Maze Runner: The Death Cure

This review may contain spoilers!

While this film failed to be better than the incredible second film; it is a fitting and well-made conclusion to the trilogy. I would give Maze Runner: The Death Cure a 7.5/10.

What I've always loved about the Maze Runner series is that it is an absolutely incredible genre smash to watch; the strength of the first film was the dystopian influences while the second film shined as a post-apocalyptic feature. This film is a fantastic blend of post-apocalyptic and dystopian elements; with a desert railway heist kicking the film off to a toppling of a controlling government power concluding the feature. I was really drawn to how great the stakes felt throughout, no character ever really felt safe and you weren't certain of who would make it through seemingly impossible odds. The special effects seen throughout are amazing; be it the design of flying vehicles, monsters from the Maze or massive turrets quelling a riot this film certainly uses its effects budget in a calculated and effective way. The score throughout is absolutely powerful; not only are action scenes heightened a significant amount but pivotal moments throughout the film tug at the heartstrings through the aid of this score.

Rosa Salazar, who played Brenda, is a very determined and capable character who is fearless in the face of danger; Salazar still remains solidly one of my favourite performers and characters from the Maze Runner series. Dylan O'Brien, who played Thomas, leads with a bold resolve from the moment he appeared onscreen; O'Brien plays hard on his role's stubborn and compassionate nature which results in some very moving scenes. Walton Goggins, who played Lawrence, is a very shifty new player in this film; Goggins' slow to trust role makes for an interesting rebel leader role and an intriguing new addition to this world. Aidan Gillen, who played Janson, really comes into his own as the leading antagonist of this film; Gillen is an unpredictable and wild threat whose selfish nature really consumes him. Giancarlo Esposito, who played Jorge, is a real loose cannon role and Esposito seems to have incredible fun portraying him; Esposito also doubles as quite a comforting and resolute father figure for Salazar. Barry Pepper, who played Vince, feels like he belongs in a post-apocalyptic world because he fits naturally every time he appears onscreen; Pepper is an incredibly charismatic rebel leader and his monologues are some of the high points of the film. Ki Hong Lee, who played Minho, is quite a frantic figure for this film; Lee does a tremendous job of portraying his character through torture and the bouts of paranoia that grip him after this. Dexter Darden, who played Frypan, is quite a light comedic figure that adds levity to moments within the film; I like that Darden balances the jovial moments of his role and the points of action where he is readily capable.

However, the best performance came from Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who played Newt. I've always enjoyed watching how diplomatic this character is, he interacts well with others and has great chemistry with O'Brien's role. This film sees Brodie-Sangster test the character he has built up, making for a more conflicted performance. It's wonderful to see a character try to remain so balanced and loyal yet be desperately torn apart internally by a secret he's keeping from the rest of the group. The anger and frustration that is unleashed in this film is the perfect climatic moment for this character, a raw display of emotion that works wonderfully. The scene in which Brodie-Sangster's role is grappling between himself and becoming a Krank is an emotionally charged and heartbreaking scene that makes this film what it is.

The film has a strong focus upon the hunt for the 'cure', the one genetic source that will defeat the virus that has created Kranks. It should hold your attention, after all, it is the main narrative. But something about this film makes the scientific trials and conversations around the ethics of this plotline rather dull. The grappling romance between Thomas and Teresa feels long dead, having a minimal presence in the last film; so bringing that back so strongly was a poor narrative decision. The film was effectively quite good but spent quite a bit of run time on plot points that the audience really didn't care a great deal about. Surprisingly, the cinematography for this film wasn't all that great; action shots often looked nice for the effects more than anything else, while dialogue sequences were boring and questionably framed.

Kaya Scodelario, who played Teresa, is such a bland performer and has never really contributed much to these films; Scodelario is given her own storyline this time to make good on but wastes the potential completely. Will Poulter, who played Gally, is a surprising and unnecessary appearance in this film; his return is rather pithily explained and he portrays his old role in a way that feels completely detached from his original performance. Patricia Clarkson, who played Ava Paige, jumps between antagonist and protagonist so much in this film that she loses any scrap of intrigue she may have had left; Clarkson is just a moment of bad casting - she doesn't match the world nor does she really play her character well to the circumstances that surround her.

