Movie Picks 11.3.18

Wonder - 8 out of 10

Can someone please contact the Oscars and tell them young talent deserves to be recognised too please, because I simply don't understand how Jacob Tremblay has again been overlooked for this performance. Following on from his quite remarkable display in Room from a couple of years ago, the young actor, still only 11 years old, conjures another impeccable performance as a young disfigured boy and his experience of life as he embarks on public school for the first time. It's a heartfelt and beautiful performance which will lift the spirit despite some tough moments on his journey. 

Joined by a great support cast featuring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson as his parents and another superb young actress Izabela Vidovic, herself only 16, as the sister who has to deal with being second attention in the family. This was a mature display from Izabela which, really stood out for me, aside from the main plot of the young boy. In truth though, I was very impressed by all the young actors and actresses who graced the screen as school friends throughout in telling this remarkable story, this one will have the heart strings tugged for sure. 

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What Happened to Monday - 8 out of 10

I was so so surprised by how good this movie was and how little recognition it was receiving, this felt almost like an old school 80's action film I would have loved growing up. A very modern plot I dare say I hadn't seen before from any other movie. Set in a futuristic world where parents are only allowed one child due to overpopulation, Willem Dafoe plays a father of 7 who tries to keep all his offspring from the authorities. Named after the days of the week , they all grow up assuming the profile of one singular person in the outside world but all have separate identities and personalities in the home, so when Monday goes missing, the others are left in a very awkward situation when trying to figure out where or why she is gone. 

It's a simply brilliant little action movie in as they seek the missing sister and Noomi Rapace is amazing performing the roles of 7 different style sisters. This makes paying your Netflix subscription worthwhile!

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The Death of Stalin - 7 out of 10

Humorous satirical look at the Soviet dictators last days and the events which follow. This is Armando Iannucci at his best, famed for political comedy such as The Thick of It and also a writer for the legendary I'm Alan Partridge, this will be an acquired taste of satire I'm sure, but for those that get it, this will be a funny chortle at the Russian expense.

Steve Buscemi is his usual marvelous self as Nikita Khruschev. He is the standout comedic performance but there are plenty others who support in this tickle of the sides. You wont view communist Russia quite the same again and the performance of Stalin himself by Adrian McLoughlin I'm sure will never be mirrored. 

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Black Panther - 6 out of 10

Disappointment of the month for me. That may be harsh and I can almost hear the screams of half of you suggesting I'm out of my mind but I'm sorry. I go to watch Marvel films for good action and good humour and this may have covered one of those but fell so flat in the other. If you are going to take a comic book movie seriously then it has to be a story which can rival the Dark Knight and the comparisons for this and the Lion King leave a lot to be desired for me. 

It looked great in moments, the stunning back drops of Wakanda were visually a treat but the pretty over the top CGI scenes, most specifically with regard to the car scene just left me frustrated and underwhelmed. Chadwick Bosemans performance was good in parts, so too the main villain of Killmonger played by Michael B. Jordan. Yet it pains me to say Killmonger was forgettable and actually the villain I longed for more of was the portrayal of Klaue by Andy Serkis. He was far stronger and this led me to feeling flat toward the end. People were calling this movie revolutionary in regards to other Marvel films as the social and political messages were supposed to be a direction shift for the universe but I think it was regression instead.

In truth this was for me quite a poor Marvel movie, perhaps an average DC movie but with the yardstick that Marvel have already set itself down the years I just hope this isn't the turning of the tide for the comic book giants. Who knows maybe DC might sort its act out and overtake it in years to come...what's that? Kristen Wigg is playing Cheetah?  Am I the only one who thinks I am psychic right now?

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Phantom Thread - 6 out of 10

Ok so it's not quite as bad as 'the Post', but what are the people who run the Oscars actually watching? The most interesting thing about this movie is that nothing fucking happens and the real world got suckered into watching it for two hours. A man makes a dress, a woman wears a dress, a man gets sick, the end. I am not even exaggerating that much, that's basically it, I kind of liked the end and I feel almost bad for making it sound so dull, because in truth, it's shot beautifully but at the same time it's just so drab for most of it and so, so, SO forgettable.

Daniel day Lewis is okay, all the other performances are okay, but that really is it. If you score this any more than a 6 I think you are just snobbing up to it. You think you are supposed to like it more because the Oscars told you to do so and for that you are a total nob who should watch The Shape of Water instead as it is, far and away, a better romantic movie!

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Jumanji - 8 out of 10

My favourite film of the week and wouldn't you know it, its a bloody reboot of one of my favourite films from the 90's. For all the complaints about reboots these days, every now and then we should all just shut up and enjoy the ride. This was Jurassic World levels of fun and a modern spin on a cracking old fave. Its funny and action packed and all the characters bring their own fantastic element to this movie. A film featuring Dwane "the Rock" Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan could have been a mess of personality but it actually blends perfectly and what's brilliant about this is how each character is cast as someone they are not.

So the nerd is the ultra strong and ultra brave 'The Rock' and a pretty selfie obsessed teen girl is played by Jack Black, it's a master stroke, which leads to endless laughs and this really is just a very big fun movie. It doesn't pretend to be anything else and that makes it loveable. Forget the old 'Jumanji', this stands completely on its own as a movie to be loved in its own right despite its name share with its 1995 compatriot. I honestly loved it from start to finish and now I will sit waiting longingly for the reboot of Small Soldiers. Who's with me?