Film Fight 2021: August

#FF21 Walk Away Joe is about a kid who wants to follow in his dad's footsteps as a pool hustler.

It's pretty forgettable. The story is full of beats we've seen before, none of it quite fitting together; with a fairly slow pace.

Fine visually, just not interesting.

— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) August 16, 2021

#FF21 The Best Of Enemies is the fascinating story of bringing together a Black community with white supremacists to figure out a way forward.

Rockwell and Henson are both great, always bringing humanity to their roles.

Good subject, well told.

— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) August 16, 2021

#FF21 Black Bear sees Aubrey Plaza at her very best.

A stunning, dizzying film of two halves, full of bubbling arguments, dark humour, and an interesting conceit. Absolutely masterful camera work too.

I don't want to say too much but this is a must see film.

— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) August 16, 2021

#FF21 Money Plane is as terrible as the concept: a bet-on-anything casino plane being robbed.

The plot is stupid, the dialogue is bad, the execution poor, and the action as flat as it gets.

Nothing here works. Skip.

— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) August 16, 2021

#FF21 The Courier is an intriguing spy thriller, with Benedict Cumberbatch as a business pulled into the cold war.

A solid cast take us through a world of slow tradecraft, that ends with the Bay of Pigs.

The ending drags a little, but worth seeing.

— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) August 16, 2021

#FF21 New Order is a stark warning against increasing class/wealth inequality and abuses of authoritarian violence.

Every shot is beautiful or gripping, layering unease and trauma onto a turbulent situation. The film forces us to keep watching as the horror unfolds.

Excellent

— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) August 16, 2021

#FF21 Free Guy is as tiresome as it is poorly written. A bunch of handwavey tech words to motivate the plot and cover holes doesn't make for a satisfying story.

The action feels empty, the story is boring, it's a bit too long, and it's not particularly funny.

Disappointing.

— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) August 16, 2021

#FF21 I Used To Go Here is a fine light comedy about a writer going back to college for a reading, inevitably getting caught up in some hijinks.

It's never laugh-out-loud funny, but there's enough here to keep watching.

Decent.

— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) August 16, 2021

#FF21 Beckett is a slow-burn thriller. John David Washington is good as the lead, stumbling into a mystery/conspiracy far bigger than he can imagine.

Well-paced and shot, it pulls us through his understanding of events well.

Solid.

— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) August 29, 2021

#FF21 The Green Knight is an Arthurian tale, told in a dream-like way.

Dev Patel is excellent as the lead, a would-be Knight whose brashness costs him everything. Mythic imagery and storytelling combine for a stunning set of encounters on his quest.

Excellent.

— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) August 29, 2021

#FF21 Another Round is about losing confidence and trying to regain who you were in youth, through the story of teachers maintaining a low-level of blood alcohol.

Joyful and sad, tragic and triumphant, an interesting take on the story of middle-age.

Very good.

— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) August 29, 2021

#FF21 The Vault is a silly action/heist film that draws comparisons with the better (and trashier) Money Heist.

It's competent enough, but there's nothing here that isn't predictable, from the sudden moments of inspiration to the inevitable betrayals.

Fine but forgettable.

— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) August 29, 2021

#FF21 The Nest is a claustrophobic drama, shot as horror.

Law is excellent as the self-aggrandising narcissist, but it's Carrie Coon who steals the show with a mixture of big and very small performances, as the uprooted family fall apart.

Worth seeing.

— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) August 29, 2021