Don't Look Up

 

Don’t Look Up 2021

• Director: Adam McKay
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Leonardo Dicaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Timothée Chalamet, Melanie Lynskey
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• LD, JL, MS, CB – many
• Rob Morgan – Unforgettable
• Jonah Hill – Hail Caesar, Wolf of Wall Street, Django Unchained, The Invention of Lying
• Mark Rylance – Wolf Hall, Ready Player One, The BFG, Twelfth Night, Richard II
• Timothée Chalamet - Dune, Little Women, Lady Bird, Interstellar
• Melanie Lynskey The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Shattered Glass, Ever After
• Why? The cast. Sounds good
• Seen: 6 April 2025      

             A comet is going to crash into Earth in six months. Extinction is certain, if we don’t deflect, which would be possible.

            The film is classified as a satirical comedy. The funny part is that that nobody believes or cares. Ha ha.

            So obviously it’s all about today’s reality and the environmental catastrophe that is going to destroy everything if we don’t take immediate and extreme action. And we don’t care. Some of us don’t believe it. We elect Trump, we consume and consume and consume. We poison our planet.

            So funny isn’t the first word that comes to mind. But it is kind of…funny. The satire is so bitingly realistic that it hurts. The actors are superb,

            Depressing but oh, so brilliant.

 

5* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uglies

 

Uglies 2024

• Director: McG
• Seen by this director: Terminator Salvation
• Based on the book by Scott Westerfield
• Cast: Joey King, Brianne Tju, Keith Powers, Chase Stokes, Laverne Cox
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Laverne Cox – Promising Young Woman
• Why? Dystopia
• Seen: 4 April 2025      

             Before the age of 16 everyone is an ugly. At the age of 16 everyone is operated on to become a Pretty. Tally (King) is 15. Her BFF Peris (Stokes) turns 16 and becomes a Pretty and no longer wants to have anything to do with her. She comes in contact with rebels.

            Many viewers mention liking the book better. I haven’t read it so I can only judge the film. If you’re about 12 or 13 you might like it. My 13-year-old self kind of likes it, even though it’s contrived and simple-minded. But only kind of. It’s been a very long time since I was 13. But David (Powers) is awfully cute and the visuals are strong. 

2 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Grand Budapest Hotel

 

The Grand Budapest Hotel 2014

• Director: Wes Anderson
• Seen by this director: Moonrise Kingdom, Darjeeling Limited, The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Ralph Fiennes, F Murray Abraham, Jude Law, Adrian Brody and many more
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• All of them – many
• Why? The cast
• Seen: 1 April 2025    

             It’s only because of the cast that I’m even watching this. Wes Anderson is not my fave. This one received top ratings. That’s no guarantee.

            My main problem with Anderson is that he’s not as weird and quirky as he thinks he is. I find his humour pretentious. I have lost friends over this attitude, but then they probably weren’t such good friends, right?

            OK, I’ll stop babbling and watch the film.

            1. I don’t like narrated stories. 2. What’s the point of this film? 3. What a waste of good actors. 4. This is just silly. 5. This is boring. 6. Almost everybody disagrees with me.

            Never mind. I like the purple uniforms. They themselves are worth 

1* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Martha Mary Macy Marlene

 

Martha Mary Macy Marlene 2011

• Director: Sean Durkin
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes, Hugh Dancy
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Elizabeth Olsen – Avengers etc
• Sarah Paulson – Run, Glass, Bird Box, 12 Years a Slave, Mud, Down with Love
• John Hawkes - many
• Hugh Dancy – Jane Austen Book Club, Daniel Deronda
• Why? Good reviews
• Seen: 31 March 2025 

             Martha (Olsen) escapes a sect and is taken in by her sister Lucy (Paulson) and brother-in-law Ted (Dancy). The sect is like sects are, charismatic leader (Hawkes) who rapes the women etc. Martha is disturbed and damaged but it’s unclear why.

