Anyone But You

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Anyone But You is a romantic comedy following Bea and Ben; who both have an incredibly romantic hookup early in the film and after handling it poorly turn to hating one another. Unfortunately due to connections of family and friends they are forced together at a destination wedding in Sydney. Wanting peace from the young bachelor being forced on her and proposing to Ben that he could make his crush jealous, Bea instigates a fake relationship to help the antagonistic pair.

 

This film does a great job with the central story of Bea and Ben, a couple of young hapless individuals who work for one another but haven't come together well. Their first meeting together is classically cute and seeing them steadily develop feelings for one another is extremely endearing. But as they fumble and lose that connection you become a bit forlorn that it doesn't turn to more too; you hurt like the characters which is a nice starting place to be. The whole hating one another, biting banter and ensuing fake relationship is all fuel to a fire we want to see burn; because deep down we're the audience that watched the opening sequence and we know the chemistry and potential is there. The moments of watching these two genuinely fall in love with one another are lovely, instances like the helicoptor scene or Ben teaching Bea's Dad to dive.

 

This movie really takes full advantage of the stunning Sydney set pieces and locations it is privvy to and captures them beautifully. I also found the score had this hazy quality to it that made the whole 'will they/won't they' quality even better. The soundtrack was insane and a perfect collection of pieces for this modern romcom; though 'Unwritten' by Natasha Bedingfield was particularly iconic.

 

Sydney Sweeney, who played Bea, might not have found her best role here but she pairs incredibly nicely with Powell; Sweeney does the moments where her character stands up for herself and plays off against others really adeptly. GaTa, who played Pete, is quite an odd best friend role but he winds up being delightfully charming; the way GaTa delivers some of those lines results in some surprisingly hilarious scenes. Joe Davidson, who played Beau, is absolutely hysterical as the most over the top Australian Adonis I have ever seen; his delivery on quickfire Australian slang is side-splitting stuff and he may have been the funniest role in the feature for me.Bryan Brown, who played Roger, is another comedic performance that works surprisingly well; when Brown and GaTa are paired together you get a very surprising comedy duo that works terrifically.

 

However, the best performance came from Glen Powell, who played Ben. This man was entirely perfect for the lead of this hot and steamy rom-com, he was ceaselessly charismatic while not above playing up a bit of embarrassment in a few scenes. I was really impressed with the chemistry kindled between him and Sweeney; they clicked almost immediately and could play attraction to conflict with one another very well. Powell was quite good at playing to the comedy of a scene in a genuine way, he fully embraced the joke and made those moments his own. I also really loved those quieter moments in which we see how much Powell's role genuinely feels something for Bea and stumbles around being truthful with those emotions. Also Glen Powell singing 'Unwritten' stark naked with Joe Davidson is everything I needed from my last reviewed film of 2023.

 

This film was filled with a lot of explaining about family history, relationships and dynamics that bogged down and laboured the storytelling at times. This was also a feature that really did set-up in quite an obvious sort of way, everything was spelled out for you and quite obvious. Even the subtext of the whole thing being a loose adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing was spelt out for us in big bold lights at the end. The film really could have served to be a little bit more subtle and show some faith in the audience. There also wasn't much importance placed on the characters of Margaret and Jonathan despite their roles being such a motivating factor of the whole 'fake dating' scenario. I also found a lot of the dialogue to be a bit over the top and cheesy, which really served some scenes and made others a bit too goofy.

 

The editing never really felt quite on pace, some scenes were cut together strangely while others moved outright too slow. 

Alexandra Shipp and Hadley Robinson, who played Claudia and Halle respectively, are the happy couple in the background of the film and they feel a bit boring together; I would have been a lot more invested in this pair if they had actually shown any chemistry with one another. Dermot Mulroney and Rachel Griffiths, who played Leo and Innie respectively, are more than a little generic as the overbearing parents; Mulroney attempting to be the old romantic doesn't really come off in his scenes depicting this. Charlee Fraser, who played Margaret, is a role that allegedly has history with Powell's but it rarely feels that way; the lack of spark between these two undermines their subplot with one another constantly. Michelle Hurd, who played Carol, is the one parent figure the film really doesn't know what to do with; Hurd tends to fall into the background and gets underused a lot of the time. Darren Barnet, who played Jonathan, seems a bit lost in this one; he really struggles to connect with Sweeney on any level to make their backstory compelling.

