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This is a crime drama film which is written, directed by and starring BAFTA-award winning Noel Clarke. It serves as the sequel to Adulthood and the third installment in the hood series. The film is again centered on the troubled and now dad of two Sam Peel, who is portrayed by Noel Clarke. It seems as though sixteen years after Sam has murdered Trife that there are still people out there who want him dead and this is a problem he has to overcome throughout Brotherhood. Sam’s younger brother Royston is an aspiring musician and is shot in the opening scene, which Sam believes the shooter is somebody who is really out to get him. Sam goes to visit Alissa, who after all these years has forgiven Sam. He gives her some money for their daughter. She informs Sam that they must tell her soon what really happened. Sam has always been troubled as a youth and is now still troubled as a grown man, he has bettered himself in some way as he now works in a local gym. Sam learns from Royston’s friend that the shooting was not an accident, Henry gives him a letter with an address on it and a furious Sam storms over to the address. He gains access to the house but is unfortunately outnumbered. After being jumped by many the fight is intervened by a conceited but successful criminal, Daley. All three of the films are well known for its drug use as well as violence. This film in particular wraps a quite torrid and emotional 16 years for Sam. Noel Clarke’s character started out as an aggressive teenage bully whose life was seen to be on the line on more than one occasion, specifically in Adulthood. It seems as though in this film he gets as stable as he can, but acknowledges that after all these years he is unfortunately still looking over his shoulder for crimes he committed nearly 20 years ago. The question is will Sam continue with his criminal ways or will he change so there is a much brighter future for his children. Throughout the film he faces a large number of people who want to hurt him. In one of the better scenes of the film Sam gets jumped by some younger guys in the middle of the street and it does not look good for him at all. Luckily in the nick of time his brother’s friend Henry arrives and the pair of them escape. Despite getting away, Sam realises that his family is in danger. As a result of this, he makes a phone call to his partner Kayla and advises her and the kids to spend the night at her mum’s as these people know where they live. Do you remember in Kidulthood, Uncle Curtis? He has many run-ins with Sam throughout the film and none of them are pleasant. Towards the end of the film there is a vicious stand-off between the pair of them. Can Sam leave this life in the past and protect his family?

(Release Info London schedule; February 19th, 2019, Curzon Bloomsbury, London WC1N, The Brunswick, London, WC1N 1AW, 14:45 PM) "Hale County This Morning, This Evening" An inspired and intimate portrait of a place and it's people, "Hale County This Morning, This Evening" follows Daniel Collins and Quincy Bryant, two young 'African American' men from rural 'Hale County', Alabama, over the course of five years. Collins attends college in search of opportunity while Bryant becomes a father to an energetic son in an open-ended, poetic film that privileges the patiently observed interstices of their lives. The audience is invited to experience the mundane and monumental, birth and death, the quotidian and the sublime. These moments combine to communicate the region’s deep culture and provide glimpses of the complex ways 'The African American' community’s collective image is integrated into America’s visual imagination. It's a refreshingly direct approach to documentary that fills in the gaps between individual black male icons. The film allows the viewer an emotive impression of 'The Historic South', showing the consequences of the social construction of race, while simultaneously trumpeting the beauty of life and offering a testament to dreaming despite the odds. Director RaMell Ross earned a 'BA' in both 'English' and 'Sociology' from 'Georgetown University' and an 'MFA' from 'The Rhode Island School Of Design'. His photographs have been exhibited internationally and his writing has appeared in such outlets as 'The New York Times' and 'Walker Arts Center'. He was part of 'Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces Of Independent Film' in.2015, and a 'New Frontier Artist' in 'Residence' at 'The MIT Media Lab'. In 2016, he was a finalist for 'The Aperture Portfolio Prize', winner of an 'Aaron Siskind Individual Photographer’s Fellowship Grant' and a 'Sundance Art Of Nonfiction Fellow'. In early 2017, he was selected for 'Rhode Island Foundation's Robert And Margaret MacColl Johnson Artist Fellowship'. RaMell is currently on faculty at 'Brown University’s Visual Arts Department'. While teaching in a 'GED' program in Greensboro, Alabama RaMell Ross met Quincy, and coaching basketball at the local high school he met Daniel. Filming start after about three years. "Hale County This Morning, This Evening" is his first feature documentary. With a large format '8x10' inch camera, the view of Southern poverty was crystallized in the summer of 1936. The documentation of poor white sharecropping families became the landmark book 'Let Us Now Praise Famous Men'. Two years later, 'The Farm Security Administration' commissioned the effects of 'The Great Depression' in the southern states. The photographic perspective established a new documentary aesthetic and defines a region. In the history of documentary practice, 'Hale County' is a mythical place. On the one hand it's part of the rarefied cannon of black and white photojournalism. The descriptive prose poetry and reflexive questioning of whether documentation can ever represent such social misery. Today, 'Hale County' is a different place. While the current residents subsist with comparable economic hardship, the racial demographics of the region have shifted. These forgotten, isolated, famous men in 'Hale County' are now people of color. Largely disenfranchised, 'The African American' population and communities subsist under conservative political structures determined to maintain a ritual of peaceful cohabitation an unequal distribution of and access to