Author: Natalie Teasdale

I want to share with other movie fans those amazing films that get under your skin and stay with you for days: the scary ones, the funny ones; the ones that get you thinking. With a background in creative writing, photography, psychology and neuroscience, I’ll be focusing on dialogue, what makes a great story, if the film has beautiful creative cinematography, the soundtrack and any movie that successfully scratches the surface of our existence. My aim is to always be searching for that ultimate movie, to share what I’ve found to be interesting (whether it be a great soundtrack, a great director or links to other information of interest) and to give an honest review without too much fluff. BAppSci in Psychology/Psychophysiology; Grad Dip Creative Arts and Post Grad Dip in Creative Writing. Founder of GoMovieReviews.

Paddington In Peru

GoMovieReview Rating: ★★★★

Rated: PG

Directed by: Dougal Wilson

Produced by: Rosie Alison

Based on the Character, Paddington Bear, Created by: Michael Bond

Screen Story by: Paul King, Simon Farnaby, Mark Burton

Screenplay by: Mark Burton, Jon Foster and James Lamont

Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman, & Julie Walters with Ben Whishaw & Imelda Staunton as the voices of ‘Paddington’ & ‘Aunt Lucy’.

‘When skies are grey, hope is the way’ – Aunt Lucy.

The third instalment of the Paddington franchise opens a few bears ago…

Amongst the ferns and red flowers (not the spiky red ones, that comes later) is a sniffing bear cub, reaching for one, lone, enticing orange, right at the end of a branch. He reaches until the branch snaps…

Paddington in Peru unpacks Paddington’s origin story. Of how he became lost, only to be found by Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton).

But now, Aunt Lucy is lost.

Receiving a letter from the Mother Superior (Olivia Colman) who looks after Aunt Lucy in the Home for Retired Bears in Peru, Paddington (Ben Whishaw) decides he must return to his birthplace to find the one who found him. Took care of him. Who said, ‘If you ever get lost again, roar and I’ll roar right back.’

It’s just what the Brown family needs. An adventure. Together.

Mrs. Brown (Emily Mortimer) is struggling with the changes in the family, the children drifting away with Judy (Madeleine Harris) applying for university and Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) locked up in his room, inventing gadgets so he can spend more time chilling.

Mrs. Brown misses those years when the family would hang out together on the sofa, the ‘sofa years.’

Mr. Brown’s (Hugh Bonneville) new boss at the insurance company wants to embrace risk, so a dangerous trip to Peru sounds just the ticket, in spite of his risk averse nature.

When they meet river boat captain, Hunter (Antonio Banderas), along with his daughter Gina (Carla Tous), to hire a boat for their journey, the Brown family are quickly introduced to the perils of the amazon jungle. Did I mention the spikey red things? And the generational madness of Captain Hunter’s gold fever.

Paddington in Peru is a story of coming from somewhere but making another place home, of children flying the nest, of understanding and embracing change while holding on to what matters, family.

New director Dougal Wilson brings the same inventiveness as the previous Paddington films directed by Paul King, with the montage of moving painted portraits, the Brown family home shown as a doll’s house and ghosts brought to life like a fever dream.

Dougal states, ‘I thought it would be great fun to continue the style that Paul King had so brilliantly set up, using the feeling that the stories created in London and applying that to a place that wasn’t London. I aimed to bring that style, tone, and inventiveness to Peru.’

This film is filled with the green of the amazon and the heady views from ancient sites with filming locations from Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu, Centre of Lima, Cerro San Cristobal, Cusco – Maras Town, Cusco – Maras Fields, Palccoyo Mountain, Abra Malaga, Santa Maria Road, Amparaes, Yanatile Road, Cusco Quillabamba – Sant Maria, Cusco Quillabamba – Santa Teresa Road.

There’s also that classic humour with Mr. Brown trying to be tough with his hard walk, a bow legged, hands-on-hips ramble he also employs when the plumber comes around.

Paddington narrates the storyline as he writes his letter so there’s that genuine heartfelt interpretation of the goings on, Ben Whishaw returning as the voice of Paddington so it would be impossible to imagine any other voice for the lovable bear.

