Unhinged

Derrick Borte’s UNHINGED explores a What If story of road raging gone to the very extreme. The chronically-late Rachel (Caren Pistorius) is on her way to drop her son Kyle (Gabriel Bateman) off at school when she hooks at a car in front of her that is not driving despite the light turning green. Behind the wheel of the big, grey 4x4 is a driver (Russel Crowe) who gets enraged by Rachel’s refusal to apologize after he did just that to her. What follows is a non-stop chase fuelled by the Stranger’s wrath towards Rachel. Desperately set on teaching her a lesson, the stranger doesn’t just go after her, but everyone she loves.

In a cinematic world and story, there’s this term called Suspension of Disbelief, which is basically an acceptance and willing ignorance towards certain illogical or surreal events that the viewer believes in for the sake of the story. UNHINGED tries to set up a world in which a psychotic road-rager, like the one we see, as the result of “an increase of violence on the streets”. Within the first scene, we get to observe this bitter, psychotic, and broken man that does not back down from harming people who hurt him, as he kills his ex-wife and her new boyfriend. Immediately afterward, we get a drawn-out and overly long montage of news clips showcasing various acts of road rage that try to prime you into a connection between this maniac and people honking at each other. 

While I was most certainly entertained, thanks for asking, the dread of having a message that is not about mental health but more on how we don’t care about each other on the streets feels like an odd parallel to this movie’s release, which much like many people on the street is much more concerned about being first rather than getting there in a safe manner.

All that being said, there are some good ideas in UNHINGED. Especially how Russel Crowe has to be overweight to play this part. Right? Okay, now I’m done trashing it.

Crowe delivers a solid performance. He is certainly able to portray a mostly silent menace being a calm and collected killer that must have drawn some inspiration from Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh from NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. Although Crowe is lightyears away from a performance on par with Bardem.

I was caught off guard by the R-rated violence displayed in the film, albeit out of place for the characters, grounded this as a world with fatal consequences. Even though Crowe’s stranger was mostly driving next/into NPC’s that did not seem to react to whatever he was doing. Which I get, it was one of the points the story was trying to make. That no one cares in traffic, but come on… Do you really not realize someone rear-ending someone else's car next to you? Unfortunately, this resulted in more than a few unintentionally amusing moments that were supposed to be thrilling. 

The sound that design, on the contrary, was utterly fascinating. Although that might be a result of my almost five-month absence from cinemas.

UNHINGED is a mediocre action film that tries too hard to have some kind of message hidden in between the loud motors of its cars. It is like Harvey Dent’s two-face in that we deserve it, but we don’t need right now. They probably just really had to push for a release because the Fortnite references were already outdated in AVENGER’S ENDGAME, let alone mid-summer 2020.

★★⋆☆☆

Film Release (Switzerland): 30.07.20 - Film Release (USA): TBD

Film Data: Director: Derrick Borte - Writers: Carl Ellsworth - Cast: Russel Crowe, Gabriel Bateman, Caren Pistorius, Anna Leighton, Jimmi Simpson - 90’ - 2020 - USA - Solstice Production - Ascot Elite Switzerland

Photos: © 2020 Ascot Elite Entertainment AG

• Ewan Graf
  • May 25, 2023 ASTEROID CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 FALLEN LEAVES - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 25, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 CLUB ZERO - Review by Ewan Graf May 24, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 FIREBRAND - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 24, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 ANATOMY OF A FALL - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 BANEL & ADAMA - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 MAY DECEMBER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 STRANGE WAY OF LIFE - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 HOW TO HAVE SEX - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 LE RETOUR (Homecoming) - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • Jan 21, 2022 La Guerra Civil (2022) - Sundance Jan 21, 2022
  • Dec 30, 2021 Belfast (2021) Dec 30, 2021
  • Dec 16, 2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) Dec 16, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Unforgivable (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Humans (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 The Green Knight (2021) - Quiet On Set Podcast Review Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 25, 2021 Cherry (2021) - Avenger vs Opioids Feb 25, 2021
  • Feb 8, 2021 CODA (2021) - The Big Winner of the Sundance Film Festival 2021 Feb 8, 2021
  • Feb 7, 2021 Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) Feb 7, 2021
  • Feb 5, 2021 Duel - 52 Years of 52 Weeks Feb 5, 2021
  • Jan 13, 2021 The Aristocats - 52 Years in 52 Weeks Jan 13, 2021
  • Jan 4, 2021 So I watched every movie in 2020... Jan 4, 2021
  • Jul 29, 2020 Unhinged Jul 29, 2020
  • Mar 10, 2020 Onward Mar 10, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 Mare Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 26, 2020 Just Mercy Feb 26, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 The Peanut Butter Falcon Feb 18, 2020
  • Feb 17, 2020 Platzspitzbaby - (Needle Park Baby) Feb 17, 2020
  • Feb 7, 2020 Horse Girl Feb 7, 2020
  • Feb 6, 2020 Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) Feb 6, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 2019 was the best cinematic year of the decade, change my mind Feb 5, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 Dolitte Does Little For Me Feb 5, 2020
• Kally Künnap
  • Mar 17, 2020 Dystopian Movies & Series to Binge on Whilst Quarantined Mar 17, 2020
  • Feb 25, 2020 Queen & Slim Feb 25, 2020
  • Feb 14, 2020 To All the Boys I've Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You Feb 14, 2020
• Lachlan Thiele
  • Jan 10, 2022 The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) Jan 10, 2022
  • Oct 17, 2021 Halloween Kills Oct 17, 2021
  • Sep 12, 2021 The Green Knight is the best film of 2021 Sep 12, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 Pig (2021) Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 29, 2020 Sonic The Hedgehog Feb 29, 2020
  • Feb 16, 2020 The Gentlemen Feb 16, 2020
• Michelle Bernet
  • Mar 12, 2020 EMMA. Mar 12, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 About Endlessness by Roy Andersson Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 Moskau Einfach! (One Way to Moscow) - English + German Review Feb 18, 2020

UNHINGED is like a dog that sticks his head out the window - it’s entertaining to look at for a while but ultimately cats are better. 

