Freud's Last Session

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Freud's Last Session is an adaptation of the play of the same name by Mark St. Germain. In this dramatic meeting of the minds, Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis meet for one day three weeks prior to Freud's death and just at the outbreak of World War II. Over the course of the day the men debate their opposing views on God, creationism, life and death and so much more.

 

Sometimes the dance from play to screen is a tough one, often struggling to escape that feeling of a staged performance to a lived in one. But one thing that is true of Freud's Last Session is just how exquisite the dialogue is presented and exchanged. This is a sharp and clean sounding film with a great deal of thought to the characters and their voice, how they would react and respond to one another. Conflict builds naturally, it pauses for reflection or even isolation, and it rather carefully reflects on some of the biggest points of debate that we still wrestle with today. I loved how witty the script was, quick wordplay, irony or just humorous delivery sold this movie as a conversation allowed to evolve and be experienced in full. Neither of our two protagonists was really short-changed, and they presented the entirety of this intellectual duel superbly. 

Coby Brown's delicate and poignant score really gently reflects the moments of tragedy and terror, but it also lifts us into something comforting and hopeful. It is a score that dances in step with the actors, and that is a fine thing to hear.

 

Matthew Goode, who played C.S. Lewis, is absolutely magnetic as this famous author and scholar; Goode plays Lewis with a quiet resolute calm that moved me entirely. Liv Lisa Fries, who played Anna Freud, is such a tough figure who feels hardened by the trial of living with her demanding father; Fries plays to Anna's private moments of vulnerability very well, particularly in her therapy scene with Freud. Jodi Balfour, who played Dorothy Burlingham, was quite a fascinating constant to partner with Fries; Balfour presented devotion well while also trying to shake her lover free of an unhealthy vice-like hold. Orla Brady, who played Janie Moore, was a real figure of temptation; the flirty dynamic she had with both Lewis performers was a thrill. 

However, the best performance came from Anthony Hopkins, who played Sigmund Freud. There is something very special about watching Anthony Hopkins perform at this time in his career. He is an immensely humble figure, shares the screen perfectly with others, and yet he is a titan. The man inhabits his role thoroughly, there was no point within this film in which I didn't believe Hopkins had metamorphosed into Sigmund Freud. This is a very shrewd character to play, a studious gentleman with an often harsh outlook on life and who deals verbal blows as if he were in a sparring match. I loved how observant this role was, the way this allowed Hopkins to guide a scene or retort within conversation. The pain we see him wrestle with is so complex and layered; Freud is hurting due to cancer physically, but he is also in pain for the loss of his home country and the reflection he must visit of his relationship with Anna, his daughter. While it feels like a conversation, a duel, a puzzle or a witty exchange between Hopkins and Goode at times; there is no doubting this is a pair with tremendous respect for one another. I adore Anthony Hopkins, he is one of the greatest working. A master at work in a film that can barely contain him.

The dialogue and main storyline work so incredibly well that it is almost a shame to see some of the basic pitfalls suffered by an adaptation of a play to screen. This film has an inclination towards delivering backstory or explanation via flashback or dream sequence, a move that often feels like padding being added to a runtime. These moments intrude on the great storytelling at work, leaving one feeling like we have deviated from the path and found something much more out of place. It is perhaps the greatest shame that the best sub-plot, Anna's lesbianism and her relationship with her father, wasn't given enough room to really be well examined. Anna felt like she could have run with a spotlight on her, but the film just gives us flashes of the intrigue here and not enough to satisfy.

Freud's Last Session is a woefully ugly film to watch, grappling with poor lighting in some locations to capturing awkward blocking in other scenes. The camera doesn't find its subjects except in passing moments, flickers of something visually striking that wasn't dwelt on for long enough. I also found the editing to be very simplistic, the cross-fades that we opened with told me everything I needed to know about what to expect.

