The Father (3 Stars)

As I've mentioned more than once in my blog, I dislike films about dementia. It's a subject that disturbs me. I witnessed my grandfather suffering from dementia. I witnessed my friend Brian Farmer suffering from dementia shortly before he was murdered. I had already heard about this film and knew that it was critically acclaimed, so my rating is purely subjective.

Anthony Hopkins plays a wealthy man who lives in London. His daughter has been caring for him, but now she has to move to Paris. What will become of him?

What makes "The Father" unique is that it shows dementia through the eyes of the sick person. This isn't even clear in the early stages of the film. As the film progresses we slowly piece things together and see what's really happening.

The performances are excellent by all involved. What else can you expected from actors like Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman? I'm sure most of my readers will enjoy the film more than I did.

Success Rate:  + 4.0

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Paddington in Peru (4 Stars)

This is the third film in the Paddington series. Can it be considered the final part in a trilogy? Yes and No. It doesn't round off any open threads from the previous films, which is a No. But it goes back to Paddington's origins, which is a Yes. So make your mind up.

Paddington has settled into his new home in London. He even has a British passport, although he has no reason to leave the country. One day he receives a letter from the Home For Retired Bears in Peru, telling him his Aunt Lucy wants to see him. I don't remember her being mentioned in the previous films, but a flashback tells him that she's the bear who rescued him when he fell into a stream as a child. He was separated from his parents, so she brought him up as her own child.

Paddington sets off to visit her with the Brown family. If you don't know who they are, go back and watch the first two films! On arriving in Peru, he's told that Lucy has gone on a journey. This is suspicious, because she's left her glasses behind. Foul play is suspected.

Together with the Reverend Mother who leads the Retirement Home, Paddington and his friends head into the jungle after hiring a boat from a devious sailor.

Olivia Colman looks like the role as Reverend Mother was written for her. I've tagged the film as a musical because she occasionally breaks into song, leading the other nuns to dance around her.

I had difficulty rating the film. The scenery is spectacular. It was filmed in Colombia, not Peru itself, but it looks realistic enough. I can't tell the difference. Can you? Despite frequent slapstick sequences, I didn't find it particularly funny. I glanced sideways and saw that Oliver also didn't laugh much, although he told me later that he'd enjoyed the film.

This was my first visit to the Metropol cinema since it changed owners. It used to belong to the Innenstadt cinemas, but it closed in December 2020 due to the Corona pandemic. It reopened in October 2024 as part of the Traumpalast group. When the cinema closed it wasn't expected to reopen as a cinema, so the building's owner demanded that the seats be removed. This was unfortunate, because it delayed the reopening while new seats were installed. The Traumpalast made the most of it by installing luxurious seats, better than the old seats.

Hot Fuzz (5 Stars)

Here they are again, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, the greatest comedy duo of the 21st Century. The only others who come close are Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. In this film Simon Pegg (on the right, in case you didn't know) plays Nicholas Angel, a police officer who's been transferred from London to Sandford in Gloucestershire. The London police force didn't want him because he was too efficient and showed everyone else up. Nick Frost (on the left) plays Danny Butterman, a Sandford police officer who joined the police force because his father told him to do it.

The biggest crimes in Sandford are people cutting their neighbours' hedges. There hasn't been a murder in the village for years, but Nicholas soon discovers why. Whenever someone is killed the coroner declares it an accidental death.

Nicholas is all business. He refuses to eat Black Forest Gateau at work.

But he's willing to eat a Cornetto on duty. It's not a problem as long as he isn't driving.

In 2006 Olivia Colman was still unknown. What a cute smile!

"Hot Fuzz" takes a while to get going, but once it starts it's an amazing film.

Success Rate:  + 4.7

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London Road (4 Stars)

How can a film about a serial killer be a psychological thriller? It all depends on how the story is framed. We never see the killer on screen. We hear his name, and we even see the house where he lives, 79 London Road, Ipswich, but we don't see Steve Wright  himself. The film is about the residents of London Road and how they deal with murders taking place in their neighbourhood.

