Reminiscence

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Reminiscence is a sci-fi thriller set in a future that has been ravaged by climate change and war, oceans have risen and cities sprawl just afloat of the waterline. Nick Bannister is the owner of a machine known as the Reminiscence, a device that allows individuals a perfect glimpse back into their past. After falling in love with a former client, Nick falls into an obsessive state after the woman he loves mysteriously disappears. I didn't know how to judge this film at first, at first it felt like a sci-fi film was smashed together with a noir film, but once you get past this teething in the first act you are in for something that is utterly gripping. The world of Reminiscence is one brimming with class struggle, addiction and desperation; so it isn't surprising that people run to the past for reassurance here. When Nick loses Mae the film tilts and becomes a whole new animal. Suddenly our protagonist is addicted to the past, the love he had and the search he has started. The mystery in this film is really gripping because you watch how much it pulls the protagonist apart the closer he comes to the truth. The path he finds himself going down is so much more perilous ever time until he pushes past a point that he can never truly return from. The emotional confession that is the climax of the film between Nick and the memory of Mae is something that really pulls at the heartstrings, laying everything out. I think the final act of this feature worked incredibly hard to prove how clever the storyline is and how well done the emotional underpinnings of the narrative are. The cinematography captures stunning special effects vistas while also captivating you with a number of engaging shots in scenes that hold one setting for a long time. The special effects throughout this film are extremely subtle and well-detailed, I loved how they constructed a flooded world and seeing how they sculpted the Reminiscence machine projections. The score for the film is really enchanting, it pulls you deep into Nick's mania and then shatters your heart in those final few tracks.

 

Hugh Jackman, who played Nick Bannister, makes for a great protagonist to watch and takes us on a really gripping character journey; Jackman's depiction of obsession and emotional breakdown in the final act is exquisite to watch. Rebecca Ferguson, who played Mae, is quite an intriguing performance that really dedicates to the long game; Ferguson's big final proclamation of love to Jackman at the end of the feature is one of the best scenes in the film. Marina de Tavira, who played Tamara Sylvan, is quite a brilliant performance in such a few scenes; de Tavira's ability to portray a character who weaves between being trapped in the past and entirely lucid is wonderful. Daniel Wu, who played Saint Joe, is fantastic as one of the minor antagonists of the film; Wu really doubles down on the unique New Orleans crime boss figure and it only enhances the sci-fi world.

However, the best performance came from Thandiwe Newton, who played Emily 'Watts' Sanders. This is a role who really steals the show from her introduction at the top of the feature. Newton portrays a woman with a hard edge, someone who clearly lives with a guard up. Having survived multiple military tours, a workplace accident, estranging her daughter and battling with alcohol it is more than clear to see why Watts has such a tough exterior. The only individual that this seems a little lighter around is Jackman's Nick; the pair have a loyal friendship that brings out a lot of open honesty in the shared dialogue. I loved seeing Newton steadily unpack the trauma she experienced and had lived with, as well as lending voice to the insecurities her character felt. It was a very powerful performance from an actress who always knows how to shine in any project she's in.

I didn't think I would like Reminiscence as much as I did when I started watching it. The pacing was very slow and it was taking an extremely long time to establish world building while also setting up all the important information for the developing plot. I think there was a real sincerity to film noir that made Mae seem like quite a stoic femme fatale, which presented some initial roadblocks to connecting with her and Nick's love story. I also think how climate change changed the world and the references to the 'border wars' was very poorly explored in the opening act, this was functional worldbuilding but not an example of well-executed world-building.

Cliff Curtis, who played Cyrus Boothe, is disappointing as the major antagonist of the feature; Curtis barely manages to stick to an accent, let alone maintain the presence required to be an intimidating villain. Mojean Aria, who played Sebastian Sylvan, gets a bit more screen time than is ever really called for; Aria's strange final confrontation with Jackman is a low point for the final act and not well executed. Natalie Martinez, who played Avery Castillo, just isn't tough enough to be convincing in her law enforcement role; Martinez's character feels like she is meant to be equipped with authority yet she consistently seems content falling into the background.