Dystopian Movies & Series to Binge on Whilst Quarantined

I almost named this blog post “We’re All Going to Die Anyway, So Here Are Some Dystopian Movies and Series to Freak You Out Even More”, but I thought Ewan (aka my boss) would veto that… so here we are.

Most of the world has been quarantined, all of the toilet paper and hand sanitiser has been stolen by angry boomers, but hey, we still have the internet? For that reason, the QOS team decided to offer you some lists of what to watch when quarantined.

First up: Dystopias!

Series

View fullsize

For all of you rich kids with AppleTV+, check out See. The sci-fi drama (starring Jason Momoa, drool) tells the story of a future world, where all people have lost their sight, until one day, where a pair of twins is found, who are able to see! With just 1 short season of 8 episodes (renewed for season 2), this would keep you busy for at least a day.

-> See is available on AppleTV+

View fullsize

The Handmaid’s Tale! Now, this was an obvious one. Ever since the Margaret Atwood book got picked up for a series (and a film in the 90’s mind you), The Handmaid’s Tale has become a worldwide sensation. Be aware: If you wish to have a full Offred experience, check out the book before watching it (if you’re still able to order any) and then watch the first series. As a purist myself, I refrain from watching on after the first season, which is where the book ends. (Even though yes, Atwood released a sequel to the book 34!!! years after the first one, but it seems more like a capitalist move to me). The series tells the story of a future world where human fertility is at an all-time low, meaning that fertile women now serve the higher-ups of the country, as handmaidens, who are basically baby-birthing machines.->The Handmaid’s Tale is available on Hulu.

View fullsize

If you don’t mind a subtitle, check out the Brazilian thriller 3%. You will immediately fall in love with the way they say three percent, and the plot, which is SOLID. Very binge-worthy and a great introduction for Brazilian productions. 3% tells the story of an extremely poor Brazil, where every year, the best 3% of every year make it to the “Offshore”, a utopic island, where every single wish you may have is fulfilled.

-> 3% is available on Netflix.

Movies

View fullsize

Are we over The Hunger Games yet? Nah. In case you have been living under a rock, The Hunger Games books and movies took the world by storm. The Hunger Games follow Katniss through the yearly system of “sacrifice”, which has been implemented through the government of Panem. Also, if you’re interested in seeing the low-rent version of Hunger Games, Divergent is currently available on Netflix.

-> The Hunger Games is available on Amazon Prime

View fullsize

For those of us with a child’s heart, Wall-E still remains a crowd favorite. The adorable animation introduces us to Wall-E, a clean-up robot left on Earth to clean trash and to find any signs of plants to restart human living on Earth. After Wall-E stumbles upon a beautiful plant, he then sneaks his way onto a rocket onto the humans’ cruise ship in space. All in all, it’s a beautifully heartbreaking story of climate change and the impending problem of drowning in our own trash.

-> Wall-E is available on Disney+

View fullsize

As you might have noticed by now, this list does not include too many super high-end films or series, because we’re all just here to have fun, right? A stupid fun film to watch is Idiocracy, starring Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Terry Wilson, Dax Shepherd and many more… Luke Wilson plays soldier Joe Bauers, who wakes up after 500 years of a military hibernation experiment to the dumbest society you could ever imagine. He is then recognized as the “smartest person alive” and is quickly given the task to fix everything wrong with America he has to wake up to.

->Idiocracy is available on Hulu

View fullsize

View fullsize

Is it even a list if there isn’t Will Smith on it? I, Robot will give you an evening full of action and of the fresh prince of Bel-Air fighting off robots who wish to take over the world. And if I, Robot isn’t enough Will Smith for you, go check out I am Legend, if you haven’t already (it will break your heart).

-> I, Robot and I am Legend are available on Netflix

View fullsize

I left the spookiest for last: Contagion. In short 106 minutes, you can witness a virus, originating from Chinese bats taking over and killing the whole world. Sound familiar? Yeah, this one will leave you up all night until the end of your quarantine. 

-> Contagion is available on Amazon Prime

---

That’s it for today’s list, watch out for new lists being posted both on our webpage and on Letterboxd. For the time being, stay safe and take care!

Edit: Recommendation from Rory: High Rise starring Tom Hiddleston in a high stake drama about the life of residents of a tower block that quickly spirals out of control.

Articles RSS

Quiet On Set Podcast RSS

EMMA.

After Clueless (Amy Heckerling, 1995) comes Autumn de Wilde’s adaptation of the Austen novel Emma. The explanation for her stylized title ‘EMMA.’ is, so de Wilde to RadioTimes, “There’s a period at the end of Emma because it’s a period film”. So it is only right that this version of Emma is set in its original setting; England in the early 19th century.

