Howe's World of Film and TV

Onward (2020) – Review

A Walt Disney Picture, Written by Dan Scanlon, Jason Headley, Keith Bunin, Directed by Dan Scanlon.

‘Onward’ was advertised as a whimsical comedy from Pixar set in a fantasy world, and while this is in many ways, I also found it to be a deeply personal journey of self-discovery and a heartbreaking and eventually life affirming examination of how everyone in a family deals with losing a parent at a young age.

The plot essentially follows two brothers, played by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt, go on a quest to find a object that can help them complete a spell to bring their father back to life for one day, after neither of them really had the chance to know him as kids.

This allows for the two brothers to go on a journey where they find out many things about their relationship and who they are as individuals, as well as presenting us with multiple geek culture references and opportunities for humour along the way. Another positive is that the mother isn’t sidelined, and is instead given a key role and shows how strong and important she is, which is a great representation of how many single mothers are underestimated but deliver for their kids when it matters.

The voice work is stellar all round, with particular praise going to Tom Holland and Chris Pratt, who both appear in most scenes of the film, and do good jobs in both the comedic and dramatic moments. They have both proven in the past how they can deliver strong voice work, and I imagine more roles in animated films are in their future. They have shown in the brief screen time they had together in the MCU that they have good chemistry, and prove that even more so here, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they tackle another project together in the near future.

The other cast member I would like to point out is Julia Louis-Dreyfus who does a really solid job as the mother, a role that is not flashy but is absolutely vital (often like the role of a mother in real life).

I didn’t expect much from this film in all honesty and it totally surprised be, and delivered what I believe to be one of Pixar’s best films in years. It is well known that Pixar films like to make the audience emotional, and in recent years it has seemed like they were potentially getting too carried away with that, but here they get back to their roots, by putting story and character first, and allowing that to be the reason the audience connects with the message of the film in an emotional way.

I plan to write a much more detailed post when the film officially comes out that will include spoilers and will look at how the film beautifully explores the dynamics of a single parent family, and how those bonds can grow stronger than anyone else realises, so keep an eye out for that in the coming weeks.

Rating = 4/5

All the Bright Places (2020) – Review

A Netflix Picture, Written by Jennifer Niven, Liz Hannah, Directed by Brett Haley.

I want to first make it clear that I know this film has quite a few fans, and that it is also deals with very serious subject matter that is very sensitive for many people, and while I totally respect that, I simply didn’t think this film worked for me.

I haven’t read the book and went into the film with very little knowledge, apart from that it was a coming of age film starring Elle Fanning, who I regard as one of the best young actresses in Hollywood. The film that I found once I started to watch was very disjointed, with the first half cramming in every ‘teen romance’ cliche as possible, and the second taking a huge shift into serious drama, and it really didn’t work for me.

I think the main issue was that I never was able to connect to ‘Finch’ and feel like he was a truly good person who was simply troubled. He was overly mysterious and very pushy, and I know many people may disagree, but I just didn’t feel the connection between the two lead characters.

Justice Smith is a talented actor, but I didn’t particularly care for his performance here, although I’m sure he has multiple good roles ahead of him.

Elle Fanning on the other hand is the shining light of this film, offering real charm and a sense of pain, that is never properly explored. She is a remarkably talented and experienced actress for someone so young, and I think she is such an interesting artist to watch.

This film seemed very well intentioned and I appreciate that, but it just didn’t work overall for me.

Rating = 2.5/5

Intelligence (2020) – TV Review

Nick Mohammed’s low-key but entertaining comedy is a real success and brings David Schwimmer back to his comedic best.

Set a “GC-HQ” and focusing on an arrogant NSA agent (Schwimmer) coming in to shake up the UK set up, and in doing so strikes up an unlikely friendship with Mohammed’s character.

It is a modern workplace comedy, one which we see less and less of these days, and it is nice to see it updated cleverly here.

The show is at its best when Schwimmer and Mohammed are interacting, and they play off each other very well. Since Friends finished, Schwimmer has pursued multiple different paths but this is his best comedy performance since the iconic role of Ross Geller.

Nick Mohammed has a unique energy as the lead that works well, and it is his writing that is the real treat here. It is unassuming, smart, and thoroughly entertaining.

I’m really looking forward to this coming back for a second season, and the first season was a really nice treat to discover.

Rating = 3.5/5

Ballers Season 5 (2019) – TV Review

The Dwayne Johnson led Ballers comes to a surprisingly low-key but reasonably satisfying conclusion in this fifth season of HBO’s hit show.

