Howe's World of Film and TV

Sergio (2020) – Review

A Netflix Original Picture, Written by Craig Borten, Directed by Greg Barker.

This isn’t a bad film, but it also isn’t really a good film, it just exists. It tells the story of a fascinating man in a very uninspired style, and seems to focus on the wrong aspects, therefore leaving an unsatisfactory feeling when the final credits roll.

Ana de Armas is one of Hollywood’s biggest rising stars, but in the last month she has been having a PR nightmare. Her shock relationship with Ben Affleck (which is entirely her decision and really shouldn’t be anyone else’s business) took people by surprise, but the pair seem to be flouting quarantine on a regular basis to have their photos taken, and she seems to be blocking her fan accounts on Twitter due to their response.

However, I personally think of her as one of my favourite actress. She has a unique talent of being charismatic, able to show deep emotions, and is incredibly beautiful. She has the potential to be one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, as long as she doesn’t throw it away.

In this film, she is easily the best thing. She brings heart, sensuality, and real emotion to a film that is otherwise lacking. Wagner Moura, who is a very talented actor, does his best but the role is quite limited.

With the subject matter and talent involved, this should’ve been a much better film.

Rating 2.5/5

Quiz (2020) – TV Review

There is a real irony in the first post-lockdown TV smash being about coughing, but if you can put that to one side, this is one of the most incredible, bizarre, and brillantly told true stories that you could hope to find.

Retelling the real story of Charles and Diana Ingram who were accused of cheating their way to a win on ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ leading to a nationwide scandal and police investigation. The writing and directing is perfect and the tone is spot on, with a real energy being provided throughout, and the three episodes were the exact right time to tell this story in.

The casting is exceptional, with six people in particular I want to spotlight. The lead two characters of the Ingram’s are cast with ‘Succession’ star Matthew Macfadyen and ‘Fleabag’ breakout Sian Clifford, and both actors carry the show with their unique and compelling portrayals of a complex couple. Mark Bonnar, Helen McCrory, and Aisling Bea (who has proven herself to be a very talented actress) all shine in their supporting roles.

The man who has received a lot of talk, and rightly so, is Michael Sheen. He plays Chris Tarrant so perfectly that when I see Tarrant now, it is like he is doing a bad Michael Sheen impression. This was the key supporting role and if it didn’t work, the show wouldn’t either, but it not only works, it is a resounding success, and shows again what a talented character actor Sheen is.

The story is told over three consecutive nights, with the twists and turns constantly keeping you shocked, surprised and entertained. This is one of those stories that would have been too crazy to make up (just one moment is where the key ITV board meeting to decide if they need to report the Ingram’s to the police is interrupted by two planes striking the twin towers).

There is a ‘dream’ sequence featuring the Ingram’s and Chris Tarrant on the ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ set, doing a song and dance number, and it is one of the most bizarre and completely perfect moments of TV that I have seen for years.

This is British TV at its best, and I hope the industry is still in a position to make things like this once the pandemic is over.

Rating = 4.5/5

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) – Review

A Walt Disney Picture, Written by Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson, Directed by Wes Anderson.

Wes Anderson has a very particular style to his films, and you either like it or you don’t. I personally enjoy it, but I also wouldn’t say I consistently love the work he does, but this film was definitely a positive experience.

It has the usual quirky, pretentious, light tone that you come to expect from Anderson, and it does fit well with this specific story he is telling, and that is why it works well.

Gene Hackman is the absolute star and the reason the film is a success, with a leading performance of such class, humour, and occasional emotion, that he holds everything together, and also allows for the rest of the cast to be eccentric around him.

Everyone in the cast is good, with Gwyneth Paltrow and the Wilson brothers being the other particular stand outs for me. Paltrow especially with her vacant expression and stunning appearance here really work well with the character and world she exists in.

This isn’t one of Anderson’s best, but it also certainly isn’t his worst. Its an enjoyable comedy-drama with a great lead performance from an acting legend.

Rating =3.5/5

The Bling Ring (2013) – Review

An A24 Picture, Written and Directed by Sofia Coppola.

