The Railway Children Returns (PG) - Movie Review

In The Railway Children Returns, Jenny Agutter breaks all records by returning to an acting role that she first played on a BBC television production in 1968. 

Her character Bobbie was the older girl in a close family who were sent to live in the Yorkshire countryside following difficulties experienced by their father in London at the turn of the last century.  The family’s adventures, while living beside a busy railway line, has proved continuously popular to screen audiences since the story of the Railway Children was first filmed.

After the BBC series, a movie of the same name, The Railway Children was shot in 1970.  The new movie is the direct sequel to that movie and is set in the same Yorkshire village where Bobbie is now a grandmother living with her daughter and grandson. 

The Railway Children Returns follows a group of children who are evacuated from Liverpool to the countryside, where they begin an idyllic adventure life beside the railway.  They live the rough and tumble life of childhood until they find a young soldier hiding from everyone in a disused railway carriage.

The Railway Children Returns which is now showing at Athlone IMC has a modern message in its very traditional story.  The art direction of the movie and its use of authentic costumes of the period is first-class and it should surely be in line for BAFTAs in those categories when that time comes around again.

However Jenny Agutter is totally underused and while there are several references to the 1970 film, a missed opportunity to reinvigorate the Bobbie character was missed, writes David Flynn.  While there were reminders of the original movie, there was little mention of the earlier characters, with the exception of Bobbie’s brother, Peter, who was revealed to have been killed in a previous war.

Sheridan Smith showed some vigour in the role of Annie, the village schoolteacher and daughter of Bobbie.  Austin Haynes as Annie’s son, Thomas and Beau Gadsdon as Lily shone very well and there were a few good actors like Tom Courtney as an elderly uncle and there was a comic role for John Bradley as a railway employee.

The storyline is adequate and old-fashioned, but it works on many levels.  The main criticism was the under-use of Bobbie, or proper development of her back-story since the original movie happened.

 

1917 (15A) - Movie Review

Audiences are taken back to the Western Front in WW1 with this new movie from Oscar winning director, Sam Mendes.

It features two young British soldiers who are sent over the lines of the trenches of the front, to deliver a message to another regiment.  The regiment is heading for a trap, and the soldiers have to battle horrific conditions in the no-man’s land terrain of broken human bodies, rats, muck and sniper rifles to reach their destination.    

Their journey is one of terror, and tension and the entire movie is shot in real-time and yet so much believable and intensive action takes place in its two hour length.  It is part adventure thriller as well as whole war-picture.

An almost entire male cast appears in ‘1917’; many of them young and unknown actors, and many others well-known in short cameo appearances.  All of them have talent and experience worthy to appear in their roles in the movie.

Cinematography of the vast landscape of WW1 in ‘1917’ is head and shoulders above many recent movies on offer. 

The two original leads in the movie are Dean-Charles Chapman playing Lance Corporal Blake and George MacKay playing Lance Corporal Schofield.   Both actors had power in their performances and are definitely ones to watch in the future, writes David Flynn.

The only place the movie falls a bit is in its screenplay because a couple of scenes wouldn’t look out of place in a Hollywood action blockbuster, but those scenes are minute and rare in ‘1917’. 

There was two Golden Globes (Best Director and Best Picture) won by Sam Mendes for 1917.  It is nominated for ten Oscars including Best Picture, and incidentally Best Screenplay, and also nominated for nine BAFTAs including Best Picture.

‘1917’ is unforgettable for all the right reasons, and is now showing at Athlone IMC.

Downton Abbey (PG) – Movie Review

A new chapter in the world of the ratings and critically hit series has been made for the cinema screen.  The big house people, upstairs and downstairs return to see the King and Queen of England and their entourage pay a visit.

Most of the cast of Downton Abbey is back for the movie of the same name.  Maggie Smith was probably the star of the series and the movie and she played the Dowager, Violet Crawley to perfection yet again.   The cast of the tv series are joined by actors, Imelda Staunton, Max Brown, Mark Addy, Lesley Nichol and many others playing new characters.  Simon Jones and Geraldine James play King George V and Queen Mary.

Maggie Smith had a good sparring partner with Imelda Staunton, who played a cousin of the family, who was also a lady in waiting to the Queen.  She is the subject of one of the many subplots in the movie.

It’s got a few interesting themes in there, like republicanism versus monarchy, inheritance and class, and a gay character exploring his sexuality in 1920s England.

Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England is again the setting of Downton Abbey and the production bears up the world of 1927 quite well, writes David Flynn.   The costumes, furniture and city streets are all designed with the good style that was in the series.  The writer, Julian Fellowes wrote a good script, albeit not as good as his Oscar winning 2001 movie script, ‘Gosford Park’.

‘Downton Abbey’ is simply another episode of the television series, and fair play to the production team for that, because as a screen story it works, albeit not for cinematic audiences.  It would have been a good Christmas special on ITV instead of a movie feature, but it will be in future years. 

Once Upon a Time….in Hollywood (18) – Movie Review

Quentin Tarentino threw the kitchen sink at this production which re-created Hollywood in spring and summer, 1969.

Tarentino, who wrote and directed ‘Once Upon a Time ….in Hollywood’ had the power to get the double male leads of Leonardo Di Caprio and Brad Pitt together in one movie.  Leo plays a struggling TV star, Rick Dalton and Brad plays Cliff Booth, Rick’s stunt double. 

The two characters have a deep friendship and equal respect of each other, which developed when they worked together on Rick’s 1950s black and white hit TV western.   Throughout the 1960s, Rick has to work on spaghetti westerns and bit parts on TV shows, while Cliff works as his driver and house-sitter.

The house in the Hollywood hills is coincidentally next door to the rented home of director, Roman Polanski and his actress wife, Sharon Tate.  History buffs will know that in real-life a terrible murder happened in that house in August 1969.

The Tarentino script and direction of the movie deals with the lead-up to the murder, and features many of the characters involved in the atrocity.  The movie’s re-creation of Los Angeles in 1969 is done to a high-level, showing the movie theatres and street design of the era.  The ambience of the movie shows the mood of the time, with the flower power parties and the feeling of the Vietnam War in the air.

The lives of Rick and Cliff remain on the periphery of the stench of evil that is brewing with a murderous gang, as they live in a movie farmyard on the outskirts of Hollywood.  Rick and Cliff, almost in a ‘Forest Gump’ sort of way fizzle in and out of the lives of the movie elite and the evil gang.

The double male leads of Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio gave brilliant performances which were interesting to watch. Leo twisted himself in two with energy to play Rick, while Brad was more subdued in his performance of Cliff, which was totally effective.  One of these guys will take the Best Actor Oscar next March.

Margot Robbie played Sharon Tate to such a great degree that the family of the 1960s movie star was reported to be very pleased with the performance.  Footage of the movies which starred Sharon Tate were featured in ‘Once Upon a Time…..in Hollywood’, but it didn’t shake the moviegoers view of Robbie’s performance - if anything it enhanced it

It was nice to see some high-profile cameos from Bruce Dern, Kurt Russell, Al Pacino, Luke Perry and Damien Lewis.  They all added to a very good movie, writes David Flynn.

The Lion King (PG) - Movie Review

On paper it must have seemed like a great idea to remake The Lion King, with new computerised animation, which has been developed since the original film was a smash hit twenty-five years previous.

The movie is set in Africa, in a desert community of a pride of lions.  The lion cub Simba is the son of the King and Queen of the doman.  He is groomed to take over from his father, but Simba enjoys playing like a cub and getting into all sorts of young devilment.  However the cub does have respect for the traditions of his family, including the ‘circle of life’ which connects all living things on the vast land.

After Simba is fooled by his evil uncle, Scar, his life takes a turn which includes death, and a new life in the jungle forests.  Here he meets new friends, and builds a new life, but a visit from a love interest, Nala, (voiced by Beyonce) reminds him of home.  A new battle and frontier awaits Simba when he decides to return to his past.

The movie is enjoyable for those who have not seen the 1994 Lion King original, although much of the emotion that was shown in the earlier movie is missing here.  Interestingly the new movie is around 30 minutes longer than the original.  There is still a feeling of the story being rushed, particularly after Nala finds her old love.  However the movie picks up in the last half hour and reaches a nice climax, which will be found satisfying by most viewers, writes David Flynn.