When the killings are first reported, there's an atmosphere of paranoia. The killer could be anyone. Teenage girls ride the bus, asking one another, "Is it him? Is it him? Is it him?" The taxi driver Mark, played by Tom Hardy, talks to his customers in a way that arouses suspicions. He tells them that he's been interested in serial killers ever since he was young, and he describes what the killer must be like: he must be 28 to 35, single or divorced and a loner. These descriptions fit Mark himself, so he's fast to add that it isn't him.

The film is a musical, and the most unique thing about it is that the lyrics weren't written. They're the transcripts of the interviews made with the residents of London Road. This gives the film a stark realism, despite everyone singing and sometimes dancing.

The next door neighbour of Steve Wright is interviewed. How would you react if you found out your next door neighbour was a killer? Admittedly, you would never have been in danger, because he only targeted prostitutes, but it would still have been unsettling. It's possible that the women were killed in his home, but Steve Wright cleverly covered his tracks. The only DNA traces were slight amounts of blood found on the back seat of his car and inside his gloves.

To this day Steve Wright has never admitted his guilt. He committed the five murders shortly after moving to Ipswich, within a space of six weeks, but he's suspected of the murders of up to 15 other women when he lived in Norwich. In May 2024 he was charged with the murder of a 17-year-old girl that took place in 1999. The other cases are still open. As I said, he was a clever man. But everyone makes a mistake eventually. If he hadn't killed the women in Ipswich, he would never have been suspected of the other murders.

Success Rate:  - 13.9

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London Road (4 Stars)

Sometimes I watch a film which I have trouble rating. Usually it's a film which is different, and this is a very different film. It's a musical that's based on the serial killer Steve Wright, who killed five prostitutes in Ipswich in 2006. It's not completely original to make a musical about a true story, but this musical is unique because the songs weren't written. The screenwriter took the texts of original interviews with people in Ipswich, and these texts were sung in parlando. During the final credits the interview tapes are played, and we can recognise the words from the film's songs.

Another thing that's unusual is that we never see Steve Wright, neither before nor after he's arrested. All we see are the residents of London Road and the surrounding area.

And it's a Christmas movie!

The film begins in the quiet cul-de-sac, London Road. It's becoming a popular street for working girls, as they're euphemistically called. The local residents don't like them, and they shout abuse at them, but their attitude changes when they start to die. Their naked bodies are found nearby.

The early scenes show the road in a state of paranoia. Everyone suspects everyone else. If a man looks in any way creepy, he's a suspect. Everyone is scared, but my naive reaction is "Why?" The killer is only targeting prostitutes, so nobody else is in danger. The police give advice on what to do to stay safe, such as not going out alone or late at night. One of the residents puts my thoughts into words. The advice the police should be giving is "Don't be a prostitute and get into cars with strange men".

Steve Wright is arrested on 19th December 2006. He lives at 79 London Road. The residents are gripped by a lynch mob mentality. They don't care about the trial, he's already guilty in their eyes. As the trial drags on they're scared that he'll be found innocent. That's a twisted attitude. If a person is found innocent of murder, the reason is that he really is innocent. The residents of London Road had the attitude that they already knew he was guilty, so if the jury pronounced him innocent they would have failed.

The film doesn't really have a lead actor or actress. The scenes switch rapidly from one person to another. Olivia Colman has slightly more screen time than anyone else. Tom Hardy is prominent on the posters, but that was only to lure people into the cinemas. He appears in the film for less than five minutes as a taxi driver who was interviewed as a potential suspect. "London Road" was released in 2015, the same year that "Mad Max Fury Road" and "The Revenant" were in the cinemas. The hype didn't work. The film was a box office flop, despite positive reviews by the critics.

I wanted to buy the film on Blu-ray, but I waited in vain for a Blu-ray release. After all this time it's only been released on DVD. I don't understand the studios. I've finally given up and bought it on DVD. I'm sure I'll watch it again soon, to decide whether I really like it or not.

Success Rate:  - 13.9

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Wonka (4 Stars)

Yet another film about Willy Wonka? I can vaguely remember seeing Gene Wilder in the 1971 film, but I never bothered watching the 2005 film with Johnny Depp. I wouldn't have gone to the film today if my grandson Oliver hadn't insisted on seeing it.

