The Cleanse – Monster Mondays

Posted on December 6, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter
The Cleanse (2016) - IMDb

Director: Bobby Miller

Writer: Bobby Miller

Starring: Johnny Galecki, Anna Friel, Oliver Platt, Anjelica Huston, Kyle Gallner, Kevin J. O’Connor, Diana Bang

Rating: ★★★1/2

The Cleanse stars Johnny Galecki as Paul Berger, a middle-aged man who is struggling after his breakup with his fiancé. He visits a café where they used to eat, only to find that the staff only vaguely remembers him. No one really wants to talk. In a desperate attempt to find help he applies to go on a retreat after seeing an advert on late night TV. Paul is chosen to go the retreat and is given four cleansing drinks that must be drank in one day. He then throws up his negativity, which forms into a little monster.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I put this on. It turns out The Cleanse is a comedy dark fantasy, and it is quite funny at points. There’s an awkward interaction between Paul and the other customers in the café at the start that sets the tone of the awkwardness of the humour. It is unsettling when he first finds the monster in the drain after throwing it up, but it never goes beyond that. It’s not trying to be scary.

The acting is surprisingly decent. Johnny Galecki is playing someone very similar to Leonard in The Big Bang Theory, very nervous around people but also talkative and tries to be as nice as possible. Anna Friel is good as Maggie, an actor who hasn’t worked in a while, but is also on the retreat. Anjelica Huston is strange and wonderful as the leader of the retreat, making her entrance by screaming as she walks into the group.

The film is really short. It’s eighty minutes, but ten of those are the credits, so it’s over at seventy. Which is good because it’s didn’t need to be any longer than that. The premise and plot is simple and concise and padding it out would have really ruined it.

Each monster shares similarities to the human it came out of. The effects are really good, with some interesting monster design and puppetry, especially towards the end as the monsters grow. They’re a little grotesque at points, and lovable the next.

The Cleanse is a surprisingly solid film, it’s entertaining in the short time that it lasts, with a fair few laughs, and some great effects. I quite liked it.

Thanks for reading, if you liked my review please subscribe to never miss a post:

Posted in film reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Matrix – The Unbeatable Original – Film Review

Posted on December 5, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter
The Matrix (1999) - IMDb

Directors: The Wachowskis

Writers: The Wachowskis

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano, Marcus Chong, Anthony Ray Parker, Julian Arahanga, Matt Doran, Gloria Foster

Rating: ★★★★★

With only a few weeks until the highly anticipated The Matrix Resurrections is finally released, the original Matrix film is heading back to cinemas, this time in 4K and IMAX. The ground-breaking film is one of the most important releases in modern times. It’s not just the massive leap in technology which inspired so many parodies and copy-cats, but the film was and still is a cultural phenomenon and it still stands up as one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made.

There’s nothing that hasn’t already been said about this film over and over again, it’s as close to perfect as it can be. Being able to see the modern classic on the big screen is worthy of making the trip, especially for those of us in a generation who didn’t get the chance the first time round. In 4K the film looks gorgeous. The picture is crystal clear, and the sound is perfect.

The story about someone who sometimes can’t tell if he’s awake or dreaming and then finding out the world around him is a simulation still resonates. The world created within the film is still just as interesting as it was the first time around. In last few years people have gone back to the film and looked at the transgender themes in it, something that co-writer/director Lilly Wachowski has spoken about in the last couple of years in detail. It’s very interesting to read through the interview with her, that’s available online, and then watch that film through that lens.

It’s not the only way to look at it, the film also works as a religious allegory with Neo being The One, as well as the capitalist society that we live in with the idea that the system we live in is only an illusion that only works if we agree to it. There’s a lot of different interpretations to the film, but what makes The Matrix so special is that at its core, it’s simply just great sci-fi with some excellent lore and world building.

The Matrix (1999) - IMDb

It’s a film that rewards you for repeat viewings, each time you reveal more and more of the universe and story that’s being told. So many things are explained and shown that every time you watch it you pick up on even more little details. It’s a fantastic story that’s told really well. It moves so fast that the whole thing flies by, no matter how many times you’ve seen it.  

The action and choreography for the fighting is incredible and hasn’t aged at all. It rivals any of the big budget blockbusters with its fight sequences. They are choreographed by Yuen Woo-ping and are incredible. It’s still just as exciting to watch, as it must have been in 1999. In the same way that the special effects, such as bullet time, which were revolutionary at the time still hold up. There’s one dodgy looking explosion towards the end, but beyond that you could mistake this for a film made today.

The performances are all excellent, especially from Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano and Laurence Fishburne. Even Keanu Reeves is pretty good in this film. His stilted performance fits Neo, who is essentially a new-born child in an adult’s body. They all look stylish as hell in the outfits, that became a trend in action films of the late 90s.

The Matrix is a quintessential sci-fi film. It’s absolutely thrilling, the effects and choreography are stunning and the cyberpunk stylised visuals pop of the screen. For fans of the film it’s really worth seeking out the 4K edition, especially if it’s showing in a cinema near you.