The Shape Of Water

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If you can get past the weird concept behind this film you're presented with what is a surprisingly intriguing love story. I would give The Shape Of Water an 8/10.

This is marketed as a gothic fairytale and it's hard to imagine what that means until you visualise it, but once it unfolds you can't help but be enthralled by the whimsy, enchantment and tragedy that manages to be interlaced throughout the narrative. The film has a strength in that many of the protagonists are so genuinely likeable, especially Elisa. This is well contrasted by the dark facility within which our main protagonist works; where mystery and thuggish men are around every corner. You are placed in a setting that tackles some of the gender, sexuality and race issues of the time as a setting while portraying this fascinating tale of an otherworldly love. The cinematography is pure magic, capturing elaborate sets and managing to make a scene feel intimate and intense even while remaining in motion. The score for the film is light and keeps you delighted, inviting you deeper into the tale (as any good fairy tale should); while the soundtrack is a real ode to classic ballads and the magic they hold.

Sally Hawkins, who played Elisa Esposito, is a character who seems distant to others and yearns for a greater sense of companionship throughout; her kindly optimism and fierce determination make for a wonderful leading role to watch. Richard Jenkins, who played Giles, is quite a skittish and uncertain presence during the events of the film; I greatly enjoy the relationship between Jenkins and Hawkins, it reveals a soft side to this role which I liked a fair deal. Octavia Spencer, who played Zelda Fuller, was a confident and well-spoken confidant to Hawkins' role throughout; she had a stern streak and that signalled an underlying loyal quality to her character. Michael Stuhlbarg, who played Dr Robert Hoffstetler, is quite a cold character who feels detached from everything apart from his work on the creature; Stuhlbarg does a wonderful job of portraying the duality of his role and the secret identity he kept. Doug Jones, who played Amphibian Man, does a wonderful job at playing both the instinctual side of his role but also the more subtle moments where his role's sentience shines through; Jones' reveals multiple sides to this role constantly at times being a vicious beast, a delicate explorer or an intimate lover. Nick Searcy, who played General Hoyt, is a commanding and intimidating minor antagonist throughout the plot; Searcy has a great way of delivering his lines, there are several powerful scenes where he humiliates Stuhlbarg and Shannon's roles rather forcefully.

However, the best performance came from Michael Shannon, who played Richard Strickland. This is a very patriarchal character, he's commanding and violent; this is a character who practically exudes confidence. All in all? He's probably going to be the biggest onscreen jerk of 2018. Shannon plays an incredible bully and thug, lording his authority and power over those he deems lesser than himself. Yet he is always faced with challenges of impotency, moments in which he lacks the power he wishes he had. The seething temper and deep fear of failure make this antagonist one truly thrilling and unpredictable performance to watch.

This film has a concept that is quite unique and difficult to pull off; one of the things you can't really escape from as an audience member is that this is a woman romantically fascinated by a fishperson. Even as someone who understood what the concept was and what I would be seeing I found myself uncomfortable at moments within the narrative and you really have to expect what you're in for with this film. The feature also slows down quite a bit after moments of escalation, resulting in a pace that can drag at points throughout the feature. The editing for the film didn't complement the visual style, crafting scenes that felt slow paced to watch more than anything else.

David Hewlett, who played Fleming, tries a little too hard as the bumbling henchman figure to Shannon; Hewlett's stammering line delivery feels forced and he never really lends much range to his character.

The Post

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A film that is driven by the cast through and through; yet ultimately a rather dull film to watch. I would give The Post a 6.5/10.

This is the sort of film that is dialogue and character-rich; you are immediately grabbed by the really compelling amount of detail put behind these roles and their performances; not to mention the exquisite manner dialogue between roles is constructed. The degree of intrigue is carefully built up as the film progresses, you actively want to see how this ultimately plays out and the tone is maintained throughout the film. The cinematography is classic Spielberg; with elaborate and active moments in which set pieces, props or crowds are captured and a deliberate, subtle intimacy utilised for dialogue scenes.