Spoiled young woman Emma lives with her widowed father (Bill Nighy) alone in a big country house in Highbury. In her daily boredom, she soon discovers that she can entertain herself by playing matchmaker. She engineers the marriage between her beloved governess and a widowed man. But as she is now deprived of the only motherly figure she knows, she turns her attention to naive girl Harriet Smith, whom she declared her companion. Despite knowing that Harriet is in love and courted by a local farmer, Emma coaxed her into refusing Mr. Martin and instead orchestrates a relationship between the vicar Elton and her, whom Emma thinks more fitting. The plot thickens when Emma is soon made aware of the fact that not all her arrangements will work out in her favor. Her neighbour and brother-in-law Mr. Knightley is the only one to be mindful of her vanity and naiveté. At that same time, Emma finds herself attracted to good looking Mr. Frank Churchill, while it is rumored that Knightley himself is taken by the accomplished Jane Fairfax. Being at the center of all these events, Emma gets tangled up quickly.  Capering about in the lavish society, she is ultimately confronted with the question of growing up, assuming responsibility for her actions and finding her place in the world. 

View fullsize

Autumn de Wilde’s directorial debut puts a quirky, rom-comesque spin on the already comedic original story. Watching this film wasn’t a completely different experience than watching Clueless, apart from the admittedly gorgeous setting and decor they pulled off. At times it actually felt like they recast Clueless and then had them dress up and talk fancily. In a good way though. It is definitely an enjoyable film, albeit not outstanding. The cast was splendid, with Bill Nighy portraying a valetudinarian old man (quite honestly one of his better roles) and Johnny Flynn being his cuddly and adorable self through his character of Knightley. 

View fullsize

De Wilde artfully juggles with banter and benevolent bestialities to deliver a nicely dressed up film. 

If you have read the novel it is definitely fun seeing this film I believe. And if you have loved and worshipped Paul Rudd in Clueless as I have growing up (still do tbh), then don’t worry, Johnny Flynn (almost) does him justice. I think you don’t even have to love period pieces to like this film.

Should I see Emma? Go see it if you wanna know what this famous novel is about (always good to know what people are talking about) and like a quirky movie.

★★★☆☆

Film Release (Switzerland): 5.3.20 - Film Release (Australia): 13.2.20 - Film Release (USA): 6.2.20

Film Data: Director: Autumn de Wilde - Writers: Elanor Catton, Jane Austen - Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, Mia Goth, Josh O'Connor, Callum Turner, Rupert Graves - 124’ - 2020 - UK - Universal Pictures

View fullsize

View fullsize

Photo and Video: © Universal Pictures International Switzerland. All Rights Reserved.

Articles RSS

Quiet On Set Podcast RSS

• Ewan Graf
  • May 25, 2023 ASTEROID CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 FALLEN LEAVES - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 25, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 CLUB ZERO - Review by Ewan Graf May 24, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 FIREBRAND - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 24, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 ANATOMY OF A FALL - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 BANEL & ADAMA - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 MAY DECEMBER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 STRANGE WAY OF LIFE - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 HOW TO HAVE SEX - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 LE RETOUR (Homecoming) - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • Jan 21, 2022 La Guerra Civil (2022) - Sundance Jan 21, 2022
  • Dec 30, 2021 Belfast (2021) Dec 30, 2021
  • Dec 16, 2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) Dec 16, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Unforgivable (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Humans (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 The Green Knight (2021) - Quiet On Set Podcast Review Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 25, 2021 Cherry (2021) - Avenger vs Opioids Feb 25, 2021
  • Feb 8, 2021 CODA (2021) - The Big Winner of the Sundance Film Festival 2021 Feb 8, 2021
  • Feb 7, 2021 Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) Feb 7, 2021
  • Feb 5, 2021 Duel - 52 Years of 52 Weeks Feb 5, 2021
  • Jan 13, 2021 The Aristocats - 52 Years in 52 Weeks Jan 13, 2021
  • Jan 4, 2021 So I watched every movie in 2020... Jan 4, 2021
  • Jul 29, 2020 Unhinged Jul 29, 2020
  • Mar 10, 2020 Onward Mar 10, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 Mare Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 26, 2020 Just Mercy Feb 26, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 The Peanut Butter Falcon Feb 18, 2020
  • Feb 17, 2020 Platzspitzbaby - (Needle Park Baby) Feb 17, 2020
  • Feb 7, 2020 Horse Girl Feb 7, 2020
  • Feb 6, 2020 Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) Feb 6, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 2019 was the best cinematic year of the decade, change my mind Feb 5, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 Dolitte Does Little For Me Feb 5, 2020
• Kally Künnap
  • Mar 17, 2020 Dystopian Movies & Series to Binge on Whilst Quarantined Mar 17, 2020
  • Feb 25, 2020 Queen & Slim Feb 25, 2020
  • Feb 14, 2020 To All the Boys I've Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You Feb 14, 2020
• Lachlan Thiele
  • Jan 10, 2022 The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) Jan 10, 2022
  • Oct 17, 2021 Halloween Kills Oct 17, 2021
  • Sep 12, 2021 The Green Knight is the best film of 2021 Sep 12, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 Pig (2021) Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 29, 2020 Sonic The Hedgehog Feb 29, 2020
  • Feb 16, 2020 The Gentlemen Feb 16, 2020
• Michelle Bernet
  • Mar 12, 2020 EMMA. Mar 12, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 About Endlessness by Roy Andersson Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 Moskau Einfach! (One Way to Moscow) - English + German Review Feb 18, 2020

Onward

The world used to be filled with all sorts of magic but the rise of technology made magic redundant in many ways. New Mushroomton, a small town in which all sorts of creatures like dragons, giants, dwarfs and elfs co-exist, has adapted to a magic-free lifestyle and opened the door for modern technology to take over. Most inhabitants of New Mushroomton do not even believe in magic anymore, as everything fantastical in their world has been made fictitious. In doing that, they completely negated their once magical history.

Onward is the 22nd feature film from Pixar and Dan Scanlon’s second Pixar film after 2013’s Monster’s University, the prequel to the critically acclaimed Monster’s Inc. from 2001. 

Tom Holland and Chris Pratt team up once again, this time not to fight Thanos but to voice the elf brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot. On the day of this 16th birthday, Ian receives a present from his Dad that passed away when he was very young. A magical staff and a spell able to bring his Dad back for one whole day. But the spell goes wrong and only brings back the bottom half of their father, so the brothers are forced to embark on an adventurous quest to find an artifact powerful enough to complete the spell and bring back the rest of his body.

View fullsize

Pixar has always been strong at pulling at the audience’s heartstrings and it has gotten to a point where it has become a cliché to cry when the lamp is done stamping on the ‘I’ and the consecutive story starts to play out. I found myself at a dilemma with this because although moments of the third act did manage to make my eyes quite watery, I do not think this is one of the stronger Pixar outings. The story told in Onward is one that I feel quite personally attached to because of a similar life experience that I had with my father. The brother relationship is another one that I relate to quite a bit, as I have a little brother around the same age as Ian. Therefore, I was really connected to the relationships between the characters, rather than the plot itself. Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of spectacle over substance in the film. This film could have had an even bigger focus on its well-established character relationships, but it went for action-packed chase scenes instead. Ian is a blank canvas, as most protagonists in those types of stories are, in order for people to relate to him. His character traits are; being socially awkward, sad about his father’s death and not believing in himself. But apart from that, he does not resemble someone that would exist outside of this story. 

View fullsize

Fact: Pixar makes the prettiest looking movies. After last year’s gorgeous Toy Story 4, comes Onward with a colorful, quirky animation style that is incredibly detailed. The comedy mostly worked as well, the highlight being all the Weekend at Bernie’s and literal ‘Daddy-only-legs’ humor coming from Wilden, Ian and Barley’s dad.

Onward is filled with moments that are universally relatable to young viewers like believing in yourself and appreciating what you have. As an adult, you pick up on when the filmmakers try to put those moments in and although I noticed when it was happening, it did not feel forced or preachy. When films are able to incorporate inspiring and touching messages into their films without bringing the story to a screeching halt, I applaud them for that. Because a lot of animated movies tend to cater to their target audience way too much. Although, there are a few tense moments in Onward that I wish were not played and broken for lazy attempts at comedy.

View fullsize

Should you see this film? Yes, if you have enjoyed Pixar films in the past, Onward will certainly not disappoint. If not, who are you and who has robbed your childhood that you don’t enjoy Pixar? 

Onward is an enjoyable family film that will make you laugh, cry and hug your loved ones.

★★★⋆☆

View fullsize

Release Date (CH): 05.03.20 - Release Date (Australia): 02.04.20 - Release Date (US): 06.03.20

Film Data: Director: Dan Scanlon - Writer: Dan Scanlon, Keith Bunin, Jason Headley - Cast: Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Mel Rodriguez, Ali Wong, Lena Waithe, John Ratzenberger, Tracey Ullman - 103’ - 2020 - USA - Pixar - Walt Disney Company

Photo and Video Source: Walt Disney Company Switzerland

• Ewan Graf
  • May 25, 2023 ASTEROID CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 FALLEN LEAVES - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 25, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 CLUB ZERO - Review by Ewan Graf May 24, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 FIREBRAND - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 24, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 ANATOMY OF A FALL - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 BANEL & ADAMA - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 MAY DECEMBER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 STRANGE WAY OF LIFE - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 HOW TO HAVE SEX - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 LE RETOUR (Homecoming) - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • Jan 21, 2022 La Guerra Civil (2022) - Sundance Jan 21, 2022
  • Dec 30, 2021 Belfast (2021) Dec 30, 2021
  • Dec 16, 2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) Dec 16, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Unforgivable (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Humans (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 The Green Knight (2021) - Quiet On Set Podcast Review Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 25, 2021 Cherry (2021) - Avenger vs Opioids Feb 25, 2021
  • Feb 8, 2021 CODA (2021) - The Big Winner of the Sundance Film Festival 2021 Feb 8, 2021
  • Feb 7, 2021 Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) Feb 7, 2021
  • Feb 5, 2021 Duel - 52 Years of 52 Weeks Feb 5, 2021
  • Jan 13, 2021 The Aristocats - 52 Years in 52 Weeks Jan 13, 2021
  • Jan 4, 2021 So I watched every movie in 2020... Jan 4, 2021
  • Jul 29, 2020 Unhinged Jul 29, 2020
  • Mar 10, 2020 Onward Mar 10, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 Mare Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 26, 2020 Just Mercy Feb 26, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 The Peanut Butter Falcon Feb 18, 2020
  • Feb 17, 2020 Platzspitzbaby - (Needle Park Baby) Feb 17, 2020
  • Feb 7, 2020 Horse Girl Feb 7, 2020
  • Feb 6, 2020 Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) Feb 6, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 2019 was the best cinematic year of the decade, change my mind Feb 5, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 Dolitte Does Little For Me Feb 5, 2020
• Kally Künnap
  • Mar 17, 2020 Dystopian Movies & Series to Binge on Whilst Quarantined Mar 17, 2020
  • Feb 25, 2020 Queen & Slim Feb 25, 2020
  • Feb 14, 2020 To All the Boys I've Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You Feb 14, 2020
• Lachlan Thiele
  • Jan 10, 2022 The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) Jan 10, 2022
  • Oct 17, 2021 Halloween Kills Oct 17, 2021
  • Sep 12, 2021 The Green Knight is the best film of 2021 Sep 12, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 Pig (2021) Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 29, 2020 Sonic The Hedgehog Feb 29, 2020
  • Feb 16, 2020 The Gentlemen Feb 16, 2020
• Michelle Bernet
  • Mar 12, 2020 EMMA. Mar 12, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 About Endlessness by Roy Andersson Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 Moskau Einfach! (One Way to Moscow) - English + German Review Feb 18, 2020

Articles RSS

Quiet On Set Podcast RSS

About Endlessness by Roy Andersson

A waiter that forgets that he is pouring wine and lets it run over the glass and onto the neatly ironed tablecloth. A woman in a train station taking off her shoes, because the heel is broken. A caring father who stops in the pouring rain to tie his little daughters shoe laces. These are some of the scenes that stuck with me for a while after seeing this film. Roy Andersson’s new film About endlessness (Om det oändliga) is a manifesto of human existence. 