resources. The cycle of poverty in this region persists not only through mainstream political inaction, but also through the absence of progressive initiatives that deconstruct, intervene and disrupt this bogeyman region existing in the American consciousness. The film avoids the tropes of traditional documentary to get at these issues while reacting to the historic, cultural imaging of 'African Americans', in pursuit to exalt the lives of Daniel and Quincy. The film is more than the sum of it's images. The entirety of impressions which constitute the film that take shape in our minds, are something else and more than the film itself. An idea which "Hale County This Morning, This Evening" invites us to experience in a free-form, impressionistic and at times almost surreal montage of cinematic snapshots from 'Hale County', Alabama. But also in a brilliantly edited, up-to date report from the heart of black America, which through it's images tells of racism in 'The USA' and about black self-perception right here, right now. It's not just about what we see, but also how. The film has a sharp eye for the beauty and significance of fleeting moments, but also for organising his images into a larger movement of forms and critical experiences. An artistically eminent and politically urgent intervention at the very right time; and with a cast of protagonists whose company we feel privileged to be in. "Hale County" investigates the return to home of a 'Northern Black American'. The film looks closely at vast stretches of Quincy and Daniel’s lives and to witness the ephemera of the human project; the latter in the context of 'The Historic South', the origin of 'Black American' aesthetics, and in that, the film strove toward engaging the visual complexity of being black. The intentions is quite simple; to exalt Daniel and Quincy’s lives from our centrality, the looking out from 'The Black Community', in the documentary genre’s language of truth. Immediately the problem of agency and historical imaging emerged. You can not faithfully represent the lives of Daniel and Quincy without acknowledging the trouble of representation, that any viewer’s engagement with their lives without first confronting that influence of racism on our perception, is irresponsible. It's the trappings of representation that called for a responsive form; the use of an almost claustrophobic subjectivity and associative editing techniques to give the film a double consciousness. The historical imaging of 'African Americans' is a passive aggressive content of the film. It's important to understand the lives of Quincy, Daniel, and the people of 'Hale County' through glimpses rather than the conventions of a detailed narrative arc. When someone sees another person making a decision, they naturally judge the decision. But if you refuse the viewer that moment, removing judgment, they’re forced to consider a person and their life through other means, through the bigger picture, one that requires the filling in of blanks and active thought. This relieves a burden from the protagonist, perhaps the burden to succeed and/or make the right decision to earn compassion, or escape the odds. In this case, "Hale County" avoids the convention of narrative in order to highlight the greater forces at work in the lives depicted. The music in the film is used to initiate a spry, fleeting experience in line with the film’s itinerary. "Hale County" takes inspiration from both the music and it's desired effect, as well as from forms of musical structure. You could say it’s composed by a series of movements. In that a series of images unite together to have a cumulative effect, a self-determined montage of sorts. The film calls them movements because of their musical relation, and they've a similar quality in that they cultivate a state of being. These movements organize the audience’s journey with the film, allow them to engage with a sense of progress yet encourage the visuals to function the way music does; for that moment of engagement, the pleasure of that single exchange. The global structure of the film is sun up-sun down, all images relating to each other by time of day. As the film is composed of almost completely single moments, the characters do not appear as much as they would normally, which not only increases the weight of that appearance but also makes the moments more susceptible to influence by what comes before it. Adhering to the form of the film while balancing the micro shifts of feeling and mood while balancing the clarity ambiguity, the story takes a collective brain. The film is in some ways itself an effort to answer that question. It's an attempt to create the reality, a reality of film as strategic inquiry, while representing the pre-existence of that world. There are visual moments so intimate in this film that the look itself feels embodied to the point of a sense of participation or involvement. The camera isn’t there to point to a person or something and say to the audience; look at that, this is what's happening. It’s really the proximity to things that determines how much of them we understand. And so the film takes a radically subjective approach to bring people closer together. Cinema is still very young. "Hale County" offers the audience a cinematic experience of perspective and place. Shared experience brings people together and while those onscreen are the other participants, cinema acts as their medium of exchange. The film closes the distance between people by inviting close looking, and in turn close feeling, and allows the audience the feeling of witnessing something, linking wonder and awe to the encounter with the protagonist. There's an element of cosmic and environmental wonder that enters the film. 'Popular American' culture’s relationship to time and memory is distorted. Days, months, years, when does one thing cease to influence another? The past doesn’t fade, it's absorbed into the present. In the same way we're all made of stars, we're all made of history. All of human history has happened under the same sun. It's important to bring the audience back to the origins of cinema’s early declarations of 'Blackness', in order to allow the audience to adjust their bearings, and consider the ways their encounters with media’s 'Blackness' determined their lived reality.