A romcom that keeps it simple and is lead by a couple of leads with tremendous chemistry. I would give Anyone But You a 6.5/10.

Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a sequel to Aquaman (2018) and follows Arthur Curry in his newfound responsibilities of father to a newborn and freshly crowned King of Atlantis. While navigating these challenges there are darker forces at work in the background; chiefly Black Manta discovering the power behind the long lost Seventh Kingdom. To defeat the more deadly Manta, Arthur is going to be forced to turn to a very unlikely ally: his imprisoned brother, Orm.

 

This movie treads a path that has been tried before, and thankfully James Wan knows the way. All the positive elements about what worked in the first Aquaman adventure are present here; this is a fun ride that doesn't ever really want to slow down or stop partying. Arthur Curry is still such a wild protagonist to follow; he doesn't lean into responsibility and decorum well but his moral compass tends to point roughly true North. I think the struggle Arthur has of doing what is expected of him versus what he knows to be the right thing is a nice struggle to see play out. This leads to one of the best decisions of the film; making Orm a protagonist for this sequel. In the same way Arthur and Mera were fascinating as they learned to navigate one another's world, I found Arthur and Orm really intriguing. They came from such wildly different places but ultimately aligned very well in spite of their differences. Watching them go from enemies to bickering siblings to proper family was a great arc. There may have been some very unwieldy detritus in the plot this time around but the core story felt grounded in a hurtling adventure guided by some positive themes and decent thrills.

This movie looks as visually stunning as the first one, it's impressive to make something that relies so heavily on visual effects to look so fluid and in motion. The special effects are very effectively used here and show the creativity in Wan's vision for the world of Aquaman. Whether that be characters moving in high speed pursuit underwater, delightful undersea creature characters or even the scale of Mera's water manipulation powers these visuals feel like they jump directly out of a comic book. Also Wan's horror background coming to play with some of the more eldritch underwater creatures that attack our heroes or even the underwater zombies are unique and feel much nicer to look at than the usual effects bad guy our superhero has to pummel. The score isn't the biggest blockbuster mainstay of the year but it really fuels the feeling of a hero setting on a quest, the moments of great calamity or epic showdown really ring out via Rupert Gregson-Williams' work.

 

Jason Momoa, who played Aquaman, feels like he's not taking anything too seriously in the best possible way in this one; Momoa comes off with some realy likeable charisma yet can also switch on the intensity when the scene needs to convince you Aquaman is every bit as tough and powerful as he is. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who played Black Manta, might not have the best villain storyline but he acts every part of it with complete talent; Abdul-Mateen brings so much barely concealed loathing and hate into his character which marks him a good adversary. Amber Heard, who played Mera, might not be in this much but still manages to come off as one of the most powerful superhero roles of 2023; Heard's portrayal of grief over losing her child leading into act 3 matched up and maybe even exceeded Momoa's. Temuera Morrison, who played Tom Curry, acts perfectly as a father figure across from Momoa; in fact the moments in which Morrison advises and guides Momoa in this feature feel extremely genuine. John Rhys-Davies, who voiced the Brine King, is fantastic as a bit of minor comedic relief particularly in the final act; hearing Rhys-Davies bluster and get all worked up as this warrior sea king was a real treat.

However, the best performance came from Patrick Wilson, who played Orm. James Wan and Patrick Wilson have partnered up on projects for a long time now, but Wan really said "this one's gonna be Patrick's". The movie has the most fun with Orm in the same way Tom Hiddleston has enjoyed being the annoying little brother to Chris Hemsworth on-screen for the past decade or so. As Orm, Wilson carries himself highly and with great esteem; he holds the traditions and laws of Atlantean culture as very sacred. You get a sense his whole life was being trained to claim a title, he knows little beyond this. Watching Wilson craft a bickering sibling rivalry with Momoa is so entertaining to watch; but more than that it is the making of incredible onscreen chemistry. You watch this pair grow and come a long way as brothers over the course of the movie. Orm rejecting the promise of power for the opportunity to save all others is a show of how this relationship building turned him around as a character. The final scene in which Wilson presents Orm as respecting Momoa's Arthur as a king is a really solid end to an entertaining blockbuster.

