The Last Duel – Film Review

Posted on October 16, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Ridley Scott

Writers: Nicole Holofcener, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon

Starring: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck, Harriet Walter, Nathaniel Parker, Sam Hazeldine, Michael McElhatton, and Alex Lawther

Rating: ★★★★

Ridley Scott’s latest epic The Last Duel, shows that the director hasn’t lost the magic. It’s another film in a long line of instant greats that Scott has managed to produce for almost fifty years. The Last Duel tells the true medieval story of a trial by combat. Marguerite de Carrouges(Jodie Comer) accuses Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) of rape. Due to the law of the time, this can only be contested by her husband, Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon), who challenges Jacques to a duel to the death, letting God reveal the truth.

The film is told in three chapters, the first Jean de Carrouges version of the events, followed by Jacques Le Gris and finally Marguerite’s side. It’s the perfect way to tell a story that has been debated by historians for centuries. Through the three versions, we get to witness how the same events can be seen completely different by those involved. Each version has differences that range from subtle to completely changing events. It keeps the narrative interesting and engaging throughout it’s two and a half hour run time. Even though the film goes over the same points, the nuanced differences are crafted so amazingly by the superb cast, writing and direction that it’s never boring.

The three interwoven chapters build to one of the tensest climactic fights in cinema history. By the time the destined duel actually takes place, you feel like you know the three main characters. The stakes are very real, and the fighting is so brutal that your heart stops. If Jean loses then his wife will be burnt alive for baring false witness. It’s a tragic true story that really captures your attention and keeps it for the whole time.

The performances are extraordinary. Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer and Ben Affleck all deserve awards for how great they are in the film. Their performances are exceptional, filled with emotion and subtlety. The way each of them differs in the different telling of the events, to the smallest detail, gives the film so much needed depth. Some of the difference, the changing lines of dialogue, the looks they give it each, they are so small, but mean so much. It’s also an excellent script that tells the story in the most engaging way possible.

The rape is shown twice, once through the eyes of Jacques and once through Marguerite’s. The difference in how they saw the events is palpable, but at no point is it exploitative. It’s a vital moment in the film, that’s uncomfortable to watch and as brutal as the final duel.

The film also has many grand moments, from massive fights, the wide landscape and buildings of medieval France, parties, and the duel itself. The sets look incredible, the costumes feel authentic and accurate, and you really get a sense of what life was like. It’s not just the visuals that capture the time, it’s the outdated attitudes and ideas as well.  

The Last Duel sadly feels all to relevant today. It’s a story that we’ve all seen in the news regularly over the last few years. The film doesn’t get too involved in the actual trial, before the duel was decided (which is really interesting if you get the time to read up on it). The performances are excellent, the storytelling is nuanced and just pure genius. Ridley Scott is one of the greatest directors of all time and he’s created another masterpiece with The Last Duel. It’s a horrific and barbaric story, that really shows we haven’t progressed as far as we would like to think in the almost seven hundred years since the events take place.

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Halloween Kills – Film Review

Posted on October 16, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: David Gordon Green

Writers: Scott Teems, Danny McBride and David Gordon Green

Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, James Jude Courtney, Judy Greet, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Anthony Michael Hall, Kyle Richards, Nancy Stephens and Robert Longstreet

Rating: ★★

The middle part of the new Halloween trilogy is finally here after being delayed a year. Following on from the badly titled Halloween (a sequel to the 1978 film of the same name), Halloween Kills picks up almost exactly where the 2018 film ends. The new trilogy continues the story from John Carpenter’s classic ignoring the sequels and reboots and focusing on being a sequel to the original film.

The 2018 film ended with Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) injured but victorious over of the monstrous Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney). He has been left in her compound to burn. It’s not long before he escapes the flames and wreaks havoc on Haddonfield once again. The town sets out to defend itself with the chant ‘evil dies tonight’

While the 2018 film is a true sequel to the original, keeping the feel and tone of it while also doing its own thing and setting up a trilogy, Halloween Kills is a bit of a mess. Gone is the dark and brooding tension, which is replaced by over-the-top violence and action. There isn’t a moment in the film that is close to being scary. The violence and deaths are entertaining, but it’s not a patch on the horror of what came before.

