Category: REVIEWS

By Johnathan Bonham.

Game Night was damn near exactly what I was hoping for. I always get excited for R-rated Jason Bateman movies where he’ll have the chance to be his usual, sarcastic self, and oh boy do we get that here. I’ve really enjoyed the more serious and dramatic turn that Bateman has taken in recent works such as Ozarks and The Gift, but it’s hard to beat him in this kind of role. Directors John Francis Daily and Jonathan Goldstein did an awesome job at getting together a great cast, paired it with a hilarious script, and made what I would consider to be a refreshingly original movie (which I’d like to emphasise because that’s not very common at all nowadays).

Game Night starts off with Max (Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams) first meeting at trivia night in a bar. After crossing paths and learning of their deep devotion to all types of games they fall in love, get married, and start a weekly game night with some of their best friends. Flash forward to present day and we learn that Max’s older brother, Brooks (Kyle Chandler), is back in town, and after joining the weekly game night offers to host one himself. The following week the crew joins Brooks at his rental house for a new kind of game night where he explains that one of the participants will be captured, and whoever finds the kidnapped first wins the game and a new car (which also happens to be Max’s dream car).

Shortly after, two armed men break into the house and kidnap Brooks, which the others believe is just part of the game. After beginning the game and starting to follow various clues that have been laid out they come to realise that the game is much more real than they’d anticipated, and there might even be lives at stake.

I didn’t mean to write such a serious review, but I couldn’t help it. Based on that it sounds like this is similar to David Fincher’s thriller, The Game, starring Michael Douglas. I would say that parts of the movie reminded me of The Game, mainly with the crazy twists and turns that pop up throughout. The difference is Game Night also has a very strong sense of Horrible Bosses humour mixed in, except with much better writing. I enjoyed Horrible Bosses because I love Bateman and Jason Sudeikis, but at its core I felt that the writing was weak aside from some great one-liners. Also, arguably the funniest character in Horrible Bosses, Colin Farrell, was killed off way too soon.

The writing in Game Night, however, did not lack wit whatsoever, and I thoroughly enjoyed the number of movie references that they not so subtly mixed in (I have a deep appreciation for well-utilised movie references). The cast is just awesome. I thought that everyone did a phenomenal job, and had me losing my shit at one point or another. Bateman is his run of the mill self, aka he’s fantastic. He was sarcastic, he was a smart ass, and I loved every minute of it. Not to be outshined, Rachel McAdams did more than hold her own playing Bateman’s wife. This is first time I’ve seen McAdams do full blown comedy, mainly because in Wedding Crashers she played the target of Owen Wilson’s affection and wasn’t given an overly funny part (if she’s been in other comedies I’m not slighting those, I just haven’t seen them). But man did she knock this out of the park. Her and Bateman had great rapport, and all their scenes together just flowed.

I’m a huge Lamorne Harris fan from his work on New Girl as Winston, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to see him playing a Winston-esque character here. He meshed well with the game night group and was very funny as the self-conscious husband that is relentlessly upset about his wife’s old hook up (which is a ridiculous thing that I’m sure most people can relate to). Newcomer (at least to me) Billy Magnusson was hilarious in this as the shallow, dim-witted, asshole friend of the group. Kyle Chandler played the charismatic and charming, yet dickish older brother to Bateman. He also got the chance to show off his fighting chops in a well-choreographed kidnapping scene against two assailants. Altogether though, he was just fine. It wasn’t really his fault, he wasn’t really given a role to shine in. Finally, we had another Friday Night Lights alum, Jesse Plemmons, who did a wonderful job in channelling his best Ron Swanson as the awkward, intense, stoic and polite next door neighbour.

I think my one main gripe would have to be the ending. I thought at one point that they were wrapping things up, but then another twist was thrown in and the movie was extended. I was okay with this because I was enjoying the movie, but then it got a little over the top (not that it wasn’t already). Having said that, I did appreciate that the actual ending wasn’t super drawn out and that they moved it along rather quickly. I also liked that the directors were self-aware of their film, so they balanced some standard clichés by making jokes out of them.

I loved this film. It had me laughing out loud virtually the entire time, and was a fun watch. The writing was clever and witty, and didn’t rely on over-the-top, vulgar humour to try and force laughs. Per usual, I was able to see this movie for next to nothing thanks to MoviePass, but I would highly recommend paying to see a matinee for this film to catch it sooner rather than later.

By Johnathan Bonham.

Admittedly, I was kind of excited when I first saw that this was getting released on Netflix. For one, I’m a huge fan of Netflix original movie releases. I get the experience of a brand new movie release, and don’t even have to leave my living room. That’s pretty hard to beat. Having said that, I’d say for the most part a lot of the Netflix original movies aren’t very high quality. I did think that Beasts of No Nation was a very well done film. It was depressing and brutal, but a great movie nonetheless tha t paints a real picture of world issues. I felt pretty confident going in that between Cary Fukunaga directing and Idris Elba starring that it would be a hit, and I’d have to say I was right (humble, I know). Any who, going into this particular movie, by no means was I expecting anything near the quality of Beasts of No Nation. Honestly, I was expecting an average and forgettable romcom, and guess what? I was right again.