Jeremy Northam, who played Ernest Jones, was a wilting performance that made little impact on the screen; Northam just felt like a scene partner who had little to give across from Hopkins. Rhys Mannion, who played Young C.S. Lewis, is about the most generic young man goes to war performance that you could expect; it was certainly the sort of delivery that was comfortable in stereotype. Stephen Campbell Moore, who played J.R.R. Tolkien, felt so small in big shoes; this was a man who was a peer to Lewis but we didn't even really gain that feeling.

This film lacks a lot in technical production, but entirely worth it to watch two titans of acting absolutely capture the screen for nearly two hours. I would give Freud's Last Session a 6.5/10.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and depicts the origin story of the title character. There is an interesting depiction in this film of the descent into violence and how that has manifested in this post-apocalyptic society. Everyone has this mad scramble for power and resources that leads to very differing means of trying to fight for that control. Watching how all the respective factions engage in their efforts to maintain resources is ultimately the strength of the storytelling in this one; particularly how these methods of fighting shift over a couple of decades. 

The way this film is shot speaks to George Miller's monolithic vision for these films. It takes tremendous production pieces and moves around them in a way that really studies the piece and makes it engaging. There is so much majesty in a dying world, and at times the camera painting a shot is superior to the narrative at play.

 

Charlee Fraser, who played Mary Jabassa, is an incredible warrior presence in this film; Fraser and Browne formed this survivalist mother/daughter bond that defined the first act as the best part of the film.

However, the best performance came from Alyla Browne, who played Young Furiosa. I'm entirely surprised that one of the youngest performers in this film stood out the strongest, but Browne's work in the first act of the film really set the stage going forward. Watching her work in Furiosa's ingenuity and ability to tackle problems in extreme peril on the fly earned her an edge immediately. I loved how we see Furiosa as a selfless figure through Browne, she places herself before others and the secret of her home. Watching the way she rebels against Hemsworth and her captors with such aggression and hostility sets her apart. I felt her strong connection and love for her onscreen mother, Fraser. This bond was a quiet one that was really fought for in a sincere way. Browne took Furiosa on an extremely natural path from rebellion to resentment right through to downright hatred. In a film titled Furiosa, Alyla Browne is the closest to capturing the incredible work Charlize Theron did all those years ago.

Fury Road felt like a natural evolution for the Mad Max series, a high octane chase across a bizarre hellscape with a deeply character driven cast. I watched this and felt like I was dragged back to the Mad Max series of the 70s and 80s in all the wrong ways. This is a movie that feels bloated and long and full of not much; the wasteland is vast, but the heavy world building focus on a handful of gangs and factions that were infinitely more appealing in Fury Road is a disappointment. The world really thrived with a sense of mystery and discovery. But in this film, everything feels held under a microscope, and that feels like a major misstep. Even in those opening moments in which the history and fall of the world is recounted feels like too much of a peek behind the veil, something this series has never really needed. The overall revenge narrative is simplistic and really reduces Furiosa to a pretty basic anti-hero. Her final throwdown with what is quite an impotent antagonist is quite unfulfilling. Beyond that, her punishment for him is dark, and sullies her character in the lead to Fury Road. I struggled to recognise Furiosa as herself, she doesn't hold the same rugged edge as her debut appearance. Even Immortan Joe feels a bit chattier than his prior characterisation. It's a long film with no sense of destination, underwhelming inspection of the world, and a characterisation of the title role that makes her feel diminished.

The heavier use of CGI is a bold departure that has made Furiosa one of the uglier films in the series. I appreciate there are still some practical effects, but this really felt a lot more artificial. The score is also a let-down, there is nothing really thematic or even strong about any of it.

