film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Category: REVIEWS

Here is where you would find our film reviews on BRWC.  We look at on trailers, shorts, indies and mainstream.  We love movies!

  • Chasing Molly: Review

    Chasing Molly: Review

    Chasing Molly: Review

    When it comes to Indie comedy, there is always a tightrope to be walked, balancing between being sharp, clever and laugh out loud funny, but always teetering above a deep drop into the realms of irritating, sickly or overly kooky humour.

    A lot of these alternative comedies occasionally lose their balance, clinging for dear life, and some fall off the rope completely. Chasing Molly, the feature debut from Josh Sutherland, certainly wobbles on that tightrope, but just about manages to maintain its footing.

    Shelley Pack plays Molly who, along with her partner in crime Atticus (Jim Cashman), poses as a spiritual cleanser of demons, exorcizing unwanted spirits from the homes of their gullible clients. It turns out that the only thing that this duo is cleansing these poor individuals of are their valuables, as they ruthlessly sweep the contents of their homes into a black sack.

    The pair stumble into trouble when they accidentally rob a drug lord of a huge stash of pills hidden in a teapot, resulting in the kidnapping of Atticus and Molly’s desperate attempts to put the situation right. 

    There is a lot of impressive direction from Josh Sutherland, whose first feature film does incredibly well with its low budget. The editing is sharp, clear and goes well with the witty script. While it is a very original and clever storyline, the narrative isn’t really what keeps the film afloat.

    What drives it and engages the viewer is the dialogue between Molly and Atticus. Shelley Pack, who plays Molly, also wrote the screenplay, and is without doubt the heart of the film. Her sidekick played by Cashman is a welcome addition to the mix and is sure to get a few laughs out of you as well. 

    It does have to be said, that there are times when the comedy certainly crosses that line into becoming a little bit grating.

    Viewers with low tolerance when it comes to this kind of humour will most certainly find it cringey and irritating to watch at times, but if you are willing to overlook that and enjoy something that is overall a piece of improvisational, original entertainment, then you should get on board.

  • CODA: Review

    CODA: Review

    Exploring the spaces between cultures is one of the most significant roles of cinema today. Whenever a film manages to investigate new and underexplored cultural clashes, it is an achievement worth celebrating. Director Erika Davis-Marsh has found one such clash with her short film “CODA” (Child of Deaf Adults). 

    All her life, Alex (Kerrynton Jones) has found herself stuck between two worlds. The first being the world of those who can hear, the second being the world of her parents (CJ Jones and Antoinette Abbamonte), those who cannot hear. She is a CODA, and as she grows up, it leaves her conflicted when finding her place within each world. As she falls behind in her dance class due to the mental distraction, she meets Josh (Ryan Lane), a deaf man whom she begins to fall for romantically.

    Alex lies to Josh and pretends to be deaf to fit into this world which has surrounded her all her life, but when Josh finds out the truth, it rejects her for the fair and straightforward reason that she can hear. Feeling betrayed, Josh tells her just to be herself; the problem is, Alex does not know who she is. This leads to her distancing herself from both worlds, leaving her alone. 

    Alex practises dance at a dancing school but is under the pressure of possibly being kicked out if she fails to choreograph an acceptable dance for her final exam. Lost in all other aspects of life, Alex needs to find it within herself to express her emotions through dance, and dance she does. Utilising aspects of sign Language in her movements, Alex manages to capture her turmoil and express it to her parents and Josh.

    The dance was the perfect decision to tell this story; it encapsulates the space between hearing and the deaf communities brilliantly. Seeing her parents so proud of their daughter at the end was as touching as any film moment I have seen all year and generating that in the 22-minute runtime is incredible. 

    The cinematography sings on the screen with how it captures the blurred lines in Alex’s world. The frames slow down, and everything is just a little bit more visceral and absorbing. Moreover, the performance from Kerrynton Jones is movingly heartfelt and casting three deaf actors in the deaf roles is praiseworthy and enhanced the message. The delicate direction by Erika Davis-Marsh is also excellent.

