The Dawn Wall & Free Solo - 'Double Bill' - Phil's Five Words for Film

Rock Climbing Double Bill. Harness yourself in for a wild time. You do not need to be a climber to appreciate wonderful film crafting.

'The Dawn Wall' (2017 Cert 15 UK 100mins) & 'Free Solo' (2018 Cert 12A UK 100mins) 

'Free Solo' is an Oscar-winning documentary (2018) about rock climber Alex Honnold as he attempts to scale Yosemite's El Capitan Wall without a safety rope. As uncomfortably crazy as it sounds and not for the faint-hearted. My recommended prequel is ‘Dawn Wall’ from 2017, to give you an idea of scale and the levels of physical fitness needed from all concerned. 'Dawn Wall' follows free climbers Tommy Caldwell and climbing partner Kevin Jorgeson, who attempt to climb a 3000ft route up El Capitan. Both films will make you marvel at the lengths some people will go to push their boundaries and the limits of possibility within sport. I would argue that 'Dawn Wall' ( Dir. Josh Lowell / Peter Mortimer) has a more complete narrative but 'Free Solo' ( Dir. Jimmy Chin / Elisabeth Chai Vasarhelyi ) has the better drama and cinematography. Tense, palm sweating, vertigo-inducing double bill documentary that highlights the daring, perseverance, wonderful camera work and climbing skills of a dedicated bunch. Insane and fantastic. Near perfect documentary making. Just don't look down. 

9 out of 10 (together and individually)

Cert 15 & 12A UK

Capernaum - Phil's Five Words for Film

Capernaum From Lebanese Director, Nadine Labaki comes a hard hitting, documentary-styled story of poverty, failing society and the inhumane treatment of disenfranchised minors in Beirut.. The very human story of a 10year old boy’s fight to create a better life for himself by divorcing himself from his parents. ‘Real’ extras and handheld footage thrusts the viewer deep in to the film and there is real social comment to be found. Wonderful drone footage and the use of 'real' locations produces a stunning film that feels dirty and angrily frustrated. The tragedy is that the most humanity and hope to be seen comes from the youngest members of the entire piece. Zain Al Rafeea stands out as the boy, Zain. Beautiful film-making that should touch all who make the effort to watch it. Nominated for an Oscar in 2019 for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. It should have had more. Cameo appearance by the director to look out for and one of the most uplifting end frames of any film. Subtitles.

8 out of 10. 2018 

Cert 15.
2hrs 6mins

The Invisible Man - Phil's Five Words for Film - 2020

What starts out as a solid, taut, psychological drama, soon descends in to a standard, thoroughly transparent, fun romp. It does have a great first half. However, ALL the major plot points are clearly signposted and visible and, for me, there just wasn’t enough horror for a horror, sci-fi for a sci-fi or drama for a drama. Written and directed by Leigh Whannell (Saw 2004/.Upgrade2018), it is a re-working of the H.G.Wells classic. There are some great moments within the film (nervy camera movements and background twitches ratchet up the tension) and the central performance from Elizabeth Moss is excellent but the ending of the film felt rushed and far from neatly tied up. As a fan of nearly all of Leigh Whannell’s previous work, this one felt incomplete, a bit mixed up, often out of control and  below par. It's taken a shed load of money at the Box Office though, so expect a #MeToo2 follow-up. Nervy but distracted by unseen forces.

5.5 out of 10
Cert 15 (UK)
2hrs 5mins
2020

Swiss Army Man - Phil's Five Words for Films

Swiss Army Man OK. So here it is, the premise. A desperate man discovers a farting, dead body on a beach and the two become friends, embarking on a flatulent journey that will bring them to the edges of society and maybe even save a life. If you don’t find the premise intriguing, then don’t watch the film. If you do however, you will see the most quirky, original and strangely poignant film that you’ll have seen in a while. Directed by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert. There are two great performances at the centre of the film and both Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano fully embrace the characters and bring us an arty, grotesque and touching comment on loneliness, society, depression and acceptance. There are moments that do feel like missed steps including, to my mind, the final scene but on the whole, the imagination and strange beauty of  the film’s central premise carries it through. A genuinely bizarre, humorous and unconventional film. An odd journey. An odd, wind powered journey towards hope. 
7.5 out of 10
Cert 15 (UK)
97mins 2016. 

