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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corsage

 

Corsage 2022

• Director: Marie Kreutzer
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Vicky Krieps, Florian Teichtmeister, Katharina Lorenz, Colin Morgan
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in
• Vicky Krieps – Old, Colonia, Hanna
• Colin Morgan – Belfast, Three Families, The Crown, Humans, The Fall, The Living and the Dead, The Laughing King, Legend, Testament of Youth, The Tempest, Quirke, Merlin, Island, Parked. Doctor Who, the Catherine Tate Show
• Why? Colin Morgan
• Seen: 21 September 2024 

Elizabeth (Krieps) is the Empress of Austria, wife of Franz Joseph (Teichtmeister). She has turned forty and is regarded as old. She doesn’t want to be old, she doesn’t feel old. She loves riding and she’s strongly attracted to her sister’s groom Bay (Morgan). The attraction is mutual but she cuts it off because her grown son is afraid of scandal. She feels imprisoned in her boring life.

The risk with films about boring lives is that the films becomes boring. This is close at times but it’s handsome and quirky enough to hold the attention. It’s not gripping but it is interesting.

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Prairie Home Companion

 

A Prairie Home Companion 2006

• Director: Robert Altman
• Seen by this director: Gosford Park, Nashville, McCabe and Mrs Miller, M*A*S*H
• Based on the radio program by Garrison Keillor
• Cast: Lily Tomlin, Meryl Streep, Woody Harrelson, Kevin Kline, John C Reilly
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in
• All of them – Many
• Why? Minnesota
• Seen: Once before. Now 20 September 2024 

It must be confessed – or maybe not – that Minnesota plays a part in my past so it’s kind of a duty to like this film. Or at least see it. Or at least like Garrison Keillor.

’A Prairie Home Companion’ is a radio program based in St Paul, Minnesota, which has been bought and closed down by some rich guy in Texas. Not-at-all fun fact: Texas bought the Minnesota Northstars for which I hate the state of Texas. The film is about the last broadcast.

The radio program really existed. My dad loved it.

Great cast, boring film. Minnesota notwithstanding, this is awful. 

1* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moonfall

 

Moonfall 2022

• Director: Roland Emmerich
• Seen by this director: 2012, Day after Tomorrow, Independence Day
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley, Charlie Plummer, Donald Sutherland
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in
• Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson and Donald Sutherland – Many
• John Bradley – The Game of Thrones, Merlin
• Why? Sci fi
• Seen: 19 September 2024  

Most viewers seem to regard this film as bad, inane, ridiculous, unscientific and – fun, enjoyable, worth several more * that one would expect. So let’s see.

Though it starts with the death of an astronaut, it seems to be a comedy, a farce even. The moon’s orbit has shifted and it will probably crash into the Earth any day now, but the main conflict seems to be family squabbles.

Yupp. Bad, inane, ridiculous, unscientific (though, who knows?) and fun, enjoyable and the likeable actors make it worth 

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beau Is Afraid

 

Beau Is Afraid 2023

• Director: Ari Aster
• Seen by this director: Midsommar, Hereditary
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane, Kylie Rogers, Armen Nahapatian, Stephen McKinley Henderson
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in
• Joaquin Phoenix – Many
• Patti LuPone – Last Christmas, Union Square, Driving Miss Daisy, Witness
• Amy Ryan – The Wire, Birdman, Dan in Real Life, Gone Baby Gone, War of the Worlds, You Can Count on Me, I’ll Fly Away
• Nathan Lane – Swing Vote, Absolutely Fabulous, Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Birdcage, Frankie & Johnny, Ironweed
• Kylie Rogers – Skin
• Stephen McKinley Henderson - Dune, Lady Bird, Fences, Manchester by the Sea, Lincoln, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
• Why? Joaquin Phoenix
• Seen: 18 September 2024 

Beau (Phoenix) is a slightly overweight middle-aged man with serious phobias, anxieties and paralysing mum issues. In an attempt to visit her (LuPone) on the anniversary of his dad’s death everything in the cosmos conspires against him. Stolen keys. Blocked pay cards. Dead bodies. Poisonous spiders. Flooding bathtubs.

And it gets worse. And worse.

It’s absurd to the point of ludicrous, nightmarish but funny as nightmares can be. If it’s a film.

Poor Beau. Phoenix is phenomenal.

I’ve maybe seen weirder films but not recently. No doubt when I saw Midsummer by the same director. 

4* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

Zathura a Space Adventure

Zathura: A Space Adventure 2005

• Director: Jon Favreau
• Seen by this director: The Lion King, Iron Man etc
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Dax Shephard, Tim Robbins, Kristen Stewart
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in
• Josh Hutcherson – The Hunger Games
• Tim Robbins – Many
• Kristen Stewart - Many
• Why? Sci fi
• Seen: 17 September 2024 

Stressed divorced dad (Robbins) of three kids (Hutcherson, Bobo and Stewart) has got to go to an important meeting so leaves the kids at home in the care the indifferent sister.

They find a game called Zathura a Space Adventur, involving moving markers and drawing cards. Whatever is written on the cards happens. Including their house floating through outer space.

Cool. But scary.

It’s no Doctor Who but it’s fun with some clever effects. According to other viewers it’s pretty much a rip-off of a film called Jumanji but since I’ve neither seen it nor heard of it I don’t need to bother with it. I’m enjoying this one. Too bad it’s mostly for boys, and a little too long. 

3* of 5