Mini Film Reviews Volume 78

Aftersun

Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t. Firstly, the story is there and this is well casted, I also liked the idea behind this film, but unfortunately the pacing is off and it doesn’t hold your interest, it lacks the emotional aspect and it hard to care for these characters, it such a shame it doesn’t exactly work, it has got potential but it doesn’t deliver.

Turbo

A freak accident might just help an everyday garden snail achieve his biggest dream: winning the Indy 500. Well casted animation film and the idea is there, but unfortunately  this isn’t laugh out loud funny and it not as charming, it can feels rather hyperactive in places when it doesn’t need to be, it also not memorable as it should be, I don’t want to be too harsh on this film as it try to be something different, it just doesn’t work and that is a real shame.

Crazy Heart

A faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him. It has got a great cast and the scenery is outstanding, the story is there but it doesn’t leave you a lasting impression on you, it more bleak and depression as it not uplifting as much as it should be, it also hard to care about with these characters as it lacks the emotional aspect, despite of these flaws, it could have been something special.

Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken

A shy adolescent learns that she comes from a fabled royal family of legendary sea krakens and that her destiny lies in the depths of the waters, which is bigger than she could have ever imagined. Gorgeous looking animation film that tries to be something different, I also like the message of appearances which I personally connect with, for me personally I found the soundtrack rather annoying and lacks a bit of charm, despite that this is likeable and this is a well-made film.

Dog Gone

Based on the true story of a father and son who repair their fractured relationship during a forced hike of the Appalachian trail to find their beloved lost dog. Could be on the verve of too sentimental and rather forced for some people, this is quietly powerful and it will move you as well, it also got great scenery and the acting is amazing, it could have been a five-star film and I just feel the ending is slightly weak, despite that this is watchable and this is good.

The Others

In 1945, immediately following the end of Second World War, a woman who lives with her two photosensitive children on her darkened old family estate in the Channel Islands becomes convinced that the home is haunted. Quietly this film drawn you in from start to finish, this has got great twist and the acting is amazing and totally believable, it got that psychological element and it got superb jump scares, the only thing is the start of this film doesn’t gel or flow together as much, despite that this is still remarkable and a good film.