In the 76 minutes we are presented with thirty-two static shots. If we go along with the mythological analogy of life being a thread, then Andersson weaves a whole tapestry with his thirty-two threads. Because even if every single shot would work as it’s own little universe, they all still depend on one another to make up that thing we call living. Seemingly banal scenes from everyday life follow one another, one not given more attention than the other. They are all roughly of the same length so that a scene with german soldiers marching towards their death sentence is given the same weight as a woman enjoying champagne in a restaurant. And that is exactly Andersson’s statement; in the big tapestry that I will now call existence (because analogies), both scenes have always existed right next to each other, they both happened all the same, one as absurd as the other. 

In a scene where a highschool boy explains the theory of thermodynamics to his friend, Andersson slips us a possible explanation for his film. “You are energy, I am energy, and both of our energies will never cease to exist; they can only be transformed into something new.” So in his movie, Andersson moves from scene to scene will all of them constantly being transformed into something new in front of the backdrop the notion of ‘endlessness’, because ultimately ennui will always be the same, doesn’t matter what form it is portrayed in. 

View fullsize

However, Andersson’s film is not necessarily a pessimistic one. We recognize the beauty in the bleakness and the sublime in what is senseless. “Isn’t it all still fantastic?” “What do you mean?” “All of it.” (oh hey, a scene where the sentimentality doesn’t bother me for once but actually fits perfectly)

As well as introspective, this film is deeply comedic too. You can’t help but chuckle at the sheer pointlessness. You laugh because you’ve been there, you realize how utterly ridiculous it all is in the end. A good moment was, when the panicked priest who lost faith in God gets shuffled out of the doctor’s office because they’re closing and the psychiatrist has to catch the bus - with endlessness and a never ending time frame being the whole theme of the film. 

View fullsize

While watching the film I kept asking myself: “How is he going to end this film, how does one even do that?” Turns out, exactly like that. I think Andersson couldn’t have closed the ‘story’ better than the way that he did. Because, as is shown in different scenes during the film, we are always on our way, quite literally and metaphorically. We are on trains, we wait for buses and we walk to birthday parties in the pouring rain. Maybe we are on our way to realizing what we believe in or, more fittingly, do not believe in. And, sometimes, we just get stuck in transit.

So should you go see this film? Yes absolutely. Go in with the expectation that this is going to be a slow-paced, bleak-coloured and quiet little film and you will love it. Maybe not. But please do and don’t tell me if you didn’t. Goodbye (yes, this is to be read as a quote from the film)

★★★★☆

Release Date (Switzerland): 05.03.20 - Release Date (US): 12.06.20

Film Data: Director: Roy Andersson, Writer: Roy Andersson - Cast: Magnus Wallgren, Lisa Blohm, Kristina Ekmark, Martin Serner, Jessica Louthander, Tatiana Delaunay, Anders Hellström - 76’ - 2019 - Sweden/Norway - Xenix Film distribution

View fullsize

• Ewan Graf
  • May 25, 2023 ASTEROID CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 FALLEN LEAVES - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 25, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 CLUB ZERO - Review by Ewan Graf May 24, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 FIREBRAND - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 24, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 ANATOMY OF A FALL - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 BANEL & ADAMA - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 MAY DECEMBER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 STRANGE WAY OF LIFE - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 HOW TO HAVE SEX - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 LE RETOUR (Homecoming) - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • Jan 21, 2022 La Guerra Civil (2022) - Sundance Jan 21, 2022
  • Dec 30, 2021 Belfast (2021) Dec 30, 2021
  • Dec 16, 2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) Dec 16, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Unforgivable (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Humans (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 The Green Knight (2021) - Quiet On Set Podcast Review Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 25, 2021 Cherry (2021) - Avenger vs Opioids Feb 25, 2021
  • Feb 8, 2021 CODA (2021) - The Big Winner of the Sundance Film Festival 2021 Feb 8, 2021
  • Feb 7, 2021 Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) Feb 7, 2021
  • Feb 5, 2021 Duel - 52 Years of 52 Weeks Feb 5, 2021
  • Jan 13, 2021 The Aristocats - 52 Years in 52 Weeks Jan 13, 2021
  • Jan 4, 2021 So I watched every movie in 2020... Jan 4, 2021
  • Jul 29, 2020 Unhinged Jul 29, 2020
  • Mar 10, 2020 Onward Mar 10, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 Mare Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 26, 2020 Just Mercy Feb 26, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 The Peanut Butter Falcon Feb 18, 2020
  • Feb 17, 2020 Platzspitzbaby - (Needle Park Baby) Feb 17, 2020
  • Feb 7, 2020 Horse Girl Feb 7, 2020
  • Feb 6, 2020 Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) Feb 6, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 2019 was the best cinematic year of the decade, change my mind Feb 5, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 Dolitte Does Little For Me Feb 5, 2020
• Kally Künnap
  • Mar 17, 2020 Dystopian Movies & Series to Binge on Whilst Quarantined Mar 17, 2020
  • Feb 25, 2020 Queen & Slim Feb 25, 2020
  • Feb 14, 2020 To All the Boys I've Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You Feb 14, 2020
• Lachlan Thiele
  • Jan 10, 2022 The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) Jan 10, 2022
  • Oct 17, 2021 Halloween Kills Oct 17, 2021
  • Sep 12, 2021 The Green Knight is the best film of 2021 Sep 12, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 Pig (2021) Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 29, 2020 Sonic The Hedgehog Feb 29, 2020
  • Feb 16, 2020 The Gentlemen Feb 16, 2020
• Michelle Bernet
  • Mar 12, 2020 EMMA. Mar 12, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 About Endlessness by Roy Andersson Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 Moskau Einfach! (One Way to Moscow) - English + German Review Feb 18, 2020

