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jamesrichwalls
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Wonka (2023)
Book, cover, expectations. Hugh Grant.
How do you follow an eerie, joyful, absurd classic? You don't, and that's fine.
The negative first.
The songs fell a little flat. There was little of the dissonance found in the the surreal musical numbers found in the original. They felt more Greatest Showman and less Wondrous Boat Ride.
Also, the narrative followed the expected ups and downs. The hero's journey is far more defined and obvious in Wonka. There's Varuca Salt level expected comeuppance and then there's fat chocolate bribes.
The positive.
Stellar cast. Every role and actor pulled its weight. Whether seeing Alan Johnson as an evil chocolate baron or Sophie Chapman as a Thenardier figure, everyone nailed it. Also Mr Bean answering the phone with "Hello Pulpit" was a highlight.
Chocolate magic. The inception of Wonka's chocolate innovation was so enjoyable to watch (load bearing cotton candy and giraffe milk included).
Hughmpa Granta. Small orange romance man doing British things. What's not to like?
All in all, it's so enjoyable, so likable that all you need is an open mind and it's a perfect excellent couple hour and fifty passed.
A Very Murray Christmas (2015)
Weird meta Murray to get you in the cosy Christmas spirit
I'm going to start by leading with my guess at why people review this film so low:
Because they expected a standard Bill Murray caper and that's not what this is.
So what is this film:
This film is ridiculous, not always funny, but very endearing.
It's intimate, cosy and festive.
It's meandering is a surreal way.
It's unpretentious, mainly because I don't think they really had a plan.
It's got some great names.
It's got some random names.
It is genuinely heartwarming.
I'm going to end by saying that if you're after plot, or even high quality singing, then this isn't for you. If you want some surreal Christmas Murray rambling then dive right in.
Cosmos (2019)
No one cares about your stupid back stories
And no one needed a car chase style scene to plug in your laptop.
If I really have to spend 150 characters to write this I guess I'd say prepare for a fantastic unintended laugh when he dramatically hands him the astro nuts hat. You'll know the bit I mean when I get to it.
Wrong Turn (2021)
Solid 6 from someone who has never seen a Wrong Turn movie
Most of the negative reviews seem to be coming from people who loved the Wrong Turn movies and did not like this (seemingly because it was not a reboot but instead was a completely different movie). On this I can't comment.
On the movie itself, I can. Some annoying, stereotypical characters but not unbearable. A slightly mismatched plot but a plot that develops into something unexpected and very watchable. Brutal gore, sometimes a little forced, but on the whole suited to the film as a whole. Mostly solid acting. Strong costumes. Nice locations/ setting.
Definitely worth a watch if you're looking for a gory, wilderness horror.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
An incredible concoction of the gritty real with exaggerated fiction
As with Martin McDonagh's 'In Bruges' and 'Seven Psychopaths', 3 Billboards is a film that that wears the crude and crass as a badge of honour. But McDonagh also adeptly weaves a story that is both surprising and easy to invest in.
We see fantastically performed caricatures in the abhorrent Dixon (Sam Rockwell) and the well-meaning but traditional Police Chief (Woody Harrilson). These are well balanced by the more grounded and impressive performances of Frances McDormand, as the gritty and determined Mildred, and Get Out's Caleb Landry Jones. It's a strange, but enjoyable line to walk between the exaggerated and the gritty real.
The themes of hope and hopelessness, redemption and damnation, prejudice and and love are all explored on the backdrop of a hyperbolic backwater USA and underpinned by western-esque guitar motifs from composer Carter Burwell of Fargo and True Grit.
My only complaint for this film is the occasional misplaced attempt at humour and shock. I understood, and even mentally applauded, McDonaghs signature examination of truths we often shy away from, but also felt that sometimes it was shock for shock's sake. An example would be Peter Dinklage's inclusion as the character James, who seemed to only exist in the plot to present the ritual abuse of his height.
Overall this is an incredible concoction of the gritty real with exaggerated fiction and features some stellar performances as a surprising plot unfolds. Some heavy handed shock humour doesn't get close to damaging my appreciation for this film.