Mostly a boring affair, with a few nice pieces of performance from time to time. Portman was never a good actor and she delivers another dead eyed performance. Moore was quite good and so was the man child. I guess check it out or not, it really doesn't matter.

Bit of a odd one. It gradually lost my attention a little the longer it went on, though overall it's a film I'd consider as interesting.
I know of the real life story that 'May December' is "loosely" based upon, so it was intriguing early on to see how the film was going to tackle it. I think they did a good enough job with it all, the actress meeting the subject element makes the film more watchable than it otherwise would have been.
Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton are a great trio onscreen, each giving a noteworthy performance. Portman impressed me most, though Melton really does come strong across the second part of the movie. The rest of the cast do well, particularly solid casting of the main two characters' children.
A very well made production, just one that did lose me slightly as it headed through its near 2hr run time - could've been shorter, imo. The main piano score, although excellent in itself, gets minorly annoyingly overused too. No hate though, I still enjoyed it and would recommend it.

In moviemaking, there’s subtlety, and then there’s subtlety carried too far. In the case of director Todd Haynes’s latest, the filmmaker unfortunately indulges himself far too much in the latter. This story of an actress (Natalie Portman) who visits a middle-aged sex offender (Julianne Moore) to prepare for a role she’s about to play in a movie about her subject’s life never seems to find a footing to stick with and explore. The narrative examines many different aspects of the back story behind the lives of the characters to be portrayed in this pending production without ever really resolving any of them by the time the credits roll. This includes not only the protagonist’s reasons for pursuing her once-underage husband (Charles Melton) – actions that got her jailed and made her fodder for countless tawdry tabloid cover stories – but also the nature of the actress’s real motivations in conducting such an excessively intense in-depth study of her character. In the process, virtually everyone comes across as somewhat unsavory, and, considering that the truth is never clearly revealed about any of them, it begs the question, why should we care about any of this? The film depicts all of this so subtly that it goes beyond nuance, veering into the realm of enigmatic, thereby further reinforcing the notion of why any of us should care. Ironically, these underplayed elements are in stark contrast to some rather obvious (and terribly trite) symbolism, particularly in images related to themes of transition and transformation. The picture’s inconsistent changes in tone don’t help, either, vacillating between allegedly serious drama and a seemingly underdeveloped desire to break out as an exercise in full-fledged camp (which, by the way, probably would have made this a much better offering). The script’s meandering flow and glacial pacing also don’t help, leaving viewers scratching their heads more often than not as to where this story is headed. In the end, all of the foregoing is ultimately quite unfortunate, because there’s definite potential in this project, but it’s never adequately defined and fleshed out. Leads Moore and (especially) Portman turn in admirable efforts to make this material fly, but they simply don’t have enough to work with to make that happen. While there appear to be allusions to themes like the difficulty involved in dealing with long-buried feelings and the fact that we may never be able to adequately grasp the truth behind them (either as outsiders looking in or as active participants in the midst of such dealings), the cryptic handling of those ideas undermines whatever meaningful messages or cinematic value they might have, making all of this seem like just such a big waste of time. Director Haynes has an impressive filmography behind him with such releases as “Poison” (1991), “Far From Heaven” (2002) and “Dark Waters” (2019), but, regrettably, “May December” certainly can’t be counted as part of that list.

This actually reminded me a little of "All About Eve" (1950) as television actress "Elizabeth" (Natalie Portman) arrives at the home of "Gracie" (Julianne Moore) about whom she is to star in a biopic. Initially welcoming of her and keen to help, we follow the changing dynamic as we learn that "Gracie" has quite a past, and that her husband of 20-odd years, "Joe" (Charles Melton) is considerably younger than her and there was quite a furore when they first hooked up that saw the older woman incarcerated. The more she finds out, the more involved "Elizabeth" becomes and the more immersed we all become in this quite compelling story of a taboo that rather broke a mould or two and is now surrounded by an atmosphere of hypocrisy, faux-friendships, and lemon drizzle cake. There is a strong, increasingly well delivered, competitiveness between these two women and Melton delivers quite strongly too as the young man who seems devoid of much purpose as he heads towards his forties. The script is quite tight, frequently potent and Todd Haynes's overall style of intimate direction genuinely encourages us to invest a little in one of the women - I didn't manage to invest in both, especially as the denouement loomed (perhaps just a little predictably). This film quite successfully presents us with quite an interesting character study that works both ways in their relationship - and is well worth a watch.

