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  • Matt’s New Release Breakdown: April Edition

    Matt’s New Release Breakdown: April Edition

    Matt’s New Release Breakdown: April Edition

    After a relatively high-profile March, April looks to reprieve audiences before the summer movie season. Still, there are a plethora of under-the-radar gems for audiences to discover (The Virtuoso, Stowaway, and Moffie), so let’s get started on this month’s new release breakdown!

    THE VIRTUOSO – Directed by Nick Stagliano

    The Virtuoso Synopsis: Danger, deception, and murder descend upon a sleepy country town when a professional assassin (Anson Mount) accepts a new assignment from his enigmatic mentor and boss (Anthony Hopkins). Given only where and when along with a cryptic clue, the methodical hitman must identify his mysterious mark from among several possible targets, including a friendly local (Abbie Cornish) who begins to connect with the hitman.

    Dozens of disposable VOD actioners crowd the market space every month, with most of these half-hearted efforts achieving the bare minimum in their attempts to please general audiences. That being said, this endless content factory does produce a few pleasant surprises. Shimmering like a luminous diamond in the rough, Nick Stagliano’s taunt cloak-and-dagger thriller The Virtuoso shines way above its VOD paygrade.

    Stagliano isn’t shy to pay tribute to his inspirations. Similar to insular assassin stories like Killing Them Softly and The American, the direction bakes icey layers of paranoia and deceit into every frame. Stagliano’s sturdy patience stands as a strong match to the assassin’s solemn professionalism, with flourishes like internal narration and vivid planning descriptions placing audiences in the protagonist’s mindset. The veteran ensemble also deserves praise for their intelligently tempered performances. Anson Mount boasts poised charisma as an assassin longing for a sense of purpose, while Abbie Cornish and Anthony Hopkins steal the show with their textured performances (Hopkins melancholic monologue exhibits his remarkable strengths).

    However, the all-around prestigious delivery consistently overcompensates for a by-the-numbers screenplay. James C. Wolf’s effort shines with its vivid narration and well-choreographed exchanges, but the narrative follows a strangely predictable path considering the mystery-based premise. The lack of detailed character development also can’t mask the looming sense of familiarity. A few admirable attempts to shade the synonymous characters’ lingering paranoia and isolation are too inert to connect with their intended impact.

    For what it its trying to be, The Virtuoso scores fairly high marks. This is a sleek, sensual, and occasionally-complex descent into the mind of a jaded assassin.

    Lionsgate will release the crime thriller THE VIRTUOSO in Select Theaters and Everywhere You Rent Movies on April 30th; on Blu-ray and DVD May 4th.

    GOLDEN ARM – Directed by Maureen Bharoocha

    Golden Arm Synopsis: When her best friend, Danny, ropes her into taking her spot at the Women’s Arm Wrestling Championship, Melanie, who is a baker, must trade whisks for barbells to compete against the reigning champ for a chance at the grand prize.

    Buddy comedies are a familiar comfort food fixture, boasting enough feel-good entertainment for audiences to forget about the film’s formulaic design. Maureen Bharoocha’s new film Golden Arm embraces the genre’s loose energy to produce an agreeable comedy detour.

    Much of Golden Arm’s charm comes from its well-matched leads. Mary Holland and Betsy Sodaro often carry the narrative with their sharp comedic abilities, with the two developing a natural rapport as oddball friends who bring out the best in each other. Holland impressively holds her own distinct comedic mannerisms to liven up Melanie’s insular persona, while Sodaro commands the screen through her sheer force of nature. Both stars have a blast throughout this playful comedy. Golden Arm’s cheeky premise finds plenty of avenues for playful barbs, as screenwriters Jenna Milly and Ann Marie Allison embrace a melody of well-articulated comedic setpieces (the arm wrestling itself holds some surprising steaks).

    There’s a certain earnestness propelling Golden Arm, even as the film travels through extremely formulaic territory. Audiences are unlikely to find anything particularly new about Bharoocha’s film, but this spirited and well-meaning comedy ably whisks audiences along its familiar ride.

    Golden Arm releases In Theaters and On Digital on April 30th.

    STOWAWAY – Directed by Joe Penna

    Stowaway Synopsis: On a mission headed to Mars, an unintended stowaway accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life support systems. Facing dwindling resources and a potentially fatal outcome, the crew is forced to make an impossible decision.

