Howe's World of Film and TV

The War of the Worlds (2019) – TV Review

The BBCs mini-series adaptation had all the ingredients to succeed. It had a solid cast, a setting in a source material faithful time period, and enough time to properly tell the story. With all this in mind, it’s even more disappointing to see the result that we got.

The three part show turned H.G.Wells’ iconic sci-fi epic into a soapy melodrama. It is a strange decision to make and I cannot possibly understand why they did it, but in doing so they sucked out all the potential dread and societal foreboding the story really should focus on.

The structure of flash forwards also took the drama out of the current time storyline, therefore making much of the show seem almost pointless. As for the flash forward themselves, they were arguably the stand out parts of the show due to the impressive post-apocalyptic visual choice, but the way they were used was still very poor.

Eleanor Tomlinson is the only actor worth mentioning here, she is very talented and does her best with that she is given, but there isn’t much to really work with.

This could have been something great for the BBC, who have been on an incredible hot streak in recent years for dramas, and instead they completely botched it.

Rating = 2/5

Once Upon a Time in the West (1969) – Review

A Paramount Picture, Written by Sergio Donati and Sergio Leone, Directed by Sergio Leone.

This film is regarded by many as one of the greatest films of all time, and has been cited as an inspiration by filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and George Lucas, and this is all rightfully so, as it is a true epic of its time.

The score from Ennio Morricone is undoubtedly one of the most soaring and instantly iconic in history, and it adds so much tension to the film.

It is also brilliantly shot and looks amazing for a film made in 1969, and Leone’s creative choices elevate the material enormously.

Claudia Cardinale is quite simply one of the most beautiful women in history, and while her striking look is well utilised, her role and performance are incredibly strong too and she gets much more to do than women traditionally did in these films. Fonda and Bronson are both very striking too and are strongly brooding to add to the classic western feel.

One of the greats…

Rating = 5/5

The Report (2019) – Non Spoiler Review

An Amazon Original Picture, Written and Directed by Scott Z. Burns.

This film is both gripping and intentionally unflashy. It is a well researched and brutally honest depiction of a crucial time in recent history, and therefore provides one of the best screenplays of the year, which really should receive awards attention.

The fallout of 9/11 and the way the American government dealt with it has already been depicted in multiple different ways, but rarely has it been this honest and unflinching.

While I don’t see this film playing a big part in the awards season, potentially aside from its screenplay, I think it should be in much more consideration and the only reasons it isn’t are that it is intentionally under-played in many moments, and this is a very competitive year.

Adam Driver is exceptional (and is one of this years Oscar front runners for another film of his, Marriage Story) and I think it now goes without saying that he is one of (if not the best) the best actors of his generation.

Rating = 4/5

The King (2019) – Non Spoiler Review

A Netflix Original Picture, Written by David Michôd and Joel Edgerton, Directed by David Michôd.

This is an adaptation of legendary Shakespeare work that somehow seems targeted at a teenage audience without fully embracing that, if that was the direction they wanted to take.

The film is too long, with not enough in the way of captivating moments or character interactions. It features a very talented cast that is almost completely wasted. Thomasin McKenzie, Lily-Rose Depp, Ben Mendelsohn, and even Pattinson (armed with a ridiculous accent) only really have extended cameos.

The biggest supporting part belongs to the talented Joel Edgerton, who is a very unconvincing Falstaff. Chalamet is in almost every scene and initially seems painfully miscast, although due to his considerable talents, he does grow into the role.

With the cast and the source material, the fact that this is only a mediocre film is a huge missed opportunity for all involved.

Rating = 3/5

Updated Oscar Predictions

This is my updated predictions for this year’s Oscars, nearly a month on from my last predictions. I will order my predictions by what I believe to be the current favourites. These are likely to continue to wildly change over the coming months, but this where I believe things may currently play out. In my next predictions post, which will likely be in a few weeks time, it will include all of the categories that will be in contention.

Best Picture

1917 (Universal)

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony)

The Irishman (Netflix)

Marriage Story (Netflix)

Parasite (Neon)

Joker (Warner Bros)

Little Women (Sony)

Ford v. Ferrari (Fox)

The Two Popes (Netflix)

The Farewell (A24)

Wildcard = Jojo Rabbit (Fox)

Best Director

Sam Mendes – 1917

Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Bong Joon Ho – Parasite

Martin Scorsese – The Irishman

Noah Baumbach – Marriage Story

Wildcard = Greta Gerwig – Little Women

Best Actor

Joaquin Phoenix – Joker

Adam Driver – Marriage Story

Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Robert De Niro – The Irishman