Throughout its entire run, Ballers has been a popular but rarely talked about hit (with some surprising fans, this was where Christopher Nolan discovered John David Washington, and not his BlacKkKlansman performance, for the lead role in the upcoming Tenet).

In this final season, Spenser (Dwayne Johnson) is called out of retirement to become an owner of an NFL team, alongside all of the regular lead cast doing their own thing.

Ballers has never really been about the plot though. It’s about the style, the glamour and the really charismatic cast. Obviously Johnson is good as the lead, but John David Washington, Rob Cordrry, and Omar Miller, among others, do good work again.

It was the right time for this show to end and it won’t go down as any sort of classic, but for five years it has provided low stress entertainment and introduced some interesting talent to the world.

Rating = 3/5

The Invisible Man (2020) – Review

A Universal Picture, Written and Directed by Leigh Whannell.

Universal’s Dark Universe lasted exactly one movie, but the death of that planned cinematic franchise may have given birth to something much more special for the studio.

Instead of a connected monsters universe, they instead decided to allow filmmakers to come up with an idea and pursue whatever works out. The first product from this line of thinking is ‘The Invisible Man’.

Leigh Whannell, director of the little seen but very impressive ‘Upgrade’ writes and directs this film, which updates the original by making the Invisible Man a straight up villain, and not our anti-hero protagonist. This decision therefore allows for the film to also present strong social commentary about domestic abuse and gaslighting, which it does successfully and in a chilling manner.

Elisabeth Moss is in almost every frame of the film, and we see her rapid decline into a “insanity” even though the audience is the only one who truly knows she isn’t mad. Moss is well known for being able to deliver deeply harrowing and complex performances, and she absolutely does so here, and if there are 5 better performances from lead actresses this year, then we are in for a hell of a year.

The film is successfully scary, relevant, and impressive. Whannell and team manage to make empty space seem terrifying and do a lot with a small budget, proving he can stand alongside the likes of Jordan Peele, Ari Aster and John Krasinski (among others) as some brilliant new voices in the horror genre.

The film did leave a chance for a sequel, but I hope these movies stay mostly as one off spectacles with strong creative input, and this is a strong start.

Rating = 4/5

Miracle Workers (2019) – TV Review

Finally available in the UK due to the newly established Sky Comedy channel, Miracle Workers is a charming and entirely harmless comedy mini-series.

Set in heaven, this workplace comedy follows the efforts of awkward Craig (Daniel Radcliffe) and confident Eliza (Geraldine Viswanathan) as they attempt to use their divine influences to set up a socially awkward earthbound couple within two weeks, or God (Steve Buscemi) will destroy the earth he created and start a new project.

It is a simple yet interesting premise that sets the stage for the show to use some charming story points and character interactions, instead of real intense drama, which makes for a relaxing and entertaining viewing experience. It is not at the level of the moral dilemma’s and plot twists of The Good Place, but it never tries to be.

Undoubtedly the best thing about the show is the cast, with the two star names of Radcliffe and Buscemi both absolutely loving have the chance to fully embrace both of their quirky energies, and they are the comedic stand-outs. Holding it all together is Blockers breakout Geraldine Viswanathan, who has to act as the ‘straight woman’ to the craziness of most of the other cast around her, and she does so very well and with great charisma.

The show had returned in the US with the same cast playing different characters in Miracle Workers: Dark Ages, and I will look forward to watching that too when I can access it.

(A way too early) Look at 2020/21 Awards Season Contenders

The most recent awards season came to an end over a week ago now with the spectacular Oscars sweep for Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, and I am now taking a very early and entirely hypothetical look at next years awards season.

The main reason for this post is to actually raise awareness for these films and keep them on people’s radar throughout the next year, to track the progress, and to see what film’s can completely surprise us to surge to the front of awards season next year.

The French Dispatch

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Score, Sound, Production Design, Costume Design, Make Up and Hair.

Nightmare Alley

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Costume Design, Score, Make Up and Hair.

Tenet

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Score, Sound, Production Design, Visual Effects.

West Side Story

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay, Score, Song, Cinematography, Sound, Production Design, Costume Design.

The Last Duel

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Score, Production Design, Costume Design.

Mank

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing.

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Screenplay, Actor, Supporting Actor, Editing.

News of the World

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress.

Hillbilly Elegy

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay.

Dune

Potential Categories – Picture, Cinematography, Production Design, Sound, Visual Effects.