This movie really does feel the ramifications of not only being a sequel, but also being a sequel made under the midst of a major studio shake-up. It's very clear that the character of Mera has been edited down in this feature, which unfortunately upsets the flow of the narrative and leaves out some clearly strong emotional story arcs. This movie really underserves the main antagonist, Black Manta had some good setup but really feels like he's playing second fiddle to a plot not meant for him. I lost all sight of Manta and his motivations in the overuse of exposition explaining about orichalcum and the frequent appearances of Stephen Shin. The story of Arthur being a father could have blended nicer into his Atlantis story; the two often felt jarringly disconnected which was one of the more grating aspects of the plot. 

Nicole Kidman, who played Atlanna, doesn't feel quite so taken with the world of Aquaman this time around; Kidman gives some very stiff exposition delivery and is barely present for most of the feature. Randall Park, who played Dr. Stephen Shin, feels so poorly cast in this film; Park doesn't fit this flaky super scientist very well and is given more screen time than the role really deserves. Dolph Lundgren, who played King Nereus, just feels a bit silly this time around; Lundgren often comes across like he's trying too hard when he's delivering Atlantean exposition or attempting to fuel a little feud subplot between himself and Wilson. Martin Short, who played Kingfish, is like the anthithesis of Julie Andrews' small role in the first film; Kingshark comes off as simplistic and a weak second rate antagonist. Jani Zhao, who played Stingray, is such a stereotypical main antagonist henchman that it's rough to watch; Zhao just comes off as a performer they placed in to pad big villain scenes but never actually shape a role around her.

This might not be anywhere near as good as the first Aquaman, but James Wan manages to end the DCEU on a relatively high note. I would give Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom a 7.5/10.

Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child Of Fire

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child Of Fire is a sci-fi epic in which a former general in hiding must recruit a band of misfits to protect the village she calls home from an Imperial force. What I think this film really nailed down early on was the village introduction in Act 1. There is a sense of community here, we learn about the villages and the relationships as they stand; it's a place that gets the opportunity to be defined. As such we also care about the possibility of love here, the friendships that exist and we get a sense of some secrets within the village. It also hits extremely hard when Admiral Noble's forces come along and devastate the status quo of the village, the tension is seriously ramped up by the village falling to subjugation. It's an opener that really shows off the potential of Rebel Moon, a potential that is shortly dropped upon moving from this location.

One thing I will always say for Zack Snyder's films is that they look sharp, the cinematography was by far one of the best leading factors. I liked that there was such majesty given to how locations and new sets were capture; more than this I think action was really shot in a way that leaves you somewhat in awe. The score for the film was also pretty beautiful, the chorus pieces especially lend this somber sense of gravity to the events of the feature.

 

Ray Fisher and Cleopatra Coleman, who played Bloodaxe and Devra respectively, were an incredible duo that really felt like battle-hardened leaders of a resistance; Fisher was particularly impressive as a figure who was strongly motivated to the side of justice. Anthony hopkins, who voiced Jimmy, is an example of a performer who can shine despite being underutilised; I could listen to Hopkins spin trascendent sounding exposition for days on end. Corey Stoll, who played Sindri, is entirely brilliant as the gruff leader of the village we are first introduced to; Stoll presents a tough shrewd man who seems at once imposing and wise. Greg Kriek and Brandon Auret, who played Marcus and Faunus respectively, were some of the most hateable characters of the film and as such served as great minor antagonists; Kriek in particular came out swinging and crafted an individual who was entirely rotten.

However, the best performance came from Ed Skrein, who played Atticus Noble. This was one of Skrein's best performances I've seen to date, he appeared to be really enjoying it and making it his own. From his first moment onscreen it was clear there was something quite off-kilter with Noble, his long embrace upon greeting a village leader and almost overly amiable attitude in the face of a militaristic backdrop was telling. Yet when we see the moment in which he tries to pull apart the fabric of the village and then lashes out his own will you get a chance to see how ruthless and cunning this antagonist is. Skrein brings forth an individual with a cruel sense of justice, and hammers out the will of his masters as he sees fit. I enjoyed how relentless this adversary was throughout Rebel Moon, he was after our protagonists doggedly and it worked well. Yet what I most admired about Skrein's performance was his final scene, a moment in which he had just effectively perished, was brought back within an inch of his life and had to show incredible strength and decorum to his commander.

