Co-written/directed by Vicky Jewson; starring Noomi Rapace, Indira Varma and Sphie Nélisse, Close is a new action/thriller centred on a violent kidnapping.
Rapace is a bodyguard and counter-terrorism expert who’s hired to protect a rich young heiress, and neither party is happy about the arrangement.
I like this trailer and immediately it’s making me think about what a great idea it is to keep one’s high personal net worth as private as possible.
I’m also looking forward to Rapace as an effective action woman. fingers crossed that this one’s a very entertaining and engaging experience.
Will the young girl really learn to fight back, and effectively? This trailer rather feels like a gentle reminder for anyone with New Year plans to learn self-defence.
Eoin Macken, Charley Palmer Rothwell, Akin Gazi, Huw Parmenter and lauren Harris also star.
Starring Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, Donald Glover and Casey Affleck, The Old Man & The Gun is a good, charming – as expected, well acted, engaging and sometimes a little amusing movie.
Part of what makes director David Lowery’s film a unique experience is that unlike most, if not all other bank robber movies you’ve seen, this one is quite a relaxed experience (not to be confused with slow). Especially when you consider that Forrest Tucker, the real person on whom Redford’s character is based was described by his victims as well mannered and a gentleman; one who even took to smiling as he robbed.
We get to learn a little about Tucker’s life before he becomes a septuagenarian, yet I still felt as though I needed a whole documentary about him. Particularly since The Old Man & The Gun had me thinking about Tucker’s psychology. How hard did he really try to find something less criminal than robbing banks to make himself feel as though he was living? It’s one thing to be compelled to steal to survive, it’s something else to do it because it’s fun and delivers on that ‘alive hit’.
Considering his polite, gentlemanly approach, perhaps Tucker just decided to cause as little harm as possible while doing his favourite thing, which happened to be criminal and best done while pointing a gun.
My conclusion is this: humans are complicated. Maybe watch The Old Man & The Gun to see an intriguing example of just that. Watch it for the charm and because I think it’s one of Redford’s last movies, if not his very last. I heard he’s retiring.
Lastly, Lowery does well to keep this film engaging, but definitely don’t go into this expecting anything like the rather brilliant bank robbing opening sequence of The Dark Knight (2008). Make sure you’re relaxed, in the mood for an easy viewing movie experience and be ready to smile.
In First Reformed, Ethan Hawk is a solitary, middle-aged parish pastor who’s plunged into his own tormented past and equally despairing future, after a pregnant parishioner asks him to counsel her deeply troubled husband.
Hawkes notable performance and the special way the movie’s dialogue shines a light on some of the more challenging experiences of the human condition are reasons why director Paul Schrader’s film was worthwhile for me. Challenges including the anguish experienced by those grappling with their religious faith or more generally, those lacking in hope for the future.
All of First Reformed is engaging but a particularly memorable scene is the face to face conversation between the Reverend and the very troubled husband. I enjoyed listening to the interesting questions asked, some of which are literally answered and some answered through the films impressive execution which features some unexpectedly dark turns.
As a Hawke fan and a general lover of good movies, I say give First Reformed a chance. Who knows, you may even find yourself feeling comforted by the knowledge that, at some point, you too asked the same questions. And so, in that way, First Reformed is about you/everyone.
The Happy Princeis the heartbreaking story of an artist who deserved so much better than the worst of the treatment he received while alive. The artist in question is the now very much deservedly adored and celebrated Irish poet and playwright, Oscar Wilde.
Starring Rupert Everett, Colin Firth and Emily Watson, I wanted to learn about the untold story of the tragic times leading up to Wilde’s last days. As a fan of his work and many of his great quotes, I had somehow imagined that I’d be hearing famous Wilde quotes as the movie played. This is not quite what happened, and I’m not sure that if it had, it would have been a good idea.
The good news is that there are clever and witty Wilde sayings to enjoy, even though Everett’s film focuses quite rightly on telling Wilde’s truth and capturing his undeniably magnetic charm.
In addition to The Happy Prince being rather well cast, the cinematography is a pleasant surprise. I liked the general flow of the story, which switches between the present day and flashbacks. I also enjoyed the words that follow the unexpected confrontation in France: ‘There’s nothing in me, not even fear.’
The Happy Prince brought to mind the value of great friends during dark times. It also reminds me that as sad as Wilde’s story is, I can’t help but notice how far LGBTQ rights have come since the days of Wilde, and that certainly makes me happy.
Watch it if you’re a fan of Wilde. I have been for a long time. I even went to his final resting place at Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, once.
One more Wilde quote… ‘Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing.’
