Lé Results

Released 16th November 2001, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone follows a young boy who receives a letter to go to Hogwarts - a school for witchcraft and wizardry. As one of the most iconic fantasy franchises, the narrative utilises the fantastical concepts from J.K. Rowling’s books and engrosses the film in them hence establishing the Wizarding World which continues to expand 20 years later as I am writing this review. Even besides its genre conventions however, the film also manages to entice it’s audience with the themes of family / belonging, adventure and power amongst it’s characters and the activities they find themselves in. Starting with Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe gives a solid performance which acts as the foundation of his characterisation through the rest of the franchise. That said, as a child actor, he has moments of weakness with his performance: this comment is applicable to Rupert Grint as Harry’s best friend Ron Weasley, Tom Felton as Harry’s rival Draco Malfoy and most of the other youthful actors. The only notable exception with the younger cast is Emma Watson as the boastful yet intuitive Hermione Granger with Watson seemingly never skipping a performance beat. Besides Felton’s Malfoy, there are several other antagonists who give decent performances as obstacles to Harry. Alan Rickman and David Bradley do fairly well as Hogwarts staff Severus Snape and Argus Filch whereas Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw and Harry Melling operate as Harry’s spiteful (and hyperbolic) family. The true standouts of the film are Robbie Coltrane and Richard Harris as Hagrid the Giant and Albus Dumbledore as Harry’s father figures in Hogwarts; both actors apply a gentle tone to their vocalisation and physicalisation which makes them wholesome and likeable. Similarly, Maggie Smith gives a memorable performance as Minerva McGonagall who can be as gentle as Hagrid and Dumbledore, however, she also implements a harsh demeanour where necessary which provides some naturally comical moments. As for the technical elements, the CGI effects are significantly dated by today’s standards as the product of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace’s VFX revolution and the sudden quantity of computer effects in films. Unfortunately, the same can also be said for the practical effects which are extremely noticeable and subsequently distracting from the narrative. However, I would be doing a disservice if I did not attract attention to John Williams’ whimsical, intimate and (in a word) magical score which elevates the film beyond the soaring Quidditch sticks and consolidates it as a classic. And at the end of the day, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a classic as a staple of fantasy and family-fun adventure which is has arguably not been achieved by any franchise since.

Released 22nd December 1985, Angel’s Egg follows a girl’s journey across a dystopian landscape with a precious egg in her possession. Naturally, by proxy of being a film, Angel’s Egg is a work of art; however, the atmosphere created shapes the film into something which avoids direct themes and messages to instead present itself as a glorified mood board. That said, the film is definitely a strong mood board; there is a strong visual darkness through its neo-gothic atmosphere with only the simply named ‘Girl’ being of any discernible brightness. While it is definitively more subjective than most other films I have watched, I recognised themes of human greed after reflecting on the film – on the other hand religion stuck out to me as a strong undercurrent throughout my viewing. From various visual cues to angels and a crucifix to a literal retelling of Noah’s Ark, the narrative occurs on the mould of the Christian faith – albeit with draconian subversions along the way. The director himself has gone on record saying that he had previously lost his faith to creating the film and therefore communicates his cynicism and aforementioned draconian mindset through ‘Boy’. ‘Boy’ is voiced by Jinpachi Nezu and speaks most of the film’s (extraordinarily) limited dialogue with a monotonous stoicism that helps to deliver on this character not believing what he says to the significantly younger ‘Girl’. Similarly, to ‘Boy’, ‘Girl’ also expels a sense of melancholy through Mako Hyōdō’s monotonous, high pitched delivery; whereas ‘Boy’ conveys a weary, experienced vocal quality, ‘Girl’s is instead one of unease and naivety towards the world she faces. As stated, the animation lends a neo-gothic atmosphere to the film with its delicate colour palette and gothic landscaping. The way that the characters are animated also aids their melancholy vocalisations without looking choppy or overtly lazy *cough* Anne Frank’s Diary *cough*. Yoshihiro Kanno is able to take the religious atmosphere and frequently utilise an operatic choir to convey scale and emotion in the applied scenes as well as a constant tension through the voices’ emotive tones. Overall, Angel’s Egg encompasses such a broad yet unique interpretation of faith which truly feels like a spiritual journey unto itself; if not a little too broad in it’s interpretations…