Antonio Banderas brings his suave brand to the character of Mr. Hunt and his ancestors, the resemblance lending hilarious moments to his gold madness.

And, Onward Christian soooldiers, Olivia Colman as the Mother Superior has the facial expressions to show the multifaceted, nothing-suspicious-going-on-here, shenanigans of an innocent, not-so-innocent, nun.

The whole production is detailed to delight and a whole lot of fun, with yes, a few tearful moments.

I can’t quite give a higher rating than Paddington 2. Hugh Grant owned his character, the villain-of-many-disguises, Phoenix Buchanan, and I was chuffed to see his cameo here in Paddington 3.

But Paddington in Peru does not disappoint and is a good time, for, well, everyone.

Nat’s Top 5 Movies for 2024

Who needs to go on a rollercoaster when all you had to do was survive 2024?

There have been movies that have blown me away, Denis Villeneuve deserves a special mention, and there’s been some painful flops that left me scratching my head; Megalopolis and Joker: Folie À Deux pushing the boundaries, in my opinion, without success.

Then there’s the body horror of, Substance, and the not quite making it to my list, Longlegs, Heretic, Better Man and Monkey Man that are worth a watch. And then there’s Wicked Part I that I enjoyed in spite of myself.

But when it comes to recommendations, I’ve compiled a Top 5 List that had me smiling, crying, shaking with hands in front of face to mouth agape at the spectacle that is the best cinema of 2024.

5. THE APPRENTICE Political / Drama Review ★★★★

4. THE PROMISED LAND Drama / Foreign Review ★★★★

3. CIVIL WAR Action / War Preview Review ★★★★

2. THE WILD ROBOT Animation / Family Review ★★★★☆ (4.2/5)

DUNE: PART TWO SciFi/Political/Thriller Review ★★★★1/2

Worth a watch:

HERETIC Psychological Horror Preview Review ★★★☆ (3.8/5)

WICKED PART ONE Fantasy / Drama Preview Review ★★★☆ (3.8/5)

LONGLEGS Crime / Horror Preview Review ★★★☆ (3.8/5)

MONKEY MAN Action / Thriller Preview Review ★★★★

BETTER MAN Musical / Drama Preview Review ★★★★

Better Man

GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★★

Rated: MA15+

Directed by: Michael Gracey

Written by: Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey

Produced by: Craig McMahon, Coco Xiaolu Ma, Jules Daly, Paul Currie p.g.a

Starring: Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Damon Herriman, Raechelle Banno, Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvaney, Frazer Hadfield, Tom Budge and Anthony Hayes.

‘Let me entertain you.’

Inspired by the true events of Robert Williams’ life, Robbie Williams’ beginning was a humble one.

Back in 1982, grubby and deprived, Robert is facedown in the mud.

The local kids tell him, ‘You really are useless, aren’t you?’

‘You’re a fucking nobody.’

But his nan (Alison Steadman) loved him.

‘I wouldn’t change a hair on your head,’ she tells him.

It says a lot that the film has Robbie as a monkey.

Robbie says the best thing his, Take That manager, Nigel Martin-Smith (Damon Herriman) did was change his name from Robert to Robbie because then he had a name to hide behind.

But he’d do anything to be in that spotlight, even if it terrified him.

Director, Michael Gracey states, ‘Robbie would say things like, “I’m up the back dancing like a monkey.” After a while, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be amazing to represent Robbie as a monkey in the film?” Because Robbie is telling this story – and that’s how he sees himself.’

Growing up with his mum (Kate Mulvaney) and nana, Robbie idolized his dad (Steve Pemberton), also a performer. He tells Robbie, ‘You’re either born with it or you’re a nobody.’

Robbie was terrified of being a nobody.

The film doesn’t hold back from telling the story of Robbie’s life.

Robbie learnt early that it wasn’t just talent that made you famous, it was being a smart arse on stage that went a long way to helping that rise to fame a reality.

Signing with, Take That at 15, Robbie thought he’d blown the audition. It was being a smart arse, telling Nigel Martin-Smith that he’d tell the rest of the contenders to go home, ending the statement with a wink, that got him the spot in the hugely successful boy band.

He’d finally found his place. His freedom.