Meryl Streep, who played Kay Graham, portrays a very conflicted, anxious woman who is uncertain of herself for a lot of the feature; Streep does a great job of sowing the seeds for her character's growth in confidence and leadership by the end of the third act. Bob Odenkirk, who played Ben Bagdikian, is quite a goofy, impulsive role who launches himself into one of the more active plotlines; Odenkirk lends an abrasive nature to this character too and you can see how the role flounders in the face of adversity he caused or can't prevent. Bradley Whitford, who played Arthur Parsons, is fantastic as the blunt, frank board member of The Washington Post; Whitford develops a relationship with Streep that isn't malicious but shows a great deal of conflict, which is fascinating to see unfold. Bruce Greenwood, who played Robert McNamara, is a guarded figure uncertain of how to retaliate in the eye of a great scandal; Greenwood's stern demeanour conceals a vulnerable and frantic character who isn't sure how to survive from the disaster that has befallen his reputation. Jesse Plemons, who played Roger Clark, is a role that comes across as very flustered and staggered when he's introduced in what is quite a whirlwind of a scene; yet later Plemons gives us a glimpse of the hard-edge confrontational manner his role does possess. Michael Stuhlbarg, who played Abe Rosenthal, is a quietly confident and self-assured role that has fine chemistry with Streep; Stuhlbarg firmly sets himself as a leader and a fierce competitor with the screen time he has in The Post.

However, the best performance came from Tom Hanks, who played Ben Bradlee. There is a point during this film in which Hanks' role is described as being akin to a pirate; that line captures the role almost perfectly. As Bradlee, Hanks had the most energy of any cast member, blasting his way through the set and through his lines. This was a commanding, intimidating presence; he treated the newsroom like a war room and the swirl of activity around him only solidified this to be the case. Hanks really grounded his role's morals firmly, even noting the ethics behind freedom of the press and the responsibilities the press has. I was impressed by the care and chemistry demonstrated by Hanks and Streep both; the film was only ever as good as the dialogues between these leading performers.

The problem with a film like this is that there isn't actually a great deal of content to talk about and a lot of what you're watching never really changes or develops much throughout. There are many scenes in which information is needlessly repeated three or four times to make things interesting but sadly this just makes you feel like there isn't actually enough behind the true story to warrant the making of a full-length feature film. The editing for the film comes at a crawl, making an already poorly-paced narrative more difficult to bear. The score for the film is incredibly forgettable, no scenes are ever really lifted up or enhanced in terms of tone by the musical accompaniment.

Sarah Paulson, who played Tony Bradlee, is shunted to the background pretty hard for all of the film; you never much care about Hanks' character's home life and that is because the narrative never gives Paulson much of a chance to make a statement. Tracy Letts, who played Fritz Beebe, is a quiet role that never has the controlling feel attributed to his role; I was equally disappointed by the expectation that we should recognise a close relationship between Streep and him yet there was no chemistry there. Matthew Rhys, who played Daniel Ellsberg, lacks the screen presence for the enormous role his character plays within the film; Rhys isn't very convincing and so it's often up to others to lead the scene when sharing the spotlight with this role. Alison Brie, who played Lally Graham, is given such little to do throughout the film that you fail to realise she's playing Streep's daughter till about the third act; Brie doesn't really seem to know the purpose behind the role - it's certainly difficult to grasp as a viewer. Carrie Coon, who played Meg Greenfield, plays a very exaggerated performance that is becoming increasingly commonplace for predominantly male ensemble casts; Coon's character is a sort of 'firecracker' in amongst a bullpen of stocky reporters, it's a comical way to make the odd one out 'fit in' and it's a pretty poor way to write a character.

All The Money In The World

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Ridley Scott presents a very powerful, metaphorical biopic; it's just a shame that it doesn't feel like there's much to talk about in the film. I would give All The Money In The World a 6.5/10.

