Shrek 2

 

Shrek 2 (2004)

·       Director: Adamson, Asbury, Vernon

·       Cast: Animated

·       Why? Enjoyed the first one

·       Seen: 19 July 2025      

       Newlyweds Shrek and Fiona are summoned by her parents, the King and Queen of Far Far Away so they can meet the new husband. They are shocked and dismayed to discover that he’s an ogre and she’s still cursed. A lot of nonsense about trying to get her to ditch Shrek and marry Prince Charming ensues.

       It’s amusing enough but I think I’m done with these films. 

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fall Guy

 

The Fall Guy 2024

·       Director: David Leitch

·       Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham

·       Why? Gosling and Blunt

·       Seen: 18 July 2025      

       Colt (Gosling) is a stunt man. Jody (Blunt) is an aspiring film director. They are in love. Then he’s severely injured in a stunt and can’t deal with it. He disappears.

       Of course they eventually end up on the same film set and the rest is mostly about them getting back together, with a lot of violence, treachery and stunts mixed in. Not a great story, but Gosling and Blunt are just so adorable. 

3 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

Wicked Little Letters

 

Wicked Little Letters 2023

·       Director: Thea Sharrock

·       Cast: Olivia Coleman, Jessie Buckley, Timothy Spall, Gemma Jones, Malachie Kirby, Alisha Weir, Anjana Vasan

·       Why? The cast

·       Seen: 17 July 2025      

       Fanatically religious spinster Edith (Coleman) has received a series of anonymous pornographic letters. Her neighbour, vulgar, fun loving Rose (Buckley), is assumed by everyone to be the culprit.

       The cast is brilliant and the story is ‘truer than you’d think’. It’s a bittersweet tragi-comedy as only the Brits can do it. 

4 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

The Woman in the Window

 

The Woman in the Window 2021

·       Director: Joe Wright

·       Cast: Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Fred Hechinger, Julianne Moore, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Wyatt Russell

·       Why? The cast

·       Seen: 15 July 2025      

       Depressed, suicidal, alcoholic and agoraphobic Anna (Adams) hasn’t left her flat in ten months. She watches the family across the street, troubled son Ethan (Hechinger), vivacious mother (Moore/Jason Leigh) and aggressive dad (Oldman).

       Things become suspenseful. Adams is terrific. 

4* of 5

 

 

 

 

M3GAN

 

M3GAN 2022

·       Director: Gerard Johnstone

·       Based on the novel: no

·       Cast: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ron Chieng, Amie Donald,

·       Why? Curious after film nerd friend AF reviewed M3GAN 2.0

·       Seen: 12 July 2025      

       Gemma (Williams), a robot toy designer, takes in her niece Cady (McGraw) when the girl’s parents are killed in a car crash. She has no idea how to deal with kids so she gives Cady the toy she’s been working on, M3GAN, against her boss’s direct orders. Great idea. Until AI M3GAN takes over.

       It’s creepy. And very entertaining. 

4* of 5

 

 

 

Office Uprising

 

Office Uprising 2018

·       Director: Lin Oeding

·       Based on the novel: no

·       Cast: Brenton Twaites, Jane Levy, Karan Sony

·       Why? Zombies

·       Seen: 11 July 2025      

       Ammotech is the proud producer of defensive mass destructive weapons. Almost everybody in the offices turns into zombies. Don’t ask.

       It’s an insult to all self-respecting zombie films, especially zombie comedies. It makes Cockneys vs Zombies look like Shakespeare. Besides, they’re not really zombies, just violent.

       Sure it’s a spoof but it’s not funny, it’s annoying. But because it ridicules the arms industry and patriotism not 0* but 

2* of 5

 

 

 

 

Carrington

 

Carrington

• Director: Christopher Hampton
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Emma Thompson, Jonathan Pryce, Rufus Sewell, Penelope Wilton·       
• Why? Thompson and Pryce
• Seen: 10 July 2025      

       Dora Carrington (Thompson) is a promising young artist at the beginning of WWI. She meets the arrogant, egotistical writer Lytton Strackey (Pryce). He is also a conscientious objector and homosexual.

       Carrington is not. She has several lovers, including the delectable artist Mark (Sewell) who wants to marry her.

       Against all odds, Carrington and Strachey become life long, passionate, intimate but mostly platonic friends, sometimes sharing lovers.

       Thompson and Pryce are, as always, lovely, the whole cast is, but unfortunately it’s all rather boring, Love stories, even eccentric ones like this – based on a true story, mind you – don’t interest me much. 

2½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

True Romance

 

True Romance

• Director: Tony Scott
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, James Gandolfini, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Samuel L Jackson·       
• Why? Remember liking it.
• Seen: Once before. Now 9 July 2025      

       Clarence (Slater) loves Elvis and Kung Fu. He is sought out by call girl Alabama (Arquette). They fall madly in love and get married but he hates that she had a pimp Drexl (Oldman, at his sordid best) and decides to kill him. Which he does and in passing steals a bunch of cocaine. That makes bad guys Walken and Gandolfini angry and they go after Clarence’s dad (Hopper). Clarence and Alabama head for LA to sell the coke.

