Author: Rosalynn Try-Hane

Saltburn: The BRWC Review

Saltburn knows it looks good. It is lush, the cinematography deserves an A+ as does the lighting. It is a visual feast for the eyes. Shame that when you push the style aside, there’s little substance. It simply doesn’t know which story to tell: is it a homage to Waugh, Fitzgerald, or Highsmith’s The Talented Mr Ripley? Had it been able to convey a coherent story this film would have received an A+ all around but as it is, a C is probably all it deserves.

Saltburn tells the story of Oliver Quick who is taken under the wing of the rich, bright young thing, Felix Catton, and invited back to the latter’s family seat of Saltburn for the summer. As soon as they arrive, the drama really starts.

Emerald Fennell’s satire of the elite class begins well, especially with the inspired casting of Rosamund Pike as the matriarch. She plays her role with gusto. Carey Mulligan as the down and out friend who was fodder for the family until Oliver arrives is on par. The scenes they have together are some of the best of the entire film.

Saltburn’s script falls apart after the big twist is revealed which can be seen a mile off. It then descends into some trippy chaotic mess. The more interesting path would have been to explore male vulnerability and loss of friendship but alas…

The problem is Fennell tries to be too clever and maniacally cram in all the dramatic devices it can to keep the audience engaged. All the characters are thinly drawn. Had more time been spent developing the characters, this would have been a richer film and its ambitions realized.

Saltburn was released across the UK on Friday 17 November.

Greatest Days is a surprising film, equal parts feel good sing-a-long with a sold storyline weaved in.

Greatest Days is an adaptation of the stage musical and as with other stage adaptations, think Mamma Mia. It has lots of big set pieces and manages to get the tempo mostly right.

This is the story of five former school friends now in their late 30s. In their teens, they were big Take That fans, tragedy strikes and they lose contact. Until Rachel now a nurse wins a radio phone in competition to attend a Take That concert in Athens. The question is will her former friends join her?

Greatest Days is somewhat predictable although the twist at the end was very moving. However, that doesn’t really matter because this is exactly the type of film where predictability is charming. The cast led by Aisling Bea all have chemistry on screen which is important for an ensemble piece. If anything the film is a little bit too long because about two thirds of the way through the tempo drops and it never really recovers until the twist towards the end. The cinematography is great and the direction is steady.

As much as this film is a showcase for Take That music it is also a platform for exploring the complex and diverse forms of female friendship. I thought it did well at showing the guilt and loss felt when friendships end.

If you want a film with memorable songs, a big heart, and feel good moments then give Greatest Days a chance.

Greatest Days was released in UK cinemas on 15 June 2023.

Book Club: The Next Chapter ladies are back, full of fizz and this is their best chapter yet! Screenwriter Erin Simms, together with director and co-writer Bill Holderman, takes us on a journey from the USA to Italy and it is a complete breath of fresh air.

Diane (Diane Keaton), Vivian (Jane Fonda), Sharon (Candice Bergen) and Carol (Mary Steenburgen) are back for another round of book club. The film starts during the pandemic when the book club had to move online and real life was put on hold. Once they are all reunited in real life, Vivian announces her news and off to Italy the four of them go in search of adventure and meaning just like the book they are reading: the Alchemist.

Lots of films have struggled to deal with showing the experience of lockdown without it appearing depressing or completely devoid of reality. Book Club: The Next Chapter gets the tone right and brings in the emotion of what the whole period of speaking to friends and loved ones via zoom without spending too much time dwelling on the whole period. In fact, the film, like the women depicted, knows exactly what it is and isn’t trying to be edgy or gritty.

It is a resolutely feel good film depicting older women living their best lives and we need more of this on screen diversity, being 70 doesn’t mean the end in fact it can be just the beginning. This is a group of women in their 70s who are living their lives on their own terms. Even though there are a lot of laughs, it hits the emotional notes really well, thanks to a great script and direction, that of the first loves, staying single, and getting married later in life whilst holding onto your own sense of self.