    Director Joe Penna has endured a remarkable journey to success, grinding his way on YouTube before striking big with 2019’s survival thriller Arctic. Penna opts for a similar approach with Stowaway, a close-quarters project originally conceived to be Penna’s filmmaking debut (Arctic was going to be a spin-off until The Martian stole its Mars survivalist thunder). While much of Penna’s skilled touch is left intact, this lukewarm thriller can’t quite achieve its admirable eye for realism.

    Stowaway certainly boasts a sturdy center. Penna’s filmmaking displays precision and texture despite working within indie budget assets, shooting the spaceship’s tight-corners with arresting dynamism (his usage of tracking shots and steady framing often embrace). I continue to find his grounded storytelling to be a refreshing change-of-pace from most bombastic space features. Similar to Arctic, the embrace of pragmatic conversations and developments help imbue the central conflict with a pressing sense of agency.

    Where Arctic was able to thrive with its naturalistic minimalism, Stowaway can’t quite revitalize formulaic storytelling. There are a few impactful twists buried within the unconventional third act, but a majority of the narrative beats feel ripped from superior science fiction stories. A well-suited cast does their best to prop up the material (including a breakout from Shamier Anderson’s vulnerable performance). As solid as they may be, none of the characters receive the screentime to build authentic layers upon their blank-slate protaginsts.

    I certainly would not call Stowaway a bad film, it just doesn’t do enough to materially build upon its barebones foundation. Still, I am excited to see where Penna goes with his promising career.

    Stowaway premiers on Netflix April 22nd in the US and on Amazon Prime internationally.

    MOFFIE – Directed by Oliver Hermanus

    Moffie Synopsis: A young man drafted into South Africa’s military, but he knows he is different and must keep himself hidden. However, when another recruit develops an intimate relationship with them, they are now both in danger.

    War is a merciless battleground full of external strifes, although not all war films center their focus on grizzly conflicts. Joining the likes of Jarhead and GI Jane, Oliver Hermanus’ latest film Moffie digs into the insular struggles of a closeted soldier overcoming his bigoted environment. The director’s remarkably empathetic eye touches upon his subject matter with raw emotionality and verve.

    Moffie consistently unearths powerful sentiments from its premise. Hermanus strikes genuine chords throughout his runtime, with his free-flowing camera work smoothly capturing each hectic moment behind the scenes. His film works best not only as a character study but as a deeper reflection of the environment’s over-masculine tendencies. Whether it’s the pushing of prejudicial ideas or the commonplace roughhousing that picks vulnerable soldiers apart, it’s clear our protagonist’s biggest obstacles don’t lie on the battlefield.

    While Hermanus’ film doesn’t create the most nuanced statement (his penchant for lingering silence is agreeable, but the characters could’ve used a few more textures to personify them), Moffie lands with a lasting impact. I am excited to see where Hermanus goes next for his career.

    Moffie premiered in theaters and on VOD on April 9th.

    You can also check out my review for other April releases like Voyagers, Thunder Force, and The Unholy.

    Matt’s New Release Breakdown: April Edition

  • One World, One People: Falcon And The Winter Soldier – Disney+ Talk

    One World, One People: Falcon And The Winter Soldier – Disney+ Talk

    One World, One People: Falcon And The Winter Soldier – Disney+ Talk.

    Friday saw the release of the series finale of ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’. This article will not contain spoilers; spoiler section will be coming next week!

    In this episode, Sam and Bucky, alongside John Walker, confront Karli and the Flag Smashers, while Sam must accept his role as the new Captain America.

    Overall, ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ improved in the second half of the series. While the events of the second half were more interesting and exciting, the first half was just as important if a little bland. After the unique ‘Wandavision’, this show felt like a return to the familiar Marvel format that viewers are used to seeing. The format works for the show, but the timing of its release made it seem tiresome. It would’ve been better if ‘Loki’ had been released first, then ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. But, the second half raised the stakes, especially with Episode 4’s ending.

    While the show as a whole has been a mixed bag, Sebastian Stan and Antony Mackie are, once again, fantastic. Like mentioned during my coverage of ‘Wandavision’, Sam was another character that was poorly written throughout the films, so I’m glad this show has fleshed his character out more. It continued his story as he learns to accept the role of Captain America, and what that would ultimately mean. And, while I thought Bucky’s story was completed in the films, I was proven wrong when watching the show.