In the new film Timothee Chamolet plays Willy Wonka, a young man who dreams of opening a chocolate shop. He can perform acts of magic to help himself reach his goals, but the magic either works or doesn't work, depending on the plot necessities. When he arrives in the unnamed small town he doesn't have any money, so he intends to sleep on a bench. He's approached by the co-owner of a laundromat who offers him a room for only one sovereign that he can pay later. At the laundromat he signs a contract, even though he can't read. The terms of the contract effectively enslave him for 10,000 days, more than 27 years.

With the help of a fellow slave, a girl called Noodle, he manages to get in and out of the building during the day, preparing to open his chocolate shop. But there's a cartel which has a monopoly on chocolate sales in the town, and they're prepared to kill him to prevent the competition.

Today was my first opportunity to try out my cinema's new D-Box seats, which were introduced two months ago. They're a cheaper version of the 4DX seats that I used when I saw "Avengers Endgame" in Birmingham. They're comfortable recliners with vibrations and slight swaying motions. There's no wind, water or scent. As a budget version of the 4DX chairs they're not particularly enjoyable. The vibrations were annoying on every setting from light to extreme.

The chairs have also been installed poorly. They've been put in two rows at the back of the cinema, rows 20 and 21. The screen looks small in the distance. It would have been better to place them in the middle of the cinema, maybe as the tenth row. The main advantage of putting them at the back is that it'll be easier to remove them if they prove to be unpopular.

According to my cinema's website, there's a seven Euro surcharge for the D-Box seats. On the surface that seems to be true. The standard price today was 10.50 Euros, and the price for D-Box seats was 17.50 Euros. But there are hidden charges that can be found in the small print. There are no rebates allowed on the price of D-Box seats. As the owner of a Cineplus card I receive a one Euro rebate on seats, so I would have paid 9.50 Euros for a normal seat, but I had to pay 17.50 Euros for a D-Box seat; an eight Euro surcharge. For children it's even worse. For children under 11 the normal seats cost 6.90 Euros, but there's no children's price for the D-Box seats; they still cost 17.50 Euros. That's a whopping 10.60 Euro surcharge, 153% extra for something that nobody wants.

The D-Box seats are a failure. Poor quality, overpriced and badly placed. The seats were hardly used today, only one person apart from Oliver and myself. We shan't use them again. In the post-Corona days of smaller cinema audiences it was a foolish investment that won't recoup its costs.

Tyrannosaur (3 Stars)

Joseph is an unemployed widower who lives in a poor area in Leeds. He suffers from a bad temper. In the opening scenes he kicks his dog so hard that he breaks its ribs. This pushes him into depression.

One day he seeks refuge in a Christian charity shop. He hides behind the clothes so that nobody can see him. The shopkeeper Hannah prays for him. He's not a Christian, but he's moved by her concern for him, and he visits the shop every day. He thinks that Hannah has a perfect life, but he's wrong. Her husband hits her. Her friendship with Joseph makes it worse. Her husband is jealous and thinks it's more than a platonic friendship, so he hits her even more.

I'm very impressed by Olivia Colman's acting, and not just in this film. She's magnificent in every role she plays. It's not an uplifting film. It shows an ugly community with dysfunctional people in northern England. It's a place I wouldn't want to live.

Success Rate:  - 1.9

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Cuban Fury (4 Stars)

After watching "Cuban Fury" again today, only the second time in six years, I have to say that Nick Frost is one of the best actors alive. He's just perfect in everything he does. He even learnt how to dance salsa for this film. He's a true professional.

But the film has even more going for it, including a cast of top British actors. Any film starring Olivia Colman is a joy to watch. I can boast that I liked her before she won an Oscar.

Ian McShane is a great but underrated actor.

There's even Simon Pegg. The first time I watched the film I saw his name in the credits, but I couldn't remember seeing him. It's a very brief appearance in the film, lasting only 38 frames (1.5 seconds). Because he drives past in a car quickly, I wasn't even certain it was him when I watched the film today, so I had to rewind and pause the film. Yes, it's definitely him.

Now for the negatives. Check out this newspaper clipping. The last three paragraphs in the first column are repeated in the second column. You can click on the picture to enlarge it. That's sloppy.

Here's another newspaper clipping in a scrapbook. The last paragraph is a repeat of the first paragraph, as you can see clearly if you click on the photo. That's more sloppy journalism.

Success Rate:  + 2.6

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The Favourite (4 Stars)

This is the the third film in the Stuttgart White Nights Festival.