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.

Epecuen looks like the scene from a movie. A horror movie… The Onetti brothers could have made it easy on themselves by dubbing the movie “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” to an Argentine version. Because to be honest, this movie “Los Olvidados” is almost a perfect copy of this legendary film. Only the location and the freakish characters are different. The whole story is situated in Argentina. More specifically in Villa Especuén. A town in the province of Buenos Aires that was completely flooded by a salt lake in 1985 after a period of heavy rainfall. The images used are therefore authentic. Even the slaughterhouse (Matadero) that can be seen in this film, is a lonely witness to the terrible disaster. Yet another advantage for the filmmakers. They could save seriously on the budget for the scenery. It’s not a complete failure. Saying that “Los Olvidados” is a complete failure, is also a bit exaggerated. Admittedly, it certainly won’t win a prize for originality. Literally, all items that are necessary to make a film similar to that of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre“, were checked off on a list. First, you have the ramshackle van, filled with a bunch of people on their way to Especuén to make a documentary about this lost city. The fact that their cumulated IQ most likely won’t exceed that of a hamster, was to be expected. And of course, there are two bimbos who wouldn’t be out of place on one or another Argentine street corner. They take care of the erotic part. Obviously, a tiny jeans pants is mandatory in this case. Let’s see who’ll survive. Furthermore, there’s an annoying director. Then there’s a woman who witnessed the disaster at first hand. She seems to be the smartest of them all. Next, you have a serious guy who apparently joined reluctantly and is constantly scribbling in a sketchbook. And finally, there’s a brown-bronzed, muscular young macho who’s driving the van and constantly flirts with the director’s girlfriend. As soon as this gang has been proposed, you can start guessing who will survive the bloodbath. Brutal and horrible. You don’t have to wait long before the lugubrious figures are introduced. They live in a dilapidated, filthy gas station and their appearance speaks volumes. A mixed bag of strange folk who look unkempt and insane. That these left behind, uncivilized figures will cause problems is plain as day. And from then on, this film transforms from an easy going road-movie to a bloody slasher. And what’s necessary for this type of film, certainly isn’t missing. And these are gruesome, distasteful images in which sharp objects and accessories from a real slaughterhouse are used with enthusiasm. Sure, the used images aren’t all exaggerated or nauseating. Mostly it’s simply brutal and “right in your face” violence. Beautiful footage only won’t make it great. Unfortunately, the brilliantly shot scenes of Especuén and the bloody fragments aren’t enough to make this a great film. The editing of this movie was sometimes very confusing. It seemed as if short scenes were cut out. As if the censorship committee had intervened. There were also meaningless scenes that only served as filler. Like the girl dancing in a bikini. It looked like an amateur-made video clip of a local Argentine hip-hopper. The plot twist at the end was also extremely predictable. And the images made with a drone are also something I’m sick of. It surely produces some hallucinatory images. But nowadays this is used in films time and time again. Do you like movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Watch this one as well. All in all, this film is a must see for the fans of this particular horror genre. The acting wasn’t shockingly bad. The insane family members were really frightening at certain times and acted in a schizophrenic, psychotic way. Especially the head of the family acted completely disturbed. And I got cold chills from the old woman. Also the look of the place where the family leads their life was successful. A frenzied place full of filthiness and blood-curdling props. Unfortunately, that’s the only thing I will remember from this average film. If the makers had put in more Argentine quirkiness, the end result might be much better. My rating 5/10 Links: IMDB More reviews here

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

You know that guy Paul Feig, the dude who has directed all them comedy films like Spy, Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters (the new one), well his newest film is a bit different. It’s a thriller film. It’s like Gone Girl meets Taylor Swift; there’s a big mystery but it’s super extra.  📷Originally posted by dailyswiftgifs Anna Kendrick is a super sweet, over the top do-gooder mum who befriends a chill, workaholic, style queen Blake Lively. It’s a complete contrast in mums but they form a friendship. Then one day Blake vanishes whilst Anna is looking after her kid. We know it’s not Blake’s boyfriend, Henry Golding because he’s in London looking after his mum. 5 days pass and then they find her in her lake, dead. Anna gets a little too close to her dead best friends husband AS YOU DO and then starts receiving mysterious phone calls from her dead best friend WHAT. So Anna does a bit of swooping about. You know, just the usual; breaking into her works office, visiting Blake’s ex, taking advantage of her dead best friends mum who has severe alzheimer's AS YOU DO. She finds out she’s got a twin WHAT. Blake comes back from hiding. She killed her twin. She then sets up her husband even though he’s done nothing wrong apart from sleeping with his dead wife’s best friend on the day you buried your wife AS YOU DO. Then we’ve got the big climax. Anna brings a gun to her boyfriend/dead (now not dead) best friends (probably not friends now as she slept with the hubby) and confronts the pair of them. Then there’s a bluff, then there’s a double bluff, then a triple bluff, a quadruple bluff and then the ending, I think. There might be another bluff.  