Released 19th December 2014, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb follows Larry Daley as he travels to the London museum to fix Ahkmenrah’s decaying tablet. This film marks the end of the Night at the Museum trilogy and, while it is primarily a comedy, the film does not make an effort to utilise the events of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian which is all the weirder due to the presence of Ahkmenrah’s parents during the narrative (brought to life by Ben Kingsley and Anjali Jay, respectively). While we only see their performances for a brief period, the emphasis on the Egyptian mythos in the previous film are left brutally untapped and serve to diminish the film in the wider franchise; this continuity also spans to Skyler Gisondo as a grown up Nick Daley. As well as giving a laughably bad performance which was bested by Jake Cherry 7 years prior, there are odd lines which contradict prior events; notably while sneaking into the London museum. Dan Stevens is the new museum character introduced as Lancelot. As a British icon, he is met at the London museum and has a very similar arc to Buzz out of Toy Story in the way that he comes to terms with being a museum statue and he gives a good enough performance in doing so. Ben Stiller still does a good enough job as Larry Daley but just feels less energetic than he did in the previous films (although he is rather comical as Lah the Caveman). One aspect that I do like about the film is that it brings most of the original film’s characters along the journey with Larry which helps send the series off on a high note. For what it is worth, this film makes an effort to highlight the importance of history and its significance in our culture during the final act and it is rather admirable... if not for the humour. I understand that a comedy is supposed to be funny but here is “funny” and then there is breaking the rising tension as you reach the climax for the sake of a cheap gag. Unfortunately, this film actively attempts comedy and subsequently feels forced and makes the film hard to sit through. Much like the other two films, the visual effects are believable enough (if not a ‘little’ obvious in the miniature environments). Once again Alan Silvestri delivers a great soundtrack and I can actually say that it feels like it’s best version here with softer leitmotif uses and no overzealous opening credits. Overall, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb feels the most conceptually sound of all of the films in the series but fails to reach its full potential through comedic shortcomings which instead render the film as just another mindless American comedy.

Released 14th February 2019, Instant Family follows a couple who decide they want to adopt a child… and end up adopting three. While the pacing feels rather rushed at the beginning of the film, its narrative makes a recurring effort to display the process for adopting parents through the process of fostering and subsequently adopting. Instant Family also makes an effort to confront social stigmas against children in the system through different ‘supporting’ characters and their interactions with Pete and Ellie, the parents. Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne both imbue a fun yet grounded charisma to Pete and Ellie; they actively make jokes yet manage to convey raw emotions through their natural performances and strong chemistry. Julianna Gamiz and Gustavo Escobar act as the younger children Pete and Ellie adopt, Lita and Juan. They both deliver their lines well enough and are comical in their physicalisation but are considerably weak in having emotional nuances or giving strong facial performances. Similarly, most of Ellie’s relatives are significantly weak in their performances and opt to give the ‘ha ha – your pain gives us joy’ archetypes of comedies which is particularly successful at sucking any real tension or energy out of the scenes they are in (looking at you Tom Segura). That said, one of the best characters is easily Margo Martindale’s Sandy. As Pete’s mother, Sandy is the grandmother to the children and Martindale’s high energy, warm voice and overall grandma-isms make her hysterical yet believable in every scene. As for the third ‘child’, Isabella Merced gives another standout performance as the teenager Lizzy. Unlike the other two, Lizzy is written as a more independent individual and Merced manifests this in her jaded performance and she provides a far more emotionally driven performance than the rest of the cast. As far as visual storytelling goes, the film utilises quick-cut edits to cut to short gags which enhances their comedic value. While Michael Andrews gives an original soundtrack, it is completely unmemorable; the only music I can remember is the use of licensed music with some of the pieces (such as Paul and Linda McCartney’s Let ‘Em In) being applicable and well implemented. Overall, Instant Family is better than the average modern comedy but is still held back by some of the genre’s tropes and pitfalls.