INT. MOCKING-MOORE - DAY
May December is an excellent satire with incredibly dark themes at times. Portman's Elizabeth is an actress tasked with researching her next role, a movie based on the massively dramatised life of Julianne Moore's character. Moore and Portman shine in their roles, and both can create believable characters whilst still pushing the unbelievable humour and situations they are put in. Portman, mainly with her fascination with making an actual 'true-to-life' performance as Gracie, copies her quirks and tendencies, providing the audience with laughs.
Primarily the humour lies in the dark aspects of the film. The funniest, without spoiling, Gracie's relationship with her husband. It continuously evolves over the film, and we finally reach a satisfying conclusion. It's interesting how the comedy-drama has the best character arcs out of all of the dramas that premiered at Cannes.
Overall, May December lands on both feet, standing tall against the competition. Satirical, well-acted and entertaining.
FADE OUT

There isn’t much to dislike about director Maggie Betts‘ “The Burial,” a solid courtroom drama that hits all the expectations of the genre (and sometimes even exceeds them). Inspired by true events, this rousing David versus Goliath story is well cast, well acted, well told, and is set up to be an all-around crowd pleaser.
Mississippi funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) has fallen on hard times. The mom-and-pop business has been in his family for generations, and he aims to have something to pass down to his plethora of children and grandchildren. When a deal with the CEO (Bill Camp) of a heartless multibillion dollar “death care industry” corporation goes South, Jeremiah hires the smooth talking, charismatic personal injury attorney Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) to help save the family business. The men and their legal team uncover a deliberate web of deception designed by insurance companies to scam poor people out of their money by taking advantage of them in their time of grief. In the process of exposing corporate corruption, Willie and Jeremiah learn that they have a lot to like and respect about each other.
It’s an irresistible story about legal system actually working the way it’s supposed to, and there are a lot of scenes featuring technical lawyer speak. It’s not dumbed down, which is refreshing, and the film features many scenes of legal strategy, brainstorming, and talk about business deals, burial insurance, and racial injustice. Thankfully it’s not as dry as it sounds, as Betts moves the timeline along quickly. She dives right into the lawsuit and the story, not wasting a lot of time setting things up.
Foxx is perfectly cast as a flamboyant attorney, and he’s entertaining to watch in the role. Willie is all about showmanship, and he’s a lawyer with a knack for communicating with common folk. Foxx emotes this with a natural charisma and effortless spirit, and it’s difficult to resist his character’s dazzling charm. Jones doesn’t have a whole lot to do, but he provides the quiet balance needed as a contrast to Foxx (and they make a great onscreen pair).
Since this is a courtroom legal drama, there are several scenes designed with the sole intention of emotionally manipulating the audience. Get ready for those gutsy monologues that are accompanied by corny dramatic music swells, or the requisite interaction where Willie at first refuses to take on Jeremiah’s case because the payday won’t be in the multi-million dollar range. It appears Betts suddenly had a change of heart and decided that she didn’t want to include every single courtroom cliché in her movie, however, because I was disappointed that there was no big, blustering closing argument scene.
If you are a fan of legal dramas and like stories where greedy corporations get their what-for, then you are going to enjoy “The Burial.” This is a solid, easy watch about helping the little guy stick it to those responsible for the rampant monetary shakedowns that can lead to the financial ruin of normal, hardworking citizens.
**_By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS_**

