Shane Ball

Click here for a video version of this review: youtu.be/9Svt7usUfks Given my love of movies, it is a rare thing for me to turn one off part way through but every now and then one comes along where I just can't make it all the way. The latest addition to this very small list of mine is RockNRolla. This is a 2008 movie directed by Guy Ritchie and stars Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Mark Strong, Idris Elba, and Tom Hardy. Not even all those big names could hold my interest in this, it is just a mess, right from the outset. There's a lot of tough guy shouting, tough guy grimacing, tough guy glaring, and tough guys doing tough guy things like smoking while playing cards. It just goes from one tough guy being tough scene to another tough guy being tough scene, and those were tied together with a meandering, uninteresting plot. An hour in to this Mrs B and I looked at each other and simultaneously said "this is terrible" and we turned it off and watched something else. I'm glad I didn't waste my time on the rest of it, and I'm pretty sure I will be avoiding anything from Guy Ritchie from this point forward.

Click here for a video version of this review: youtu.be/HbjoSaNR1cg Ma is a 2019 movie that’s a little bit odd. It presents itself in the trailer like a traditional slasher film, but front and centre is the fabulous Octavia Spencer. Yes this well known, award winning actress is the villain in a schlocky teen thriller. Never heard of it? Here’s the official description to bring you up to speed: "Sue Ann is a loner who keeps to herself in her quiet Ohio town. One day, she is asked by Maggie, a new teenager in town, to buy some booze for her and her friends, and Sue Ann sees the chance to make some unsuspecting, if younger, friends of her own." Spencer is by far the best thing about this, and while all the young actors are perfectly fine, she outshines them by a long long way. This in fact hurts the movie somewhat as she outclasses the younger members of the cast so much that they are all just so bland in comparison. I think there was some potential here, but the imbalance throws things off wildly. Other than Spencer, this is a pretty average movie. It has many chances to take things to a wild place, but each and every time it opts to soft pedal instead. In the end it all comes out as just another throwaway average crazy person who threatens teens type movie. One which not even the talents of Octavia Spencer can save.

Click here for a video version of this review: youtu.be/CtfnvtxKyVY Have you ever watched a movie that put a hand through your chest, grabbed your heart and threatened to rip it out? Well let me tell you about a movie called Apostasy. It’s a film that didn’t seem to get a wide release so has pretty much flown under the radar. Here is the description: "A faithful Jehovah's Witness is forced to shun her own sister because of a religious transgression. As the separation draws out, she starts to question the meaning of God's love." The reason this movie hit home for me is that I used to be a Jehovah’s Witness, and of all the representations of Jehovah’s Witnesses I’ve seen on big and small screen, this is the most accurate look at what life is like behind the doors of a Kingdom Hall. The reason for this accuracy is because the writer / director, Daniel Kokotajlo is himself a former Jehovah’s Witness. While it might not mean too much to the average viewer, this attention to detail is really important. Often when Jehovah's Witnesses are shown in TV and movies, the inaccuracies are used by the Witnesses to say "oh its all fake news and propaganda against us!" This movie however, nails what its like to be a Witness, and anyone being honest would have to say that apart from a few small things they very accurately recreate things very well. They use all the right terms, they capture the inner monologue that goes on, the feeling of inadequacy about others that seem more spiritual than you, right down to even the cadence of public talks, and other little things like how when someone asks you a question you can't answer, you just open a Watchtower publication to provide the answer. They really show what a suppressed and stagnant life it can be - all the while you are telling everyone how happy you are and how it's the best life ever. If you have friends or family who are or were Jehovah's Witnesses and want to know what that life is like this will give you a very good insight. From a technical aspect, I really liked how there is hardly any music in this. This means that there is a very subdued tone to everything, the actors have to act and the movie benefits very much from this. They also make great use of close ups meaning there is a real claustrophobic feeling to the film, and again, gives you an accurate feel of being closely watched and monitored and judged, as you are constantly as a Witness. It's all quite suffocating. The end result is that it's a pretty devastating critique of Jehovah's Witnesses done through the eyes of three family members going through a crisis, and how their faith impacts their separate paths through it. The three leading ladies are absolutely brilliant and bring the required gravitas to their roles, and communicate so very well the struggle. It is a quiet, subdued, and deliberately slow paced movie, it is very much a "show, don't tell" approach to film making. It comes out as being accessible to everyone from current Jehovah's Witnesses, to ex Jehovah's Witnesses, to non Jehovah's Witnesses. This movie is a downer, but in such a good and powerful way.