            I’m not fond of dual timelines and this is no better than most. I was expecting better, considering the subject. 

2½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sleeping Dogs

 

Sleeping Dogs

• Director: Adam Cooper
• Based on the book by Noel Streatfield
• Cast: Russell Crowe, Karen Gillan, Marton Csosas, Tommy Flanagan, Thomas M Wright, Harry Greenwood, Pacharo Mzembe
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Russell Crowe – many
• Karen Gillan – Guardians of the Galaxy etc, The Circle, Doctor Who
• Marton Csosas – Loving, Spider-Man, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, Kingdom of Heaven
• Harry Greenwood – The Nightingale
• Why? Russell Crowe
• Seen: 30 March 2025

             Roy Freeman (Crowe) is a former police detective with severe Alzheimer’s who has had experimental neurosurgery. He is contacted by a legal rights organisation who wants him to look into a death row case.

            So how much is he going to remember?

            It’s an interesting concept and Crowe is always good but it’s just a detective story. Not bad but not remarkable. I guessed the twist about halfway through. 

2½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ballet Shoes

 

The Ballet Shoes 2007

• Director: Sandra Goldbacher
• Based on the book by Noel Streatfield
• Cast: Emma Watson, Yasmine Paige, Lucy Boynton, Emilia Fox, Victoria Wood, Richard Griffiths, Marc Warren, Lucy Cohu, Gemma Jones, Harriet Walter, Eileen Atkins
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Most of them - many
• Why? The cast
• Seen:  29 March 2025 

            Through odd circumstances three orphaned girls end up in a London ballet academy in the period between the two world wars.

            With a splendid cast playing a plethora of eccentric characters, the film is much better than expected. 

3½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bird Box

 

Bird Box 2018

• Director: Susanne Bier
• Seen by this director: The Night Manager, Things We Lost in the Fire
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson 
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Sandra Bullock - many
• Trevante Rhodes – Moonlight
• John Malkovich - many
• Sarah Paulson – Run, Glass, 12 Years a Slave, Mud, Down with Love
• Why? Sci fi, Sandra Bullock
• Seen: 28 March 2025 

             It starts with mass suicides in Europe. Meanwhile artist Malorie (Bullock) is pregnant and very not ecstatic about it. Then the bad stuff starts happening in California too. Mass panic. Mass suicide. Mass hallucinations. Malorie is rescued by Tom (Rhodes) and they find shelter in a private home with a motley group of other refugees.

            Six years later Malorie is fleeing in a row boat down a river with two children. They are all blindfolded.

            Back and forth in time. Survival. Conflict. Fear. Distrust. Even a rather nice love story.

            Actually it’s pretty good. Decent story, solid acting, believable characters. 

3½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smilla's Sense of Snow

 

Smilla’s Sense of Snow 1997

• Director: Bille August
• Seen by this director: Good-bye Bafana, Les Misérables
• Based on the book by Peter Hoeg
• Cast: Julia Ormand, Gabriel Byrne, Vanessa Redgrave, Jim Broadbent, Tom Wilkinson, Richard Harris
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Most of them – many
• Why? The cast and the book
• Seen: Once before. Now 27 March 2025              

       A little Inuit boy from Greenland, living in Copenhagen falls to his death from the roof. Smilla (Ormand), a neighbour, half-Inuit, also from Greenland, doesn’t believe it was an accident. She knows her snow.

      She digs into it and finds much that is suspicious with roots in the mining industry on Greenland.

      A most unusual murder mystery with a terrific main character and a lovely cast. Somewhat unlikely ending but still 

3½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love and Other Drugs

 

Love and Other Drugs 2010

• Director: Edward Zwick
• Seen by this director: Blood Diamond
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Judy Greer, Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• All of them – many
• Why? Gyllenhaal and Hathaway
• Seen:  26 March 2025 

            Jamie (Gyllenhaal) is a charming womaniser who works as a pharmaceutical salesman. He meets young and beautiful Maggie (Hathaway) who has Parkinson’s disease. They have wild frenzied sex. A lot.