The film is also rooted in nostalgia. The opening credits recreate the opening credits of the original, with the same dated orange and grainy writing. Some familiar characters reappear from the original, including a few that have been re-cast. Towards the beginning there is an extended flashback sequence that isn’t necessary in the slightest. It shows what happens after the end of the original film, something that was explained in a line of dialogue in the 2018 film. The nostalgia is charming, but it’s overdone.

Halloween Kills really suffers for being the middle part of the trilogy. It takes a very long time to get going, and apart from very small sections, not a lot really happens. Beyond the final moments, the situation is almost identical at the end as it is at the beginning. The whole film feels kind of pointless, which is a real shame because the 2018 was so great. Making things worse is how slow this one is. It takes what feels like an age to get going. The set-up is already done, so instead we get an extended flashback and padding that just isn’t needed.

There are still some good moments in the film, with the best being the mistaken identity bit in the middle, without giving anything away. It’s the tensest part of the film. There’s a death where someone falls from a window, which is horrific. The sequence, which falls apart if you really think about it (It relies on the crowd not knowing what Myers looks like, despite his face being shown on the news earlier, blurry for us as the audience, although surely not for the characters?), is the highlight of the film. Saying this, the frenzy of the mob isn’t really convincing, again it’s over-the-top and filled with awkward dialogue.

Overall, it’s a truly forgettable film. It’s over-the-top silly with clunky dialogue and a plot that meanders along to set up the final part of the trilogy, Halloween Ends, which is due out next year. The violence is good, but it’s not scary and it’s too boring to ever really be entertaining. Even John Carpenter’s excellent score can’t save it.

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The Tender Bar – Film Review

Posted on October 15, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: George Clooney

Writer: William Monahan

Starring: Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Daniel Ranieri, Lily Rabe, Christopher Lloyd, Sondra James, Max Martini, and Matthew Delamater

Rating: ★★★★½

Based on the memoir by J.R. Moehringer, The Tender Bar is a coming-of-age story about an aspiring writer. J.R. lives with his mother, uncle and grandparents and is aiming to go to Yale to become a writer. His father left when he was young and his Uncle Charlie acts as the role model and mentor as he is growing up.

One of the earliest lines in the film is J. R. saying that we all need an Uncle Charlie and by the end of the film, you’ll agree with that. Uncle Charlie is a lovable character and someone that every family needs. He’s a father figure for J.R. and someone that is there for him at every point. This isn’t someone who is going to let you down. Ben Affleck’s gives a career defining performance as Charlie. The facial expressions, the attitude. It’s all perfect. From the first moment he is on screen, he’s full of charisma and elevates the film.

The rest of the cast are also great. Tye Sheridan and Daniel Ranieri both play J.R. at different stages of growing up. They are both great. Lily Rabe plays Dorothy, J.R.’s mother. She has high expectations for her son, wanting a better life for him that she had. Lily Rabe is excellent. Christopher Lloyd gives another excellent performance as the grandfather, who acts like he doesn’t like family relying on him but is always there when needed.

What makes the family so great, despite J.R.’s absent father, is that they are all very supportive of each other. The Grandfather acts like he doesn’t care, just sitting in his chair all day, but he takes J.R. to the father-son day and he’s standing in anticipation when the letter from Yale finally arrives. The whole family dynamic may be dysfunctional, but it’s an aspirational family and when our time with them is over as the credits start to role, you’ll wish it was going to last just a little longer.

The film does walk a very fine line, almost crossing over and becoming too sentimental. It’s a heart-warming film, that feels life affirming and full of positivity. There is enough darkness that stops it from crossing that line and the family drama is well-portrayed. J.R.’s father is a horrible piece of work, and the film doesn’t pull any punches in showing that. The only blunder it makes is a really clunky line of dialogue when J.R. see’s his father for what he truly is and his father says you look like you’ve had a breakthrough. It’s a strange on the nose moment in an otherwise well-written script, which makes it stand out even more.

The Tender Bar is the feel-good film of the year. It’s full of emotion and while a lot of it feels familiar, the performances and family dynamic make the film a great time from start to finish. George Clooney adds another wonderful film to his great list of work as a director.