 

This is a film that sets itself up very strongly and then proceeds to deliver the most exposition crammed, dull and poorly paced hour and a half I've watched all year. The film has a tendency to dump its worldbuilding on you with very little prompting; two characters would barely start talking before one gives a heavy-handed monologue that is falt-toned and paired with an uninspired flashback scene. This constant need to tell the audience everything and deliver worldbuilding like a lecture made this a remarkably tired movie in terms of pace. A major bigger problem with this movie was the lack of connection; as an audience it became hard to connect with any of these characters because there were all so stoic and two-dimensional. Every figure seemed to have a brooding chip on their shoulder or we as an audience weren't given enough time to actually learn about these roles. A massive bloated part of this feature is watching the main protagonist hop around collecting side characters like they were Funko Pops, yet we never come to actually learn much of these side characters beyond their introductory scene. When all was said and done the movie just stumbles to a conclusion; enacting a rather obvious plot twist that can be called from a mile away and placing the final confrontation in a rather underwhelming setting. The whole thing is pushed as a 'Part One' but that doesn't really excuse the weak-footed ending provided here in relation to the main story. I also cannot begin to describe how uninteresting Kora is as a protagonist, be it her background or the way she is presented as a leader of this ragtag group is a massive part of what makes the plot of this feature so difficult to engage with.

 

The visual effects were quite jigsaw puzzle to navigate; in a controlled set the visuals were impressive for the most part. But the moments in which effects moved against CGI backdrops looked abhorrent and showed how thin the budget for this project was stretched, kind of laughable in the same year we got The Creator.

 

Sofia Boutella, who played Kora, doesn't really lend herself well to a protagonist role; Boutella is very secure in the same form of expression and delivery for the entire piece which came off as very limited. Djimon Housou, who played Titus, is a real wasted use of a decent performer; Housou gets to groan and feign a frustrated indivudal but we never get enough time to connect with that role. Michiel Huisman, who played Gunnar, feels like the odd man out in the main cast and struggles to belong; Huisman is so meek and forgettable in this to his detriment. Bae Doona, who played Nemesis, is really just in this feature for an aesthetic role; this character is interesting in a fight scene but barely gets to act otherwise. Charlie Hunnam, who played Kai, is another example of great talent inside this film entirely squandered; Hunnam barely gets a moment where he isn't right smack bang in the background. Staz Nair, who played Tarak, is a character who seems very stark and bold but then falls into the background very swiftly after his intro; they kept trying to have Nair throw in a bit of presence with some quips but these rarely land or define him. Fra Fee, who played Balisarius, is quite disappointing as the main antagonist in the shadows; Fee just doesn't hold the gravitas to present a man who feels like a conqueror wielding tremdnous power. Ingvar Sigurdsson, who played Hagen, was a forgettable mentor type figure to Boutella early in the film; their relationship was very poorly defined and they didn't share the screen well with one another. Sky Yang, who played Aris, was a bit generic as the young soldier with sympathies for the people his platoon was oppressing; Yang did absolutely nothing to avail himself of one of the most stereotypical roles in the feature. Charlotte Maggi, who played Sam, has very little presence and is one of the more underwhelming villager performances; Maggi is placed here to wail and be a plot device and is rarely utilised as a genuine character.

A disappointing career low for Zack Snyder. I would give Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child Of Fire a 3/10.

Wonka

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Wonka is a prequel tale depicting the origins of Willy Wonka and how he came to sell chocolate in London. Met with a fierce corporate competition and a city run by greedy individuals, it's down to a little chocolate and a lot of kindness to save the city and Willy's dreams.

I often think back to the boundless family films growing up in the 90s that had such optimism and joy, the characters were people you genuinely liked and the simplicity of the theme sometimes being little more than just 'be kind' was wonderful. A few years back Paul King made two movies that I think set the bar for what a family film really ought to be; these movies were Paddington and Paddington 2. Now we are fortunate enough to see him doing it again with another beloved character in Willy Wonka, and I am entirely impressed. As a musical film we are drawn to this fantastical story filled with showmanship and splendour, the musical moments become very personal touches to the world King is creating. I love that this feels so Dahl in nature, Bleacher and Mrs Scrubitt as antagonists are particularly the sort of foul-tempered and silly antagonists I would have expected to read in the pages of a Roald Dahl book as a kid. This was so sincere, and very dedicated to telling a story in which our protagonist didn't have to change but rather the strength of his character changed the world around him for the better. The fact that they kept little details that linked this depiction to Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka and other elements of Roald Dahl's worldbuilding is actually what gives this film a bit of substance. It's also sincerely funny without having to give up an ounce of trying to reach it's younger demographic, everyone in my theatre was laughing at the jokes scattered throughout. There's also a couple of solid emotional beats in this movie that steer it home well; particularly Noodle's search for her family and Willy's efforts to see his mother again.

