Directed by Dexter Fletcher

Born in the mid-1960s in Enfield (now a London borough), Dexter Fletcher is an actor, film director and producer. He is the British equivalent of USA's Ron Howard. Both became famous as actors and have gone on to direct some great films. Fletcher's quirky style brings enjoyment to a mostly family audience, through such movies as:

• Sunshine on Leith (2013)
• Eddie the Eagle (2015) 
• Rocketman (2019) 
• Ghosted (2023) 
  

I've just got round to watching Ghosted, which features big stars in small roles (e.g. Anthony Mackie and Ryan Reynolds). It's a love story, it's an action-packed spy film, it's humorous. Summary: a recommended watch; great fun!

I know that I watched Sunshine on Leith and Eddie the Eagle, both of which I enjoyed, but it was so long ago that I can't remember details! Not a fan of Elton John but I may watch Rocketman some day. 

Unrelated quote:
‘I am constantly mistaken for Ben Elton...' - David Baddiel. 

I Used To Be Famous - British film

A few years after Del-boy put Peckham on the map, along comes Vinnie D. 

Co-written, directed and starring Eddie Sternberg as Vince Denham who used to be in a famous band twenty years earlier, this story is a reminder that people are complicated creatures. 

Vince is down on his luck. Alone in his flat, he reflects on his life choices which led him here, mainly shaped by his inability to stand his ground and visit his younger brother in hospital, who died while the band was on tour. He is not happy with his life and dreams of becoming famous again.

While practising a new song on his electronic keyboard, sitting on a bench in Peckham market, a young man, Stevie, starts drumming along with the song until Stevie's mother arrives on the scene and takes him home. 

Long story short... Stevie is autistic and drums as therapy. Vince joins the therapy group and shows understanding, helping other members gain self-confidence. The two team up (against Stevie's mum's wishes) and get a gig at the local pub. They are well received until some guys wander in and begin to shout derogatory comments about the music and then start picking on Stevie. Vince protects his younger friend and a fight ensues. Obviously he is then banned from the pub. 

With various people posting short videos on social media of Vince and Stevie playing in the market and at the gig, Vince is eventually poised to make a comeback tour... 

Released 2022, currently on Netflix.

Indiana Jones - the fifth and final film

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny 

Everyone was excited about the next Indiana Jones movie until the studio started to shoot itself in the foot and put out negative vibes. Even after it was released, there was no love for the film at Disney. Unsurprisingly, one of the highest budget films was not a box-office success and, at the time, made huge losses. These factors niggled at an audience who wanted to love Indy's last adventure (bearing in mind that Harrison Ford must be nearly 100 years old by now). 

So we waited. We've now watched the movie and have our own opinion on it. Generally, the public awarded a 3.6 rating and we wouldn't argue with that but we believe it could have been higher with a better final cut. For example, it's a long film at 2h22m and much of the first half dragged on a bit therefore just removing 20 minutes or so from the first half of the film would have been beneficial. Possibly the scenes where old Indy became younger Indy, thanks to CGI, were only kept in to justify the CGI cost? 

That aside, once the action got going, it was entertaining.

Resurrecting the Nazi element as the antagonists was a terrible idea but the fantasy element of the franchise (e.g. Arc, Aliens) was topped by time-travel. The antagonists meet their doom in the distant past as Indy meets with Archimedes who, apparently, discovered how to time travel around 2000 years ago. 

All in all, quite entertaining and a must-see if you've seen the others. 

Personal ratings by release:

• Raiders of the Lost Arc ~~~ 5* 
• Temple of Doom ~~~ 4* 
• Last Crusade ~~~ 5*
• Crystal Skull ~~~ 4* 
• Dial of Destiny ~~~ 4*
  

 

Movies: Freelance, Witless Protection, About My Father - our ratings

We've watched three more films on three consecutive evenings, wow. 

1. Freelance

Genre: action and humour. If this had been made at the end of the last millenium, it would be starring Arnie and possibly co-starring Antonio Banderas. However, it was released in 2023 and stars John Cena, Alison Brie and Juan Pablo Raba. It's not a new plot but it was entertaining and for that, we give it 4 out of 5 stars. Cena and Brie were good and Juan Pablo Raba was excellent.

