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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

 

Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1977

• Director: Stephen Spielberg
• Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon, Cary Guffey·       
• Why? Maybe better this time?
• Seen:  Twice before. Now 20 June 2025      

       Slow, way too long, irritating family – that’s how I remember it and that’s the way it is this time too.       

Kind of a cool ending, though. 

2* of 5