       It’s classic Tarantino (he wrote it). Violence and crime and blood and gore and humour with a heart.

 4* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

Nightcrawler

 

Nightcrawler 2014

• Director: Dan Gilroy
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Pullman, Riz Ahmed·       
• Why? Gyllenhaal
• Seen: 8 July 2025      

       Lou (Gyllenhaal) is a sleazy petty thief who drives around nights looking for things to steal. He happens upon a traffic accident that is being filmed for TV news. He gets a police radio and cam recorder and gives it a try. He slick talks his way into a small TV studio whose director Nina (Russo) is desperate for ratings.

       Gyllenhaal is always good. Here he convinces as a ruthless sociopath. 

3 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

Emmett's Mark (Killer Deadline)

 

Emmett’s Mark (Killer Deadline) 2002

• Director: Keith Snyder.
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Scott Wolf, Tim Roth, Gabriel Byrne, Khandi Alexander·       
• Why? Sci fi
• Seen: 5 July 2025      

       Emmett (Wolf) learns that he has a fatal disease and only months to live. He has no family and no friends. All he has is his job as a homicide detective. Knowing the illness will cause great suffering, he hires a hit man to kill him but not for a few days. He wants to solve his currents case of a serial rapist killer first.

       Then the hospital calls and says the diagnosis was wrong.

       Roth is good as the reluctant but ruthless assassin and Byrne is good as the sleazy middleman. It’s kind of a weird story though. 

3* of 5

 

 

The Invisible Man

 

The Invisible Man 2020

• Director: Leigh Whanell
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Elizabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Harriet Dyer, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Michael Dorman·       
• Why? Sci fi
• Seen: 5 July 2025      

       Cecilia (Moss) barely escapes her abusive controlling super-rich husband Adrian (Jackson-Cohen) with the help of her sister Emily (Dyer) and friend James (Hodge). She’s terrified Adrian will find her. Then it is reported that he has committed suicide.

       But is he dead? Cecilia becomes more and more convinced that he is alive, that he is stalking her, and that he is invisible.

       It’s quite exciting.

 

3 ½ * of 5

 

The Zero Theorem

 

The Zero Theorum 2013

• Director: Terry Gilliam
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Christoph Waltz, Davis Thewliss, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Peter Stormare, Ben Whishaw, Melanie Thierry, Tilda Swinton, Lucas Hedges
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Christoph Waltz – Spectre, Inglourious Basterds

o   David Thewliss – Wonder Woman, Legend, Macbeth, The Theory of Everything, Harry Potter, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Kingdom of Heaven, Whatever Happened to Harold Smith, The Big Lebowski, Naked, Life Is Sweet

• Sanjeev Bhaskar – Unforgotten, Curry Nam Nam, Absolutely Anything, Doctor Who, Notting Hill
• Peter Stormare – The Brothers Grimm, Chocolat, Dancer in the Dark, The Big Lebowski, Fargo, Awakenings
• Ben Whishaw – London Spy, Spectre, Suffragette, Skyfall, Cloud Atlas, Richard II, The Tempest, Bright Star, Brideshead Revisited
• Melanie Thierry – Henry V
• Tilda Swinton - Hail Caesar, Snowpiercer, Only Lovers Left Alive, Moonrise Kingdom, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, Michael Clayton, Broken Flowers, Young Adam, Adaption, The Deep End, Orlando
• Lucas Hedges – Manchester by the Sea, Moonrise Kingdom, Dan in Real Life·       
• Why? Sci fiSeen: 15 March 2019

      

       A man emerges from a computer-filled multi-locked cathedral into an advert-dominated future London. He thinks he’s dying. The medical committee says he’s not. His request for a disability discharge is denied. He fears parties but goes to them. He just wants to be home to await the phone call he’s waited for all his life, the one that will tell him the meaning of everything. Or something.

       Is that enough to indicate that this is a weird movie? It’s Terry Gilliam so it should come as no surprise.

       It has the visual coolness of The Fifth Element but sorry, I’m not in the mood for absurd meaning of life movies this evening. Real life is absurd enough.

       Maybe another time.

 

2* of 5

 

http://rubyjandsmovieblog.blogspot.com/2019/03/zero-theorum.html

 

Update July 2025

I remember absolutely nothing from the first time and then I probably hadn’t yet seen any of this splendid cast. They’re a plus this time. Still, in spite of them and a few fun moments and lots of colour, it still doesn’t grab me. But I’ll raise it to 

2 ½* of 5

Iskariot

 

Iskariot 2008

• Director: Miko Lazic
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Gustaf Skarsgård, Michael Nyqvist, Helena af Sandeberg, Jakob Eriksson·       
• Why? Michael Nyqvist
• Seen: 3 July 2025 

       Valle (Eriksson) is a successful doctor with wife and daughter. His little brother Adam (Skarsgård) is a drug dealer and junky who owes his boss Masen (Nyqvist) big time.