Anya Taylor-Joy, who played Furiosa, was a very basic casting pick for a role made famous by Theron; Taylor-Joy brought a lightness to Furiosa and killed the rugged edge this protagonist once had. Chris Hemsworth, who played Dr. Dementus, is scraping the goofball barrel of all his famed comedy roles with this one; one of the more cartoonish and outlandish villains in the Mad Max universe. Tom Burke, who played Praetorian Jack, is a real expressionless performer; it seemed difficult to draw any meaningful emotion out of Burke. George Shevtsov, who played The History Man, feels like a role that intrudes on the whole set-up; Shevtsov struggles to find his place in all of this. Lachy Hulme, who played Immortan Joe, is as much Immortan Joe as I'm Dwayne the Rock Johnson; this verbose talkative tyrant is a far cry from what Keays-Byrne brought to life. John Howard, Nathan Jones and Josh Helman, who played The People Eater, Rictus Erectus and Scrotus respectfully, are all henchmen type roles with a little too much free air time on their hands; the characters are all onscreen a lot but they each feel entirely inconsequential to the narrative. Ian Roberts, who played Mr Harley, is one of the many henchmen types paired with Hemsworth; a very weak cadre of performers that looked like they were gathered quite quickly from the local Australian scene.

If Fury Road was everything truly excellent about the Mad Max series, then Furiosa is the exact counterpoint. I would give Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga a 5.5/10.

 

IF

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

IF follows Bea, a young girl who lost her mother at a very young age and now has a lot of fear around losing her father as he prepares for heart surgery. However, when she stumbles upon a mysterious agency that reunites forgotten imaginary friends with their kids; Bea gets the chance to rediscover what it means to be a kid. 

 

This movie really hits hard with a few of the more dramatic emotional beats; it builds to key scenes very well. Just the simple human moments are what really shines in this big silly feature; instances like Jeremy finding his confidence as he reunites with Blue, Bea's Grandmother dancing as she did when she was young or her monologue about this and especially Bea crying and talking to her Dad after his operation.

 

While they always weren't used very well, I did really enjoy the designs for the IFs. They were so vibrant and varied, simplistic but with strong defining features. They felt like a menagerie that would tumble out of a child's imagination. The score is very sweet and charming, like reading a nostalgic fairytale if that feeling was woven into song. I also have to give a shout-out to the exquisite use of Tina Turner's 'Better Be Good To Me', which brought this real sense of cheer and joy to some important scenes. 

 

Cailey Fleming, who played Bea, is a young performer well worth looking out for as she starts landing more and more roles; Fleming's raw expression of grief in the final act of the film is one of the finest performance moments in the whole film. Ryan Reynolds, who played Cal, really takes you on the long haul with his role; this is a performance that really plays to the intent of the script, which pays off well in the end. John Krasinski, who played Dad, is entirely lovable in this film; his warm humour and playful presence really lift the spirits of his scenes. Steve Carell, who voiced Blue, is probably one of the most natural main voices for an imaginary friend; Carell really brings that happy-go-lucky yet entirely clueless gentle giant to life. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who voiced Blossom, is one of the more central imaginary friends who makes the most sense; she has a quiet loss for her kid and really feels like the glue holding things together. Alan Kim, who played Benjamin, is quite a sweet character; his onscreen friendship with Fleming is such a cute part of the whole feature. Bobby Moynihan, who played Jeremy, isn't a major role but has such an endearing sub-plot; watching Moynihan play such a stressed out character who finds his confidence in the end is a story arc I really enjoyed.

However, the best performance came from Fiona Shaw, who played the Grandmother. In a film that is so full of zany characters, voices and a nonsensical main storyline, I really enjoyed the quiet human moments where we snapped back to Bea and her grandmother. Shaw plays this woman who is feeling a bit worried and is trying her very best to make everything perfect for a granddaughter she doesn't fully understand. Her efforts are so sincere and heart-warming, even the moments that she gets wrong are done with such warmth and good intention. The scene in which she recounts her desire to grow up and be a dancer and how she met Bea's grandfather is textbook perfect acting. Her faraway voice, the way she is lost in the script herself, the yearning for that past and the love of what came from it - even the regret of what she didn't achieve. It's all there in a very short scene, but I'd go so far as to say it's one of the most important scenes in the film. Then later, when Shaw dances to the music her character danced to in her youth with a passion and a fondness that transcended everything else in the film, I was blown away. Fiona Shaw brought an unprecedented level of talent to this, and I'm so impressed.

