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When a group of mercenaries attack the estate of a wealthy family, Santa Claus must step in to save the day (and Christmas).
This is a fun action movie with a John Wick / Home Alone vibe/parody. There is a lot of blood and unique uses of objects as Santa goes up against a set of mercenaries. The best part was the riff on all the classic Christmas lines said with a completely different tone and meaning. Oh, and the chimney kill. It certainly was a violent night.
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The life of American music icon Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming a rock and movie star in the 1950s while maintaining a complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
The movie starts off energetic and it was really interesting to see all the predominately black blues influences Elvis drew from, such as B. B. King and songs including “Hound Dog”.
Austin Butler is phenomenal and captures the charisma and appeal of Elvis incredibly well. The production value is unmatched – as is usual with Baz Lurman movies – and pairs well with the flamboyant nature of the story.
The screenplay runs out of steam towards the latter half, getting bogged down too much with the business side of Elvis’ life. If it could be trimmed down by half-an-hour it would benefit from a tighter story.
Considering he died 5 years before I was born, I know many of his songs and I’m aware of his movie career. Elvis’ influence in pop culture is still going strong. The movie makes me want to learn more about music history, from the direct influences of Elvis to the broader music scene.
This adds to a long list of good music-based biographical movies, including; Rocketman (Elton John), Bohemian Rhapsody (Freddie Mercury/Queen), I’m Not There (Bob Dylan), Control (Ian Curtis/Joy Division), Love & Mercy (Brian Wilson/Beech Boys), Walk the Line (Johnny Cash), Nowhere Boy (John Lennon), The Runaways, 24 Hour Party People (Tony Wilson/Factory Records), CBGB, Summer of Soul (1969 Harlem Cultural Festival) and Amy (Amy Winehouse).
Watched on
In the 1930s, three friends witness a murder, are framed for it, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history.
Featuring a stellar jam-packed cast — Christian Bale steals the show but Margot Robbie is a close second — and first-rate production design, with peculiar characters and setting, yet it is severely let down by an absolutely woefully boring screenplay. The setup was mysteriously confusing with no clues to keep it interesting.
An acclaimed journalist-turned-documentarian goes on an oneiric introspective journey to reconcile with the past, the present and his Mexican identity.
Wow, that was self-indulgent. The movie is all about grandeur and spectacle with long takes and scene-blending, time-warping meanderings.
Some sequences were mesmerising — from the mini-story and cinematography to the ideas and dialogue — whereas others were failures.
There is a rooftop discussion that reveals the movie's not-so-subtle subtext of the director's autobiography, reviewing the chronicles we’ve just watched. How self-obsessed must you be to make a movie about yourself and even reference how absurd making such a movie is!
The overarching theme is trying to reconcile his success and adulation by a country his native compatriots dislike while feeling conflicted about living in that country and abandoning his origins.
There is an interesting generational tug-of-war between wanting to provide a better life for your family and being true to your roots.
It is a demanding movie, one that I may not revisit, but is rewarding in the end.
What a disappointment. Technically brilliant. Superbly acted. But it is incredibly vapid.
I was inclined to turn it off after 30 minutes, yet somehow this movie is nearly three hours of insipid scene after scene.
It does conjure a psychotic and consuming feeling but it’s a complete and utter slog. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.