A lack of familiarity can produce so many needless problems, especially when it involves individuals about whom we know little or nothing. That lack of understanding can consequently yield issues that plainly aren’t warranted and, more importantly, can be easily dispensed with by simply taking the time to find common ground. Such is the case in what is said to be the final film from legendary director Ken Loach, who tells the story of a group of Syrian refugees who relocate and settle in an economically depressed former coal mining town in northern England. The locals, who themselves are struggling to get by, are far from welcoming to the new arrivals, who have essentially lost everything and are merely looking for a place to start over. In many respects, both constituencies have much in common, but their unfamiliarity with one another gets in the way, leading to friction between them, especially on the part of the town’s long-term residents, who feel they’re being crowded out and left behind. But hope is not lost, thanks to the efforts of the owner (Dave Turner) of the community’s principal local meeting place, a rundown pub called The Old Oak. He befriends one of the new arrivals, a young woman and would-be photographer (Ebla Mari), who manages to ingratiate herself into the lives of the barkeep and many other local residents. Their connection is not without its challenges, but the solidarity that emerges from it helps bring people together who might not do so otherwise. The style of filmmaking and narrative themes in this offering are classic Loach, recalling many of the works this prolific director has made for nearly 60 years, and, in many ways, it feels like the perfect send-off for this thought-provoking artist. Some story elements are, admittedly, rather predictable, and the ending feels somewhat truncated and abrupt, with a few story threads that aren’t fully resolved. Nevertheless, the filmmaker has made the kind of parting statement here that he’s been making in his other noteworthy works about the perils of the downtrodden, the need to help them and the necessity for fostering an intrinsic sense of fairness in the lives of us all. And what better way is there for a talent like Loach to say his last goodbye.

Set in a rapidly fading Northern English mining town, this tells the tale of an attempt to integrate some Syrian refugees fleeing the terror in their own country into a community that it still reeling from the systematic closure of their own livelihoods. Much of the story is based around the run-down "Old Oak" boozer which is run by the relatively open-minded "TJ" (Trevor Fox) who is pretty much a lone voice when it comes to welcoming these strangers to a place that's been devoid of investment - and hope - for many a year. Most of the locals see them fed and housed and, frankly, they resent it. Homes that they bought many years ago are now worth 20% of their former value, people and their families are trapped and their traditions and culture is dying. It's keen photographer "Tania" (Debbie Honeywood) who tries to bridge the cultural gap between the two peoples and eventually finds some like-minded folk who start to resurrect some of the practical solutions to the problems that this area faced during the turbulence of the miners' strikes of the 1980s. Unlike many of Ken Loach's other films, this is not an overtly political (anti-Thatcherite) statement. It's about the decline of a way of life, but set against a context of disaster and devastation faced by people fleeing something far more lethal and brutal. Indeed there is a positively celebratory scene where the Syrians are delighted to learn that their absent father/husband is not actually dead - he's just in a slum prison! The fact that these families are escaping something akin to the blitz doesn't lessen the resentment from some, though, and "TJ" is constantly trying to balance the needs of his customers/lifelong friends with his heartfelt desire to help these piteous homeless and stateless individuals. Despite the hostility on display at times, there is a pervading decency throughout this film and by the conclusion - which is not, in self, particularly conclusive - there is maybe just a little scope for optimism. If you enjoyed this film, check out "R.M.N" (2022) - a Romanian film doing the rounds just now that looks at this scenario from a different yet similar perspective and reminds us all, a little, of there but for the grace of god!

No, sorry. This is just plain daft! "Anna" (Jessie Buckley) is living with "Ryan" (Jeremy Allen White) having got their certificate. What certificate? Well it's one that certifies that they are a love match! She was a teacher, but is now job hunting - so when an opportunity to work at the very facility that empowered their affection comes up, she heads straight to the office of boss "Duncan" (Luke Wilson) where she insists she would be great at "training" the couples who come to have their own relationships finessed and evaluated so they, too, can be verified. She is duly employed and paired with the inspirational and charismatic "Amir" (Riz Ahmed) - who clearly has his own secret to keep, too! What now ensues just lacks any sense of credibility and, for me, any attempts at satire just fell flat, quickly. The tests are fun, though. In a room where all are clad in just their smalls, "Rob" (Christian Meer) has to quite literally sniff out his girlfriend whilst keeping his eyes closed; another sees people charged with keeping eye contact whilst immersed in ten foot of cold water - presumably more preoccupied with not literally drowning in a sea of love! The coup-de-grasses? Well that's the crunch time when they wrench one of your fingernails - don't worry, you get to choose which one - from each person's hand then insert them into a microwave-oven looking gadget that looks like a cast-off from "Space 1999" before it announces - 0%, 50% or the dreamt for 100% - and that's bliss!. The point of all this being that it could end divorce and unhappy marriages for ever. Once in love, always in love...! Hmmm? Buckley reminds us, occasionally, that she has a fine singing voice and Ahmed is easy enough on the eye (reductive, I know - but we really don't have much else) but the story is just ridiculous, and that grown up adults would ever treat with such preposterous scenarios is just too far-fetched. It's not in anyway a comedy, and the predictable romantic elements come with way too much physical, collateral, damage. It is even almost earnest at times and after half an hour I realised why I was watching this in a cinema by myself. Nice to hear a bit of Alison Moyet on big screen sound, but that's about the height of this. He really needs to get his car window fixed, too!