Thanks for reading and if you liked my review, please subscribe to never miss a post:

Posted in film reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

C’mon C’mon – A Raw and Emotional Masterpiece – Film Review Review

Posted on December 5, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Mike Mills

Writer: Mike Mills

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Scoot McNairy, Molly Webster, Jaboukie Young-White, and Woody Norman

Rating ★★★★½

Mike Mills makes a feature film around every 5 years, with many shorts in between. His 2010 film Beginners is one of the best films of recent years. C’mon C’mon is a triumph and celebration of life, death and everything in between. It’s raw and emotional and really touches you with it’s simple and heartfelt story.

It’s been a year since Johnny (Joaquin Phoenix) and Viv (Gabby Hoffmann) have spoken, which was when their mother died after suffering from dementia. Viv is having to travel to look after her estranged husband, Paul (Scoot McNairy), and Johnny offers to look after her son, Jesse (Woody Norman). The situation takes longer than Viv originally thought, meaning Jesse has to travel to New York with his uncle so he can continue working, with the bond between the growing.

C’mon C’mon is a really heartfelt, sweet and emotional story about a man learning to connect with his nephew. Johnny is thrown into a situation and feels very disorientated, similarly to how writer and director Mike Mills felt when he had his first child back in 2014. He’s doesn’t know how to really act around his nephew, and has to quickly develop a bond with him. The film is really intimate, being shot completely in black and white and showing the small moments in life from bath time to buying a toothbrush.

At the same time the small and intimate is contrasted with the travelling that Johnny does for work as a radio journalist. He’s travelling to different cities, with Jesse close behind, interviewing children about the future and their worries and dreams. It’s the grandness of the world and life with the mundane to create something that’s emotional and raw. Their relationship isn’t always perfect. Jesse is a 9-year-old who knows that his father is really struggling but doesn’t quite understand why. He acts out and Johnny doesn’t always know the best way to deal with it. There’s also the honesty and innocence of childhood as Jesse asks Johnny why he doesn’t speak to his sister (Jesse’s mum) very often, or why he’s alone. It forces Johnny to look inwards at the questions he doesn’t really want to face.

There’s also Viv, who spends most of the film looking after her husband Paul, trying to get him checked into a hospital to get the help he really needs. The film is about the struggles that good people go through, and how we’re all just trying to survive. It’s a very relatable film and there’s more than one extremely emotional moment that connects in a powerful way.

Joaquin Phoenix, Woody Norman (L-R)

As you’d expect Joaquin Phoenix gives an excellent performance. He’s incredibly moving and you really feel that there is a connection between his character and his nephew. Woody Norman gives an incredible performance, the chemistry between him and Phoenix is palpable and it really gets you. Equally great is Gabby Hoffman, who spends most of the film on the other side of the phone to Phoenix. Every time she’s on screen you feel the struggle she’s going through to hold everything together. The three of them are simply excellent.

C’mon C’mon is life affirming, powerfully raw and moving. The performances are perfect and it’s something that will stay with you for a very long time afterwards. Mike Mills has created another masterpiece.

Thanks for reading, if you liked my review please subscribe below:

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mixtape – Film Review

Posted on December 4, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter
Mixtape (2021) - IMDb

Director: Valerie Weiss

Writer: Stacey Menear

Starring: Gemma Brooke Allen, Julie Bowen, Nick Thune, Jackson Rathbone, Olga Pesta, Audrey Hsieh, and Diego Mercado

Rating: ★★★★½

Stacey Menear’s script for Mixtape has been floating around for over decade, first being announced way back in 2012 as going into production with Tom Vaughan directing. Mixtape has now been released on Netflix with Valerie Weiss in the director’s chair. It’s a really charming and moving story about loss and friendship and finds a perfect home on Netflix, where hopefully it will be seen by as many people as possible.

It’s 1999 and the end of the millennium is near, with Y2K worrying people. Beverly Moody (Gemma Brooke Allen) is living with her grandmother, Gail (Julie Bowen), after her parents died in a car crash. She doesn’t really have any connection with them, being too young to remember them clearly and her grandmother doesn’t like to talk about it. While in the basement, Beverly accidentally knocks over a box and finds a mix tape that her parents created. She puts it into a Walkman and presses play, thinking it may contain a message from her parents. Sadly, the tape is chewed up, but the track list is still on the case so Beverly sets out to recreate the mix, one song at a time.

Mixtape is a sweet and charming story. Beverley goes to the local record store to ask the owner to record songs onto a tape for her, so she can re-create the message that she believes her mother made for her. Along the way she makes friends with the other outcasts in school, Ellen (Audrey Hsieh) and Nicky (Olga Pesta), who help her find the songs. It’s the early days of the Internet, so they are reliant on records, CDs and Napster to complete their quest. A couple of the songs on the track list don’t have names, just descriptions, but Beverley’s mother’s diary helps them with this.

