Lydia Arrowsmith

Help yourself to a hand grenade.  Wes Anderson takes your hand and leads us all into a brand new adventure of his cinematic lore. Recurring themes of dysfunctional families, rivalry and fulfilment are all familiar to us now in the trademark spectacle work of Wes Anderson. This film focuses on the allure and perils that come with wealth and the emphasis on family over the demands of an exploiting business. Our main protagonist is a wealthy and empowering entrepreneur, who miraculously survives death a number of times in assassination attempts. There are frequent sequences of monochrome allusions that Wes Anderson meticulously illustrates his masterful language with. It’s depicts a metaphor of pure defiance in the moments before death.  The film is seamlessly structured through the lens of shoeboxes that replicate the ‘Kordaland and Sea Phoenician Infrastructure Scheme’. One point I have to mention is that I found this film hard to follow at times with vocabulary and pacing. It carried a lot of quirky laughs from the incredible casting, what a display of fine talent. Not the finest of work from Wes Anderson, but it’s still enjoyable and I had a great time watching.

Wes Anderson takes us on a spiritual journey that makes you question your own capabilities in life. It’s mystical and glides you through realms of dialogue that flows seamlessly even with pace. The adaption of Roald Dahl’s short story is genius. It’s always fascinating to experience the scenic and narrative style of Wes Anderson. The spectacle storytelling is masterful as it’s aided by glorious cinematography and performances. I truly wish the running time was longer, it felt like I was seated in a stage theatre which just goes to show how unique this film is to experience.

I acknowledged this to be one of the greatest films made in cinema and it certainly is. One element I truly can’t get over is the ice cold cinematography and camera work through the different wide angle focus on background scenery. It’s pleasing and chilling to the senses. The film is long, but the action sequences construct the duration seamlessly. Background score also played a key part in The Revenant, it had my heart racing and the next it was aching.  There’s a reason Leornado DiCaprio is the star on the screen. His performance as the protagonist is ambitious and riveting as the atmospheric dark vengeance hangs above the journey entailed. My expression was left in awe and thrill in the concluding events with Tom Hardy and DiCaprio. The unpredictability is perfection. Top class film!

The thrill that I get from racing films is the best feeling in cinema. Ford vs Ferrari proudly accompanied that pure masterpiece feeling. It genuinely takes you on a journey through the true story that makes you want to be part of it. Themes of dedication, love and friendship are created with passion through direction on screen. Editing, performance, cinematography and sound play a huge part in making this film the piece of art that it is. Camera movements are smooth as they catch the exhilarating race cars. Your heart pounds in the Le Mans 24 hour race segment and you’ll be overrun with emotion in the concluding events. I had such a fantastic time watching this!

The Final Cut. It’s hard to believe that this film essentially flopped during it’s original theatrical release. Blade Runner is filled with thematic complexity and visuals with the production design depicting a high-tech but decaying future. Superb direction as always by Ridley Scott with a mixture of slow and fast pace with no issues.  Thought-provoking themes are cascaded through the Los Angeles visual style and atmosphere. The ethical implications of creating human artificial life as our society advances is a strong hold here. This film has to have made a big impact on the cinematic science fiction genre that’s for sure!

Honestly I can totally understand the low scored reviews on here for Strays. It’s definitely not the most laugh out loud film out there and as a huge lover of dogs, it does contain forms of animal neglect that left me feeling sorrowful for the dogs in the film. However, once the film progresses the comedy does shine in pieces and I will never listen to Wrecking Ball in the same way ever again. It’s extremely crude, but it’s done so well that the cuteness of the dogs just makes up for it. If you’re a dog lover then you’ll find the ending emotional and it will give you a heartfelt urge to hug your own dog and tell them that they’re a good boy/girl every single second of the day.

Ridley Scott never misses, another triumph. The Martian instantly had my full attention from the start. Hope is a theme that is highlighted all throughout the film’s journey of courage. I have to say that I’m really digging these sci-fi space exploration films right now and The Martian equally has depicted that buzz even more than before. It’s incredibly motivational which gets you lateral thinking about life and death situations that prove to be successful if you have hope.  The astronomic technology and visuals were pleasing to look at through the harsh and scenic atmosphere of Mars. Matt Damon provides a realistic performance that resonates with Watney’s courage, optimism and determination.

Having not even played Gran Turismo before, this film was an ultimate cinematic crowd pleaser. The fact that it’s based on a true story from the game is highly accomplishing. The visuals of simulation down to the jaw dropping intensity of racing are exhilarating. I was holding my breath through scenes of wreckage and turmoil on the track. Themes of manifestation, family and resilience shine through the core elements of the story. It will leave you feeling wholesome and inspired.  Archie Madekwe is just perfect in every single way for the lead role. As a newcomer to the big screen he honestly has solidified his talent. It really is a film for pure gamers to show how a simulation isn’t just a fantasy dream, it’s real life.

This film could have been fantastic but instead it just felt like a copy of M3GAN and Humans. It’s filled with highly predictable and obvious events. Main credit to Eamon Farren who carried this film on his back. He portrays a fearsome yet somehow wholesome humanoid artificial intelligence.

This was such a wondrous film that intertwined the power of artist and illustrator Louis Wain’s painful yet purposeful life. He truly is such an astonishing man who has certainly left an extraordinary legacy that can be viewed through this glorious, quirky and heartfelt film. It made me laugh and it made me cry through its wisdom and grief. As the events progress into Louis’ life you really get to grips of the cat anthropomorphised artwork that resonate his torture and beauty.  Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy brought tears down my cheeks in one of the most emotional moments of the film. They really make you feel the true beauty of our world even in uncertain and lonely times. Benedict’s stellar performance is a touching tribute to Louis Wain, which is carried with gentle respect and admiration through his mental health descent.