Dunkirk - Review

This is the best film of the year so far and overall I had a good time watching the film yet only few small problems keep this film from being great. Keep in mind that I think that the film is good and that any problem I have with it is minor compared to the majority of films I have seen in 2017.

Of course any Christopher Nolan film is going to peak many moviegoers interest since he is one of the more consistent film makers in Hollywood and I don't think he has made a "bad" film. Some are of course better than others but none of them are infuriating to watch, even Following is interesting enough as to make up for its lack of polish. So where does Dunkirk rank among his films? Its on the lower end of the scale just below Interstellar, which is a film I personally love, but is nowhere near as good as Inception or The Prestige.

About a week before Dunkirk was released I discovered the run-time which surprised me clocking in at only 106 minutes, in my head I thought Nolan making a war movie would be at least 150 mins, which dampened my excitement which is silly I know but it just did not sound right to me. To my surprise I think the film is a little bit too long which is crazy when paired with my last statement but I think the ending should have ended sooner but I will go into further details later on.

Lets start with what was good about this film, first off the sound design is amazing and is on par with Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line, which is good company to be in, with the Spitfires absolutely rocking the theatre and the explosions actually having bass to them which has been lost in recent years. The use of real extras and practical effects really helps a film of this calibre I have always appreciated how Nolan would rather do something practically or in camera and only using CG as a last resort or as a way to enhance what is already there. Costumes and the look of the film is brilliant and that is down to it being shot on 70 mm which looks great and its a shame that most cinemas use digital projection because a film like this would really pop with a proper projector. Overall there is nothing "wrong" with the film in fact it has been a long time since I was so invested in a movie in the cinema. The only problems I have with the film are minor at best and play more into personal preference rather than the movie itself. 

The ending is the biggest problem for me and its the reason why I have decided to not award it a higher score, I personally think the film should have ended when the soldiers left Dunkirk and Kenneth Branagh looks over the channel but instead the film drags on as we follow the men back home and it feels unnecessary and tacked on for "emotional" effect. The acting overall was fine for a movie of this type but no one really stood out as amazing but again this is not the film where someone will win an Oscar for best actor. My biggest complaint is something that most people would not even consider nor care but I feel as if the cinematography does not correspond with the use of 70 mm. The film was very close quarters and this may just be due to watching in a cinema, that frankly does not care about image quality, but the shots felt compressed and cramped, without many wide shots which, for me, defeats the purpose of the bigger film stock. Those are my only real issues with the movie and I think that this is going to be the film of the year for me.

Overall Dunkirk is one of the most suspense filled movies I have seen in the cinema in recent memory and I recommend that everyone go see it. I do have problems with the film which does take a toll on my rating for Dunkirk but these are down to personal preference and most people would not even notice. Definitely go see this one and see it in 70 mm if you can I can imagine it would be an amazing experience. 

7.5/10

Written By

Ashley Harvey

Why I Walked Out Of Spider-Man Homecoming

This is not a review of the entire film because to be honest I did not sit through the film and for that I do apologise but this film drove me to the breaking point and in all fairness this is not even the worst film of the year so far but this one broke me. Recently we have been going through this "faux" 80's phase which is annoying in itself but I can deal with if done right, the other trend is having an abundance of references within the film to either make the filmmakers feel better about themselves or they put them in so that a select few audience members can pat themselves on the back. The reason I know this was because I was one of those audience members when I was younger, when I saw The Avengers in 2012 I laughed at the Galaga reference but as the years have gone by and my thoughts on how films should be made and written so has my attitude towards this type of content and to be perfectly honest I have come to resent it. A big reason why I feel as if this has been a major negative on modern movies is the lack of subtlety and direction, who are these for?

So how does this relate to Spider-Man Homecoming? Well within the first 40 minutes which was all that I could stomach there were so many moments that just irked me, lets start off with the use of Can't You Hear Me Knocking by The Rolling Stones and how the use of this song in any film after David O Russell has touched it has lost all credibility. This song would be fine if it was not tainted by wannabe Scorsese filmmakers who want to use rock 'n' roll tracks in their movies. Then there is the dumb humour during the high school scenes and how "Penis Parker" is the phrase that is used several times. The Vlog portion of the opening also contributed to how this film has dated itself already and it only came out this month, my argument with this point and many of my other points is, who is this for? Using the Vlog at the beginning is clearly marketed towards a demo of under 27's whereas the Ferris Bueller reference in both homage and then ruining it by showing the film, who is that supposed to appeal to? It's this content that ruins movies for me now. Spiderman (2002) never had a scene where Peter Parker was watching Superman The Movie, I know that analogy came from nowhere but it does make sense in the context. Why is it that 15 years later we can blatantly do this and no one bats an eyelid. It is clear to me that many film makers are not too concerned with legacy and that is disappointing this is not to say that all contemporary media is bad, not at all but if you were given the opportunity to make a film based on an iconic character why would you rely on all of this auxiliary content to make people like the film. Why can't we just make good movies that stand on their own?

Anyway that was just a rant about why Spider-Man Homecoming forced me out of the cinema. I am not saying that you should not watch the film this was purely for me to vent about the mistakes of modern big budget movies.

Written By
Ashley Harvey

Rope - Review

I would like to start by saying that I have not seen many Hitchcock films which is bad I know but what better time to start. I had previously seen Psycho, Rear Window, North By Northwest, The Birds and Vertigo with Psycho being my favourite but after watching Rope I think Psycho might have some competition.

I would say Rope is most famous for its "one shot" nature and this being from 1948 it is very impressive and does contribute to the suspense of the film. There are cuts and if you are paying close attention you will notice them but I film is far more than a gimmick and does hold up today. Suffice to say the cinematography of Rope is top notch with the camera moving effortlessly between rooms and focusing on different characters within the story.

The performances are all good with James Stewart being the standout but everyone was convincing in their roles and you were engaged with everyone and their own story. It is refreshing to see a film where its simplicity is its charm. I would go further into story but I feel as if you go into Rope without knowing anything the film will be a very enjoyable experience.

From what I know on the internet and people I speak to Rope seems to be lower on the list of Hitchcock films and I find it difficult as to why that is, this is one hell of a good film and I recommend everyone watch it, film enthusiasts and even casual movie watchers will have a good time with this one.

9/10

Written By
Ashley Harvey

Transformers: The Last Knight - Quick Review

This film is awful and I loved every second of it. This film is a great example of why good direction can save a dreadful screenplay because if I am honest the film feels as if it were written by a 5 year old but my god does the direction save this film and make it so enjoyable.

I have to address the four aspect ratios and how ridiculous it is, there is Imax full frame then their is a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and two different letterbox I noticed this in the trailer but assumed that it was just a mistake but nope. Its not like its specific scenes in different aspect ratios but varying shots, for example two characters could be talking in a simple shot reverse shot format and one character is letterboxed and the other is in the full Imax frame its simply silly yet I still had so much fun with this film because the action inside the frame is simply stunning.

It is hard for me to really talk about this film because most of you know what to expect from a Transformers film but in all honesty this is far from being the worst one in fact I would rate it just under Dark of the Moon. The plot is a mess though and it does not even get introduced until the 30 minute mark. Performances are the usual from a Transformers film with Anthony Hopkins being the standout because you know he is just having fun with it.

The sound design in these films continue to amaze and do set it apart from your standard blockbuster fair but other than that the score was forgettable and adds nothing to the film. This is a very short review because there is simultaneously nothing and everything to say about Transformers.

Overall I do recommend seeing it just because it is insane but the action is well done and you can clearly see money on screen but don't expect Citizen Kane.

6.5/10

Written By
Ashley Harvey