The main trio are great. All three give great performances and are completely believable. Beverley is a relatable character, who’s struggling with grieving for her parents, while also trying to find her way in life. It’s a journey of self-discovery for her. Gemma Brooke Allen is really good in the leading tole, she carries the whole film with the emotional weight on her shoulders. There’s one moment where she asks her grandmother if her mother would have even liked her? It’s a poignant moment that resonates throughout her quest.

The songs, mostly 80s punk and rock, are great. It’s a fitting soundtrack from the time that really tells you everything you need to know about Beverley’s parents, while at the same time are just great songs. It gives the story and energetic feel as almost everything is set to the beat of classic music.

The story does feel a little contrived at points. Beverley and Ellen can’t find a specific song by The Quick on Napster and the local record store doesn’t hold it, since only 1000 vinyl copies were pressed, but then they bump into Nicky at school, who’s wearing a t-shirt from the band and happens to have one of the elusive records at her house. They find a picture of a musician that Beverley’s mother knew, and he happens to be playing a show in a local club a couple of nights later. There aren’t really any obstacles along their quest, but it’s not a big problem because the central hook of the film is so strong that it’ll have you engaged anyway.

Mixtape is sentimental, charming and at points really emotional. It’s a brilliant coming-of-age story that feels really fresh. The idea of finding out about a lost loved one through a series of songs they handpicked is a really sweet idea that the film takes and carries perfectly. It’s a family friendly film that deserves the widest audience possible.

Thanks for reading, if you liked my review please subscribe below:

Posted in film reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City – Pure Fun from Start to Finish – Film Review

Posted on December 4, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) - IMDb

Director: Johannes Roberts

Writer: Johannes Roberts

Starring: Kaya Scodelario, Hannah John-Kamen, Robbie Amell, Tom Hopper, Avan Jogia, Donal Logue, Neal McDonough, Marina Mazepa

Rating: ★★★★

It’s been almost five years after Resident Evil: The Final Chapter finished off Paul W. S. Anderson’s take on the long running franchise. The reboot that was originally announced when The Final Chapter was still in cinemas is finally here. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City takes us back to when the outbreak first started, and its pure popcorn entertainment the whole way through with so many references for die-hard fans to enjoy.

Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario) is returning to Raccoon City to see her brother, Chris (Robbie Amell), who she’s barely spoken to since running away from the orphanage they both grew up in. Claire knows that something isn’t right in the city and wants to warn her brother. At the same time the rookie cop on the force, Leon S. Kennedy (Avan Jogia) is left by himself to man the front desk at the station after the rest of the squad are sent to Spencer Mansion to investigate a reported dead body. The massive pharmaceutical company, Umbrella, is moving away from Racoon City, but the virus they’ve created has leaked into the general population. At 6am they will be destroying the town, killing everyone inside and containing the threat completely.

The story adapts the original two games that were released back in the mid/late 90s. The film stays true to the originals, being set in 1998, but it does combine the two stories, so they play out at the same time. It really works. Right from the opening sequence, which shows Chris and Claire in the orphanage with some strange things happening around them, it’s pure mindless entertainment. It’s funny, has some pretty creepy moments and just enough jump scares to get you while not overdoing it.

The trailer for Welcome to Raccoon City left a lot to be desired. It looked cheap and rushed. Thankfully it didn’t do the final film justice at all. It don’t capture the manic energy, or the great chemistry between all the characters, or the great soundtrack to accompany them. For those familiar with the game series, all of the main characters are here, and they are perfectly cast. The acting may not be anything to write home about, but they’re all good in their roles.

It’s really faced paced, not really slowing down from the moment it starts. It doesn’t feel rushed in anyway, just keeping the action going. The zombies look pretty good, nothing spectacular, but they’re creepy enough. They are different from the original games, a lot quicker, and they turn slower, and you can see them progress from human to mindless zombies. It’s an interesting idea to see them turn like this and it works well. It all builds, in typical Resident Evil style, to an underground lab, a train ride and one hell of a big monster trying to kill them. It may not be true terror and horror, but there are some chilling moments and Lisa Trevor (Marina Mazepa) is really creepy.

Lisa Trevor is just one of the many references to the games that long term fans will instantly get. It’s not just box ticking, this is a labour of love. You can feel Johannes Roberts passion for the series, with so many references to the games, that’ll get die-hard fans excited. The characters, including minor ones, are excellent. When Claire first gets to Chris’s house, she walks around examining things like you would in the game. There’s a piano puzzle at one point. The way that Leon walks is perfect from the games. Johannes Roberts also manages to squeeze in the line ‘Jill Sandwich’ at one point, which is for the real long-term fans.

There are some niggles, especially with some of the sometimes-shoddy special effects, but they are really minor and the greatness of everything else outshines them. It may work more for established fans of the series, with all the references and characters, but newcomers will be able to pick up the story without any hassle. It doesn’t go that deep into the lore, focusing more on the entertainment.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is one of the great video game adaptations yet. It’s incredible fun. Writer and director Johannes Roberts has said that he hopes to adapt Code Veronica and then the fourth game. Fingers crossed the sequels happen, because this one is great.  

Thanks for reading, if you liked my review please subscribe below:

Posted in film reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment