The Big Sick

This review may contain spoilers!

This is a romantic comedy that is so openly honest and affectionately warm that you can't do anything but fall in love with it. I would give The Big Sick a 7.5/10.

This is a film that really comes at you from quite a grounded point of view; you get a story about love that feels so overwhelmingly natural and sincere that you'd be hard pressed not to connect with it. Kumail's struggle with his sense of identity is also quite an important element of the story and you see it as he figures out what it means to be a Pakistani-American, have so much cultural responsibility placed upon him from his family and struggle to find success in what he wishes to do with his life. The story presents the struggle of Emily's parents too, who have to come to terms with their own marital problems as well as form a relationship with Kumail; it's not an easy path by any means for any of the roles in the film but the manner in which genuine human connection is shown really makes this film a masterpiece.

Zoe Kazan, who played Emily, is really impressive cause she doesn't feel like a love interest; Kazan constructs a woman who has gone through a lot of her own painful experiences in life and is finding joy in the new love that is starting to develop. Holly Hunter, who played Beth, is a real tough as nails mother; Hunter's commitment to Romano is very sweet and they have a chemistry that is very natural. Ray Romano, who played Terry, is quite a timid and meek role at time who is a very friendly figure; the way Romano shows his character losing control and struggling with the events within the film is very well done. Anupam Kher, who played Azmat, is quite a comic figure as the father of his household; the way he attempts to play the intermediary between Nanjiani and Shroff is well handled by him. Zenobia Shroff, who played Sharmeen, is a powerful figure as the matriarch of her house; Shroff is a harsh mother at times but she does a great job at portraying a cultural perspective within this film.

However the best performance came from Kumail Nanjiani, who played Kumail. I found this performance to be really humourous, he had an awkward delivery that was quite fun but could switch to a very natural confident demeanour as the film progressed too. Nanjiani brings forth a character who is human and kind, he wants what is best for the woman he loves and he clearly values his family quite a bit. There's an honesty to this film about identity, significantly around cultural values, you are interested and engaged by Kumail and want him to be happy. This happiness is very evident in the wonderful chemistry that we see between him and Kazan. This is a character film, a story about love and laughter, a cultural film and beyond a shadow of a doubt: it is Kumail Nanjiani's film.

The cinematography of the film doesn't always frame up as smoothly as it could, in fact the visual style is quite casual and doesn't focus heavily upon making an impact. The editing kept the pace for the film a little slow, there was a lot of slow, steady cutting. The soundtrack for the film really doesn't stand out all that much, nor does the score for the film really set the tone for a variety of scenes.

Adeel Akhtar and Vella Lovell, who played Naveed and Khadija respectively, often fail to grab the limelight in the shared family scenes; I found it a real shame the film didn't do more to make Akhtar's role more likeable, at least near the end of the film. Bo Burnham, Aidy Bryant and Kurt Braunohler, who played CJ, Mary and Chris respectively, are all apparently Nanjiani's 'friends' in the film but it's hard to be very convinced by any of the relationships here; frankly most of these performers came off as cynical or crude which made them difficult to connect with.

Baby Driver

This is the perfect example of why you do not write the soundtrack of the film into the screenplay. I would give Baby Driver a 4/10.

This film had a really interesting and unique take on the criminal underworld; introducing some colourful characters and some moments that had high levels of tension. You felt like the film struck it's own original tone really well which is impressive in and of itself. The editing for the film was the real stand out; every beat perfectly synced up with the soundtrack and what you see onscreen, creating an impressive visual pace.

Kevin Spacey, who played Doc, is a stern yet disturbingly calm crime boss in this film; the impact and control he displays in the scenes he's in is quite impressive. Jamie Foxx, who played Bats, is an absolute maniac to watch; his fast quips and unpredictable violence and aggression mark him as one of the standout roles. Brogan Hall, who played Samm, gives a performance that reflects against Spacey quite well; the manner in which he dishes out lines which would otherwise be quite harsh is disturbingly good.

