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  • The Tangle: Review

    The Tangle: Review

    Laurel (Jessica Graham) and Edward (Christopher Soren Kelly) are a married couple living in a world run by an artificial intelligence known as The Tangle. The Tangle runs every aspect of human life and is able to connect everyone from anywhere at any time and people have accepted this new life, even going as far as to have hard drives installed in their brains so that they can stay connected.

    Everything seems fine under the control of The Tangle and what with The Tangle’s predictive abilities, crime is at an all time low. Laurel and Edward are only two of a select few who have opted out of being under The Tangle though, monitoring human life without being subject to its ever-vigilant watch.

    So, when Carter (Joshua Bitton) gets caught up in a murder, they disconnect him from The Tangle and bring him in for interrogation. If only it were that easy.

    The Tangle is a sci-fi noir co-starring, written and directed by Christopher Soren Kelly in his feature debut. Boasting connections in its theme and style to films such as Blade Runner and Minority Report, due to its smaller budget and lack of action sequences The Tangle comes across more like Andrew Niccol’s Gattaca. However, that’s still a very worthy comparison.

    As the story unfolds, the audience is not lead in with any easy exposition as it takes them along the story and introduces the ideas of the world seamlessly. The Tangle creates a world that’s not all that unlikely considering the world we live in now and the way we may be heading.

    Like Minority Report it may even show us a not-too-distant future and for those conspiracy theorists we may already be there in part. Although, The Tangle’s focus is a noir murder mystery and that’s where it stays for the most part. However, it simultaneously talks about the wider world, making the audience think of where we could be.

    Not a film to sit down to watch if you’re not keen on paying attention to the details, but for those who do then they will be rewarded.

  • New World Order: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier – Disney+ Talk

    New World Order: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier – Disney+ Talk

    New World Order: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier – Disney+ Talk

    After the fantastic ‘Wandavision’, Marvel’s next show to be released on Disney+ is ‘The Falcon And The Winter Soldier’. This show follows James ‘Bucky’ Barnes (a.k.a The Winter Soldier) and Sam Wilson (a.k.a The Falcon) after the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ just like ‘Wandavision’ did. Very long title aside, this was a show that I was not particularly interested in. After the unique format and narrative structure of ‘Wandavision’, the next show in the Marvel schedule felt like just another typical action-packed project.

    However, while that won’t be a breath of fresh air, hopefully Bucky and Sam’s frenemy relationship will be. This is an aspect that I am looking forward to with this show. The Falcon is another character that I feel was poorly handled in the films, in terms of writing, while Bucky’s emotional arc is interesting and unique. And now that the first episode is here, it’s time to see if this show was worth waiting for or not.

    Episode 1, titled ‘New World Order’, continues after the events of The Blip and reintroduces Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson as they adjust to a normal life.

    Like ‘Wandavision’, this episode gives viewers a less joyful perspective to The Blip: This is mainly evident with Sam’s story arc as he attends Captain America’s funeral (addressing that the new, messy, world has more criminals now than in the last five years) and reunites with his sister Sarah and tries to keep hold of their family boat. I’m glad Marvel are highlighting the less pleasant side, and more grounded, reality to the major event as it highlights circumstances that viewers weren’t shown in the films. The arc around their boat, ‘Paul & Derlene’ is a fantastic case of showing how the people affected by The Snap/Blip are living compared to the people who were snapped and brought back.

    Sam wants to keep the disintegrating boat, while Sarah had to deal with loss and so wants to sell it because she wasn’t emotionally ok to discover new memories with it. While they have opposite arguments, both of them make sense: For Sam, it was like he was only gone for a second, so still has an attachment to the boat, while Sarah doesn’t anymore. It’s a fantastic way to showcase the victims’ different view on the world now.

    The episode also continues Bucky’s story and deals with his PTSD. While I feel that Bucky’s main arc is completed, this aspect, the human side, is one that I find interesting. The Marvel films are one of the only examples that show the aftermath and effects of a mind control victim, which is unique and fascinating. And it has damaged him, as we see him attending therapy sessions to try and adjust back to a long-awaited normal life. It also deals with the repercussions of his actions when he was under Hydra’s control. Whilst Bucky and Sam’s circumstances are different, their sense of loss is what they have in common, and this episode portrays that beautifully.

    Overall, this was a good introduction to ‘The Falcon & The Winter Soldier’. While it does open with a clunky edited fight sequence, it then tells the story of two superheroes who are dealing with a different type of loss and the aftermath of the major events that are shown in the films. This means that the episode is more grounded and is more level-headed in terms of its plot: the stakes to save are not the world now; it’s individual human lives and relationships.    

  • Senior Moment: Review

    Senior Moment: Review

    The Silver Pound is bigger than bit coin in the world of cinema, and Senior Moment is sure to reap in the benefits. Veteran actors William Shatner and Christopher Lloyd show natural chemistry as Victor and Sal, two retirees who get in to trouble, a lot. However, when they challenge a stranger to a drag race, the breaks are pumped on their bad boy antics. 

    Stripped of his driver’s license, Victor (Shatner) must not only battle with the DMV, he must find new ways to navigate love and life without his beloved vintage Porsche.

    Despite looking like a TV movie, Senior Moment is packed with big feature charm and poignancy, knowing who its audience is. The repetitive shots of the palm trees in blocks and pristine houses screams retirement complex, so when love interest Caroline (played by the enigmatic Jean Smart) splashes onto the screen within the setting of her bohemian, colourful cafe. 