Click here for a video version of this review: youtu.be/ZiAefHOmzuc I recently watched a great series on Netflix called The Movies That Made Us, and one of the movies featured on it was the perennial favourite, Ghostbusters. With that in my mind, and the recent trailers for third entry in the franchise, I decided to rewatch this classic. If, somehow you’re not familiar with the movie, here is the official description: "After losing their academic posts at a prestigious university, a team of parapsychologists goes into business as proton-pack-toting "ghostbusters" who exterminate ghouls, hobgoblins and supernatural pests of all stripes. An ad campaign pays off when a knockout cellist hires the squad to purge her swanky digs of demons that appear to be living in her refrigerator." Even now, almost 40 years later, this still holds up as a great movie. The jokes come thick and fast, the story moves at a good pace, and the finale remains iconic with the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man wreaking havoc on the streets of New York. Bill Murray is in fine form in this, and for me, he was the highlight. He is a master of his craft and his way of delivering lines just cracks me up. Venkman’s visit to the apartment of Dana Barrett - played by Sigourney Weaver - was one of the stand out scenes for me. The way Murray delivers the "what a crime" line, and Weaver’s reactionary pause is so well timed and delivered, it’s comedy gold. It’s been years since I’d seen this and apart from the opening scene in the library, Slimer, and the Stay Puft Marshmallow man at the end, I’d forgotten a lot of the contents of this, and it was really cool to watch it again, and to be taken back to a time when so many excellent movies came out. Ghostbusters was and is a cultural phenomenon and rightfully deserves its place as an all time classic.

Click here for a video version of this review: youtu.be/IIVPSW0OA1U “Ready or not, here I come” is a phrase I’m sure all of us shouted as kids. The 2019 movie Ready or Not takes the game of Hide and Seek to a whole new, insane, level, and it’s a super fun movie. If you’ve not heard of it, here’s what it’s all about: "A bride’s wedding night takes a sinister turn when her eccentric new in-laws force her to take part in a terrifying game." This movie somehow successfully pulls off comedy, drama, horror, suspense, and action. It’s a delightful out of left field flick that we thoroughly enjoyed. It’s fun, it's funny, and it's real messed up. All the actors are in great form, with Samara Weaving being a stand out in the lead role. She handles the odd mix of comedy and action with ease, and her line delivery in all the varied situations thrown at her are all on point. She plays her role well and you’re right there with her as she figures it all out. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie - the colours and compositions are gorgeous, there are some comedically horrific moments, and many times we’d quickly go from laughing our butts off to “oh my god I can’t believe they did that.” And then it all winds up to an absolutely bonkers conclusion. I recommend this if you’re after some good silly fun with a bit of good old fashioned family murder. This one goes on my list as a perfect movie for a Friday night after a huge week of work.

My ten word review: Wants to be a tough gangster movie. But it’s not. Click here for a video version of this review: youtu.be/zr91IxGQFB0

Click here for a video version of this review: youtu.be/ObyxhzyPTzc Marriage Story is a 2019 movie from Netflix starring Scarlett Johanssen and Adam Driver, and is another tick in the box for a top quality film from them. It’s a roller coaster of drama, laughs, awkwardness, and pain. Here is the official description: "A stage director and an actress struggle through a gruelling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them to their personal extremes." I was riveted to this, and the run time of just over two hours seemed to fly past. Johanssen is brilliant, there is this long single take when she visits her lawyer for the first time where she goes from joy to sadness to angry frustration, all in the space of a few minutes as the camera moves around her. So great to watch. And Driver too shows so much range, he conveys really well someone trying to hold himself together during a time of incredible stress, and there’s one scene where he completely breaks down, like totally loses it, and there was dead uncomfortable silence in our house as the scene ended. I think this is Johanssen’s best work since Under the Skin, and for Driver it’s a great follow up to BlacKkKlansman and The Report and I’m getting to the point where I will see anything he appears in. Even the supporting cast is strong, Laura Dern and Ray Liotta will creep you out as the cash hungry lawyers, especially Dern who gently manipulates Johanssen the outset, a move that is a catalyst for things spiraling out of control. If I have one critique it’s that at one point there is a time jump and everything that happened in the divorce process during that off-screen passing of time is explained in a conversation at a party. Given the care and attention that had been paid to details up to that point it felt a little jarring to have some sudden exposition by way of a quick conversation to bring you as a viewer up to date with what had gone on. But then again, once the movie was over, thinking back on this it’s actually okay because the movie is not actually about the divorce per se, it’s about the effects of the divorce. As such, it’s a very effective movie that will take you for a ride, you’ll feel yourself reacting to the various situations presented, and if you’ve ever been involved in a divorce as a participant, a child, or as a friend or family member, you will find a lot here to relate to. This is a strong movie and I think is well deserving of the praise it’s received from critics.