How do we know when we’re in love? And, even if we suspect we are, how do we know if we’re with the right person? In an age where individuals are increasingly out of touch with their own feelings – especially the one they seem to crave the most – these are pressing questions that desperately beg answers. So what should we do? Maybe technology is the answer. But how reliable is it? Can we trust it to give us definitive, accurate, meaningful results? Those are the issues that writer-director Christos Nikou addresses in his second feature outing, an excellent follow-up to his superb debut, “Apples” (2020), hitting his second cinematic home run in a row. In this insightful romantic comedy/drama, the filmmaker takes viewers on a heartfelt yet delightfully quirky absurdist odyssey in a society where amorously lost souls seek verification of the validity of their partnerships through a medical test that calls for the removal of one of each of the partners’ fingernails as a means of scientifically determining compatibility (talk about an act of commitment). And, to strengthen those relationships, the organization sponsoring these tests augments the results with a series of carefully structured (though frequently hilarious, somewhat clichéd and often seemingly preposterous) lessons designed to promote enhanced intimacy. But are these exercises proof positive of a successful match? That’s a question raised by one of the organization’s new instructors (Jessie Buckley), who has nagging doubts about the long-term viability of her relationship with her supposedly verified true love (Jeremy Allen White). The ante is further upped when she meets a fellow instructor (Riz Ahmed) with whom an unspoken but decidedly sensuous mutual attraction develops. In light of that then, can old-fashioned gut feelings legitimately trump allegedly solid science, particularly at a time when technology is being trumpeted as a panacea for all our problems, including those of an emotional nature? “Fingernails” does an exceedingly thoughtful job of examining these matters while incorporating both sublime yet sidesplitting humor and offbeat theoretical concepts that give us much to think about, qualities that helped to establish and distinguish Nikou as a director in his first film. In this offering, however, he builds upon that stylistic foundation by adding themes aimed at promoting truly genuine feelings aimed at plucking the heartstrings without becoming manipulative or sappy, creating a layered, thought-provoking, richly rewarding viewing experience. This is all brought to life by the fine performances of the three protagonists and an excellent supporting cast, backed by skillfully crafted humor parodying a number of other films and a nuanced soundtrack consisting of deftly chosen selections that definitively set the mood for countless scenes. Admittedly, the generally solid pacing could have used some tweaking in a few sequences, and the ending could have been a little more developed, but these modest shortcomings detract little from the overall quality of this fine production. If you doubt that, see this one for yourself and let your own mind – and not some technical contraption or overly intellectualized abstraction – decide for you.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/fingernails-bfi-london-film-festival-review/
"Fingernails is undoubtedly the ideal title for this high-concept sci-fi flick.
Despite falling short of its narrative and thematic potential, Christos Nikou still presents an efficient, thought-provoking satire about human behaviors influenced by love and technology. Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed competently lead a predictable yet continually engaging, funny, humanistic story.
Conflicting messages and a forced, hypocritical ending don't do justice to the rest of the movie, which deserved a better conclusion to its study of the complexities and power of love."
Rating: B-