📷Originally posted by magobjects It’s a good film, Paul Feig does his usual of showing strong women in his films who don’t have to just talk about men. This is a film about women and men are pretty weak in this film, it’s the women who rule the screen in this one. Anna Kendrick is pretty darn scary in it. Not least because of how cringe and nice she is, but how quickly she can turn it round and become quite psychotic. Blake Lively is rather bad-ass but again when it gets serious its quite shocking to see how it all plays out. A problem I found is that the comedy takes away the seriousness of the film. At times the film is very dark but the comedy, that normally works so well in Paul Feig doesn’t in a thriller. Spy films such as Spy, goes well with comedy, Archer and Johnny English two examples. The Heat, cop buddy comedy film, Turner and Hooch and Rush Hour. But thriller films, unless it’s a parody I don’t see how it works and in A Simple Favour it doesn’t. Which lets it down massively, because the film, when dark and serious works really well. But when it tries to be too funny feels like a dramedy. The ending really sums up my whole point here. The film is really let down by this ending which to me, seems like they didn't know how to end it, or didn’t want to so just made multiple plot points in the hope of confusing the audience. It’s a shame because if they stuck with one idea, and done one twist it would've made a whole better ending, and therefore a smoother film.  3/5 3 out of 5 may sound a bit harsh but the ending massively lets it down, it’s so extra and tries to hard too be a hybrid film. If they stuck to it being very dark the whole way through with a few comedy elements it probably would've worked. Alas, they did not. Ergo, the 3. 

Wind whistling through your hair. A dreamy haze of colourful buildings flashing by. The only audible sound, a pulsing heartbeat and steady whir of a bicycle as you careen through a bustling city. Cars and people, simply nothing but tiny, insignificant obstacles in your path. Flying. You are alive.  Within the first two minutes of Finlay Pretsell’s first feature-length documentary, TIME TRIAL, the award-winning director gifts his viewers with an unparalleled feeling of flight on the back of a bicycle. Told from a masterful perspective using point-of-view shots, TIME TRIAL takes the viewer along on the world’s most competitive cycling races, and reveals a personal depth to a gruelling sport most would not guess exists. This is a real, human tale, one that Pretsell describes as, “a tragic story…of the pursuit of life.” Armed with a tireless crew and a cyclist-turned-director who’s deep passion for the sport radiates throughout, the film tells the story of David Millar. Millar is an infamous British cyclist known for his rise to success, subsequent downfall, and eventual climb back to the top. TIME TRIAL follows Millar’s comeback to the competitive world of cycling, chronicling the last races of his career leading up to a final Tour de France. Unique in many ways, Pretsell provides us with an uncanny knack for moulding a harsh truth into a story of viable human resilience. He shines an unforgiving but complimentary spotlight on a man who has been beaten down by his own sport, but has refused to fall. David Millar is this very man and his story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Once revered and applauded by the cycling world, he was the first British cyclist to ever wear all Tour de France jerseys. His glory as a youth was snuffed out when he was banned from competing after being caught doping in 2004. In 2006 his ban was lifted and David returned, ready to prove himself a reformed man and worthy cyclist. A clean rider from that point forward, he went on to become one of Britain’s most successful cyclists in history. TIME TRIAL follows Millar in his early 40’s as he battles with the physical and emotional turmoil of a lifelong career inevitably coming to a close. “Roger – I dreamt I killed you.” David stumbles through a dark forest, as he voices a disturbing dream where he kills his best friend. Accompanied by an utterly haunting score crafted by U.S. composer Dan Deacon, it both chills and provides you with a moment of divine clarity. This is David at his best, vulnerable and open to us. This is when we realize that in spite of all his successes, David at his core is like the rest of us: just human. His dream recollection comes at a turning point in his journey, with David  beginning to question if he is still consumed with the same drive for something he has always loved. These rare moments of cinematic artistry and subject vulnerability are a staple of Pretsell’s directorial style throughout. The closing scene further emphasises this by engrossing the viewer in a mesmerising close-up of David dancing in a crowded club, set to a backdrop of muted technicolor.       With strikingly raw moments such as these, Pretsell conveys the pulsing fear, emotional conflict and eventual relief our rider undergoes. David is exhausted of his own addiction to racing but unwilling to stop his pursuit. Moreover, he is unable to force himself to put the brakes on a life he has always known. In an industry dominated by perfect protagonists, this portrait of David Millar shines through as refreshingly genuine. Millar is abrasive and weary in his approach, yet still manages to win the viewer over thanks to sheer honesty and tenacity of will. We the audience are connected to David and he to us. Perhaps the real beauty here is in the empathy he evokes in those watching – after all, haven’t we all been caught in the struggle between what we want and what we can actually do? The key to TIME TRIAL is a number of things. Hurtling us forward on a nearly 3D ride of what it means to be a professional cyclist, both in and out of the race, each lap pulls the viewer deeper into a beautifully simple storyline. Will David win his last Tour de France? Will he fully redeem his personal and professional image as a cyclist? Against all odds, will one man’s pursuit of passion end in tragedy, or success? Set to a moving score, with superb scenery and jaw-dropping cinematography that soars you along terrains of impossible climbs, TIME TRIAL navigates the ascent and descent of one man who simply refuses to stop. © Ayurella Horn-Müller. February 4, 2018.

