Film Club

The Keeper
7/10

Inspired by the true story of Bert Trautmann (Kross, of The Reader), a German who during World War II served as an ardent member of the Hitler Youth and later of the Luftwaffe. Then after the war he played soccer in England, as a goalkeeper for Manchester City. His presence on the team, which hired him in 1949, inspired protests. Would fans ever accept a former enemy as a star player?

I really enjoyed this and would categorise as a good Sunday afternoon/evening film. It’s like a good quality TV movie that isn’t going to tax the old grey matter too much. Solid if not spectacular and with heavy doses of nostalgia to boot which is perfect for some light entertainment.

Arctic
8/10

A man stranded in the Arctic after a plane crash must decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his makeshift camp or to embark on a deadly trek through the unknown.

This film won’t be for everyone but I really, really enjoyed it. I’m a big fan of Mads  Mikkelsen and he is his normal impressive self in this story too. There is little dialogue in the entire film and only 2 actors but given the context it’s hardly surprising. If you liked ‘Cast Away’ ‘Into the Wild’ or ‘All is lost’ I’m pretty confident you will enjoy this as well.

Reptile
6/10

Tom Nichols is a hardened New England detective, unflinching in his pursuit of a case where nothing is as it seems and it begins to dismantle the illusions in his own life.

I have to admit that I watched this for two reasons, one being the genre and the second being Del Torro who I rate extremely highly.
Overall I was disappointed because I expected more than I got and at over 2hours long the pay off come the end, didn’t justify the time.
A plodding film that’s not awful but not exactly that good either. Give it a miss!

Flora and Son
8.5/10

A single mom at war with her son is trying to find a hobby for him. One day, she rescues a guitar from a skip.

Whilst not exactly the same, this film evoked the same sort of feelings I got from Once, Sing Street and Begin Again. I loved it from start to finish and I really liked the performances from the two leads.
The music in it is again really good and it just feels really natural and not manufactured with the irony being, that’s the process of the film at heart.

Oppenheimer
9.5/10

A dramatization of the life story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who had a large hand in the development of the atomic bomb, thus helping end World War 2. We see his life from university days all the way to post-WW2, where his fame saw him embroiled in political machinations.

Knowing how well Nolan creates sound and effects I was hesitant to watch this as the subject matter frightens the bejesus out of me. What I expected was very different to the reality I’m pleased to say.
The cast is fantastic as with all his films and unsurprisingly Murphy is absolutely brilliant.
It mixes heavy dialogue with breathtaking visuals and the story is told in such a way that I didn’t notice it was 3 hours long. I was glued to my seat for the entire watch.
It’s another Nolan masterpiece folks!

Killers of the Flower Moon
9.5/10

When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one - until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.

A barely believable true story told in typical Martin Scorsese fashion is just the ticket for me. I absolutely love him and his movies and this is no different.
As with Oppenheimer, come the end I didn’t feel like I’d sat through such a long film. It’s a shade under 3.5 hours but is worth every second.
De Niro is excellent and with this sort of material that’s hardly a surprise. DiCaprio is top drawer for yet another Callaboration with Bob n Marty (I’m mates with them obviously) but Lily Gladstone steals the show for me.

The Old Oak
8/10

The future for the last remaining pub, The Old Oak, in a village of Northeast England, where people are leaving the land as the mines are closed. Houses are cheap and available, thus making it an ideal location for Syrian refugees.

The fact that this didn’t quite hit the heights of I, Daniel Blake or Sorry We Missed you, speak more of the quality of those two films rather than a lack of it in this.
I’m a fan of Ken Loach but regardless this is a film that stands on its own two feet even in the company of his other great films. I think a lot of sentimentality creeps in to The Old Oak which may just be reflective of this supposedly being his last film.
I enjoyed this film a lot and found it touching, poignant and infuriating too! I was really rooting for a big pay off come the end that didn’t happen
. Perhaps it’s a better film for it though and begrudgingly I respect the lack of it more than I perhaps would have, had it arrived.
If you liked Looking for Eric, My Name is Joe or and / Herself I think you would enjoy this.
If you’re a person who uses ‘woke’ a lot, reads the daily mail or watch GB news then I’d stay well away.

Anon

7.5/10

Was on the TV last night on Sky Sci Fi.

Everybody has their personal data held in the 'ether' and is available to everyone else, including video footage of their lives. A perfect way to prevent crime. But a rogue hacker starts killing people and their data doesn't exist. A cop, trying to deal with his own personal issues, has to track them down.

It's clever, sexy, just violent enough and set in a future that isn't too far away. Clive Owen stars.

I enjoyed it more than I expected to.