Taron Egerton – Rocketman

Wildcard = Eddie Murphy – Dolemite is my Name

Best Actress

Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story

Charlize Theron – Bombshell

Renee Zellwegger – Judy

Saoirse Ronan – Little Women

Awkwafina – The Farewell

Wildcard = Lupita Nyong’o – Us

Best Supporting Actor

Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Al Pacino – The Irishman

Joe Pesci – The Irishman

Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes

Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood

Wildcard = Shia LaBeouf – Honey Boy

Best Supporting Actress

Margot Robbie – Bombshell

Florence Pugh – Little Women

Jennifer Lopez – Hustlers

Laura Dern – Marriage Story

Thomasin McKenzie – Jojo Rabbit

Wildcard = Nicole Kidman – Bombshell

Best Adapted Screenplay

Anthony McCarten – The Two Popes

Todd Phillips and Scott Silver – Joker

Taika Waititi – Jojo Rabbit

Greta Gerwig – Little Women

Steven Zailian – The Irishman

Wildcard = Billy Ray – Richard Jewell

Best Original Screenplay

Noah Baumbach – Marriage Story

Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Bong Joon-Ho – Parasite

Charles Randolph – Bombshell

Lulu Wang – The Farewell

Wildcard = Shia LaBeouf – Honey Boy

Knives Out (2019) – Non Spoiler Review

A Lionsgate Picture, Written and Directed by Rian Johnson.

This film is simply one of the years best so far. Early in the film, Rian Johnson completely flips what you expect, and for the next 30 mins or so I was wondering how he’d made such a bad decision. However, as the third act kicked in, it became very clear he had out thought us all and instead delivered something completely original and surprising.

The screenplay is so clever that it really should attract awards attention, and the way it acts as both as murder mystery and a political/social commentary is a great compliment to Johnson’s writing. Due to this being a non spoiler review, I won’t go into much detail, but immigration and class play a big part in this story.

The score, production design and costume design are all perfect for this type of film and really add to the overall feel. The acting is so brilliantly over the top that it’s just a joy to see so many talented stars have such a good time.

Chris Evans gets to play completely against his “Captain America/good guy” image and he does it so brilliantly, as the pre MCU Evans re-emerges. Daniel Craig is also an absolute stand out as Blanc and his accent and over the top performance is such a great throwback to the classic gentlemen sleuths, and also makes you remember what a great character actor the man is.

However, this film completely belongs to one person, and that is Ana De Armas, who is definitely the films lead and the key reason the movie works is due to her performance. This again proves how much of a star De Armas is, and I can’t wait to see her carter continue to grow next year when she stars as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde, starts opposite Ben Affleck in erotic thriller Deep Water, and re-teams with Daniel Craig in No Time to Die.

Knives Out is such a fun time at the movies and could very easily be an awards dark horse. It is a murder mystery for the modern generation that pays respect to the past.

Rating = 4.5/5

Frozen II (2019) – Non Spoiler Review

A Walt Disney Picture, Written by Jennifer Lee, Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee.

This is a movie that is already breaking records at the box office, and I am glad to report that while it isn’t a perfect film, it certainly warrants its existence and is a very emotional and hilarious animated adventure.

The story itself is a bit all over the place, but this is less about plot, and more about character and emotion. Jennifer Lee and her team use the world they have already created to craft a character study of its leads and focus on how understanding the past is key to a proper future.

I won’t spoil the actual story, but it focuses on our leads having to dig into their own pasts and what makes them who they are, in order to discover who they should be.

There isn’t a song as instantly iconic as Let It Go, but overall the songs as well served in the story and decent. Lost in the Woods particularly allows for Jonathan Groff to show his talents, and the song itself really tackles toxic masculinity and shows how brilliantly progressive this particular Prince is.

Elsa goes on a very emotional journey, and by the end of the film she is in a much different place than she started, but it feels very right for her. There is little in the way of LGBT representation, but her interactions with Honeymaren offer hope that could be explored in a potential Frozen 3.

Anna continues to be a very compelling character as well, and very much has her own journey, and it is crucial that she is not just her sister’s keeper. Kristen Bell is an absolute treasure.

The whole cast is great, and Josh Gad is truly hilarious here. It’s not a perfect film, but it’s a very good one, and I still think there is much more to explore in this world.

Rating = 3.5/5

Ranking American Horror Story

American Horror Story has now aired 9 seasons, each one focusing on an entirely new subject, while often using the same cast members. It has been a revolutionary show for TV, ushering in the era of the anthology/limited series that is now dominating the landscape. It brought the acting talents of Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and Lady Gaga to our attention, and gave new opportunities to legends like Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange. I am not going to dig too deep into it’s legacy, and more of a focus on the specific seasons, and where I personally would rank them. I have taken great care at thinking about this and I’m sure some will disagree, but I would love to hear your own rankings too.

