing critics and audiences expectations out of the water. I like many others expected her to rehash her character from Charlie's angels but as many others were, I was pleasantly surprised. There was one scene in the movie, O Ren Ishi had finally accumulated her way to the top, now she has nothing in her way. That is until one member of the council mentions her American-Chinese heritage. Poor choice. In response to this she takes out her katana and takes his head off showing she means business. Her performance was chilling but likable. Uma Thurman the stunning lead (the bride) has an amazing screen presence that really carries the movie and she has some acting chops to boot; a female equivalent to Keanu Reeves in the matrix. Also, just to mention his contribution to the movie Sonny Chiba (Hattori Hanzo) the legendary katana maker who made a sacred vowel to never make a weapon to kill again but will break this vowel in the casus belli of revenge. This first volume in Kill Bill chronology focuses on more eastern themes the way of the Samurai and its inevitable conclusion is the fight between the bride and O-Ren on Japanese soil. The Caucasian bride ironically revels in this atmosphere and theme. This leads to easily the best action scene in the movie as the bombshell blonde completely eradicates the Crazy88 gang and their master. Bloody. Gory. Tarantino at his best. Overall if I had to rate this movie standing on its own I would give it 4 &1/2 stars out of 5. It has all the ingredients of a Tarantino movie, the gruelling violence of which he's synonymous with, the chapter format, the aerial and boot camera shots, and an amazing soundtrack to boot; the perfect recipe for a Tarantino movie. One notorious problem with this movie constantly stated by not only critics but the casual viewing audiences is the quality of dialogue. Now don't take that the wrong way I'm not saying the dialogue was bad but compared to other Tarantino movies there is a lack of memorable dialogue. One reason for could be because Tarantino himself is an Oscar winning screenwriter and normally knocks the script out of the park, and in this movie, he was deliberately trying not to create any memorable dialogue. As strange as it may seem he was most likely just trying make an outright action movie and was focusing on the action elements of the movie compared to the narrative. However, there is one brilliant scene of dialogue in the movie between Bill and the bride talking about Clark Kent just to give some credit (It.’s in volume 2). You can tell they had a lot of fun writing that scene. One of the movies biggest strengths was its greats soundtrack. In such an exciting movie the soundtrack not only heightens the excitement, it even makes the gruesome gory action, seem less tragic and more comedic. On the topic of gruesome action, quick disclaimer: This movie is not for the squeamish or those faints of heart and without a doubt is Tarantino's most bloodstained movie. The gore in this movie is accountable for the best action in the Tarantino film collection and even excuses the ‘lacklustre’ dialogue a bit. The action completely outdoes most other action movies sequences and is in a league of its own. Volume 2 Kill Bill Volume 2 is all about the western movie genre in comparison the strictly eastern themes of Volume 1,; Volume 1 even including a long expositional 'anime' scene, which would give most high budget Japanese anime’s a run for their money. Volume 2 has all the typical features of a western including scenes of vast deserts and of course, the guns. The movie even mocks the bride’s inability to change to this new culture in one scene where it seems like she will successfully sneak up on Budd (Michael Madsen) Bill's brother and kill him with her katana, like in Volume 1. This inability to change ends her up in a wooden coffin, a shotgun shell in her chest, with nothing but a flashlight. This tense scene allows us to see her training scene with the great infamous master Pai Mei (Gordon Liu) and even showed her learning Bruce Lee’s prolific one-inch punch, which would come in handy later. We come face to face with our main protagonist Bill for the first time in Volume 2 as the movie recounts the wedding scene in full. The Bride goes out the reception and encounters her old lover Bill, playing his wooden pipe. The bride and Bill have some nice banter between them and you can believe that they were once a couple. The older spurned lover Bill almost seems to have come to terms with the bride’s decision to marry and sits down on the lonely bride’s side. As Bill goes to sit down Robert Rodriguez musical score outdoes itself and the tone suddenly shifts, we all know what will happen next. The chainsaw massacre begins, and the movie goes full circle. Moving on, on her list when the inevitable fight with Elle (Daryl Hannah) occurs later in Budd's trailer the bride uses one of her master’s old moves, quite poetically snatching out Elle's only eye while her master snatched the first eye out its socket many years before. The bride (whose real name was revealed to be Beatrix Kiddo) leaves to finish off her list. The movie finishes with the decisive battle of the movie’s namesake. The decisive battle which was more a duel of wits then a direct fight packed an emotional punch. Bill being the charmer as always doesn't take his own demise to heart (quite literally in fact). Again, her training with Pai Mei comes in handy as she's finishes Bill with possibly the coolest martial arts move in film history with an equally cool name 'the five-point exploding heart technique'. Bill stands up accepting his death and takes 5 steps, and the namesake of the movie is complete. Overall, I would say volume two is the better movie out of pair and can easily enough be enjoyed without watching the first volume. 5/5 This movie has always been heavily criticised and disregarded to the dark corner of Tarantino movies. The criticism towards this movie in many parts I feel were misguided. What critics and people alike don't understand is that this is a different type of Tarantino movie and deserves to be treated as such. I have tried to criticise both volumes as one whole movie, as they should be, and would readily recommend anyone to watch both volumes this way. If you prefer Tarantino's more plot and dialogue driven stories (as this movie is a story of revenge with action scenes built around it) then I recommend you watch Pulp fiction, however if action is your cup of tea I highly recommend this movie for what it is a great action film.

(Release Info London schedule; May 22nd, 2018, BFI Southbank) "Zama" In a remote South American colony in the late 18th century, officer Don Diego de Zama (Daniel Giménez Cacho) of the Spanish crown waits in vain for a transfer to a more prestigious location. He suffers small humiliations and petty politicking as he increasingly succumbs to lust and paranoia. Zama, an officer of the Spanish Crown born in South America, waits for a letter from the King granting him a transfer from the town in which he's stagnating, to a better place. His situation is delicate. He must ensure that nothing overshadows his transfer. He's forced to accept submissively every task entrusted to him by successive Governors who come and go as he stays behind. The years go by and the letter from the King never arrives. When Zama notices everything is lost, he joins a party of soldiers that go after a dangerous bandit. In the twilight of the 18th century, Zama is a minor cog in the Spanish rule of what's now Paraguay. He's stuck in a crumbling South American outpost of the Spanish colony, toiling away in a bureaucracy that treats him as invisible. Far from home and separated from loved ones, he's shunned by his fellow Europeans and unsettled by the.indigenous population. Unpaid for months and longing to reunite with his wife and child, he lives on the promise of a letter from the King that will transfer him to Buenos Aires, but as the years pass, frustration threatens his grip on reality. In the melancholy inspired by tropical heat, he nurses his loneliness and lust by courting the wife of a local aristocrat and contemplating the ennui of colonial pursuits. The film acutely observes the hopelessness of a colonial servant whose fevered fantasies threaten to drive him into an absurd free fall. Lucrecia Martel ventures into the realm of historical fiction and makes the genre entirely her own in this adaptation of Antonio di Benedetto’s 1956 classic of Argentinean literature. In the late 18th century, in a far-flung corner of what seems to be Paraguay, the title character, an officer of the Spanish crown born in the Americas, waits in vain for a transfer to a more prestigious location. The film renders Zama’s world, his daily regimen of small humiliations and petty politicking, as both absurd and mysterious, and as he increasingly.succumbs to lust and paranoia, subject to a creeping disorientation. Precise yet dreamlike, and thick with atmosphere, Zama is a singular and intoxicating experience, a welcome return from one of contemporary cinema’s truly brilliant minds. The film offers scenes from the life of Zama, who's awaiting a letter from the King granting him a transfer from the river town where he's stuck. But his situation is precarious and he's forced to accept submissively every task entrusted to him by successive Governors. When Zama realises all is lost, he joins a party of soldiers going after a dangerous bandit. Like other Western characters stranded in the tropics, Zama's identity is defined by a sense of belonging to, being connected to a notion of Europe, best remembered by those who were never there. Hundreds of years later, South America still faces the same issues of ownership, of land and race, of conqueror and subjugated, of dissatisfaction and fatalist fatigue. A beautifully crafted reflection on the catastrophe of colonialism. "Zama" moves towards the past with the same irreverence we've when moving towards the future. Not trying to document pertinent utensils and facts, because Zama contains no historicist pretensions. But rather trying to submerge in a world that still today is vast, with animals, plants, and barely comprehensible women and men. A world that was devastated before it was ever encountered, and that therefore remains in delirium. The past in our continent is blurred and confused. We made it this way so we don’t think about the ownership of land, the spoils on which the Latin American abyss is founded, entangling the genesis of our own identity. As soon as we begin to peer into the past, we feel ashamed. Zama plunges deep into the time of mortal men, in this short existence that has been allowed to us, across which we slide anxious to love, trampling exactly that which could be loved, postponing the meaning of life as if the day that matters the most is the one that isn’t here yet, rather than today. And yet, the same world that seems determined to destroy us becomes our own salvation: when asked if we want to live more, we always say yes.

