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!

  • A Legacy Of Whining: Review

    A Legacy Of Whining: Review

    A Legacy of Whining is directed by its starring actor, Ross Munro, who plays a constantly struggling, self-titled ‘thespian’ called Mitch. When Mitch decides to reunite after several decades with his best friend from college, Dunc, it seems that the ‘dynamic duo’ aren’t all they used to be. They have nothing in common, they don’t really get along, and they end up getting themselves into some pretty hairy situations

    The relationship between these two is almost funny, but there is so much content in the script that the funnier jokes are buried under a pile of not-so-funny ones. They don’t get along at all anymore, which makes it a pretty awkward watch. The overload of jokes and sarcastic comments begins to grate after a while, with Mitch and Dunc’s rapport becoming more and more irritating as the time goes on. The incessant use of each others names at the beginning of every sentence is overused to the point of being unbearable. I found it difficult to keep up with the incredibly fast paced script, and the jokes weren’t my usual laugh-out-loud kinds, although humour is very subjective.

    Where the script might fall short, the filming, which was done on a very small budget, is of a very good quality. The shots look very professional, and the settings are translated very well on to the screen. Neon signs against red walls illuminate the screen beautifully, with an almost Twin Peaks feel to the dark and dingy settings the pair find themselves in. It makes the script a bit more bearable when placed on the unique sets.

    The film definitely means well, and with such a small budget the cinematography is really commendable, sometimes it’s even a joy to look at. But, for me, its shortcomings are the lack of likeable characters. Our main duo are whiny (obviously intentional) and bitterly sarcastic middle aged men, who rarely break from their snide back and forth insults, which doesn’t make for a particularly sympathetic cast. However, this definitely isn’t to say that the humour won’t appeal to anyone.

  • The BRWC Review: Lucky

    The BRWC Review: Lucky

    Celebrated actor Harry Dean Stanton’s final film is a dusty reflection on life, death and daytime TV.

    The directorial debut of actor John Carroll Lynch (Fargo, Zodiac), Lucky follows a ninety-year-old navy veteran as he fills his days with yoga, gameshows and chain-smoking. After a fall at home, Lucky the loner is forced to confront his mortality and re-evaluate his existence.

    Lucky might be as unhurried and uneventful as the titular character’s daily trudge to his local store, but there’s an hypnotic charm to the minutiae and repetition of his routine, and his wary yet warm exchanges with the local townsfolk.

    The cast is fleshed out by David Lynch’s rambling barfly, Ed Begley Jr.’s no-nonsense doctor, and Ron Livingston’s southern-gent solicitor, while it’s up to Yvonne Huff’s diner waitress and Bertila Damas’ store owner to try to make Lucky feel included in the local community. The film also features a touching cameo from Stanton’s fellow Alien alum Tom Skerritt.

    The film is deeply rooted in indie Americana, with long tracking shots of dusty highways and quiet scenes of introspection, and of course Johnny Cash croons as Lucky lies awake in bed. There are echoes of Wim Wenders’ iconic Paris, Texas, with Stanton donning a hat to silently cross desert roads, or in one particular scene, being sickly lit in green and red. It also leans heavily on some none-too-subtle metaphors, especially concerning Lynch’s runaway tortoise.

    Yet this slow-burning character study revolving on a moving and amusing central performance, will linger with you like the smoke from Lucky’s cigarette butts. And if nothing else puts a smile on your face this year, the sight of Harry Dean Stanton singing a mariachi ballad at a children’s birthday party surely will.

    A fitting and bittersweet finale for a cherished actor.

    Lucky is out in UK cinemas from 14th September.

  • The Sky Is Falling: Book Review

    The Sky Is Falling: Book Review

    By Afonso Almeida.

    In my very first review for BRWC, I made mention of Peter Biskind’s Easy Riders, Raging Bulls. The book had been absolutely seminal when it came to my film education. It because the yardstick against which all future film history was to be judged. In Easy Riders, Biskind weaved together a narrative from all the related and unrelated events that formed the rise of the counter culture film movement and helped destroy the Hollywood studio system of the 30’s and 40’s. It was equal parts brilliant and engaging. The kind of writing most film academics ignore, much to their detriment. The kind of writing that would make one actually pick up a book on film history as opposed to just consulting one at the library to make a bibliography quota on an undergrad film class essay (some leftover frustration at film academics from my Uni days may still linger at the time of writing this Review). Needless to say, when his latest book The Sky is Falling arrived in my mailbox, I was ecstatic to review it. 

    The Sky is Falling is Peter Biskind’s take on the last two decades of entertainment. Much in the same way that his two best selling books (Easy Riders and Raging Bulls ; Down and Dirty Pictures) had a focal point to distill the 70’s and the 90s into a book, Sky takes a similar approach. In this book, Biskind picks apart the most popular TV Shows and movies of the last twenty years, and ponders on how they may have shaped, or at least explain, the rise of extremist sentiment in America.  The book invites us to consider how the way we feel about keeping White Walkers beyond the wall in Game of Thrones might help us understand the mentality of those who would like such a wall erected in their country. It categorizes shows and movies into their respective categories (Homeland being in the Far Right, the Robocop reboot as a luddite leftist piece, and so on). 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbCbwP6ibR4

    In truth, the book serves as an excellent introduction book for politics for those who could not be less interested in the subject. It succeeds at depicting the whole of the political spectrum by providing us with movie equivalencies. It is far easier to say someone is like Gordon Gekko than explaining they want lower income taxes, uncapped commissions and fewer Securities and Exchanges Commissions regulations. 