Director: Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein (Contains mild spoilers) If you take into account the reviews on Rotten Tomato (32%), Empire (2/5), Metacritic (47%), IMDB (5.0/10) and many others, it would be fair to say that this film has not set the world on fire. It probably hasn’t even lit a match. But with all these reviews annihilating Amy Schumer’s I Feel Pretty, is it remotely possible that there is someone out there who has enjoyed watching this comedy? Is it possible that these reviews have got it all wrong? The Good: The Storyline/Themes and Ideas - I Feel Pretty follows Renee Bennet (Amy Schumer) being constantly mistreated or looked down upon from others due to her ‘plus-size’ body shape. Due to this, her confidence is at an all time low and so registers for a Spin Cycle Class in the hope to build up her self-esteem. During the class, she violently falls on her head, and once awakened she eventually sees herself in the mirror and sees herself as beautiful, not even recognising her own skin even though she looks exactly the same to those around her (and us the audience). The film explores the ideas of insecurities (both female and male), self-esteem and self-confidence, and the idea that beauty does not always mean automatic happiness which is represented by the character Mallory (Emily Ratajkowsky), a fellow Spin Class participant whose gorgeous looks makes Renee feel superfluous, but in the later stages we find out that Mallory herself has insecurities and problems of her own. The film also asks the question about where the line is between being confident and being arrogant. After miraculously gaining confidence, Renee’s life starts getting better. She gets a new job, she gets a new boyfriend, Ethan (played by Rory Scovel), and eventually gets a role as Vice President at the cosmetics company she receptions for. But Renee starts treating her friends and others the way that she was badly treated at the start of the film and is quickly ignored and phased out by them. So in the end, Renee questions who she really is and has a revelation that self confidence has always been inside us and that confidence is about being comfortable in our own skin rather than trying to mimic what society believes beauty is. I Feel Pretty has reminisce of What Women Want, Shallow Hal, and Big (which the film references), but still manages to stay fresh and relevant in today’s current political climate. The Laughs: Regardless of what many reviews say, this film made me smile and laugh. Once Renee believes that her body has miraculously changed for the better, a whole load of misunderstandings take place setting up many comedic situations. In particular, the laundry scene where Ethan asks what her number in the queue is, Renee genuinely believes that he is asking for her phone number and gives it to him. Also the bikini contest scene, where Amy Schumer pulls out all the stops to show off her curvaceous body in a short denim shorts and front tied shirt were hilarious (albeit being slightly cringing). The Bad: Amy Schumer: She wasn’t terrible, and it is clear that Schumer gave it her all. But she portrayed the new, highly-confident Renee in such an exaggerated, over-the-top way that it seemed a little contrived compared to the former self. If she just reined her performance in just a little bit, then the protagonist may well have been a little less annoying and a little bit more enjoyable to watch. Other characters: I wanted to see more screen time with Aidy Bryant, Busy Philipps, Michelle Williams and Tom Hopper. I enjoyed all their performances, but their characters could have added more comedic moments and a bit more substance to the storyline. My biggest criticism is Grant, played by Tom Hopper, whose role confused me a lot. The film seemed to have set up Grant as being the ‘bad guy’. He constantly goaded his sister Avery (Michelle Williams), he seemed to turn up in places where he wasn’t meant to be (on Avery’s airplane, in Renee’s hotel room) and so gave us a suspicion that he was inconspicuously up to something. But in the end the only role he played was to unsuccessfully tempt Renee in having a romantic fling and so was neither really liked nor disliked. More Oomph to the Storyline: The resolution to climatic problems Renee faced towards the end seemed to have concluded quite quickly. In comparison to Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck, where her character is almost in the same predicament, the resolution took its time to resolve Schumer’s anxieties and family and love issues. By doing so, we truly sympathise with her and understand her doubts and misery. In I Feel Pretty, she wins back her friends so quickly that there was really no emotional impact to her downfalls and sufferings. Also, when Renee did become a ‘bitch’, (she completely mistreated an older lady who turned up at her work and humiliated her friends in front of their dates) she was only one for about five minutes, so again, like Tom Hopper’s character, we neither really disliked her at any point which I think the film wanted us to do. The Verdict In all honesty, the film really wasn’t as bad as some reviews portray it to be. Yes, the storyline is so predictable, but some films are not always there to be groundbreaking. Should you spend your money and go see it in the cinema? Probably not. But if you do come across it, you should be pleasantly surprised on how entertaining it is and unlike most rom-coms it is unique in that the storyline and underlining themes is saying something that is actually worth hearing. Rating: 6/10