Great cast! Great movie!
'In the Land of Saints and Sinners' is a film I enjoyed, in fact I don't have any complaints with it at all. It features a very interesting story, one that left me engrossed from beginning to end. The tension is built well, while it's easy to care about the characters that appear. It's also wonderfully shot and holds a lovely score.
Liam Neeson puts in a top performance, he is undoubtedly a terrific actor. He is matched onscreen by Kerry Condon, who portrays her character tremendously. Many a familar face appear elsewhere, most notably Ciarán Hinds and Colm Meaney. Good, too, to see Jack Gleeson, who I thought retired after his stint on television but he is seemingly back in the game - and rightly so, a very talented actor.
Undoubtedly worth your time. I'd more than happily revisit this one.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/in-the-land-of-saints-and-sinners-venice-film-festival-review-barely-good-enough/
"In the Land of Saints and Sinners utilizes the stunning Irish landscape, a remarkably immersive score, and excellent performances to elevate a formulaic, predictable, thematically shallow narrative.
Robert Lorenz doesn't try to make his movie more of what it truly is, relying on simple, direct, fast-paced entertainment value to satisfy most audiences. It won't impress anyone, but it's also not in a position to generate mass disappointment.
In the end, it turned out to be surprisingly better than expected."
Rating: B-

Itch is the first film by British director James Dalton and is an effective psychological horror with some very strong sound design and imagery.

I thought it was pretty good to be honest. The story was admittedly slower than the previous movies but the characters were well done. Johnny Cage and Ashrah being co protagonists was definitely interesting and worked surprisingly well. Also nice to see Raiden in the movie. Sareena and Shinnok being the main villains was also really cool and I liked that they added others like Kia and Jataaka. Overall it's a fun watch for a Mortal Kombat fan.

Starve Acre weaves together a familiar yet haunting British folk-horror narrative. In it, a man confronts dark, long-buried family secrets amidst the eerie, windswept expanse of the North Yorkshire Moors. The film’s remote setting adds an unsettling layer to the story, amplifying the isolation and creeping dread that define the genre.
Morfydd Clark, known for her captivating performance in Saint Maud, once again brings quiet intensity to the screen. As a mother consumed by the devastation of grief, her portrayal is imbued with a nuanced vulnerability. Clark masterfully conveys a deep, simmering sorrow, holding the audience’s gaze as her character teeters between despair and unravelling. Even as the film spirals into a more fantastical—and arguably more chaotic—final act, Clark remains the emotional anchor, giving the film an emotional weight that lingers.
On the other hand, Matt Smith takes a bolder approach, with an attempted Yorkshire accent that sometimes distracts from the atmosphere rather than enhances it. His brooding presence, marked by moments of intensity and introspection, is overemphasised by a camera that too often lingers in tight close-ups, almost intruding on the subtlety his performance has conveyed.
The film’s eclectic and experimental soundtrack serves as a pulsating undercurrent, heightening tension and disorienting the viewer in all the right moments. It imbues the film with a surreal, dreamlike quality that compliments the folk-horror elements. However, this atmosphere is undermined by introducing a questionable if not laughable animatronic/CGI creature, which feels artificial despite its intended menace and diminishes the immersive experience. What could have been a powerful visual metaphor instead borders on the uncanny, pulling viewers out of the otherwise grounded horror.
In the end, Starve Acre offers genuine emotional depth and atmospheric tension moments. Still, it falters when it veers too sharply into surrealism without the visual craftsmanship to back it up.

Bunnies are supposed to be cute! THIS ISN'T CUTE, IT'S UNNERVING!
Methinks it's about time I watch Lamb (2021).
SPOILERS AHEAD!
Harrie kinda annoys me, but if we consider that Dandelion Jack already has everyone under it's influence, as implied by Juliette's trance-like state at the start of the movie, I suppose I can accept the ending. From the moment she steps back into the house, heck even Richard tells her to leave, "Harrie, this is weird, get out of the damned house. Harrie, don't go in there! Harrie, don't play with that thing! DAMMIT HARRIE!"