However the best performance came from Jon Hamm, who played Buddy. Hamm is the charismatic member of this band of criminals, rugged yet suave and compassionate to those around him as long as his interests are being served. You see him as a kind figure, one of the few willing to support and understand Baby and by far the more positive member of the team. His affectionate lust towards Gonzalez feels very intense and comes to a satisfying head with her death, sending Hamm into a vicious downward spiral. His dark turn to venegance makes him unpredictable and exceptionally dangerous; of all the threats in the film he becomes the one that you would fear the most.

The film banks a lot upon it's soundtrack which honestly is a bit underwhelming for what it is, with the exception being possibly 'Tequila'. Most of the important sequences of the film feel tailored towards a song rather than a character or advancing the plot and you can't help but feel that Edgar Wright is making a feature for himself as opposed to a wider audience. The story itself is riddled with plot holes and is a disappointment to watch unfold; often characters would feel one particular way and then suddenly change their mind out of nowhere, such as when the gang still lets Baby join the heist after discovering he's been recording them for years or when Kevin Spacey refuses to help Baby until he decides to join the fight for love. I also had to really grapple with character motivations in this film; Baby is a getaway driver but was scarred by his parent's car accident earlier in life which doesn't really make a lot of sense, also the way Baby seems to love Debora due to a comparison to his mother is quite strange. The cinematography for the film is a let down, the action/chase scenes look far worse than the moments where dancing and lip-sync is occurring.

Ansel Elgort, who played Baby, isn't really leading role material; you struggle to connect with him and he never grabs your attention in the scenes that he's in. Jon Bernthal, who played Griff, doesn't really have a lot of presence in this film; Bernthal plays the usual disgruntled tough guy role but it's nothing unique. Eiza Gonzalez, who played Darling, is really only in this film to be killed off and to send Hamm into a manic vendetta; Gonzalez doesn't intimidate and feels disconnected from her criminal role. Lily James, who played Debora, is the sort of role that's written in to be a love interest; James' has little chemistry with Elgort and the entire relationship feels awkward and forced. CJ Jones, who played Joseph, is quite a nice role that feels completely out of place in this film; Jones' is a father figure of sorts to Elgort but you don't really feel or understand the connection there. Flea and Lanny Joon, who played Eddie and JD respectively, are background performances in this feature; this pair are almost immediately eclipsed once Foxx appears onscreen. Paul Williams, who played The Butcher, is a weird witticism of the film that felt like a favourite of the writer's which hasn't translated well to screen; Williams gives a go at giving this role a bit of impact but The Butcher is a bit of a lousy minor role.

War For The Planet Of The Apes

This review may contain spoilers!

Not only have these Planet of the Apes films set the bar for motion capture and CGI effects but they've presented one of the best trilogies in recent years. I would give War For The Planet Of The Apes an 8.5/10.

This is a pretty powerful conclusion that brings humanity and apes into conflict one last time. Humans have truly descended into darker creatures, killing and battling their way across America and steadily becoming more savage. The apes on the other hand have built a remarkable civilisation that has been torn to pieces by the warring humans; a film led almost completely through the Ape perspective you grow to really empathise with these creatures as they struggle to keep their tribe together and alive. Caesar goes on a great vendetta over the course of this film too; he ventures out to get vengeance for his family by killing the Colonel and has to battle against falling down the dark path Koba couldn't escape from. It's post-apocalyptic at it's very best and the Planet of the Apes have delivered the perfect commentary upon the folly of mankind. The cinematography for this film is quite sharp and captures the stark landscapes extremely well; but I was also impressed with how intimate a lot of these shots got, really lending the film it's character-focused lens. The special effects are stunning and without a doubt the best I've seen out of any film so far this year, the amount of skill it must have taken to pull off this much motion capture is staggering to think about. The score for the film is a very clear and nostalgic throwback to the classic Planet of the Apes series, this adds a high emotional impact to the film and makes the film feel all the more powerful.