Until his demons started showing up in the audience.

Those demons getting him kicked out of the band because of his need for substances to give him the courage to get up on stage.

The bad boy.

The insecure boy. Stunted at 15.

The journey of his life is shown in Robbie’s music and a continual rollercoaster that flowed from one scene to the other like table lamps lighting, one to the other across the room.

Like black water rising from the floor to drown the man always hiding.

‘My life always seems to be a tightrope act with no safety harness,’ admits Williams. ‘I could fall off at any moment and a lot of the time I do.’

There’s an edge to that chaotic feeling throughout the film, those lurking demons give the film an understanding of the pressure Robbie was under, what he had to fight every time he performed.

But there’s also a lot of fun here, like the merch of, Take That featuring babushka dolls where one boy goes into another, ‘for the foreign fans.’

Everyone loves a smart arse redemption story, and this one is vastly entertaining.

As introduced at the premiere by producer Paul Currie, Gracey is genius in opening a window into Robbie Williams’ life.

And there’s brutal truth to it, but also a warm heart.

Nosferatu

GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★☆ (3.8/5)

Rated: TBA

Written for the Screen & Directed by: Robert Eggers

Inspired by the Screenplay: NOSFERATU by Henrick Galeen

and the Novel DRACULA by Bram Stoker

Produced by: Jeff Robinov, John Graham

Produced by: Chris Columbus, p.g.a., Eleanor Columbus, p.g.a., Robert Eggers, p.g.a.

Starring: Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgård, Aaron Tayor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney.

What is the dark trauma that even death cannot erase? A heartbreaking notion. This is at the essence of the palpable belief in the vampire. The folk vampire is not a suave dinner-coat-wearing seducer, nor a sparkling, brooding hero. The folk vampire embodies disease, death, and sex in a base, brutal, and unforgiving way. This is the vampire I wanted to exhume for a modern audience.

-Robert Eggers

‘Blood is the life.’

Come to me, come to me.

You, you.

The wind blows through the sheer curtains.

I swear, she promises.

It’s a dreamy yet stark beginning; the girl, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) in a trance as she awakens Nosferatu (Bill Skarsgård) from his slumber to become an awoken corpse, walking upon the earth.

A corpse with appetites.

There’s a nightmarish quality to this gothic tale. This is not a romantic version of a vampire story. This vampire is a plague.

Jumping from 1830s Baltic Germany to years later shows Ellen married to Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult).

Newly home from their honeymoon, Thomas’ employer, Herr Knock (Simon McBurney) sends Thomas into the depths of Transylvania to complete a transfer of title to an ancient descendant from a long blood line; the count described as, eccentric.

For extra money, Thomas is willing to go even as Ellen begs him not to.

It’s the travelling to Count Orlok’s (Nosferatu) castle that mesmerises; the silence of Thomas walking down a road through an ancient forest as snow falls.

The beat and chink of horses pulling a carriage through the dark, the tilt as the world shifts, the perspective bending to the will of Nosferatu as the carriage door slowly opens an invitation.

Then the wolves that follow.

It’s an invitation to a new world that’s dark, where fire casts shadows of reaching fingers and pointed nails and nightmares of blood.

The soundtrack feeds the mood of foreboding, the rise and fall of breath.

It’s moody movie.

Composer Robin Carolan states, ‘There’s a lot of dread and claustrophobia in the film. The score helps with the feeling of escalation, and of this thing that you can’t quite see but that you sense is closing in on you.’

And Nosferatu knows Thomas is married to his bride. Nosferatu travels across the ocean to reclaim Ellen. She knows he’s coming.

Inspired by the Screenplay: NOSFERATU by Henrick Galeen and the Novel DRACULA by Bram Stoker, there’s the same lines of story, the travel of the husband to Transylvania to transfer the deed of a new home, the long-lost love.

There’s the best friend, here, Anna Harding (Emma Corrin) who wants to protect Ellen from the call of the monster.

But this is an inspiration not an adaptation so there’s something new here.

Unlike the tease of humour in the Frances Coppola film, like the unforgettable scene where a vampire’s head is cut off, a gruesome scene, that cuts to the professor tucking into a roast dinner – a well-timed shock to evoke a giggle. There’s no humour here in Nosferatu.