"Richard" (Matt Smith), his wife "Jules" (Morfydd Clark) and their young son "Owen" (Arthur Shaw) have moved back to his late father's remote hill farm. Not long after they arrive the young, asthmatic, lad starts to hear a voice that seems to be compelling him to become erratic, even violent. Before his parents get to the bottom of this, though, there's a tragedy that upends their marriage and sees him spend an increasing amount of time doing what he like to do best - archeology. He is out in all weathers and one day discovers the skeleton of an animal. Meticulously boxing it up, he takes into his study to examine it further. Boy is he in for a surprise and what now ensues takes us all back into his unhappy childhood with a brutish and unloving father and lots of standing about in his underpants. It's starting to look like the folklore surrounding an ancient oak tree that might have been an entrance to the underworld and maybe even the legendary "Dandelion Jack" might be influencing their behaviour as their lives take a turn for the distinctly bizarre. It does fall into place a little at the end, but for the most part this all centres around a jigsaw puzzle of a story with too many bits missing. Even if you do know a little about the underpinning mythology, the narrative still has too many gaps. It might make for a solid enough short film but extending this to ninety minutes puts too much pressure on the underwhelming Smith (and his hair) and the presence of her sister "Harrie" (Erin Richards) for much of their process of grief just doesn't help to create an atmosphere of menace, pity nor, really, of mystery either. There are a couple of wonderfully "Arcati" style performances from local medium "Mrs. Forde" (Melanie Kilburn) but the rest of the drama relies too heavily on it's bleak weather and heavily over-scoring. It's watchable enough, but it reminded me a little of "Enys Men" (2022) - a quirky story that provided us with some bones of the bones of an intriguing story but where near enough meat to sustain much interest.

A tad bit underwhelming follows an assassin who botched a job and how he goes about it he's very clever and sly Fassbender does really good

Raw and ruthless - The Killer by David Fincher is basically a 75% thriller 25% action movie that tells about the daily life of a hired hitman - that makes a mistake on job (this is shown in the first 30 min). Then he and who he cares (a girlfriend in Dominican Republic) will pay the price - but things aren't so easy. It reminded me very much the ecstasy of seeing the fist movie incarnation of 007 by Daniel Craig raw violence and not a snobby agent on a suit.
He won't let those whom did he things go impune, so what to do do? Chase one by one, hitman style, silent, evasive, focalized - the prototype of a Sigma male (like others characters aka John Wick, James Bond, etc.).
David Fincher is already know by a huge list of excellent movies including The SOcial Network, Se7ven, Gone Girl, Fight Club, The Zodiac, Mindhunter and the list go on. He already have his established style, violent and gritty and The Killer doesn't go far from it.
Don't get me wrong - this isn't from the "another movie" perspective, by another good movie perspective. Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en, 8mm) wrote the script based on the french comic book 'Le Tueurby" by the writer Matz and artist Luc Jacamon (2000).
Action wise, the movie have more scenes of the standard procedures of the "profession" that raw action, aside from one chapter, where there is a brutal fight (the movie is divided in chapters btw). Michael Fassbender and the others (I am truly a fan of any movie that Tilda Swinton stars) - are the pieces that make the movie especially the first one, raw, obstinate and methodic while always listening to "The Smiths" to keep his mind clean and focus on what to do, to not deviate from the plan.
Although there are few lines of dialog between characters, 90% os the dialog is from Fassbender in first person, on the thoughts in his mind.
Aside from the strange fitting of Morrissey in the music track, we have a minimalistic but sober OST made impeccability by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. This movie is a must watch to anyone that enjoy hitman's movies - I gave it a 8,0 out of 10,0 score / A-.
We may have a contender from adapted screenplay here for the Academy, and maybe for best actor and direction.

The Killer presents a stylish front, intelligent narration and quality performances, backed by compelling cinematography.
That said, when you take a step back, its still "just another" hit man flick, leaving far shallower footsteps, than say, Leon: The Professional.
Its essentially driven by a very basic story, that's too truncated to add up to anything meaningful, partially compensated for by lashings of action packed, exposition and a degree of quality narrative.
In and of itself, its marginally better than many other knock off's but not by as much, as it might think.
In summary, offers a little extra polish but does not aspire to the iconic heights, of films that made this genre famous, in the first place.