A Star is Born (15A) – Movie Review

Here is a story that was filmed many times in the past.  However this version brings it up to date to 2018.
Singer, Lady Gaga and box-office hit star, Bradley Cooper take up the roles of up and coming singer Ally and big star singer, Jackson Maine.  There had been versions of this story filmed in the 30s, 50s and 70s.  Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson starred in the 1976 version. 
Ally is living with her father, and is on the verge of giving up her hopes of a singing career.  Fate intervenes when she meets Jackson Maine, and he encourages her to further explore her songwriting and singing talent.  Along the way the couple fall in love, but while Jackson slips into alcoholism, Ally’s career rises.  Then Jackson’s situation starts to infringe on Ally’s burgeoning stardom.
A clash of happenings between both talented musicians bring them to the edge of disaster that can only lead to new heartache. 
Lady Gaga is absolutely marvellous in the role of Ally.  Her singing is superb, as you’d expect anyway due to her music career, and her creation of the role of Ally never diminishes for a second of film.  She portrays the humble character with humility, and it’s no wonder that she is nominated for a Golden Globe award and an Oscar nomination will surely beckon next year.
Bradley Cooper has got a fantastic singing voice, and he plays the part of Jackson like he was born for the role.  Concert footage in the movie is fantastic, where the massive crowds cheer on Jackson and Ally to singing success. 
Cooper too deserves the acting nomination of the Golden Globe, because of his meltdown performance alone. 
However the 1976 and 2018 movies are very similar, with the exception of the odd mention of YouTube and mobile phones around. 
Bobby, a character in the 2018 movie is a father figure for Jackson, who was played by Sam Elliott. He would be a great option for Best Supporting Actor in next years Oscars.
The 2018 story is positively brought up to date with the gay characters in the movie.  Jackson first encounters Ally singing in a Drag bar, and her best friend in the movie is a gay man, Ramon who is played by Anthony Ramos. 
As director, Bradley Cooper has created a classic.  He was helped by the great performances of his lead and supporting cast, writes David Flynn.  The music is also superb along the way, and is a worthy successor to the 1976 movie.

Halloween – Movie Review

Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her most famous movie role forty years later.

Back forty years later to the scene of the crime in the small town of Haddonfield, USA, where Michael Myers went on his second spree of killing (he had also killed his sister fifteen years earlier when he was a 4 year old!), is the order of this new Hallowe’en movie.
This movie is a direct sequel of the 1978 movie of the same name and stars the same important cast members Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode and Nick Castle as Michael Myers. 
This ‘Halloween’, the cinemagoer is asked to forget about the other seven or eight Halloween movies, which built (maybe not brilliantly) on the original Myers/Strode story.  Here we take up the story forty years after the end of the original movie.  At the time, Laurie narrowly escapes being brutally murdered by the evil Myers. 
In the intervening years, Laurie has been twice divorced and is trying to connect with her granddaughter, Allyson (played by unknown Andi Matichak).  (Jamie Lee Curtis too was an unknown when she made the original movie.)  Today, Laurie lives in a forest fortress, where she is repelling the outside world.

Myers has been forty years in a prison for the criminally insane, and has baffled psychiatrists there, and has never spoken a word since 1978.  Of course he escapes, and heads back for Haddonfield, and Laurie gets ready for their inevitable confrontation.
It’s an interesting film, although it has the obvious slashings and killings.  Innocent babysitters and regular bystanders are prey for Myers when he begins his first killing spree in forty years. 
The movie pays homage to the original ‘Halloween’.  There is a late 70s feel to the movie, with the exception of the mobile phones used by characters and about their talk of using the internet.  Other than that, Haddonfield looks the same.
Halloween 2018 is a credible comeback for these familiar characters.  However it should have picked a slightly different name to differentiate it from the original.   But it was all worth the effort for the cast and crew, writes David Flynn.

Adrift (12A) – Movie Review

A true story is in the foreground of this survival movie which is situated in the midst of the treacherous waters of the Pacific Ocean.
The movie, ‘Adrift’ is originally set on the island of Tahiti in 1983.  Tahiti is a paradise island below the equator, which was the setting for the 18^th century maritime adventure which became well known as the ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’.
‘Adrift’ features the story of a Californian girl, Tami who is touring the world alone, and working her way through the South Pacific islands.  She meets a young English man, Richard, who is sailing his way to his destiny in the same region.  When they meet up, they find a kindred spirit in each other, and love happens.
The young lovers set out on a boat through the wild ocean, but neither envisaged the hell of a trip that awaited them.  Unfortunately for them, they encountered one of the worst hurricanes ever recorded.
Tami awoke to find Richard first missing, and then seriously injured.  She had to work to save both their lives in a boat that was barely afloat and adrift.
Tami is played by Shailene Woodley and Richard is played by Sam Clafin.  Shailene is also producer of the movie which has a claustrophobic feel to it, due to much of it being set on the adrift boat, in the middle of the great ocean.  The strength of the waves were very vivid in the storm scene, and the general look of the movie was shown beautifully.
The performances of both main actors were exemplary, particularly Shailene Woodley’s.  Shailene gave great depth to the part of Tami, which came across very natural. 
There are certain to be awards at the different ceremonies next year for this feature, writes David Flynn, and one definite will be for cinematography, and it’s hard to see another feature between now and then beating ‘Adrift’. 

