Mini Film Reviews Volume 16

The Babadook

A single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoid when an eerie children’s book titled “Mister Babadook” manifests in their home. I really wanted to like it as I’m a massive fan of smaller independent film but this is such a massive let down, it is one of those film that doesn’t get under your skin and there is no jump scares at all and you can’t really connect to these characters as they are hard to like. This is certainly not memorable enough at all.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi – retirement to uncover a Soviet Agent within MI6. On paper this could be amazing, tense and suspense with array of well-known faces. It sadly failed as it got an overcomplicated plot and stuffed to many things in one scene and it keep coming back and forth, at the end you can’t really get to know the characters and the pacing is all wrong as it too everywhere, not quite the perfect viewing for some people as it frustrating to watch.  

The Wife

A wife questions her life choices as she travels to Stockholm to see her husband receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. The only positive from this film is Jonathan Pryce and Glenn Close as each individual normally really good and their performances is outstanding but it is the film in whole as it is uneven and thinly plotted as well, it just leave you with unanswered questions and the ending is awful as it didn’t blended in well with this film.

Florence Foster Jenkins

The story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice. The intention was there and the thing is there is a lot of flaws like a it is rather lightweight with the story and it is rather cringy as well and it not quite uplifting or a feel-good film, it just in the middle and being too safe and it becoming too predictable. The acting is reasonable and well casted but couldn’t quite pull it off with this film.

A Secret Love

Falling in love in 1947, two women Pat Henschel and pro baseball player Terry Donahue begin a 65-year journey of love and overcoming prejudice. This is well intentioned and I love the message of love have obstacles and fight it, the thing is this doesn’t have that emotional connect to this or the dept of the story and the people are likeable but they are hard to like as well at the same time. It quite up there with other documentaries that I see but it a decent one.

Ghost Stories

Sceptical professor Phillip Goodman embarks on a trip to the terrifying after being given a file with details of three unexplained cases of apparitions. The first hour is superb with general jump scares and really engrossing of this film, the characters are likeable and all of them really good. The negative is the final half and hour is just plain stupid with a twist is really weird and that just ruined a perfect film and I wished they thought about it, than just rushing it but despite of that it still a reasonable film.

Free State Of Jones

A disillusioned Confederate army deserter returns to Mississippi and lead a militia of fellow deserters and women in an uprising against the corrupt local Confederate government. It isn’t a bad film at all and it is well intentioned despite the first hour rather sluggish like with the pacing not quite there, Matthew McConaughey is a tad boring, if you get past that the final third is excellent and with a poignancy ending and the supporting cast is spot on especially Gugu Mbatha – Raw as she is silently really good in her role, it still a good film.

My Octopus Teacher

A filmmaker forges a usual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world. In my eyes everyone should watch this as it is moving, poignancy, cute and generally powerful with an emotional sucker punch and it is definitely suitable for all ages and a family viewing as well, brilliant soundtrack with stunning cinematography and it gorgeous to look at in a life affirming film that you would connect to, the underwater scene is certainly out of this world.