Going to the Pictures (VIII)

Nearly time for me to head off on a well-deserved holiday, but before that, there’s the pictures. As with all my movie reviews, let’s dive straight in:

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Unlimited screening, 2nd January 2018)

Great cast, charming, wickedly funny and a polarising story - this was a surprise hit for me. I hadn’t even seen the trailer before I booked tickets; with names like Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson, I didn’t really need to. A very black comedy theme runs through this, an otherwise deadly serious tale about those left behind when family members are lost. Pointing out just how parochial some rural places can still be in America, while at the same time showing how normal, decent people can be better than you ever thought, it’s barely 2 hours of giggles and surprised gasps. The cast was amazing, with no characters wasted.

Verdict: 9/10; watch this at your local when you can.

The Greatest Showman (3rd January 2018)

Hugh Jackman going back to his origins in a show-stopping musical based loosely on the early life of P. T. Barnum (yes, he of Barnum and Bailey fame). No Bailey in this, just song after song of wonderfully choreographed, well costumed, flawlessly acted fluff. Unfortunately that is not what I’m into, so while it was all arranged and executed well, I was a bit bored. Still, others will enjoy this.

Verdict: 6/10; most of it was lost on me, I’m afraid. I’m more of a Moulin Rouge! kind of person.

Molly’s Game (4th January 2018)

Superb; Jessica Chastain excels as Molly Bloom (not the one from the James Joyce novel), an ex athlete with a strict father who decides she can succeed at anything she wants - making piles of money from underground poker games included. Witty, sharp, engaging and not as depressing as the subject matter should dictate, this is a slick, fun yet straight view of iron will and refusal to be held to other’s opinions of you. Idris Elba also shines as the lawyer who never wanted her case.

Verdict: 9/10; go watch this. Run, don’t walk.

Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi (8th January 2018)

Warning: this review contains SPOILERS.

Well I’m certainly glad I didn’t pay for a ticket to this reboot of Return of the Jedi as an individual film. The fact that I pay one fee a month and see as many films as I want definitely helped in this situation. It wasn’t a bad film at all - it was well crafted, it had some humour (although it didn’t seem as if the audience I saw it with realised it was supposed to be funny), and the effects were of course amazing. But it felt like there were too many characters and too many stories going on - and I was bored after about 90 minutes. When I was thinking perhaps something was about to happen - what were we waiting for again? - another story started and I looked at my watch. It felt like about 6 hours had elapsed when really it was only about 2 and a half. I like long films when they have a point, but this belaboured the emo-ing out over the good / Dark Side thing far too much. Lots of stories were overlaid when they didn’t need to be there. A young brash almost-Jedi, hoping to turn the once-good but now Dark Side Jedi back to the good side with the Emperor looking on, taunting and coming very close to recycling the same lines? Please. I’m not sure whether it was supposed to be a ‘homage’ or whether they really couldn’t think of anything else to do. Luke spending most of the movie on an island in Ireland was not exactly spine-tingling, and to be quite frank I was hoping for more Leia than Finn (why was he in this movie again?).

But anyway. I’m sure a million fans are rewatching it and having fun - and I’m happy for them. However, for me it wasn’t a patch on Rogue One and fell short of even the Episode VII rehash of Episode VI.

I think I’m done with people passing off unoriginal rehashes as derivative stuff with ‘nods to originals’. Can we have something new please? Star Trek Beyond was ten times the film this was.

That’s it for films this time round. I’m getting on a plane in about 12 hours to head off to a Star Trek cruise. Do I ever need it.

Soopytwist.