The cinematography in this film feels like something out of a storybook, all bright colours and picturesque shots that feel a bit magical in their own style. There is something visually impressive about this film and how it projects a sense of wonder in the audience too. The visual effects aren't garish or over the top; in fact I quite enjoyed the Oompa Loompa design and the scene where the factory begins to build itself at the end is pretty special. I also found the zoo sequence a real delight, it's a nice instance where opting to go with CGI animals makes sense and enhances the piece. Yet in terms of what really sets this feature apart I have to talk about the score and the soundtrack. The score is a playful melody that really takes us deeper into the magic, it whirls through moments of adventure and peril and isn't afraid to get a little solemn in those sadder scenes. I really loved the musical numbers and how they essentially defined the character of Willy Wonka, a performer who also really believed in sharing his creations with others. Tracks like "A World of Your Own" or "Pure Imagination" really just got to the core of this character and what this movie wanted to say.

 

Timothée Chalamet, who played Willy Wonka; leads this film with nothing but charm and the sheer enthusiasm of this beloved role; I also admired that Chalamet included little streaks of zaniness that made the Wilder portrayal so iconic. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, who played Officer Affable, isn't a major role but does leave a nice impression on the film; the moment he shares with Chalamet in which he shows Willy a bit of generosity is a nice moment that reminds us those antagonising Wonka aren't all bad. Calah Lane, who played Noodle, is a young performer with incredible range; the way she plays a young person who has lost her ability to trust others and rediscovers it over the course of the film through her friendship with Wonka is very special. Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas and Mathew Baynton, who played Slugworth, Prodnose and Fickelgruber respectively, are brilliant as the central greedy antagonists of the film; Joseph in particular stands tall as the conniving mastermind behind the whole chocolate empire. Keegan-Michael Key, who played the Chief of Police, makes a pretty rough subplot more entertaining than you might expect; Key is a master of comedy and brings this corrupt policeman to life in a whimsical manner. Jim Carter, who played Abacus Crunch, is a more reserved ally to Willy but is one who is nice to see become his biggest supporter; Carter portrays a figure who first seems world weary and resigned but comes to really take a thrill in getting into antics with his friends. Colin o'Brien and Sally Hawkins, who played Young Willy Wonka and Willy's Mother respectively, were around for a scene or two but had such a beautiful and important character moment together; the work Hawkins puts in to flesh out and make Willy's background have such an emotional impact is exemplary. Rowan Atkinson, who played Father Julius, is another minor antagonist role that I absolutely adored; Atkinson's corrupt priest gag is something he really gets to run away with to maximum effect. Hugh Grant, who played the Oompa-Loompa, is a bit more foul-tempered and vindictive than past portrayals of this role; yet the rivalry between him and Chalamet really made this the most character-driven Oompa-Loompa performance we've ever had.

However, the best performance came from Tom Davis and Olivia Colman, who played Bleacher and Mrs. Scrubitt respectively. I was so surprised by just how much I enjoyed these two, especially given they weren't even the main antagonists of the feature. Yet from the outset these original roles felt so entirely true to a story inspired by Roald Dahl and that had everything to do with this partnered performance. Davis was a growling, looming presence who felt mean to the bone. I enjoyed watching him undercut this gruff exterior as he leaned into his affections for Colman's role. Colman on the other hand really got to play things up as this cunning and devious motel keeper. Watching her wheedle and manipulate guests and then growing steadily more cantankerous as we came to know her better over the film was both funny and fun. I think Davis and Colman paired off one another well; they took pleasure in being a bit over the top with their mean-spirited roles but also had wicked fun in the romance subplot their roles got tricked into. A delightful bad guy duo that I'll think fondly of.