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Mid October Update

Posted on October 15, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

It’s been a little while since I posted an update on here. The last couple of weeks have been busy with the internet issues now sorted and London Film Festival winding down, I should be back to normal now on. I was hoping in October to do a horror marathon, which didn’t go as planned. I listed up all the films people recommended and because of no internet until this week, I haven’t gotten around to most of them. Now that it’s back I will be watching as many as possible, so it will be a mini marathon for October this year. I’ll plan it further in advance next time I try to do something like this.

Now that everything has settled I’m hoping I’ll have more time for reading. I have a very long to-be-read list and I would really like to make some progress on that over the next couple of weeks. I’m still reading Alejandro’s Lie, which I’m enjoying. I have just over 100 pages left, so will hopefully finish that sometime in the next few days.

Writing fiction is something I’ve done next to none of for the last few weeks. I have a few ideas that I’m working out in my head and I have notes written down for one of them. Eventually I will sit down and write them all up as full stories. It’s what I really want to be doing with my time, so I need to make the extra effort.

I know the updates about my fitness have been sparse recently, but over the weekend I did a lot of walking. I didn’t really feel it for long afterwards, so it was a really nice feeling that progress has been made. I’m still not exactly where I want to be, but I’m heading in the right direction.

It’s kind of a short update this week, mostly because things are settling down again and I want to take a breather for a moment before any big tasks. My review for The Tender Bar will be uploaded later and tomorrow will be The Last Duel and Halloween Kills.

Thanks for reading and until next time,

Ashley

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The Beta Test – Film Review

Posted on October 14, 2021 by ashleymanningwriter

Directors: Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe

Writers: Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe

Starring: Jim Cummings, Virginia Newcomb, PJ McCabe, Olivia Grace Applegate, and Jessica Barr

Rating: ★★★

The latest film from Jim Cummings, this time co-written and directed with PJ McCabe, is The Beta Test. A striking and disturbing satire about the state of Hollywood in a post #MeToo and Harvey Weinstein world. Cummings presents a story where the old Hollywood is still very much alive, and the toxic masculinity and sleaze is all there to be seen here.

Jim Cummings stars as talent agent Jordan who is juggling his career and upcoming marriage. Everything about his life is fake, from his smile to the car he drives. It’s all a deceit so that everyone else thinks he has his life together. He receives a strange invitation in the post offering a ‘no strings attached’ one night stand, which after some hesitation he accepts. Afterwards he becomes obsessed with finding the woman he slept with, while at the same time his life starts to fall apart around him.

The film starts with a woman who had received a letter coming clean to her husband, who reacts with brutal violence. It’s a shocking opening, that is set up really well. From the moment the scene starts, you know it’s not going to have a happy ending. She is shaking and calling the police, knowing what will happen when she tells him. Even though you know it’s coming, the violence is still shocking, quick and brutal.

The mystery of who sent the invitation is very muddled. It starts out compelling in a strange and obsessive way, but by the time it reaches the big reveal, the spark has been lost. Jordan does everything from lie about having a stalker to impersonate being a police officer. He has some pushback, but his shouting and confidence gets the job done so he can follow the flimsy trail to uncover the truth. It’s just not as interesting as it should be as a thriller. It’s too easy for him and the whole thing feels as artificial as his demeaner, which could be argued as the point of the film.

What makes the film interesting is Cummings’s performance. He is electric on camera, intense and oozing with a disgusting personality. He treats the people around him so poorly that it makes you wonder how he has friends and a fiancé in the first place.

At the heart of the film is the talent agency that Jordan works for. They are becoming obsolete in the new way the world works. The film references Harvey Weinstein only as Harvey, he has become a bogeyman of the industry. It’s an exploration into the toxic masculinity and lack of changes in Hollywood. One of the best scenes in the film is when a potential client rips into Jordan, who just must take it and replies that he likes their honesty, all the time his fake persona cracking. The breakdown that Jordan is heading towards would be interesting even without the letter mystery as a catalyst.

The Beta Test is stylish and brutal. The film loses steam as it goes on and the mystery isn’t very satisfying, but Cummings’s performance keeps you watching until the final moments.

Blue Finch Film Releasing presents The Beta Test in cinemas 15 October

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