Summering – Film Review

Posted on November 23, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: James Ponsoldt

Writers: James Ponsoldt and Benjamin Percy

Starring: Lia Barnett, Lake Bell, Sarah Cooper, Ashley Madekwe, Madelen Mills, Megan Mullaly, Eden Grace Redfield, and Sanai Victoria

Rating: ★★★½

Summering is a coming-of-age mystery film directed by James Ponsoldt, who also co-wrote the script with Benjamin Percy. The story follows four teenagers during the last weeks of summer, with the beginning of middle school looming in the near future. While out playing, not wanting the summer to end, they come across a dead body in the middle of the woods. Instead of telling their parents or the police they decide to investigate themselves to find find out the person’s identity.

All of the leads are really good, making the ridiculous premise work and not come across as silly. Their friendship feels very authentic and real straight from the opening scene. The story itself is a little off putting at first, because it doesn’t make sense why they don’t just tell someone about the body. There’s a slight hint that it might cause them danger in case the person had been murdered, but it’s not the main reason they decide to investigate it themselves. It’s a little distracting, and if the film had a better spark to ignite their investigation it would be a lot better.

At one point they even suggest that the body isn’t real, which would have made more sense, except it has to be real for certain clues to be followed. They take a picture of the body, with a filter on, to see if anyone knows the person’s name, so there must have been a body. To blur the line between their imagination and reality it would made more sense if it was something like they’d taken a photo from a wallet or something similar that they’d found.  

In some ways it feels completely modern with one of the main characters having a mobile phone, and another knowing about the dark web, in others it feels like something you’d expect from the 80s, with a plot line that feels like it would be right at home in a Stephen King story. At it’s core it feels very traditional as it’s about the timeless theme of growing up.

One of the best things about this film is how it blends different genres and styles. The film opens with three of the four girls sitting in a bathtub fearing being caught. It almost comes across like a horror film, and it really works. There’s also moments later where they see the ghost of the dead person they find that is a little unnerving. It’s only a slight amount of horror, but it makes the film feel fresh. At the same time, it’s also very funny in places, and it’s never short on a sentimental reflection on growing up.  

Summering is a charming and sentimental coming-of-age story. It hits some familiar beats, but it’s still effective due to great performances from the four leads and an intriguing central mystery.

Thanks for reading! If you liked my post, please subscribe to never miss a post:

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

Reservoir Dogs – 4K Review

Posted on November 22, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Quintin Tarantino

Writer: Quintin Tarantino

Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madson, and Quentin Tarantino

Rating: ★★★★

It’s been thirty years since Quinten Tarantino made his debut with Reservoir Dogs, the low-budget classic crime film. Now the film has received a 4K restoration release in a brilliantly stunning steelbook. It’s a great opportunity to discover or re-visit the iconic film that launched Tarantino’s career. The story revolves around a failed heist and the criminals regrouping and trying to figure out what’s going on. It’s filled with paranoia, pop culture references, and more blood than you’d find in some slasher films.

As Tarantino’s first film, it really shows how great of a filmmaker he is, especially when working with a lower budget. All of his signature techniques are there straight from the beginning, the excellent soundtrack, the non-linear timeline, as well as the offbeat dialogue. Even the extreme and horrific violence, which is more suggested than shown on screen. If you’ve seen his later films, and not yet seen where it all started, then you won’t be disappointed.  

There are a few special features on this release, but nothing major. There’s a few deleted scenes, including some alternative and more graphic versions of the ‘ear’ scene, which are interesting to watch, especially the ones that show the cops planning to stop the heist. The other extras are two featurettes, one that contextualises the film to explain why it’s so iconic and influential. The other featurette profiles the characters in the film, which gives a little more insight into the story, but not essential.

Reservoir Dogs is an all time classic and while the new release is a little light on extras, the brilliant steelbook more than makes up for that. The film still stands up today and is just as great and fresh as ever. It’s essential watching for any film fan.

Order – Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xHfgbQ
Order – HMV: https://bit.ly/3SoLGzR
Order – Zavvi: https://bit.ly/3duQvsx

Reservoir Dogs is on 4K UHD + Blu-ray SteelBook 21 November from Lionsgate UK

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

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

Disenchanted – Film Review

Posted on November 21, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Adam Shankman

Writer: Brigette Hales

Starring: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Maya Rudolph, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jayma Mays, Gabriella Baldacchino, Idina Menzel, and James Marsden

Rating: ★★★

Fifteen years after the excellent Enchanted, Giselle (Amy Adams) is back. Her story didn’t end with her happily ever after, since in the real world stories continue once people get married. Like the first one the film takes the tropes of fairy tales and tries to do something new with it, however the second time around there’s a lot less charm and originality.

In the years since Giselle and Robert (Patrick Dempsey) have gotten married, Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino) has reached her teenage years and the couple have had a second child. Feeling that life has become tiring and their happy ever after isn’t quite as ever after as she’d like, Giselle moves the family to a small town, hoping to capture some of the magic of her own kingdom. When that backfires, Giselle makes a wish that turns their new home into a fairy tale, but as everyone knows magic always comes at a price.

Disenchanted starts with a short recap of the first film and the years in-between, just in case you haven’t seen the original (although if you haven’t you should really just watch that one, it’s a fantastic modern Disney classic), before jumping into the new story. Since Morgan is now a teenager, she’s rebelling against her parents and the things she liked when she was younger, which causes most of the conflict in the first act, especially when she calls Giselle her step-mom out of anger.