"The Favourite" is a film in everyone's mouth at the moment. It's a satirical period drama about the intrigues in the house of Queen Anne in the early 18th Century. Unlike "Mary Queen of Scots", which I watched yesterday, it makes no attempt to be historically accurate.

Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) is shown to be sickly, unable to walk because of gout. She's being cared for by a noblewoman, Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough (Rachel Weisz), who is also the Queen's lesbian lover. The household is joined by Sarah's cousin, Abigail Hill (Emma Stone), who has lost her nobility because her father lost her in a game of cards. Now Abigail joins the house as a servant. The Queen takes a liking to her and gives her priority over her cousin.

The film tells the story of the rivalry between the two women to become the Queen's favourite.

After hearing so much about the film I found it not as good as I expected. It's a good film, but not brilliant, and I fail to see why it's received such critical acclaim.

The Lobster (4 Stars)

If there's one serious message that can be learnt from this deliciously absurd film, it's that extremism breeds counter-extremism. People who oppose an extreme political movement are in danger that they'll go too far in the other direction. For instance, Fascism arose in Germany after the First World War in order to combat Communism. In modern Germany groups are being founded to protest against racism (which they wrongly call Fascism because they can't tell the difference). These so-called anti-fascist groups are more violent than the ones they're protesting against. It's not just in the heat of the moment, some people even claim that violence against "Fascists" is justified. That shows that they've become incapable of clear reasoning. Extremism breeds counter-extremism.

If I describe the "The Lobster" to you you'll think it's a comedy. It's not. It's not even a dark comedy. It's a satire. It's also a love story.

In the brave new world presented in "The Lobster" it's illegal to be single. Everyone has to have a partner. People who are unattached, whether from choice or accidentally, are sent to a hotel where they have a chance to meet a compatible partner. They have 45 days to hook up with someone. If they're still single at the end of this time they're turned into animals of their own choosing.

Colin Farrell has just been divorced after 12 years of marriage. He's sent to the hotel to find a new partner. In the event of remaining single he chooses to become a lobster. For the first half of the film he plays by the rules, trying to find a partner. In the second half he rebels against the system and joins the counter-extremists, the loners. They live wild in the woods and forbid relationships. Anyone who flirts with another person is punished harshly. Kisses are punished by bodily mutilation.

Does anything stand out in this photo of a dating night at the hotel? Everyone is dressed the same. The women all wear the same flower dresses, while the men are dressed in the same suits and ties. It's a satire of dating rituals. People desperate to find a partner at short notice just see those of the opposite sex as identical candidates, as objects, as means to an end. In order to find the right person the hotel imposes laws of compatibility. Every hotel guest has to name one defining characteristic for himself, and he can hook up with someone who has the same characteristic. One woman's characteristic is beautiful hair – difficult for a man to match – while another's is that she suffers from frequent nosebleeds.

The leader of the loners is the cold and ruthless Léa Seydoux. I use her real name because none of the characters in the film are named. They're anonymous. In the hotel they're referred to by their room numbers.

There's one exception. The dog's name is Bob. It's noticeable that his name is used a lot in the film. He wasn't always a dog. He used to be Colin Farrell's brother. Maybe his name is used so often to tell us that people can only find an identity when they leave the human race? I don't know. That's a question I'd like to ask the director.

I know practically nothing about the director, Yorgos Lanthimos. This was his first English language film after making three films in Greek. I've noticed that one of his films, "The Favourite", is scheduled to be shown at the Stuttgart Whie Nights Festival in January. I'll make sure I don't miss it.

Does the film have a happy ending? Sort of. I don't want to say too much in order to avoid spoilers, but I'll say this much: Colin Farrell discovers that he can only find true love when he doesn't play by the rules. If he's forced to find a partner he'll find the wrong one, and if he's forbidden to find a partner he won't find anyone. He has to let love take its course and come naturally to him in its own time.

Success Rate:  + 1.5

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Murder on the Orient Express (2017 version) (4 Stars)

Today I went to see the new version of "Murder on the Orient Express" in the cinema, as I announced yesterday when I reviewed the original version. The new version turned out pretty much as I expected. It looks superior to the original in its cinematography, while the story is almost the same. The new version is so similar that I have to ask what the point was in remaking the film. But I suppose that's a rhetorical question. It's all about money.