This hits like a modern day Blade Runner for a lot of the viewing, a beautiful blending of science-fiction and film noir. I would give Reminiscence an 8.5/10.

 

The Ice Road

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

The Ice Road follows Mike and Gurty McCann, down on their luck brothers with a history of long haul trucking who join a risky mission to deliver essential rescue supplies for a group of trapped miners. However, this mission is immediately set upon by the severe dangers of the infamous ice road and industrial sabotage. The real initial strength of this film is how tense the tone becomes the moment the trucks swing out onto the ice road, you really understand the scale and severity of attempting to navigate this perilous terrain. The tone is only enhanced by the very sudden and unpredictable character deaths that occur throughout the film; alongside an antagonist who isn't allowed to kill our protagonists through traditional means so as not to implicate his employers. While I wasn't a massive fan of the cinematography I do want to pay special mention to those first scenes out on the ice road; the stark and unforgiving landscape was captured so well that I thought we has shifted to more of a horror survival film. The score for the feature was pretty good, the harrowing theme for the ice road did so much work and the high-paced action tracks in the final act sounded thrilling.

 

Liam Neeson, who played Mike McCann, works well as the rugged and downtrodden protagonist of the film; Neeson's performance showing grief for the fate of his onscreen brother is one of his best performances in the film. Amber Midthunder, who played Tantoo, is a nice rebellious freedom fighter and activist; Midthunder's explosive persona is a real fighter who charges into any obstacle in her path. Benjamin Walker, who played Tom Varnay, rises above some of the fallacies in the script to present a pretty intriguing antagonist; shedding a cowardly facade Walker instead becomes quite the cunning and proficient saboteur.

 

However, the best performance came from Laurence Fishburne, who played Jim Goldenrod. This character wasn't in the film for a great deal of time by any means but he carried the first act of the film and really kept you engaged. Fishburne is a very soft spoken and calm figure, yet there is no question of his role's authority. There is a quiet firmness in how Fishburne delivers his lines that convinces you of his character's experience and knowledge. I really imagined how high the stakes of the film were not because of the plot or mine setting, but because of how urgently Jim Goldenrod reacts to developing events. The scene in which Fishburne exits the film is surprising and deeply alarming, one of the best moments in the feature by far.

 

Liam Neeson has done so many small budget action features in recent years, some of which have been sleeper hits and some of which have really flamed out. This is an unfortunate example of the latter in what has been a weak 2021 for Neeson's filmography. The Ice Road presents a concept that is deeply thrilling paired with a plot that is so dull it saps the life out of the more intense elements. The story begins with a group of miners becoming trapped in what becomes quite a shallow fight for survival. This storyline has a lot of stereotypical features: fears about oxygen, morse code and an internal struggle about whether some survivors should die so that others may live. Any time the film cuts to these characters is when the action seriously lapses. The main story is quite a steady journey with a very dull introductory first act, a second act that has some mild if not predictable plot twists and a final act that devolves into a hodge podge of repetitive action sequences. The film does not know how to engage you from the start, none of the characters are very interesting and the film doesn't pull out the stops early to really make this situation life or death. The final act of the feature just feels like they gave up somewhat, the main antagonist keeps repetitively popping up and engaging the characters in a new action sequence conflict that grows pretty tired quickly. I also thought the twist that the mining corporation was secretly trying to sabotage the rescue mission was quite the stretch; in fact the elngths they were willing to go really got away from the scope of the plot. I also thought this was a film that had main native American and disabled characters but really had no idea how to strongly represent them. In particular, I thought the callous indifference and abusive tendencies Mike presented towards his disabled brother Gurty was poor writing. The cinematography for the film had a lot of washed out or poorly framed shots, for an action thriller there were only a few key scenes that looked good. The editing set quite the slow pace, and the final act boasted some poor visual effects. 