Articles RSS

Quiet On Set Podcast RSS

Mare

Mare lives an ordinary life in the rural part of Croatia. She loves her family, but she also strives for more freedom and self-determination. Her husband works at the local airport, but nevertheless, Mare has never flown anywhere her entire life. Similarly, her family life is not satisfying and it gets quite stressful with three teenage children and a husband that is not the best at communicating. When a young man suddenly enters Mare’s life, he reanimates her joie de vivre and consequently turns her world upside down.

View fullsize

Marija Škaričić

The ‘Zürcher Hochschule der Künste’ graduate Andrea Štaka (Das Fräulein, Hotel Belgrad) writes and directs her fourth feature film and reunites with Marija Škaričić (A Wonderful Night in Split, What is a man without a Moustache?) as the lead. Marija Škaričić won best actress for her performance in Andrea Štaka’s Das Fräulein at the Sarajevo Film Festival.

Mare premiered at the 70th Berlin Film Festival in the Panorama Section. The film was shot in a small town of Dubrovnik in Croatia and a Swiss-Croatian production.

View fullsize

Director Andrea Štaka

Even though I usually enjoy slow-paced films, I could not help but feel a bit bored with Mare. There is quite a bit of repetition of similar scenes that capture the mundanity of everyday life, but ultimately are rather meaningless to the overall story. This gave me the impression of simply ‘filling up time’ instead of moving the characters or the plot along. The performances from the primary and secondary characters were all fine. I was positively surprised by the actor that played Mare's oldest son, who kept on walking the thin line of almost over-acting without ever actually fully crossing it.

As the first few scenes of the film play out, you might wonder why it looks so old and grainy. Turns out the film was entirely shot on 16mm film on the Arri 416. The aesthetic grew on me and gave it the raw realness Štaka was going for.

View fullsize

Marija Škaričić, Goran Navojec

I left the cinema rather disappointed for a reason that I cannot fault the movie too much. It is, however, a slight spoiler, so if you wish to go into this without knowing anything more then the premise, skip ahead to the rating now. 

There is no real conclusion to the main conflict. All parties are just there - partly aware of what is going on - and then it just ends. I get that the inconclusiveness of an open-end is supposed to reflect real life, but I find it frustrating after seeing plenty of thematically similar scenes that were leading to a more active confrontation. 

If you enjoy slow-paced films with down-to-earth realistic characters then Mare just might be for you.

The film will be in Swiss theatres on March 12th.

★★⋆☆☆

Film Date: Director: Andrea Štaka - Writer: Andrea Štaka - Cast: Marija Škaričić Goran Navojec Mateusz Kościukiewicz Mirjana Karanović Ivana Roščić Zdenko Jelčić - 84’ - Croatia/Switzerland - 2020 - Distributor (CH): Frenetic Films

Photos and Video rights: FRENETIC FILMS and Ona Pinkus

• Ewan Graf
  • May 25, 2023 ASTEROID CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 FALLEN LEAVES - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 25, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 CLUB ZERO - Review by Ewan Graf May 24, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 FIREBRAND - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 24, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 ANATOMY OF A FALL - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 BANEL & ADAMA - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 MAY DECEMBER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 STRANGE WAY OF LIFE - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 HOW TO HAVE SEX - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 LE RETOUR (Homecoming) - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • Jan 21, 2022 La Guerra Civil (2022) - Sundance Jan 21, 2022
  • Dec 30, 2021 Belfast (2021) Dec 30, 2021
  • Dec 16, 2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) Dec 16, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Unforgivable (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Humans (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 The Green Knight (2021) - Quiet On Set Podcast Review Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 25, 2021 Cherry (2021) - Avenger vs Opioids Feb 25, 2021
  • Feb 8, 2021 CODA (2021) - The Big Winner of the Sundance Film Festival 2021 Feb 8, 2021
  • Feb 7, 2021 Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) Feb 7, 2021
  • Feb 5, 2021 Duel - 52 Years of 52 Weeks Feb 5, 2021
  • Jan 13, 2021 The Aristocats - 52 Years in 52 Weeks Jan 13, 2021
  • Jan 4, 2021 So I watched every movie in 2020... Jan 4, 2021
  • Jul 29, 2020 Unhinged Jul 29, 2020
  • Mar 10, 2020 Onward Mar 10, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 Mare Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 26, 2020 Just Mercy Feb 26, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 The Peanut Butter Falcon Feb 18, 2020
  • Feb 17, 2020 Platzspitzbaby - (Needle Park Baby) Feb 17, 2020
  • Feb 7, 2020 Horse Girl Feb 7, 2020
  • Feb 6, 2020 Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) Feb 6, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 2019 was the best cinematic year of the decade, change my mind Feb 5, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 Dolitte Does Little For Me Feb 5, 2020
• Kally Künnap
  • Mar 17, 2020 Dystopian Movies & Series to Binge on Whilst Quarantined Mar 17, 2020
  • Feb 25, 2020 Queen & Slim Feb 25, 2020
  • Feb 14, 2020 To All the Boys I've Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You Feb 14, 2020
• Lachlan Thiele
  • Jan 10, 2022 The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) Jan 10, 2022
  • Oct 17, 2021 Halloween Kills Oct 17, 2021
  • Sep 12, 2021 The Green Knight is the best film of 2021 Sep 12, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 Pig (2021) Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 29, 2020 Sonic The Hedgehog Feb 29, 2020
  • Feb 16, 2020 The Gentlemen Feb 16, 2020
• Michelle Bernet
  • Mar 12, 2020 EMMA. Mar 12, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 About Endlessness by Roy Andersson Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 Moskau Einfach! (One Way to Moscow) - English + German Review Feb 18, 2020