2. Witless Protection

Genre: comedy. We nearly abandoned this quite early on as it's cringey rather than funny but we let it run and there was some worthy humour. Added to that, the plot developed nicely, so we can award 3 out of 5 stars. For those of you who know of the comedian 'Larry the Cable Guy', the humour is probably typical but for the rest of us (especially Brits), this is a B-list movie.

3. About My Father

Genre: comedy. Based loosely on the relationshop between the writer/leading actor Sebastian Maniscalco and his father, played by Robert De Niro, this hardly believable plot is entertaining, with characters who you may like or loathe as the story unfolds. It's entertaining, so somewhere between 3 and 4 stars out of 5. 

Click here for more film info.

Film Review: Uncharted

 "Nuns. Why did it have to be Nuns?" 

I've been looking forward to seeing this film for such a long time. I'm not a gamer but I've watched some of the Uncharted stories from the games plus the fan-made short with Nathan Fillion as Nathan Drake - so I know a little but not enough to enrage me if there are deviations from the game plots. 

I watched this with someone who knew nothing about Uncharted at all. For example, he asked what sort of film it is and I said that it was a little bit like Indiana Jones. 

The main characters are Nate (Tom Holland) and Sully (Mark Wahlberg) whose connection is Nate's brother, Sam (missing, presumed dead). The film begins with the brothers as naughty boys, Sam leaves younger brother Nate to be raised in an orphanage by nuns. Eventually Nate comes of age, leaves the orphanage and gets a job as a barman, supplementing his income by stealing stuff. 

Sully finds Nate and, after some cat-and-mouse games, they team up to search for Magellan's gold. Of course, they are not the only ones on the trail so they encounter some rough enemies, including the woman who shot Sam. 

At the end, as with Indy's adventures, there is a wistful but not unhappy ending to the film, followed by a teaser for a sequel which, at the end of 2023, we are still waiting to hear if/when it's to be given the green light. I hope so.

I enjoyed this film and the person with whom I watched it also enjoyed it (possibly not as much as me though). If I had to name one thing that niggled me, it was the destruction of two perfectly preserved, centuries-old sailing ships. But then, I have to remember that it's not real, just a story.

 

Review: Last Night in Soho

I wanted to watch the film, Last Night in Soho, ages ago because I like the song (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Titch, 1960s) and I like the Director (Edgar Wright) plus the cast had some good names (Matt Smith, Diana Rigg and a host of other names) but my favourite character, John, was played by Michael Ajao.

Billed as a psychological horror, the film is about Eloise (another 1960s hit song, featured in the film), a teenage girl who is accepted at a fashion design college in London. A quiet personality, she had little in common with girls she shared halls with so decided to find her own lodgings. Around this time, she began hallucinating about events that happened in the past (taking us back to the 1960s again) which were so real that she became part of that life, skilfully taking the movie into a thriller/horror genre. 

It's too difficult to go into details - you can watch the film if you need to know them - but the nightmare eventually ends and you realise that Ellie isn't going insane but is sensitive to the strong psychic vibes of the 'ghosts' in the room (oh yes, There's a Ghost in my House by R Dean Taylor, 1970s, was also on the playlist, as were: A World Without Love by Peter & Gordon, Don't Throw Your Love Away by the Searchers and Wishin' & Hopin' by Dusty Springfield, to name a few). 

'Nuff said. I think I liked the movie. If it's your cup of tea, give it a go. Here's the trailer:

Review: One Night in Miami

Another one that I'm not sure whether to recommend. It's an account of a fictional evening following Cassius Clay's victory over Sonny Liston in 1964, shared with other icons of the day: Sam Cooke, Jim Brown and Malcolm X. 

In the film, they spent most of the evening in a motel room. The boxing champ, the American footballer, the singer and the activist. Guess which one was the least fun, interrupting the celebrations with his ranting? Malcolm X seemed almost schizophrenic, jumping from rants to normality throughout the film. 

Being British, I'd never heard of Jim Brown who retired from (American) football to become a reasonably successful actor (the character was played by Aldis Hodge who is known for such roles as Hardison in Leverage) but he seemed like a nice, level-headed guy, the best of the bunch. Sadly, Jim Brown died earlier this year. 

And who hasn't heard of Sam Cooke? A great voice, he released many songs during his short time on earth (shot and killed a few months after the film was set), including: You Send Me, Wonderful World, I Can See Clearly Now, Cupid, Twistin' the Night Away, Another Saturday Night, Change Gonna Come... and more. 

Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali shortly after his rise to fame, encouraged to change religion by Malcolm X.  Most(?) people alive today will know who he is, a much loved character who sufferered from Parkinson's Disease in later life. I don't know much about Malcolm X so I don't feel that I have the right to comment here.

The film is an Amazon original. Here's the trailer:

Summary: a well-acted and well made film with light moments and humour. Personally, I am always  uncomfortable with stories from the 1960s/70s that comprise some elements of ugly truth, such as racism, sexism and other prejudices.

Review: The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

I'm not sure whether to recommend this or not... 

Benedict Cumberbatch is a very good actor and his make-up artist was excellent, taking him from a young man to an old man waiting to die, then an old man who decided to continue living. 

Based on a true story, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is a quaint story of life from late 1800s to early 1900s - the ups and downs of life in an upper middle-class family with very little money. It highlights the absence of free will for many people of the time: the poor and the powerless, women who need to 'marry well' and even the proviledged classes who do not conform to society's rules. In this respect, it perpetuates how a collection of weathly men determined the value of others and it illustrates how harridan leadership spills into everyday two-faced gossip when people don't conform to the ideas of the rich and powerful. This can be accepted as history or, for some, an example of how little things have moved on 100 years later.

That aside, the story is that Louis had to take on the role of head of the household when his father died. With no discernable income, he has to provide for his many sisters and unwell mother and pay for a governess - an educated woman who is appointed by the eldest sister to teach the younger ones.

But this is also a also a love story. Louis Wain is a lovely, if awkward, person who, these days, may be considered to be 'on the spectrum'. He falls in love with the governess, which is frowned upon by people who know the family, as she is someone from 'the servile class'. The couple moves away and Louis takes various artistic commissions to support her, his sisters and his mother. 

There's a lot more to the story and, inevitably, there are sad moments. Go ahead and watch it - especially if you like cats - but be sure to line up some happier viewing to follow. 

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain with Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy and Toby Jones.

Louis Wain wiki

Film Review: Nobody

Nobody is a 2021 movie with Christopher Lloyd, whose character is the dad of the lead actor, Bob Odenkirk. It begins by showing the dull repetitive life of a family man which is disrupted by a break-in. The man, Hutch, does nothing (explained later in the film) but soon regrets his inaction and decides to track down the perpetrators. During his search, hints of his past life start to creep into the story.

When he finds the couple who broke in, he discovers that they acted out of desperation as they couldn't afford medicines for their sick baby. Hutch leaves, angry and frustrated, and catches a bus. During the journey, some drunks crash their car and catch the bus, still drinking, then begin to harass a young lady travelling alone. Hutch starts a fight.

Afterwards, he learns that the younger brother of a notorious 'baddie' died following that fight - and the elder brother's endless supply of thugs and assassins was sent to hunt down Hutch.

How does it end? You'll have to watch it yourself - it's worth it. Here's a clip:

This will appeal to those who enjoyed John Wick, Seven Psychopaths or In Bruges. Even if you aren't keen on fight scenes and gun battles, it's a good film with humour so it's quite fun!

DVD Film Review: I Love You, Man.

I Love You, Man (2009)

A John Hamburg Film

Starring Paul Rudd & Jason Segal
Co-starring Rashida Jones 

Mike from Friends meets Marshall from HIMYM

Paul Rudd's character is an Estate Agent who proposes to his girlfriend and the wedding planning begins...

The groom-to-be has no male friends and is not close to his much older brother. He overhears the bride-to-be discussing his lack of friends with her friends and he sets out on a quest to find a best man.

After some desperate attempts to 'man-date', he is hosting an Open House to sell Lou (The Hulk) Ferrigno's property and starts chatting to Jason Segal's character about the food. They get along well and, despite Paul Rudd's character trying too hard to be cool, they become good friends but the friendship begins to affect the engagement.

There was a point where we were not quite sure if Jason Segal's character was trustworthy, as he asks for money for an investment but it was a valid, although unusual and interesting, investment.

The girlfriend, played by Rashida Jones, was charming throughout and everything works out well with the wedding going ahead at the end of the film. And we hope they all lived happily ever after.

Beebopalula

Reviews of Recent Films, Summer 2014

Films viewed: A Long Way Down, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Postman Pat, The Amazing Spider-man 2, Captain America: the Winter Soldier.