One of the few changes is that two characters in the original film have been combined into one. The Scottish soldier (Colonel Arbuthnot) and the Greek doctor (Dr. Constantine) have been merged into a Black American doctor, Dr. Arbuthnot. I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere.

The original is a pure mystery film. The new version adds a few elements of action. I can't name all the additions because that would mean giving away spoilers. One example is that in the original the train has to halt because the rails have been covered by snow in an avalanche. In the new version the train drives into the snow and the engine is derailed. There's a new chase scene when one of the suspects attempts to leave the train. Do today's audiences need more action to be able to sit through a film? I suppose they do.

One slight change that I regret in the new version is the lack of claustrophobia. In the original all the interviews by Hercule Poirot were held inside the train. In the new version he spends more time outside the train.

My summary is simple: the new film is quite good, but unnecessary from an artistic point of view.

Locke (5 Stars)

"There's two words I learnt tonight: Fuck Chicago".

In America it's become a custom for phone numbers shown in films to begin with 555, whether they're written on buildings or seen being dialled. These numbers are never allocated in the real world, so there's no chance of a crazy person dialling the numbers to see who will answer. This was forgotten when the film "Bruce Almighty" was made. The number shown in the film was 776-2323 (no area code specified). Immediately after the film was shown people were dialling the number. When the DVD was released the film was edited to change the number to 555-0123, but the damage had already been done. People in Colorado and Florida were swamped with calls by people who wanted to talk to God.

We need a fake number convention like this in England. Here are the numbers used in "Locke".

01632-960334 -- Ivan Locke's home number
07840-514492 -- Bethan (the other woman)
07840-514490 -- Gareth (Ivan's boss)
07840-514487 -- Donal (Ivan's worker)
07700-900957 -- Mr. Cassidy (council worker)
01614-960711 -- P.C. Daniels (work number)

Maybe we don't need fake film numbers in England. We don't have any crazy people who would ring them. Or do we?

The Lobster (4 Stars)

The premise of this film is so ridiculous that it makes the film seem like one big joke. I've never sat in a cinema where the audience was laughing so loud, for the first half of the film at least. As the film progressed the laughter lessened. I went to see the film with seven other members of the Birmingham Film Group. We were unanimous about enjoying the first half of the film, but our opinions were divided on the second half.

The change in tone from the first to the second half is deliberate. This raises the question whether the film is intended to be seen as a comedy at all. Most reviewers call the film a black comedy. I prefer to call it a satire.

The film takes place in England in the near future. It has been declared illegal for people to be single. This is vigorously enforced. Anybody seen loitering in a public place by himself is challenged by the police to produce proof that he has a partner. But what happens to those who are single? They're sent to a hotel with other singles, where they have a chance to form a partnership. They have 45 days to find a partner, and if they don't succeed within this time they're transformed into an animal of their own choosing. The hero of the film is David, played by Colin Farrell, who has just been divorced from his wife after 12 years of marriage. On admission into the hotel he states that if he remains single he wishes to become a lobster.

There are those who reject the government's enforcement of partnerships. They call themselves loners. They run away from the city and hide in the woods. The loners follow the opposite path: they forbid relationships, and they severely punish those among themselves who form relationships, for instance by cutting off the lips of those who kiss. The loners are the enemies of the accepted society and have to be suppressed. The people in the hotel are given tranquilliser guns sent into the woods to hunt for loners. Captured loners are immediately turned into animals without being given a choice. Those who capture them are rewarded with an extra day before they have to find a partner.

Chatting up potential partners in the hotel is very strained. All the men wear the same suits, and all the women wear the same flower dresses. No individuality is allowed. People search for partners by looking for someone with whom they have something in common. For instance, two people with a limp, two people with a speech impediment, two people with a nosebleed.

The director Yorgos Lanthimos is making fun of different things. Obviously he's satirising mating rituals. Men and women are awkward in their attempts to make contact with one another. The preferred pairing of two likes is very much like the algorithms of online dating sites that assume people will be happiest with someone like themselves. The film is also a satire of political conflict. The government of the future has chosen the extreme policy of enforcing relationships, so the rebels decide to do the exact opposite. There's no common sense middle path.