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; September 13th, 2019, Cineworld Leicester Square, 5–6 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7NA, UK, 12:40pm) https://film.list.co.uk/listing/1368019-hustlers/ "Hustlers" Inspired by true events, "Hustlers" is a comedy-drama that follows a crew of savvy strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their 'Wall Street' clients. At the start of 2007, Destiny (Constance Wu) is a young woman struggling to make ends meet, to provide for herself. But it’s not easy; the managers, DJs, and bartenders expect a cut, one way or another, leaving Destiny with a meager payday after a long night of stripping. Her life is forever changed when she meets Ramona (Jennifer Lopez), the club’s top money earner, who’s always in control, has the clientele figured out, and really knows her way around a pole. The two women bond immediately, and Ramona gives Destiny a crash course in the various poses and pole moves like the carousel, fireman, front hook, ankle-hook, and stag. Another dancer, the irrepressible Diamond (Cardi B) provides a bawdy and revelatory class in the art of the lap dance. But Destiny’s most important lesson is that when you’re part of a broken system, you must hustle or be hustled. To that end, Ramona outlines for her the different tiers of 'The Wall Street' clientele who frequent the club. The two women find themselves succeeding beyond their wildest dreams, making more money than they can spend; until the September 2008 economic collapse. 'Wall Street' stole from everyone and never suffered any consequences. Now, Ramona, Destiny, and two dancers who’ve joined their little family, the unstoppable Mercedes (Keke Palmer) and the young and innocent Annabelle (Lili Reinhart), look to turn the tables. They cook up an inventive scheme to get their lives back on the fast-track to success. The game is still rigged against them, so to even the playing field Ramona devises a special drug cocktail that leaves their customers helpless against the ladies charms. Nobody’s really getting hurt, they reason; it’s just like robbing a bank, except the men are handing them the keys. The foursome create a bond tighter than any family; until things get out of control. Destiny's mother abandoned her when she was very young, so she has trust issues. She hasn’t let a lot of people in. The lack of meaningful relationships with women in her family life makes Destiny's longing for female friendship so much greater. Destiny’s friendship with Ramona is the heart and soul of "Hustlers, while also being rich in nuance and surprises. Though Destiny enjoys the bounties coming from the group's larcenous schemes, she sees the true benefits as transcending dollars and material things. She just gets caught up in the loving feeling of family, the feeling of being a part of something. An us-against-the-world type thing. Destiny is a character who's deeply lonely, because of how our culture causes such loneliness. The color palette is muted, at first, as the film introduces to Destiny and experience the hardships of her day at the club. But after she meets Ramona and the other ladies, and they become a crew, the stripping comes alive and we add more and more color and glamour, especially in the private rooms, where the lap dances happen. Destiny is so beautiful because of her solitude, and the ways she tried to pretend her way out of it seemed counter intuitive, but also so very human. What Ramona is for Destiny reminds us of this quote from Patricia Highsmith’s 'The Talented Mr. Ripley', the thing with Dickie, it's like the sun shines on you, and it's glorious. And then he forgets you and it's very, very cold. When you've his attention, you feel like you're the only person in the world, that's why everybody loves him so much. Destiny's dream come true is for Ramona to love her. There's a big sister/little sister dynamic between Destiny and Ramona, even though their individual approaches to the world are very different. She further notes that Destiny’s motives can easily be misunderstood. You can look at her in different ways. She enjoys the money but is really in it more for the camaraderie than she's for the cash. Ramona is endearing but also complicated and damaged, and her ambition threatens to cloud her sense of morality and connection with Destiny and the rest of the women. She’s on a slippery slope and seduces people to her own agenda. Ramona is always reaching further than she should. Ramona is everything at once, the sun that shines brightly on you, but which can also burn you. She’s a 'Mama Bear' and 'Gordon Gekko', at the same time. That dichotomy is what makes her an anti-hero. Mercedes is fearless and always says what’s on her mind. She has a sense of humor about almost everything. She learns to depend on one another and know they’re in a tough spot that requires them to hustle. Yet they find a sense of hope together. Mercedes thinks of Ramona, Destiny and Annabelle as sisters. Mercedes is loyal and down for the ride, she’s definitely one of those ride-or-die type of people, but at the same time she’s not afraid to run when shit get crazy because she will always protect herself. Mercedes can always make Ramona laugh and bring her joy. She's also cool and put-together, even when trying to make ends meet and deal with a boyfriend who’s been imprisoned for much of their relationship. The youngest member of the quartet is Annabelle, a striking combination of innocence and allure. Your heart goes out to her. Annabelle is in an especially vulnerable place when we meet her; she’s living without her family, which has rejected her