I should really write every day, but until I get into that routine, these are films I have seen this week:
The Zavvi-exclusive release of WE ARE STILL HERE has been on my shelf since it was first released and have no idea why I hadn't watched it until this week. It could be because I was considering using the limited edition status the release and selling it on, or (more likely) because I have many other things to watch and have somehow taken priority. It's a really well designed and executed tale of a bereaved couple who try to rekindle their relationship in an environment away from one with lingering memories of their dead son. However, it's not long before the mother, Anne, senses his presence and thinks he has somehow followed them to the remote cottage in New England. However, her hopes quickly to interference because the cottage is the home to some spirits with very malevolent intentions. This is a really good film, one I haven't seen before, and one I'm going to watch again in the next few days because I thought it was smart, emotionally involving and (perhaps most importantly) scary.
I've seen ARRIVAL three times now, twice in the cinema and once at home, and it continues to impress with the intelligent and provocative story, superb acting and great direction by Denis Villeneuve, undoubtedly one of the most accomplished filmmakers around.
SEX, LIES AND VIDEOTAPE – the Premium Collection release of Steven Soderbergh's debut film shows a really accomplished and enthralling film by a masterful filmmaker. It's thought-provoking and engrossing with great performances by the entire cast.
The 4K Ultra HD release of LABYRINTH is a perfect example of why this is such a great format because there are details in the scenery and design I've never seen before and the sound is so much more interesting and informing when it is 3D. It was funny watching this with someone who has seen it myriad times and knows it word for word and listening to them exclaim about how good it looks.
MOLLY'S GAME is a film I had high hopes for based on its theatrical trailer and this brilliantly scripted film by Aaron Sorkin is rich in information and, thanks to the great performances by Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba and the supporting cast (including Michael Cera with Art Garfunkel hair) makes for a compelling drama which really makes me want to read the book on which it is based.
I saw LIFE at the cinema and found the mix of Alien and Gravity to make something which was scary and involving rather than derivative, and unfortunately doesn't lose anything on second viewing. It is a film which benefits from the 4K format and something I look forward to watching many more times.
Surprisingly, I've never seen TWINS until now, so picking up the DVD (with lousy pan & scan picture) for a quid from Music Magpie was a blind buy which paid off. The chemistry between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito really works and the deft direction by Ivan Reitman doesn't yield a film on the level of Ghostbusters, but still one which is an engaging watch and a film crying out for a UK Blu-ray release.
I'm not quite sure what inspired me to buy the Steven Soderbergh version of SOLARIS, but it was probably a review here. It's a film I hadn't seen in years but found it to be very emotionally engaging and thoughtful, and I want to read the source material (I could also listen to the audiobook which is on my phone) and then rewatch the Tarkovsky version. Although I watched the DVD, it didn't feel like it was missing anything, a testament to the writing, acting and directing, because it's not a 'spectacle' film which will really benefit from a big screen and 4K picture, something I feel will enhance the viewing experience of films such as Gravity, The Martian and Interstellar.
It's also been a long time since I saw MY WEEK WITH MARILYN, a film based on the true account by Colin Clark, the brother of the late Tory MP and diarist Alan Clark. I probably chose to watch this because I'd bought it but hadn't watched it and Michelle Williams was in the news due to the pitiful (in comparison to Mark Wahlberg) pay she received for the re-shoots for Ridley Scott's All the Money in the World. Williams is amazing as Marilyn Monroe in this account of the time Monroe spent in England butting heads with Laurence Olivier and (yet another) marital breakdown. It is a wonderful film which would be engrossing even if it wasn't based on true events and real people and one I highly recommend if you haven't seen it.
Finally, catching up on the things I bought during the Charles Bronson Top Ten Tuesday week, I watched THE MECHANIC, in which Bronson plays Arthur Bishop, an ageing hitman who trains a young assassin only to wonder if he is the target of an elaborate plot. Bronson is great as the hitman who, as per the title, makes it look as if his victims died in automobile accidents and the interactions with Jan-Michael Vincent as Steve McKenna are fascinating. To be honest, I think I probably prefer this to Death Wish (also helmed by Michael Winner) because it's not so morally dubious, but that is another film I'm keen to revisit.
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