This is cinematic horror.

There’s a spare feeling to the angles of panning, the movement of characters, the endless corridors of a castle that resonates with Bram Stoker’s classic novel, where Nosferatu is nothing more than a monster.

Collaborating with production designer Craig Lathrop, cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, costume designer Linda Muir, and editor Louise Ford, all of whom worked on The Northman, The Lighthouse, and The Witch, Eggers has created something that builds into a vision both magical and horrific.

Piece By Piece

GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★1/2

Rated: TBA

Directed by: Morgan Neville

Produced by: Mimi Valdes, Pharrell Williams

Original Songs by: Pharrell Williams

Original Score by: Michael Andrews

Animation Director: Howard E. Baker

Written by: Morgan Neville, Jason Zeldes, Aaron Wickenden, Oscar Vazquez

The Collaborators: Shae Haley, Chad Hugo, Pusha T, Timbaland, Missy Elliot, Teddy Riley, Busta Rhymes, N.O.R.E, Jay-Z, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Daft Punk, Kendrick Lamar.

‘Everyone wants you to win.’

Opening another Universal LEGO® animation world, a handheld cam follows a LEGO® Pharrell William as he enters a room to sit opposite Morgan Neville to talk about his life.

This is a LEGO® movie with a difference.

“You probably think I’m out of my mind,” Pharrell says, chuckling. The musician, mega producer and multi-hyphenate artist is speaking about what he hopes for his film, Piece By Piece — to be an instrument of unity, to inspire people of all ages and stripes, to tell people that they really could wake up tomorrow and build their dreams, piece by piece.

“The only caveat is that after we shoot it, I don’t want to use the footage,” Pharrell remembers telling his agent. “I just want to use the audio.”

Piece by Piece is a documentary, in LEGO®.

This is a history of Pharrell’s life, of his contribution to Hip Hop, his clothing brand, Billionaire Boys Club, then Billionaire Girls Club, to the music scene and how his beats became famous worldwide like:

T’S HAPPENING, MAYBE, I WISH, FUNKYTOWN, SEÑORITA, BLURRED LINES (FEAT. T.I. AND PHARRELL), MY PEROGATIVE, VIRGINIA BOY, RUMP SHAKER, HOLLABACK GIRL, GOD BLESS US ALL, ROCK STAR, TUBTHUMPIN, BONITA APPLEBUM, EVERYONE NOSE (ALL GIRLS STANDING IN THE LINE FOR THE BATHROOM), NOTHIN’, SPLASH, KNOCK YOURSELF OUT, SHAKE YA ASS, L’EGO ODYSSEY, HELLA GOOD, LIKE I LOVE YOU, LOOKIN’ AT ME (FEATURING PUFF DADDY), SUPERTHUG, I JUST WANNA LOVE U (GIVE IT 2 ME), HOT IN HERRE, DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT (W/ PHARRELL), PASS THE COURVOISIER PART II, GRINDIN’, BEAUTIFUL (FEAT. PHARRELL & UNCLE CHARLIE WILSON), SOONER OR LATER, FRONTIN’ (CLUB MIX), I’VE SEEN THE LIGHT / INSIDE OF CLOUDS, GET LUCKY (FEAT. PHARRELL WILLIAMS AND NILE RODGERS), HAPPY (FROM THE FILM DESPICABLE ME 2), ALRIGHT, PIECE BY PIECE, PURE IMAGINATION (from WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY), FOR REAL.

The soundtrack is what makes this film. And the idea of music creating colours in Pharrell’s mind. He has a condition, sound-color synesthesia or chromesthesia.

Growing up, Pharrell thought everyone related to music in the same way – music seen in colours.

He didn’t do well in school. But his grandmother knew he would be good at music.

There’s a fascinating backstory here, that lends itself to the LEGO® world, the assistant blown away by Pharrell’s beats so his LEGO® head pops off, the parents browsing through LEGO® photo albums and the beach is the flow of small LEGO® pieces, a mix of white and blue to create waves.

Pharrell was obsessed with water growing up in Virginia Beach, where Pharrell and his mates, ‘just loved doing music.’