Though Wonka might just be one of my favourite films of the year I found it wasn't without its flaws. There's a running gag subplot with the police captain and a chocolate addiction, a bit that kind of involves a fat suit and him making a bigger and bigger fool of itself. It's an outdated sort of point and laugh type of comedy that I think was in this movie a little too much and overstayed its welcome.

 

The cinematography overall is pretty good but I did feel the moments where Paul King tries to capture choreography shows a certain level of weakness. It would have been nice for those big numbers to have been better framed and respect the symmetry the dancers themselves were putting into their performance.

 

Rakhee Thakrar, Natasha Rothwell and Rich Fulcher, who played Lottie Bell, Piper Benz and Larry Chucklesworth respectively, are an odd little ensemble that never really stand out much; these are figures that sort of round out Wonka's 'team' but they never really stand on their own as characters.

Paul King made Paddington 2, are we even remotely surprised with how much I loved this? I would give Wonka a 9/10.

Next Goal Wins

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Next Goal Wins is a biopic about the American Samoa football team, their record-breaking loss in 2001 and their comeback under the guidance of Thomas Rongen. Beyond Rongen, we also see the return to the sport for American Samoa goalkeeper Nicky Salapu; and the story behind the trans athlete, Jaiyah Saelua, who went on to become a FIFA ambassador for equality and LGBT athletes.

 

Something I will always love about a Taika Waititi film is that the theme always points the audience to joy. There is always this unshakeable sensation of optimism, hope or positivity for either our characters or the future. What I admire most Next Goal Wins is that this message of finding happiness has such purpose to it. Thomas Rongen, our protagonist and also outsider to the American Samoa way of life, is a person who is down on his luck and seriously struggling to contain his anger. Watching Rongen improve his own outlook on life by connecting with his new team but also life on the island is quite a meaningful story to see play out. In so many sport biopics where every sacrifice has to be made in order to gain success it is nice for the message to be about finding joy, specifically finding joy within yourself. I also think that by crafting joy as being linked to the culture of American Samoa there was a really beautiful sort of welcome to this island and the values fostered here. Another narrative moment I really liked was one that took a long time to mature, frankly after the fumble in the first act I wasn't sure we'd get there. The way Jaiyah Saelua is spotlighted as a woman who cements this team and inspires them was wonderful to see develop. I thought the way the film took a pause to explain fa'afafine and affirm America Samoa's (and many other Pasifika cultures') worldview of genderqueer as a very important one that audiences could learn a lot from.

 

The editing for this film set a decent pace, it never felt overly slow and played to time nicely. The soundtrack for the feature gets right to the spirit of the feature, and I loved the Pasifika artists that were included as well as the traditional songs sung throughout.

Kaimana, who played Jaiyah, does some tremendous heavy lifting in terms of the dramatic storyline; the way Kaimana represents a young fa'afafine and both the challenges and joy that comes with this is impressive. David Fane, who played Ace, is a very quiet figure in his scenes but hits with some of the best comedy in the film; Fane's portrayal of this meek assistant coach is one of the genuine joys of the film. Will Arnett, who played Alex Magnussen, makes for a fantastic light antagonist for this comedic film; Arnett's snide wit and arrogant role crafts a figure you will love to hate. Uli Latukefu, who played Nicky Salapu, isn't a performance that steals the show but is one with charisma to spare nonetheless; Latufeku plays a quietly humble yet bold figure who fits the sport biopic narrative. Semu Filipo, who played Rambo, was such a surprise comedic role that really blew me away; Filipu is naturally funny and his intro scene is one of the best in the film. Rhys Darby, who played Rhys Marlin, is such a tried and true comedic performer that works nicely here; Darby keeps the humour light and grounded in a way that's plain fun.

 

However, the best performance came from Michael Fassbender, who played Thomas Rongen. There was never anything close when it came to Fassbender and the rest of the cast; and I say that with a lot of respect to some performances that really stood out in this film. Fassbender has always been a talent and in a movie where it is very easy to slip into a light comedy role Fassbender does the bulk heavy lifting to lend a dramatic edge. We get to see a desperate and depressed Thomas in the beginning, a man who seems lost and adrift and isn't sure of his life direction anymore. Fassbender really gets a kick out of playing the character's anger and disappointment over his team, their ability and where he now resides at first. Yet what I loved is the journey Fassbender takes this character on, a healing cycle that sees Thomas come to really bond with others and start to find his happiness once again. But that midgame locker room scene where Fassbender unpacks his the death of his character's daughter? That hit home in every way that counted.