Ocean’s Eight (12A) – Movie Review

Some of cinema’s top female stars appear here as would-be jewel thieves in a robbery worth no less than $150,000,000.  ‘Ocean’s Eight’ is a spin-off of the successful 2000s trilogy, which starred some of the top male stars of the time.
This new movie begins with Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) getting out of prison after doing time for fraud.  Debbie is the sister of Danny Ocean, the leader of the lads in the original productions.  Danny was played by George Clooney in the earlier movies.
However it is now more than ten years since an Oceans movie and Danny is now dead, and after Debbie gets out of prison she plans a caper, the likes of which would have made her late brother proud.
Glamour is the order of the day in ‘Ocean’s Eight’ and it features Debbie re-joining with her old partner in crime, Lou, played by Cate Blanchett.  Lou is living off a scheme of watering down vodka when she reunites with Debbie (they did some bingo scams together in their youth), and the duo engineer a new scam to steal a museum’s Royal jewels.
The ladies they assemble include Helena Bonham-Carter as a tax criminal and successful 1990s fashion designer, and also Sarah Paulsen as fence turned homemaker, Tammy.
Movie star Daphne is the key to putting the whole plan together, she was played by the brilliant Anne Hathaway.  Rihanna is in there as well on the team, and there are special appearances from two of the Kardashian girls and Olivia Munn and Katie Holmes.   Popular veteran actor, Elliot Gould from the other Oceans movies makes a guest appearance.
There are a couple of laughs in the movie, and it’s a mind-candy feature.  Despite it having three Oscar winners on board in the acting stakes, it won’t win any Oscars, but it’s a bit of fun, and you could see far worse writes David Flynn.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (12A) – Movie Review

Returning to a movie franchise which is now 25 years old can be exciting for those who grew up with the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park.
Here we have the fifth move in the series, and the remaining dinosaurs are living out their existence on a volcanic island.  The governments of the world are in talks about whether they should save the dinosaurs or let them die.
This new movie is set three years after the last one, ‘Jurassic World’, and the animal expert couple, Clair and Owen return, although they are now estranged.
An invalid industrialist, Benjamin Lockwood (played by James Cromwell), who was an associate of the founder of Jurassic Park, which was original home of the dinosaurs gets Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and her former love, Owen (Chris Pratt) to return to the island and save the dinosaurs.  Owen has the further interest of finding his own favourite dinosaur, Blue, and along the way he discovers that they will have more battles to save the dinosaurs than they originally thought.
It begins like a traditional movie, with the elderly billionaire offering the young folk the opportunity to save the dinosaurs, but the storyline gets lost along the way, although it does manage to throw in a few surprises.  The CGI of the dinosaurs is still great to see, but somehow it was more effective in the early 1990s when audiences hadn’t seen as much of these types of movies.
Jeff Goldblum returns as Dr. Ian Malcolm to give a philosophical perspective on the whole plan of dinosaurs living in the world with man, writes David Flynn
It’s a moral story, which shows some respect for animals, and it’s an interesting episode of the series.  However producers will want to come up with some new and adventurous ideas for the next Jurassic feature.