    For fans of Biskind’s previous work, you won’t get the same kind of book as his most famous ones. The Sky Is Falling is structured more like a collection of essays with no central claim. They help understand politics, but at times the sheer volume of film and TV references thrown at the reader can distract from the central claim.  However, Biskind’s insights are spot on and what the book may lack in a narrative or linear sense, it offers up plenty of reflection in 5-10 page chapters. It is definitely worth a buy to take in Biskind’s encyclopedic knowledge of film and culture. The writing is funny, sharp and at times terrifying. One encompassing read on our times, and what we say about them on the big screen. 

  • Matsuchiyo: Life Of A Geisha – Review

    Matsuchiyo: Life Of A Geisha – Review

    A Sweet Insight to One of Japan’s Most Traditional Figures

    There are two sides to Ken Nishikawa’s documentary: Japanese tradition and family. Ken Nishikawa inserts himself as the narrator of his documentary, Matsuchiyo: Life of a Geisha not only to teach the audience about the significance of the geisha in Japan, but also to tell the story of his mother, Matsuchiyo. One of the best parts of this film was getting to know Matsuchiyo. She was not only a character, but a living, breathing legend. A living record of Japanese history that we had the honour of meeting through her stories and her genuine giggles.

    This documentary is characterised by wide, personal shots of Japan and specifically Atami, the city where the majority of Matsuchiyo’s story takes place, photographs that depict the many stages in her life including her childhood, training, and children, music that help paint a sharp picture of Japanese culture, and Ken Nishikawa’s confessionals in front of the camera that tell this story. All of these elements come together in Matsuchiyo’s one hour and nine-minute run time, intricately describing the life and duties of a geisha. Personally speaking, I never knew what the figure was or what they did. It was one of the film’s great pleasures to learn, and to respect how important the culture is. By the way Ken tells the story, geisha hold a special place in his heart. He talks about how much his mother sacrificed for her passion, the family obligations, the loss of love. But one thing was clear: Matsuchiyo loved being a geisha.

    According to the documentary, geishas and Japan’s opinions of geishas have evolved throughout the years. But still, the tradition is highly respected because of women like Matsuchiyo. In this film, she talks about what is required of the geisha. “It is difficult for a foolish girl to be a geisha and impossible for a smart one” Matsuchiyo says. She cares deeply for her profession and wants to see it done right. She wants to see her fellow geishas care for their clients, to truly listen and be their safe space. To be honest, it felt odd to hear how passionate she felt about servicing to men’s emotional needs, but it’s hard not to respect and understand Masuchiyo’s grace as a geisha.

    Ken also tells his own family history. The story of his parents, and his father’s ultimate fall to alcoholism. It all comes together in the final moments of the documentary when he and his mother tell the true story of a well-known geisha in Japanese history named Okichi. Through a performance by Matsuchiyo and Ken’s explanation right after, we learn that Mutsuchiyo and Okichi have a lot in common. They’ve had similar backgrounds, the same career, and love lives. It cements the idea that through being a geisha, Matsuchiyo is a connection to Japan’s past, to a tradition that she does her best to keep alive. It’s a wonderful story and look into a family whose world centres around geishas.

    Raindance Film Festival Showtimes:
    Wed. 03 Oct. 15:00
    Fri. 05 Oct. 17:30
  • Terri: Review

    Terri: Review

    What enables you to keep going when the world seems to be increasingly against you? Terri is overweight, caring for an ill uncle who needs professional attention. He is not yet ready for the responsibility he has been landed with. Disinterested in school, Terri is played with appropriate preoccupation and vacancy by Jacob Wysocki. Daydreaming, just trying to get through each day, director Azazel Jacobs lets us see the beauty in Terri’s world. The silence and stillness is excellently manipulated by Jacobs early on in the film, simultaneously giving a sense of sadness, and one of hope.

    Enter Mr Fitzgerald. A caring teacher at Terri’s school, Fitzgerald is like a cross between Dead Poets Society’s John Keating and one of Jason Bateman’s many performances as a man-child. Played by John C Reilly with just the right amount of vigour, it is the kind of performance that makes you wonder why an actor isn’t cast in such dramatic roles more often. Terri’s world begins to change, as he finds friends and comfort in Fitzgerald’s support.

    The heartening, if obvious, message in Patrick DeWitt’s script is that however much you might seem to be an outcast, you are not alone. The youthful supporting cast is strong, but they fall into certain one dimensional high school categories: the loner everyone thinks is crazy, the teenage girl labelled a slut. As these friends come together, their interactions feel natural and entertaining, if a little contrived.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVBbXHuD1C0

    But at this point it becomes clear what the film has wasted. As Terri’s suffering uncle James, Creed Bratton gives the best performance of his career, but is afforded little screen time. Not only is this a shame, but it doesn’t allow the film to build a sense of just how difficult it is for Terri to live with his illness. Wysocki himself is underutilised – there are maybe one or two moments where the script allows his potential to show, when Terri cannot stop his emotions from coming to the surface and breaking out.

    What is disappointing about Terri is that all of the meaning and emotion feels too familiar to be affecting. Precious gave us an oversized character struggling with far worse circumstances, we have seen a child forced to grow up too quickly numerous times before. And it’s hardly a challenge to find a film featuring a teen trying to fit in in high school. Terri is perhaps a spiritual descendant of Juno, complete with prematurely mature teens, adults who act like children, and a healthy amount of everyday conflict. But it lacks the charm and humour to pull off such simplicity, when every moment seems like it has been pulled or copied from something we’ve seen before.

    TV Show Collection