Well, what do you do then? Well, that’s a secret. With “The Old Man & the Gun“, we probably say goodbye to a real film legend. According to some sources, Robert Redford wants to draw a line under his rich film career in a stylish way. In my opinion, he couldn’t have made a better choice because in “The Old Man & the Gun” he can demonstrate his charming side one last time. This 83-year-old actor conquered all the women’s hearts effortlessly when he was younger. And to be honest, he’s still got it. So don’t expect a gangster story full of violent bank robberies and wild chases. It’s reasonably friendly and cozy. You won’t see Forrest Tucker in the Top 10 of most notorious bank robbers of all time. It was probably not all that spectacular enough for that. So, no “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” or “Bonnie and Clyde” situations. But, you could call him the Houdini of detainees. According to Tucker himself, he broke out of prison 30 times. 18 Of them were successful. And the most notorious was the one from San Quentin State Prison in a self-built kayak. He was just enormously friendly. Apparently, from when he was young, Tucker had the irresistible urge to raid local banks. Probably that’s also the reason why his marriage didn’t last long and he disappeared into the night back then. Not to get a packet of cigarettes quickly but to satisfy that urge. Tucker always uses the same routine when robbing a bank. First, he asks for information real friendly. Or he tells the clerk he wants to carry out a bank transaction. And then asks the manager or counter clerk to empty the contents of the safe or cash registers and fill up his brown, worn, leather briefcase with it. He got away with it because they thought he was such a civilized, friendly and polite elderly man who always smiles. He’ll probably win the prize of “most charming bank robber”. No nerve-wracking action. Now you probably ask yourself: a crime movie about bank robbers without action-rich pursuits, psychopathic hostage situations, fierce gunfights and a number of victims. That doesn’t sound appealing or exciting. And yet it’s a pleasure to watch this film. And that because of the three interesting storylines where the emphasis mainly is on the relationship between the characters. A club of retired men. First, you have an old men’s club with Robert Redford, Danny Glover, and Tom Waits. A kind of tea party for old fellas who, instead of playing boule somewhere in a park during their retirement, prefer to roam the country and raid banks at random places. A friendly and easy-going little club that also prefers to reminisce over their lives at a bar somewhere. I particularly liked Tom Waits. A humorous contribution that shows that he’s not only a talented pianist. Danny Glover, I found again below par. Apparently, he’s the only one of the three where dementia had made its appearance. The older Sissy Spacek gets, the cuter she looks. Next, there’s the spontaneously growing relationship between Forrest and Jewel (Sissy “Carrie” Spacek), a widow who struggles to get by, loves her horses and spends her days at a ranch (even though her children think she should sell it). From the first moment that both meet, you just feel a certain tension. There’s that flirtatious behavior by Forrest and a shy smile from Jewel. Every time Forrest is in the presence of Jewel, you see that boyish behavior emerging for a while. And don’t you think that Sissy Spacek looks as cute as in “Carrie”. It seems to me that her nose is pointing up even more perky The robber and the detective And finally, there’s the confrontation with John Hunt (Casey Affleck). A police detective who coincidentally is present in a bank where Forrest, in an inconspicuous manner, commits a robbery. And then he really sinks his teeth into this case and is determined to catch this serial-robber and his companions. But the more he works on this case, the more his sympathy grows for this overfriendly criminal at retirement age. Robert Redford resembles Forrest. “The old man & the gun” isn’t an action-packed film. It’s rather a slow feel-good film, calmly telling the story of this unique bank robber. It doesn’t just feel like a film of a time long past. You can also see it. Maybe it comes across as old-fashioned. But it’s nicely old-fashioned. An atmosphere that fits Robert Redford perfectly. And in essence, Redford and Forrest are equal in some areas. In their whole life, they both never gave up on something they liked the most. And what they always liked to do, was done with the same dose of charm. I’ll certainly miss Redford’s charisma on the white screen. My rating 7/10 Links: IMDB

"Deadpool 2" Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) returns and this time 'The Merc With The Mouth’s Movie' is bigger and more badass than ever. 'Deadpool' is an apple among oranges, when it comes to superheroes. He's irreverent. He's self-loathing. He's silly, childlike, violent, annoying. He’s a lot of things that other superheroes aren’t and he’s not really even a superhero. He’s kind of an antihero in superhero garb. 'Deadpool' is sort of like 'The ‘Hunchback Of Notre Dame'. He’s disfigured and incredibly empathetic. He’s got a great backstory. There’s the wish fulfillment of a guy who has these healing powers. He’s kind of invincible. And he’s irreverent. He says dark, funny bold shit that you can’t say, but we like to hear. That mixture is great for a character. 'Deadpool' is a self-deprecating, self-hating shame-spiral. Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) is the love of Deadpool’s life. When we first meet Russell (Julian Dennison), he’s at an orphanage run by a crazy, insane man. Russell is at a low point, he’s really angry and sad and just wants to let it all out and blow stuff up. As 'Firefist', he’s able to shoot fireballs out of his hands. His powers are an extension of himself, it’s how he speaks if he’s full of rage. By the end of the film, he's very strong and knows how to use his powers and control them. 'Firefist' provides 'Deadpool' the connection to his old life. Cable (Josh Brolin) is a time-traveling warrior infected with the techno-organic virus that renders him cybernetic. 'Deadpool' is still on the fringe, he hasn’t really made much of his life and he's still scrounging to get by, which is always endearing. The Cable character has also lost a great deal. He has lost his wife and daughter at the hands of a mad man, and he’s doing anything in his power, including traveling back in time, to solve that issue and bring them back. In this, there's an undercurrent of real emotion and depth that counterbalances the humor. It’s not just farce or a romp. It has real emotional underpinnings and the combination is where we like to live. Cable is a stalwart of 'X-Force'. 'Deadpool' is the gateway into the 'X-Force' world, and an essential part. Cable is the straight man to 'Deadpool’s' madness. He provides an almost parallel emotional core. Despite them being very different, they’re very similar in that they’re both broken. They’ve both lost something and are in search of something. Ultimately, they find each other. They're incredibly strong-willed personalities. One sees the world in black and white in a very serious way, and the other sees the world in fuchsia and technicolor and every shade of grey in between. Sparks fly between them. This is not a buddy movie in any way, but you can see the beginnings of a partnership that may yield even bigger results in the future. Domino (Zazie Beetz) is a badass combatant with a unique power. It’s an unknown power of probabilities, kind of a luck power. She’s wonderfully unpredictable in that way. She's also a stalwart of 'X-Force'. It’s this ragtag group of dysfunctional, morally improper or uncentered folks. She doesn’t put up with Deadpool’s shit at all. She rolls her eyes and can’t believe she’s involved with this ragtag group of fuck-ups and yet, that’s exactly where she fits in. She’s sarcastic and sardonic. She goes head to head with 'Deadpool', and doesn’t take his shit. Domino does her own thing. She’s not really a sidekick, she holds her own. She’s a mercenary and does her job and then heads out. She knows what she’s got, and it’s interesting because that can open up the discussion of where does that luck end and begin? Because her past is quite tragic. If everything just works out for you, then what’s the point in even being motivated to do anything? She struggles with that a lot. Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) has grown and matured a lot since the last film. Maybe she has figured out more about herself. Before, she was really rebellious and she still has an attitude, but she’s more comfortable now and not necessarily trying to rebel as much as she's just being herself. Yukio (Shioli Kutsuna) is very happy Tokyo-style kind of girl, with a very pink, posh hairstyle. But she’s a badass assassin. Yukio is 'NTW’s' new girlfriend. 'NTW' is more cynical and cold, but Yukio is always trying to see the positive side of everything. When Deadpool meets Dopinder (Karan Soni), he doesn’t make fun of him. Instead, he becomes his friend and wants to help. The world of 'Deadpool' is very dark and bloody and Dopinder sees all that. He’s just living with the biggest smile on his face. He’s a cool addition to the universe because the movie is quite dark and it’s nice to have this bright light walking and driving around everywhere, innocent. In the second movie, Dopinder’s motivation has changed. In the first, he’s romantically motivated. In this one, he’s motivated by 'Deadpool'. He looks up to him and wants to be like him. Weasel (T.J. Miller) is back as 'Deadpool’s' confidante. Besides running the mercenary bar, 'Sister Mary Margaret’s School For Wayward Girls', he deals weapons. So that’s a big part of what’s mysterious about him. How does he have all these hook-ups? He doesn’t have any friends except 'Deadpool'. He’s a confusing dude at times. Weasel and 'Deadpool' are not partners. They work together, but Weasel bets on him to die. The only reason they’re friends is there’s no one more selfish than the other one. Blind Al (Leslie Uggams) is 'Deadpool's' unlikely roommate. She doesn’t care, she says exactly what's on her mind, and she likes throwing those F-bombs. It's fascinating, because you think that because she’s blind, she’s going to be quiet, kind of sedate. And she's totally the opposite of that. She’s been around the block, she doesn’t take any nonsense and she just says whatever she wants to say. That's why the relationship between her and Deadpool is terrific. It’s kind of like best buddy, mother-son, because he knows that anything he says is safe with her. But any BS that he tries to pull she’s right there to tell him but quick with one line what needs to be done. She kind of like the priest when he needs to confess certain things. She’s there to listen and try to give him advice. Their relationship is more than just a roommate situation, there’s a deep friendship between them. Black Tom (Jack Kesy) iscone of the inmates of the mutant prison, where all the mutants wear dampening collars to prevent them from using their special powers. When 'Deadpool' and Russell arrive at 'The Mutant Prison', Black Tom and his sidekick Sluggo (Robert Maillet), have it in for them. Tom menaces young Russell. Black Tom sees vitality, youth, strength, power, his potential; and he wants all of it. He’s always scheming, trying to find a way out. 'The Broadstone House, Essex School For The Young' tries to teach mutant children to suppress their urges to explore their abilities. 'The Headmaster' (Eddie Marson) is a genetic fundamentalist who tries to tell children to control their urges. The orphanage is full of young mutant children with extraordinary powers. 'The Headmaster' has developed a type of cognitive therapy that stops them from exploring these abilities. He has created a form of torture so that whenever they think about using their powers, they remember the pain he’s inflicted on them and that stops them using it. 'The Headmaster' tortures Russell just as he tortures the other mutant children. One of the reasons why Russell turns bad and becomes dangerous is because of what 'The Headmaster' has done. Colossus (Andre Tricoteux) comes from Russia and he’s one of the original 'X-Men'. He’s educated, stoic, well-mannered, polite, and rarely loses his temper. He looks out for everybody else; the prototypical big brother. He turns into metal and obviously has great strength, speed and power. 'Deadpool' and Colossus have always had a kind of big brother/little brother thing. Colossus is 'Deadpool’s' moral compass, he’s always trying to keep him on the straight and narrow. He tries to help train him to become an 'X-Man'. And of course, 'Deadpool' finds ways to screw everything up. Bedlam (Terry Crews) can manipulate electrical fields and he can cause you pain and make you confused. It’s a very psychological weapon; he literally sends his brain power. Shatterstar (Lewis Tan) is a bioengineered warrior from a different planet that's raised as a gladiator. He fights for money and performance. He’s got a badass haircut, and hollow bones. He uses swords and he can channel shockwaves through them. He was engineered to be the greatest warrior and he’s a natural born killer. Zeitgeist (Bill Skarsgard) can puke acidic vomit and incinerate people. Peter (Rob Delaney) is a regular dude who, for some reason, answers an ad that 'Deadpool' puts in the paper. Everybody else who answers is a legitimate superhero with either mutant powers or some kind of other powers and then there’s Peter, who has no powers at all. He’s earnest and has no bullshit and 'Deadpool' admires that because everybody else is like. As little as six years ago if someone talked about a "Deadpool" sequel you would’ve looked at them like a dog looks at grapes. But here we're, millions of tickets and billions of tacos later and the world is a different place. Yet one thing remains the same; people love sequels. And that’s where this film totally succeeds. The film takes some liberties, but he sticks true to the sources. 'X-Force' is the second best-selling comic of all time. The film creates a couple of different cool universes, but there’s something that’s undeniably fascinating about the 'Deadpool' universe; it re-imagined the action-comedy. The beauty of “Deadpool” is, the more obscure the reference, the funnier it's. There’s the satire and the irreverence of the R-rated comedy, and this over the top action. It’s going to be jaw-dropping. ”Deadpool” does not take the genre seriously, and it also doesn’t take itself seriously. In this movie, 'Deadpool' makes fun of himself. He makes fun of the writing. He makes fun of Fox. He makes fun of all the things associated with the franchise, so it softens those jokes about other people when we’re also willing to make jokes about ourselves. “Deadpool” is known as a comedy, but there’s a real beating heart to it. The secret sauce of “Deadpool” is this emotional core. It’s a character that’s been kicked and knocked down, and life’s been really tough on him, as a character with cancer and this terrible scarring on his face. Kids related to 'Spider-Man' because it was a nerdy little kid, and then he put on the mask and he was this amazing super hero. And people tap into 'Deadpool' because they see a character whose life has been tough and he somehow overcomes it all, laughs about it and wins in the end. “Deadpool” is finding that balance between the comedy, the action, and the emotion. Comics are like 'The Bible'. You better stick to exactly how that character is in the comics. “Deadpool 2” is filled with an assortment of nasty antagonists, but there's no one main villain. 'Deadpool’s' a character who breaks all the rules, he breaks the fourth wall. We, in turn, do the same. The film doesn’t have the traditional mustache-twirling villain. It’s an unusual structure. To keep storylines and even characters under wraps, the film creates code names for every key character in the script, and the actual title as well. Sometimes it's like working at 'The CIA'; for the goal of keeping the movie fresh and not spoiling it for anybody. But if all the secrecy pays off, fans will be more than a little surprised to meet a slate of previously unannounced superheroes that 'Deadpool' recruits to go up against an ultimate foe. As they’re about to embark on their maiden mission, they dub themselves 'X-Force'. There are a number of exciting gags, and just trying to figure out the balance between visual and practical effects..The aesthetic feels earthy. It’s soulful and there’s something kind of retro about it, too. "Deadpool 2” is bigger, crazier, than the first. All of the set pieces are three times what you saw in the first one. The challenge is always do something you haven’t done before and keep everything new and dynamic. Is "Deadpool 2" better than "Deadpool? Not really. But it’s still pretty damn good.  