because of Annabelle’s profession; and trying to get by the best way she can. Her responds to Ramona’s motherly care and immediately bonds with her. Annabelle is the beating heart of the sisterhood, the one that they all love, and it's odd duck; and Annabelle has that lovable quality. One of Annabelle’s defining traits is her penchant for vomiting whenever she’s under stress. Diamond is lovable in a very different way. As embodied by the legendary rapper, singer, songwriter, Diamond is a tough girl from the Bronx who’s worked at the club for a year. She’s a little more hardcore and acerbic than the other dancers. Diamond doesn’t take shit from anyone, but, thanks to Ramona, she eventually connects with Destiny and joins the ladies in celebrating their new bonds. She even provides a hilarious lap-dancing lesson for Destiny. Liz (Lizzo) is an ebullient stripper and pole dancer. Tracey (Trace Lysette) is a dancer. Justice (Mette Towley) is the only stripper with a tagline all her own. Justice is served. She's a dancer known for her hypnotic and improvisational hip-hop moves. Another key figure in the story is neither a stripper nor a part of this newly-formed sisterhood. A reporter, Elizabeth (Julia Stiles), is chronicling the story of these women through interviews with Destiny and Ramona. Elizabeth is a reality check on the fantasy of what these women pulled off. It's a celebration of sisterhood, and what a tight-knit family of women have to do for a fighting chance. They're moms, friends, sisters, and daughters, who forge these incredible bonds that transcend their differences. These women did not invent the game; they just tried to level the playing field. It’s about right, wrong, and how far you’ll go to hustle for your dreams. Their struggles are 100 percent relatable. They want to take care of themselves and their families, and we wanted to make sure we brought that all to life. These girls are from different backgrounds. Each has her own baggage, traumas, family problems, and they find solace in being together through all of that. They provide a sisterhood for one another that looks like it won’t falter, even in a competitive and nasty world. These characters work hard hustling for their money to provide for themselves and their families. Their camaraderie is priceless and necessary for their survival, and that is something almost any woman can relate to. "Hustlers" digs into the stories of these women’s lives and shows the good, the bad, and the ugly. The outfits, designs, and period context play integral roles in shaping the characters and narrative. Audiences experience the world of these women’s lives, their journey, and level of sophistication, through the design of the sets and color palette. Usually, a club’s dressing rooms lockers store all the dancer's’belongings. But we see them prepare to go on stage, with all their makeup, garments, and grooming tools filling up the frame. Later, as the ladies become increasingly wealthy, the film removes much of the color, to heighten the contrast as they break through an economic barrier and a new level of sophistication. The scenes set in the gentlemen’s club are more visually dynamic, with reflections, color, and neon, giving it a little more life. There’s a family quality when Destiny, Ramona, Mercedes, and Annabelle are together; they could even be wearing pajamas. But for their male customers, they weaponize their style, using their hemlines, cleavage, whatever is available to them. We often see male action characters donning accessories like bullet-proof vests or wielding guns; the ladies accessories are just as formidable. The ladies journey of elaborate cons is their response to a broken system that has left them at the bottom of a patriarchal hierarchy that’s been in place since, well, forever. Their struggles to overcome and break through these circumstances resonate because, like everyone, they’re looking to take care of themselves and their families and live that 'American Dream' that feels out of reach for them and so many others. Their ingenious, if ethically questionable tactics include spiking the drinks of their targets, a never-ending stream of 'Wall Street Kingpins' who've long treated the ladies like their playthings. Moreover, these tycoons have long been making money off the broken dreams of everyday Americans, and, the ladies’ reason, it’s time to turn things around. Still, the quartet’s actions are not heroic. They're definitely anti-heroes and survivors in a game that's rigged. There’s a line in the film about how few men would admit they had been scammed by a woman. Their sense of pride prevents them from reporting it. These men aren’t interested in getting to know who these women are; they're more interested in making them into who they want them to be. These guys feel untouchable, and they don’t see it coming. Though these women work in a value system that can be insidious, we feel for the male characters as well, because they’re valued most for their wealth and power, as women are valued for their beauty. The system is broken for both. Looking at the era in which the story unfolds, the film explains that the high-flying early and mid-2000s saw the rise of gown clubs, where the dancers donned expensive-looking frocks. It was a time of 'Trumpian Faux' wealth and high golds. But after the stock market crash in 2008, they transitioned to character clubs, where each dancer played a role that worked best for her. If there’s a little space between two timeframes, you can appreciate period fashions. But since 2007 is so close to the present, it’s still embarrassing to