The four actresses; Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen have such great on screen chemistry. It truly feels like an ensemble cast. Book Club: The Next Chapter really shows the complexity of female friendships without resorting to cheap laughs. This film is about women first and foremost but it does so without any male bashing.

This is an absolute joy to watch and unapologetically feel good. I was captivated from start to finish and hope we get a further installment of Book Club!

Book Club: The Next Chapter is released in cinemas across the UK on 12 May.

Magic Mike’s Last Dance teases at a storyline, then gets bored and does what he’s good at – dancing!

It’s actually better if you’ve never seen the original Magic Mike or even the woeful second installment. Those were both charming, original and crammed full of household names. Yes, you had the dancing but there was also a solid multi character storyline. That’s the problem with Magic Mike’s Last Dance is that all roads lead back to Mike. It’s all about Mike and actually Mike was never the most interesting person in the room, except perhaps when he was dancing.

Magic Mike’s Last Dance begins with Mike (Channing Tatum) bartending for a rich lady Maxandra Mendoza (Salma Hayek) drinks party in Miami. She is tipped off by a friend that Mike is a dancer/stripper and pays him to dance for her. It then leads to her inviting him to London for a month so that he can put on a show and that’s the entire plot.

For continuity between the films, it’s great that Steven Soderbergh stayed to direct the trilogy. He manages to keep a lightness of touch and for the final 20 minutes actually felt as if we, the audience, were transported into the live Magic Mike show. The dancing, cinematography, and direction are all great. Also, the soundtrack as with the previous two films is spot on, and yes, pony – the song- does make an appearance.

The main issue with Magic Mike’s Last Dance is the storyline/ script is paper thin. Actually, a soon to be divorced woman flies a male dancer to London to set up his own show is not enough to sustain a 2 hour film. The other issue is this film was clearly conceived during lockdown so whilst some familiar faces appear: it’s tragically brief and via zoom. For a last dance, Mike and, especially us, the audience deserved more.

Listen, I watched this with a very healthy measure of red wine with friends in the cinema on Tuesday. I wasn’t bored but I couldn’t help feeling nostalgic for the original Magic Mike which had a story. This felt as if it was all about Channing Tatum’s abs and everyone else was to facilitate the showing of them.

If you want a popcorn and wine fest night out with a group of friends then this will tick that box just don’t expect a storyline!

Magic Mike’s Last Dance is released in cinemas across the UK on Friday 10 February.

As a single woman, there are times in my life when I’ve romanticised the idea of having a husband; a ride or die. Someone who can deal with stuff, drill, put together flatpack, and go on adventures with. Then you watch a documentary called Husband and realise maybe, just maybe, it’s a butler you desire instead. Ironically, I missed the in person screening because I had to sit and wait around for an engineer to fix something in my house.

Husband is an actual documentary, although it blurs the lines between documenting facts and autofiction. Nonetheless, Husband is a radical snapshot of a modern marriage. It gives new meaning to warts and all. The filmmakers put their own relationship under the lens. Devorah is a superhero as far as I can tell, whereas her husband and fellow filmmaker, Josh Appignanesi comes across as needing constant reassurance.

Husband follows Devorah, who is also an academic, travelling to New York City to promote her latest book. Her husband, Josh, was supposed to be going with her as both moral and actual support with their two small children under the age of 4. Instead, he loses his passport and thus misses out on the hell that is a transatlantic flight with kids. Then he decides to film every moment even when his wife is clearly anxious.

In the brief moments when he does offer support, the attention always manages to revert back to him. I’m always interested in seeing male fragility on screen and there was a lot on display with very little awareness. There are swathes of their time in New York City that feel quite uncomfortable to watch. Although, the genius of Husband for the viewer is deciphering what is in fact truth and what is fiction.

Husband is a good reminder that every marriage works differently and these two clearly adore each other. It’s hard to say if I enjoyed it, but I did find it thought provoking. I think this is best enjoyed in a cinema with friends where you can laugh and then discuss once the lights go up.

Husband is released in UK cinemas on Friday 3 February.