Marcus Thomas, who played Gurty McCann, brings out a performance that shows little understanding or ability to present a disability; more than this I really didn't see much chemistry between Thomas and Neeson for a lot of the film. Holt McCallany, Martin Sensmeier and Chad Bruce, who played Lampard, Cody Mantooth and Shift Super Mankins respectively, gave quite a generic portrayal of trapped survivors in a disaster scenario; I was never really engaged by the high stakes struggle or conflict these characters went through. Matt McCoy and Bradley Sawatzky, who played GM George Sickle and VP Operations Jack Tager respectively, were quite underwhelming as behind the scenes antagonists; McCoy in particular tends to wards the melodramatic with his ultimatum proclamations throughout the final act.

A relatively empty plot and bland visual style points to another small scale action film bust for Liam Neeson. I would give The Ice Road a 4.5/10.

Free Guy

This review may contain spoilers!

 

 Free Guy follows Guy, a background character in a video game world who slowly discovers his life is a lie and his world on the cusp of deletion. Going into this film I really expected quite a generic action-comedy, but there is so much here for a wide audience. In terms of setting you have this really thrilling virtual world, which is very colourful and brimming with chaotic characters and events. The film is grounded in this otherworldly setting that is made to feel very ordinary through the lens of Guy; it makes this wild place easy for an audience to connect with while remaining a celebration of modern pop culture. The story itself sees Guy, an ordinary background NPC (non-playable character) break from his programmed routine when he meets Millie and begins to fall in love. Millie is a player from the real world who is fighting for justice, and eventually the rights of the artificially intelligent programs in the game. Watching Guy and Millie interact is really fun and actually quite sweet, the pair have amazing chemistry and quite a charming romantic story. Overall the film is about love, friendship and life; Guy inevitably embodies the positive elements of all these things as he fights to keep his world intact. Free Guy is a brilliant story that navigates the complexity of a video game world setting well while ironically portraying a very human story about love and friendship. More than this, Free Guy is hilarious and uses its unique concept to tell some quite fresh comedic material. The cinematography really drives home the sheer scale of this feature, there is a massive emphasis on capturing the stunning action and visual effects, The special effects are a consistent feat to behold; in a world with constant explosions, sci-fi vehicles and video game weaponry it is impressive to see such detailed end products. The score for the film drives home the epic heroes journey, but I found myself quite impressed with the soundtracks use of comedic elements and character/relationship themes.

 

Jodie Comer, who played Millie, is a wonderful leading performer with a nice duality in her character; Comer plays a determined woman with an intense desire for justice but it also has some really heartwarming scenes shared with Reynolds and Keery. Channing Tatum and Matty Cardarople, who played Avatar and Gamer respectively, this pair together make for one of the funniest cameos in the film; watching someone as action hero-like as Tatum dish out the dialogue of a toxic online gamer makes for one of the funniest scenes. Utkarsh Ambudkar, who played Mouser, is a very wild personality with a big ego and a definite sense of administrative power; I enjoyed how Ambudkar portrayed someone who felt very powerful at the start of the film but who frayed from that as the feature moved along. Joe Keery, who played Keys, is a really charismatic role who steadily becomes a reluctant heroic ally throughout the feature; I greatly enjoyed Keery's quieter approach to romance and the chemistry between himself and Comer. Lil Rel Howery, who played Buddy, is such an immediate source of joy and optimism throughout the film; a lot of this movie centres on how strongly the chemistry is between Howery and Reynolds for their onscreen friendship.