Next Goal Wins opens by informing us that this is a movie about real events and people but that there will be embellishments. Which is fine, biopics have embellishments all the time. Yet this movie does things in a particularly poor manner when you really can't tell where the fictitious elements end. This movie sacrifices every real possible moment it has in order to play up a joke or a dramatic storyline that never existed. Taika Waititi is known for bragging about not really doing a lot of research before acting a role or writing a script; and this has sometimes worked out very well for him in projects like Our Flag Means Death or my favourite: Jojo Rabbit. But here the script feels egregiously lazy, catering to a nice if not simplistic theme and barely developing the main storylines to be the captivating plot points they otherwise could be. Rongen finding joy is a good arc but his character is never really fleshed out too much beyond this point, America Samoa and the team are treated as a comedy ensemble who are too often the butt of Waititi's jokes, FIFA considering shutting down the team is a plotline that barely knows to be present and the church angle is so poorly explored it really didn't need to be added in the first place. I also really took issue with Waititi crafting a conflict between Jaiyah and Rongen that never existed back in the first act, especially painting Rongen as an individual who would disrespect a trans individual by deadnaming them. This really paints a harsh conflict that never existed and also reduces a competent player down to being the individual conflict the protagonist has to resolve. Next Goal Wins is a perfect capture of what Waititi tends to craft: a godd comedy, but rarely a great film.

Visually this might be Waititi's most average looking film, which is a shame because he is clearly based in a beautiful location and dealing with a subject that if often dynamically shot. This winds up looking like a biopic made with someone who has no vision for it beyond a few decent shots scattered here and there. The score for the film really struggles to find its place, there is no defining sound here that is the film's own.

Oscar Kightley, who played Tavita, is a performer that lets this film down at every turn; Kightley is that sort of comedic performer who waits for just a pause after every comedic line delivery almost expecting everyone to burst into laughter. Rachel House, who played Ruth, is a weird caricature of a Pasifika mother and wife; House has done this type of comedy for Waititi before and it feels pretty repetitive. Beulah Koale, who played Daru, is just far too serious and stoic for this film; Koale never carries the dramatic potential his character could have nor the comedic quality to fit in with the wider ensemble cast. Taika Waititi, who played American Samoa Priest, takes a pretty iffy bit he already did in hunt For The Wilderpeople and makes it a lot more unbearable; Waititi's eyesore of a role is a nice reflection on how he's quicker to chase a cheap joke than a good role or story. Elisabeth Moss, who played Gail, feels entirely lost in this film; Moss and Fassbender have barely any chemistry or more importantly sense of history with one another. Luke Hemsworth and Angus Sampson, who played Keith and Angus Bendleton respectively, are insufferable as the Australian coaching rivals in the film; the writing for this pair is lazy enough but the performances are career worsts for Hemsworth and Sampson. Kaitlyn Dever, who played Nicole, is this toneless generic entity in the film that barely feels like a character; Dever's role is small but comes with important emotional weight that she just does not deliver on.

Out of all of Waititi's works I have viewed thus far, I think this just might be my least favourite. I would give Next Goal Wins a 6/10.

 

Family Switch

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Family Switch is a body swap family-comedy that follows the Walkers, a dysfunctional family of high-achievers who constantly struggle to get along and meet one another's expectations. When a bit of cosmic chaos causes the family to all find themselves body swapped (mother and daughter, father and son, baby and family dog) they must learn to work together to solve their predicament and continue their lives.

 

This is a film with a lot of issues throughout typical of a low-budget Netflix comedy but what it manages to get right is the charming family dynamic of the Walkers. What I like about the character relationships here is that the characters all genuinely like and care for one another, they're just struggling to convey that affection which is a very sweet dynamic for a family feature.

 

Jennifer Garner, who played Jess, really suits the strict and business savvy Mum figure; yet I really enjoyed Garner hamming up the comedic elements of playing a teen ruining her Mum's adult life and image. Ed Helms, who played Bill, might not have found his best lead ever in this film but he is thoroughly charming to watch; Helms is very earnest and and either of the roles he plays are ones you come to root for purely due to that charisma.