dive back there and look at some of those fashions and hairstyles. It’s amazing how different the world looked even then, the eyebrows, cut of the trousers, earrings the size of dinner plates. So, we just decided to go for it and embrace it all. The truth is we’re all hustling, negotiating, striving to get through the day to win the battles we must fight. Women are constantly sexualized, but when they find a way to profit from that, all of the sudden it’s a problem. In movies, strippers are painted as throwaways or just background characters. The film leads to deeper conversations, about empathy, and about a specific occupation and those who work at it, most of whom have long been misunderstood or underestimated. "Hustlers" brings together a compelling mix of humor, spectacle, social commentary, and a group of disparate women who team up and look for ways to even the odds that are stacked against them. This city, this whole country, is a strip club. You’ve got people tossing the money, and people doing the dance. It’s about a relatable issue that affects so many. It's about greed, power, and 'The American Dream' and what a certain group of women, who work in a field where they're discounted, will do to achieve it. An amorality story about the slippery slope of the hustle. It’s a slice of life and a cautionary tale about what happens when your ambition is bigger than the reality of your situation. The film presents a world we may have seen in many movies and TV shows, but from a different perspective. It’s an epic mix of crime drama, stripper movie, and an exploration of the economic upheaval that upendied the lives of so many.

First it was borderline personality,then severe depression, yesterday, she said it was antisocial with schizoid tendency. She’s basically just flipping to random pages of the DSM-5and throwing medications at me. But I have a perfectly healthy brain. It just doesn’t contain feelings. There are films that aren’t much of a story and still leave a certain impression. The same applies to “Thoroughbreds” where two teenage girls, each with a specific personality disorder, come up with a plan to kill someone. The two haven’t seen each other for a long time. An eternity in which much has changed. One grew up in a rich family while the other knew a past in which the killing of her own horse played an important role. But despite the contradictions, the old friendship bond is restored. And before they know it, they are planning a murder together. Strange but true. Although it’s about a murder, it’s actually a funny and comic film. Especially because of the fascinating conversations full of dry, nonchalant humor. Sometimes it seems like the two young girls are totally insensitive people. Which is applicable to one of them. Two tasty actresses. The two main roles are played by two young actresses whose earlier performances I could appreciate. Physically they both look appetizing. Only Anya Taylor-Joy, who takes care of the role of Lily, has a more unique look with those big Bambi eyes. Olivia Cooke, on the other hand, is more the cliché image of the beautiful girl next door who’s slowly changing into a sensual young lady. The type of girl you’ve already met in countless feature films. Maybe that’s why Anya Taylor-Joy appeared in movies like “The Witch“, “Morgan“, “Split” and “Marrowbone“. All of which I enjoyed. Although I was kind of disappointed about “The Witch“. Not because of the acting. I was expecting more of a horror instead of a medieval drama. Dead serious and funny at the same time. Olivia Cooke’s acting was breathtaking and extraordinary in the film “Me and Earl and the dying girl“. A film that’s difficult to surpass. Even though her acting in “The Signal“, “The Quiet Ones” and “Ready player one” (although the emphasis was on the visual part) wasn’t so bad, the quoted film really stands out. But what she shows in “Thoroughbreds” as the apathetic Amanda, can compete with it. This was an enjoyment from start to finish. The way she plays the personality of Amanda is truly magnificent. And even though this film is meant to be deadly serious, her attitude will unintentionally cause comical situations. I bet you didn’t see that one coming. “Thoroughbreds” is such a type of film which is difficult to pin down to a specific genre. Yes, it’s indeed a crime film about two eccentric girls who are brooding on a devilish plan. And yes, unintentionally there’s also that comical approach through the behavior of the two ladies and the way they interact with each other. And wait till you see the unexpected ending which makes it all seem sinister. But if you think about it longer, you’ll agree it’s a logical outcome. “Thoroughbreds” is not exactly an easy movie in terms of genre. It is a fascinating film with the emphasis on the character and psyche of the protagonists. The fact that an intriguing and ingenious twist has been given to it only makes it more interesting. I was fascinated by the conversations. Bizarre. So if you like a well-thought-out story that isn’t simply crafted up, then you should definitely give this film a chance. And besides that, you can also enjoy Anton Yelchin, who unfortunately died in a sad accident, once more. I thought the last film he acted in was “Green Room“. But most of all, it’s the literary jousting that takes place between the two female main characters that made an impression on me. It sometimes seemed like a Shakespearean play that uses fancy words in a subtle dialogue. I never thought a conversation would fascinate me. The wonders of the world are not yet out. My rating 7/10 Links: IMDB More reviews here