This film is a tense crawl from start to finish, suspense builds as we're left to wonder if the young Getty hostage will escape or if he'll be killed by his captors. I really enjoyed the particular attention paid towards the themes around wealth, greed and power; the use of classic Roman and Greek imagery to depict our society's deification of wealth was a clever element of the plot and one of the aspects I enjoyed the most. The score for the film only heightens the tone, getting you right on the edge of your seat for many of those tense scenes.

Michelle Williams, who played Gail Harris, is a remarkable protagonist for the film; this is a role that demands a bold depiction of resolve, distress and determination in the heart of a crisis. Romain Duris, who played Cinquanta, is remarkably charismatic for a role that starts as a rather rough and rugged antagonist; the kindness and desperation Duris portrays shows a vulnerable side to a character you would otherwise have written off as a hardened criminal. Charlie Shotwell, who played John Paul Getty III (Age 7), is a remarkable young performer who I'd expect great things from after this film; Shotwell delivers lines in a way that lend his role an air of wisdom and cunning that wouldn't normally befit his character's age. Marco Leonardi, who played Mammoliti, is a very intimidating presence the moment he appears onscreen; Leonardi has a quiet way of generating threat into a scene which is what makes him such a great antagonist for this film.

However, the best performance came from Christopher Plummer, who played J. Paul Getty. This is immediately one of those roles that you love to hate; as Plummer spins a character who generates the facade of being a family man while playing the most despicable tycoon you could watch onscreen. Plummer has a very kindly way of interacting with those he sees as being on his side, confiding in them or trading in rich, metaphor-heavy dialogues. However, there's a dark glee to Getty that Plummer manages eerily well; the need to gain more wealth - seize it by any means necessary is quite the driving force behind this character. This is a malicious, spiteful old man who is closer to the things he owns than the people who are closest to him.

The problem with biopics is that you have to be sure there is enough to talk about in the narrative, otherwise the plot drags on a bit or grows boring. This is a problem that All The Money In The World had as many of the scenes felt similar or there were great lengths of time in which the narrative lost its sense of direction. The cinematography was dull to look at, the dark lighting and grey camera shots made this a very colourless and lifeless film aesthetically. The editing was a very slow cut and didn't show much craftsmanship at all, the pacing was poorly affected by this making the feature interesting but ultimately, dull.

Mark Wahlberg, who played Fletcher Chase, has proven himself to be a fine actor in dramas and comedies within recent years; however, Wahlberg barely bothers to act in this film and you really don't feel like he's put much effort into his performance here. Charlie Plummer, who played John Paul Getty III, is a role that is very camp to watch, especially in a film such as this; Plummer's sultry introduction at the start of this film is in conflict with his rather lacklustre performance when playing a hostage. Andrew Buchan, who played John Paul Getty II, is really only in this film to set the important characters up; Buchan groggily acts his way through his scenes, leaving no lasting impression and failing to show any chemistry with Williams or Plummer. Andrea Piedimonte Bodini, who played Corvo, really falls flat as the law enforcement character in this film; he's quite meek to watch and you never really feel like the police are particularly important to the narrative.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

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I can't believe this disappointment came from the same director behind Seven Psychopaths; such a disappointment. I would give Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri a 3/10.

This film tries it's best to be a 'funny' film and one of the only ways it manages to be amusing at all is through its portrayal of irony; the number of reveals you can't help but chuckle at often are laced with a sense of irony which show a surprising degree of foresight.

Samara Weaving, who played Penelope, is a very nice comedic touch from this film; Weaving knows how to deliver and she brings brevity to a film that certainly does not deserve it. Clarke Peters, who played Abercrombie, is a real solid leader figure who brings a stern sense of justice to the film; Peters knows how to portray conflict and brings one of the few realistic characters into the film.

However, the best performance came from Woody Harrelson, who played Willoughby. Harrelson is a charismatic figure throughout the film and you very much appreciate and like him as an audience member. The great aspect of this role is that he feels like a reasonable man, holding all ends of his police force together by a thread and growing ever disgruntled by the events that unfold. Harrelson makes you laugh because his humour is so simple and easy-going in contrast to other roles within this film. His role departs as the heart of the film and the narrative never quite recovers without him.