Steve Zahn, who played Bad Ape, adds a nice comedic quality to this film; Zahn's very eccentric ape appears quite haunted by the soldiers he's managed to avoid and Bad Ape is an exciting new addition to the cast of characters. Karin Konoval, who played Maurice, is a rather gentle character and is the conscience of this film; Konoval has a great chemistry with Serkis that really solidifies the bond between these two characters. Amiah Miller, who played Nova, is a very lost and wayward soul who fits in extremely well with the ragtag ape characters; Miller crafts a role who no longer knows who she is and finds her place in a rather heartwarming way amongst the apes. Terry Notary, who played Rocket, is quite a bravado-filled role; he's definitely cocky and one of the apes who's ready to take a few risks. Ty Olsson, who played Red Donkey, is the most interesting antagonist of the film; his inner conflict between overthrowing Caesar and maintaining his dignity as a free ape is one of the more interesting subplots of the feature. Michael Adamthwaite, who played Luca, is a gruff minor role that has a very gentle heart; his scenes with Miller are some of the nicer moments of the film. Toby Kebbell, who played Koba, is a great character to see returning; his dark moments as Caesar's inner demons are the perfect means of representing this. Sara Canning, who played Lake, develops an interesting relationship with Serkis as the pair try to get the best for their tribe; Canning's kind-hearted ape manages to put aside a lot of hurt in her efforts to keep the tribe together.

However the best performance came from Andy Serkis, who played Caesar. Serkis has played this character for a few years now and everytime he puts so much effort into this role; this outing is probably the most impressive yet. I was really impressed with the way in which Serkis can bring so much nuanced emotion to a character brought forth completely via motion capture. Serkis has a deep rage throughout the film, he;s visibly in pain and wants to lash out at something in retaliation for this. The way he grapples with this vendetta and his newfound hatred for humans is at the heart of the story and the conclusion of this emotional journey is really well portrayed. As Caesar, Serkis has created a truly heroic leader that stands apart as one of the more intriguing characters of the year.

The film is a slow one and the acts of the feature don't move exceptionally quickly in terms of pace; this definitely isn't an action feature so don't expect your usual blockbuster. The opening act of the film takes quite a while to get under way; Caesar's very quick turn into becoming like Koba could've been set up in a cleaner way. I also felt the human characters of the feature lacked a character who actually felt worth noting, excepting Nova.

Woody Harrelson, who played The Colonel, is quite a generic military leader as far as antagonists go; Harrelson never feels like he justifies his role's motivations as a vicious dictator and he's certainly one of the more disappointing aspects of the film. Gabriel Chavarria, who played Preacher, is a minor antagonist that often falls into the background of this film; Chavarria has some potential set up for him early in this film but it's never brought to fruition in a satisfying way. Judy Greer, who played Cornelia, doesn't really add much to the film; Greer's character really only exists to be killed off this time round. Aleks Paunovic, who played Winter, is a role that turns traitor in a twist that feels neither surprising nor important; it would have been much nicer if Paunovic's role had been developed a little more. Max Lloyd-Jones, who played Blue Eyes, has quite a disappointing presence in this film; Lloyd-Jones sadly follows Greer as one of the roles that is killed off shortly after reappearing in the film.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

This review may contain spoilers!

This is definitely the best Spider-Man film that's been released thus far. I would give Spider-Man: Homecoming an 8.5/10.

This is a brilliant coming of age story, we see one of the youngest superheroes in the MCU take responsibility of his newfound powers and make his mark as a hero. I thought it was terrific to see Peter as this young, quite relatable high school student, even more so when he wrestled with the importance of potentially becoming an Avenger and staying committed to his high school life. The atmosphere created in this film is really fun, you can't help but laugh at this really entertaining school that our young hero goes to and the supporting cast of characters all add a lot to the authenticity of this film. This film really started with a kid who aspired to be an Avenger and, after grappling with all the hurdles set before him throughout the film, we come to see Spider-Man as someone who doesn't need to be an Avenger to be a hero. The cinematography is incredibly fluid; you find yourself watching scenes and you feel in motion alongside the main character. The special effects look exceptional; the spider-suit CGI is only ever matched by the great new Iron Man suit design and the Vulture exo-skeleton. The score for the film is really light and peppy marking this as the most fun Spider-Man film yet, the soundtrack matches the tone beat for beat especially 'Blitzkrieg Bop' by the Ramones.