Released 27th December 1977, Star Wars: A New Hope follows two droids who go on an adventure to deliver a rebel message to defeat an evil superweapon of the empire. That synopsis was probably unnecessary, everyone knows Star Wars; however, do we really appreciate how revolutionary this film really is? Star Wars: A New Hope utilised visual effects (more on that later) to kickstart a new age of space films and fantasy adventure. This fantasy adventure takes the themes of hope and adventure to take the two droids from person to person and forge Luke’s hero’s journey. Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker is essentially the example of a hero’s journey e.g., meet hero, call to adventure, inciting incident, adventure begins. Hamill gives a decent performance to what was still a very new character-concept in cinema. What most people tend to disregard is how integral R2-D2 and Anthony Daniels’ C3PO are to the film; while they are both really comical (thanks to the practical effects of R2 and Daniels’ physical performance), it is through the impeccable pacing that they are used to take the audience to Tatooine and then Princess Leia on the Death Star. Speaking of which, Carrie Fisher gives a strong performance to the assertive and subversive Princess Leia who manages to overcome the ‘damsel in distress’ at frequent narrative beats. Fisher and Hamill’s performances are also aided by their shared chemistry with Harrison Ford as Han Solo; Ford gives his standard ‘diamond in the rough’ act to Solo and is successful in using it to make Han enjoyable. The film is also carried by the iconic performances of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader. Kenobi and Tarkin both receive wiser yet contrasting performances from Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing, respectively, as they take on different roles in their own subplots. Then we have Darth Vader who is made physically imposing by David Prowse and vocally iconic from James Earl Jones’ brilliant vocal delivery. Vader also represents the films greatest success; strong visual effects despite relying mostly on practical effects. While many versions you watch will have the added effects George Lucas added over the years, all but one shot was CGI in the original 1977 release and yet many effects look good (even great) nearly 50 years later. Finally, we cannot talk about Star Wars without talking about John Williams’ masterclass of a soundtrack; with so many memorable tracks and leitmotifs, Williams managed to establish himself as the Master of Musical magic through this film. You cannot argue that Star Wars: A New Hope stands as a masterclass in storytelling, soundtrack and learning to sprint at top speeds where 2001: A Space Odyssey learnt to walk hence consolidating its place as one of cinema’s greats.

Released 17th November 1988, Cinema Paradiso follows Salvatore ‘Toto’ Di Vita as he reflects on his youth after hearing about an old friend’s death. What makes this film such a treat is that it manages to communicate themes of grief, love, maturity, friendship under the umbrella of one concept: cinema. Cinema Paradiso is nothing short of a love letter to cinema and its history from the aged experience of Alfredo and the newer aspects explored through Toto. The film commits to cinema as the heart of the film by constantly showing cinemas as hubs of emotion, activities and also social endeavours; this is made all the more impactful with the ending which remains relevant today about cinema and its future in society. Toto is played by three actors; Jacques Perrin presents an older Toto, Marco Leonardi gives a teenage performance and Salvatore Cascio highlights Toto’s humble beginning with cinema and Alfredo. Leonardi is fine as Toto (albeit the weakest of the three) and delivers his lines well enough throughout his portion of the narrative; Perrin is better but leaves less of an impact due to his screen time being spliced across the narrative as opposed to the other Totos. As for Cascio, despite being 9 at the time of filming, manages to out-perform his older counterparts and deliver a wholesome and cheeky personality through an expressive facial performance and an innocent vocalisation. Cascio also seems to have the best chemistry with Philippe Noiret’s Alfredo; the best character of the film (and one of my favourite film characters ever). Noiret imbues Alfredo with a sincere heart which can do no wrong; while he does have discernible traits holding him back across the film, Noiret takes them in stride and uses them to make his character more lovable. Agnese Nano also holds good chemistry with Leonardi as his love interest Elena, albeit less prevalent in the film. While the cast spans much further, I could honestly gush over this film all day so take my word when I say they all have distinct personalities which develop / alter throughout the film. The on-location sets make the film feel further rural and quaint which helps emphasise the community aspect of the narrative and the subsequent ties it has with the cinema. Ennio Morricone presents a gentle yet energetic soundtrack which is thoroughly memorable and carries the emotions of the film furthermore. Cinema Paradiso stands as a love letter to cinema with great reverence to film itself but also the profound impact it has on those who affiliate with it.