    Bucky Barnes is a complex character with a lot of trauma and issues that still need to be resolved. Interestingly, one of the most interesting aspects of this show was the psychological side of the characters, e.g.: Bucky’s therapy sessions. So, I’m glad that ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ took the time to explore this aspect. Another character that was fantastic was John Walker. Played by Wyatt Russell (Overlord), he played a soldier that was plunged and moulded into the role of Captain America but didn’t have the empathy for it. It therefore made him a dangerous figure, even more so after Episode 4. Russell’s acting was just perfect; he played Walker fantastically, making us feel conflicted about our feelings towards him at the beginning of the show, to then hating him when events took a dark turn. Alongside Bucky and Sam, John Walker was just as important and his evolution at the end of the finale will presumedly carry on into future Marvel projects.

    Like ‘Wandavision’, it also explores the consequences of The Blip and the fact that the action may have been positive for The Avengers, but it’s an overall negative decision for the general public and the world as a whole. I’m glad that the shows have shone a light on this, as this is an aspect that also needed to be focused on. However, while I liked the idea of the Flag Smashers and the moral dilemma between their cause and their methods, Karli Morgenthau is possibly the weakest Marvel villain ever. She should’ve been threatening, but the show’s short run time, along with the writing, didn’t give her enough screen time to develop her character, or make her intimidating. This was to the point where I would forget that she even existed! While most of the writing was good, this was its weakest aspect unfortunately.

    Overall ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ had an enjoyable second half but is ultimately a show that isn’t entirely worth revisiting. The acting is fantastic and the psychological aspects it brings up, either around a character or revolving around The Blip, was enjoyable. However, it was also a return to typical Marvel format which is a shame, especially after ‘Wandavision’. The timing of its release would’ve been better if it arrived after the ‘Loki’ series.

  • Billie Eilish Edition: Bits & Pieces

    Billie Eilish Edition: Bits & Pieces

    Billie Eilish Edition: Bits & Pieces – THE YEAR IS 2021. Yes, you say, we’re well aware of that, it’s nearly summer… No, bear with me. What we mean is, the Keanu Reeves, ahead-of-its time sci-fi action thriller JOHNNY MNEMONIC is set in 2021! Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, with an HD digital release, the film made some pretty startling predictions at the time about the internet, smartphones, virtual reality and social media. Some came to fruition, others were way off the mark, and some were just plain ridiculous.

    STUDIOCANAL today announce a stunning new 4K restoration of Paul Verhoeven’s (Robocop, Total Recall, Starship Troopers) classic 1992 thriller BASIC INSTINCT. Available on Ultra HD™, Blu-Ray, DVD and Steelbook editions from 14th June 2021. As boundary-pushing today as it was in 1992, BASIC INSTINCT redefined the erotic thriller genre and remains a must-see for audiences globally. Featuring one of the most talked about scenes in film history, BASIC INSTINCT is a blistering portrayal of sexual obsession, murder and betrayal.

    Ruben (Riz Ahmed) and Lou (Olivia Cooke) live together, traveling gig to gig playing their loud, frenzied music. Suddenly Ruben, a passionate drummer, loses his hearing and his world is upended, causing him to struggle with depression and be tempted by past addictions.

    A darkly playful comedy of unease about a young bisexual woman grappling with tradition and independence, Shiva Baby tells the story of Danielle (Rachel Sennott), a college student on the verge of graduating who is faced with a series of increasingly awkward and humiliating encounters at a climactic day-long shiva, a Jewish gathering of friends and family during a time of mourning.

    F9 is the ninth chapter in the Fast & Furious Saga, which has endured for two decades and has earned more than $5 billion around the world.

    On a cold night in January 2004, gunshots rang out across the remote Swedish village, Knutby, home to a small, tight-knit Pentecostal congregation, leaving a young woman murdered in her bed and her neighbor suffering from multiple bullet wounds. Attention soon turned towards the community – the victim’s husband, also the sect’s pastor, the victim’s 26-year-old nanny, and the sect’s leader known as “The Bride of Christ.” 

  • Aviva: Review

    Aviva: Review

    Aviva: Review. By Hugues Porquier.

    “Aviva” is a film released in 2020 in the United States, directed by Boaz Yakin, director of “Remember the Titans” (2000), “Uptown Girls” (2004) or “Boarding School” (2018) and producer of various films such as “Now You See Me” (2013) or “Hostel” (2005).

    The film won the 2020 Award for “Best Film” at the Choreoscope International Dance Film Festival in Barcelona. And for good reason, dance is used as a way of expression throughout the film, furthermore all the actors are also dancers.

    We find Aviva and Eden, who after having exchanged online for a long time between Paris and the United States, starts a romantic relationship. This relationship will not be platonic, on the contrary, throughout the film we follow the couple in their moments of love, doubt, pain and sorrow.