I call upon you, brought by leaves and seeds. Hear with my ears and speak with my tongue. I invite you to come. Pyewacket. If you’ve already read one of my reviews, you’d know I enjoy a low-budget, independent film occasionally. A film where you already know in advance that the special effects won’t be mindblowing. And also, mostly unknown actors are summoned. That doesn’t mean these films are unwatchable because of the amateurish camerawork. Nor is it that the acting is extremely bad. On the contrary. I’ve already enjoyed such creative, non-mainstream experiments. I also enjoyed “Pyewacket“. A simple horror story (even though you can discuss whether or not it’s a horror) in which black magic and satanism are the cause of a lot of misery. Yes. Again a cabin in the woods. You might have second thoughts about the impulsive behavior of Leah (Nicole Muñoz) who, after yet another dispute with her mother, goes into the forest and armed with a book about occultism and a few attributes performs an ancient ritual. A ritual to summon the evil spirit Pyewacket who might ensure Leah getting rid of her annoying mother (Laurie Holden). The fact that her mother might go through a difficult emotional phase, isn’t something Leah realizes. Leah being sorry afterward and suddenly noticing that her mother isn’t so bad after all. Well, I can relate to that. Who hasn’t been mad at his parents once, after the umpteenth discussion about random insignificant things? Soon Leah realizes that something dark and threatening is wandering around their cabin in the woods. Not scary and misleading. The film itself isn’t really frightening. There are some apparitions, a scared friend who wants to go home after sleeping over one night and a feeling of threat at certain moments. But you have to be really patient for that. Originality is also a term that doesn’t fit with this film. Once again the teenagers in this movie prefer alternative music with the accompanying black clothes and hairstyle. Archetypes that are often used in such films. The fact that some kind of expert shows up to explain it all and gives occult advice, is also nothing new. The strength of the film is its misleading character. I do like films where you have doubts about the true nature of the event. Is the malignant spirit effectively present? Or is it just a fantasy of Leah? Or is she emotionally unstable so she sees things? Stay away from things you’re not an expert in. In retrospect, I found that “Pyewacket” was really worth a watch. Not only because of the subject being used. But also because of the sometimes excellent acting of Nicole Muñoz. And to a lesser extent that of Laurie Holden. Muñoz her anger and regret felt sincere. More than that of Holden. And despite the fact that the creepy content is of a low level, I thought the dynamic in this movie was extremely successful. No, it’s not an extraordinary movie. The only thing one should remember is never to engage in things one doesn’t know anything about. My rating 5/10 Links: IMDB More reviews here

In Gotham City, mentally-troubled comedian Arthur Fleck embarks on a downward-spiral of social revolution and bloody crime. This path brings him face-to-face with his infamous alter-ego: "The Joker". “What do you get when you cross a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash? You get what you f****n’ deserve!” The big question asked by Todd Phillips’ Joker. The answer; an in-depth character study unveiling the myth behind one of pop culture’s most twisted creations. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding this film upon its release. People state that it mishandles the representation of mental health and that it’s a dangerous film which could potentially insight violence. I believe Phoenix and Phillips handle Arthur’s descent into madness with great nuance and with masterful direction. The same controversy surrounded one of the film’s clear influences; Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. Robert DeNiro’s portrayal of Travis Bickle represented the disillusionment and PTSD of war veterans and how society abandoned them and people still regard it as a masterpiece and one of Scorsese’s finest films. The time and setting are irrelevant as the issues and society depicted in period-time Gotham wreak of Trump’s America which has been embodied by Thomas Wayne. This is an angry film with so much to say. One of the reasons why I loved this film is not only is it a great genre film (calling it a genre insults the quality) but a modern-day masterpiece which will be dissected for years to come. As for Joaquin Phoenix’s performance, it’s pretty much self-explanatory. It’s a masterclass in physical and emotional artistry, we truly see an actor pushing his body and mind to its limits. It does not overshadow the magnificent work achieved by the late Heath Ledger, but is in fact a deeper psychological study to the myth behind the character. The use of the unreliable narrator only adds to Arthur’s fragile state of mind and a masterstroke by Phillips. Overall, yes this film is controversial and yes this film is a commentary on today’s society but with Hildur Guônadóttir’s haunting and mesmerising score and an all-time, Oscar-winning performance from Phoenix and Phillips has crafted one of the best films of the past ten years.

