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!

  • Thoroughbreds: The BRWC Review

    Thoroughbreds: The BRWC Review

    Is there any process more darkly intriguing than the build up to the decision to take a life? Cory Finlay’s debut feature positions itself to explore this process, opening seemingly in the middle of a story. Amanda (Olivia Cooke), ostracised for a violent act she has committed, is forced into the tutelage of childhood friend Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy). Two white girls languishing in the wealth of their parents, it quickly becomes apparent that all is not well in their lives. Lily hates her stepdad Mark (Paul Sparks), and Amanda finds it impossible to feel any emotion.

    The script is alienatingly overbearing in communicating this information, allowing Amanda to explain her near psychopathy in full before remarking: “You hate him,” to Lily as Mark exits a scene. This could all be put down to Amanda’s characterisation, however, and Finlay (on directing and script duties) more than makes up for it with sparkling dialogue. This is perhaps the strongest aspect of Thoroughbreds, setting up exchanges that Sorkin or Tarantino would be happy with. Within a situation adjacent to everyday life, Finlay makes every word seem realistic, creating a back and forth between the two girls that is simultaneously tense and hilarious. As their relationship moves past awkward acquaintanceship, Amanda offers a solution to Lily’s issue: why doesn’t she just kill Mark?

    An exciting new friend awakens a desire within a shy teen to commit an evil act against those who have wronged her. It may sound familiar, but likening the film to Winona Ryder vehicle Heathers does Thoroughbreds a disservice: the similarities end at the plot summary. Finlay abandons the garish 80s style Heathers exhibits, favouring instead a quiet intensity that threatens to explode at any second. Long, unbroken shots provide not only insight into the character’s world, but establish a woeful sense of Hitchcockian unease that is never shaken off. Whether the camera is following a character with an effortless fluidity reminiscent of Birdman, or is statically planted for an achingly slow zoom; it is clear that Finlay knows exactly what he wants out of each shot.

    The girls’ decision to act on their satanic impulse introduces drug dealer Tim, played by Anton Yelchin. Tragically this is Yelchin’s final performance, but it is also perhaps his best: he nails the nervous, self righteous criminal duped by beautiful women. Yelchin is the standout amongst a cast that is consistently good but never great. Taylor-Joy’s initial teen anxiousness fades as the film goes on into that unnerving stare that we’ve seen before in The Witch and Split. There are moments of fantastic chemistry between her and Cooke, though, and the latter does well to capture the monotonous tone that has become a staple for a character with little empathy (think Cumberbatch’s Sherlock, Lou Bloom). Sparks is on form but the potential he showcased in Boardwalk Empire has still yet to be fully utilised on the big screen.

    Finlay concludes with the sentiment that we are what we were born to be. A killer isn’t created by circumstance; those murderous tendencies wallow inside of a person until circumstance allows them to come to the forefront. This isn’t a revolutionary idea: look at The Godfather, American Psycho, Nightcrawler, or almost any film where the protagonist is considered a psychopath. And yes, that includes Heathers. But for a movie paying tribute to a handful of different genres, there is a welcome touch of originality woven inside this reinvention. The film may present itself as a modern, stylised thriller, but hiding beneath the surface lingers the fascinatingly nihilistic question of whether or not we actually deserve to exist.

  • Review: The Old Dark House (1932)

    Review: The Old Dark House (1932)

    The Old Dark House (1932) begins when married couple Phillip and Margaret Waverton (Raymond Massey and Gloria Stuart) and their friend Penderel (Melvyn Douglas), get caught in a violent rainstorm that leaves them drenched and unable to continue any further. They wind up at a creepy gothic mansion and to their relief are offered shelter, but it turns out the inhabitants are as dark and sinister as the house itself. We meet Horace, the strange old man and his furious wife Rebecca, played brilliantly by Eva Moore. Most sinister of all though, is the Frankenstein-esque monster of a butler, Morgan, who despite being mute leaves the biggest impression throughout this film. As the first couple sit uneasily eating dinner with their peculiar acquaintances, another stranded pair come bursting in looking for shelter from the storm, Sir William Porterhouse and his bubbly lady friend Gladys. The party soon come to the realisation that this house is holding some dark secrets.