Michael Keaton, who played Adrian Toomes, absolutely nails it as the antagonist of this film; Keaton is someone you can come to like and who is very recognisable as an everyday father and husband which makes him quite a fresh Marvel villain. Robert Downey Jr., who played Tony Stark, works out quite well as the mentor figure to Peter Parker; his usual narcissistic humour lands quite nicely but it's his very emotional commitment to Peter's growth as a person that makes him stand out so well. Jon Favreau, who played Happy Hogan, has a stern and pessimistic outlook throughout the film which is quite fun to watch; yet at the heart of this role is the security guard who goes out of his way to look out for those he considers important to him and it's great to have him back. Gwyneth Paltrow, who played Pepper Potts, is a surprise cameo that is great to see again; Paltrow's easy chemistry with Downey Jr. is immediately sparked and feels as fresh as it was in the first Iron Man films. Zendaya, who played Michelle, suits the laidback yet fiercely strong role; Zendaya crafts a character who is extremely witty and self-confident. Jacob Batalon, who played Ned, immediately captures the nerdy friend role but he's also notably outspoken and full of energy; Batalon has such immediate chemistry with Holland that you feel like they've been friends forever. Abraham Attah, Tiffany Espensen, Isabella Amara and Michael Barbieri, who played Abe, Cindy, Sally and Charles respectively, are quite a fun comedic group as the decathalon team; I loved the diverse personalities and witticisms that composed and came out of this group. Hannibal Buress, who played Coach Wilson, is quite a good comedic presence in this film; the manner in which he presents the Captain America cameos is very well done. Angourie Rice and Jorge Lendeborg Jr., who played Betty and Jason respectively, are really funny as the awkward school news presenters; they played off one another well and added to that convincing high school atmosphere. Martin Starr, who played Mr. Harrington, feels like a positive fun teacher role; his awkward interview with the school news is one of the funnier moments in the film. Michael Chernus, who played Phineas Mason, is quite a muted antagonist in relation Keaton but his calm demeanour fits in really well; his quietly delivered bits of snark or more comic moments actually land extremely well. Jennifer Connelly, who voiced Karen, is the best A.I. voice actor we've had since Paul Bettany ascended to Vision from Jarvis; Connelly is a much more emotionally aware AI which leads to some more comedic conversations between her and Holland. Chris Evans, who played Captain America, is extremely over the top and having a lot of fun as a more 'PSA' version of his character; these educational and quite witty cameos from Evans real fits with the films comic tone.

However the best performance came from Tom Holland, who played Peter Parker. Holland felt like a young high school kid trying to fill the giant shoes of an Avenger; he was constantly racing around screen looking amazed and absolutely enthralled in the world he was in. I was blown away by his steady humour, be that his awkward demeanor or his quips at the antagonists. He rattles off the heavy nerdy jargon with easy and you get a strong feel for how naturally smart this character is. I liked that the role still struggled with his high school popularity and his affection for a classmate, it grounded him and made the role very real. There's a strength to Spider-Man, one that is shown very powerfully in this feature; he's a character who has to come to realise his own strengths and put his own morals and responsibilities as a hero before his ambitions which is a big part of this film's rendition.

I loved this film a lot but it did have fairly slow pacing, there were a lot of scenes that felt repeated which stretched out the length of the feature. Moments that took place in Peter's room or the high school grew repetitive, even the Iron Man appearances and Vulture attacks came to blend together a bit in terms of storytelling. I also felt that this film knew how to tell a teen coming of age film extremely well but it also got bogged down in it's own stereotypes sometimes; the high school romance, the classic high school archetypes and even the build up to the high school homecoming all felt familiar and there could've been a few more risks taken.

Marisa Tomei, who played May Parker, didn't feel at all like a family member to Holland rather she just acted goofy and was a weak attempt at lacing in more comedic relief; I really felt like Tomei was there to have a lot of jokes made about how attractive she was and that was about it. Donald Glover, who played Aaron Davis, didn't really serve very much purpose in this film; Glover's criminal with a heart of gold felt like a bit of a wishful role that you weren't very convinced by. Laura Harrier, who played Liz, wasn't in this film to be much more than the love interest; she was very rigid in her performance and you didn't see the chemistry between her and Holland at all. Tony Revolori, who played Flash, has to be the worst version of the famous bully yet; he has no presence in all his scenes and often comes off feeling more pathetic than anything else. Bokeem Woodbine, who played Herman Schultz, lurks behind Keaton a lot as the main henchman but brings little else to the film; Woodbine brings forth a villain who's quite crony and hard to take seriously. Kenneth Choi, who played Principal Morita, has absolutely no screen presence in this film; of all the high school faculty Choi is the one who falls into the background the most frequently. Garcelle Beauvais, who played Doris Toomes, is a necessary background piece to add to the Toomes twist but she could be replaced with a number of different performers; this isn't a role that feels like it matters and she's lost behind the performances of Keaton, Holland and even Harrier. Michael Mando, Logan Marshall-Green and Christopher Berry, who played Mac Gargan, Jackson Brice and Randy respectively, round out the background henchmen and criminal contacts of Keaton's role; none of these performers do much but lurk within the background and none manage to bring much personality to the villainous crew.  