(Release Info London schedule; June 30th, 2019, Electric Cinema, Notting Hill 191 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, W11 2ED, 10:00 AM) https://film.list.co.uk/listing/1296251-never-look-away/ "Never Look Away" Amidst the chaos of pre-war Germany, Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling) based loosely on one of Germany’s most revered contemporary painters, Gerhard Richter, becomes fascinated by the art in the world around him. Kurt attends art school, where he meets and falls in love with fellow student, Ellie (Paula Beer). Kurt soon discovers that his family’s past is intertwined with Ellie’s in sinister and violent ways, just as art in Germany is entangled with the nation’s past. Ellie’s father, Professor Seeband (Sebastian Koch), a famous doctor, is dismayed at his daughter’s choice of boyfriend, and vows to destroy the relationship. What neither of them knows is that their lives are already connected through a terrible crime Seeband committed decades ago. Through the Dresden bombings, a job as a Soviet propaganda artist, and a move from 'East' to 'West Germany', Kurt strives to find his voice as an artist. The focus is an artist named Kurt Barnert. While Kurt is growing up during 'The Second World War', his aunt Elisabeth (Saskia Rosendahl) sparks his interest in art. She's freedom, art, beauty, extreme sensitivity, and madness all in one. After the war he studies first in Dresden, and later in Düsseldorf at the legendary art school 'Kunstakademie', where at the time some of 'West Germany’s' most important artists completely revolutionized their field. His love of Ellie Seeband leads to a confrontation with her father, the famous gynecologist Professor Carl Seeband, a staunch rationalist and perfectionist who despises everything that Kurt stands for. Kurt Barnert’s life makes it clear that we as humans have an almost alchemistic ability to make something good out of the difficult things in life that happen to us all. No less important a role is Ellie Seeband, the professor’s daughter, whom Kurt Barnert falls in love with without knowing who her father is and without knowing that they're bound by tragic circumstances in the past. The complete antithesis of Kurt is his 'father-in-law' Professor Carl Seeband. The character of Seeband is a dyed-in-the-wool 'Nazi' and witnessed the complete failure of this ideology and how it brings about his country’s collapse. He finds safe harbor in the next systems, however, and with his discipline, health, intelligence, and scientific expertise, remains unassailable. It's these qualities that also enabled him to conceal his guilt and save his neck. This gives him a feeling of superiority and a great feeling of security. This is why he finds it so inconceivable that his only child becomes involved with a powerless artist, whom he also deems frail and of mediocre intelligence. He opposes the relationship with every means available to him. Seeband is a monster. He's ice-cold and domineering. But what's truly monstrous about him is that he's convinced he's doing the right thing. There's no feeling of wrongdoing, no sense of guilt. He does what he does because for him there's absolutely no alternative. The clash of two men who at first glance have nothing in common, both brilliant minds but who could not be more different, and who also have completely opposing approaches to life and the world. The subject derives it's power from the clash of these two men, and the result is a story about the essence of inspiration and the power of art. For a long time the cinematic treatment of German history fixated on 'The Second World War', and naturally on the 'GDR' past. One of the things that particularly excited about "Never Look Away" is that the film covers several periods of German history and connects the developments in each. The film sheds light on these periods from the perspective of three human destinies; of the artist Kurt Barnert, the love of his life Ellie, and her father Professor Seeband. All three are invisibly bound by a dark family secret of which Kurt and Ellie are at first completely unaware. The story takes us through three decades of German history: war, destruction, reconstruction, Socialism, the young 'Freedom Republic Of Germany'. But the film’s focus is above all on the art of this period, on the work of our main character Kurt, and his path to finding his own personal style as an artist. What's the defining quality of the Germans? Where does art come from? "Never Look Away" is based on the work of German painter Gerhard Richter, whose life and work serve as one of the film’s many sources of inspiration. Inspired by real events, the film explores a subject matter that's both unusual and compellingly ambitious, spanning three decades of German post-war history in a suspense-packed drama. It also makes use of a sweeping historical backdrop to tell a highly personal and emotional story through the portrayal of three human destinies. A gripping drama and moving family story inspired by real events, by what it means to create art, and by the search for an artistic voice of one’s own. The images of Gerhard Richter are like memorable melodies that continue to dance around in our head. Like earworms. But in this case eyeworms. With the difference that they weren’t annoying, but a continual source of enrichment. It's a film about German art in the period following 'The Second World War'. "Never Look Away" explores the question of how great, genuine art is created. Art is one of the mysteries of human creativity. There's no formula that can determine why a work of art moves, shocks, or captivates us. This film is for everyone who might be a bit bored with the triviality of so much of what's seen in movie theaters today. The film creates a sense of true grandeur and capturing the audience’s imagination. "Never Look Away" is the best argument, the best reason for going to the movies.

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(Release Info London schedule; August 21st, 2019, Cineworld Leicester Square, 5–6 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7NA, 13:40 pm) https://film.list.co.uk/cinema/42944-cineworld-leicester-square-london-wc2h/coming-soon/#times "Angel Has Fallen" When there's an assassination attempt on 'U.S. President' Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman), his trusted confidant, 'Secret Service Agent' Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), is wrongfully accused and taken into custody. After escaping from capture, he becomes a man on the run and must evade his own agency and outsmart 'The FBI' in order to find the real threat to 'The President'. Desperate to uncover the truth, Banning turns to unlikely allies to help clear his name, keep his family from harm and save the country from imminent danger. "Angel Has Fallen" is a explosive, rip-roaring thriller in which the fate of the nation rests on the very man accused of attempting to assassinate 'The President Of The United States'. The film opens at the former 'U.S. Air Force Base' at 'Upper Heyford' in Oxfordshire where Banning goes through a terrifying simulation. Banning has long been one of the stalwart heroes-in-the-shadows on whom national security depends on day in and day out, but is the always-ready warrior starting to lose it? Haunted by a lifetime soaked in adrenaline, danger and more than a few insane snafus, Mike feels his usually knifelike edge slipping. The uncertain becomes the unthinkable as he wakes up to his worst possible nightmare; The President' has fallen and Banning stands accused of conspiring to kill his friend, mentor and the man he’s sworn to protect. Now the expert hunter has become the hunted, spurring Butler’s deepest, darkest take yet on the loose-cannon action hero. On the run and with no one but his family on his side, Banning may not be able to pull himself back from the brink. But he will put his patriotism above his own as he stops at absolutely nothing to save the country that he’s alleged to have betrayed. As Banning maneuvers to evade his savvy colleagues, every quality that made him the top agent on the presidential detail is put to the test; his high-level combat skills, his ability to out-think the most twisted minds and his willingness to put himself at extreme risk to pull others from harm, only that might just be the easy part, for Banning now faces a situation for which he has zero preparation. Forced into the cold, isolated from his family, in dire physical and mental peril, the only way he can go forward is to take an unwanted turn into his past. 'Secret Service' agents live in a constant state of high alert. At any given second, they've to be ready to thwart a near-infinite number of potential threats that could come from any country, any group, or any person, without warning. Their sacrifices, the persistent danger, the merciless demands on body and soul, the stress on their relationships, are rarely recognized publicly, but they don’t do it for the recognition. They do it because they're driven to serve the highest office of the land and the bedrock of democracy. That kind of devotion has always defined Mike Banning, though, he's also a man of contrasts. On the job, he's a cunning, dogged, laser-focused patriot, but he's also a self-questioning and at times a self-deprecating man who has his dark corners of jagged regrets and frustrations. He has done and seen it all. In "Olympus Has Fallen", he rescued 'The First Family' from a 'North Korean'-led kidnapping inside 'The White House'. In "London Has Fallen", he kept 'President Asher' from harm during a terrorist attack on world leaders attending 'The British Prime Minister’s' funeral. For the first time in "Angel Has Fallen", Banning is no longer sure if he can trust his own agency. He can’t sleep, he can’t get through the day without pain killers and even his doctor can see that he’s heading at 100 mph for a brick wall. Then, the bottom drops out. He might be a trained killer, but there’s always been an everyman aspect to Mike. So, in this film, even though there’s a huge external struggle, we get to know a lot more about his internal struggles with his father Clay (Nick Nolte), his wife Leah ( (Piper Perabo) and his own future, struggles we all have. It makes the stakes of the action that much higher because we’re so inside his world. It's a portrait of a more life-sized man, a hardboiled warrior facing down his own doubts. It all starts with Banning being offered the prized job of 'Director Of The Secret Service' by 'President Trumbull'. It’s an incredible opportunity, but it’s also just the kind of indoor job that makes Banning chafe. He’s not at all sure he’s ready to be a desk jockey. Mike’s wife Leah loves the idea of the director job. She knows he’ll be safer, but