Licorice Pizza – A 70s delight… with caveats.

Somehow, all of Paul Thomas Anderson’s movies have completely past me by, I don’t know why. Don’t ask. I’ll rectify it when I have chance. They’re on a list, somewhere amongst my other lists of MUST WATCHES.

Licorice Pizza. I saw this in a screening with only two other people scattered in other places. Glorious.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way, the controversy of the characters age difference around this film had me sceptical going in. If the gender roles were reverse, would this movie even be made? I don’t think they’d make Lolita today. But that’s a discussion for another time.

I lost myself in this film, which usually is a good thing. I couldn’t tell if I loved it or wanted to leave. I don’t know if this is PTA’s style, where nothing and everything is happening at the same time.

But, I couldn’t stop watching.

The controversy may have been a little over the top. Yes, she’s 25 and he’s 15. There are some moments of “Oh, did that happen!? Am I ok with that?” that made me feel uncomfortable and cringe. But it was the 70s. It was filled with male chauvinists, racism. A different time, maybe?

Ultimately this story is about two people drawn to each other. Despite their flaws, their interests in other people, they are constantly pulled back like their souls are connected.

Not that I know what the 70s feels like, I’m an 80s baby, but this film feels authentic. Lived in. The costume design, hair styles and set design are beautiful. The cinematography is *chefs kiss*.

Licorice Pizza is a must watch. But for me, it’s not a rewatch. It’s only 2 hours and 15 minutes long, but it felt much longer.

The Last Dual – A review from a millennial…

It’s been a couple months since I saw this in the cinema, but now it’s on Disney+, it’s reminded how much I love it.

Ridley Scott came under fire recently for his comments against “millennials” for the reason The Last Duel did not perform well at the box office. Which, I mean, maybe you can make a case that a small percentage of people won’t want to watch a two and a half film set in medieval times. But, with the pandemic, people not having a lot of money to spend, they’re more likely to want to see something slightly more uplifting than a film centred around rape. With that and the lack of decent marketing, I can see why it performed poorly.

All that aside, this might be one of Ridley Scott’s best since The Martian. I was worried that Affleck and Damon were going to be distracting in a period drama, but I was sucked in by there phenomenal performances. And then there’s Adam Driver. Is that man ever in a bad film? He’s a powerhouse actors.

But the stand out has to be Jodie Comer. I’d only seen her in Free Guy before this. Jodie’s ability to make subtle, but important changes in her performance over each chapter was nothing short of Oscar worthy.

There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding the rape scene. No one wants to watch something so violent and horrendous, but The Last Duel’s story is centred around this horrific event (which is based on true events). Unfortunately we’re subjected to the scene twice, but for an important reason – to see it from the false perspective of the rapist and the true perspective of the victim.

The Last Duel is a powerful film. A woman, who is seen as property to her husband, stands up for what she believes is right. To stand against her rapist. Even in the face of death, she does not waver.

The Last Duel is not one to be missed.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

“Is nostalgia killing cinema?” I read several of these article titles – admittedly not the articles themselves – but couldn’t be more perplexed by the question.

We live in uncertain times. The world is in a constant state of horrendous madness, and the ONE thing that gets people through is entertainment like movies/TV. It’s complete escapism. Sprinkle in some nostalgia, and you’ve got yourself two hours of warm hearted fun to remind you that not everything is doom and gloom.

All that being said, Ghostbusters: Afterlife blends nostalgia with originality so well. It’s a balance that some movies struggle to get right. Star Wars, I’m looking at you…

New York was a character in itself with the original Ghostbusters movies – and I guess the 2016 version – so taking that away could’ve been risky. But I found myself feeling a sense of familiarity with the new middle America setting with wide open spaces and two-story town.

I love a coming of age story. Stand By Me, Stranger Things, ET – all set in these rural towns. Making the main characters of this reboot mostly children was a great move.

I’d highly recommend this to anyone!

Clifford the Big Red Dog – The Return of 90s cheese.

Whilst everyone was queuing to get into their screening of Spider-Man Far from Home, I was there with my ticket to see a story about another joyful character in all red whipping around New York (was it New York?)

Let’s get the biggest issue out of the way, I’m all for actors doing accents. Some of my fellow Brits, like Andrew Lincoln, do amazing American accents. But Jack Whitehall just sounds like he’s doing an impression, and it’s very distracting. It takes away from his wit and charm and it also just felt like an unnecessary story point, they could have quite easily written an explanation to why he’s in America as a Brit – I mean his sister is has a British accent. It irked me more than it should.

If you love cheesy 90s movies, especially ones about animals like in Beethoven, then you’ll love this. It’s definitely felt like an homage with its stereotypical bad guy, and children taking the lead.

Clifford is cute. The story is fun. I’d recommend this to people who have kids or anyone this look for a bit of a nostalgic kick.

West Side Story – Do we really need a remake?

Short answer. Yes. 100%. Remakes are necessary.

I haven’t seen the original 60s version, and likely never will. I mean with all the brand new content, how the hell am I expected to go back and watch movies from the 60s…? What’s that? Oh, yeah, I am rewatching Lost for tenth time… But that’s not the same thing… It isn’t…

Fine. Maybe I should go back. It’s on the list. I’ll get to it, eventually…

Apart from the couple talking behind me, who thankfully shut up 30 minutes into the movie – but only because I asked them to – I absolutely loved West Side Story. I’ve never been much of a musical fan, but with La La Land and the recent Tick Tick Boom, I’m starting to see the appeal.

“We don’t need a remake, the original is perfectly good.” And while I agree with this statement that some movies should never be touched, and by “some” I mean one – Back to the Future – newer, younger audiences aren’t going to watch a film made in the 60s. Their attention spans are shot to shit with TikTok and YouTube, can you imagine them sitting in front of a really, really old film? It ain’t gonna happen. Remaking old films for today’s audiences, with modern filmmaking techniques will give new life to the story. Hell, maybe it’ll inspire them enough to want to watch the original.

Spielberg’s directorial credits in recent years haven’t been anything to write home about, but this was a joy to watch. The cinematography is beautiful, the choreography is mesmerising. I love that I feel like I’m watching a stage play. And the acting, the characters, it all feels like a lived on world.

If you have your doubts about this, don’t. Get out and see it. You won’t regret it!

It’s a 7/10 for me!