Released 18th November 2016, Your Name follows two teenagers who are somehow intertwined… and also swapping each other’s bodies. One of the best parts of the film is that the characters are distinctively shown as teenagers through their social interactions, idiolect and certain ‘things’ they explore while in the other’s body. Your Name provides poignant insights into identity, ancestry, relationships and also perseverance. One slight issue I have is that some of the dialogue throughout the film is unnecessary exposition; while exposition does have a place in certain films and scenes, it is used at times where the exposition given is just stating the obvious and subsequently sucks you out of the narrative occasionally. Ryunosuke Kamiki gives a strong vocal performance to Taki, the teenage boy who is caught in the swapping. He manages to encapsulate a comedic awkwardness in the face of situations Mitsuha (the teenage body-swapper) has left him in as well as sustaining a lower energy that every teenage boy has nowadays. Mitsuha on the other hand is voiced by Mone Kamishiraishi who maintains a higher energy across most of the film with frequent upper inflections in pitch to demonstrate her whiny nature. The differences between these two characters makes their chemistry really strong and helps to form the connection between them. While they do meet later in the narrative, the editing enables the two to appear on a split screen where the overlap of their dialogue enhances their chemistry further. Masami Nagasawa does a good job as Ms. Okudera; as Taki’s crush during the first act of the film, she develops into someone that Taki is able to confide in and Nagasawa is able to come across with a pleasantness across the entirety of the film. The rest of the voice acting is good too, albeit less integral to the plot than these three. The film is also thoroughly engrossed in the Shinto religious practises in Japan without alienating an unfamiliar audience (like myself before watching the film) as well as loosely integrating it into the narrative beats. As for the animation, the sheer amount of detail and vibrancy of the cinematography is the textbook definition of spectacular. Radwimps also delivered a great soundtrack which, whilst not overtly memorable, serves the underscored scenes brilliantly. Overall, Your Name is a film which harbours astounding visual merit, strong and relatable characters as well as an engaging narrative.

Released 2nd April 2021, Chaos Walking follows Todd Hewitt as he discovers a girl on his dystopian home planet. Inspired by Patrick Ness’ book series, the film is set in a world where every man’s thoughts are spoken through a ‘noise’: something which does not occur with the women. However, once the young girl Viola crash lands in a spaceship, Todd leads her on a journey of trust, survival and belonging. While the concept of the ‘noise’ is executed well on a visual basis, you cannot help but realise that Todd (or any other men) would never have any quiet moments and that the ‘noise’ should be ever present in some capacity: it is not. That said, the ‘noise’ offers a natural alternative to exposition which helps to explain the fantastical world. Tom Holland manages to deliver a powerful performance of Todd Hewitt; Holland is able to balance the extreme awkwardness Hewitt possesses to Viola while conveying deep sadness in the wake of personal loss, he is easily the standout of the film. Daisy Ridley is good as Viola. She is not overtly great and her character’s ‘depth’ is rather shallow but she gets Viola from A to B so she us fine. Similarly, to Viola, Mads Mikkelsen’s Chief David has little (to no) depth, however, Mikkelsen is able to imbue a strong performance to elevate his weak character to a more memorable stature. The main issue with the characters (minus Todd) is that they are all stock characters e.g., David Oyelowo is the cultist preacher and Nick Jonas is the arrogant prick. The visual effects are done surprisingly well, the best thing about the effects is that (where possible) most of the film is either shot on-location or the fantasy characters utilise practical costumes and effects. That said, the film also uses CGI for the men’s noise with great success and capability for comedic moments and intriguing action. Marco Beltrami and Brandon Roberts deliver a serviceable soundtrack which underscores the film well enough, however, it is generally unmemorable. Overall, Chaos Rising is an enjoyable film with a strong protagonist, fun action and serviceable (if not rather shallow) characters.