Last Night in Soho

Potential Categories – Picture, Screenplay, Actress, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Editing, Sound.

King Richard

Potential Categories – Picture, Actor, Screenplay.

In the Heights

Potential Categories – Picture, Actor, Screenplay, Cinematography, Song, Production Design.

Red, White, and Water

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay.

Ammonite

Potential Categories – Picture, Actress, Supporting Actress, Screenplay.

Soul

Potential Categories – Screenplay, Animated Feature.

Rebecca

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actress, Screenplay, Cinematography.

Macbeth

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay, Editing.

Minari

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay.

Ironbark

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Production Design, Costume Design.

Da 5 Bloods

Potential Categories – Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Screenplay.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Potential Categories – Actress, Supporting Actor, Sound.

Nomadland

Potential Categories – Picture, Actress, Cinematography.

The Father

Potential Categories – Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay.

Four Good Days

Potential Categories – Actress, Supporting Actress.

Blonde

Potential Categories – Picture, Actress, Supporting Actor, Screenplay, Costume Design.

Promising Young Woman

Potential Categories – Actress, Screenplay.

Categories

This is just a bit of fun, and will mainly be something interesting to look back on to see just how wrong I was when the nominations are announced next year. I have given it my best shot, but it is very unlikely that this will be how the nominations look because so much can change over the year and few of these movies have even been shown (or begun filming in some cases).

Best Picture

Ammonite

Macbeth

Minari

Nightmare Alley

Red, White, and Water

Tenet

The French Dispatch

The Last Duel

West Side Story

Best Director

David Fincher – Mank

Guillermo Del Toro – Nightmare Alley

Joel Coen – Macbeth

Lee Isaac Chung – Minari

Lila Neugebauer – Red, White, and Water

Best Actor

Anthony Hopkins – The Father

Bradley Cooper – Nightmare Alley

Denzel Washington – Macbeth

Gary Oldman – Mank

Steven Yeun – Minari

Best Actress

Ana de Armas – Blonde

Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman

Jennifer Lawrence – Red, White, and Water

Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Frances McDormand – Macbeth

Best Supporting Actor

Adam Driver – The Last Duel

Brendan Gleeson – Macbeth

Bryan Tyree Henry – Red, White, and Water

Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Willem Dafoe – Nightmare Alley

Best Supporting Actress

Amanda Seyfried – Mank

Amy Adams – Hillbilly Elegy

Jodie Comer – The Last Duel

Saoirse Ronan – Ammonite

Toni Collette – Nightmare Alley

The Future of Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey

Following the release of Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, with all the controversy and discussion that has come with it, I will here take a look at what is next for everyone involved.

Firstly, I want to make it clear that I have now seen this film in cinemas twice, and it remains one of the most unique and simply one of the best comic book films I have ever seen, and a lot of people who have seen it agree. However, the issue is that not too many people are seeing it.

While it isn’t a disaster due to a low budget for this type of film, it is still likely to need $250 Million+ worldwide to properly break even, and that is starting to looking unlikely, although the next week or so will be key to its future. This is a disappointment to me as I was rooting for this film and everyone involved, and they all did a great job.

However, it is not all doom and gloom, and here I will look at the potential future for everyone involved in making Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (In hindsight, Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey may have been a better title).

The below post contains some spoilers from Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn.

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie)

This is the most straight forward case of anyone involved, as we know for certain at least one upcoming project she will be a part of. Margot Robbie will return to the role of Harley Quinn for the third time in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, due out in 2021. She is said to be one of the lead characters in the film, and it is unconfirmed yet whether the film takes place before or after Birds of Prey.

However, the future is a more open question, likely depending on the final box office of Birds of Prey and the box office for The Suicide Squad. Many people, including myself and apparently Margot Robbie too, are desperate for Harley to meet Poison Ivy, and for their fascinating relationship to play out on screen.

The most ideal situation would be for the DCEU to find a way for Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman to join the party and for us to finally get a Gotham City Sirens film. Some may say that is unlikely due to the mixed box office of Birds of Prey, but if the film was to have a PG-13 rating, and the popularity of Harley, Selina, and Ivy, then I think it could be an absolute smash hit. I would love to see Margot Robbie as Harley, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, and Ana de Armas as Poison Ivy.

Whatever happens next, I find it unlikely that we won’t see Margot Robbie stick the fishnets and ponytails back on and play Harley again after 2021, she is simply too good to lose.

