Solitude - Happenings

Happenings

Film Fight 2024: January

Very late, but 10 whole films in the January fight…

Freelance

#FF24 Freelance is an entirely forgettable and slightly ridiculous action film.

Alison Brie is great as always, and John Cena does fine. Clearly on a tight budget for the level of action they wanted, some scenes show that - and a couple look pretty good.

Not bad.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) January 20, 2024

Priscilla

#FF24 Priscilla is as shocking as it is beautiful.

Cailee Spaeny is perfectly cast as the young lead, through a world far too old for her; marrying a start who is cruel and controlling. The slightly dreamy look lends an otherworldliness to awful moments. Well-paced.

Very good.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) January 20, 2024

Next Goal Wins

#FF24 Next Goal Wins is fun but formulaic.

You've seen the beats before: a bad team gains a grumpy coach, and they help each other become better. It's underwritten and obvious, but a perfectly fine film that's reasonably put together. You won't hate it.

Decent.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) January 20, 2024

The Holdovers

#FF24 The Holdovers finds a specific tone, and executes it well.

Giamatti's grumpy, better than thou professor plays perfectly against the troubled but brilliant boy he's asked to look after. Witty dialogue and fun moments, backed by some heartwarming scenes.

Very good.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) January 20, 2024

Society Of The Snow

#FF24 Society Of The Snow tells the horrific story of Uruguayan rugby players lost in the Andes.

From the bone-crunching plane crash to the inevitable avalanche, the film doesn't revel in suffering but doesn't back away from it either. Difficult, but powerul.

Very worth seeing
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) January 20, 2024

Poor Things

#FF24 Poor Things sees Lanthimos embrace the weird in a search for humanity.

The main cast are strong, with Stone putting in a brilliant physical performance. The production deisgn is beautiful, but the wide lenses are intrusive to the point of distraction.

Funny, dark, great.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) January 20, 2024

Role Play

#FF24 Role Play is a passable action comedy, with some great actors (Cuoco, Oyelowo).

However, the fun, early ideas (like Nighy's extended sequence) get squandered by a generic, action-focussed last act. Easy going, at least, and doesn't overstay its welcome.

Okay.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) January 20, 2024

Lift

#FF24 Lift is the most generic of modern heist movies.

It has some incredible and utterly wasted talent (Mbatha-Raw, D'Onofrio) trod through a plot that could be AI generated, with a charmless lead. The action is messy, with far too many cuts.

Boring.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) January 20, 2024

The End We Start From

#FF24 The End We Start from is a look at motherhood through the lens of an ecological disaster.

The core performances (Comer in particular) are strong, especially as the situation grows more dire. The cameos feel more distracting than useful, but the story is solid enough.

Good
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) February 25, 2024

The Kitchen

#FF24 The Kitchen is about capitalism displacing those most in need.

The themes are well-worn, but it's reasonably well done, especially within a constrained budget. Kano is good as a reluctant father figure, with the relationship never getting cheesey.

Decent.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) February 25, 2024

The January Winner

Some very good contenders but the winner is Priscilla, a beautiful and disturbing look at celebrity.

Film Fight 2023: Finale

It was a bit more of an uneven year. There were some great films, but fewer in contention than previous years. I also was quite busy so saw fewer films in the cinema

As per the caveat every year, Film Fight is done in a (non particularly serious) knock-out style: it can pick my favourite film of the year, but nothing else. (Also the very idea of a single favourite film is a bit silly.)

The honorable mentions: films that weren’t good enough to win their own month, but still worth seeing.

Aftersun
Cocaine Bear
Knock At The Cabin
Infinity Pool
John Wick: Chapter 4
Missing
Extraction 2
Asteroid City
Blackberry
How To Blow Up A Pipeline
They Cloned Tyrone
The Artifice Girl
Barbie
The Beanie Bubble
Joy Ride
The Blackening
Inside
Past Lives
No-One Will Save You
Talk To Me
Quiz Lady
The Killer
Dream Scenario
The Royal Hotel
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Godzilla Minus One

And now the monthly winners:

January: Tár
February: All Quiet On The Western Front
March: Women talking
April: Tetris
May: Beau is Afraid
June: Alice, Darling
July: Oppenheimer
August: Corner Office
September: Bottoms
October: The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
November: Anatomy Of A Fall
December: Maestro

From that, there’s a lot of good stuff to choose from and you’re not going to go wrong with any of it (except maybe Tetris).

We have great but very different courtroom dramas in both The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial and Anatomy Of A Fall, the former being antagonistic and the latter being about what gets mispoken in an argument.

Elsewhere, Tár and Maestro paint very different pictures of obsessive genius, and desire leading to conflict.

I think Bottoms is the first comedy to make it through in a while, but is well deserved - it made me laught more than I thought it would.

We have Women Talking and Alice, Darling showing the consequences of horrific abuse: quietly, then very loudly. Both have stayed with me.

As always, I’m a little torn as to what my favourite film was but I think I’m going to go with Tár - mixing an incredible central performance, with some directing that was stunning.

Film Fight 2023: December

Seven films this month, most of them in the last week or so.

Killers Of The Flower Moon

#FF23 Killers of the Flower Moon is slow story about creeping violence and cultural erasure.

Gladstone is strong and quiet, while DiCaprio plays a man far out of his depth. The languid pacing is forgivable, given the beautiful cinematography and pervading darkness.

Good.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) December 18, 2023

Godzilla Minus One

#FF23 Godzilla Minus One is an excellent take on the original material.