Then fate brought famous producer Teddy Riley to town.

Hearing Pharrell perform at a high school talent show in 1991, Riley knew he was hearing something unique when Pharrell went from rapping to playing the drums to singing.

Pharrell grew up with the idea of, What if nothing’s new? That you’re borrowing from colours that already existed?

By combining two different ideas, he found he could create something new. He created until suddenly, everyone wanted his beats.

There’re appearances from: Shae Haley, Chad Hugo, Pusha T, Timbaland, Missy Elliot, Teddy Riley, Busta Rhymes, N.O.R.E, Jay-Z, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Daft Punk, Kendrick Lamar.

All LEGO®.

Two pieces, a light shining set next to another LEGO® represent a new beat.

It’s all creativity. Of the magic of the hood, where ideas come from the future.

It’s an autobiography told in pieces. An idea that was unique in itself, but in the end became a meandering philosophy of how best to serve this thing called life.

Not a usual LEGO® movie but more a contemplation of a life using the LEGO® world to explain an idea, to see through different eyes, like Pharrell and his colours.

As documentaries go, this has to be one of the most creative.

Heretic

GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★☆ (3.8/5)

Rated: MA15+

Directed by: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods

Written by: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods

Produced by: Stacey Sher, Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, Julia Glausi, Jeanette Volturno

Starring: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Topher Grace, Elle Young.

‘How do you feel about awkward questions?’

Seeing Hugh Grant play a villain in a horror movie is a bit of a treat, especially when he flexes his storytelling skills.

Meet, Mr. Reed. A man in search of the one true religion.

Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) take a break from door knocking and looking to recruit converts to sit on a bench, facing a huge mountain talking sex and if the magnum condom is actually as advertised, massive.

It’s two innocent girls talking about something unexpected yet gives insight into their character – Sister Paxton showing a naive curiosity, Sister Barnes from the streets of Philadelphia with a tougher backstory where she lost her dad to illness.

After tolerating yet another humiliating show of people’s dislike or misunderstanding of their calling, ‘they think we’re weird,’ the two Sisters’ ride their bikes through the snow and rain to knock on the door of a potential convert.

Sister Paxton can barely hide her determination.

It’s the little things that hint of Mr. Reed’s intention.

‘I’ve never had a Wendy. I mean, met a Wendy.’

The film’s foundation is word play, dialogue and the dance of theological argument; but the build of suspense is about the close up of the eyes, the sharpness of a look. Of looking too closely.

The tension builds with the back and forth between the Sisters as they come to understand the game Mr. Reed is playing is a trap. And it’s the realisation of the game Mr. Reed has trapped them into playing that heightens the suspense – the surprise of each character as they reveal themselves in dialogue that twists through intellectual debate about religion in order to navigate a way through the psychology of a madman who has gotten lost in his search of the one true religion.

He’s not wrong. And neither are they.

It becomes a matter of argument. Of faith.

Most of the film is set in the house of Mr. Reed. A deceptively simple stop to highlight the dialogue and closeups of facial expressions. To show the fear of: Belief or Disbelief.

Both are terrifying.

Hugh Grant states, ‘I found Heretic to be daring, not just because it questions a lot of things that many people hold sacred, but for the fact that it’s set in one house over the course of one long night and features a lot of talking — hardly normal practice for a horror film.’

The house itself becomes part of the game.

Director and writer, Scott Beck (also screenwriter, along with Bryan Woods of, A Quiet Place (2018)) states, “We had to figure out the psychology of Reed early on in order to understand why his house appears the way it does, serving as a kind of weapon against his young visitors,” says Beck. “Reed is God-playing in a way, pulling these characters through each room so it feels like a gauntlet or a game, consistently evolving to worse and worse places. It became about marrying the character of Reed with the production design and finding a methodology behind it to show how his mind works.”

Heretic is unique in that it’s a storyteller thriller. Not explosive but a well-rounded creeping poetry based on theological argument from a man driven mad by the search for meaning.

For me the film peters out a little at the end but as Beck states, ‘Hugh has quietly become one the greatest character actors working today,’ making Heretic worth a watch.