The true story of the ‘Bling Ring’ is so utterly ridiculous and fascinating that I was really hoping we would get a deep exploration of the story and the people behind it.

However, I cannot criticise the film for not being what I wanted, because it never tries to be that, and instead makes itself into a surface level satire of the people and city involved.

It has been compared a lot to ‘Spring Breakers’, the Harmony Korine satire that also released around a similar time and also had child stars delivering shocking and daring performances, but Spring Breakers dared to delve a bit deeper and while still no masterpiece itself, did manage to be stronger than this.

Sofia Coppola has proved over the years what a talent she is, and while I think this is one of her weaker films, some of the best parts are directly because of her, mainly the impressive visuals and the casting.

Most of the cast don’t particularly elevate what they are given, but they certainly don’t let anyone down either. However, Emma Watson is absolute comedic gold, in a totally over the top and purposefully on the nose performance. It reminds people that when she works with the right directors (Coppola, Condon, Gerwig etc) she is a talented actress, and I hope to see her carrying on to take these sorts of risks.

Rating = 2.5/5

Yesterday (2019) – Review

A Universal Picture, Written by Richard Curtis, Directed by Danny Boyle.

A film from Richard Curtis and Danny Boyle, featuring music from the greatest band of all time, and starring Lily James, everything about that screams feels good romantic comedy, and that’s exactly what this film delivers.

While the slightly sci-fi concept is never really delved into and the potentially world altering changes aren’t explored in the fascinating way that they could be, that was never really the films aim. The concept is simply a way to allow for the story to happen, and in this case, that is fine with me.

Following his accident at the same time as a global outage, Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) is the only man who remembers the Beatles, and therefore becomes an overnight sensation singing their songs.

I won’t give much more about the plot away, but it doesn’t play out exactly as you would expect, and it is a really well intentioned film, mainly focusing on how dark a world without the Beatles would be.

The best part of the film, apart from the soundtrack, is Lily James. She proves again here, after roles in films like Cinderella, Baby Driver and Mamma Mia 2, that is the most instantly likeable actor of our generation. She has such charisma and warmth to her, as well as her striking good looks and strong emotional acting, and she is the real heart of this film.

Kate McKinnon and Ed Sheeran are slightly bonkers in their supporting roles, but it works within the context of the film.

There is a particular scene that I felt worked incredibly well and was packed full of emotion, and it was where Jack goes to see a 78 year old John Lennon, who has been able to live a long and happy life due to the Beatles never being famous. Robert Carlyle is perfectly cast and the scene will mean a lot to many people, me included.

This isn’t a Boyle and Curtis masterpiece, but it is an incredibly feel good film, with great music and a strong cast.

Rating = 3.5/5

The Nest (2020) – TV Review

Over the last few years, Martin Compston and Sophie Rundle have separately established themselves as the golden duo of the BBC. Compston with his key lead role in smash hit ‘Line of Duty’ and Rundle with her roles in ‘Peaky Blinders’, ‘Bodyguard’ and ‘Gentleman Jack’, and now the beeb has brought the two stars together, for this unique drama.

The first few episodes play out like a thriller, with mysteries unfolding and characters revealing themselves, and then the final two episodes act more like a thoughtful epilogue, an exploration of the actions of its characters and of the world that makes them act this way.

Due to this structuring, the show can feel uneven and slightly all over the place at times, but once the final credits roll, it allows the show to have been a unique examination of clad structures and morality, as well as an old school BBC thriller.

The show also really embraces its Scottish roots and throughout feels authentic, and never just like it was set in Glasgow for the sake of it.

Another honourable mention is the haunting rendition of ‘Love Will Tear You Apart’, this time by a female singer, which was stunning and fit perfectly to the moment in the finale where it was used.

The cast is absolutely superb, with both Compston and Rundle being at the absolute top of their game, and they work very well together. The third co-lead of the show is ‘Sex Education’ star Mirren Mack, and she is an absolute revelation, in what could have very easily been a difficult role to pull off.

The BBC continues to deliver when it comes to drama.