Does anyone remember Baz Luhrmann's song "Sunscreen"? Well the narrative mantra provided here by assassin Michael Fassbender reminded me of some of the profundities of that lyric - though not as wittily. The remainder of this film, however, is unlikely to be conjuring up memories anytime soon. His meticulously planned kill takes out a poor, leather-clad, school mistress instead of the intended target and so he has to flee. Now one might assume that such a character would be un-spookable. Well, nope - not this one. He is actually a bit nervous as he takes the long route home to safety in the Dominican Republic. When he gets there, he discovers that it wouldn't have been that safe there either as his pal "Magdala" (Sophie Charlotte) has been seriously wounded in an assault on his remote home. Bent on revenge, he sets out to track down the offenders and ultimately determines to come face to face with the millionaire client. Now he hasn't quite got a Yellow Pages, but his detective work is carried out with rather brutal ease. We have the odd combat scene, a dog gets pretty zoned out with painkillers and the denouement - featuring a sparing contribution from Tilda Swinton - has precisely zero menace or sophistication to it. Fassbender is very easy on the eye, but the rest of this is about as derivative as it gets - a sort of distant cousin of "The Mechanic" (2011) and it's not really very good.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/the-killer-venice-film-festival-review-a-tense-yet-superficial-experience/
"The Killer is unquestionably the simplest, most straightforward movie of David Fincher's career, for better and for worse. On one hand, Michael Fassbender's melancholy narration and magnetic performance, as well as the moody cinematography and throbbing score, contribute to the immersive, tension-driven experience remarkably idealized and executed by the filmmaker.
On the other hand, the lack of any emotional layer related to the superficial story and nameless characters, along with a repetitive structure devoid of secondary arcs, gradually alienates viewers from the equally underdeveloped fictional world.
A case of admiration more than enjoyment."
Rating: B-

Anyone think this reminds them of a poor relation of "Interstellar"? "Hen" (Saoirse Ronan) lives on her remote family farm with husband "Junior" (Paul Mescal). You get the impression it's a pretty mundane existence and maybe not have been the strongest of relationships when a stranger in what looks like an old De Lorean arrives. It turns out that "Terrance" (Aaron Pierre) has come from the supra-governmental agency that's in charge of populating space - yep, the planet is on it's last legs - and that "Junior" has been selected to go live upstairs leaving is wife behind. No chance says "Junior", no choice says "Terrance" but there is some silver lining for "Hen". They will make her a carbon copy of her husband to "keep her company" whilst he is away. To that end, their visitor must remain for a few weeks to gather information on every intimate detail of their lives together so that "Junior 2" can be as authentic as possible. Now we don't actually know this, but it's safe to assume that somewhere in the ensuing proceedings, there is a body swap otherwise the rather dreary and drawn out denouement would make even less sense that it actually does. Is this suppose to be a crit on the nature of human relationships, or of the human psyche? If you went to bed at night and awoke to an identical partner that had been swapped in the night, would you even know? That's the problem. It's a complete non-story that limbers towards it's conclusion without really engaging on any level. That said, man-of-the-moment Mescal does turn in an emotional performance at times, but Ronan is really rather wasted here and the thinly developed characterisation of "Terrance" just further consigns this to the doldrums of what looks a short story laggardly dragged out for all but two hours. It's a slow and rather listless film for the most part and contains nothing new. Disappointing.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/foe-bfi-london-film-festival-review-one-of-the-messiest-scripts-of-the-year/
"Foe presents one of the messiest screenplays of the year, filled with incessant, unnecessary explanations through numerous narrative and visual methods, abruptly confusing time shifts, absurdly devoid of any sort of impact, and a strange message, to say the least, about the superiority of AI in human intimate relationships.
At just under two hours, it manages to slowly drag itself to a multiple-ending conclusion, none capable of delivering any relevant information that wasn't already given beforehand.
The cast does the best they can, but it's way too far from enough to rescue a movie doomed to leave its audience underwhelmed."
Rating: D-

Whilst not as entertaining as its predecessor, 'Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget' produces whats necessary to create a solid effort.
I'm no fan of recasting, especially when it comes to voice acting, but I can't deny Thandiwe Newton and Zachary Levi are good enough replacements for (the superior, still) Julia Sawalha and Mel Gibson. Elsewhere on the cast, Bella Ramsey is a plus - as are, albeit more minorly, Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays and Josie Sedgwick-Davies. A few do reprise their roles fwiw, e.g. Jane Horrocks.
I doubt I'll want to come back and rewatch this even once, though I can still acknowledge that this is a more than decent watch given I had a positive time with it across 90 or so minutes. It features pleasant animation also, as expected.