            Theoretically I have nothing against a rom com about Parkinson’s or the evils of the pharmaceutical industry. However. These are really obnoxious people. The film isn’t funny or romantic. Nor does it seem to know much about Parkinson’s. Believe me, I know about Parkinson’s. Did they just pull a disease-of-the-week out of a hat?

            There was one minute of accuracy, mild digs at the American health system and a few moments of good acting, therefore 

2* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay

Stay 2005

• Director: Marc Forster
• Seen by this director: Christopher Robin, World War Z, Quantum of Solace, Stranger than Fiction, Finding Neverland, Monster’s Ball
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Ewan McGregor, Ryan Gosling, Naomi Watts
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• All of them – many
• Why? The cast
• Seen:  25March 2025  

 

            Sam (McGregor) is a psychiatrist. His girlfriend Lila (Watts) is an artist who once attempted suicide. Henry (Gosling) is a disturbed college student, currently Sam’s reluctant patient.

            The more disturbed Henry becomes, the more Sam questions his own grasp on reality. It seems that Henry can see into the future, and sees dead people. I have a feeling it’s going to end like Sixth Sense – Sam is really Henry and they’re both dead, or something like that.

            Whatever. It’s atmospheric and suspenseful and, of course, well-acted.

 

4* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

  

Fahrenheit 451 (2018)

 

Fahrenheit 451 (2018)

• Director: Ramin Bahrani
• Based on the book by Ray Bradbury
• Cast: Michael B Jordan, Michael Shannon, Lily Singh
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Michael B Jordan – Black Panther 1 & 2, Last Stop Fruitvale Station, The Wire
• Michael Shannon – many
• Why? The original and the book
• Seen:  24 March 2025 

            The original Truffaut film of the 1960s, with Oskar Werner and Julie Christie, is one of the best films I’ve ever seen. It is with some trepidation that I see this but I will try to give it a fair chance.

            The basic story is here. Reading is illegal, books are burnt, book owners hunted down and severely punished. But there is resistance.

            I find myself almost as enthralled as by the Truffaut version. The acting is strong, the visuals, action and tone are appropriate to the 2020s. And frighteningly, it has much more relevance in these dreadful days of Trump and Musk than the 60s version.

            Well done, Ramin Bahrani. 

4* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

I'm Thinking of Ending Things

 

I’m Thinking of Ending Things 2020

• Director: Charlie Kaufman
• Seen by this director: nothing he directed but many that he wrote for film
• Based on the book by Iain Reid
• Cast: Jessie Buckley, Jesse Plemons, Toni Colette, David Thewlis, Guy Boyd
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Jessie Buckley – The Lost Daughter, Women Talking, Judy, Chernobyl, Wild Rose, The Tempest (on stage at the Globe in London and on DVD)
• Jesse Plemons – Judas and the Black Messiah, Breaking Bad, Paul
• Toni Colette - many Abbey, The Turn of the Screw
• David Thelis – many
• Why? The cast and the book
• Seen:  23 March 2025 

            The young woman, possibly named Lucy or something else, (Buckley) is thinking of ending things with her new boyfriend Jake (Plemons) even though he’s nice and smart and kind of cute. She thinks this while riding with him in his car through farmland to meet his parents for the first time.

            She finds that things on the farm are brutal, even creepy. And especially weird. His parents (Colette and Thewlis) are nice but very weird. And they keep shifting in age from middle-aged to very old and dying, to young and normal parents. Jake is weird too, sullen one moment, violent the next, sweet the next.

            Many reviewers hate this film. I could never hate any film with Buckley and Colette, even if it is incomprehensible. It has a Waiting for Godot feel. Very profound but what is it about? I like that kind of thing.