I, Tonya (15A) – Movie Review

People of the 1990s will probably remember the story about the US figure skater Tonya Harding.   Now, a long-awaited bio-pic has come to cinemas, and it’s far from soap opera variety.
Tonya Harding was a champion figure skater who was accused of being involved in an attack on her skating rival, Nancy Kerrigan.   It was January 1994, and the internet wasn’t even a word in the mainstream vocabulary, but it was the early days of 24 hour news stations.  International news was becoming more commonly known because of most televisions having the SKY news channel.
Tonya was born to a low-income family in Portland, Oregon, but her obsessive mother, LaVona started her daughter figure skating at age 5 years.  Tonya made it up the ranks through her teenage years, but was never fully accepted by the figure skating world, because she lacked what they saw as a sense of grace in her skating style, and there seemed to be snobbery among the community.
Tonya got married young to Jeff, who was later found guilty of organising the attack on Nancy Kerrigan.  Tonya too was deemed guilty of involvement.
‘I, Tonya’ tells the story from the side of Tonya Harding, but not without warts.  She was a victim of physical abuse, first from her mother, and later from her husband.  The movie doesn’t pull any punches with these abuses, and viewing is not for the faint hearted.
The cast are brilliant in their portrayals of the real people, especially the three leads.
Allison Janney has won the Oscar, BAFTA award, and Golden Globe Award, for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Tonya’s mother, LaVona.  She is a compelling figure to watch, and Allison brought a chilling performance to the fore with the role, writes David Flynn.
Margot Robbie, in interviews admitted that she had never heard the Tonya Harding story.  However she got in behind the role, and re-created the life of Tonya from early teens to her marriage and becoming a world champion Figure Skater.
Sebastian Stan as the bad guy in the piece – Tonya’s husband, Jeff, was very real in his portrayal.
The movie is told in documentary style, and the viewer can’t help but feel part of the world of these difficult people.
It was worth the wait to see the background to the Tonya Harding story.  While it may not all be believable, it’s certainly an insight that hasn’t been shown for almost 25 years.

The Shape of Water (15A) – Movie Review

A bit of everything is the crux of this particular movie.
It’s set in the cold war era at a secret scientific base in Baltimore, USA., during the JFK years.
A mute woman who works as a cleaner at the facility discovers a humanoid sea creature stored there.  The woman, Elisa, lives a lonely life, with her only friend being her equally lonely artist neighbour, Giles.
Elisa and her co-worker, Zelda find themselves working in the laboratory where the creature is held.  Elisa builds a relationship with the creature which slowly grows from fascination to something more intense.  When she learns that her boss, Strickland (played by Michael Shannon) doesn’t have the creature’s best interests at heart, she decides to act in ways that will change her existence forever. 
The movie is nominated for 13 Academy Awards, and has already won two Golden Globes and three Baftas.   It didn’t win the major awards, but writer/director Guillermo del Toro has won two of the awards for Best Director, which is a good omen going into the Oscars.
Sally Hawkins gave a beautiful performance as the silent Elisa.  Richard Jenkins also does well playing the gay artist, Giles.  Zelda was played by Octavia Spencer, who as per usual in her acting brought some much needed humour with her role.  Spencer is a good tip to win Best Supporting Actress, which would add to her win for The Help in 2012. 
The skin design of the creature and the special effects are magnificent, as is definitely the direction, and the story, which is traditional in ways, but is told in a most unique way, writes David Flynn.
The setting of 1962 America is excellent to look at, and the look of everything from ice-cream parlours to US streets is a picturesque trip back in time.
The creature is played beautifully by Doug Jones, and it took some stagecraft or possibly some experience with mime, for the actor to create such a role. 
The action, the violence, the lovemaking – all of it makes up one of the top movies of the year, and it’s still only late February!

 

The Greatest Showman (PG)

An old fashioned Hollywood musical is currently on general release telling the story of Mr. PT Barnum, who was the originator of popular showbusiness.  Barnum was incredibly ambitious but also perpetually broke, and he came from the poor side of America’s streets in the middle of the 19^th century.   He has a childhood sweetheart, Charity, from the wealthy side of life, and he clashes angrily with her father.  Barnum has ambition to provide circus entertainment for the masses featuring unusual characters.  He takes many risks with many ups and down to achieve this ambition and also to continue true love with Charity.  Along the way he meets two people, young writer, Phillip Carlyle, played by Zac Ephron and opera singer, Jennie Lind played by Rebecca Ferguson, who will help him change the world of entertainment.
The movie, ‘The Greatest Showman’ is colourful with a lot of singing and dancing around the lavish sets that were specially built to depict new theatre in 19^th century America, and is now showing in Athlone IMC.  The movie had a stage feel throughout, and it didn’t leave that aside.  The music is so-so, but the Oscar nominated song, ‘This Is Me’, is of good quality, writes David Flynn.
The movie is reminiscent, but not as lavish as Moulin Rouge in 2002, or as cinematic as La La Land in 2017.
Hugh Jackman was excellent in the role, and proved that despite pushing 50, he could play Barnum at all stages of his interesting life.  It was good to see Michelle Williams (Charity) back in a good role.  Zac Ephron was a surprise star as Carlyle, and proved he’s capable of producing a good performance with an interesting role.  Rebecca Ferguson is a star who is only beginning to peak, and should have many good roles ahead of her in the future.
The Greatest Showman’s a very watchable movie, due to the visually pleasing sets and also the talented supporting cast, ie Sam Humphrey as Tom Thumb, Keala Settle as Lettie Lutz and Zendaya as Anne Wheeler.  However there could be more depth in the story of the life and works of PT Barnum.  The set is the real focus of the feature, and it’s a relaxing feature to watch.