Mike still loves being on the frontlines. In a way it’s heartbreaking because his dedication and courage are what motivated 'President Trumbull' to offer him this really great, prominent job; yet to Mike, it feels a little like the end of who he's. That’s exactly what Mike is thinking about as he faces a desk job. It brings up this huge question for him; 'do I keep trying to be the person I was in my youth or do I find a way to embrace who I’ve become'? It’s something a lot of people go through in all walks of life. Mike Banning is known for his badassery, and now we get to see a lot more of where he comes from. The film puts you inside Banning’s head as he goes from offense to defense, from proud warrior to fugitive, so that you get to see and feel everything he’s going through. For fans, it’s a chance to see what makes Banning tick, and for new audiences, it's a discovery of a really relatable character surviving in an extraordinary situation. So, you still get a tremendous amount of action but with a whole new and fresh point of view. It has always been Banning’s everyday authenticity and down-to-earth humor that stands out against today’s line-up of fantastical superheroes, but in this film, he's stripped down to his most human yet. Part of Banning’s appeal has been that he’s such a real-life guy. He’s someone trying to be a family man while dealing with the heavy emotional toll his work takes on him. People can really relate to that, but on the other hand, he’s one of the toughest dudes you could ever hope to meet. He will never quit. That’s how he sees himself, but that image is put to the test in this film in ways he’d rather it wasn’t. With his grit and loyalty under fire, Banning also comes face-to-face with the costs of the warrior’s life as he tries to evade mounting signs of 'PTSD'. In this chapter, you realize that this man you’ve seen go through all these firefights, explosions and crashes has paid a price. Banning has been silently struggling in his work and at home, but he’s keeping it all secret because he doesn’t want to let people down and he wants to keep doing the job he loves and believes in. It’s not the greatest timing for the whole nation to think he’s a terrorist at large, to say the least. He’s also very clear on that fact that, whatever his fate, 'The President' is in grave danger and he's the only person left who can figure out where the threat is coming from. As Banning is put under crushing pressure, it gives him more room to dive deep. It’s very revealing to watch an incredible hero you’ve always seen chasing others, become the chased and desperate man. 'President Trumbull' has taken on the mantle, and all the hazards, of being 'Commander-In-Chief'. Now his life is on the line along with his trust in Banning. Nearly assassinated and told his most trusted 'Secret Service' agent is the prime suspect in the deadly attack, Trumbull faces a dilemma that could endanger not only his cherished friendship with Mike Banning but the future of the world. In the earlier films, Trumbull already proved that he trusted Banning, and Banning has always felt a bond with Trumbull, beyond his duty to protect him. In this film, you see how much of a mentor Trumbull has become to Banning. They each look at the other as one of the few people they can talk to honestly. They can joke together, and they even rip on each other a little, respectfully, which is rare in Trumbull’s life, and to me, Trumbull becomes the center of the movie because in a way, they're each other’s lifeline if either one is going to survive. 'President Trumbull' is such a father-figure to Mike Banning and that's really put on the line. He has that mix of pathos, gravitas, and warmth, yet with a dash of roguishness that makes him a great leader and the kind of person to whom Mike can relate. Trumbull is a honorable, courageous man and a very good politician. But he’s not really based on any historical president because the situation is so unique and the decisions he has to make haven’t really had to be made by any President that we know of. "Angel Has Fallen" takes Mike Banning into his darkest hour, but also his hidden past. Things take a wild switchback into turbulent father-son territory when Banning looks for refuge in the last place on earth he ever thought he’d go; his long-estranged father’s Clay (Nick Nolte) off-the-grid cabin. Here he has to confront a man he has never understood or had the chance to question; the Vietnam vet who walked out on him as a boy and retreated from his 'PTSD' and paranoia into life as a lone survivalist in the woods. He brings a sense of frayed dignity to a man not quite sure if he’s ready for redemption. There’s a fascinating contrast between Mike and his dad because Mike is driven to keep running into war and his dad is still trying to run from it. All along, it’s been a deep regret in Mike’s life that he never really had a father, but now that he needs his father that means he also has to put up with him. He and Clay think they're cut from different cloth, but now that they’re forced together, it allows them to see their connection. Like Mike, Clay came from a proud tradition of military discipline, but it left him in distress. After two tours in Vietnam, when he came home to his wife and child, he couldn’t make it. It happened to a lot of good soldiers. You can’t go easily from the extreme survival of war back to a normal life. Your brain gets rewired and that’s what happened to Clay. He came back and felt he couldn’t be a good father, so he cleared out. The way he sees it, his disappearing was the best thing that ever happened to Mike because Clay felt he had nothing to teach but violence and anger. Clay wants to allow himself no creature comforts. He wants the barest minimum he can possibly live with, one cup, one fork, one plate, one bed. Really there's no reason to even have a chair because he doesn’t have any visitors, not until Mike shows up. When Mike does show up, the mix of anger and affection, skepticism and understanding, defiance and need is incendiary. In the scene at the cabin, you can feel so much going on inside Clag all at once; he’s broken, grief-stricken, excited, questioning, wondering, fearful, judging, hoping and more. You can see Clay’s whole life and struggles coming through in just the way he moves his face. As the characters grew closer, we also bonded in a big way. Another character who comes to the fore in "Angel Has Fallen" is Banning’s wife, Leah. She has always been one of Mike’s biggest supporters and joys, but now as a new mother, she worries that Mike is retreating into private darkness that could lock her out. Now that they've a daughter, there's a whole new dynamic between Leah and Mike, she has a vision of them moving forward in a way that will make them both happy. Much as she understands what drives her husband, Leah can’t hide her desire for Mike to take the director job that will see him still doing his patriotic duty, but safely seated within four walls. Most of all Leah just wants Mike to be home more. Their relationship is really healthy and they trust each other, but she just wants more time to have fun with him. Leah knows something is about to explode. Another key player in the film is Wade Jennings (Danny Huston), a long-time buddy and military compatriot of Banning’s, who in a time of peace has turned to the growing world of private military contractors. It's Wade who spurs doubts in Banning’s mind after a training session that leaves him battered. Wade has taken a different path from Mike. He sees himself as a ferocious lion who has been put in a cage and he doesn’t really know how to interact with the world in a state of peace. They both understand that power of adrenaline, even if they make different choices. Once the chase begins, the cat to Banning’s mouse is 'FBI Agent' Thompson (Jada Pinkett Smith). She's really smart and tough as nails. She's intense, serious and a straight-shooter, but she’s also wily enough to keep up with Banning. Of course, she’s under biggest pressure to bring in the suspect wanted to assassinate 'The President Of The United States'. To lock Mike Banning into a chaotic world of ceaseless jeopardy, the bottom line for all can be summed up in one word; groundedness. The film captures how people really move in a fight or a chase, what it really sounds like and the visceral feel of it. The idea is to immerse people completely into Banning’s 'POV' of every moment. "Olympus" and "London" each had about 13 action sequences. Here we’ve upped that to 23 sequences, which is a lot. It never stops. The audience feels every bump and explosion. Everything is bigger and faster in every moment; we've fast boats, fast trucks, fast drones, and huge explosions. These drones can work as a swarm to find and target an enemy. Of course, it’s all military secrets, so the film designs his own, but everything you see in the film is based on real tech. In one of the film’s most harrowing chases, Banning finds himself in a speeding semi on a dark mountain road pursued by police and helicopters, with no obvious escape route. It feels super grounded and real but also put you inside Banning’s head as he’s trying to escape while inflicting as little damage as he can. The film puts in almost documentary-like details to create what’s an incredible gauntlet run. As Mike Banning becomes a fugitive on the run, the film flows seamlessly through a real-time chase that never lets up. The 'Oval Office' colors are quite different to the ones you’ve seen before, but we learn that each president gets to pick the colors they want, so 'President Trumbull' has a great taste and makes 'The Oval' more dynamic than you’ve seen it. The third installment in 'The Fallen Series', "Angel Has Fallen" stands on it's own as a psychologically tense, kinetic thriller that never lets off the accelerator from its opening killer-drone attack. It also adds a revealing new chapter to the legend of Mike Banning, as the hazards of his work collide into his private life, pushing him to explore how he became the man he's now. It’s also exactly where we want to see the franchise go next, inviting audiences into a ride as psychologically volatile as it's filled with wall-to-wall stunts and battles. What’s great is that while this movie gets much more personal, there’s also more action than ever, so the ride is heightened on all levels. There’s brutal, crazy, epic combat, but in the same breath, there’s real drama and it’s also the funniest of the films. The film makes this mad roller-coaster ride as visceral as possible at every turn. As visceral as the action and design are, it all serves to open up a window into Banning’s soul that resonates beyond the thrills. The film puts in all the fun and thrills you’d expect from a Mike Banning story.