This film is a real slap in the face considering recent history surrounding police brutality and racism in the United States. There is a very heavy sense that the writer is tone deaf about the issue, or if nothing else has a strong ignorance of the subject. The narrative revolves around the mother of a murder victim waging war against her local police department; a department that is openly intolerant or abusive towards African-Americans and homosexuals. It is only once the police within this film has been humiliated, tortured, burnt alive or flat out killed that we're told they find redemption for not serving responsibly at first. It's a tough pill to swallow and comes off as a big apologist statement for blue-collar Americans; a strange approach to the story and a very narrow degree of insight. As to the 'comedy' used throughout, we're often meant to laugh at a bunch of dislikeable characters cussing one another out, or using a collection of slurs on minorities; there is little to laugh at and it feels like a teenage high school student could write a similar plot. The cinematography for the film is a stark reminder that there isn't much of a story to be told here, often you get very dried out imagery of a rather mundane and boring setting. The editing used throughout has an exceptionally poor sense of pacing as well, the film is slow and you feel every minute of it. The score for the film truly falls into the background, with the soundtrack being suitable for the setting but not leaving a mark on the film.

Frances McDormand, who played Mildred, is a very forgettable and dislikeable protagonist to watch; there wasn't a moment within this entire film where I felt an iota of sympathy or connection with this vile role. Caleb Landry Jones, who played Red Welby, is a very tokenistic role within the film; there's a particular scene leading into the third act where his role acts very out of character in a manner that just feels plain forced. Sam Rockwell, who played Dixon, is given the biggest scumbag of a role and made to take him through a redemption arc; not only does this fail to succeed in any way shape or form but it's greatly lowered my opinion of Rockwell's acting ability. Darrell Britt-Gibson, who played Jerome, gets given a lot more screen time than his role really deserves; Britt-Gibson is quite mellow and doesn't lend much range to his performance. Abbie Cornish, who played Anne, is about as deadpan as ever in this film which is a big step down from her performance in Geostorm; Cornish feels like a weird choice for Harrelson's love interest and the pair have no chemistry whatsoever. Lucas Hedges, who played Robbie, is just plain awkward to watch; Hedges doesn't seem to know how to act alongside McDormand so you just wind up with this mother/son pair who don't mesh at all. Zeljko Ivanek, who played Desk Sergeant, falls into the background incredibly well this time around; Ivanek seems content to throw the occasional one-liner in these films and does little else to seem like a character at all. Amanda Warren, who played Denise, is a 'friend' character to McDormand yet the pair never interact in a way that indicates this very well; Warren isn't here to deliver a role but more accurately feels like a part of the set. Sandy Martin, who played Momma Dixon, is pretty twisted for the type of role she fulfils; Martin has a habit of swinging between two contrasting roles: sadistic mastermind and doting, oblivious mother. Peter Dinklage, who played James, feels like an awkward role tacked onto this film as an afterthought or a late night writer's room idea; Dinklage crashes and burns hard as a character caught in a romantic subplot with McDormand. Kathryn Newton, who played Angela, is actually a really mean, hard to like role in her scene; you don't really feel a great deal of empathy for her and the heavy sexual assault foreshadowing is a bit on the nose. John Hawkes, who played Charlie, is a source of conflict that just dialogues with McDormand in a very deadpan manner; so basically you get a lot of flat toneless scenes with people stating that they intend to hit one another and frowning. Brendan Sexton III, who played Crop-Haired Guy, is not a very engaging antagonist; the film tries to generalise him and state that anyway could be a criminal like him but all this does is make the entire premise of the film lose its intrigue.

Pitch Perfect 3

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This is such a fun, satisfying end to the trilogy and a brilliant way to kick off 2018. I would give Pitch Perfect 3 an 8/10.