9. AHS: Apocalypse

This season promised to be the biggest and best that AHS could offer, bringing back some iconic Coven characters and the promised anti-Christ from Murder House for a crossover event to end the world. However, the result ended up being a muddled mess of a season that didn’t really seem to know what to do with its talented cast. Cody Fern is a great actor but was hugely miscast as Michael. The stand out episode was the Sarah Paulson directed “Return to Murder House” and it was great to see Jessica Lange and Evan Peters return as some of my favourite characters they have played.

8. AHS: Roanoke

AHS really played with the format here and took a lot of risks, but most didn’t pay off. Evan Peters barely featured which was an issue, but it did have occasionally compelling moments and featured a really strong performance from both Sarah Paulson and Lily Rabe.

7. AHS: Freak Show

This has plenty of stylised elements to enjoy and compelling performances from Paulson, Peters, Lange and co. However, the story itself just never quite connected for me and although it was interesting, it just didn’t fully work for me.

6. AHS: Coven

I know this will be a very controversial position as many view this as one of the best seasons of the show, and I do really enjoy parts of it, but as a full season it just never fully hit the mark for me. Roberts, Farmiga, Paulson, Rabe, Conroy, and Lange all give great performances and have great fun though, and I fully understand why some people enjoy it so much.

5. AHS: Cult

This was a very stripped back and political response to the start of Trump era America, and it had mixed results. However, Paulson is great as always and Peters delivers what I view to be the best AHS performance of all time as Kai and he deserved much more attention for it. The season also introduced us to Billie Lourd in the world of AHS.

4. AHS: Hotel

This was the most stylised and sexual season of the show, and those elements were done brilliantly and added a real edge. However, the story itself was not particularly strong despite the great premise. Lady Gaga is totally compelling in the lead role here and Evan Peters has great fun in his supporting role.

3. AHS: 1984

The most recent season of the show took AHS backed to its stripped down roots with great success. It was a brilliant spin on the classic 70/80s slasher films and produced some really memorable characters. It was the first season not to feature Peters or Paulson, which is a big blow, but their absence wasn’t felt as much due to Billie Lourd’s absolutely iconic performance as Montana. The 80s never die.

2. AHS: Murder House

The season that started it all, and still one of the best ever. Jessica Lange as Constance, Evan Peters as Tate, the rubber man, and much more. This season did a lot to change how TV today is seen and even without that, it is just a really compelling season filled with great performances and twisted scares.

1. AHS: Asylum

In my opinion, this is easily the winner. The story is so compelling that it is hard to compete, and it has everything. Aliens, serial killers, nazis, and musical numbers. Paulson as Lana Winters is instantly iconic and her best performance on the show. It is a truly fantastic season all round, and it really allowed the show to become the phenomenon it is today.

Most Exciting Actresses in Hollywood

This is a personal list and is not by any means a list of ‘best actresses’ because there are so many talented women working in Hollywood right now and it would be very tough and unfair to put them into a list of just five.

However, the list I have chosen to make is of the five actresses who I am personally most excited by right now and who I most actively look out for the work they are doing and am usually continually impressed. I’m sure people will have very different lists and I would love to hear from people who would be on their lists too. My list is in no particular order…

Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie is in my opinion arguably the most exciting actress in Hollywood right now. She has a production company that is making great progress, she stars as Harley Quinn in one of the DCEU’s biggest franchises, and could potentially become an Oscar winner for either Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or (more likely) Bombshell. She continues to take on risky and diverse roles unlike many others in Hollywood, and I still believe her break through role in The Wolf of Wall Street is one of the most memorable, sexy, and genuinely great supporting performances in recent years.

Jodie Comer

Jodie Comer has only starred in a handful of films at this point, and this is unlikely to change in the next year or two due to her commitments to Killing Eve. However, following her Emmy win and upcoming role in the Ryan Reynolds film Free Guy, she is sure to be in very high demand. She’s made a career on British TV but her real break out was the role of Villanelle in Killing Eve. In my opinion, this is the best character and performance on TV right now. Her stylish, bisexual assassin is not only terrifying, she is hilarious, beautiful, and bizarrely lovable. She is definitely one of my favourite actresses right now and her future is incredibly bright.

Ana De Armas

She has many exciting films coming up including Blonde (where she plays Marlyn Monroe, Knives Out, Deep Water, Ana new Bond film No Time To Die, among others. She broke out in the erotic thriller Knock Knock and has gone from strength to strength since, with Blade Runner 2049 being another stand out. She brings great sensuality, emotion, and raw talents to her parts, and I personally believe she should have been the new Catwoman. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Tessa Thompson

She is a blockbuster star on both film and tv with her MCU role as Valkyrie and her tv role on Westworld. However, I personally find her indie film work the most exciting, with some incredibly daring and strong performances. A stand out to me is Sorry to Bother You, an incredibly unique and visually bold performance that caused great conversation. I hope she continues to make these sorts of films and she can achieve a lot in this industry.

