Tag Archives: Luke Evans

Action, No Spoiler Reviews, Thriller

ANNA (2019): The Thing I Liked…

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Anna (2019), Sasha Luss
Anna (2019), Sasha Luss

The story of writer/director Luc Besson’s Anna is one that I don’t completely regret watching but I certainly didn’t love it either.

Anna stars Sasha Luss as Anna Poliatova; a stunning beauty with impressive secret skills and strength. Qualities that make her one of the world’s most feared government assassins.

I sat down to watch Anna with mild expectations of the film probably having similarities to Charlize Theron’s Atomic Blonde (2017). The main difference I found between Anna and Atomic Blonde is that even though Anna is quite engaging overall, Anna unlike Atomic Blonde, left me feeling as though the whole experience was almost completely hollow. Very surface level and in some ways a tad silly.

It’s interesting because the acting wasn’t terrible. Therefore, I’m thinking the issue is the story edit which played a part in me having minimal emotional connection to Luss’s character’s journey. Of course I wanted her to win – always, but the the question of ‘why does this feel so frivolous?’ remained with me through to the very end.

Perhaps you’ll find Anna to be a better experience than I did. The fight scenes, though not the most polished I’ve ever seen, they are quite entertaining. Give it a chance and see, if you’re especially curious. Or…

…watch Atomic Blonde instead.

Happy Film Loving,

G

Horror, No Spoiler Reviews, Thriller

MA (2019): The Things I Liked…

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Ma (2019), Octavia Spencer, Universal Pictures
Ma (2019), Octavia Spencer, Universal Pictures

Starring Octavia Spencer as the lonely and definitely unhinged Sue Ann, Ma is the story of a group of teenagers who end up wishing that they never accepted a middle aged woman’s invitation to party in her basement.

Having had no idea about the true extent of Sue Ann’s lunacy, I enjoyed being surprised by it. And when Ma wasn’t busy thrilling me, I was appreciating the believable portrayal of teenage life, the close mother/daughter relationship and another notable performance by Spencer. 

Director Tate Taylor’s film could certainly have taken a more realistic direction in terms of how particular aspects of the story played out – but I’m not mad about the end result. It was mostly realistic enough for me, and fun. 

A key part that I wish had gone differently was approximately twenty minutes in, during the exchange between Ma and Gianni Paolo’s character. The dialogue and what happens in that scene just didn’t seem to quite fit.

Watch Ma if you’re curious. You may just have a good time. 

Happy Film Loving,

G

Drama, Thriller

ANGEL OF MINE (2019): New Trailer From Noomi Rapace, Luke Evans, Yvonne Strahovski…

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Angel Of Mine (2019), Noomi Rapace, Lionsgate
Angel Of Mine (2019), Noomi Rapace, Lionsgate

New drama/thriller Angel Of Mine stars Noomi Rapace, Luke Evans and Yvonne Strahovski. It’s a Kim Farrant-directed story about Lizzie, a grieving mother.

Lizzie lost her daughter in a tragic accident and starts to lose her grip on reality when she begins to think that her daughter may still be alive.

I’m in for a great Rapace performance. I’m also wondering whether Lizzie’s time in psychiatric care was simply ineffective, or was there a mix-up, and the little girl is actually her daughter. I mean, there is definitely such a thing as ‘a mother’s instinct.’ And… they really do look alike.

Somebody bring out the DNA test!

Richard Roxburgh, Finn Little, Rob Collins, Rachel Gordon, Tracy Mann, Emily Gruhl, Mirko Grillini and Annika Whiteley also star.

Angel Of Mine Release Dates: August 30th, 2019 (US)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Action, Drama, History

MIDWAY (2019): New Trailer From Patrick Wilson, Ed Skrein, Mandy Moore, Woody Harrelson…

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Midway (2019), Patrick Wilson
Midway (2019), Patrick Wilson

Director Roland Emmerich’s Midway stars Patrick Wilson, Ed Skrein, Mandy Moore and Woody Harrelson in the story of the WWII clash between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Based on the real-life events of the heroic feat, the focus is on the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude and bravery to overcome the odds.

I’m not usually one to gravitate towards war movies but the arresting visuals in this trailer certainly grabbed my attention.

I’m also interested in the hierarchical politics that had to take place, particularly how it was handled by the people on the ground.

Aaron Ekhart, Nick Jonas, Alexander Ludwig, Dennis Quaid, Darren Criss, Jake Weber, James Carpinello, Jake Manley, Luke Kleintank and Keean Johnson also star.

Midway Release Dates: November 8th, 2019 (US & UK)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Action, Comedy, Drama, No Spoiler Reviews

MURDER MYSTERY (2019): The Things I Liked…

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Murder Mystery (2019), Jennifer Aniston, Adam Sandler, Netflix
Murder Mystery (2019), Jennifer Aniston, Adam Sandler, Netflix

There’s no denying that Murder Mystery, the latest movie from Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler gave me some laughs. The Kyle Newacheck-directed comedy about an American couple who find themselves framed for murder while on a European vacation definitely brought the Sandler/Aniston on-screen magic. 

To elaborate, even though the murder investigation scenes barely proved engaging, I really liked the moments when it was just Aniston and Sandler’s characters talking to each other. Their comedy dynamic as a married couple is great. In fact, I’m almost certain that if Murder Mystery had just been Aniston and Sandler’s characters finally taking a vacation in Europe, bickering among themselves, enjoying and learning about the billionaire lifestyle, but definitely minus the murder mystery elements, I’d probably have liked this movie much more.

There was certainly room for the murder mystery to be better executed. Because that portion of the story just proved too cliché for me to appreciate. Nevertheless, I have no regrets because of the moments I did enjoy. Moments that also include the joke on the plane about the alternative earplug suggestion and the scenes with Aniston and/or Sandler that featured Luke Evans’s very charming Charles Cavendish character. 

Last but not least, one more key highlight is when I saw British comic David Walliams show up on screen. A truly joy-inducing moment for me personally because his character transported me back to the times when I watched his great work in the BBC’s hit comedy series Little Britain. 

I say watch Murder Mystery if you’re curious about the highlights mentioned above. Maybe you’ll love it all, even though I couldn’t.

Happy Film Loving,

G