Tag Archives: Sigourney Weaver

Action, Adventure, Fantasy, No Spoiler Reviews, Romance

THE GORGE (2025): The Things I Liked…

8 Comments

Weeks ago, I doubted the quality of Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller’s latest action/adventure/fantasy film, The Gorge, purely based on the trailer. 

Luckily, especially after the recent disappointment of George Clooney and Brad Pitt’s Wolfs (2024), among one or two other movies that failed to deliver, I’m happy to confirm that I didn’t find The Gorge boring or bad.

In a story about two highly skilled operatives hired to protect a mysterious gorge, Taylor-Joy and Teller are well cast for a couple of reasons, including their chemistry. Sigourney Weaver and Sope Dirisu were also memorable.

So pleasant was my surprise to be truly enjoying The Gorge, that the following words came to mind as the movie played.

Hello, good story, special effects, and engaging execution.

Taylor-Joy and Teller sure move very convincingly as capable snipers.

Look at me liking this movie and eating my words.

Watch The Gorge if you’re curious. Perfect, it is not. What it is is fun, satisfying and romantic.

Happy Film Loving, 

G

Action, Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi

THE GORGE (2025): New Trailer Starring Anya Taylor Joy, Miles Teller, Sigourney Weaver, Sope Dirisu…

6 Comments

Read my spoiler-free movie review of The Gorge (2025).

Apple TV+’s latest sci-fi outing stars Anya Taylor Joy, Sigourney Weaver Sope Dirisu and Miles Teller.

Directed by Scott Derrickson; Joy and Teller play two highly skilled operatives hired to protect a mysterious gorge.

I want this to be good. However, there’s something about it that’s suggesting it may not be. What exactly that something is, I’m not sure yet.

What I know for sure is that the whole situation feels like a set-up. Of course they were always going to connect, two single attractive people with no one but each other for company for a whole year. Maybe this is the part that I’m mad about. The obvious error of it all. Unless… their superiors chose them because they knew that connection was inevitable., and necessary for the mission. One wonders.

Are your fingers also crossed for a positive result, or are you more hopeful?

Sachin Bhatt, William Houston, Julianna Kurokawa, Alessandro Garcia, Samantha Coughlan, Alessandro Garcia, Greta Hansen, József Tálos, Adam Scott-Rowley and Larisa Munoz Mejia also star.

The Gorge Release Dates: February 14th, 2025 (US & UK), Apple TV +…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Action, Adventure, Fantasy, No Spoiler Reviews

AVATAR (2009): The Thing I Missed…

30 Comments

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I decided to re-watch Avatar (2009), writer/director James Cameron’s action/adventure/fantasy about a paraplegic Marine dispatched on a unique mission to the moon Pandora.

Perhaps even more so than the impressive special effects Avatar is most known for, I particularly remember how strongly Cameron’s film reminded me of how easily evil wins when those who oppose it do nothing. And post second viewing, I can confirm that said message still rings clearly for me today. I mean, it is a recurrent theme in the human experience.

There is one other thing that stood out ever so clearly to me this time around. And it’s something that barely registered back in 2009, Zoe Saldana’s emotional performance as Neytiri. The visuals must have been too stunning for me to notice her contribution the first time around. But, as they say, better late than never, right? I certainly have a brand new respect for Saldana as an actor now.

As cliché as some feel the Avatar story is, for me, the thought never crossed my mind as I took in the movie. Perhaps I was too engaged with all the arresting audio-visual events happening before my eyes at the time. Whatever the case, I’m glad Avatar exists, and I was here to watch, even if Avatar may not end up in my list of top ten favourite movies.

I’m sure that by now, several of you have already re-watched Avatar and the follow-up Avatar – The Way of Water. And based on what many have said, both films are as impressive and epic as James Cameron movies are known to be. I’ll likely agree with this sentiment when I finally see The Way of Water. I wonder what I’ll miss and only notice when I watch it again several years later. 

Did you also rewatch Avatar before the new release? And if so, how do you feel upon second viewing? Perhaps you also missed something the first time around.

Happy Film Loving,

G

Action, Adventure, Fantasy

AVATAR – THE WAY OF WATER (2022): New Trailer From James Cameron, Starring Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver, Giovanni Ribisi…

10 Comments

Director James Cameron is properly back with the finished sequel to Avatar (2009).

Avatar – The Way of Water is set more than ten years after the events of the first film. Planet Pandora is under attack once more. And Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), plus his new-found family must do everything possible to keep each other safe.

Zoe Saldana, Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Giovanni Ribisi are among the key cast.

To watch or not to watch Avatar – The Way of Water? Doesn’t that sound like the silliest question to ask a movie enthusiast? The answer is both yes and no. The former is true because all James Cameron movies are an event. A truth that arguably applies to him more than most.

Even though I may not be in the mood to watch a film about a family fighting for survival by the time this is released, I would be doing myself a disservice as a dedicated movie enthusiast by not watching it. Especially considering how impressive I found Avatar to be.

The reason the above question is not the silliest is this: No one thing is ever really loved by all, and that is the way of the human.

I’m curious, how highly anticipated is Avatar – The Way of Water for you? I haven’t been as excited as I ought to be because of all the release delays over the years. Yet, something tells me that will all change once the opening credits begin.

Jemaine Clement, Bailey Bass, Edie Falco, Joel David Moore, Chloe Coleman, Jack Champion, Cliff Curtis, Jamie Flatters, CCH Pounder, Britain Dalton, Matt Gerald and Trinity Jo-Li Bliss also star.

Avatar – The Way of Water Release Dates: December 16th, 2022 (US & UK)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Comedy, Drama, No Spoiler Reviews, Romance

WORKING GIRL (1988): The Things I Liked…

4 Comments
Working Girl (1988), Melanie Griffith
Working Girl (1988), Melanie Griffith

Directed by Mike Nichols, Working Girl stars Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver. It’s a story about Tess McGill (Griffith), a secretary whose boss steals her big idea so she seizes the opportunity to take it back.

As the movie started, right away it was pretty clear to me that Working Girl was going to be ‘lifting’; a movie that left me happy and motivated. I knew this mainly because of the memorable Carly Simon song (‘Let The River Run’) in the opening sequence, and the close shots of Lady Liberty.

Set in 1980s New York, there’s of course no escaping the big hair and shoulder pads. There’s also no getting away from the kind of sexism and office politics women were subjected to in the workplace at the time. It’s McGill’s navigation of these challenges as best she can that confirms why this film, though not perfect, remains a favourite, whilst having good re-watch value, particularly among the ladies.

Nearly thirty years have passed since Working Girl was released and I’m glad to have finally seen it. It’s the sisterhood, especially towards the very end that happens to be my favourite thing and moment in this film. I also liked the movie’s depiction of what I recognised as ‘the power couple’.

One thought that came to mind a few times as I watched is whether Melanie Griffith is really as softly spoken as her character. McGill is no ‘low talker,’ like in ‘The Puffy Shirt’ Seinfeld episode – but still, I wonder.

Watch Working Girl because it’s good.

Happy Film Loving, 

G