Can You Ever Forgive Me?

 

Can You Ever Forgive Me? 2018

• Director: Marielle Heller
• Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E Grant, Jane Curtain, Dolly Wells, Anna Deavere Smith
• Why? Recommended by LH
• Seen:  27 December 2025      

       Lee (McCarthy) is an author whose agent (Curtain) no longer calls her or listens to her ideas. Whose books no longer sell, whose cat is ill, who has no money and who hates and is rude to everybody.

       She resorts to forging letters from famous authors to make money.

       McCarthy is almost unrecognisable in this serious role. She’s as good here as in her zany comedies. Those of which I’ve seen I like.

       Unfortunately I find this story less good than the acting. True story, by the way. 

3½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

Mermaids

 

Mermaids 1990

• Director: Richard Benjamin
• Cast: Cher, Winona Ryder, Bob Hoskins, Christina Ricci, Michael Schoeffling·       
• Why? I remember liking it.
• Seen: Once before. Now 25 December 2025      

       Fifteen-year-old Charlotte (Ryder) is a devout Christian (though her mother Mrs Flax (Cher) insists that they’re Jewish non-believers) and suffers dreadfully from her impure thoughts, especially after meeting the hunky neighbour guy Joe (Schoeffling).

       Mrs Flax likes men, stylish clothes and having a good time. Every time things get complicated they move. Which happens often.

       Charlotte prays that her long-gone father will find them.

       It’s the early 60s. ‘Johnny Angel’ and ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ are on the radio.

       They meet the local shoe salesman, Lou (Hoskins). And he becomes a part of their lives.

       It’s funny, sad, melancholy, filled with anger and longing and love. The cast is terrific, especially Ryder. Even tiny Ricci is good as the precocious little sister.

       I still like it. A lot. 

4 * of 5   

 

 

 

Steve

 

Steve 2025

• Director: Tim Mielants
• Cast: Cillian Murphy, Tracy Ullman, Jay Lycurgo, Roger Allam, Emily Watson·      
• Why? The cast and the subject
• Seen: 23 December 2025      

       Steve (Murphy) is head teacher in a reform school for troubled rejected teenaged boys. He fights demons of his own but is devoted to helping the boys.

       A film team is there making a documentary, interviewing both students and staff.

       It’s chaotic, gripping and depressing. And very good. 

4 * of 5   

 

 

Haywire

 

Haywire 2011 

·        Director: Steven Soderbergh

·        Cast: Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Michael Angarano, Channing Tatum, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas

·        Why?  Ewan McGregor

·        Seen: 19 December 2025 

Oh dear. A sort of spy revenge action thriller. Yawn. The main character is a tough chick (Carano), anyway.

Half the film is fist fights and chases. Booooooring!

But in between there are moments of human interest. 

2* of 5

 

 

 

 

Mary Poppins Returns

 

Mary Poppins Returns 2018 

·        Director: Rob Marshall

·        Cast: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Colin Firth, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh, Joel Dawson, Julie Walters, Meryl Streep, Dick Van Dyke

·        Why?  The cast

·        Seen: 18 December 2025 

Mary Poppins returns as nanny to Michael’s (Whishaw) children. They are about to lose their home to the evil banker Firth.

 Blunt and Miranda are lovely and the music is fun. Every bit as enjoyable as the original, and when ancient Dick Van Dyke shows up it gets even better. 

3 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

Mary Poppins

 

Mary Poppins 1964 

·        Director: Robert Stevenson

·        Cast: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber

·        Why?  A classic and I want to see the new one

·        Seen: Once before. Now 16 December 2025 

It’s been decades since I saw this but I remember the songs. My parents had the soundtrack LP.

It’s far from my favourite musical and it’s much too long. Many of the songs feel like fillers. Still, it makes a few digs at the banking world and Dick van Dyke – now 100 years old! – is charming despite the accent. 

3* of 5

 

 

 

Girl with a Pearl Earring

 

Girl with a Pearl Earring 2003 

·        Director: Peter Webber

·        Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson, Cillian Murphy

·        Why?  The cast. The art.

·        Seen: Once before. Now 15 December 2025

 

1665. Holland. The artist Vermeer (Firth). A maid in his household Griet (Johansson). A painting ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’. Complicated love stories.

The attention to detail is admirable, but also boring. As are the intrigues and nastinesses.

Johansson is good but it might be Firth’s weakest role. 

2 ½ * of 5

 

 

We Need to Talk about Kevin

 

We Need to Talk about Kevin 2011 

• ·        Director: Lynne Ramsay
• ·        Cast: Tilda Swinton, John C Reilly, Ezra Miller, Jasper Newell, Rocky Duer
• ·        Why?  Interesting subject
• ·        Seen: 13 December 2025 

Eva (Swinton) has a teen-aged son Kevin (Miller, Newell and Duer). In a series of flashbacks, which are confusing, it must be said, we learn that he was a difficult child, hostile, unloving, even cruel. We see Eva in despair.