Released 25th December, La La Land follows the dyad between Mia and Sebastian as they find each other (and themselves) in Los Angeles, the city of stars if you will. While the film presents itself as a musical, the musicality is an integral part of Mia and Sebastian’s blossoming romance and the subsequent tone elevates the narrative to extensive heights. Through their story, Mia and Sebastian’s love illustrates themes of compromise, dreams, belonging and perseverance. A key part of La La Land’s identity however is how it embraces classic Hollywood films’ aesthetic choices as well as its history to develop Mia. Meanwhile, Sebastian’s draw to Los Angeles is connoted as providing a setting for his dreams of resurrecting jazz for the masses (and himself). Sebastian is brought to life by Ryan Gosling in what I would say is a career defining role; Gosling provides a childlike musicality and charm to Sebastian. However, he also harbours a gentle and compassionate personality which he uses to encourage Mia through her emotional lows and impart his passion for jazz towards Mia, played by Emma Stone. Emma Stone provides a similar childlike musicality to Mia while presenting a an emotionally perky demeanour; more so than Sebastian, Mia plummets to festering lows while also facing boundless heights across the narrative. The strongest aspect of the film however is the robust chemistry that the two leads share; the casting truly works wonders to imbue life into Damien Chazelle’s witty yet wholesome script. While there are supporting actors, notably John Legend as ‘jazz’ musician Keith, there is minimal depth provided and the film instead opts to utilise the supporting cast as concepts that initiate conflict in relationships. As stated previously, the film makes strong uses of classic Hollywood aesthetics with David Wasco’s production design carrying many of the film’s visuals; production design that Linus Sandgren is able to implement into awe striking cinematography. With every frame a painting and every character a canvas to the world, how does the soundtrack fare? I can confirm that Justin Hurwitz’ soundtrack is one of the best in all of cinema; from the catchy and a suitable musical numbers to the heart-wrenching leitmotifs, Hurwitz’ soundtrack will not leave your mind for an extensive period of time. Epilogue is perhaps one of the most sophisticated and raw pieces of music ever orchestrated for a specific sequence of film and is bound to make anyone invested in this film tear up at the end. That is La La Land’s legacy in my mind: an energetic viewing experience packed with picture-esque cinematography, emotionally raw performances and an even more emotionally resonant soundtrack that delivered one of the greatest films of all time.

Released 26th April 1954, Seven Samurai tells the story of a village who seek out samurai to protect them from bandits. Despite its setting, and culture, the film is reminiscent of Western films in its production design and the themes of honour that arise. That said, Seven Samurai is able to utilise its unique cultural setting to also explore heritage, comradery and loss. These strong themes also give way to a very sombre tone which is ever-present throughout the narrative; a tone which is still able to give way to comedic characters and subsequent moments of relief. Something to note is that, despite the expansive cast, every single character is distinct from one another and (more so than the acting) it is largely a credit to the script. Takashi Shimura gives life to Kambei, the aging ronin who leads the samurai through the narrative. He has a strong chemistry with his co-stars and imparts his character’s writing with poignant vocalisation. Kikuchiyo is another notable samurai with his performance from Toshiro Mifune; a man who claims to be a samurai without possessing any discernible traits of one. Mifune gives what is the most diverse performance of the film: he is capable of entertainingly delivering comic relief while being able to switch to a well-founded, ill-tempered rage. Isao Kimura also manages to give a quirky performance as the inexperienced samurai Katsushirō. Similar to Kikuchiyo, Katsushirō possesses less samurai traits than his peers, however, his prowess is shown to develop across the narrative; this development runs parallel to a relationship with Shino, a farmer’s daughter. Keiko Tsushima gives a time-standard performance of Shino which helps to consolidate the template of interactions the villagers sought to avoid their girls having with the samurai. You can easily argue that the bandits of the film receive absolutely no depth (you would be correct); however, the narrative’s strong focus on the village and the samurai means that it does not detract from the story by the antagonists being fairly shallow in their motivation and actions. While obviously somewhat dated, the film utilises some decent miniatures for the various action sequences in the third act. As well as this, Akiro Kurosawa edits the film in a way that enables every action to have flow and meaning. Fumio Hayasaka also succeeds in delivering an appropriate soundtrack that forges strong motifs that return across the extended runtime. Overall, Seven Samurai is a thoroughly mature and moving tale of comradery and strength in an era of cinema where such stories were rarely realised with such profound success.