    There is some amusement to be gained from the first half of this film. The love story that develops between Penderel and Gladys is entertaining enough, but doesn’t dominate the story. The old lady, played by Eva Moore, inspires the most laughs with her exaggerated deafness and furious temper. We know there is a secret or two that are to be uncovered as the film continues, but when they finally are revealed, it comes as a bit of a let down.

    James Whale, who directed Frankenstein the previous year, uses Boris Karloff as his monster again in The Old Dark House. He reportedly also used all the same cinematic techniques, which means that aesthetically these two films are very similar. There is, however, not enough back-story in order to become emotionally involved with these characters. It is true to the genre of gothic horror, with a sprinkling of comedy and romance intertwined in this strange storyline. As entertaining as it is, the plotline left me feeling slightly unsatisfied, however there are some standout scenes, especially the scene in which Penderel meets the psychotic secret brother, Saul, and tries to calm his murderous rage. The Old Dark House is a fun look at 1930’s cinema, and offers some entertainment. It will appeal especially to fans of gothic cinema.

  • Isle Of Dogs: The BRWC Review

    Isle Of Dogs: The BRWC Review

    In the future, an outbreak of canine flu leads the mayor of a Japanese city to banish all dogs to an island that’s a garbage dump. The outcasts must soon embark on an epic journey when a 12-year-old boy arrives on the island to find his beloved pet.

    Wes Anderson is one of those directors who an audience either clicks with, or seems repelled by. There’s an unashamed whimsy in the themes, the visual aesthetic and the rhythms of his films that are unmistakably, cinematically his own. From Bottle Rocket to The Grand Budapest Hotel we’ve seen comedic quirk filtered through his scrappy, underdog characters who learn valuable life lessons in order to achieve their ultimate happy-sadness. Wes Anderson’s films are unlikely to shock or surprise you but the journey is so worthwhile it doesn’t rightly matter. His filmmaking process and tonal language are (to some), warm, endearing and dependable. Isle of Dogs is no exception.

    As with 2009’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson works once again within the medium of stop-motion animation, which is probably for the best considering the limitations of actual dog actors. Maintaining the same visual language utilised so effectively in his previous works, Isle of Dogs has a much harsher, more lived-in feel than the autumnal glow and kitsch of his Roald Dahl adaptation. The plight of the dogs and their human companions is touching and the voice performances from the ensemble are perfectly in-keeping with Anderson’s style. It’s no surprise that the animation itself is nothing short of captivating.

    Bryan Cranston, Bob Balaban, Edward Norton, Bill Murray and Jeff Goldblum portray the mangy pack at the heart of the story. Koyu Rankin voices the strong willed and resourceful Atari Kobayashi, the young boy in search for his beloved guard dog, Spot. The use of language to denote the shift between dogs and humans talking is handled in an interesting way. There’s a conversation to be had regarding the director’s “cultural tourism”, and once again Anderson delivers a feature in which the female characters are bit players only but after nine films it would seem that this latter issue is characteristically ingrained within the filmmaker’s narrative scope.

    Isle of Dogs will not be the film that ingratiates itself with Wes Anderson’s naysayers. It has already sparked conversations amongst even some of his most ardent fans. While I enjoyed the journey, I would say that I was left a little unsatisfied by the conclusion. This isn’t Moonrise Kingdom or Grand Budapest. It’s a wonderfully crafted and entertaining animated feature but not what I’d consider a top-tier Wes Anderson film. That aside, it’s most definitely the best stop-motion picture you’re likely to see until the next Laika Studios offering!

    Isle of Dogs is out now.

  • The BRWC Review: Ghost Stories

    The BRWC Review: Ghost Stories

    British cinema has a rich history of anthology horror storytelling. From 1945’s Dead of Night to Amicus pictures like From Beyond the Grave, Vault of Horror and Tales from the Crypt, the portmanteau horror is a staple of the genre, masterfully resurrected by Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson. Adapted from their stage play, Ghost Stories follows famed paranormalist, Phillip Goodman (Nyman) as he investigates three unsolved supernatural mysteries, uncovering a great deal more besides.