    The great thing this film does, is bring the ‘silver pound’ film up to date, showing that ‘senior’s’ don’t just shuffle around and lament about the good old days. Smart’s character particularly, is constantly questioning Victor about how he doesn’t know about App’s or ‘Uber,’ showing that being senior is a ‘state of mind’. 

    I did find the soundtrack obvious (there’s a scene where Christopher Lloyd if fixing a cuckoo clock, and ‘rock around the clock’ is playing – obvious) and some of the chromakey was a little dodgy. 

    Overall, however, a sweet film which holds together well enough. Nothing flashy, nothing so complicated you won’t know what’s going on, just a simple love story that reflects modern times. 

    Senior Moment will be out on various VOD platforms (and who knows, a few cinemas) this March. 

  • Nobody: The BRWC Review

    Nobody: The BRWC Review

    Nobody Synopsis: Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk), a suburban dad, overlooked husband, nothing neighbor — a virtual “nobody.” When two thieves break into his home one night, Hutch’s unknown long-simmering rage is ignited and propels him on a brutal path that will uncover dark secrets he fought to leave behind.

    As the John Wick franchise has grown from cult favorite to blockbuster success, old-school actioners have received a newfound appreciation from modern audiences. The genre continues to evolve from its nitty-gritty 80s roots, with frenetic new voices like Chad Stahelski, Gareth Evans, and David Leitch punching their own stylistic stamp on familiar trappings.

    With the latest action/comedy hybrid Nobody, Hardcore Henry director Ilya Naishuller cements himself as another dynamic voice in the action sphere. Naishuller’s gleefully relentless blood bath indulges in the genre’s extravagant allures. Simply put, Nobody might be the first great crowd-pleaser since last year’s theatrical shutdown.

    Where some action films bask in their machismo grit, Nobody embraces a refreshingly self-aware comedic streak. John Wick screenwriter Derek Kolstad sets the groundwork for a plethora of playful surprises, subverting expectations similar to how the nebbish Hutch violently shocks his prey. After establishing his expertise in action mechanics with prior efforts, it’s a blast to see the writer now playing in the sand with his eccentric colorings. Between seeing an old fan-favorite blasting a shotgun (you can guess from the cast list) to Hutch retrieving his daughter’s missing kitty watch, Kolstad constantly pushes the lunacy with agreeable results.

    All of Kolstad’s inventive touches set up Naishuller well for his brand of relentless carnage (seriously glad this guy is directing a studio film after Hardcore Henry, which still stands as one of the most innovative actioners in recent memory). Naishuller choreographs a delightful dance of brutal violence, implementing a plethora of smooth camera motions to highlight every bullet and blood splat. I love witnessing his reckless creativity behind the camera. Naishuller has a blast of dreaming up sequences that feel wholly unique to the long-standing genre.

    None of these elements would work without Bob Odenkirk’s assured central performance. The beloved veteran feels tailor-made to play Hutch, with his agreeable presence serving as an unassuming facade for his hidden violent streak. While I wish the film provided Hutch with more dimension (Kolstad’s script occasionally touches upon paternal responsibilities – particularly for men pushing against traditional “hunter/gather” gender normative before eventually shying away), Odenkirk’s sincere delivery portrays the character’s insular conflictions with dramatic weight.

    All and all, Nobody kicks all sorts of ass during its endlessly enjoyable runtime. Here’s to hoping this is the start of another dynamic action franchise.

    Nobody hits theaters on March 26th.

  • Sin La Habana: Review

    Sin La Habana: Review

    Sin La Habana: Review. By Sarah Buddery.

    Directed by Kaveh Nabatian, Sin La Habana (Without Havana) tells the story of Leonardo, an ambitious classical dancer. Along with his girlfriend Sara, the pair find themselves frustrated by Cuba’s closed borders, and their desire for a better future for themselves leaves Leo to pursue Nasim, a tourist whose taste for the exotic may just provide Leo with his ticket to freedom. 

    It is evident that Nabatian has a background in music, as particularly the early Cuba-set scenes of this film have the stylistic qualities of music videos, and that is absolutely intended as a compliment. He is a director that clearly knows and understands light, movement and choreography, and there is a visual flair to Sin La Habana that makes it almost hard to believe the fact that this is his feature film directorial debut.

    It is a construct of the narrative itself, but where perhaps this film suffers is the fact that the characters of Leo and Sara are distinctly unlikeable. Whilst we understand their frustration and their desire to leave in search of a better life, it doesn’t necessarily excuse their selfish actions, which come at the expense of Nasim, the innocent party caught in the middle of the love triangle.

    It’s not completely absent, but something that could have given the characters more depth, would have been to explore the prejudices and mistreatment they received both at home and abroad. As Black Cubans, Leo and Sara are frequently sidelined and treated differently because of their heritage, and aside from a few run-ins with the classical dance elite, this theme isn’t explored as thoroughly as it could’ve been. Their story is not one that is often told on screen so it is slightly frustrating that when given the opportunity, these themes are a little thin. 

    One of the best things about the film is how it is able to capture it’s two very distinct settings. Beginning in Cuba, there is a palpable sense of heat, and a warm vibrant energy, however when the setting switches to Canada, you can almost feel the chill, and the warmth is replaced with a darker colour palette. It is interesting that this shift occurs where it does, as the whole notion of the film is that leaving Cuba is supposed to offer hope and opportunity, and yet the reality is very different.

    A strong first feature from a director who clearly has a lot of promise, Sin La Habana is a visually arresting film which uses interesting angels and filming techniques to it’s great advantage, and what it may lack in thematic exploration, it more than makes up for in style.