However, the best performance came from Emma Myers, who played CC. There is something very special about seeing a young up and coming performer standing out so strongly in a film that features a veteran actress and comedic actor. Myers plays the laidback and flippant persona of CC very well; a popular young woman who really has her sights set on going far living her dream. She particularly nails her dynamic with Garner, in that she feels frustrated and stifled by her Mum and the way that relationship is depicted is well done. Yet once the big 'switch' actually happens and Myers begins portraying Jess in young CC's body, you really get to see the range this young performer can achieve. She presents the overly-serious, task-focused mother figure in a way that is entirely believable. In fact, out of all the cast Myers handles the transition from one character to the other the best. Seeing just the little details of how she portrays new discovered pride in her kids or dotes on the baby in the background is a great example of this. Emma Myers might not be attached to a great project here but she stands out as a performer well worth watching in the years ahead.

Family Switch is a film that is juggling a lot in terms of genre, it might feel overly simplistic at times but in terms of genre there is a lot going on. The film has a Christmas movie setting but really dances around this and struggles to pull that aspect in; you certainly won't be seeing this in anyone's memorable holiday movie lists. The comedy used throughout relies on the family characters being more archetypes than well-rounded characters; a strict Mum, goofball Dad, nerdy son and rebellious daughter are who the Walkers are and they don't really get to grow beyond those confines. So the comedy becomes quite predictable, of the rebellious kid now sounds very strict and proper isn't going to shock or even really impress audiences. When the humour isn't constantly ribbing the audience over stereotypical characters there is a lot of basic clumsy physical humour. The amount of pratfalls, dancing or characters doing embarrassing things without realising is textbook lazy American comedy. The body swap component fails to really impart much of a theme or even a learning moment for our lead characters. In fact there are some downright awful things that transpire from the body swap element. The big thing for me was that the film includes two very strange incest scenes, in which jokes revolve around either the parents flirting with one another in their kids' bodies or the kids being forced to kiss in their parents' bodies by their parents' friends. It's a really uncomfortable moment of comedy that is played off quite lightly in a totally bizarre way. I also have to give a special shout out to the subplot around the baby and dog swapping bodies, a storyline that went nowhere and never once served the plot.

The film itself is unsurprisingly quite visually bland, the straight to streaming films have rarely shown much attention to cinematography but comedies especially suffer in this space. The film has very plain shots and a sense of style that is just trying to put everything in front of the camera. The visual effects are some of the most horrific I've seen so far this year, with the effects applied to the baby and dog characters serving as what I can only describe as nightmare fuel. The score is pretty docile and forgettable, while the soundtrack is so confused over what it wants to brand itself as. Sometimes the music wants to be Christmas, other times it wants to be a pumped up comedy but it never really learns to pick a lane. 

Brady Noon, who played Wyatt, gives a really over the top portrayal of the nerdy son figure; Noon is the most dedicated to playing to stereotypes out of the main cast and really falls flat for it. Rita Moreno, who played Angelica, is a performance I really don't know was all that necessary for this feature; Moreno isn't very good and the old wise spiritual figure feels a bit worn out. Matthias Schweighöfer, who played Rolf, is a very talented performer absolutely wasted on an abysmal and unnecessary subplot; Schweighöfer is literally nothing more than the visual cutback to the baby/dog subplot that pads the film out in a way no one really wants. Vanessa Carrasco, who played Ariana, is squarely pinned into the 'girl next door' love interest type; Carrasco is there to serve Noon's character arc and the pair don't have a lot of chemistry in the first place. Cyrus Arnold, who played Hunter Drew, isn't especially convincing as the high school bully; Arnold's tough posturing feels like nothing the actor can really back up. Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, who played Kara, is framed as a sort of right hand woman to Garner's character in the film but the pair don't connect strongly; more than that the delivery from Paulino doesn't come with much impact. Jordan Leftwich, who played Ava, is another supporting character with minimal chemistry with her paired main cast member; Leftwich and Myers are framed as besties but this isn't especially evident and Leftwich often falls into the backdrop. Xosha Rocquemore, who played Carrie, is a best friend to Garner's character that shows up quite late in the feature to little effect; Rocquemore really doesn't play her character very consistently across scenes either. Paul Scheer, who played Steven, was a very egenric minor antagonist in the film; the blatant conniving office rival thing felt boring as soon as Scheer was introduced.

All the worst parts of a family comedy, a Christmas film and a body swap film. I would give Family Switch a 2/10.