This is by all accounts a family movie, in a lot of ways this is possibly one of the more straightforward genres to craft within. However, watching IF is like watching someone write their first picture book for children on a heavy, mature topic. The idea is a good one, but the message doesn't really reach the kids, and it's a bit too grown up; yet the antics throughout feel too silly for an adult to really buy into either. I really found the main issue with this movie was that it didn't know who it was trying to reach, there was a real lack of focus in how the narrative was delivered. The main storyline itself is overly complex, and the imaginary characters getting reunited with their kids felt convoluted most of the time. Bea really jumped from her 'too grown up' state to being totally on board with saving some imaginary friends in quite a sudden switch. Bea was often treated to some jarring character development, which made her a difficult character to really relate to. More than this, the IF storyline doesn't make all that much sense. The plot often contradicts whether the imaginary friends need to be reunited with their kids or if the whole thing is in Bea's imagination. Cal as a character is so perpetually frustrated that it means half of the protagonists don't really serve to drive the plot forward. The IFs are also used in odd ways tonally, sometimes the film unintentionally makes them quite scary and undercuts everything that is trying to be achieved in a scene.

This is a film that doesn't seem to know how it should shoot for characters that aren't physically present when shooting occurred. The framing and tracking of these computer generated creatures looks ugly constantly, and the film as a whole doesn't have much of a visually appealing palette.

Lewis Gossett Jr., Awkwafina, Emily Blunt, George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Bill Hader, Richard Jenkins, Keegan-Michael Key, Sebastian Maniscalco, Christopher Meloni, Matthew Rhys, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Amy Schumer and Jon Stewart, who voiced Lewis, Bubble, Unicorn, Spaceman, Ice, Banana, Art Teacher, Slime, Magician Mouse, Cosmo, Ghost, Guardian Dog, Alligator, Gummy Bear and Robot respectively, are a collective great example of why cameo and Easter egg culture don't always make a movie better; this collection of A-List voice performances are so lacking in personality that really an actual voice performer would have served these roles better.

A family movie that boasts a pretty phenomenal cast but seems lost and like it really has no sense of who exactly its audience is. I would give IF a 4/10.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the tenth Planet of the Apes film and a follow-on from the prior Caesar prequel trilogy. Many generations have passed since the time of Caesar, and the apes are now the dominant species on Earth. We follow Noa, a young member of Eagle Clan (a small group of apes who rear eagles), as he is forced to step into the role of leader after the capture of his clan at the hands of a dangerous new ape: Proximus. Noa's journey will take him across a world that has become more alien, and force him to trust the most unlikely ally: a human.

 

This movie invites us back in to a world that feels so substantially different once again, now we see the apes as creatures with their own language, civilisations and technology. How the world has adapted post-humanity and how the apes live now; how even Caesar's teachings have evolved and been remembered with time is such a fascinating thread to follow throughout. Even when you see the antagonist, Proximus, warp what there is to be learned from humanity to impose his own sense of empirical tyranny, you can't help but be impressed with how creatively this new world has been imagined and developed. The manner with which this movie links back to the Caesar prequels while also bearing threads to the original Planet of the Apes movies shows a very strong dedication to this series. The story arc around young Noa is excellent, his growth from an optimistic and promising young ape eagerly awaiting his bonding day to becoming the ape who leads his clan and overthrows Proximus is well captured. It's a coming of age narrative that feels fitting for these movies, and I found Noa to be a worthy protagonist following Caesar.

 

I am in awe of how these films are captured, there is such extensive motion capture and CGI imagery that it sometimes feels easy to forget just how much goes into the cinematography. The way these big epic sound stages are caught, and the action doesn't lose a shred of momentum, has my jaw on the floor. The really impressive part is the visual effects, the motion capture work to get every ape performance is uncanny and a level of realism most high quality blockbusters should be striving for. 