Sonic The Hedgehog

INT. HOW IS JIM CARREY MORE OF A CARTOON THAN SONIC - DAY

Sonic, The Hedgehog is yet another video game to movie adaption with so many bugs. The film follows Sonic (Ben Schwartz) and Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) on a road trip to San Francisco to collect Sonics rings (those rings being the way that all intelligent life travels in the universe, duh.) The Two, are hunted down by Doctor Robotnik AKA Doctor Eggman (AKA Jim Carrey) aided by his army of drones, multilevel cars, super-intelligence and sex appeal (I may have made that last part up, but it’s Jim Carrey in a suit and he dances really well in one scene.) Sonic, the (re)animated wonder of the internet, is a loveable protagonist who, as I stated before, is a character that has adapted really well to the big screen. Tom Wachowski, played by James Marsden, is a small-town cop who wants to live his dream of being a city cop even if most of his dreams probably come from his love of 90s action flicks. Yet, the character is stale and boring. But the standout performance is the animated (not that kind of animated) Jim Carrey as Doctor Robotnik AKA Doctor Eggman, who just seems to be having fun with the role. Sadly though I believe his performance doesn’t fit the film, while it’s a delight to watch and you can see him enjoying the character, his ‘cartoony’ performance doesn’t match the tone of the film. This is in no way Carrey’s fault, I can’t see anyone else playing this character, it’s the fact that the film is slow, has no style and has a number of basic continuity issues that were very jarring. But to tear this film apart I think we should start at the beginning. Yes, all the way back to trailer number 1. 

View fullsize

Sonic in the controversial old design from the trailer back in April 2019

For those who missed it, this film originally had a different design for Sonic which caused the internet to literally lose their shit at Sega and anyone involved with this film. The film went away for a while to redesign Sonic and later returned to the praise of the internet for listening. Sadly though a point that’s often missed, is that the animators and team behind the reanimation were underpaid and overworked and ultimately the VFX studio shutdown. I think that while the film was being ‘recooked’ they should have also looked at it as a whole, but they seem to have just fixed the singular problem of Sonic not looking like Sonic. In turn, the film suffers from a few editing issues, mostly related to continuity with the jarring moment coming from shots, seemingly taking place multiple seconds one after the other. For example, there’s a small drone from Dr. Eggman that is slowly removing the roof of the car that Tom and Sonic are in with a laser; in one shot the drone is halfway through the front and then in the next shot, it’s on the driver’s side door. This error was very noticeable to me (obviously as a filmmaker you pick up on these things, however, people I was with didn’t pick up on it until I brought it up.)

View fullsize

Fixing the visual look of the character seems to be the only thing they focused on because while Sonic is fun and so is Dr. Eggman, the film isn’t. It’s a slow drag and fails to grab you at any point throughout its runtime. We have no stakes so I really couldn’t care if Sonic doesn’t get his rings and I couldn’t care less if Eggman gets Sonic, the only reason I care isn’t from anything the film sets up. It’s because I’m a fan of the games. Similar to how Birds of Prey kept me engaged by breaking peoples knees (yes, I’m that easily entertained), Sonic is a fun, exciting character and I think that the kid inside of me is remembering all the ‘Sonic Unleashed’ memories. Fans will get excited to see Sonic on screen, and they should be proud that their character is the best adaptation of a video game character to date. 

While having a slow and boring story, jarring continuity issues and a no stakes, Sonic and Eggman make it fun, most scenes with Carrey are a delight to watch and it’s enjoyable to see my childhood memories on the big screen. I wish I could give it a higher rating but as a film, it’s bad, as a kids film, it’s bad, but as a love letter to Sonic, it’s still pretty bad but at least they made Sonic look like Sonic. 

FADE OUT. 

★★☆☆☆

View fullsize

Release Date (Switzerland): 12.02.20

Release Date (Australia): 13.02.20

Film Data: Director: Jeff Fowler '- Writers: Josh Miller, Patrick Casey, Oren Uziel, Van Robichaux, Evan Susser - Cast: Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Jim Carrey, Tika Sumpter, Lee Majdoub, Frank C. Turner, Adam Pally, Natasha Rothwell - 99’ - USA - 2020 - Paramount - Sega