Another big reason for my initial excitement was Adam Devine starring in it. I’ve been a fan of his since Workaholics, so I was glad to see him pull in a leading role on Netflix. The film also stars Alexandra Daddario, who I’m not quite sure how I feel about. I thought that she was good in True Detective although she had a relatively small part, and I never saw San Andreas, despite my love for ‘The Rock.’ The next thing I distinctly remember her from is Baywatch, which was virtually unwatchable. I certainly don’t blame that on her, it was a complete mess of a movie with a cringeworthy screenplay. After watching When We First Met, I have to say that the jury is still out on Daddario.

The film begins at a Halloween party where Noah (Devine) and Avery (Daddario) first meet. They have an amazing night together, and then the film flashes forward three years later. Avery is at her engagement party, and we come to find out that she is not with Noah. The day after the Halloween party, Avery had met Ethan (Robbie Amell) and the rest was history. Despite this, Noah is still head over heels in love and can’t move past it. Noah drunkenly winds up at his favorite bar after the party where he travels back in time via a magical photo booth to the day that he first met Avery. From here he keeps to try over and over to get their first meeting right so they can wind up together. After he relives the night, he wakes up in present day each time and his future has been altered. Noah continues to try and try again, but in the end, he might find that trying to force fate is not always the right course.

The movie started off pretty rocky for me. The writing felt weak and the lines were forcibly delivered by Devine and Daddario. I was at the point where I was ready to turn it off, but I decided to continue trucking through it (and I didn’t really have anything else to watch). Over time I think the writing and delivery improved (or I just grew immune to it), and the movie started to flow and feel less forced. The plot as a whole is undoubtedly cliched and nothing that you haven’t seen before. I will say that the wa y the movie ended wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, so that was refreshing. There are a few good one liners throughout that had me laughing, so by no means do I regret having watched this. If you have the time and are in the mood for a light-hearted, mindless, “love prevails” type of movie, then give this a watch. I won’t say that it’s a must-watch by any means, but if you’re a Devine fan, there’s a certain amount of appreciation you’ll find for the movie.

By Yahia EL-Tanani.

Constantly trying to figure out what the next crime thriller you’re going to watch as you go through your daily life? Likewise, so why not watch this film? In the Nile Hilton Incident, Tarik Saleh presents us with a neo-noir film that follows Noredin (Fares Fares), a lieutenant colonel of the Cairo police, being handed a casual murder case of a singer in the Nile Hilton Hotel. However, the more he endeavours to crack the case the more unforeseen mystery he unravels coming to the eventual realisation that what is at hand is much bigger than himself. Sound good so far? That’s because it is good.

Let’s talk about character. The main character Noredin (Fares Fares) is persuasively well-rounded made not with good or bad, but proficiently with strengths and weaknesses. The character is provided with the most difficult quality to craft in modern day cinema, humanity. What’s more he is shockingly well performed by a Fares Fares who isn’t even Egyptian, not that you would notice. Empathy is created in abundance for the characters here through the humorous dialogue and the all-round concrete performances. All actors pay their dues, and are representative of all the different facets of life lead in such a prejudiced Egyptian society.

The film contains typical vernacular Egyptian humour which brings me on to one of my favourite things about the film. The film is a cultural sponge. It captures all the colloquialisms and idiomatic nature of Egyptian culture in the most accurate and endearing manner. It has to be the most accurate representation of modern day Egypt that the audience will ever have seen in any artistic medium and it’s all down to Saleh (who has the advantage of being from Egyptian descent). Part of what makes the film so satisfying to watch is that it really does transport you into a sensual visit of modern Egypt. Everything you hear, see and smell are the very cogs that keep it ticking. Creating such an authentic atmosphere only makes this film ten-fold more engaging than the next crime drama.

The cinematography is very well balanced. Pierre Aïm does everything as it should be done. Every shot, every piece of coverage is essential and tells the story in a way as not to take away from what’s happening. Along with the cinematography the plot is also strong. It’s a textbook plot, we have main character who we have developed empathy towards, he goes through conflict and at the end the conflict is either resolved or not. The plot gives arguably the film’s best quality, completeness. This film is such a complete story which is critically pleasing. The plot is accessible and just supplies on demand. Furthermore, the music sticks to the legitimacy and tradition of the film with huge Egyptian cultural icons featuring on the soundtrack such as Abdel Halim Hafez.

Being from Cairo myself I noticed that the translation was (whilst accurate) at times not complete and didn’t show just how comical the film was at times. The only other thing I would pick holes in (and I am picking holes) is that I would have liked to have seen better use of was emptiness in the film, particularly towards the end. Yet, the ending wasn’t rushed but I felt it had the capability of carrying more charge and tension if it had been given the voice of silence.

The way I see it, The Nile Hilton Incident accurately reflects the lazy, laid back and corrupt justice system in modern day Egypt. It’s a socio-political painting of the pre-Arab spring climate. Moreover, what I am so impressed with is that Saleh was able to paint this picture with such an unbiased dependability. This undeniable authenticity and correctness is what makes the film so engaging. With simmering corruption bubbling throughout the film. The film shows how our human lives persist even through these seedy times. Perhaps, overall the film is not the most technically brilliant or creatively captured; especially in the world cinema genre where that is done so well. Nevertheless, what we the audience do get with this film is an utterly complete story told in an even more complete manner which absorbs us away from our own reality. At the end of the day isn’t that what film is all about?