    While the tone is predominantly played straight, there are several blackly comedic moments that perforate the dense atmosphere. Each of the stories stacks lingering dread and intensity, unafraid to show as much as tell. The first, The Night Watchman features Paul Whitehouse walking the grounds of an old, women’s refuge. With contemporary eyes attuned to modern horror tropes, this story still finds ways to deliver good scares. Whitehouse flourishes in this non-comedic role and the pacing of the yarn is satisfactorily measured.

    The second story introduces The End of the F***ing World’s Alex Lawther as a troubled teen, recounting a disturbing encounter on a dark country road. His performance is full of jitter and shudders, giving him the characteristics of a frightened bird. There’s a far more profound subtext buried here but to give that away would be telling. The third and final story brings Goodman to a stock broker (Martin Freeman), waiting for his wife to give birth to their baby son. An old dark house out in the middle of nowhere with things going bump in the night.

    All three stories are notably male-centric, often dealing with the absence of a female presence and this theme interlaces deftly throughout the narrative. The tales are unnerving, with twists and turns that may not be to everybody’s liking. The divisive final reel is something that I guarantee will ensure a re-watch of Ghost Stories sometime soon. It’s so rare to be in the company of a subtly developed, suspenseful anthology horror (The ABCs of Death and V/H/S utterly fail on both accounts) but Nyman and Dyson utilise the solid performances with exceptional visual and sound design. One desperately hopes the pair deliver any future projects sooner rather than later.

    Ghost Stories is out now in cinemas.

  • The BRWC Review: Have A Nice Day

    The BRWC Review: Have A Nice Day

    “What’s going on today? Everything is fucked up.”

    Have a Nice Day is the second animated feature from Chinese director Jian Liu, following 2010’s Piercing I. The style of animation is captivating, expressive, and occasionally surreal: somewhere between Monkey Dust (2003) and Waking Life (2001).

    Jian Liu injects his second feature with more humour than the first. He has a penchant for the heist-gone-wrong narrative, not a million miles from Welcome to Collinwood (2002). Although there is an abundance of violence, it is much more comedy than thriller.

    At a running time of 103 minutes (Piercing I) and 75 minutes (Have a Nice Day), Jian Liu’s animations prove his determination as a filmmaker. Largely a solo effort, they possess the magnetism of a young band perfecting their skills on the gig circuit, whilst maintaining the intoxicating raw energy of a creation still rough around the edges. A necessary counterpoint to big budget animations from powerhouse studios. Piercing I took 3 years to complete, whereas Have a Nice Day took closer to 5. The difference is unmistakable yet Jian Liu preserves his signature style.

    Have A Nice Day
    Have A Nice Day

    Have a Nice Day has been compared to Pulp Fiction (1994), but Tarantino has never devoted so much screen time to examining the shabby and decaying urban landscape. Jian Liu seems to take as much of an interest in small-scale architecture as illustrators Chris Ware or Adrian Tomine. These scenes – almost stills but for a whisper of cigarette smoke or a buzzing neon sign – offer a great deal more subtlety and detail than is found in the rendering of the characters. One exquisite scene, a series of cuts showing buildings and alleyways in the rain, adopts clever use of sound – with the rainfall becoming richer or tinnier to match each setting.

    The era of the story is important to the director, choosing to set each film in a very specific time-frame, highlighting it as pivotal to the plot. Each film is placed in time using global political markers, namely the 2008 global financial crisis and the election of Obama, in Piercing I, and the election of Trump referenced in Have a Nice Day.

    Looking at the films in tandem, it is interesting to see the artistic development as well as Liu’s confidence in his narrative becoming more robust.

    Have A Nice Day
    Have A Nice Day

    Have a Nice Day premiered in the main competition for the Golden Bear at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2017.