Rating = 4/5

Dune – First Look

Vanity Fair has officially dropped the first look at Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the iconic sci-fi novel ‘Dune’ and the images are strikingly beautiful.

The cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, and many more.

It is still currently due for release in December (although this could potentially change) and I will continue to cover the film as the build up continues.

Ben-Hur (1959) – Review

A Loews Inc Picture, Written by Karl Tunberg, Directed by William Wyler.

This is an epic film in scale, story and runtime, and it justifies all those things. The story of one man’s remarkable fall, rise and redemption is supremely told, and it will always be my go to film to watch at Easter.

The chariot race is famous for being the most shocking and spectacular thing ever put on cinema at the time of release, and still to this day it remains an incredibly visceral and intense sequence.

I am far from being a religious person, but if told well, I do enjoy the story of Jesus on screen, and this was the perfect way to do it. To have Ben-Hur’s journey mirror Jesus’ in many ways and to also have Jesus appear very briefly in key moments of Ben-Hur’s story was so smart, and benefited both stories.

Charlton Heston is one of the most definitive movie stars of all time, and he is at the peak of his powers here. He is perfectly melodramatic, charming, and exudes the ‘masculine good guy’ vibe that Ben-Hur represents.

Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, and Haya Harareet also all do strong supporting work to carry the film through its epic run time.

This is one of the most iconic and simply best blockbusters of the 20th Century in Hollywood.

Rating = 4.5/5

Killing Eve Season 3 – Slowly Slowly Catchy Monkey (Reaction)

2020 has been easily the worst year of most of our lifetimes, but one positive in all that is the return of Killing Eve. The show has developed a huge fan base and won many awards, and is one of my personal favourite TV shows.

The opening episode feels again like a to al shift, which is inevitable as the show switches showrunners every season, but it does still feel like the show we love, mainly because of the cast and characters.

While the episode does struggle from non existent pacing and a lack of actual story, this may just be because it needed to re-introduce (and introduce) all these characters, and hopefully the rest of the season will be as cleverly plotted and well paced as the original.

*Below features spoilers for Killing Eve Season 3, Episode 1.

We find Villanelle (Jodie Comer) marrying a new woman, which shows she is moving on and also gives us the chance to see Jodie Comer is a wedding suit, which is a win for all involved.

However, as events unfold, her former teacher Dasha (Harriet Walter) drags Villanelle back in.

Konstantin and Carolyn also have their own separate situations that are introduced, and I am sure will overlap at some stage.

Meanwhile, Eve is living a new and unhappy life alone after the events of season 2, with only Kenny reaching out to her to try and get her assistance in investigating the Twelve. She isn’t interested but does agree to go for a drink with him at work.

When she arrives, she sees his body thrown from the roof, to his death, reminiscent of Bill’s demise in season 1. While we don’t see the killer and it is unlikely to be Villanelle this time around, this is going to be extremely personal for Eve (and Carolyn) and will lovely drag them both head first back into the world of assassins and murder.

RIP Kenny, you were too good for this world (it should’ve been Niko), but I’m sure you death won’t be for nothing.

Anchorman: The Legend of Rob Burgundy (2004)

A DreamWorks Picture, Written by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Directed by Adam McKay.

Stay classy, planet Earth.

Will Ferrell and Adam McKay have proved to be one of the most commercially successful comedy collaborations of recent times, but the actual quality of the projects is often debated.

However, I struggle to accept any criticism of this modern comedy classic. Anchorman is one of the most laugh out loud funny films I’ve ever seen and it contains lots of social commentary and satire of the news world. It tackles sexism and toxic masculinity head on in a very funny and clever way.

The cast is so perfectly constructed. Ferrell as Burgundy dominates the whole film, but the whole cast also measures up to Ferrell’s standards. Christina Applegate is essentially a co-lead and more than holds her own, in both the serious and comedic scenes. The ‘newsteam’ is perfectly constructed with Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, and David Koechner all thriving.

There are also some hilarious cameos in the film, and I am now going to have to watch the sequel as well, and I can’t wait.

Rating = 4.5/5