A metaphor for the horrors of nuclear war, backed by a story about post-war Japan's place in the world, with a redemptive hero arc? It's a busy two hours. Cheesey moments are forgiven. Solid action.

Good!
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) December 18, 2023

Napoleon

#FF23 Napoleon is a pretty straightforward biopic of the man himself.

The leads are solid, the battles epic, and the visuals are fine, but it lacks any real arc; doesn't really go anywhere. Entertaining enough, but the extended runtime is straining.

Fine.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) January 1, 2024

Silent Night

#FF23 Silent Night is a surprisingly solid action film.

I didn't know going in that it was a John Woo film, or that it was essentially dialogue free: both are delightful. Don't get me wrong, it's very much silly action, but it does that very well. Kinnaman is solid too.

Good.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) January 1, 2024

Maestro

#FF23 Maestro is a stunning biopic.

It features performances both powerful and subtle (Cooper and Mulligan), shot after shot that is beautifully composed, and camera moves that give life to the action, all backed by joyful music. Cooper's directing is incredible.

Excellent.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) January 1, 2024

Saltburn

#FF23 Saltburn is self-assured and pointed in all the right places.

It has some great shots, with Keoghan excellent as always. Feels a little long, but the biggest issue is that the "surprises" are always what you assumed was happening (and some moments just don't add up).

Okay
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) January 1, 2024

Ferrari

#FF23 Ferrari doesn't show us the passion that film tells us it has.

Adam Driver has moments where you see it, too infrequently. Mann's grounded and motivated camera work brings excitement and involvement but it's not enough to raise the film. One scene will stick with you

Okay
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) January 1, 2024

The December Winner

The winner for December is Maestro - just brilliantly shot and performed throughout.

Film Fight 2023: November

Seven films this month…

Fingernails

#FF23 Fingernails has an interesting premise (a test that claims to find perfect couple matches) but doesn't really deliver on it.

Riz Ahmed and Jesse Buckley are strong as always but the story doesn't go anywhere, with a flat and predictable conclusion.

Disappointing.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) December 2, 2023

Quiz Lady

#FF23 Quiz Lady is a surprisingly solid , easy going comedy about a quiz fanatic out of her depth.

The premise works well, the setups deliver, and both Awkwafina and Sandra Oh are excellent. With a great supporting cast, this works.

Worth seeing.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) December 2, 2023

The Killer

#FF23 The Killer sees David Finch take on the hitman genre, with good results.

Fassbender is the titular character, whose bored, clinical monologue we're stuck in - through a botched operation and its consequences. Well-paced but dry, with some nice smaller roles.

Good.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) December 2, 2023

Dream Scenario

#FF23 Dream Scenario is delightfully bizarre: a boring man starts to appear in everyone's dreams, making him an overnight celebrity.

Cage is relatively subdued, but let's the petty jealousy and resentment bubble to the surface. It's fun, weird, and takes some turns.

Good.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) December 2, 2023

The Royal Hotel

#FF23 The Royal Hotel sees two broke American women take a job in the middle of the Australian Outback.

The threat of harm looms over every scene, making for some very uncomfortable moments; and memorable characters. Garner is as great as always.

Very good.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) December 2, 2023

Anatomy Of A Fall

#FF23 Anatomy Of A Fall is a stunning drama that begins small and personal, and spans into a courtroom.

It plays in the dynamics of a relationship that has suffered tragedy, and the lies people tell themselves to cope. The lead is cold, but is she a killer?

Excellent.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) December 2, 2023

The Marvels

#FF23 The Marvels shows that, while Marvel fatigue is very real, they can still do something fun.

The trio of lead characters work well together, bringing levity in certain places, and the weight of consequences elsewhere. The central mechanic allows for solid action.

Good.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) December 2, 2023

The November Winner

I think The Royal Hotel would win most other months, but Anatomy Of A Fall is just a little better.

Film Fight 2023: October

Only six films this month in the Film Fight.

Talk To Me

#FF23 Talk To Me is an excellent modern horror.

The rules are laid out clearly, and the messiness of breaking them is clear. That one scene (you'll know which) was absolutely gruesome, but not gratuitous. Just well-handled the whole way through.

Very good.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) October 8, 2023

The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial

#FF23 The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is a tight, performance and plot focussed courtroom drama.

You expect a flashback that isn't coming: Friedkin's final film is about the truth as the witnesses see it, not what happened. Deftly paced and unveiled.

Excellent.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) October 8, 2023

The Creator

#FF23 The Creator is a composite of a bunch of stuff you've seen before.

It's not bad, maybe a little long, but there's nothing fresh here. Some of the action works well enough, and it's enjoyable as mindless fodder but you'll likely forget it pretty quickly.

Fine.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) November 4, 2023

You’re Killing Me

#FF23 You're Killing Me is a decent horror thriller about a young woman trying to escape a bad situation.

The middle section of the film is strung out a little long, and the ending is a little ridiculous, but it builds tension reasonably well. People largely do smart stuff

Okay
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) November 4, 2023

Totally Killer

#FF23 Totally Killer is a fun horror comedy that plays with sci-fi and horror tropes gleefully.

The blasé attitudes of the 80s are played for laughs, which works well. The plot is a little predictable, but fun enough. Shipka makes the whole thing come together.

Good.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) November 4, 2023

Pain Hustlers

#FF23 Pain Hustlers is the story of the disastrous sales culture in US pharmaceuticals.

You can see where it's going from the outset, but it's a decent ride getting there. Blunt and Evans are both very good in their roles, bringing empathy and sleaze in the right amounts.

Good.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) November 4, 2023

The October Winner

There’s really only one option: The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, as a tight, well-performed drama.

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