However, the best performance came from Ryan Reynolds, who played Guy. I think this film would've struggled to find a better performer for its protagonist. Reynolds leans into the sweet if not naive nature of Guy when first we meet him, expressing him as entirely oblivious to the nature of his video game world. Yet the wonder and immediate head over heels infatuation he develops for Comer's Millie is quite charming and leads to a fun sequence of personal growth. I like the nice contrast Reynolds brings of a character who becomes more capable in terms of their fighting/action prowess while retaining this relatively innocent and moral outlook on life. As the film goes on the character of Guy is forced to come to grips with the nature of his reality which is a very confronting scene to watch and, in my opinion, one of the best. Yet from this point Reynolds strips away some of Guy's inherent goofiness and begins to step up as a bold leader for his video game character community. Guy is such a great role and I don't think it's much of a stretch to say that this is probably Reynolds' best role since Deadpool.

Where I think a lot of media that portrays video games or the video game/streaming world struggles is accurately depicting this environment versus interweaving a strong narrative throughout. This film is probably one of the best to have achieved this feat yet but it does sacrifice plausibility here and there for the sake of the plot. It's a very calculated risk that inevitably works for the film but it does mar a few scenes. I also felt the film really needed to do a lot more work making clear links between the Guy/Millie romance and the Keys/Millie romance that the film builds towards. This would have only heightened the impact of that final scene.

Taika Waititi, who played Antoine, is a serious miscast as the major antagonist for the film; Waititi's loose comedic approach really doesn't gel well with arrogant Silicon Valley type he is playing.

Free Guy is a pure expression of love and friendship rolled into the package of a brilliant action-comedy blockbuster, making it one of the feel good events of the year. I would give Free Guy an 8.5/10.

 

The Suicide Squad

 

 

This review may contain spoilers!

 

The Suicide Squad is a soft sequel to 2016's Suicide Squad and follows a large ragtag group of miscreants and villains forced to serve the American government for a reduced prison sentence. In this feature the team is deployed to the South American nation of Corto Maltese to destroy the nefarious Project: Starfish. The manner in which this film opened had me surprised and hooked almost immediately. From the beginning we are propelled right into the action, as a team of seemingly capable villains is air dropped behind enemy lines, flashbacks showing us how they are recruited and pulled into the mission. Yet almost immediately the mission goes wrong, bodies start dropping and Amanda Waller's team falls apart so quickly and gruesomely you feel like you are watching a Tarantino dark comedy set in the superhero genre. From this opening the story only really continues to improve and build upon itself; threading a variety of wild or unique personalities who are so absolutely unheroic together that it becomes interesting to see how they could possibly function together. In fact watching these characters develop bond and depend on one another is a great strength that ties into why the final fight sequence works so well. There is also a really consistent theme around morality in the film that I think is delivered brilliantly; in fact you see the murky perceptions of doing 'what is right' delivered exceptionally well through the differing viewpoints of Rick Flag, Ratcatcher II, Bloodsport and Peacemaker in particular. Watching a superhero film where the action is brutal yet supernatural and gargantuan at times feels like a nice blend and you can't help but want more of this dark oddity. The humour is admittedly quite dark and tongue in cheek but it works well for these antagonistic heroes who hardly desire to be in the situations they find themselves in. The cinematography is some of the nicest I've ever seen from James Gunn, with these perfectly framed shots that I think will live timelessly in my head. The special effects were very impressive from the loveable rats to King Shark's brilliant design or even the monstrous Starro. The score for the film had a nice low, heavy tone for  the action scenes but built into these wild intensive pieces for numerous key moments; it was a very worthy and key aspect of setting the tone throughout.

 