Wicked Part I

GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★☆ (3.8/5)

Rated: PG

Directed by: Jon M. Chu

Written by: Winnie Holzman

Based on the Musical Wicked, music and lyrics by: Stephen Schwartz,

Book by: Winnie Holzman

From the Novel by: Gregory Maguire

Produced by: Marc Platt, David Stone

Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle and Peter Dinklage.

Cinematic from the beginning, Wicked Part I opens on a black witch’s hat reflected in a pool of water. And of course, flying monkeys, the yellow brick road, then the cry, ‘The Wicked Witch is dead. The Wicked Witch of the West.’

‘Why does wickedness happen?’ one of the townspeople asks.

After telling people, ‘It’s good to see me, isn’t it?’ Galinda/Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande) tells the people, let me tell you the whole story.

The screenplay is written by Winnie Holzman who also wrote the book for the musical; she returns with lyricist Stephen Schwartz to adapt the Gregory Maguire’s reinvented bestseller into a spectacle for the screen. Expectations for this film are high.

However, I admit, I have not seen the stage play. Not really my cup of tea. So you can stop reading the review now or read the review of someone who wouldn’t usually watch a musical but enjoyed this one despite herself.

I just got won over by the characters, Galinda described by Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) as well, blonde.

And Elphaba green and pretending not to care about the laughter at her expense. That she cares more about the animals that are being silenced and blamed for everything wrong in Oz, then her own lifetime of hurt.

Then the little asides from Galinda about her self-obsession to keep it light as the two who loathed and detested each other become friends.

Rather than feeling like just a musical, the singing was balanced by the storyline and visual effects and attention to detail, the turn of a scrunched page the beginning of the next scene, the floating spinning flowers dusting everyone to sleep, the silhouette of a taloned hand.

The previous collaboration of Schwartz and Holzman pays off because the story and song balance each other so well, ‘Winnie and I tell the story together,” Schwartz says. “Some of it through dialogue, which is Winnie’s department, and some through song, which is mine.’

And the two characters Elphaba and Galinda have a genuine chemistry, ‘We got tattoos together,’ Grande says. ‘I got an ‘E’ for Elphaba in a heart on the back of my leg and she had a little ‘G’ for Glinda on the back of hers.’ Erivo says that their bond is anchored by a sense of joyful exploration. ‘I hope that we don’t lose our love of play,’ Erivo says. ‘That’s something that I really enjoyed—this need to keep wanting to learn and discover. Ariana and I used that to make these beings as humane and full as possible. When we worked together, something special happened.’

Cinematographer Alice Brooks explains Elphaba and Glinda are often shot within a single frame. ‘The 2.40 aspect ratio is frequently beautifully divided in half between these two women.’

Brook goes on to say, ‘Light, to me, embodies everything—it reveals desires and conceals secrets. That’s what captivates me about Wicked so deeply. Early in our preparations, Jon and I delved into themes of good versus evil, light versus darkness. In Wicked, light paradoxically represents darkness, and darkness, light.’

Director, Jon M. Chu, a longtime superfan of the stage production, has embraced all the elements of this film, showing his enthusiasm in the attention to detail that makes Wicked Part I so very watchable.

I’m not saying I absolutely loved the film, but those 2 hours and 41 minutes went by pretty quickly. And I did leave the cinema with a smile humming ‘Defying Gravity.’

Did I just enjoy watching musical?

Yes. Yes, I did.

Weekend In Taipei

GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★1/2

Rated: MA15+

Directed by: George Huang

Written by: George Huang & Luc Besson

Produced by: Virginie Besson-Silla & Luc Besson

Starring: Luke Evans, Gwei Lun-Mei, Sung Kang, Wyatt Yang.

‘Who’s the snitch?’

The opening of, A Weekend in Taipei is the city shown in a fast-paced montage of images of the street life; to dead fish on the pavement, motorbikes, toys and temples – all shot in contrasting saturated colour to black and white to introduce the style of the film: action featuring car chases and fight scenes but also the drama of an unhappy family and a woman waiting for The One to finally come back.

Kwang (Sung Kang) is a corrupt billionaire being charged with the only crime that sticks – fishing license violations.