And in the present time she is in despair. Teen-aged Kevin has done something terrible and she visits him in prison.

A very grim film with an excellent performance by Swinton. But I’m not sure what to think of the film. It’s not a film to love. 

3½ * of 5

 

Sahara

 

Sahara 2005 

• ·        Director: Breck Eisner
• ·        Cast: Steve Zahn, Matthew McConaughey, Penelope Cruz, William H Macy, Rainn Wilson, Lennie James, Delroy Lindo
• ·        Why?  Steve Zahn
• ·        Seen: 12 December 2025 

Comedy and action. Not my cup of tea, exactly. It got some negative reviews, but also quite a lot of very positive ones. So let’s see.

Right. Unlikely story. Treasure hunters McConaughey and Zahn join forces with WHO doctor Lopez.

Too bad it’s so boring. I realise too that McC’s macho cockiness is very irritating and I’m not fond of Cruz. Time to fast forward.

I like Zahn and William H Macy and Delroy Lindo and camels so not 0* but 

2* of 5

 

 

Carrie

 

Carrie 1976

• Director: Brian De Palma
• Cast: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, John Travolta·       
• Why? It’s a classic
• Seen: 9 December 2025      

       Believe it or not I’ve never seen it, or read the Stephen King novel. For a fanatical reader and film lover that’s embarrassing.

       You know doubt know the story so I won’t bother with that. Is it good, though?

       Almost everyone thinks so. And you know what? I agree. I like it. It’s very sad, though. 

4* of 5   

 

Weapons

 

Weapons 2025

• Director: Zack Creggar
• Cast: Julia Garner, Josh Brolin·       
• Why? Many recommendations
• Seen: 3 December 2025      

       At 02.17 17 kids disappear from their homes. All from the same class. Only one kid doesn’t. The teacher of that class, Justine (Garner) comes under suspicion, under attack from the parents.

       It’s a little scary, a little spooky, but it’s taking it’s time getting anywhere.

       And then there’s a lot of screaming and running and it doesn’t make sense and I doze off. Sorry. Not at all what I expected. 

2* of 5   

 

 

Empire of Light

 

Empire of Light 2022

• Director: Sam Mendes
• Cast: Olivia Coleman, Michael Ward, Colin Firth, Tobey Jones, Tom Brook
• Why?  Recommended by LH
• Seen:  1 December 2025 

Hilary (Coleman) works in a cinema in 1981. She is under a psychiatrist’s care for mental illness. Her married boss (Firth) ‘invites’ her often to his office.

Stephen (Ward) is a new ticket taker, a good-looking, affable young man, a victim of racism and the Thatcher era.

They become friends, then lovers. But they live in different worlds. And she’s mentally ill.

It’s a sad film, but also tender, filled with friendship and love. And hate, in Thatcher’s racist England.

Coleman is, as always, phenomenal.  

4* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

Frankenstein 2025

 

Frankenstein 2025

• Director: Guillerma del Toro
• Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Christoph Waltz, Mia Goth
• Why?  I love the book
• Seen:  29 November 2025 

There have been many film versions. The best, that I have seen anyway, are the Karloff version of 1931 and Kenneth Branagh’s of 1994. Let’s see how this one compares.

It’s certainly lavish with some spectacular visuals, not the least Elizabeth’s (Goth) frocks. Isaac is not bad as Victor Frankenstein, and Elordi as the monster is appealing.

I actually doze off during the big lightning scene but otherwise it’s quite good. Branagh’s is much better, however. 

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

Babylon

 

Babylon

• Director: Damien Chazelle
• Cast: Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Diego Calva
• Why?  Margot Robbie
• Seen:  27 November 2025 

The elephant is fun. But, oh dear, it’s over three hours long. I’ll have to do it in two evenings.

It seems to be about debauchery in Hollywood in the 1920s. Not very interesting.

Robbie is fantastic and there are moments of interest but it’s not going to take two evenings because I fast forward all the excesses. 

2 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

Late Night

 

Late Night 2019

• Director: Nisha Ganatra
• Cast: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow, Hugh Dancy, Amy Ryan
• Why?  Emma Thompson
• Seen:  25 November 2025 

Katherine Newbury (Thompson) is a much celebrated TV host. She’s known for her harshness to her writers. Then Molly (Kaling) shows up to deal with the all-male except – for - Katherine staff.

Katherine is, in fact, being fired. Molly does unexpected things.

Thompson is, of course, terrific, and the film is funny and makes some pithy points. 

3 ½ * of 5