    For short films, there must be hardly any wasted seconds, for this one even more so due to the unique story “CODA” is telling. I am happy to report that in this aspect “CODA” excels. Not only are no seconds wasted, but the film also makes sure throughout that the hearing impaired can experience Alex’s story too, thanks to the use of closed captions appearing in every screening, which is a nice touch. 

    When investigating the space between cultures, it is vital to know precisely what you are trying to say, and “CODA” does just that. With touching performances and a heart-warming ending, this short film becomes a fine watch. 

  • Low: Review

    Low is a short film written and directed by Daniel Bogran. When he learns that he is getting fired from his job, Jef (Vincent Cusimano) decides that he has no other option but to rob a local convenience store.

    Jef gets to the store with a balaclava and a gun in his hand and goes through with the robbery. However, when something goes wrong, Jef is left to deal with the repercussions of his actions and starts to think about the full consequences that have come from his actions.

    Given its short running time and strict time frame of barely ten minutes, Daniel Bogran is able to tell a story and a complete arc which may leave the audience with questions after it has run its course. The tight editing helps to bring out the audience’s imagination, as they are never really told what is running through Jef’s mind after the incident. However, with a few words and carefully thought out shots, Bogran is able to put the audience in Jef’s shoes and perhaps even make them think about what they would do if it were them.

    Although Jef has been made redundant, he still remains well dressed and looks after his appearance so it is left up to the audience to decide whether Jef has any remorse for his actions or whether he feels anything at all. If Jef were not so well groomed then perhaps the audience may pass a harsher judgement on Jef and I believe that is what Bogran intended from his short story.

    Leaving Cusimano with so little to say also leaves the audience wondering what he is thinking, leaving the ending open to interpretation. It could even be suggested that the audience would subconsciously feel a further need to project their own feelings on to Jef as they start to imagine how they would feel in his position.

    Low is a story that can be open to many different points of view and I’m sure every person who watches it will have their own ideas of Jef’s feelings and what he may do next. Whatever the outcome of Jef’s actions, the film never judges him and lets the audience decide, and telling this kind of complex story in such a short time with so little dialogue shows that Bogran may have a bright future in storytelling.

    How complicated Bogran’s stories are could always be left up to the audience to decide.

  • The Lion King: Caillou’s Take

    The Lion King: Caillou’s Take

    Simba (voice of JD McCrary and Donald Glover) idolizes his father, King Mufasa (voice of James Earl Jones), and takes to heart his own royal destiny on the plains of Africa. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar (voice of Chiwetel Ejiofor), Mufasa’s brother — and former heir to the throne — has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is soon ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. Now, with help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba must figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

    Ever since the release of Favreau’s 2016 reimagining of The Jungle Book, which garnered mass critical and commercial acclaim, the giant that is Disney has been churning out quite a few live action remakes of their old beloved classics. Some of these include Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and most recently Aladdin, which is still playing in quite a few theatres surprisingly.

    Although there are a ton of people that genuinely despise these newer motion pictures, I have gotten quite a bit of enjoyment out of them actually. There has never been a live action Disney remake that I did not like – up until I saw the new 2019 version of The Lion King.

    Disney has been around for decades and is extremely well known for creating some of, if not the, best animated movies for families and children of all ages. One of the many reasons why they are so beloved by millions is because of their expertise at storytelling. It seems like practically every one of their pictures is chalked full of terrific emotion, hilarious and relatable characters, and an exhilarating story that will entertain everybody.

    Above all though, 1994’s The Lion King, directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff is considered by many to be the best film that Disney has ever put out. Other stories such as Aladdin and The Jungle Book are stories that I could definitely see how they could be improved with a modern take on the story, but not so much with The Lion King.

    The biggest reason as to why Favreau’s latest fails to impress on virtually every level is due to the fact that it is a shot for shot remake of the original. By putting the two side to side, you would see that there is barely a difference in the way both films are presented. When it comes to a remake, there should always be a different and unique vision being presented onscreen that differentiates it from its counterpart, but this film just does not do that.