After the wish is completed, the world turns completely upside down, with everything feeling like something ripped straight out of an animated Disney classic. Everything seems to be perfect for the family, that is until it turns out that the dark side of fairy tales has become part of their reality as well, and Giselle starts to take the role of Morgan’s stepmother, treating her as a servant instead of a daughter.  

The best thing about Disenchanted is watching Giselle turn into the wicked stepmother. It happens slowly at first, and you’re not really sure what’s happening as she gets more confident and snarkier to the other characters, and then it all clicks. It’s also really subtle at first, which is great. It’s a really great transformation and the funniest thing about the film. Amy Adams does a great job turning evil. Patrick Dempsey also turning into a foolish hero looking for anyway to prove his worth is funny, but it’s a shame there isn’t more time spent with both Adams and Dempsey together on screen. 

Like a lot of straight-to-video Disney sequels from the mid-nineties onwards, this film just feels a bit soulless. It’s entertaining while it’s on, but unlike the first film it’s completely forgettable. There isn’t any standout moments or jokes. The musical numbers are all fine, but there isn’t one that’s great like ‘That’s how you know’ in the first film. The new characters are just architypes and not much more, even with good performances from Maya Rudolph, Yvette Nicole Brown and Jayma Mays. It’s all completely fine, and that’s it. 

Disenchanted is enjoyable, but it’s a sequel that doesn’t feel essential, which is a shame because there’s some good ideas there. As good as it is to see Amy Adams turn into the wicked stepmother Disenchanted is just not enchanting enough to become a great sequel.

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

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

The Menu – Film Review

Posted on November 20, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Mark Mylod

Writers: Seth Reiss and Will Tracy

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet MeTeer, Judith Light, John Leguizamo,

Rating: ★★★★

The Menu has taken a few years to finally reach cinemas. Written by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy, the script was on The Black List (a list of popular unproduced screenplays, based on a survey of executives) in 2019. Since then the cast and director was shuffled around and the film finally started production in late 2021. The film is a horror comedy and something quite unique.  

A group of elites travel to a remote island in order to dine at a very expensive and exclusive restaurant run by one of the most renowned chefs in the world Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). As the evening progresses it becomes clear that the menu has been specially selected for those in attendance, and there’s more going on than just a simple dinner.    

Ralph Fiennes is absolutely brilliant as the highly regarded chef, Julian Slowik. He’s incredibly sinister and even confesses to being a complete monster at one point. The rest of the characters are all quite an odd bunch. The special meal has been organised and designed for a special guestlist and part of the fun of the film is figuring out why that is. All the way through the story there’s a growing sense of dread, before the penny drops and everything clicks together. You know something bad is going to happen, and once it does it doesn’t disappoint.

The tension is heart stopping, and so well made. Anya Taylor-Joy, who’s excellent as always, plays Margot, the only person who shouldn’t have been at the meal. As she’s invited as a replacement for Tyler’s (Nicholas Hoult) date. It causes a bit of disruption to the staff when she does turn up, since everything has been engineered to a beyond specific degree. Her personality clashes with the rest of the evening, and she doesn’t feel like she belongs with the mega-elite she’s dining with. Because her character is more relatable than the others, it really adds to the nail-biting tension that builds up.

Nicholas Hoult is also really great. His character, Tyler, is obsessed with food and Slowik. He’s so desperate to show off his knowledge about food, as well as gain Slowik’s approval. There’s a lot of comedy that comes from his character and the desperation he has. The rest of the characters are all members of the elite and mega rich. The film is filled with satirical comedy about the priviledge of the character, as well as nature in general.  

The Menu is a devious feast, filled with courses of great satire and nail-biting tension. It’s completely original and a great mix of horror and comedy.

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

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

Spirited – Film Review

Posted on November 19, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Sean Anders

Writers: Sean Anders and John Morris

Starring: Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spencer, Sunita Mani, Patrick Page

Rating: ★★★½

Spirited is a Christmas comedy musical that’s a modern interpretation of Charles Dickens’s classic A Christmas Carol. The film is directed by Sean Anders, who also co-wrote the script with John Morris. The pair previously worked with Will Ferrell on the Daddy’s Home films. While it’s essentially the same story to what we all know, there’s enough new elements to make it worth watching.

Instead of telling the story the traditional way, it’s told from the perspective of the ghosts. Showing them preparing to target the ‘perp’ Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds), a marketing giant who runs his business by creating division in the world. Will Ferrell plays the Ghost of Christmas Present and is the leader of the operation. He’s chosen Briggs as his target, believing that turning him good will send positive ripples around the world. 

Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell are very funny in the film, doing what they’re best at. There’s lots of offbeat humour, and a very dodgy English accent from Reynolds for one song. If you’re a fan of Reynolds, then you’ll probably like this one. Tonally, it’s an all-out Christmas musical, that isn’t afraid to go big with the epic numbers. They’re as grand as any musical you can think of, and while there’s not a song that’s earwormy enough to be stuck in your head for weeks, they’re all entertaining.

With so many adaptations of A Christmas Carol it’s good to see a new spin on it, that doesn’t feel like just re-treading old ground even though the staples of the story are still there. It’s entertaining, with some good jokes and plenty of good music. A perfect, goofy addition for any Christmas watch list.

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

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