Surrounded by media, Kwang curses at his staff as he gets into his car. He tries to call his wife, Joey (Gwei Lun-Mei). She ignores him.

Instead, Joey takes a Ferrari for a test drive. She drives, fast.

Joey’s been married to Kwang for 15 years. Her son, Raymond (Wyatt Yang) hates him. Raymond doesn’t understand why she’s with him.

But Joey explains that a long time ago, she needed help. And Kwang was there.

Cut-to Minneapolis where John Lawlor (Luke Evans) is getting arrested holding a goldfish in a glass.

An undercover DEA agent, Lawlor is on the trail of Kwang after uncovering a delivery of heroin with Kwang’s name all over it.

It’s time to spend a weekend in Taipei.

Amongst the action, knife fights and car chases, there’s a lightness to this film that adds a sense of fun.

Lawlor’s fellow agent in a restaurant fight unintentionally getting more injured as Lawlor tries to protect him is hilarious – grater across the hand, the kitchen on fire, ‘oh, no.’

This is a classic- style action movie with humour that hits the mark. And there’s some fresh ideas here, like knocking the power board off the lift, then the door handle off the exit door to the stairs, delaying the bad guys giving chase.

Director George Huang explains one the biggest challenges making the film was shooting in Taipei in the summer. It was so hot that the final fight scene was moved indoors to a cinema where, ‘images from Zhang Yimou’s The Secret of the Flying Daggers are projected onto the actors.’

It’s a clever device that adds another layer to the fight and another point of difference to the action that I enjoyed.

The film does feel stilted at the beginning but the chemistry between Agent Lawlor and mother, wife, badass-driver Joey lifts the film up a level.

There’s a good balance as young actor Wyatt Yang who plays the son Raymond states, ‘It’s a very exciting film, it has lots of fast cars, guns, and blood, but at the heart is a family story.’

Not the deepest dive into the characters but there’s enough amusement and action thrills – who doesn’t like a car chase featuring a beach buggy?! – to make for an entertaining watch.

CatVideoFest 2024

GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★

Rated: G

Directed by: Will Braden

CatVideoFest is a compilation of cat videos sourced from submissions, animations, music videos and the internet.

Trawling through over 15,000 videos, director Will Braden has found the most entertaining moments of cats to raise money for cat shelters.

Beginning in 2019, the festival has raised over $150, 000 for local shelters as well as encouraging adoptions, fostering, volunteer signups and more.

The delightful end result shows a loose structure to a 75-minute reel, from ‘Drama’ featuring cats sharing space with a dog, giving a baby The Look, to opening the fridge, to oh-how-we-love-to-knock-things-off-shelving, to a black kitten trying to capture the sun.

‘Action Adventure’ shows a kitten attacking shoelaces, cat boxing, turtle versus cat – turtle wins.

‘Cat GIFs’ has a cat in the back of a hooded jacket.

This is my fur ball of sunshine, Biddie-Fluff; ever hopeful for a belly scratch but knowing not to get too far over the keyboard when I’m working. This is of course, is not always a successful arrangement.

‘Documentaries’ has Cat Man Chris, rescue Humphrey and his brother, ‘This is peak cat owner existence,’ The Unbothered Cat, to trying to work with kittens around (I can relate!).

‘Musical’ has a cat singing on cue with his owner guitarist and sprinkled throughout the reel is an old dude playing a piano and singing lyrics describing the goings on with made-up cat songs.

Speaking of which, there’s of course the Christmas ornaments sequence, ‘Your ornaments are history,’ then there’s Goat suffering from seizures but oh so soothed by his human’s music therapy.

‘More Cat GIFs’ shows orange straddling a pole.

‘Comedy’ has the ultimate ownership of the family cat being more important, or more demanding of attention and cuddles, then the newborn baby just brought home.

CatVideoFest is good G-rated fun that had me crying with laughter.

The sometimes deadly looks from these playful felines? Priceless. And of course, it’s all for a good cause.

To submit a video of your fun fluff, see: https://catvideofest.com/submission.