    Do not get me wrong, the visual effects in this movie are genuinely breathtaking and the computer generated imagery present is some of the best I have ever seen. Everything looks photorealistic and it is mind boggling to think about how long it must have taken the creative team to make this film look the way it does. What is unfortunate though, is that a lot of the time, Lion King can feel soulless. The animated original had such a unique visual flair and feel to it all that was not replicated here.

    Lions and other animals sing and talk here, as well as show emotions, but it can be genuinely difficult to tell what emotions they are going through at times. Sometimes, something incredibly depressing can occur and the camera cuts to a shot of one of the lion characters, and it can be hard to tell what they are thinking at that moment.

    The music involved is definitely something to be praised, though. All of the songs sound beautiful and combined make for one amazing soundtrack that not only Disney fans, but fans of music will want to listen to again and again.

    At the end of the day, The Lion King is not a harmful film in any way shape or form. What is sad however, is that this picture did not need to exist. The 1994 original already exists and is considered to be a classic by many, so why bother doing it again? You’re better off staying at home and popping in your Blu-ray of that instead.

    Although The Lion King boasts incredible visuals and has beautiful musical numbers, it is a film that ultimately feels soulless and is much weaker than the original.

  • Crawl: The BRWC Review

    Crawl: The BRWC Review

    When a massive hurricane hits her Florida town, young Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario) ignores the evacuation orders to search for her missing father, Dave (Barry Pepper). After finding him gravely injured in their family home, the two of them become trapped by the rapidly encroaching floodwaters. With the storm strengthening, Haley and Dave discover an even greater threat than the rising water level — a relentless attack from a pack of gigantic alligators.

    In terms of flicks that focus on a natural creature as its primary antagonist, Jaws is by far the greatest for millions of people and also the most influential when it comes to the subgenre. Over the years, there have been countless attempts at encapsulating the success that Steven Spielberg’s aforementioned 1975 masterpiece was able to obtain, but to no luck.

    Sure, since then there have certainly been some movies that managed to entertain audiences with just enough thrill and entertainment value in the same vein as Jaws, which just may be enough. Crawl is most definitely one of those films. It has a similar sort of vibe, but is ultimately just a highly amusing and supremely entertaining popcorn film. But that can sometimes be okay.

    One of the reasons why Crawl works so well is because of its lead actress Scodelario. She has been churning out great performances for years now, and the first time I personally took notice of her was in the 2013 young adult adaptation The Maze Runner, where she played Teresa. She is an actress that is remarkably good at showing a ton of emotion and makes it look easy. Even though I thought she did a great job in her Maze Runner role, her performance here as Haley Keller is by far her best. There are several sequences where she has to scream and cry and she makes it seem so real.

    Her father in the film Dave is portrayed by Pepper who additionally gives a good performance here and is one of the best efforts from him in quite a long time. He has absolutely come a long way since his Battlefield Earth days and it shows.

    Most moviegoers are going to want to go to the theatre to see this picture for one reason and one reason alone – the alligators – and they are gratefully incredibly menacing and they do pose a big threat for our lead characters. The film constantly gives us new reasons to fear them as the running time progresses and it worked really well. There is tons of blood involved in Crawl as well which made for some impressively gruesome scenes. Anybody with a weak heart should probably stay away.

    Speaking of the running time, that was one of the worries I had going into the theatre. It clocks in at a mere eighty seven minutes, not even breaking an hour and thirty minutes in length. When movies are that short, they can often feel bland and sometimes seems like they did not use the concept to its full potential. Surprisingly, Crawl‘s length was just right. Any longer and it would have outstayed its welcome, and any shorter, it would have felt like not enough had happened on screen.

    There are some extremely goofy scenes however, and they can at times come across a bit too cheesy. The film takes place in one house throughout, and it is quite silly how this house has holes all throughout it, making it able for the flood that the characters are stuck in to fill up the house. Also, the dialogue can be a bit jarring towards the third act. One line in particular was actually a bit cringe-worthy.

    But at the end of the day, this movie did do its job and it did it surprisingly well. Cinema goers that want to experience some good old fashioned creature thriller with a bucket of popcorn will have a ton of fun and I did too.

    Crawl can be a bit of a goofy ride, but it luckily manages to stay fun and entertaining due to its great creature elements and a great performance from Kaya Scodelario.