The desire of the filmmakers to keep the musical element of the legend intact and to keep the unsavoury elements of the story so far from the viewers’ minds as to be non-existent is complete. Even the patriarch of the Jackson clan, Joe, is given a relatively smooth ride. This, unfortunately, reduces the story to a one-dimensional misreading of the facts.

That Michael could overcome such a harsh upbringing (for such a sensitive soul) and create the joy that he brought to millions is strongly understated. He did do amazing things and, for a short period of time, was a unifying entity on the world’s stage. Behind the scenes, he also showed a high degree of empathy, but his power and wealth were also used to weaponise his awful intent.

The film is bright (with oversaturated colours and a very loud soundtrack) and touches on storylines very familiar to even the casual observer, but it never treats him more than an uncomfortable entertainer. His ability to create pure joy is sold as a brand. By focusing mostly on the positive, Michael brings the bright lights to a story that deserves more. A life with complexity is reduced to a simple ideology: no mater what, the show must go on.
Rob Hudson
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Asia Reeves (Zazie Beetz) and her sister Maria (Myha’la) have an abusive father. When things reach a flash point, Asia ends up in jail, and Maria returns to the care of her father. After a decade in prison, Asia is released and finds employment working as a maid in The Virgil, an exclusive high-rise apartment building in New York City. During her first night there, the crazy comes out to play.

Asia is accosted by things that make no literal sense, and she runs headlong into the realms of the supernatural. Thus begins a long battle to fight off these otherworldly beings, rescue her sister from enslavement and escape the confines of her surroundings. That is pretty much the entirety of the storyline, thus the need for the aforementioned heavy lifting.

The set design evokes a video platform game, but a decent amount of imagination is employed in dispatching the numerous bringers of peril. This is delivered in a very tongue-in-cheek manner, and eventually the action becomes somewhat pedestrian. As battles are won, the tension about the outcome diminishes. The saving grace is Zazie Beetz; she is a bona fide badass, and her ultimate fate is worthy of attention.
Rob Hudson
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Set in the city of Beaverton, we are introduced to Mabel Tanaka (voiced by Piper Curda as a teenager and Lila Liu as a child), who spends her youth with her kind Grandmother (Karen Huie). Through her influence, Mabel learns to love the land and relate to the fauna of the area, especially a colony of beavers. It is an idyllic upbringing and leaves a lasting impression.

After losing her Gran, she is adrift until she is given a cause by the actions of the town’s mayor, Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm). He plans to destroy her favourite habitat to build a freeway overpass. After he drains the pond and drives out all the wildlife, the heartbroken teenager is given a cause to pursue and a galvanising purpose. This involves Mabel taking over the operation of a robot beaver and becoming part of the colony.

The message of the value of indigenous life forms is presented in an entertaining and less obtrusive way than most films of this ilk. Humour is used successfully and often to give the work a less strident tone. Mabel’s heritage is also used in a subtle and accessible way. The film’s success derives from a broadminded approach that puts entertainment first yet weaves in a message of value without the usual insolent approach.
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Intentionally disorienting from its opening scene. It takes you mid-film and then stretches out in both directions from there. You are introduced to a bearded and dishevelled Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), surrounded by technology that is a mystery to him. As his wits return, he discovers he is alone and on a spaceship in the outer regions of the universe.

As the non-linear storyline progresses, you discover Ryland was at one time a lowly high school science teacher during a time of an impending cataclysmic event. The Earth’s Sun is being attacked and drained of its power by an alien organism, and he is an expert in the field. His aw-shucks nature puts him at odds with the scientific community, but his innate genius causes them to begrudgingly accept him into the fold.

To comment further on the storyline would rob the viewer of the upcoming surprises and blunt the joy of discovery. The departure from the traditional hero narrative remains and reinforces the sense that there is greatness in opening your mind to the plight of others. Using Andy Weir’s 2021 science fiction novel of the same name as source material, this cinematic take stays true to Weir’s sensibilities if not his actual words.
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The film is beautifully crafted with an amazing visual aesthetic. The drone shots are particularly impressive at establishing the out in the wilderness feel. The sound design is also noteworthy, as no matter how lush and green the visuals are, there is an edginess imparted through the music used as the film score. It is noisey post-rock in nature and emanates almost entirely from the side speakers in the cinema. This acts to never lets you relax into mere travelogue mode.

The story revolves around themes of family, duty, guilt and the awful misuse of power by the church (you know which one). It is also an acting tour de force with Daniel as Ray Stoker going toe-to-toe with Sean Bean as his brother Jem. When they reunite after years apart, they dance around the awful facts that make up their past as they head towards the inevitable clash. This brutal brawl erupts near the film’s end. All of their life details are revealed conversationally, and you hang on every word and physical nuance. There are also a number of fantasy scenes where you are left alone to find meaning.