See the trailer here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrK1f4TsQfM

Room - Phil's Five Words for Films

Room Directed by Lenny Abrahamson (Frank,2014) and based on the screenplay & 2010 book by Emma Donoghue, Room centres on a young boy, Jack, who has known nothing of the world other than the room in which he has been held captive. Together with his 'Ma', his world has to change quickly as they bid to escape from their captor, 'Old Nick'. The first half of the film is claustrophobic and personal and the second half is tragic yet hopeful. The naïve, first person tone of the book has been perfectly captured in the low level camera work and the focus on faces and simple relationships. Brie Larson won an Oscar in 2016 for her performance but, for me, it is the young wonder of Jack ( Jacob Tremblay ) that really steals the show. A wonderful film about parenthood, learning from life and growing through experience. Emma Donoghue was rightly nominated for an adapted screenplay Oscar.

8 out of 10
Cert 15 (UK)
118mins 2016

Bad Moms - Phil's Five Words for Films.

Bad Moms Utter, utter bilge. Offensive, sexist, unrealistic, completely devoid of anything that vaguely resembles comedy, this film is a complete waste of everyone's time. 'BadMoms' is full of characters that nobody could relate to and it has a plot that is as stupid as it is thin. A whinging 'Mom' ( who somehow lives in a massive house with 2 massive cars and 2 massively over-effected kids ) takes time out from her consumeristic lifestyle to have a 'breakdown' and run for the local PTA job. Loud montages replace plot development and crass, thinly veiled 'phobic' statements are supposed to pass as humour. The bar is set from the first few seconds of the film and it never manages to scrape itself off the floor. A poor attempt to cash in on and invert 'The Hangover' franchise, it is lacking in every department. With a wealth of talent on screen, (Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn amongst others) it is a disgraceful waste to produce such a nothing film. If you are the sort of person that finds this stuff entertaining, you really need to take a look at your life. Sorry. Save your time and don't encourage this sort of vacuous nonsense. 'BadMoms', bad people, bad idea, bad film.

1 out of 10.
Cert 15 (UK) 2016.
100mins

American Hustle - Phil's Five Words for Films

American Hustle There's loads of great performances in this con artist, FBI shakedown but it looks and feels like a drug-fuelled party held in a 1970s costume department. There's just too much 'Wig' going on. Like Christian Bale's character, Irving Rosenfeld, it is hard working, entertaining but a little bit bloated. The colour and energy of the film distracts from the main characters and plot, meaning I was left not really caring for any of the main players. Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Christian Bale and especially Jennifer Laurence all shine and they play off each other with hyperactive intensity. For all their effort and that of the props department, it is a movie that doesn't quite match the sum of its considerable parts. The main problem with that being that it seems quite a long film to leave you feeling so empty. Enjoyable, high energy, fluffy and a distraction from anything there to get your teeth in to. Like candyfloss.

7.5 out of 10
Cert 15 (UK)
135mins. 2013.

Whiplash - Phil's Five Words for Films

Whiplash When does pushing for glory become psychologically abusive? There are so many reasons why Whiplash is, in my opinion, the perfect film. It is not just because the script and screenplay crackle with intensity or that the film, directed by Damien Chazelle, literally never takes it's eye off the central character, Andrew. It is not even that the film was put together in less than 3 months on a remarkably small budget (£2Million). Nor is it the stunning performances that bristle with punishing ambition and the bitter sweet dangers of pushing too hard for greatness. Miles Teller and the Oscar award winning JK Simmons are both fantastic, sparring with each other throughout, a drum kit doubling as a boxing ring. Teller should also have been in the running for multiple awards for his outstanding performance. It is not just the wonderful Jazz score or the beautifully timed edit that give it a free, yet insanely focused feel. It's not the painful, high tempo, 'Rocky with Drums' training scenes or the spiteful, aggressive, redemptive tone of the ending. It is the whole. The ensemble, that pushes it forward. Raising the finale to a spine tingling final close-up. It forms one of those rare things, a film that I could watch over and over again, taking something new each time.  Whiplash.