„Alice, Darling“ /01/20/23/ Genesis Cinema, 93-95 Mile End Rd, Bethnal Green, London E1 4UJ, United Kingdom, 15:20 · 17:50 Rio Cinema, 107 Kingsland High St, London E8 2PB, United Kingdom, 17:15 "Alice Darling" Alice (Anna Kendrick) in a woman pushed to the breaking point by her psychologically abusive boyfriend, Simon (Charlie Carrick). While on vacation with two close girlfriends, Alice rediscovers the essence of herself and gains some much-needed perspective. Slowly, she starts to fray the cords of codependency that bind her. But Simon’s vengeance is as inevitable as it's shattering, and, once unleashed, it tests Alice’s strength, her courage, and the bonds of her deep-rooted friendships. When the audience first encounters Alice, she's fully in denial about her fraught relationship with her boyfriend Simon and how damaging it's. Her slow burn realization of the harm it's doing to her and her participation in that reveals itself over time, but at first, it's a mystery, to the audience and to the character. When we meet Alice, she doesn’t really know who she's all. It's actually a really bizarre character to play because the whole point is that she’s sort of lost herself, and that everything in her focus, all her energy, is going toward being kind of small and flexible and to manage her partner’s potential reactivity. And the sense that if she’s just a little bit better, if she's just perfect, everything will be okay. That mindset slowly creeps in, and, before she knows it, she doesn’t recognize yourself. Only when she's with her close friends does Alice have a little more room to breathe. It’s interesting because she’s resistant to that at first, if she fully recognizes and accepts herself and then returns to her partner, she will be in serious trouble, and her carefully constructed if self-sabotaging world will come apart. Alice’s very different public and private demeanor offers existential clues into Alice’s authentic self, even when Alice is not quite aware or willing to accept who that's. This character seems fine on the surface, but obviously, you've little windows into her. A lot of the times that she’s in the bathroom, obsessively twirling and pulling her hair, it's clear she's in great distress about something. So how do you bring that out in a subtle way that tells you what’s happening inside the character? Alice presents as successful and secure, beloved by her boyfriend, her friends, herself. But slowly the enigmatic, self- destructive fissures appear, even as Alice refuses to address her mysterious downward spiral. She refuses to admit or confront it. Façade is all. We're with her, in her emotional perspective. The audience, like Alice, experiences the symptoms but not the root cause. But in this case, as in so many in real life, the character isn’t fully aware of what’s happening to her because it isn’t overt and because there’s a lot of gaslighting happening. The cause is a mystery, as much to her as to the audience; in many ways, Alice is an unreliable narrator. The literal and emotional journey of Alice, especially her complicated, inner turmoil that she cannot articulate but reveals in often self-sabotaging ways. There's a world where we understand that Simon will never change. He will leave this movie telling everyone he knows, ‘Yeah. I dated this girl who was crazy. She turned off her phone. I didn’t know where she was. I went to find her and her friends ganged up on me'. This is the sort of abuse that's very much under the surface but still very present and toxic and it's all too common, if not discussed or recognized fully. The hidden nature of Alice’s relationship with her boyfriend, Simon; his controlling, manipulative behavior; and Alice’s willingness to keep the by peace by accepting blame that doesn’t belong to her. Alice, incapable of facing her issues, sublimates and acts out her suffering in increasingly alarming and mysterious ways. Her polar opposite is her friend Sophie (Wummi Mosaku), a clear-eyed, emotionally centered warm soul with an altruisticr heart. She's the proof. People, but especially women, have a really hard time trusting that what they’re feeling is real and that there’s a temptation to show really overt acts or scenes that make you really understand that, okay, what’s happening is wrong. But that's not how it plays out all the time. To trust that the audience would come along with one character’s perception, flawed, personal and complex as it's, that being enough, is scary. Sophie is someone who's filled with love and enthusiasm, and she wants joy to surround the people that she loves and she just tries her best to do that, whether it’s through like baking or like hiking and kayaking or fireworks she plans for Tess’s (Kaniehtiio Horn) birthday. She wants people to feel loved and happy. It’s no accident that she works for a nonprofit! She's someone who accepts people for who they're, and doesn’t try and change them. Tess is loyal, bighearted, forthright, mischievous, blunt, kind, sometimes judgmental but ultimately forgiving. Tess is a brilliant artist but she’s not raking in the cash or the notices, in contrast with Simon, who's very successful. Tess has all of the best intentions. But we don’t think that she knows how to vocalize her feelings with sensitivity. She's brash and doesn’t exactly think before she speaks. Tess says what's on her mind and deals with the consequences later. And, in this case, her feelings about Simon and her best friend Alice are also influenced by where she's in her career, but ultimately it's motivated by her deep love for Alice. Honesty without compassion is brutality. Compassion without honesty is enabling. They haven’t figured out how to be compassionate and honest, Sophie for sure, and Tess definitely hasn’t figured out how to be honest with compassion. They're all in a transitional time, in their early 30s and going through their personal growth as people and friends and figuring out how to navigate all of it. The characters, their emotional and literal journey is recognizable and, unfortunately, in terms of Alice and her issues with her boyfriend, and her struggle to reconcile those with herself and her childhood friends. The film tells the story from the emotional point of view of the characters, particularly Alice, so audiences experience her self-destructive habits/reactions to her deep despair and low self-esteem as she does, not entirely sure from whence this comes because she isn’t capable of addressing her underlying angst. A particularly telling and disturbing routine is her incessant hair twisting and yanking of strands, a small but alarming physical manifestation of her inner turmoil. There's also something to the literal journey Alice and her friends take, from city to bucolic countryside, this change of scenery and vibe ultimately liberates Alice and her friends. "Alice, Darling" is a subtle, nuanced story about coercion and control. It's about female friendship and coercive abuse. It’s riveting tale, of course, but ultimately it's a story of female resilience and empowerment. What you can do very well in literature is describe what’s happening to somebody internally, what’s happening inside them. Sometimes in film it’s harder to bring something that’s nonverbal out. You need to see the lake from the hot tub and the herbs from the kitchen. There’s a whole bit of business with wood chopping. It's all part of the dance of designing the blocking and that interaction between direction, cinematography, and production design. Written by Gregory Mann