 

The Post (12A) - Movie Review

The order of the day in ‘The Post’ is a step back to a place and time when the White House in the Vietnam War era, and the national media were all wrestling with their own consciences.
Most know the gist of the Watergate story, ie burglars with links to the Nixon (Republican) White House were caught robbing the Watergate building, which was the Democratic Party headquarters.  However this motion picture, directed by Steven Spielberg tells a story that predates the 1972 burglary.
An employee of the American military, Daniel Ellsberg, played by Matthew Rhys discovers a major government cover-up concerning Vietnam, which dated back to the 1950s.  Ellsberg copies the documents, and passes some of them to the New York Times, who publishes them as a major scoop.  
Welsh actor, Rhys is currently starring in the Cold War US tv drama, ‘The Americans’.
The Washington Post editor and management are livid with missing the story, but after a period of cat and mouse, the Post eventually manages to get a full copy of the report, which gives a damning to previous US governments.  Court and judges comes into the equation, and huge battles begin between, government, court, editor and journalists, and the Washington Post’s owner.
In the movie, ‘The Post’, the set of the major US newspaper is almost a direct copy of the one in the brilliant 1976 Watergate movie, ‘All the President’s Men’, and the two movies could be looked at as companions. 
‘The Post’ gives a terrific insight into how things used to be done before mobile phones, and digital this and that.  Here it’s all telephones and typewriters, and pure sweat, blood and tears in smoke-filled rooms.  It’s also interesting to watch the true depiction of the 1971 US lifestyle, ie many people smoking everywhere.
Meryl Streep is nominated for an Oscar as Katherine Graham, and while she delivers a good performance, it is no better than any she has done before.   The role wasn’t her most challenging, like when she played Margaret Thatcher in ‘The Iron Lady’ in 2012, and deservedly won the Oscar.
Tom Hank’s role was challenging as editor Ben Bradlee – a strong character, who was played by Jason Robards in the 1976 Watergate movie   
There are great supporting performances from the likes of Sarah Paulson as Bradlee’s wife, Bradley Whitford, Allison Brie and Bruce Greenwood.
The movie is palatable, and is one to savour.  They don’t tell many strongly told stories like this anymore, writes David Flynn.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (12A) - Movie Review

Here we return to long long ago, and the space world of Star Wars where the Empire and the Jedis are still fighting.  It’s more than forty years since we first encountered the young jedi twins, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia (now General Leia).
This is the eighth Star Wars film since 1977 and while it is faithful to the original storyline, sadly much of the Jedi and Empire world seems to have got lost in Hollywood over the years.  The original director, George Lucas sold on his interest in the Star Wars saga to Disney films in the past few years.  However Star Wars: The Last Jedi does have the required special effects that a Space Opera requires.   Also there is important conflict among the characters Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and young jedi Rey (Daisy Ridley) on Skellig Michael in Ireland, which doubles for an outpost in the farther regions of the galaxy.   Also Rey’s powerful encounter with new Darth Vader Kylo (Adam Driver), who has gone to the Dark Side, is an important part of the film.
The story sadly allows the action to tell too much of this episode of the saga, and not enough character conflict, and that has been a problem with the Star Wars movies (1999-2005).  However the final showdown featuring most of the main characters in The Last Jedi is worth sticking around for, writes David Flynn.
Also it’s sad to see Carrie Fisher in her final performance as Leia, poignant though that be, since the role she first played in 1977 set her on the road to her Hollywood journey.  Carrie died at Christmas 2016, just after wrapping The Last Jedi.   She gave good value for money as the Princess (now a General) fighting a major war across the galaxy.
Skellig Michael is worth seeing for its magnificence and rugged beauty, and it won’t do Irish tourism the least bit of harm.  Also speaking of Ireland, Domhnall Gleason as the wimpy, General Hux showed that the actor has talent that crosses many fields.