Michael Rooker, Nathan Fillion, Jai Courtney and Flula Borg, who played Savant, T.D.K., Captain Boomerang and Javelin respectively, are a major reason why the opening of the film is so solid and captivating to watch; in particular Rooker's role as horrified onlooker stood out and the emotional Bond between Courtney and Robbie onscreen really paved the way for an emotional beginning to the feature. Viola Davis, who played Amanda Waller, really came out swinging in this one; Davis has this deadly and ruthless aura onscreen and the scene in which she threatens to kill the leads is one of the moments that will stay with me. Joel Kinnaman, who played Colonel Rick Flag, comes across as a noble and empathetic leader this time around; the good nature of Flag is what Kinnaman champions in a great moment of conflict with Cena's character. Margot Robbie, who played Harley Quinn, has probably struck her best outing yet as the character; I liked seeing Robbie portraying her role's ownership of her self-worth while also being a completely unpredictable threat to her enemies. Idris Elba, who played Bloodsport, is brilliant as our leading character; Elba plays this very jaded mercenary who finds himself on the path to reluctant hero over the course of the film. John Cena, who played Peacemaker, is a very complex character with a warped approach to peace at all costs; this is easily the best performance of Cena's career. David Dastmalchian, who played Polka-Dot Man, is quite a withdrawn role who feels weighed down by the disturbing origins of his abilities; Dastmalchian manages to create both a role who seems disturbed while also very compassionate for others he allies himself with. Sylvester Stallone, who voiced King Shark, really steals the show in a number of scenes and is going to be a fan favourite coming out of this; Stallone's take on King Shark is a loveable if not very dangerous idiot. Peter Capaldi, who played the Thinker, is quite straight edged as the cynical hostage of the Squad; Capaldi's impassioned speech about illegal US involvement is a stand out scene for him. Taika Waititi, who played Ratcatcher, is a brilliant cameo that gifts us one of the better character motivations of the film; seeing Waititi play this man who should be full of hate or sadness filled instead with nothing but ecstasy and joy is a truly great moment.

However, the best performance came from Daniela Melchior, who played Ratcatcher II. When first we meet Ratcatcher II she seems aloof and apathetic, more lethargic than equipped for a life or death mission. But the charm in Melcior's performance is that her character becomes the heart of this anti-hero squad. Ratcatcher is the one who teaches King Shark how to be friends and not hurt those he's meant to protect. She gently aids Bloodsport through his fear of rats and distrust of others over the course of the film. In a lot of ways Melchior plays this earnest guardian, a character who builds trust in others and has this deep-rooted faith that ultimately good things deserve to happen. Seeing Melchior play to the death of a major character and take up his fight for justice was this really impactful moment that made the feature for me.

The Suicide Squad is a very strong depiction of just how great r-rated comic book films can be, but it's those moments in which the film tries to paint a more grounded world that things wear down. There's a major subplot throughout this film that the fictional nation of Corto Maltese is ruled by a number of militant dictators, some of who are puppeteered by the US government. While the film makes some strong points around American involvement in South America, the storyline and characters actually involved in this storyline are stereotypical and not very engaging. The resistance from this country who are attempting to rebel against their tyrants feel very tacked on to the major story. There are also a few comedic beats in the story that really intrude on the sincerity of the plot, Waller's team knocking her out cold being a prime example. James Gunn is known for his phenomenal film soundtrack compilations but this film didn't wield a very strong track list, with a few minor exceptions here and there.

Mayling Ng and Pete Davidson, who played Mongal and Blackguard respectively, are the weak links in the opening of the film; neither role is ver funny or impactful so is just appearing for a cool CGI death scene. Steve Agee, Tinashe Kajese and Jennifer Holland, who played John Economos, Flo Crawley and Emilia Harcourt respectively, are a comedic backdrop to Davis' Waller that is decidedly unneeded; the fact this group of people struggle to be funny in the scope of their roles only proves that further. Storm Reid, who played Tyla, is a very generic role that I would've expected more in the background of the last Suicide Squad; her troubled relationship with her onscreen father Elba is nothing that hasn't been played out before. Alice Braga, who played Sol Soria, is quite a stoic forgettable character pushed behind the events of the Squad; Braga as this generic freedom fighter is quite a good example of wasted potential. Juan Diego Botto and Joaquin Cosio, who played Presidente General Silvio Luna and Mayor General Matteo Suarez respectively, are dull as minor antagonists for the feature; this pair are despots but little more than that and Botto's romance subplot with Robbie is a strange one to say the least.