Released 24th March 2021, Godzilla vs Kong follows the conflicts surrounding Godzilla and Kong. Much asking to the previous Godzilla films in the Monsterverse, the themes of nature and co-existence are ever present through the narrative with the film’s monsters sharing different perspectives of these themes. One thing to clear straight away is that, more so than previous entries in this universe, Godzilla vs Kong is very much an easy-watch movie where suspension of disbelief is required. That said, one critique I would have about this film is that (at times) it delves a little too deep into sci-fi where it really didn’t have to. The film manages to preserve the animalistic behaviours of these monsters which sustains your engagement in how they operate and interact with one another. Kong receives a large concentration of the plot which is not a bad thing (given that Godzilla has an extra film under his belt in the Monsterverse) as you begin to understand his mythos a lot better and see his characteristics develop from Kong: Skull Island. Godzilla is still great and, while not in the film as much as you would expect, I would argue that he makes the most of his appearances and he holds a presence in the film. As for the human cast, I can only really say that I liked Kaylee Hottle’s Jia and Julian Dennison’s Josh. While Josh is given little depth, he feels a lot like a real person in this film in the way that he interacts with the bizarre world surrounding him thus making his character more believable and subsequently enjoyable. As for Jia, she is actually integral to the plot and her relationship with Kong is really wholesome and Kaylee sells her performance really well. This is all the funnier when you consider these two are the youngest actors in the film; just about everyone else is either scientific-jargon or unnecessary all together (*cough* Alexander Skarsgård *cough*). Junkie XL gives a good enough score with a strong energy being given to the scenes and a good motif for Godzilla; I would certainly say it could have been better though. This critique also spreads to licensed music which, while lyrically sound, sets peculiar tones against the scenes they are placed in. As usual, I have no qualms with the visual effects in this universe; you can actually see everything that is happening in this film which makes the action clearer and more enjoyable. Overall, Godzilla vs Kong is certainly not a masterpiece but after a year where we have not had many blockbusters, this 57 year-waiting rematch is the perfect kind of film to get us excited for cinemas reopening 17th May.

Released 13th May 2019, Godzilla: King of the Monsters follows multinational coalition Monarch as it tries to prevent a mass-awakening of the Titans. Thankfully, the monsters show up more frequently and are generally visible when they do show throughout this film which enables a sustained engagement in the film. Due to this, the themes of nature and co-existence are supercharged and in the forefront of this narrative which makes the story more resonant. That said, these improvements are flushed away instantaneously by the sheer amount of characters, exposition and poor humour. While receiving new lore for a world is great, this film tells far too much despite showing plenty; the film feels like it is talking down to you at times which really sucks you out of it. As stated, the humour is also abysmal. Thomas Middleditch’s Sam Coleman is perhaps the unfunniest character I have ever seen in a film (minus any James Cordon roles) and every time he opens his mouth you roll your eyes. On the flip-side, the other one-liner character is Bradley Whitford’s Rick Stanley; his delivery is great and he is the true comic relief. That said, the rest of the cast is fine and do enough with what (little) they are written; Kyle Chandler, Vera Farminga and Millie Bobby Brown are fine as Mark, Emma and Maddison Russel, Sally Hawkins is fine as returning face Dr Vivienne Graham and Charles Dance is fine as Alan Jonah (the human antagonist). While Ken Watanabe is generally okay in his return to Dr Ishirō Serizawa, however, he is able to infuse so much emotion during one scene in the third act that does wonders for the film. The success of the scene I am referring to is also attributed to Bear McCreary’s phenomenal soundtrack. Every single group or monster has their own leitmotif which is retooled depending on the context with every track being memorable (there is a reason I mentioned it in my attempt at album reviews last year!). Once again the visual effects are also great and, while still semi-obscured, convey the realism of these creatures as they interact with their environments; this improvement over the 2014 film also stretches to the cinematography which is truly extraordinary and a sight to behold. At the end of the day, Godzilla: King of the Monsters presents plenty of monster fights full of character, striking visuals and sound; but maybe a few too many humans getting in the way.