    “Aviva” addresses the theme of the couple in an experimental way, going beyond gender. The man is a woman and vice versa, gender is no longer a thing in this vision of the relationship.

    Boas Yakin makes dance a key element of his film but not only, sex is also a way of expression for the director who makes it almost looks like a choreography. Dance and sex are then intimately linked and will punctuate the film.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axSGMBaSGHk

    The white lights and the delicate music present in the film participate in the creation of a dreamy feeling throughout the film, as if we were witnessing the memories of a character.

    The different actors are all convincing, whether in the moments of life or the moments of dance. There are four main protagonists with two actors per character for Aviva and Eden, one female and one male. These actors will break the 4th wall several times during the film and address directly to the spectator, often naked, which is not an easy task, but it works very well. Nudity also seems to be party taken by Boas Yakin, the characters and the actors deliver themselves to us entirely without any protection.

    Through the intimacy of the couple scenes and the energy of the party scenes, all guided by dance and sex, the film keeps a very pleasant rhythm and keeps the spectator on the edge of his seat. This film has an atypical structure, both in terms of storytelling and visuals. But if you let yourself be embarked by this dreamlike atmosphere, relatively disorienting, you can easily appreciate this film.

  • Howard J Ford: The Lockdown Hauntings Interview

    Howard J Ford: The Lockdown Hauntings Interview

    Ahead of the UK digital release of his latest film THE LOCKDOWN HAUNTINGS on May 3, director & writer Howard J Ford talks about being a one-man crew, casting Tony Todd, his do-it-yourself SFX kit and losing his uncle to the Pandemic.

    You shot THE LOCKDOWN HUNTINGS during the UK’s first lockdown. Was the COVID-19 outbreak the inspiration? If so, why a ghost story? 

    Howard: It absolutely was. I am a believer in using what you have as an indie film-maker and I had a global pandemic! There was a sudden influx of fear, isolation and anxiety. I wondered, could I do anything cinematic with that?  I then heard that the virus is not even alive, yet this not-living thing was out there taking lives and not only that, it was INVISIBLE!   None of us knew how close this deadly thing was to them… I wondered, could I weave that into a plot, then it hit me.. A ghostly killer. That’s something could do!

    Although it can be described as a supernatural horror thriller, at heart lie some interesting issues around spiritual belief, our relationship with the dead and the need to forgive. Were these themes always at the heart of the script or did they evolve during filming?

    Howard: Thanks. I do love layers in whatever I am making, so I love trying to find out what could be underneath, what is at the heart of it so to speak. And in the beginnings of lockdown there was all this anger and blame as to whose fault it was that we found ourselves where we are and I felt we all needed some healing elements so I wanted to find a way of getting this in there. 

    You shot the film single-handedly. What was the both the biggest challenge and the most liberating aspect?

    Howard: Yes, I quickly realised that if I was going to pull this film off during lockdown, I would not be able to have anyone with me at all. That and staying two metres away from any actors it was really a challenge. Firstly, I needed to find out if actors would let me film in their homes and a social media post gave me my answers and who was up for it. Then I picked what I felt were the absolute best cast from that. The liberating thing was, so long as the actors were ok with it, I was free to take the film in whatever direction I felt it should go at the time without having to consult a single person. I recall one moment sitting in my car outside a Tesco’s garage having shot with one actor in the morning and about to set off to another, I had a sandwich which cost £2.61 and as I finished it I realised, I just fed the whole crew for less than 3 quid!

    The casting of Tony Todd is inspirational. How did that come about? And the acting, in general, is great. Good to see a vibrant Angela Dixon on our screens again. Was casting a difficult operation given the restrictions that were in place then?

    Howard: I love Tony Todd so much and I was SO thrilled when I realised he might come on board The Lockdown Hauntings. I had met Mr Todd on a flight to LA, by ‘chance’ some years back, we were sat next to each other and we spent many hours talking about all sorts of amazing things. He’s really a lovely guy and very deep and pun’s-aside, time flew by. I had also soon after that worked with John Rhys-Davies on a champagne film of all things and then found out they had the same manager, a super chap called Jeff Goldberg so we re-connected, then when I was about to go forward with ‘The Lockdown Hauntings’ and needed to cast Jordan Myers the main paranormal expert, I kind of meditated over who would be the absolute best person to do this and I thought, ‘go big’, then BOOM. Tony Todd appeared in my head and I thought, it’s a long shot but what the heck, give Jeff a call, and it all fell into place from there.