There is also an interesting appearance by 2018 Golden Globe winner Laura Dern as a rebel Admiral.  She won the Globe a few weeks back for the tv series, Little Big Lies.  There are also sightings of old favourites such as robots C3PO and R2D2, and the beloved Chewbacca, although it seems strange not to see his old familiar sidekick with him.
The movie is too long, but as said earlier, it’s worth sticking around.

Paddington 2 (Gen) - Movie Review

The little red-hatted bear returns to the big screen after an unbelievable three years. Time flies, and in 2014, ‘Paddington’ (the movie) was big box-office and a critical hit.
The very English setting of ‘Paddington 2’, which is mostly modern, but yet which could be set any time in the past 50 years is the world that Paddington the bear has moved to after leaving South America in the last movie.  At this stage, and after a lot of adventures, he is living happily with the Brown family in the middle of London, and the friendly bear has become a respected citizen.
One day he visits an old shop to find a present for his Aunt Lucy’s 100^th birthday.  His Aunt is still living in South America, and Paddington agrees with the shopkeeper to save and buy a pop up picture book of London.  However Paddington finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when the book is stolen, and he unwittingly becomes a convicted criminal.
Most of the cast has returned for this second feature film, which is based on the books of Michael Bond.    Hugh Bonneville as Mr. Brown is probably the standout performance of the lot, alongside the brilliant Julie Walters as the housekeeper, Mrs. Bird, writes David Flynn.

Hugh Grant makes a welcome return to movies as a funfair performer, Phoenix Buchanan.  

Through the cast list there are also people like Jim Broadbent, Tom Conti and Peter Capaldi (one time Dr. Who), Eileen Atkins, and a special appearance by Ireland’s Brendan Gleeson.
Most of the movie is about Paddington’s search for justice, and his battle to clear his name.  There is a lot of action throughout the movie, and comedy is to the forefront and like in the first movie, it’s not just for the kids either.

‘Paddington 2’ is hilarious, but it’s not as good as the first movie.  However it’s a must for the kids, and for anyone who likes the tales of the friendly bear who lives in London.

Murder on the Orient Express (12A) - Movie Review

A claustrophobic trip in the dark and snowy Alps, on the world’s most famous train after the occurrence of a murder, is the offering on board big screens these days.
Set in 1934, this feature film based on the classic book by mystery writer, Agatha Christie is at least the third attempt for celluloid.   Hercule Poirot, the little Belgian detective with the handlebar moustache is first seen here close to the magnificent wall of Jerusalem, (probably Malta doing the doubling) solving a near impossible case.  He then realises that he needs a vacation, and he heads off to the world’s most famous train, the Orient Express.  It is the depths of winter as he goes onboard the train, and he meets a most interesting cast of characters, all of whom have seen some wealth come or go in their lives.
The cast is made up of a dream team, which is rare to see in movies today, writes David Flynn.  Poirot is played by Kenneth Branagh, who is also the director of the film, and who has publicly said he hopes this will be the first of a new movie series.  Johnny Depp plays Mr. Ratchett, who tries to hire Poirot as soon as the Orient Express takes off.  Ratchett believes his life is in danger, and it’s no secret that he isn’t proven wrong.  The train get caught in an avalanche which causes the claustrophic feeling on the train, following the expected gruesome murder.  Judi Dench, Michele Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi, Daisy Ridley and Olivia Colman are among the all-star cast who joins Branagh and Depp in this version of ‘Murder on the Orient Express’.
The cinematography in the movie is second to none, and the walls and seas around ‘Jerusalem’ are simply beautiful.  Also there are superb views of the mountainous Alps.
There are one or two very good performances among the actors, but some of them are just going through the motions.  However ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ is wonderful escapism on the cinema screen.

 

 

 

Maze (15A) - Movie Review

A depiction of the 1983 North of Ireland Maze prison escape gets the big screen treatment this Autumn, and the lead actor/character is a familiar face from the small screen.

Tom Vaughn-Lawlor will always be remembered as Nidge from ‘Love/Hate’, and he fits seamlessly into tough guy roles.  Here he plays an IRA prisoner, Larry Marley in the Maze prison, and his home life and frustration at having his family outside his reach is shown here.  His wife is brilliantly, but shortly played by Eileen Walsh, and that view shows the other side of the IRA prisoner.

Barry Ward is a revelation as a Maze prison officer, Gordon Close whose life mirrors that of Larry, in that he too is separated from his family, albeit, because they left him over his dangerous career choice.  In a dramatic scene, Gordon is shown avoiding an assassination attempt in front of his wife and young daughter.