Not only has this revitalized the experience of watching a DC film but it has really set a high bar for the superhero genre as a whole. I would give The Suicide Squad an 8.5/10.

Jungle Cruise

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Jungle Cruise follows Dr. Lily Houghton in her search for a fabled Amazonian tree that holds great potential for the future of medicine. Accompanied by her brother, MacGregor, and shady skipper, Frank, this journey down the Amazon is fraught with mystery and peril galore. When I started watching this film my mind was immediately cast back to classic adventure films like The Mummy (1999); these high stakes action beats blended with an intriguing setting and a cast that perfectly gels together. Seeing Lily face extreme adversity in her profession while also overcoming staggering physical obstacles makes for an impressive lead. Pair her against a con artist like Frank, who is very experienced and capable but absolutely difficult to trust and you have a brilliant leading duo. Seeing these two learn to steadily work together and depend upon one another is really the heart of the film and the strength of the feature. But Jungle Cruise delivers in so many other ways; the strong comedic presence felt throughout, the unique setting of the Amazon tourist town or just the variety of dangers our heroes face along the way. The cinematography is great and makes full use of the large set pieces, setting is key ina feature like this and how it is captured here is brilliant. The score for the feature really propels the action, it is light and charming but slips into a more frantic pace for those moments of peril.

 

Dwayne Johnson, who played Frank Wolff, makes for a fun leading character; Johnson gets to play up as more of a con artist scoundrel here which I found pretty entertaining. Emily Blunt, who played Lily Houghton, is absolutely fantastic as the strong leading protagonist of the feature; Blunt has this intensity and determination in her delivery that makes her role one that you know will not quit. Jesse Plemons, who played Prince Joachim, seems to be having the time of his life as the best villain in the feature; Plemons brings both a wicked sense of glee and a cunning to this character that makes his role one to reckon with. Paul Giamatti, who played Nilo, is genuinely brilliant fun to watch as the tourist trade mogul trying to edge Johnson's character out; Giamatti plays up the cowardice and arrogance of his role for maximum comedic effect.

However, the best performance came from Jack Whitehall, who played MacGregor Houghton. This role was the height of comedic potential for the film and entirely outshone his classmates in multiple scenes. Watching Whitehall's role in this film made me think of John Hannah's brilliant work as Jonathan in The Mummy; both roles are extremely grounded in high society and adverse to the perilous environs they find themselves within. Seeing MacGregor turn his nose up at the state of their living or haggle with Johnson's Frank about the future of his copious luggage makes for a side-splitting role. Whitehall forges a great bond with Blunt onscreen and I loved his heartfelt delivery about where his character's loyalty comes from. Whitehall wasn't why I watched Jungle Cruise but he's certainly the reason I'd watch it again.

There were two action blockbusters I thought of when I watched this film; the brilliance of The Mummy and bad qualities of the later Pirates Of The Caribbean films. Something I always found with the Pirates Of The Caribbean is that the supernatural elements got extremely convoluted in the later sequels and Jungle Cruise falls into the same trap. Inevitably this film throws us a supernatural twist and it takes a long time to solidly explain things and incorporate it into the status quo of the film. The film also struggles between deciding who it wants to be the main antagonist; a vaguely Nazi-like individual or a supernatural threat. Not enough screen time is really dedicated to either to affirm one clear central villain and the ending suffers for this somewhat. The special effects that are used to construct said antagonists does not look great either; there are a number of nice special effects in the film but these are so glaringly bad that it is worth mentioning. 

Edgar Ramirez, who played Aguirre, is wasted as the special effects-based antagonist of the feature; the constraints of limited screen time and the visual effects medium make this a character who is hard to engage with. Veronica Falcón, who played Trader Sam, is a side character who gets lost pretty easily amongst the main ensemble; Falcón's character is a member of the business savvy native people and it feels like a strange gimmick that needed more work at the script level.

An absolutely wonderful adventure blockbuster that is only ever really let down by its supernatural elements. I would give Jungle Cruise a 7.5/10.