Star Wars: The Last Jedi ####
It’s almost impossible to please fans of the most epic film series in cinematic history. Whether you liked the early Noughties George Lucas reboots or not, it’s fair to say that the new, Disney-produced segments are light-years better. Not only does Star Wars: The Last Jedi bring back Luke Skywalker, it also asks the question of what life would be like without any Jedis and rebel scum to fight for liberty. The plot functions as a mirror to today’s governments, who place great importance on weaponry and armour. Leia is back, alive and well, but the darker essence of the film series is foregrounded throughout. A superb continuation of the Star Wars franchise.
The Greatest Showman ###
It’s very telling that newbie Aussie director Michael Gracey makes his directorial debut with a musical about P.T. Barnum starring fellow Aussie Hugh Jackman. However, I quickly became convinced that one of the issues was the star. Personally, the best man for the role would have been Robbie Williams, but it comes across that perhaps Jackman just needed an artistic outlet from the closet. It might seem like a fun idea to use modern-sounding tunes for a musical about the Barnum story, with leads such as Michelle Williams, Zac Efron and Zendaya. But the result feels forced and unnecessary. Perhaps if it wasn’t a musical full of Eighties and Nineties beats, it would have been a more enrapturing cinema experience. Strictly for the Glee kids of the world, I’m afraid.
Wonder Wheel ###
With so much fervour in support of those who spoke out recently using the #metoo movement this year, it has become increasingly difficult to view Woody Allen movies in the same light as in the Nineties and 2000s. In this drama, Allen throws us into the world of pre-Sixties Coney Island. The appearance of Kate Winslet and the return of Jim Belushi are welcome, but Justin Timberlake’s performance falls flat, and coupled with more odd allegations swirling about the director, this may be the last time I review an Allen film.
The Disaster Artist ####-1/2
As someone who could only sit through most of the film on which The Disaster Artist is based, I was interested in this film because of the range of actors and its history of documenting the supposed worst movie ever produced, The Room, (2003). That said, it is undoubtedly one of the finer movies as of late to take direct interest in, despite criticism, the realities of mixing creative drive with stubborn ambition. James and Dave Franco are sublime as Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero, taking on these odd yet loveable personas with aplomb. The Brothers Franco deserve any and all accolades they receive for this prime piece of celluloid gold!
The Dinner ###-1/2
This film slowly grips its viewers like the vice grip of a heart monitor. In summary, Paul (Steve Coogan) and Stan (Richard Gere) are brothers who have gathered at a posh restaurant to dine with their wives: Claire (Laura Linney), a cancer survivor, and Katelyn (Rebecca Hall). Reason for this strained meeting: their sons, after getting very drunk at a party, killed a homeless woman at a cashpoint. Somehow, video footage of the killing has made it onto the internet, and now the two couples must decide to what extent and at what cost they will protect their children. What ensues between the adults will rivet you. A great watch.
Wonderstruck ###-1/2
The choices that Michelle Williams has made since Dawson’s Creek have mostly been superb. Revolving around the phrase ‘We are all in the gutter…but some of us are looking at the stars’ gives so much credence to this Twenties New Jersey story mixed with a Seventies tale in Minnesota. Although it is an adaptation of a children’s book, this resemblance of fantasy and reality set 50 years apart proves how parallel moments in time, especially in New York, can interlock all of us in some way. Sweet if languid at times.
Read more film reviews by Lucas on his blog, A bitter life through cinema.