       It’s nicely filmed and the acting is good but I really don’t like gangster films with macho toughies and a beautiful wife who has no role but to smile pretty and be appalled and weepy when required. 

2* of 5.

 

 

 

 

 

Red Eye

 

Red Eye 2005

• Director: Wes Craven
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox, Jayma Mays·       
• Why? Decent Cast.
• Seen: 2 July 2025      

       Lisa (McAdams), while waiting for a delayed flight to Miami, encounters the charming Jackson (Murphy). They wind up sitting next to each other on the plane.

       No doubt he’s the terrorist this film is said to be about.

       Thanks to McAdams and Murphy it’s an entertaining little thriller. 

3* of 5

 

 

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang

 

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang 2010

• Director: Susanne White
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Emma Thompson, Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Asa Butterworth and others·       
• Why? Enjoyed the original
• Seen: 1 July 2025      

       Mum Izzy (Gyllenhaal) is alone on the farm with her three children and her husband’s brother’s two children while dad is off to war. It’s not going well.

       Enter Nanny McPhee.

       Sadly it’s not at all as charming as the first film.

 

2 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

Blood the Last Vampire

 

Blood the Last Vampire 2000

• Director: Hiroyuki Kitakubo
• Cast: Animated·       
• Why? Vampires
• Seen: 30 June 2025      

       Saya is a sullen teen-aged slayer of vampires and demons on an American base in Japan. Nice animé but not much substance. 

2* of 5

Living

 

Living 2022

• Director: Oliver Humanus
• Based on book: no, but written by Kazuo Ishiguro based on a film by Karosawa
• Cast: Bill Nighy, Aimee Lee Wood, Alex Sharp, Tom Burke, Adrian Rawlins·       
• Why?  Bill Nighy
• Seen: 29 June 2025      

       Straight-laced seemingly humourless bureaucrat Mr Williams (Nighy) is told by his doctor that he has six months to live. After the shock wears off he decides to live. With the help of a frustrated artist (Burke) and a young vibrant ex-employee (Wood) he ventures cautiously out into the world.

       It’s a warm, melancholy, gentle film and Bill Nighy is even lovelier than usual.

 4* of 5

 

 

 

Horrible Bosses

 

Horrible Bosses 2011

• Director: Seth Gordon
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston·       
• Why? Colin Farrell
• Seen: 27 June 2025      

       This is probably as horrible as its title. So why watch it? To see if it gets better? No, it gets worse. There is not a funny frame in the whole film. It’s maybe not the worse film I’ve ever seen but it comes close. 

1* of 5

 

 

Glass Onion

 

Glass Onion 2022

• Director: Rion Johnson  
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Janelle Monáe·       
• Why? The cast and Knives Out
• Seen: 25 June 2025      

       Super zillionair (Norton) invites a gang of friends for a murder game weekend. The sleuth from Knives Out (Craig) is also there with a sneaky agenda.

       It has fun moments but whodunits are not my thing and it’s too long. 

3* of 5

 

 

 

Infinitely Polar Bear.

 

Infinitely Polar Bear 2014

• Director: Maya Forbes
• Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldaña, Imogene Waladarsky, Ashley Aufderheide·       
• Why? Mark Ruffolo
• Seen: 24 June 2025      

       Cam (Ruffalo) is bipolar. After a serious breakdown and months in a mental hospital he is better and his wife Maggie (Saldanña), desperate for money, has been accepted into business school in New York. Cam needs routine and responsibility and they agree that he will move into their flat in Boston to raise their two daughters.

       It doesn’t go well. And then, of course, it does. It’s a feel-good film. 

3* of 5

 

 

Ambulancen

 

Ambulansen 2005

• Director: Laurits Munch-Petersen
• Cast: Paw Henriksen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Helle Fagralid·       
• Why? I enjoyed the American re-make.
• Seen:  21 June 2025      

       Two Danish brothers rob a bank and escape in an ambulance. Only there’s a passenger and nurse in the back.

       More a farce than a drama and surprisingly not as good as the American re-make, which I gave 3*, mostly because Jake Gyllenhaal lifted it. These Danish actors don’t. A disappointment. 

2* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mudbound

 

Mudbound 2017

• Director: Dee Rees
• Based on the novel by Hilary Jordan
• Cast: Jason Mitchell, Carey Mulligan, Jason Clark, Mary J Blige, Rob Morgan, Garrett Hedlund, Jonathan Banks·       
• Why? The book.
• Seen:  19 June 2025      

       Two families, one white and one black, on adjacent farms in Mississippi in the 40s. The white family know nothing of farming but own the land. The black family has farmed the land for generations but don’t own it. Both families struggle. The racism is deep and devastating but shared war trauma draws white Jamie (Hedlund) and black Ronsel (Mitchell) into friendship, and white farmwife Laura (Mulligan) and black farmwife Florence (Blige) share hardships and mutual dependency.

       It’s strong and well-made but depressing. 

4* of 5