Brie Larson

The only current actress of this list with an Academy Award (although that may change for Margot Robbie very soon) and with her performance in Room, which won her Oscar, Larson delivered arguably my favourite female performance on film of the decade. She built a career in indie films on the way to Room, with Short Term 12 being a stand out, and after her Oscar has gone on to be a director and blockbuster star, leading the way for more diversity in film (and getting an unnecessary backlash for that) and starring in a billion dollar film and co-starring in the highest grossing film in history (all in 2019). I am excited for her MCU future but even more excited by what dramatic and indie films are in her future, and the performances she could deliver.

Honourable mentions: Amy Adams and Charlize Theron – These two performers have been around much longer that the others mentioned but still continue to do some of the best and most daring work in all of Hollywood.

The Best Comic Book Films of all time

This is a personal list of what I feel to be the best comic book adaptations that I have seen. Some are placed above films I would judge to be ‘better’ because I feel that the other films are better ‘comic book adaptations’. I have a great passion for the genre and I’m sure this list will be very different to what any readers of this list think, but that’s where all the fun is. I will could down the lost from 10-1…

10 – Deadpool 2

A controversial pick but I personally prefer this to the first film due to its expanded and more risk taking plot, whilst also featuring the same magic of the original. It is one of the funniest films I have ever watched, perfectly matching up to my sense of humour, and that is why it has made the list for me.

9. Thor: Ragnarok

The Thor franchise could’ve easily died with The Dark World but they decided to give it another shot, completely changing the characters trajectory forever. Taika Waititi brought an incredible irreverence and humour to the property and Chris Hemsworth finally came into the part fully and became one of the Marvel’s MVPs.

8. Avengers: Infinity War

This film brought together characters from 10 years of the MCU for an all out superhero spectacular that totally delivered on the hype and gave us one of films best villains and biggest cliff hanger endings. It also became only the fourth film in history in the time to reach $2 Billion worldwide.

7. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

This film sparked a huge change in future of the super hero because it successfully moved into a new genre. This was a superhero film told through the lens of a political thriller, and the result was one of the best comic book films ever made. It also was the first time the Russo Brothers directed a MCU film (they have directed 3 of the films that are on my list).

6. Spider-Man 2

This is widely regarded by many as one of the great superhero films and Sam Raimi crafted this emotion filled masterpiece long before the superhero genre was dominant in Hollywood. It is a film that is even more important to be as it was a key part of my childhood, and something I have continued to love to this day.

5. Logan

This is more of a western than a super hero film, but it is still very much a comic book adaptation. With the strong feeling of the end of an era, Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart said goodbye to the characters they had been playing for 17 years in one of the most powerful and satisfying films in recent time. It was even nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, which is very rare for the genre.

4. Joker

This is now officially the most profitable comic book movie of all time, and is one of the best. Joaquin Phoenix delivers an absolute tour de force performance and the film itself became a cultural phenomenon unlike much we have seen before. It operates as a haunting character drama and critique of society, and also as a very effective origin story for cinema’s most iconic villain.

3. Avengers: Endgame

The highest grossing film in history and the iconic end to the MCUs 11 year Infinity Saga. It delivered an ending so satisfying that many could not believe and I personally experienced a thrill at the movies that I have rarely experienced when watching the midnight screening. It was an hilarious and emotional rollercoaster that worked brilliantly as the culmination to this carefully built saga. While not being the best, it is in my opinion the ‘Ultimate Super Hero Film’.

2. The Dark Knight

Christopher Nolan’s film is regarded by many as the best superhero film ever made, and I would definitely not argue against that, but for me it is a close second. However, it is undeniably a superb piece of filmmaking, with the crime genre mashed together with Batman mythos to create an incredibly sophisticated and satisfying film. It also features an iconic and Oscar winning performance from the late Heath Ledger that will live long in the memory, and the fact this film missed out on a best picture nomination led to the academy expanding the possible nominees from 5 up to potentially 10.

1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

This is the only film on the list that isn’t live-action, and I don’t think it could have been even remotely as successful if it was. The film not only perfectly captures the character of Spider-Man and why it means so much to people of all races/sexualities/genders, they also created a thrilling and hilarious story. It also features some of the best and most unique animation ever put on screen, won the Best Animated Feature Oscar, and has a much anticipated sequel on the way in 2022.