 

Kevin Durand, who played Proximus Caesar, has given us one of the greatest antagonists of the Apes series, I feel; Durand crafts this figure who feels entirely deluded and volatile with his human history obsession. William H. Macy, who played Trevathan, is compelling for a cowardly role; he never feels entirely menacing or hostile, but he is a nice counterpoint to Allan's character. Lydia Peckham, who played Soona, is one of the gentlest figures in the film; her kindness and connection with others makes her the quiet heart of the film at times. Peter Macon, who played Raka, is one of the more impressive characters in the cast; Macon crafts a role who is eccentric and even comedic, but also feels like a conscience in his own right. Sara Wiseman, who played Dar, feels so kindly and nurturing; Wiseman really embodies an elder who guides not only her on-screen son but also her people. Eka Darville, who played Sylva, was a really threatening character the whole way through; Darville brought an edge to scenes that upped the stakes immediately. Travis Jeffery, who played Anaya, was quite the cheeky humorous character; Jeffery's role was so full of life so the moments in which his character was having a tough time you really felt it as an audience.

However, the best performance came from Owen Teague, who played Noa. This is a role that really had a lot of weight placed upon it; it's not easy to be the next ape performer leading the series after Andy Serkis. But from the moment Teague appears, we are presented with a soft-spoken and compassionate new protagonist who feels inclined towards leadership and courageous acts. I liked that he didn't start out a fighter or rebel in his own right; in some ways he was certain of himself but was still growing into his identity. But as the movie goes on, Teague lends Noa some range; the anger and hurt over what happened to his father and clan most notably. But also the way he had to learn compassion for humans and form an uneasy bond with Allan's Mae. Watching Teague forge these points of compassion, righteous anger and hurt into something more revolutionary at the end when he stands against the antagonist is the stuff of a good Apes protagonist. I look forward to seeing if Teague is coming back in the future, I'm certain he'll continue to put on one hell of a show.

 

There is something to be said for a hard act to follow, and I don't envy Wes Ball, the last Planet of the Apes trilogy was such a master-class in cinema that whoever helmed the next one was always going to be contrasted to these three films. And to be clear, I don't think Kingdom manages to get there, but it's far closer than you might expect. I was disappointed by the second act, which dragged on something wicked, taking pauses and forging character bonds at a pace that took all the urgency out of the plot until the bridge scene sent us hurtling into the more even-paced third act. I was chiefly disappointed by Mae and the human storyline in all of this. It just didn't really work in a film set generations after the Caesar storyline. This idea that there were humans hiding out with technology, language and a societal structure that resembled what we saw last in War of the Planet of the Apes was puzzling. It felt like the easy option, have humans who aren't so different from who we are as a people right now; but it just left a glaring chunk of the plot that felt out of place and irrelevant. In this world of sequels, I might be convinced Mae's story will have a place in the future, but for now I really didn't much care for the plot when it veered away from the apes. 

I failed to be particularly impressed by the score of the film, the music never really elevated beyond blockbuster backing noise for me, which was a shame. This probably would have felt like a new Apes epic with the right composer in the mix.

Freya Allan, who played Mae, is my least favourite performance of the feature, which is significant given just how much of it she is in; Allan just doesn't have enough range to drive the entire human storyline on her own and make it compelling for the audience. Neil Sandilands, who played Koro, lends quite an odd garbled voice to his character; I felt his take on an elder in the village was a bit more simplistic and generic.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a brilliant new step for the franchise with a ton of potential; though it sadly can't shake the long shadow cast by the previous trilogy. I would give Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes a 7/10.

Boy Kills World

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Boy Kills World follows the title character, Boy, as he goes on a revenge-fuelled rampage to kill the tyrannical family responsible for killing his own. This movie is a real high-octane thrill, entirely nuts but also surprisingly creative. These days, every fast moving action feature seems to want to be John Wick, but I really didn't see that formula in Boy Kills World. This is a pulpy no holds barred brawler and shooter where no two fight sequences really look alike and there is no limit to just how brutal those moments will go. From a storytelling perspective I found the main character of Boy quite interesting, both deaf and mute he is very limited in how he can communicate through scenes as he finds new allies and enemies alike. He is also really firmly planted by the memory of his sister, even having an imaginary version of her as a child following and guiding him for most of the film. The world here is a very oddball dystopia setting with a militia/media mogul crime family at the head of the nation who are such fascinating characters in and of themselves. Watching Boy navigate this place as he reconnects with civilisation is a nice method for bringing the audience along for the ride. Boy Kills World is a bit of a grim beast at times, but it tends to really land some strong use of humour. 

