The setting of director Todd Field’s latest film is the international world of classical music.
Central to the story is Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) who happens to be widely considered one of the greatest living composers/conductors, and the very first ever female chief conductor of a major German orchestra.
Mark Strong, Noémie Merlant and Nina Hoss are among the key cast.
Sometimes a trailer is unique and it features a great actor or two. Yet, because of how seemingly moody it appears to be, I’m not moved to watch it. But then I learn about the compelling subject matter, and as a fan of the possibilities of film, suddenly, I have to see Tár.
Are you also moved to watch this one, or is it too… something?
Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer, Mark Strong and Sydney Lemmon also star.
Cruella, the movie about the rebellious earlier years of one of Disney’s favourite and most stylish villains, Cruella De Vil is quite far from the movie I’d hoped for.
I enjoyed some well-executed set pieces, visually stunning cinematic moments, and director Craig Gillespie’s film gets a tad better towards the end. Yet, my overall feeling through to the end was one of disappointment.
For me, Cruella has a certain air of silliness that I wish it didn’t. A quality that I imagine isn’t helped by Emma Stone and Paul Walter Hauser’s over-the-top British accents. Walter Hauser and Stone are sadly not the only accent offenders. Estella/Cruella’s boss at Liberty of London also did his part to bring home my realisation that so many of the people in the film play like caricatures.
Given that the ‘this is so disappointing’ reality of the movie hit me soon after the film started, I couldn’t wait for Emma Thompson’s The Baroness character to show up and help proceedings. Thompson did a superb job, as she always does. Yet, unfortunately, my growing distaste for Gillespie’s film remained.
The story edit felt rushed throughout. The early camera work inside Liberty of London proved unnecessarily dizzying. The way the movie deals with mental illness leaves plenty to be desired. And, what nonsense to expect the audience to believe that for a very long time, thanks to different clothes and makeup, none of the characters could see that Cruella is clearly Estella. I know, I know… a very similar thing happens in the Superman/Clark Kent movies. But those movies are actually good.
I’m sure it’s crystal clear by now, but I did not enjoy Cruella. My disappointment led to the very whiny thought: ‘But when will another Disney movie delight and move me the way Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella did? WHEN?!’
I wanted Cruella to be more grounded than it is. A big part of the issue is that the film never decided whether it was going to be for kids or adults. It went for both in a way that resulted in a movie that I feel failed more than it succeeded.
Have you seen Cruella yet? What did you think? Let me know in the comments.
Set in 1970s London, England, amidst the punk rock revolution; Cruella is the latest Disney animated film to become a live-action movie.
Starring Emma Stone, Paul Walter Hauser, Emma Thompson and Mark Strong; director Craig Gillespie’s comedy/crime story focuses on the rebellious early days of the notoriously fashionable villain, Cruella de Vil.
I’ve missed seeing Stone in a leading role, and based on this impressive trailer, Cruella looks like a great way to make her presence felt.
Glenn Close is the Cruella that comes to mind when I think of de Vil, thanks to 101 Dalmatians (1996). Now, I can’t wait for this new version of the story to take us back to the earlier years of the devilish de Vil.
Emily Beecham, Joel Fry, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Jamie Demetriou, Gianni Calchetti, Michelle Greenidge, John McCrea, Tony McCarthy, Chloé Booyens, Haruka Abe and Niamh Lynch also star.
Stockholm is the strange but true story of the infamous 1973 hostage crisis in Stockholm, Sweden. The very one that gave rise to the psychological phenomenon known as ‘Stockholm syndrome’.
Written/directed by Robert Budreau; key cast includes Ethan Hawke, Noomi Rapace and Mark Strong.
I’m interested in the humour in Hawke’s performance and Rapace’s character’s emotional journey.
Christopher Heyerdahl, Bea Santos, Thorbjørn Harr, John Ralston, Mark Rendall, Gustaf Hammarsten and Hanneke Talbot also star.
With a single magic word (Shazam!), a boy is given the ability to become an adult superhero in times of need.
Directed by David F. Sandberg, Shazam! stars Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel and Jack Dylan Grazer.
Could this be the next hit superhero movie from DC Comics (after Wonder Woman (2017)? I’m in for this reason. The humour and seeing a version of my own superhero fantasies played out are two more reasons.
I’m already liking the on-screen chemistry between Asher Angel and Jack Dylan Grazer.
Adam Brody, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Borth, Marta Milans and Ross Butler also star.
The Movie My Life 