See list of cinemas showing CatVideoFest, starting 17^th of October, 2024 here: https://www.catvideofest.com/where-to-watch-aus-nz

The Apprentice

GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★★

Rated: MA15+

Directed by: Ali Abbasi

Written by: Gabriel Sherman

Produced by: Daniel Bekerman, Jacob Jarek, Ruth Treacy, Julianne Forde, Louis Tisné, Ali Abbasi

Starring: Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Maria Bakalova, Martin Donovan, Catherine McNally, Charlie Carrick.

‘If you’re indicted, you’re invited.’

A clever play on the Donald Trump TV series, (‘you’re fired’) The Apprentice, the apprentice, here, is Donald Trump.

Based on true events, the film is about the relationship between Trump (Sebastian Stan) and ruthless lawyer, Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).

Director Ali Abbasi states: “I hope that people, no matter how they might feel about Donald Trump, can watch the film and really experience this relationship. It’s not supposed to be an ideological attack or a polemic debate. It’s about depicting a certain complexity in these human beings.”

The film begins in the 70s, when New York was known as The Fear City.

With his father’s (Freddy Trump (Charlie Carrick)) company currently indicted for a racist policy when leasing apartments in their buildings, Donald’s dream of converting the debilitated Commodore Building into a luxury hotel is impossible.

Meet, Roy Cohn.

Roy’s first seen with a devilish look through an open doorway – he sees Trump struggling to make an impression on his date, ‘Why are you so obsessed with these people?’

Because Trump knows that the people in this place are billionaires, the decision makers with connections.

And he wants to be one of them.

Cohn takes pity on Trump. He likes him. So agrees to show Trump how it’s done, starting with his three golden rules of winning:

Rule 1. Attack. Attack. Attack.

Rule 2. Admit nothing. Deny everything.

Rule 3. Claim victory and never admit defeat.

Trump needs to be able to do anything to anyone.

There’s a naivety to Trump in the early days – cap in hand, knocking on tenant’s doors to collect rent. Compared to Cohn and his connections, Trump is a mild-mannered businessman who likes the ladies.

Trump is uncomfortable drinking, he doesn’t smoke, do drugs. Except for taking diet pills, AKA cheap amphetamine, so instead of sleeping, he can continue to make deals.

Trump loves making deals.

He also falls for Ivana.

Ivana isn’t like other girls. She’s feisty. Ambitious.

Roy makes sure she signs a prenup.

This is Trump’s origin story. He comes from a solid but dysfunctional family with a tyrannical father that’s ashamed of his eldest son because he’s an airline pilot.

The loose parties Cohn hosts are something Trump hasn’t seen before.

‘If you’re indicted, you’re invited.’

But Trump’s a businessman who wants success. And Cohn is the man to get him to the top.

As Trump’s apprenticeship comes to an end, the power Trump cultivates begins to corrupt:

‘Run ‘em over Simon,’ he tells his driver as they’re stopped by an AIDS protest.

‘I’m kidding,’ he adds.

Over time it becomes apparent Trump has no shame.

“In life, there are two types of people. There are killers, and there are losers.”

—Donald J. Trump

The Apprentice is a vastly entertaining film, the image a gritty 70s vibe.

The tone is set with the red light of dabaucherous parties, the perfectly timed moments like Trump holding onto his vomit until he gets out of Roy’s car – then sputtering an upchuck out on the street to confirm his make-or-break appointment – to the city reflected in Trump’s eye as he observes his dominion.

Writer Gabriel Sherman (author of the New York Times best-selling biography of Fox News founder Roger Ailes, The Loudest Voice in the Room), states: “My worst nightmare for THE APPRENTICE was that it was going to be something predictable or bland, or on the other extreme, a political polemic that’s just one-dimensional cartoon,” Sherman says. “I wanted to write these three-dimensional characters that were complicated and flawed and surprising and frustrating just in the way that real people are.” Adds Baer: “I knew that this film would have so many inherent challenges along the way, and I didn’t want to add another one by having it perceived as a political statement by an American director.”

The Apprentice is anything but bland or predictable.

A great storyline that’s more a psychological unpacking of Trump’s origin than political statement, with pacing and pitch perfect performances make this a much better than expected film.

Insightful and entertaining.

A must watch.

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