Deadpool

 

Deadpool 2016

• Director: Tim Miller
• Films seen directed by Scott: Terminator Dark Fate
• Based on Book: no
• Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morina Baccarin, TJ Miller, Ed Skrein, Karan Soni
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• Ryan Reynolds – Life, Woman in Gold, Wolverine, Life During Wartime
• Morina Baccarin – V, Serenity, Firefly
• TJ Miller – Ready Player One, Cloverfield
• Ed Skrien – Alita Battle Angel, Game of Thrones
• Why: Wolverine connection and one of my many geek friends told me it’s good.
• Seen: 10 October 2024 

There’s a story here but never mind. Deadpool (Reynolds) is a newly created invincible superhero who refers often to the X-men, who have been trying to recruit him.

                Constant wise-arse asides, extreme violence and profanity, tongue-in-cheek clichés and likeable geeky characters make this a very entertaining film.

 

4* of 5

 

 

The Big Short

 

The Big Short 2015

• Director: Adam McKay
• Based on the strue story: yes
• Cast: Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Marisa Tomei, Melissa Leo, Margot Robbie
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• All of them – many times
• Why – the cast
• Seen: 9 October 2024

          Finance bores me to tears and I actively hate capitalism but these actors are promising.

                Housing, mortgage bonds, funds – all that stuff, even the film itself admits that it’s all incomprehensible, even with cameo appearances by the likes of Margot Robbie giving explanations that don’t help a bit.

Michael (Bale) is an eccentric genius who predicts the crash of 2008 but nobody believes him. Mark (Carrell) is a broker (or something) who loves his job and hates everything else except his wife Cynthia (Tomei). Jared (Rosling) is out to make money, big money. Brad Pitt, retired banker, comes out of retirement to get in on the money-making.

                It plays like a spoof of the very true story of the American housing crash, a seriously not funny tragedy for millions who lost their houses, their jobs, their pensions, and some their lives, while individuals within the financial system made millions, even billions.

                Believe it or not, it’s very funny. And horrible. This hateful system is still going strong.

                Revolution. Now. Please.

 

4* of 5

 

 

A Hidden Life

 

A Hidden Life 2019

• Director: Terence Malick
• Based on a true story: yes
• Cast: August Diehl, Valerie Packner
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• August Diehl – Inglourious Basterds
• Why? Possibly interesting
• Seen: 7-8 October 2024 

Franz (Diehl) and his wife Fani (Packner) live a peaceful and idyllic life with their children on their farm in the Alps. When the war breaks out Franz becomes a conscientious objector in Nazi Austria. True story.

A film on this subject could have been excellent and many viewers find it so. Sadly, it gives into self-indulgent post card beauty, preachiness and endless short incoherent scenes. Much more stringent editing, cutting at least an hour would have made it so much stronger. 

2½* of 5

 

 

La Ligne

La Ligne 2022

• Director: Ursula Meier
• Based on Book: no
• Cast: Stéphanie Blanchoud, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Elli Spagnolo, India Hair, Dali Benssalah, Benjamin Biolay
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• None of them
• Why? Possibly interesting
• Seen: 6 October 2024 

After attacking her mother (Bruni Tedeschi), Margaret (Blanchoud) has a restraining order put on her. For three months she must not come within 100 meters of her mother. If she does, she will be sent to prison.

Her younger sister (Spagnola) paints a blue line, and there they meet every day.

It is clear that Margaret is a very disturbed young woman with a history of violence. We are not told why but we see her mother as a narcissist, playing the suffering martyr to the hilt. All three sisters are emotionally damaged by their upbringing.

It’s an engaging film of a dysfunctional family. Good acting helps pull it together but it’s quite depressing to watch.     

 3 ½* of 5

 

 

Alien Covenant

 

Alien Covenant 2017

• Director: Ridley Scott:
• Films seen by this director: Many
• Based on Book: no
• Cast: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Carmen Ejogo, Jussie Smollett
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• Michael Fassbender – Many including Macbeth
• Katherine Waterton - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Taking Woodstock
• Billy Crudup – Public Enemies, Almost Famous, Waking the Dead
• Carmen Ejogo – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Selma, Sparkle, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Cold Lazarus, Absolute Beginners
• Why? The others
• Seen: 5 October 2024 

Can this really be an Alien film without Sigourney Weaver? Ripley Scott says so.

And indeed it is. The slimy yucky thing appears about half an hour in, bursting from the back of one of the astronauts.

Instead of cool courageous Ellen Ripley there is the weak, fumbling religious captain (Crudup) and a gang of panicking (understandable, granted) scramblers.

It bridges the gap between Prometheus and Alien quite nicely. If not completely logical or realistic (really???) it’s exciting and entertaining. Worthy of the franchise.

4* of 5                      

 

 

 

The Marsh King's Daughter

The Marsh King’s Daughter 2023

• Director: Neil Burger
• Seen by this director: The Illusionist
• Based on the novel by Karen Dionne
• Cast: Daisy Ridley, Ben Mendelsohn
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in
• Daisy Ridley – Star Wars etc, Murder on the Orient Express
• Ben Mendelsohn - Ready Player One, Darkest Hour, Rogue One, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Dark Knight Rises, Vertical Limit
• Why? Possibly interesting                
• Seen: 23 September 2024 

Helena (Ridley) is brought up in the wilds by her father Jacob (Mendelsohn). It emerges that her mother was kidnapped by Jacob before Helena was born. When she is about 12 the mother manages to escape with her. Helena grows up. Her father has been in prison, but escapes and now she and her family are in danger.

Similar to Where the Crawdads Sing, it’s not too bad, but not great either. 

2* of 5

 

 

 

Ruby Jand's Film Blog: A Prairie Home Companion (rubyjandsfilmblog.blogspot.com)

 

 

 

  

Les Misérables 1978

 

Les Misérables 1978

• Director: Glen Jordan
• Seen by this director: Sarah Plain and Tall
• Based on the novel by Victor Hugo
• Cast: Richard Jordan, Anthony Perkins, Cyril Cusack, John Gielgud, Ian Holms
• Anthony Perkins – Catch 22, Psycho, Green Mansions
•  Cyril Cusack, John Gielgud, Ian Holms - many
• Why? For my collection of Les Mis films
• Seen: 22 September 2024  

The novel is a favourite classic. I’ve seen many film versions at least once as well as the stage production in London last year.

If you don’t know the story, Google it.

This is an adequate adaptation, a bit theatrical, i.e. hammy and melodramatic without much genuine emotion. It’s hard not to think of the stronger versions but it’s a respectable attempt and worth seeing. 

3* of 5