The Birds of Prey (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez)

This is the most unpredictable aspect to predict, but I think I have made a good go of it. All of the cast members here are excellent and really inhabit the characters they are playing, but most do not necessarily have a fan base big enough to support another movie, especially if there is no Harley Quinn this time. With this in mind, it could be smart for Warner Bros to use their upcoming streaming service HBO Max to create a high budget Birds of Prey mini-series featuring these characters, in the same vein as a WandaVision is for the MCU. This would allow the stories of the characters to continue without the pressure of carrying their own film, and they could then continue to appear in supporting roles in future Gotham set films, and this could eventually lead up to a huge event film: Birds of Prey vs Gotham City Sirens.

On a side note, Black Canary specifically could appear as a co-lead in another film, potentially alongside a new iteration of the Green Arrow, if the DCEU decide to go down that route, especially now the CW show has finished.

Black Mask (Ewan McGregor)

While it seemed that Roman Sionis had met the same fate as his accomplice (and potential lover) Victor Zsasz and had been killed by the Birds of Prey, we never saw a body and they could easily find a way to bring him back, even if his physical appearance is hugely altered (which could work anyway due to the mask). McGregor’s performance was so universally loved that it would be a huge shame for him to just be a one and done character, and it would be great to see him pop up in future Gotham City set adventures in the DCEU.

Cathy Yan

Birds of Prey was only her second feature film, and while it has had mixed box office results, it was a critical and audience hit, with a lot of praise for the bold direction from Yan and the uniquely female perspective she brings to the story. Birds of Prey had an incredible energy and visual style, which is something Yan can claim ownership of and likely use to sell herself. She should be able to secure a future project, whether indie or blockbuster, but I personally would love her to stick around and direct either a Gotham City Sirens film or a Birds of Prey mini-series.

Christina Hodson

Hodson is a rapidly rising talent with huge potential and already some strong results. She wrote a strong and nostalgic script for the transformers spin off Bumblebee and she quirky and funny script for Birds of Prey was a real treat. Following this, she is set to be one of the key figures going forward for the DCEU. She was commissioned to write a script for a standalone Batgirl film that remains in very early development, and is writing the script for the solo Flash film that is already dated for 2022 (and potentially could be a game changing story for how the future of the franchise looks). She is a really talented writer and I am glad she seems to be having a big role in the immediate future of the franchise.

Overall

I loved Birds of Prey, and everyone in it, and while the box office didn’t live up to expectations, it isn’t a disaster remotely on the scale of something like Justice League, and due to the dedicated fan base the film seems to be developing, I think there could still be a bright future for all involved.

Killing Eve Season 3 – First Look

We finally have our first look and release date (26th April) for the much anticipated third season of Killing Eve.

Eve is working as a butcher and Villanelle is married to a woman in Barcelona, taking more agency for her kills and her life.

I will cover more in depth when we get the first trailer, but for now I want to say how this is arguably my most anticipated show of the year and I can’t wait to see what the incredible Jodie Comer does this year (and the amazing looks she has as Villanelle, one of them details above).

Let the fun begin.

Emma (2020) – Review

A Universal Picture, Written by Eleanor Catton, Directed by Autumn de Wilde.

Handsome, Clever, Rich. That is how our protagonist Emma Woodhouse is described, and it is also the way you could describe this charming romantic comedy. An adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved comedy, Emma has a real energy and charm that you would hope for from such a film.

While it doesn’t have particularly much substance, it does have some emotional moments, but what you really came for is the romance, the comedy, and the outfits, and the film delivers on all of these fronts. First time director Autumn de Wilde crafts a beautiful looking film, that also is packed full of charming interactions and strong performances.

The whole cast is superb here, with a great mix of young and older performers. Mia Goth is the emotional heart of this film and delivers a really strong performance. Johnny Flynn, Callum Turner, Josh O’Connor, Tanya Reynolds, and Connor Swindells all do a fine job and have big futures ahead. As for the older cast; Bill Nighy, Gemma Whelan, and Miranda Hart all do excellent jobs.

However, the absolute star of this film is Anya Taylor-Joy, who dominates the screen as Emma. Taylor-Joy has proven in recent years with performances in films like The Witch, Split, and Thoroughbreds, that she is an incredibly talented and charismatic actress. She has the unique and striking beauty, as well as the comedic and emotional chops to carry this film, and she does it with a real flourish.

I doubt this film will live long in people’s memories once they have left the cinema, but it is sure to be a great Valentine’s Day viewing an should play well beyond that too. This should become popular each year around this time of year and therefore prove very profitable for Universal in the long run.

Rating = 3.5/5