April 28, 2024

18.3.24 Years from now, when scholars and film enthusiasts discuss films that masterfully balance the mundanity and disturbingness of evil, The Zone of Interest will no doubt be mentioned as a seminal reference. Director Jonathan Glazer’s unique approach to shooting and crafting the film, coupled with a truly unsettling soundtrack, contextualises the pure evil and ignorance of Nazis as completely detached individuals. The film’s UK release in 2024, coinciding with the gross injustices suffered by people on both sides of Israel and Palestine makes it all the more horrifying. The film’s meticulously crafted sound design is a testament to Glazer’s mastery. Seemingly random screams and gunshots are deftly woven into the fabric of the film, creating an eerie and deeply unsettling experience for the viewer. This disturbing atmosphere is further amplified by the haunting scenes of children re-enacting the brutality they witness from their windows. A prime example of this is the chilling greenhouse encounter between two brothers, which serves as a poignant and unforgettable moment in the film. The Zone of Interest serves as a stark and necessary reminder of the unparalleled evil of the Holocaust, the depths of human cruelty, and the far-reaching impact of such atrocities. In the context of 2024, the film’s unflinching portrayal of the inhumanity of state occupation and collective punishment resonates with a piercing truthfulness. By drawing parallels between the horrors of the past and the ongoing injustices in Palestine, Glazer’s film underscores the urgent need for humanity and action in the face of violent injustice. Sandra Hüller’s riveting performances in two morally complex roles over the past six months cement her status as an actress of unparalleled talent and versatility. As her star continues to ascend, I can only eagerly anticipate her future projects. On a similar note, we can only hope that the wait for Jonathan Glazer’s next cinematic endeavour will not span another ten or so years. While The Zone of Interest is undeniably challenging to watch, its uncompromising worldview and elite craftsmanship are impossible to ignore. History will indeed thank Glazer for his courageous storytelling and for using his Oscars speech to express his shame, as a British Jew, over Israel’s ongoing actions.

22.4.24 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare aims to recreate the vibes of a pulp comic book,  like a ‘diet’ version of a Tarantino film, and it succeeds. With its direct action sequences and bravado-laden dialogue, it delivers gleeful enjoyment that doesn’t take itself too seriously.  I have no shame in stating that its British charm and cartoonish violence won me over.  That said, the issue is that it’s totally without bite, and signs suggest that with each Guy Ritchie film, they’re getting more and more watered down and safer in terms of drug and sex references. It makes me cynically think that Ritchie is just making films to appeal to the biggest audience possible, sacrificing some of the sharp edges that made his earlier works stand out. Producers STX Films have continued their work with Ritchie’s foray into sensible cinematic enjoyment again here. Like their last collaboration, Operation Fortune, filmed in Doha and distinctly made with a vanilla global audience in mind, this film avoids anything too radical or sexually suggestive.  We’re left with an adventure of pamphlet depth with the stakes feeling low as no characters ever seem in danger.  Enemies die so quickly that it feels staged – villains pop up and are immediately shot down like targets at a funfair. But there’s simple enjoyment in seeing Alan Ritchson shank and Henry Cavill use his snubbed machine gun to shoot up Nazis. My highlight was Rory Kinnear’s unrecognisable but stoic performance as Winston Churchill, adding a sense of believability to the real-life story. A relatively mindless popcorn movie but sometimes that’s just what you need…. my wife and I only ended up going to see this because Dune 2 was sold out!

31.12.23 What a pleasure it was to watch my first official film of 2024, on the last day of 2023 with my family during the extended Christmas break. Ideally, The Holdovers really should have been released in the UK before the 25th, although due to the awards recognition it’s getting, it makes sense to delay it a bit more in the UK schedule. I found it to be thoroughly heartwarming but also bittersweet in relation to how it’s portrays the vulnerabilities of its characters. I don’t think its premature to recognise it’s potential as a future Christmas classic as I think it will have massive replay value due to the universal message, as well as the fantastic performances of the main trio of actors.  Again we see director Alexander Payne rely on the services of Paul Giamatti to do the heavy comedic lifting in the main role, as he did 20 years ago with his brilliant anti-Merlot comedy Sideways. Giamatti brings his signature melancholic humour to the part, prompting laughs with ease while revealing the humanity of a man lost in life’s disappointments. Meanwhile, Da’Vine Joy Randolph turns in an emotional, affecting performance as head cook of the school Mary, a saddened mother navigating her own undesired holiday obligations. Her nuanced acting gifts the film most of its heart, although Giamatti and the actors playing the younger students also do a fair bit of that, although I did find some of the themes on depression and mental illness a bit ‘on the nose’.  Where the film falters slightly is in it’s own trappings. For example, it sets up a group of privileged young male students together and sets up discussions about wealth and privilege, but very quickly those themes get ignored as we focus on the main trio of characters. Whilst I loved spending time with them, it felt like an opportunity lost, as the focus in the film simply shifts to the main storyline regarding togetherness despite the people you find yourself with. Overall, the chemistry and performances of the main trio makes the film so enjoyable. As the characters demonstrate, finding moments of connection and joy with those around us can lead to delightful, memorable outcomes. More simply, we cannot always choose how or with whom we spend Christmas. Complicated family relationships during the holidays are part of what makes the season so important to those who take part in it. With its sparkling cast and smart balance of wit and wisdom, The Holdovers should easily prove to be a Christmas film with staying power, just like Alexander Payne’s works before.

14.4.24 Scoop had the potential to be a gripping dramatisation of one of the most cringe-worthy interviews in TV history, but sadly it does little more than regurgitate the original car crash between Maitlis and Prince Andrew. Director of The Crown Philip Martin gives it the Netflix treatment, adding no new insights or depth, feeling like a lame retread of events we’ve already witnessed many times before. While Rufus Sewell fully embodies the prickly, delusional persona of the disgraced royal, his performance is hamstrung by a script that leans too heavily on minor quirks. We get copious scenes fixating on Maitlis’s dog Moody, Andrew’s tacky entrepreneurial vanity projects, and Billie Piper’s one-note turn as a caricatured working-class heroine. But none of it manages to capture the true horror of Epstein’s crimes or offer any meaningful perspective on the victims. At its core, Scoop represents a missed opportunity to pierce the veil of privilege and expose the festering rot that is so obviously core to the UK’s family in reign. We’re left with the uncanny sense that the real Prince Andrew displayed more depravity in that original interview than this fictionalised rendition could ever capture. Anyone but royal apologists can see that he is a sexual predator who has managed to evade consequences thus far, and Scoop does little to rectify that injustice.