Sam Mendes joins Roger Deakins once again to produce a gorgeous looking film with a great cast. Unfortunately he has little grasp of the subjects addressed in his screenplay. Supposedly set in 1981, Mendes films Micheal Ward as if he just stepped off a boat in the 1950s. The not-taking-meds trope is tired. Ward's character is given the task of explaining how awful racism is, while Olivia Colman can only speak truth in the throes of mental distress. Tricking ourselves…
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John and the Hole 2021
Beautifully shot and well acted, this languid, wilfully blank drama offers a vice-versa scenario alongside a seemingly superfluous supblot.
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The Girl with All the Gifts 2016
The zombie apocalypse sub-genre is overpopulated but there's something to enjoy here. Sennia Nanua is terrific as Melanie, the 'gifted' girl, reminding us she is a child in some playful and poignant moments. Good support from Glenn Close, Paddy Considine, Fisayo Akinade and Gemma Arterton in admittedly narrow roles. There is violence, and some chases, but they are kept to a minimum. Interesting to note that the director also worked on Black Mirror, the tone of which is echoed here. The ending matches the unusual take on the material.
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Us 2019
Once again Jordan Peele takes a number of cinematic tropes and blends them into a visually striking, eerily atmospheric and well scored horror. Lupita Nyong'o is the beating heart of this film, though all the cast are excellent. The narrative is enhanced by effective use of shadow and reflective surfaces. As is the convention of the genre, some answers are supplied at the end but it is the sense of unanswered questions that lingers beyond the final frame.
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