The film has been almost universally praised by critics, including receiving three awards at the 2015 Cannes Festival. It's a fascinating film that deserves to be watched and discussed.

Hot Fuzz (5 Stars)

I went to a New Year's Party with other members of the Birmingham Film Club last night. It was a great time. It continued into the early hours of the morning, and we ended up watching a film when most of the guests had already fallen asleep. "Hot Fuzz" was a good choice to start the year.

The new year began with a film, but the old year ended with a game of Twister. I was amazed. I always thought people had to be naked to play Twister, but it seems it's possible with clothes as well. Possible, but not as much fun.

Mike McAuley, the overlord of the film club, observes his minions. It seems that Jo has already fallen asleep.

Locke (5 Stars)

Ivan Locke is a good man. He loves his wife and children. He works long hours as the Birmingham manager of a multi-national construction company, and every day he drives home to his family. But then the unthinkable happens. One day before the start of the biggest project of his career, the boring of the site for a 55-floor building, he doesn't go home. He rings his wife and tells her he is going to spend the night in London. He rings his boss and tells him he's taking the next day off.

As we find out, while on a business trip the previous year he had a one-night stand with a woman from the London branch of his company. She's about to have a baby, and he's driving to be with her because it's the right thing to do. He has no feelings for the woman, but he feels compelled to be with her, even if it jeopardises his family and his career. He feels he has responsibilities to both the woman and the child.

The whole film takes place in Ivan's car as he drives to London. We see nobody else. We only hear the voices of the people he talks to on the phone as he drives: his wife, his sons, the other woman, his boss, an employee and various other people. The film is unique in its minimalism. In the hands of a lesser director or a less competent actor it would have been boring. The team of Steven Knight and Tom Hardy lift the film to the level of brilliance. If this film doesn't get at least a nomination for next year's best film Academy Awards there's no justice in the world.

Cuban Fury (4 Stars)

Real men dance? Damn right they do!

Bruce Garrett grew up with a passion for salsa dancing. As a teenager he won championships all across England, dancing with his younger sister Sam as his partner. All he had left to do was win the national salsa championships in London. But as he's walking to the ballroom he's stopped by a youth gang. They call him gay because of the way he's dressed, and they beat him up. This makes him quit dancing.

20 years later Bruce is overweight and single. He works designing handworker tools like drills and lathes. He has a beautiful woman as his boss and thinks she's out of his league, until he finds out that her hobby is salsa dancing. This motivates him to get back into training.

Nick Frost is absolutely brilliant as Bruce Garrett. But then again, he's brilliant in every role he plays. A lot of the humour is about his weight. He doesn't look like a typical salsa dancer. The only thing that bugged me about the film was the crude language from Bruce's work colleague, Drew. This is probably what earned the film a 15 certificate. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against crude humour in films, generally, but in this film it seemed out of place. If the language had been cleaned up it could have got a PG rating and become a film to encourage children to start dancing.

P.S. Simon Pegg supposedly had a cameo in the film, but I must have blinked and missed him.

Hot Fuzz (5 Stars)

It's very difficult to describe the plot of this film without giving away too many spoilers, so I'll have to keep my description to a minimum.

Nicholas Angel is a highly successful London policeman. He arrests five times as many criminals as his fellow policemen. Both his colleagues and his superiors think he is making them look bad, so he is promoted to sergeant and transferred to Sandford, a village in Gloucestershire. This village has the lowest crime rate in the country, but in the week after he arrives five murders take place.

Today was the third time I've watched the film, and it gets better every time. It must be one of the best films ever made. I realise that my very brief plot description might not make the film sound attractive. It doesn't turn out the way you would expect it to when it begins. As I've said before, individually Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are great actors, but together they're perfect. Somehow they remind me of Terence Hill and Bud Spencer.

The town used as the location for the fictional village of Sandford is Wells in Somerset, the home town of the director, Edgar Wright. In one scene Edgar appears stacking shelves in the same Somerfield supermarket where he once worked stacking shelves. Many great actors appear in the film in small roles, some of them uncredited: Timothy Dalton, Edward Woodward, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Steve Coogan, Bill Nighy, just to name a few. Peter Jackson, best known for directing "Lord of the Rings", also appears briefly.