Click here for a video version of this review: youtu.be/MR5vtgRJLX4 Having enjoyed Antichrist and the Nymphomaniac duology, I was intrigued to see Lars von Triers latest film The House That Jack Built in the movie list on Amazon. Having now seen it, I think it might be one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. Why is it so bad? We’ll get to that in a moment, but first, here is the movie’s description: "Failed architect, engineer and vicious murderer Jack narrates the details of some of his most elaborately orchestrated crimes, each of them a towering piece of art that defines his life’s work as a serial killer for twelve years." This movie is so, so boring, and I felt every single one of the 152 minutes tick painfully by. Matt Dillon is completely unbelievable as a the serial killer, and it all comes across like a film student trying make a philosophical art piece and failing dismally. This is a long way from peak von Trier and watching it was like having someone scrape their fingernails across a blackboard for two and a half hours. There is zero character development, every single character could have been replaced by a cardboard cutout and you wouldn’t notice, and I never once believed Dillon as a psychopath. Not even the David Bowie song can save this. A song which is used over and over and over again, like they could on afford the rights to one song. 40mins from the end Mrs B said to me “this movie is weird, and not in a good way” and I replied “I actually think this could be the worst movie I’ve ever seen”. Mrs B was right, it’s weird, but not in an engaging or interesting way. It’s objectively bad, to the point where I thinking von Trier made it bad on purpose, a middle finger to his fans and the industry as a whole.

Click here for a video version of this review: youtu.be/HnsAoyK4jSM The smartest, dumbest, and arguably best comedy of 2008 was a little movie called Tropic Thunder. Starring names such as Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr, Jack Black, and Tom Cruise among many well known names, this movie is a real good time. Here is the description, if for some reason, you’ve not come across this: "Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying." There is much to like about this, and while not a laugh riot all the way through, there are many laugh out loud moments, and it is endlessly quotable. Ben Stiller is the lead in this but Robert Downey Jr steals the limelight as the method actor who goes deep. There is one point in the movie where he, as an American actor is playing an Australian actor, playing an African American pretending to be Chinese. Cruise comes a close second as the nasty, over the top movie mogul who can unleash a potty mouth tirade that would make Gordon Ramsay blush. If you’ve never seen it, add it to your list for a good laugh. If you have already seen it, and it’s been a while, maybe it’s time to have another look and put a smile on your face.

Click here for a video version of this review: youtu.be/vp-JPiee63g Right from the first Wilhelm Scream, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood arrives on the screen in that unique Quentin Tarantino style. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie, this tenth film of Tarantino’s has DiCaprio as a fading TV star, Pitt as his stuntman, and Robbie as their neighbour, Sharon Tate. Anyone familiar with the Manson murders will know the name Sharon Tate, she is, unfortunately, known more for her brutal murder than her acting career. The Manson Family lurk in the background of the movie, and like an approaching storm start to make their presence felt all throughout. It’s one of those movies where not a lot happens, but it feels like a lot goes on. It is just over two hours long, and the bulk of it is a luscious dive into late 1960s colour, fashion, and style. Then, right at the end, strap yourself in because Tarantino unleashes. I can’t exactly put my finger on why I liked this so much. I did however enjoy it, and certainly think its worth checking out if you are on the fence about watching it or not. It’s not a typical Tarantino film, so maybe its a good entry point if you’ve never watched anything from his catalogue.