The House

This review may contain spoilers!

A comedy film in which not a single member of the cast seems to have any chemistry with another. I would give The House a 3/10.

This is a film that does it's best to get progressively more absurd as the film goes along, this really crazy and over the top comedy is the film's greatest strength. There's never really a point where the feature takes itself seriously and that was something I could appreciate.

Will Ferrell, who played Scott Johansen, is quite natural performing the awkward mannerisms of his role; he went on to really embrace the darker crime boss persona that his character developed into. Amy Poehler, who played Kate Johansen, is a lot of fun as the immature character of the leading duo; Poehler clearly enjoyed playing her role up in a way that was very over the top.

However the best performance came from Jason Mantzoukas, who played Frank. This was a character who was very wild and went through several extremes of emotion throughout the feature. Mantzoukas really does some great work on his delivery and puts a lot of effort into the scenes he is in. I really enjoyed how natural this role felt, he seemed like he had a justifiable presence in this film and was always the character who made you laugh.

I really didn't feel like there was much to the plot of the story; the basic concept of creating a casino to pay for a daughter's tuition is very hastily introduced and anything to add any further depth to the film doesn't really hold interest. There is a lot of time spent pitching comedic scenes and bits that just act as very obvious time-fillers; you start wondering if there'll ever be much more developed beyond the basic idea but you're left quite disappointed. The gangsters subplot doesn't never goes anywhere, the daughter discovers her parents scheme and this has no impact, then you get the corrupt city councillor antagonist who is exceptionally predictable to watch. The cinematography is so boring to watch, and the POV or extreme close up shots that are scattered throughout only serve to pull you out of the film. The editing isn't a great feat either, often moving scenes along at a snail-like pace. The soundtrack for the film is a lot of forgettable hip hop and anthem songs to set a party vibe but this gets repetitive very quickly; the score for the film is completely non-existent.

Ryan Simpkins, who played Alex Johansen, does nothing to make you relate to her as a character; frankly Simpkins just feels like she's in the film to justify the concept and direction of the plot. Nick Kroll and Allison Tolman, who played Bob and Dawn respectively, are exceptionally flat as the film's major antagonists; the bizarre and awkward romance between these two just feels forced and poorly inserted into the script. Rob Huebel, who played Officer Chandler, is this guy who feels dressed as a cop; and yes his police brutality comedy is irrelevant but it really doesn't land in a big way in this film. Christina Offley and Jessie Ennis, who played Davida and Rachel respectively, fall into the background very swiftly when they're paired with the weak performance of Simpkins'; most annoying was how Ennis' role was purely in the film to be pushed over by Ferrell repeatedly. Rory Scovel and Cedric Yarbrough, who played Joe and Reggie respectively, these two are part of the background comedic ensemble but don't add much in terms of laughs; Scovel in particular was quite a cringeworthy role rather than comedic one. Lennon Parham and Gillian Vigman, who played Martha and Becky respectively, are just in this film to get into a fight and that's about all they bring; it gets really predictable watching these two back and forth with one another and then after they fight neither actress is used effectively. Michaela Watkins, who played Raina, is this role who enters into scenes and acts the same exact way every single time; Watkins' relationship with Mantzoukas is questionable because you don't really see the chemistry there. Steve Zissis and Jeremy Renner, who played Carl Shackler and Tommy respectively, are just laughable as the film's additional antagonists; the two were supposedly added to spice the film up and bring a bit of danger but then you have a big name like Renner who's killed off after mumbling eight lines.