            It’s even weirder than the book. 

4½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

Eurovision Song Contest Fire Saga

 

Eurovision Song Contest Fire Saga 2020

• Director: David Dobkin
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Will Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens, Mikael Persbrandt, Pierce Brosnan
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Will Farrell – Barbie, Stranger than Fiction
• Rachel McAdams – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse, Doctor Strange, Spotlight, About Time, Sherlock Holmes Game of Shadows, Slings and Arrows
• Dan Stevens – Beauty and the Beast, Summer in February, Downton Abbey, The Turn of the Screw
• Mikael Persbrandt – as few as possible
• Pierce Brosnan - many
• Why? I’m an ESC nerd
• Seen:  22 March 2025 

            Young Lars from Iceland sees ABBA win the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 – as indeed, we did a few days after immigrating to Sweden, having no clue what the ESC was but becoming instant patriots when Sweden won – and swears he will one day win the ESC. His dad (Brosnan, with a dreadful Icelandic accent) ridicules him.

            Years later Lars (Ferrell) is approaching middle age but still dreams of winning the ESC with his childhood friend (probably not his sister) Sigrit (McAdams.

            Ferrell is absolutely terrible in this role. It essentially ruins what is otherwise a silly but loveable film. Dan Stevens is as far from Downton Abbey as he can get as the outrageously gorgeous ‘there are no gays in Russia’ Russian singer who courts Sigrit to become his singing partner.

            It pokes loving fun at the whole thing, a parody so close to the real thing that we almost believe it. The participation of such real life ESC participants like Salvador Sobral, Bilal Hassani, Alexeander Rybak, Conchita, John Landvik, Netta, only adds to its appeal.

            Oh if only they’d chosen someone else than Will Farrell. Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Jake Gyllenhaal, Adam Driver, Ryan Gosling, James McAvoy – anybody but Will Farrell! Unlikely, however, since he was one of the writers. Let’s pretend he’s not in it and give the film 

3 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

Joker Folies à deux

 

Joker Folie à deux 2024

• Director: Todd Phillips
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Joaquin Phoenix - many
• Lady Gaga – A Star Is Born
• Brendan Gleeson - many
• Catherine Keener – Get Out, Captain Philips, Enough Said, The Soloist, Genova, Into the Wild, Being John Malkovich, Living in Oblivion, Johnny Suede
• Why? Joker
• Seen:  21 March 2025                    

             Everyone loved Joker, me included. Everyone (almost) hates this. Me? I don’t know yet but I love Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, and theoretically, it’s OK with me to make it a musical.

            The Joker Arthur (Phoenix) is in a mental hospital awaiting trial. Is he crazy or not? He joins a music therapy choir and meets Lee (Gaga) and they find that they are soul mates.

            It is certainly a change from Joker. I think that’s the main problem for many viewers. It’s not like Joker, it’s its own film. It’s a love story about two severely disturbed individuals, i.e. they’re both bonkers.

            It’s not easy to watch or follow but Phoenix is, as always, brilliant, and Gaga once again demonstrates start quality.

            Kudos to Philips for daring to make this film. 

4* of 5

 

 

 

The Lobster

 

The Lobster 2015

• Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
• Seen by this director: The Favourite, The Killing of the Sacred Deer, Dogtooth
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Barden, Olivia Colman, Ashley Jensen, Ariane Labed, John C Reilly, Ben Whishaw
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Most them - many
• Why? The cast
• Seen:  20 March 2025 

            Singles are not acceptable in this world. If your partner dies or divorces you, you are imprisoned in a luxury hotel and given 45 days to find a suitable partner, ie a partner who shares a characteristic with you, for example nose bleeds or a limp. If you don’t succeed, you will be turned into an animal of your choice.

            David (Farrell) is there because his wife left him. He’s with his dog Bob, who is actually his brother, who didn’t find a partner within the 45 days. David’s choice, should he also fail, is to become a lobster.

