Film Pick UK

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "There's no place like home"  (said Dorothy in 1939)  Now ain't that the truth! Well "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" (also Dorothy in 1939)  Where ever you are in the world right now, hunker down and make it home at least for a while. Get cosy in your own private Kansas and watch some funny films. This is my Skinny on Comedy, let's get some laughs in for Gods sake. (There is no ranking system of any kind here) The Life Of Brian - 1979 Monty Pythons finest. This religious satire, always relevant, addresses religious dogma with humour. Brian, the simple boy next door gets mistaken for the Messiah. Cue big laughs and great lines "he's not the Messiah he's a very naughty boy" The film finishes with a message to us all; "Always look on the bright side of life"  Blithe Spirit - 1945 David Leans sublime adaptation of the Noel Coward play. This classic was restored and re released by the...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Eternal Beauty  - Written and directed by Craig Roberts. A defiant and tender new perspective on the subject of mental illness; Sally Hawkins is both fragile and feisty as June the central character with a super power labelled Schizophrenia. This film should go on to receive major recognition. Bold, brilliant, groundbreaking. Hope Gap  - Bill Nighy and Annette Bening play a couple whose 29 year marriage abruptly ends. Bening is wonderful as the fierce, feisty wife. Nighy is perfect as the infuriating, passive aggressive husband. Although a sad story it is peppered with humour and some real laugh out loud moments. JoJo Rabbit  - A fresh, daring take on WW2 Director/Screenwriter Taika Waititi tackles the subject of racism and nationalism using his unique style of humour to illustrate how ludicrous it is. Wickedly witty, there are also some acutely sobering moments. A  film that challenges the pursuit of hatred and dogma.   Calm with...

👎👎👎👎👎 1917 - Where shall I start in Sam Mendes's private war? Several sequences of film looked just like a video game, without zombies but with Germans. Dean Charles Chapmans performance is so awful I was relieved when he got killed. Don't expect any female characters, women have been written out of the war. A foundling baby looks ridiculously fat and happy, I could go on but this is the skinny.           Knives Out - Just dreadful, as is Daniel Craig's grating Louisiana accent. Why is Craig in this at all I wonder, surely he doesn't need the money? This film is most certainly not in the calibre of an Agatha Christie. If you yearn for a fresh adaptation of a Christie whodunnit I recommend you seek out the delicious work of Sarah Phelps. The Irishman - Robert De Niro pulling all the usual faces. Al Pacino pulling all the usual moves. Would be better as a series rather than a 3 hour film, giving you the option to binge watch . . .  or not....

In May last year I reviewed 'Beast', a film in the First Feature Competition of The London Film Festival 2017, written and directed by Michael Pearce and produced by Lauren Dark. I sang its praises loud and long. I was thrilled to see them go on to win at this years BAFTA award ceremony in the category of Outstanding Debut by a Writer/Director/Producer. Michael Pearce decided at sixteen that he wanted to make films and has spent 20 years honing his skills to reach this stage in his career. Consider the monumental task of filmmaking. You have an idea, you write it down, you write a script, you write and you re write, again and again and again. You plan the entire film out shot by shot, making storyboards. You find a location, you then need to obtain permission to film there. You need equipment, lights, cameras, costumes, make up. You need a crew, you need those fabulous mercurial beings known as actors.  You will have none of these without funding, so get ready to sell yo...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Private War  - True story detailing the life and work of Marie Colvin during her time as war correspondent for The Sunday Times. A woman fiercely driven to report the human cost of armed conflict, risking her own physical safety and mental wellbeing. Colvin was killed in 2012 whilst reporting from Syria. A striking film and an arresting performance from Rosamund Pike. Only You  - British Film in the First Feature Competition at the London Film Festival 2018. A chance encounter on New Years Eve brings two people together. The relationship which quickly develops between them, is touching and authentic. A significant age difference is not an issue until they are unable to start a family. This is an honest and fresh portrayal of modern love. An impressive debut by Harry Wootliff, I look forward to seeing more from her. Sometimes Always Never  - The sombre subject of this charming film is lifted by the wit and sensitivity of the script and the sublime per...

Disappointing  ⭐👎👎👎👎 I cannot remember the last time I was so disappointed by a film. Lanthimos steals from here, there, and everywhere to create this hideous parody. In particular, from the work of Peter Greenaway which is a big mistake as no one does Greenaway like Greenaway.  It is visually beautiful, thanks to Fiona Crombie's outstanding sets. Filmed almost entirely within the confines of the royal household  apart from a few external shots.  The use of a fish eye lens in order to warp perspective is a welcome and much needed point of interest in what feels like an overly long and tedious film. About an hour in I found myself wondering 'how much longer'? Another hour to be precise. I am not sure why it was necessary to appropriate real characters from British history in this period pastiche. There is so little fact, that the entire film, characters and all, may as well be fictional. The story leans heavily on the rumour that Queen Anne was...

        ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mr Happer (Burt Lancaster) snores through a board meeting at Knox Oil & Gas. Plans to build an off shore oil refinery in Scotland are discussed in hushed tones so as not to disturb him.  An employee called Mac chosen for his Scottish name is subsequently sent to Scotland to buy up a remote village and its coastline. The film challenges our perceptions of those who live in small rural communities. The canny villagers in the fictional village of Ferness are all looking forward to becoming millionaires. They play a crafty game of cat and mouse with the American, but who is the cat and who is the mouse?  You may also ask who exactly is the ‘local hero’? Is it the wily Ben who makes a living working the beach? Is it Marina the enigmatic marine biologist who, when told of the plans for the refinery says simply ‘No, I don’t see that happening here’ Is it Mr Urquhart who runs the hotel with his wife and doubles up as the village accoun...