There is a mastery at work here that requires attention and empathy and rewards those who look for more than surface entertainment in their film-going ethos. The technical aspects are sublime, as are the acting chops on display and the solid writing through out. This is not a work that you can casually approach; you need to be all in, and if you are, it is one of this young year’s most rewarding pleasures.
Rob Hudson
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We’ve never seen Jessie Buckley, as the Bride, so electric. She fills every scene with a strong sense of danger as her character transforms in a wild arc. Christian Bale, almost unrecognisable at first as Frankenstein’s Monster, fills the screen with an almost overwhelming mix of aggression and sadness. Annette Bening is also fabulous as Dr Euphronius, who is tasked with bringing the dead back to life.

Every scene has a purpose, and this kinetic energy powers the film forward throughout its two-hour running time. It constantly brings in so many other film references; it’s a film aficionado’s dream. The art exists in those moments, being presented as a tribute and not as outright thievery. Gyllenhaal even succeeds in delivering an ending that validates your care for the participants.

In a nod to Bonnie & Clyde, Sid and Nancy and many others, Frankenstein and The Bride embark on a crime-riddled romantic road trip for the ages. And it speaks to Maggie Gyllenhaal’s sure hand at the till and her obvious love of the cinema (past and present) that the final product feels so fresh and holds together so well with so many influences at play. This all equates to a rollicking good time.
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Matt Taylor (Kevin James) proposes to his girlfriend Heather (Better Call Saul alumni Julie Ann Emery) in front of the entirety of his fourth-grade students. After her positive response, they plan a dream wedding to take place in Rome. When the wedding advances to the vows segment, Heather is nowhere to be seen.

Left reeling, Matt is convinced to still stay in Rome, due to the lack of a refund, and to complete the honeymoon solo. He soon comes in contact with Gia (Nicole Grimaudo), a lovely Italian lady who runs a cafe across the street from the hotel. She takes pity on the odd American and they becomes friends. The majority of the film’s humour is based on the cluelessness of Matt.

In a very well trodden path, the film introduces you to a range of colourful side-characters that include Andrea Bocelli, as himself, a crass American couple played by Kim Coates and Alyson Hannigan and of course the Italian countryside. Unless cynicism plays a large part in your worldview, you are slowly drawn in and begin to empathise with Matt’s plight, and when it finally plays out, you can’t help but have an emotional response.
Rob Hudson
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We follow Catherine Earnshaw (Charlotte Mellington as the child and Margot Robbie as the adult) and Heathcliff (Owen Cooper and Jacob Elordi) from their early life under the destructive rule of Cathy’s father, Mr Earnshaw (Martin Clunes). He becomes the guardian of Heathcliff. Their life together is filled with hardship caused by the family patriarch’s drinking and gambling. This drives the two to live in a fantasy world and to become very close.

The themes of what women of that time had to do to carve out a fulfilling life in a system stacked against them, and finding that true love isn’t always enough, underpins the direction of the film. This is also exacerbated by those who surround the couple who think they know best and are looking after the best interests of their loved ones. This myopic view succeeds in accomplishing just the opposite.

For die-hard fans of the original novel, Earnshaw’s assertive cinematic take will require some acclamation. One might think she used the book more as a doorstop than a literary reference. With there being so many different versions out there already, with numerous feature films (16 and counting), television movies, and mini-series, a bold and differing take from an iconoclastic artist with a unique vision is a more than welcome addition to the canon.
Rob Hudson
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Revolving around the antics of old school detective Lou (Mark Ruffalo), who is falling out of favour with the higher-ups in his all-consuming quest to take down a successful bandit. One who uses the brain instead of brawn to complete his audacious transgressions. Lou is also in the midst of a number of life-changing moments. His wife Angie (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is leaving him, and his superiors are running out of patience with his single-mindedness.

Into this situation, we are dropped in the city of Los Angeles, and it adds an important element to the story. The discrepancies between the haves and have-nots in this ever-evolving metropolis rumble underneath almost every scene. There are a number of high-power action pieces that stitch together the story and keep things moving along nicely. There is also the contrast between the staid nature of the criminal Davis and the explosive antics of fellow crim Ormon (Barry Keoghan), who creates havoc everywhere he goes.

Even though all the characters in Crime 101follow a somewhat traditional story arc, there are a number of surprises coming your way. As things progress and the tension ramps up in the final reel, you are seemingly led to a point where you feel certain of the outcome for all the parties involved. But here is where the film really delivers, and you are actually given a resolution much more satisfying and life-affirming than expected.
Rob Hudson
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Through circumstance, he has to travel to the mainland for supplies and is ensnared by a secret government plan to use everyone’s phones and CCTVs to identify criminals, and this leads to the unwinding of his solitude. This breach also envelopes the life of Jesse (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), the niece of his army buddy. Together, they are forced off the island and to go on the run.

The subtext of a wide spread and illegal government spying effort adds a bit of substance to the plot, but the action mostly revolves around what drives most Statham projects: action and lots of hand-to-hand combat. Even with his advancing age, he is almost sixty after all, he still presents a convincing pugilist on screen. His inner core of morality is also intact.

Shelter succeeds in delivering what most of the British actor’s work excels at, a high percentage of action powered by a decent moral code. This makes him kicking the crap out of anyone that gets in his way, good, somewhat clean fun. The depth of the story is enhanced by an evil government ethos, and this makes for a clear definition of what is right and wrong.
Rob Hudson
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