1. A Long Way Down

Based on the book by Nick Hornby. Starring Pierce Brosnan (007), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Imogen Poots, Toni Collette.

I enjoyed A Long Way Down - despite the story being about suicide attempts which, in real life, are not funny. Four people determined to jump off a roof in London on New Year's Eve are surprised to find that they are not alone. The characters are sympathetic and the dialogue was often amusing. I just wish that I could remember some of the amusing quotes... sorry, you'll have to watch it yourselves.

2. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel (but not Johnny Depp).

Wes Anderson's quirky film is an interesting recount of the hotel's ownership over 50-ish years and how the current and previous owners came to own it. A gentle, amusing comedy-drama; well acted, well made.

3. Postman Pat: The Movie

You will recognise the voices of David Tennant, Stephen Mangan, Jim Broadbent, Ronan Keating and perhaps Rupert Grint. Quite a few plot holes but the under-7s will probably overlook them. Look out for the guest appearance by a Dalek.

I think I may have become slightly de-geeked, reaching saturation point for superhero films, but here goes...

4. The Amazing Spider-man 2

I really like Andrew Garfield as Spiderman and this is a great film.
Familiar storyline of Peter Parker losing the girl and having to battle with his best friend. If you've not overdosed on Spidey films during the past decade, you should enjoy this one.

5. Captain America: the Winter Soldier

Starring Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford.
High-level shenanigans in the USA as SHIELD is infiltrated by Hydra and can no longer be trusted. The mysterious Winter Soldier emerges to battle with Captain America. Good, exciting storyline but how will they rebuild the city, yet again, in time for the next film - and where's the money coming from? Still, not as much devastation and destruction as in the Superman vs Zod battle.

BP2

Review - The Butler

On IMDB, The Butler has only 3.5 stars. Forest Whitaker's performance alone is worth another star.

The story is based on a real one and shows how the USA has progressed from apartheid to the election of President Barack Obama, as experienced by the lead character, Cecil. His family worked in the southern cotton fields and were brutalised by the owners. As a boy, Cecil was taken to the house as a servant and subsequently perfected those skills throughout his life to become a respected member of staff at The White House.

The story of his career is interlaced with his family life. He had a long, solid relationship with his wife (played by Oprah Winfrey) and a difficult relationship with his rebellious first son. He was proud of his younger son who was killed in the Vietnam war. Snippets of Cecil's life at The White House reveal insights into the administrations of several presidents over a number of years.

In Cecil's later years, he and his eldest son are reconciled and, towards the end of the film, they celebrate Obama's victory together.

Why Forest Whitaker's performance was incredible: I really believed he had become a frail old man in his 90s and found myself wondering if he was still alive in real life... he's only in his early 50s!

Other films to watch with Forest Whitaker: The Last King of Scotland, Good Morning Vietnam & The Color of Money.

The Monuments Men - film review

Based on a true story, The Monuments Men (2014) stars just about everybody - George Clooney (who was also co-writer/director), Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean DuJardin, Hugh Bonneville, Bob Balaban, oh and Cate Blanchett who plays a Parisian.

It was like watching an interesting documentary but better, as the actors were masters of under-acting and seemed so natural . It was amazing to learn about the number of artworks that were stolen, stored or destroyed - and there was tons of gold stashed, too.

An enlightening and enjoyable film. If you want to know more, you can decode the following paragraph by pasting it into a text document and changing the font to something readable.

Guess which two of The Monuments Men team died - none of the Americans – just the Brit and the Frenchman!

Recommended. Give it a whirl!

Back to the Future Rebel without a Cause

Recently, I watched Rebel without a Cause, a 1955 film, the year that Marty McFly travelled back to in the original Back to the Future.

I have to admit that the lifestyles portrayed were getting on my nerves; James Dean played a teenager of 16/17 years of age whose parents bickered constantly and the girl-next-door, played by Natalie Wood, was physically pushed away by her father for hugging him. Both families seemed 'middle-class' and were the antithesis of the usual happy families from films of the era - and maybe that was the point.

The main character, Jim (James Dean) was a good guy whose biggest flaw was that he couldn't resist a challenge if he was called 'chicken' (ring any bells, BTTF fans?) therefore when Buzz / Biff made the call, Jim McFly responded.