So now that our intrepid band of chickens have escaped the menacing clutches of "Mrs. Tweedy", they set up home on a peaceful little island. Thing is, their feathered brethren on the mainland are in even more danger than they were before, and when "Ginger" finds out the gang decide to launch a daring raid on a new, state of the art, factory that has one single purpose: to turn chickens into nuggets! Sneaking in, they quickly discover that the entire population are well fed and kept in good conditions - but they are also all controlled by radio controlled collars that ensure they do the bidding of... well...you can guess. Can they thwart the dastardly plan to cover the entire flock in breadcrumbs? I didn't especially like the combination of animation styles here. The traditional Aardman stop-motion characters are still there in abundance but surrounded by quite a lot of rather linear looking CGI. That rather sterilises the look of the story which, itself, is really far too strung out. The film is just half an hour too long and maybe just a little too formulaic as well. Still, it extols all the virtues of teamwork and loyalty, the script is quite entertaining at times and the gadgets and slightly slapstick nature of the humour, with a touch of "007"-style menace, does make it worth a watch. Not their best, but still quite good.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/chicken-run-dawn-of-the-nugget-bfi-review/
"Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is a satisfying sequel that should please its target audience. The new cast bears the responsibility of successfully keeping the iconic characters recognizable while maintaining the unique charm of the original film.
It takes time to get into the right rhythm and lacks greater narrative creativity, but the hilarious physical comedy and one-liners, stupendous animation, and unforgettable score remain intact elements in a world much larger than the previous chicken farm.
Whether adults or children, nostalgic fans of the original or not, it's an excellent family flick to watch during this Christmas season."
Rating: B

Canadians "Hanna" (Julia Garner) and her best mate "Liv" (Jessica Henwick) take jobs working in a remote outback bar where they are expecting to make some extra cash to fund their holiday. They arrive, though, to discover that the "Royal Hotel" is anything but royal.... It's run by the curmudgeonly "Billy" (Hugo Weaving), his long-suffering friend "Carol" (Ursula Yovich) and is largely populated by lively, chauvinist, blokes who are partial to some "Dickens" cider... The girls are clearly out of their depth initially, but can they find a way to assert themselves in the face of increasingly unambiguous sexually threatening behaviour? Daniel Henshall's slightly menacing "Dolly" becomes chief amongst their protagonists, but there is also the slightly manipulative "Matty" (Toby Wallace) and their alcoholic boss to contend with too. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting here. Clearly the toxic mix of raging male hormones and pretty much unlimited booze creates a fairly hostile environment for the women, but the story sort of plateaus aground a denouement that really disappoints. There's nothing really new here, nor is there anything particularly innovative. It plays rather unkindly to mid-Australian stereotype and sort of fizzles out at the denouement. It had potential, but somehow Kitty Green seemed uncertain as to how to conclude and so we end up with something unremarkable and frankly rather weak. Garner and Henwick are adequate, but that's about all I can say about this mediocre offering, sorry.

**_Return of the ‘Sweet 16 Killer’ at a town in Washington_**
A 17 years-old teen in the Great Northwest (Kiernan Shipka) is intent on stopping a masked serial killer from 35 years earlier.
“Totally Killer” (2023) is a dynamic and amusing slasher mixed with a lot of 80s-isms. If I said more, it’d give away important plot details, which are better left discovered for yourself. Let’s just say it’s a meshing of 80’s slashers like “Sweet Sixteen” and “Halloween IV” with the fun tone of “Peggy Sue Got Married.” A plus is that it effectively adds human interest despite the campiness.
Kiernan works well as the attractive, sassy protagonist while Julie Bowen is on hand as her mother. Liana Liberato (Tiffany) and Olivia Holt (Pam) are also worth a mention.
The movie runs 1 hour, 46 minutes, was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, including The Bridge Studios in linking Burnaby.
GRADE: B+