This was a really satisfying film to watch; it showed an insight into each of these characters and managed to provide a spotlight so that all of them had a satisfying moment during the story. The Pitch Perfect films have always managed to provide comedic tone in spades and this film is a hard commitment to that; a heavy focus on Fat Amy's backstory providing an edge to the film that I didn't expect to enjoy so much. Ultimately this is a film about friendship, the bonds you forge and the paths you move on to; it's joyful, powerful, funny and emotional. The soundtrack for the film is great as always, I enjoyed the use of 'Toxic' in particular but also quite liked the Riff-off scene.

Anna Kendrick, who played Beca, remains a strong leading protagonist for this film; Kendrick's charismatic and relatable role really takes front and centre in this film and she manages that well. Ester Dean, who played Cynthia Rose, is a nice strong character and is really acknowledged as one of the vocal powerhouses of the group; Dean takes charge in a lot of the scenes with conflict and that makes her role stand out a fair deal. Kelley Jakle and Shelley Regner, who played Jessica and Ashley respectively, are fun background roles which the film knows how to have a laugh about; however, these two get their own moments to shine throughout the film which results in some of the funnier scenes. Chrissie Fit, who played Flo, is a role that has some of my favourite lines and delivery; Fit is very entertaining by subverting expectations of her role and calling out some very witty satire. Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins, who played Gail and John respectively, have always been the funniest characters in these films with some nice one-liners that go against the tone of the film; while the film didn't always call for these two it wouldn't have been a Pitch Perfect film without their comedic presence. John Lithgow, who played Fergus, is hilarious and a real match to Rebel Wilson in this film; Lithgow's desperate Dad leads to some emotional scenes but it's his shift Australian gangster that really escalates the film. Alexis Knapp, who played Stacie, isn't in this film as much as some of the other Bellas but has an incredibly touching subplot; Knapp takes her role into more of a caring first-time mother route this film which results in the more emotional scenes of the film. DJ Khaled, who played himself, is an inspired cameo for this film; there's an entire scene where he and Kendrick play off one another and it's simply iconic in its execution. Ruby Rose, who played Calamity, is a fantastic minor antagonist; her singing is incredible and she has an unbelievable intimidating presence.

However, the best performance came from Rebel Wilson, who played Fat Amy. The Pitch Perfect films have had some strong stories behind them but they have always been supported by a very strong comedic backbone; not least of which stems from Wilson in her role. Wilson is having a ton of fun throughout this film playing up her backstory in quite a melodramatic manner. She is also throwing out many of the best one-liners as the feature moves along, heightening scenes with her sense of humour. Ultimately the sequence in which Wilson strides through a James Bond-esque yacht, beating up baddies had me in stitches and solidified this as one of the best depictions of Fat Amy so far.

This film has a great plot but it isn't structured very well; sometimes it's hard to tell what is intended to be the main narrative and what the film considers to be more of a sub-plot. The cinematography used throughout was never too special, often capturing what was needed but never going to any lengths to make a visual impact. The editing of the film comes at a pretty gradual standard pace, causing the film to slow down in places.

Brittany Snow, who played Chloe, doesn't really feel like she's playing the role we've seen in the past few Pitch Perfect films this time around; Snow is shunted into a sub-plot she doesn't feel ultimately committed to. Anna Camp, who played Aubrey, feels awkwardly placed in this film; Camp took a backseat in the second film and she feels out of place now that she's back with the group. Hailee Steinfeld, who played Emily, is a very awkward performance to watch; Steinfeld feels pushed down into a smaller role than the last film really set her up for and she doesn't seem happy about it. Hana Mae Lee, who played Lilly, was nice as an original weird gag but has gone a bit beyond that now; Lee feels hard to watch and what was once amusing about her performance wears thin. Matt Lanter, who played Chicago, is quite a generic charismatic macho soldier figure; Lanter is in a romance subplot that feels hastily made for this film and he does nothing to make it interesting. Guy Burnet, who played Theo, is only in this film to give the plot a particular direction; any time Burnet tries to convey his role as a character he becomes more of an annoying figure than an interesting one.