What can you say about the highest rated superhero film of all time? Black Panther is the latest film by Marvel studios. After his first appearance in Captain America Civil War; there has been a lot of hype surrounding the character’s return in his own stand-alone film. The idea is to make this as different from the other Marvel films as they dare. Ryan Coogler is hired to direct. The world is promised to be new and bold. The plot promises to be different. The themes it tackles promise to be the most mature of the entire MCU. Does it really deliver this?

Black Panther has just been crowned king of Wakanda – a technologically advanced yet sheltered African country. He aims to first save his country from a South African arms dealer who stole their technology decades before. However, his heroic path is halted by the arrival of a new villain. One with the right to challenge the Panther to become king and shake the entire world as he does so. All while doing this, he is slowly discovering what it means to be both, a good king and a good man.

If I were to give only one bit of praise to this film, it would be to Wakanda. This is a very fun and interesting culture. Mixing African traditions with high-tech sci-fi must have been a tough challenge for all involved. But it does work very well. I do wish that I saw more of it, as we are actually very limited in what we do see of Wakanda, but I was impressed with even the little details. It feels lived in and very much like a civilisation that would exist today given the chance. It helps that the world in this film is also the main driving force of the story. Should their tech really remain a secret? What would happen if it fell into the wrong hands.

Also helping was the films villains. Michael B Jordan – who’s last superhero film was Fantastic 4 (or Fant4stic), so the less said about that – plays one of the greatest villains in Marvel history. He’s complex, yet understandable. You get his motives and buy the performance completely. He is a psycho who kills lot of people, and yet he’s not entirely wrong in his goals. Jordan and Coogler have worked together before and are clearly comfortable with each other, which really helped. He’s just a great villain, and for Marvel that’s something special. Even more special is that we also have another good villain too. Andy Serkis reminds me why he’s one of my favourite actors in this. He’s having so much fun in this film, it’s intoxicating. He laughs, you laugh. It’s not often a superhero villain is this much fun to watch.

Coogler’s direction is very good throughout. He directs his actors very well. Chadwick Bosman does a great job as the Black Panther, feeling just as fresh as in Civil War. I also really liked Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman and Letitia Wright in their roles too. And Coogler brings the same character moments and visual distinction he displayed in Creed. Don’t get me wrong, they are both very different films, but you can also tell that the same man is behind them both. There’s even a nice use of techno-African chanting going on in the music at times, which was certainly a welcomed, if strange choice.

There’s no going on without mention of the big news of the film. This is a mostly black cast, filmed by a black director. It’s very similar to what we had last year with Wonder Woman; at least in how it represents the much longed for diversity in Hollywood. Now, this isn’t the first black superhero film, the amazing Blade came out in the late ‘90’s. But, there is no denying that this does represent a nice step for the genre. Just like Wonder Woman. It’s not something I’d blow out of proportion, but I would be surprised – and immensely disappointed – if this didn’t broaden people’s and studios minds, both for casting and representation.

But, again like Wonder Woman, Black Panther is sadly hampered by the fact that it’s just a middling superhero film in the end. The characters, outside of the villains, are pretty one note for a start. They’re all well performed. It’s just little things like Black Panther being made a little too over-powered. This has become a common thing with Marvel and it just makes their films more boring to me.

The action is okay.

There are some stand out moments, but it’s mostly just serviceable. However, it’s the story and the effects that let Black Panther down. It feels like we have two films playing at once. We’ve got a decent enough, but not very engaging James Bond thriller – where our hero must stop Andy Serkis from selling a weapon to threaten the world. And we’ve got a strong, if messily closed, Shakespearian fantasy thriller with Michael B Jordan. The two don’t mix too well and cause a huge clash of tones in the middle. It’s a tad too long and there was a point where I was feeling a little bored.

The effects, though, are awful! Sometimes they’re pretty good. There’s some nice work on the Panther suit and some establishing shots of Wakanda are good. But it’s mostly bad. And I mean early 2000’s CGI bad. There’s a battle at the end that gave me haunting images of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. There’s a fight scene on top of a waterfall near the beginning – there’s a crowd watching the fight and certain members of the crowd were clearly added in later. It’s really strange to see effects this bad in a Marvel film – although, thinking about it they were pretty weak in Spider-Man Homecoming and Avengers Age of Ultron too. Effects do not make a great film, but when the film is this effects heavy, it’s a little hard to ignore.

Black Panther is a good Marvel film that you should definitely watch. It’s just a little over hyped. It has its issues, but it’s also visually distinct from the other Marvel films. I’d probably say that I admired it more than I enjoyed it. I do hope that this leads to a better and more diverse Hollywood down the line. But as a Marvel films, I’d say it’s one of the middling crowd. I think I’m just sick of superheroes. That is not this films fault, that’s been building up for the better part of a decade for me – but it hasn’t changed my views either.

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