            I have seen many a bizarre films but this one…

            I love it. 

5 * of 5

 

The Lost Daughter

 

The Lost Daughter 2021

• Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
• Based on the book by Elena Ferrante
• Cast: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson, Ed Harris, Peter Sarsgaard, Paul Mescal, Jack Farthing
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Olivia Colman - many
• Jessie Buckley – Women Talking, Judy, Chernobyl, Wild Rose, The Tempest (on stage at the Globe in London and on DVD)
• Dakota Johnson – The Peanut Butter Falcon, Cymbeline, Social Network
• Ed Harris – many
• Peter Sarsgaard – An Education, Elegy, Jarhead, Stephen Glass, Dead Man Walking
• Paul Mescal – Aftersun
• Why? Colman and Buckley
• Seen:  19 March 2025 

            For some reason I never became enthralled by Ferrante’s books like most readers seem to have done, but I expect Colman, Buckley and Harris to do something good with this.

            Leda (Colman) is a professor of literature on holiday in Greece. Her quiet beach is invaded by obnoxious, loud Americans. Seeing the daughter of one of the women (Johnson), disturbing memories return to Leda of the time when her daughters were small and she was struggling with the demands her small girls placed on her, with building a demanding career and with dealing with husband and lover.

            It is of course relevant to young women’s lives today and I’m sure many viewers can relate to both the young and the older Leda. Choosing to have neither children nor a lover, it all seems remote to me, though Colman and Buckley, as the young Leda, are superb and some of the isolated scenes are very gripping, which raise it to

 

3 ½ * of 5

No Man of God

 

No Man of God 2021

• Director: Amber Sealey
• Based on the book:  no
• Cast: Elijah Wood, Luke Kirby
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Elijah Wood – Everything Is Illuminated, The Hobbit LotR etc, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Deep Impact, The Ice Storm
• Why? Possibly interesting
• Seen:  16 March 2025 

            Serial killer are neither my favourite people nor my favourite characters in films. Ted Bundy is a name I recognise as a serial killer but I couldn’t tell you where or when or who. Nor do I much care.

            This film is based on transcripts and tapes of interviews FBI criminal profiler Bill Hagmeier (Wood) did with Bundy (Kirby) while he was on death row. The goal: to understand the mind of a serial killer.

            Doesn’t this kind of sound like The Silence of the Lambs? Interesting enough but does it expand our understanding? Not mine anyway.

            Good acting – our little Elijah is a long ways from Frodo – make it watchable but just barely. It’s unpleasant. 

 

2* of 5  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Square

 

The Square 2017

• Director: Ruben Östlund
• Seen by this director: Triangle of Sadness, Turist, Gitarrmongot
• Based on the book:  no
• Cast: Claes Bang, Elizabeth Moss, Dominic West, Terry Notary
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Claes Bang – Bron, Rejseholdet
• Elizabeth Moss – Top of the Lake, High-Rise, Madmen, Girl Interrupted, Anywhere but Here, A Thousand Acres
• Dominic West - many
• Terry Notary – Nope, Kong Skull Island
• Why? Ruben Östlund
• Seen:  16 March 2025 

            Christian (Bang) is the curator for the prestigious Stockholm art museum, the X Royal.

            Art, money, elite, homeless, beggars. If you want more of a summary than that, check out IMDb. I’m not going to analyse this, or even describe it. The film has been met by lavish praise and countless awards, including the Palme D’or at Cannes, as well as many ‘Huh?’s. It’s called a satire. It’s called reactionary. It’s called a lot of things.

            I have like the Östlund films I’ve seen. Quite a lot. This one? I really don’t know. Is it actually going somewhere? Is there some important message here? I have no idea but I’m kind of fascinated. And kind of bored. And kind of fascinated.

            Because I think I’ll like it more next time I see it because maybe I’ll understand it more, I give it

 

4* of 5