The camera really feels like it is running with the action in this, the way shots just glide through an action set piece is quite impressive. For the most part, the editing also manages to keep the frantic, adrenaline-pumping pace too. The big triumph for Boy Kills World is Ludvig Forsell's score, which was equal parts gritty, otherworldly and melodic in those moments where the choir kicked in. 'We Are the Revolution' certainly stood out as my favourite track.

 

Bill Skarsgård, who played Boy, was a really impressive physical role that still had so much to say with no dialogue; the way Skarsgård showed everything that was being said via voice-over flawlessly is a real credit to how deep he goes as a performer. Jessica Rothe, who played June27, is quite a rageful and impressive character when first introduced; but I love the motional bond we see her and Skarsgård build in a very short time. Michelle Dockery, who played Melanie Van Der Koy, is such a wild and unpredictable performer who always brings it; Dockery's control freak media mogul was so satirical and a scene-stealer. Brett Gelman, who played Gideon Van Der Koy, is more the dramatic backbone of this feature; Gelman feels so world-weary of this whole struggle and I loved seeing his character navigate that exhaustion. Isaiah Mustafa, who played Bennie, is a real hilarious minor point of the whole film; the way he puts such meaning into nothing but gibberish lines is a lot of fun. Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti, who played Young Boy, are quite understated performances in their own right but serve the film quite well; just the simple transition from innocent kid to something much more angry and unnatural is interesting. Quinn Copeland, who played Mina, is entirely one of the sweetest parts of the film; Copeland is the heart and the conscience of our leading role and very endearing to watch. H. Jon Benjamin, who voiced Boy, is really the driving force of the film; Benjamin's cartoonish voice really drives home the more pulpy action hero component of this film.

However, the best performance came from Sharlto Copley, who played Glen Van Der Koy. This was a role that absolutely dominated the first act and was still fresh in my mind by the end of the feature. Copley really goes to town on overselling the sleazy yet charismatic face of the Van Der Koy family. It's interesting to see how irrational and impulsive he gets under pressure, but also how quickly he wilts around his on-screen wife, Dockery. Copley's final scene where in a blubbery moment he switches sides is hilarious and speaks to the incredible levels of comedy he brought to this role.

This movie is very visceral and pushes the boundaries when it comes to the violent action on display, which gets very creative at times. Sadly, I did feel that Boy Kills World didn't always recognise when to restrain itself and reel things back in. There were some moments where things felt like they got gory for the sake of it, or instances where the envelope was pushed merely for shock value. I also enjoyed the third act plot twist for some reasons, but it did complicate the character of Boy and the two main antagonists in a way that felt rough and like more work could have gone into that moment.

The editing served well for most of the movie, but there were instances where those sharp cuts left a messy edge on the flow of some scenes. A lot of the visual effects looked pretty rough too.

Yayan Ruhian, who played the Shaman, has never really quite succeeded as an actor over a stunt performer in my eyes; Ruhian is just too simplistic with what he brings and all that results in is a rather stereotypical antagonist. Andrew Koji, who played Basho, is a role that is hard to slot into this whole thing; Koji just doesn't make me feel emotionally invested in Basho at any point beyond his last scene. Famke Janssen, who played Hilda Van Der Koy, gives one of the very worst performances of the film; watching Janssen really oversell the crazy aspect of her role is a hard watch in every scene she is in. Rolanda Marais, who played Boy's Imaginary Mother, is quite forgettable as the generic mother figure; she feels very undefined and doesn't serve the eventual plot twist very well.

This film is absolutely batshit crazy, which works wonders for it more often than not. I would give Boy Kills World a 7.5/10.