There ensued a 'chicken' car driving contest, similar to the duel that was revived in Grease. This one involved driving stolen cars off the edge of a cliff and jumping out at the last second.

Throughout the film, I was appalled that 16/17 year olds were roaming the streets all night with no evidence of parental concern - maybe that was the Wild West legacy - and that didn't seem very realistic to me... until the news reminds me that this is happening in UK inner cities, almost 60 years later.

I'm glad I've finally seen the film and I'd probably recommend that film fans should see it but don't expect to love it. 

More Film Reviews...

Film Reviews: Action & Comedy Genres

In 2014, so far, I've watched these films:

• About Time
• Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
• Iron Man Three
• Man Of Steel
• Red 2
• The Hangover Part III
• The Internship
• The World's End
• We're The Millers

About Time is based in London and Cornwall. It's the story of nice middle class family, headed up by Bill Nighy's character who passes on a secret to his son. This is where the film declares itself to be charmingly silly rather than sinister... the men in the family can travel back in time for a do-over, by hiding in a dark cupboard, clenching fists and concentrating on the time and place to be visited, which has to be within their own timeline.
Summary: a little bit of sadness and a lot of laughs. Excellent casting by a 'Withnail' and 'Uncle Monty' fan? Nighy was brilliant.

Alpha Papa is as good as the Alan Partridge TV series so if you are a fan, you will like it. I thought it was quite good.

Iron Man Three had a few moments of over-doing the destruction of Tony Stark's house otherwise the film was first-rate, with the usual brand of humour and Stan Lee cameo. Overly long credits worth sitting through for the post-credit scene with... well, you'll find out if you stick with it.

The story, casting and Superman's costume in Man Of Steel are great. Enjoyable until the battle between Kal-El and General Zod gets out of hand and destroys every building within three miles then has to step up so half the Earth gets destroyed (I'm not sure really because after what seemed like hours of samey fighting and simulated destruction, my mind had wandered). It ended well, though. Does Superman look a bit like Andy Murray?

Red 2 seemed very similar to the original but never mind because it was played for laughs all the way. Special mention to Helen Mirren's performance - she surely had some of the best lines in the film and delivered them brilliantly.

The Hangover Part III was missing a hangover!!! A more mature approach from most of the cast and a funny film that seemed to underline the message 'no more hangover sequels'.

I only saw half of The Internship but I was really getting into it and will have to watch it again, to the end. It's about two experienced out-of-work sales guys who fluke their way onto an Internship challenge at Google. Formulaic but fun.

The World's End was quite good. I will need to watch it again but on DVD so that I can pause to fully recognise parts of Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City. Weird ending.

We're The Millers was a bit of fun. A grittier start for Jennifer Aniston who plays a stripper who then, as the film progresses, turns back into the typical sweet caring Jennifer Aniston character we're used to. A 'real life Ned Flanders' and his family adds to the comedy. Entertaining - definitely on the winding-down watch-list.

BP2

Film Review: The Watch

Not to be confused with The Watch in the Discworld novels. 

Starring: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Richard Ayoade and Jonah Hill.
Synopsis: four men form a Neighbourhood Watch group, the local police are rude, there are aliens.

Two of us watched this film and had contrasting opinions. It began with the CostCo night-watchman irresponsibly getting drunk then murdered, the police didn't take it seriously. His manager and friend, played by Stiller, appeals for help to find the killer and the other 3 co-stars turn up to half-heartedly form the Watch, the police didn't take them seriously. The Watch members get drunk but not killed, although someone else does, which is when the Watch discover an alien.

At some point, there's an orgy and a separate episode involving a teenage daughter and her gross boyfriend. The film ends where it began - at CostCo. I won't describe how it ends as the last half an hour was the most engaging of the whole film and, should you watch it, I don't want to spoil it for you.

Summary:
Him: "after the first half hour, it was quite good".
Me: "75% was total rubbish, the end bit was OK".

Psychosis - short film

A 5-minute 'film noir' mystery with a sting... keep watching after the credits!



This was one of a series of short films by NHC media students, shown at the Broadway Cinema in Letchworth (aka Mermaid in Worlds End), June 2013.

The story features a detective and introduces Malum, a character inspired by adversaries such as Moriarty and the Riddler.

The end is a one-on-one, each with a gun. Off camera, we hear a shot. Roll credits... Who survives? Keep watching.