    Angela Dixon is always great to work with and she went through so much on ‘Never Let Go’, which was not an easy shoot I felt she might like to do something totally different and she seemed to love the idea too and also helped fill in some of the many gaps I had on dialogue and things as I was too busy making the film to properly write it. The cast were so fabulous on this film and somehow we all just got on with it, no messing about, we just hit go and did our best within the circumstances.

    Given you had no crew to assist, how did you manage to achieve the numerous special effects that run all the way through the movie?

    Howard: I realised I might have to go back to basics on many aspects and I have to be honest, I’m not a fan of big CGI films as I always find it hard to believe the world no matter how impressive, so I thought, well, what would they have done on ‘The Exorcist’, or ‘The Omen’, two films that scared the heck out of me, sometimes with moments that were not full of SFX.. So I re-looked into the ‘old school’ way of doing things and read stories of people pushing furniture around and things being pulled with fishing wire and air machines etc, so I made myself an SFX kit and tried to do as much as possible practically. In post, I do have some fab CGI chaps and I hope between us we can still shock and jolt you and even surprise you in all sorts of places.

    You sadly lost your uncle during this period. Did that having a bearing on the project?

    Howard: I did, to the virus too.  It was the weirdest thing as no one could attend and we had to watch his funeral on what looked like a kind of YouTube video, all our family folks in separate homes too. I watched some people I’d never met carry his coffin up the aisle and read some words from the family. Play a couple of his favourite songs, some I remember him playing when I was at his flat in London writing my early scripts, then he was gone. This was the guy that got me into fitness, but he enjoyed his life and I felt he would have said to me, just go do it.

    Angela Dixon as Detective George Parker

    Moving away from THE LOCKDOWN HAUNTINGS…before the pandemic struck you completed filming on THE LEDGE. Can you tell us a bit about the film? 

    Howard: Yes, ‘The Ledge’ which is a bit of a female cliff-hanger was a totally different production scenario. We had a crew of like 64 people and a far bigger set up. Which is great in one way, but unlike ‘The Lockdown Hauntings,’ you can’t change direction or suddenly decide to do this instead of that, or I’d have had my ass fired straight away! Ha.  I actually shot ‘The Lockdown Hauntings’ just before I flew off to do ‘The Ledge’, so both films were made in Lockdown. ‘The Ledge’ is a nail biting thriller/horror written by Tom Boyle and produced by Evolution/GFM whom I worked with on the distribution/sales of ‘The Lockdown Hauntings’. It’s a very high-concept, exciting  story of one female climber stuck high up on the side of a mountain fighting off four killers on a ledge twenty feet above her. It will be getting some great theatrical releases but not for some months after ‘The Lockdown Hauntings’. 

    The inevitable question but it needs to be asked. Will ‘The Dead’ be walking again?

    Howard: Well, by brother Jon and I do discuss it every now and then and we will consider doing ‘The Dead 3’ if the situation was right. If it happens, it will not be for a few more years. They are painful films to make and very nearly killed us for real.

    ADVENTURE BOYZ, your all-action family thriller, starred you and your two sons. A thespian one-off or are there ambitions for the Fords to get in front of the camera again?

    Howard: Now that’s a film full of love. I made that the summer before the lockdown as I felt we already had a global disaster on our hands. That disaster being that all our children, and probably us too were relying far too much on our devices and not getting out into the real world where the real joys are, so I made ‘Adventure Boyz’ and cast my own two boys in it as I wanted to see if my story could incentivise them, and any other kids around the world to ‘get off their devices and get out there’! Sadly it came out following a lovely theatrical run as the world was told to get indoors and get on zoom! Maybe it will be re discovered. Was fun to act in too, I was never meant to be in it quite so much but I was just so available! Felix is in The Lockdown Hauntings, his third feature film before he was 10! 

    Finally, what’s coming up for you?

    Howard: Well I’m actually moving forward right now with ‘The Lockdown Hauntings 2: Second Wave’! I’ve already shot some sequences and will be doing the rest over the next couple of months or so. Hope to reveal more in Cannes. That and a couple of other projects including another supernatural film I have written called ‘Indelible’. I also have a TV series, ‘Echo Road’ I have been developing. Other than that, let’s all enjoy some life in case we get locked-down again! With ‘The Lockdown Hauntings’ I hope it’s a very different way of reflecting on lockdown and our journey through it.

    THE LOCKDOWN HAUNTINGS IS RELEASED ON 3rd MAY ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS, COURTESY OF ALTITUDE 

    PRE-ORDER: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/movie/the-lockdown-hauntings/id1558878151