The movie, which is quite atmospheric and where it succeeds is that it has a ‘prison’ feel to it, and it would make an interesting stage play.  The escape plan is riveting in its showing, but overall the film is a disappointment.

It’s interesting to watch from a history perspective, but you would want to know some of the history before sitting down to watch the film, writes David Flynn.

The best thing about the film is the acting of Tom Vaughn Lawlor and Barry Ward, and the interaction and relationship between the two men from different sides of the wall.   

Victoria and Abdul (PG) - Movie Review

First of all, it’s a great title – ‘Victoria and Abdul’, which is a nod to ‘Victoria and Albert’, signifying the UK’s second longest serving monarch and her husband.
‘Victoria and Abdul’ is a (mostly, as it says in the opening) true story about an incident that happened in the final years of the Queen’s life.   
Victoria of England had a friendship with an Indian clerk, Abdul, which happened after the young man was sent from India to deliver a commemorative coin of Victoria’s Diamond jubilee.  India was under British rule at the time, and remained that way until 1947. 
As time went by the Queen developed a trust in Abdul, and she became tutored by him in the Indian language, and the Koran and the unlikely pair enjoyed each other’s company.  The friendship which followed was frowned upon by upper crust society, most especially by her son, Bertie, the Prince of Wales. 
The movie of ‘Victoria and Abdul’ is a tale of the last days of Victorianism, with the lady herself at the centre.  However there is much in the tale which would look familiar today.
Judi Dench returns to the role of Victoria, having last played the part in the movie, ‘Mrs. Brown’ in 1997, and a BAFTA award and probably some other awards  for this new movie beckons next year, including for the veteran actress.  Ali Fazal as Abdul, is a newcomer, but one to the watch for in the future.  Bertie, the Prince of Wales was played effectively in a surprising appearance by comic actor, Eddie Izzard.
There are many other good actors in the period piece, including Tim Pigott-Smith, who unfortunately died last April, as Sir Henry, and this is one of his final completed films.  Pigott-Smith appeared more than thirty years ago in TV’s ‘The Jewel in the Crown’. 
Other noteworthy performances were done by Michael Gambon, Olivia Williams, Simon Callow, and Irish actress, Ruth McCabe as the Queen’s dresser, writes David Flynn.
The director is Stephen Frears, who also directed Judi Dench in the multi—award winner, ‘Philomena’ in 2013.
It’s also worth mentioning that the set design; both interiors and exteriors of the royal world of the late 19^th century in ‘Victoria and Abdul’ were excellent.  On the big screen a few errors or items from out of place can be spotted, but no such thing can be seen because obviously a lot of work went into this production.

Dunkirk (12A) - Movie Review

The evacuation of allied soldiers from the city of Dunkirk, France while the German army surrounded them during the Battle of France in World War 11 is put on film here by the man who kick-started the acclaimed ‘Batman’ movie series, Christopher Nolan.

Nolan produced, directed and wrote this cinematic depiction of the ‘Dunkirk’ battle.  It is told at times in documentary style, but there is non-stop drama, and some of the best cinematography ever shown on screen.  After one viewing of ‘Dunkirk’ it seems that there is little against the feature film.

Three actors stand out, one of them surprisingly so.  Kenneth Branagh and Cillian Murphy playing a Commander and a shell-shocked solder respectively, are excellent as always.  Branagh has few scenes, but his camera close-ups show an actor who lives the part he plays. Murphy also shows the fear and anger of his character very vividly.  A surprisingly good performance from One Direction singer, Harry Styles takes place well into the film, where he portrays an angry young soldier in a basement scene.  Tom Hardy also acts himself well, but ‘Dunkirk’ is not an actors film, and it’s unlikely there will be such awards next year at the different award ceremonies. 

However the great cinematography of the beaches of Dunkirk is the real star.  Also the direction of Christopher Nolan deserves a mention, writes David Flynn because he expertly directs/controls scores of men through the rescue scenes for the one hour and forty five minute movie.

There is tension throughout, and death and destruction as would be the norm in all wars, but there is no needless Hollywood type violence in this movie. 

‘Dunkirk’ should not be missed, and a second or third viewing wouldn’t go astray.

Prediction for Awards: Christopher Nolan for Best Director, and the movie will also get nods for Best Picture and Best Cinematography .