Another bumper month, with 8 films in the fight for April.
Shazam
#FF19 Shazam is decent fun and reasonably made.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) April 8, 2019
I laughed in places, I didn't care about some of the barely explained elements, it was mindless, but enjoyable.
Definitely a bit long, but not an awful way to spend an afternoon.
The Highwaymen
#FF19 The Highwaymen is a decent mid-budget drama, taking the other side of Bonnie & Clyde’s crime spree.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) April 14, 2019
Well shot, with sparse dialogue, but just a little long. Costner and Harrelson both make the picture work.
Definitely worth a watch.
Unicorn Store
#FF19 Unicorn Store is Brie Larson’s directorial debut, about a girl who believes she’s about to get a unicorn.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) April 14, 2019
It’s a little twee, but the messages work well, the pacing keeps up, and the visuals remind me of Michel Gondry.
Well done.
The Silence
#FF19 The Silence is the 3rd film (and the 2nd Netflix original) in the last year or so to stumble into the idea of monsters attracted to noise.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) April 14, 2019
It doesn’t do well by comparison, being elevated by its cast but dragged down by its cliches (the religious cult).
Decidely so-so.
The Ruthless
#FF19 The Ruthless is a fairly average and pretty generic Italian ganster film.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) April 24, 2019
Set in Milan in the the 80s and 90s, we follow one gangster as he sets up his organisation. It's light on details, focussing instead on his wife and mistress.
Fairly forgettable but okay.
The Sisters Brothers
#FF19 The Sisters Brothers is a solid Western with a great cast. Phoenix and Reilly work well as the titular brothers, forming the backbone relationship of the cast.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) April 24, 2019
Some excellent action, but mostly focussed on little conversations. Very good.
Eighth Grade
#FF19 Eighth Grade does a masterful job of recreating the anxiety of finding your place in the world.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) May 1, 2019
The camera work embeds you in the main character's POV, the lighting works subtlely, and the pacing is well managed.
A must-see film.
Avengers: Endgame
#FF19 Avengers: Endgame is the climax the MCU films to date needed.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) May 1, 2019
At three hours, there's definitely some flab that can be trimmed, but there are plenty of good sequences to watch when it's not doing too much fan service.
Good, not great. Fun, not fantastic.
The April Winner
The winner for April is Eighth Grade, a fantastic film about growing up and being awkward.