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwO4VhXHg1s&lc=z23aflugwrbruh03yacdp43b4q0jnkl2hovynbthgbpw03c010c

„Alice, Darling“ /01/20/23/ Genesis Cinema, 93-95 Mile End Rd, Bethnal Green, London E1 4UJ, United Kingdom, 15:20 · 17:50 Rio Cinema, 107 Kingsland High St, London E8 2PB, United Kingdom, 17:15 "Alice Darling" Alice (Anna Kendrick) in a woman pushed to the breaking point by her psychologically abusive boyfriend, Simon (Charlie Carrick). While on vacation with two close girlfriends, Alice rediscovers the essence of herself and gains some much-needed perspective. Slowly, she starts to fray the cords of codependency that bind her. But Simon’s vengeance is as inevitable as it's shattering, and, once unleashed, it tests Alice’s strength, her courage, and the bonds of her deep-rooted friendships. When the audience first encounters Alice, she's fully in denial about her fraught relationship with her boyfriend Simon and how damaging it's. Her slow burn realization of the harm it's doing to her and her participation in that reveals itself over time, but at first, it's a mystery, to the audience and to the character. When we meet Alice, she doesn’t really know who she's all. It's actually a really bizarre character to play because the whole point is that she’s sort of lost herself, and that everything in her focus, all her energy, is going toward being kind of small and flexible and to manage her partner’s potential reactivity. And the sense that if she’s just a little bit better, if she's just perfect, everything will be okay. That mindset slowly creeps in, and, before she knows it, she doesn’t recognize yourself. Only when she's with her close friends does Alice have a little more room to breathe. It’s interesting because she’s resistant to that at first, if she fully recognizes and accepts herself and then returns to her partner, she will be in serious trouble, and her carefully constructed if self-sabotaging world will come apart. Alice’s very different public and private demeanor offers existential clues into Alice’s authentic self, even when Alice is not quite aware or willing to accept who that's. This character seems fine on the surface, but obviously, you've little windows into her. A lot of the times that she’s in the bathroom, obsessively twirling and pulling her hair, it's clear she's in great distress about something. So how do you bring that out in a subtle way that tells you what’s happening inside the character? Alice presents as successful and secure, beloved by her boyfriend, her friends, herself. But slowly the enigmatic, self- destructive fissures appear, even as Alice refuses to address her mysterious downward spiral. She refuses to admit or confront it. Façade is all. We're with her, in her emotional perspective. The audience, like Alice, experiences the symptoms but not the root cause. But in this case, as in so many in real life, the character isn’t fully aware of what’s happening to her because it isn’t overt and because there’s a lot of gaslighting happening. The cause is a mystery, as much to her as to the audience; in many ways, Alice is an unreliable narrator. The literal and emotional journey of Alice, especially her complicated, inner turmoil that she cannot articulate but reveals in often self-sabotaging ways. There's a world where we understand that Simon will never change. He will leave this movie telling everyone he knows, ‘Yeah. I dated this girl who was crazy. She turned off her phone. I didn’t know where she was. I went to find her and her friends ganged up on me'. This is the sort of abuse that's very much under the surface but still very present and toxic and it's all too common, if not discussed or recognized fully. The hidden nature of Alice’s relationship with her boyfriend, Simon; his controlling, manipulative behavior; and Alice’s willingness to keep the by peace by accepting blame that doesn’t belong to her. Alice, incapable of facing her issues, sublimates and acts out her suffering in increasingly alarming and mysterious ways. Her polar opposite is her friend Sophie (Wummi Mosaku), a clear-eyed, emotionally centered warm soul with an altruisticr heart. She's the proof. People, but especially women, have a really hard time trusting that what they’re feeling is real and that there’s a temptation to show really overt acts or scenes that make you really understand that, okay, what’s happening is wrong. But that's not how it plays out all the time. To trust that the audience would come along with one character’s perception, flawed, personal and complex as it's, that being enough, is scary. Sophie is someone who's filled with love and enthusiasm, and she wants joy to surround the people that she loves and she just tries her best to do that, whether it’s through like baking or like hiking and kayaking or fireworks she plans for Tess’s (Kaniehtiio Horn) birthday. She wants people to feel loved and happy. It’s no accident that she works for a nonprofit! She's someone who accepts people for who they're, and doesn’t try and change them. Tess is loyal, bighearted, forthright, mischievous, blunt, kind, sometimes judgmental but ultimately forgiving. Tess is a brilliant artist but she’s not raking in the cash or the notices, in contrast with Simon, who's very successful. Tess has all of the best intentions. But we don’t think that she knows how to vocalize her feelings with sensitivity. She's brash and doesn’t exactly think before she speaks. Tess says what's on her mind and deals with the consequences later. And, in this case, her feelings about Simon and her best friend Alice are also influenced by where she's in her career, but ultimately it's motivated by her deep love for Alice. Honesty without compassion is brutality. Compassion without honesty is enabling. They haven’t figured out how to be compassionate and honest, Sophie for sure, and Tess definitely hasn’t figured out how to be honest with compassion. They're all in a transitional time, in their early 30s and going through their personal growth as people and friends and figuring out how to navigate all of it. The characters, their emotional and literal journey is recognizable and, unfortunately, in terms of Alice and her issues with her boyfriend, and her struggle to reconcile those with herself and her childhood friends. The film tells the story from the emotional point of view of the characters, particularly Alice, so audiences experience her self-destructive habits/reactions to her deep despair and low self-esteem as she does, not entirely sure from whence this comes because she isn’t capable of addressing her underlying angst. A particularly telling and disturbing routine is her incessant hair twisting and yanking of strands, a small but alarming physical manifestation of her inner turmoil. There's also something to the literal journey Alice and her friends take, from city to bucolic countryside, this change of scenery and vibe ultimately liberates Alice and her friends. "Alice, Darling" is a subtle, nuanced story about coercion and control. It's about female friendship and coercive abuse. It’s riveting tale, of course, but ultimately it's a story of female resilience and empowerment. What you can do very well in literature is describe what’s happening to somebody internally, what’s happening inside them. Sometimes in film it’s harder to bring something that’s nonverbal out. You need to see the lake from the hot tub and the herbs from the kitchen. There’s a whole bit of business with wood chopping. It's all part of the dance of designing the blocking and that interaction between direction, cinematography, and production design. Written by Gregory Mann