10 out of 10
Cert 15 (UK). 106mins
2014.

Birdman - Phil's Five Words for Films

Birdman Riggan Thomson ( Keaton ) used to be a cinema star. An actor who played a comic book superhero in blockbuster films. The Birdman. Now, twenty years later, he is staging a risky, Broadway play and searching for acclaim and validation. His mental stability and personal life are falling to pieces and financial pressures and critical reviews may tip him over the edge. Riggan battes himself, his daughter ( Stone ), his fellow actors ( Norton ) and his 'Birdman' past. Apart from the brilliantly intense central performances from Michael Keaton, Emma Stone and Edward Norton, there are three main elements that really standout for me in 'Birdman'. Firstly, the wonderful, jazz-infused score that 'pops' and 'sizzles' throughout, adding to the freestyle weirdness of the script, sometimes encroaching on the perceived reality. The second is the long, sweeping camera shots that weave in and out of the action, continuous image streams that elegantly follow the story and add to the building insanity. You will struggle to find the joins. The third is the soaring use of

August: Osage County - Phil's Five Words for Films

August: Osage County It is not often that you see the brilliant Meryl Streep outdone in the acting department but, for me, Julia Roberts steals the show here and does just that. After a family tragedy, the various members of the Weston clan return home to their parent's Oklahoma house for a meal that turns in to a battle of the matriarchs, where dark secrets and family tensions are brought to the surface. Based on a play and screenplay by Tracy Letts, the film centres on this one meal and its aftermath for the majority of the film's two hour run time. It is testament to the great script and superb performances that such a limited backdrop produces such an engaging film. There is lots of acting to be seen here. So much so that Benedict

Safety Not Guaranteed - Phil's Five Words for Films

Safety Not Guaranteed After the discovery of an unusual newspaper advert for '..somebody to go back in time with me..',  a Seattle journalist and two interns embark on a trip to investigate any possible story. What they find is a quirky and paranoid supermarket attendant who claims that he is planning a trip through time to rediscover a previous love. He claims that he has built a time machine, is being followed by Special Agents and needs to train an accomplice for the journey. As the details unfold, it seems that there is more to his story than meets the eye. Mark Duplass plays Kenneth, the eccentric time traveller and he has the strongest of the roles, giving the character real depth and a crazy believability. Aubrey Plaza ( Parks & Recreation ), Jake Johnson ( New Girl, 21JumpSt ) and Karan Soni all put in solid performances as the investigators, all of whom have their own baggage to bring to the story. It is the chemistry between Kenneth and Darius ( Plaza ) that really drives the film forward and their weird relationship is a joy to watch. The highlight of which is a 'Zither solo' - something that doesn't happen in films very often. From the

Dallas Buyer's Club - Phil's Five Words for Films

Dallas Buyer's Club In my opinion, Matthew McConaughey has been shuffling towards an Oscar winning performance for the last few years and, following his role as a rodeo cowboy, given a month to live after being diagnosed with HIV, he has finally grabbed one. McConaughey reportedly lost over 40 pounds to play the role and the result is instantly shocking. Set in the early 1980's and based on the real-life story of Ron Woodroof who smuggled unlicensed drugs from Mexico to Texas to treat his condition, McConaughey is mesmerising. Between him and Jared Leto, who plays a fellow sufferer and cross-dressing

The Purge - Phil's Five Words for Films

The Purge Sometimes, an interesting idea is just not enough on which to base an entire film. In the near future, American society has spiralled to the point where all crime is legal for one day a year. This government sanctioned killing spree is supposed to rid the society of it's undesirables whilst the 'good/rich  people' lock themselves in to their heavily fortified houses. Not a bad starting point. Unfortunately, the idea is very quickly undermined and it soon turns in to a limp, lacklustre film that thinks it has something to say. Never tense, with nothing particularly scary to deal with, it doesn't manage to raise itself above the level of a violent 'Twilight Zone' episode, sponsored