Photo and Video: © 2020 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

• Ewan Graf
  • May 25, 2023 ASTEROID CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 FALLEN LEAVES - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 25, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 CLUB ZERO - Review by Ewan Graf May 24, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 FIREBRAND - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 24, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 ANATOMY OF A FALL - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 BANEL & ADAMA - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 MAY DECEMBER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 STRANGE WAY OF LIFE - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 HOW TO HAVE SEX - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 LE RETOUR (Homecoming) - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • Jan 21, 2022 La Guerra Civil (2022) - Sundance Jan 21, 2022
  • Dec 30, 2021 Belfast (2021) Dec 30, 2021
  • Dec 16, 2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) Dec 16, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Unforgivable (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Humans (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 The Green Knight (2021) - Quiet On Set Podcast Review Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 25, 2021 Cherry (2021) - Avenger vs Opioids Feb 25, 2021
  • Feb 8, 2021 CODA (2021) - The Big Winner of the Sundance Film Festival 2021 Feb 8, 2021
  • Feb 7, 2021 Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) Feb 7, 2021
  • Feb 5, 2021 Duel - 52 Years of 52 Weeks Feb 5, 2021
  • Jan 13, 2021 The Aristocats - 52 Years in 52 Weeks Jan 13, 2021
  • Jan 4, 2021 So I watched every movie in 2020... Jan 4, 2021
  • Jul 29, 2020 Unhinged Jul 29, 2020
  • Mar 10, 2020 Onward Mar 10, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 Mare Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 26, 2020 Just Mercy Feb 26, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 The Peanut Butter Falcon Feb 18, 2020
  • Feb 17, 2020 Platzspitzbaby - (Needle Park Baby) Feb 17, 2020
  • Feb 7, 2020 Horse Girl Feb 7, 2020
  • Feb 6, 2020 Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) Feb 6, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 2019 was the best cinematic year of the decade, change my mind Feb 5, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 Dolitte Does Little For Me Feb 5, 2020
• Kally Künnap
  • Mar 17, 2020 Dystopian Movies & Series to Binge on Whilst Quarantined Mar 17, 2020
  • Feb 25, 2020 Queen & Slim Feb 25, 2020
  • Feb 14, 2020 To All the Boys I've Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You Feb 14, 2020
• Lachlan Thiele
  • Jan 10, 2022 The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) Jan 10, 2022
  • Oct 17, 2021 Halloween Kills Oct 17, 2021
  • Sep 12, 2021 The Green Knight is the best film of 2021 Sep 12, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 Pig (2021) Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 29, 2020 Sonic The Hedgehog Feb 29, 2020
  • Feb 16, 2020 The Gentlemen Feb 16, 2020
• Michelle Bernet
  • Mar 12, 2020 EMMA. Mar 12, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 About Endlessness by Roy Andersson Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 Moskau Einfach! (One Way to Moscow) - English + German Review Feb 18, 2020

Articles RSS

Quiet On Set Podcast RSS

Just Mercy

“Your life is still meaningful,
and I’m going to do everything I can
to keep them from taking it.
”

— Bryan Stevenson

Just Mercy tells the powerful story of Bryan Stevenson, played by Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther, Creed), a young lawyer set out to represent the ones that cannot afford it. Instead of money, he fights for justice for the wrongly condemned prisoners on Death Row. The Harvard graduate moves to Alabama, which has a prison with a track record of never releasing a convicted felon from its facility before execution. Water McMillian (Jamie Foxx - Baby Driver, Django Unchained) is one of those innocent prisoners sentenced to die on the electric chair for supposedly killing an 18-year-old girl. But a closer look at the evidence makes it obvious that the single witness testimony - given by a convicted felon with a motive to lie is incorrect. What follows is an exploration into the many injustices that the lower class has to face with a corrupt and racist government.

The extended cast included Brie Larson (Captain Marvel, Room) as Eva Ansley, who supports Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) in his endeavor. Something that never gets explored or explained in the film is how they afford to work for their clients free of charge even as their company grows. While this doesn’t affect the story that we focus on, but it was something I was personally interested in. Rob Morgan (Mudbound) as Herbert Richardson and O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton) as Anthony Ray Hinton are the two prisoners on death row that share the neighboring cells with McMillian.

The story is based on true events and therefore covers quite a bit of historical ground throughout its runtime. We get introduced to the character McMillian in Alabama in 1987. A few years later Stevenson and McMillian’s paths cross for the first time as Steveson takes on the task of helping prisoners on death row.

View fullsize

Micheal B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson and Jamie Foxx as Walter McMillian

Just Mercy is another one of these films based on a true story that has a wide range of interesting characters to pull from in its over two-hour-long runtime. But somehow still leaves so much untold. I mean that in a positive way. There is more to these characters than what we see on screen because it would not fit into a film narrative like this. The death penalty is certainly a controversial topic that is relevant to this day, as the US stills legalize the death penalty in over half of its 52 states. Including Alabama.

What could have easily been a preachy, pandering movie about prisoners on death row surprised me with the nuance and moral ambiguity it was able to illustrate. A major weak point was, however, a few moments on unconvincing performances that felt like actors reading their lines instead of them playing their characters. But the positives outweigh the negatives here, especially because Jamie Foxx is great in every scene he’s in. Brie Larson’s southern accent is one of the few humorous things coming out of this rather serious historic drama.

View fullsize

If you’ve been holding off on seeing films in 2020, this is the first one (not counting Swiss release dates for Knives Out and Little Women) that I can whole-heartedly recommend to pretty much anyone. Even though the runtime is well over two hours it doesn’t feel long due to the great pacing that knows when to linger and when to move on. Another standout is the cinematography by Brett Pawlak which puts you right into the scene with these characters, walking that fine line of connecting us with the characters without presenting information in a polarizing way.

I recommend the book written by Stevenson himself of the same name, Just Mercy, which chronicles McMillain’s as well as many other cases.

★★★★☆

Just Mercy is a solid film with heartfelt moments that you will connect with when you least expect it.

View fullsize

Micheal B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson and Brie Larson as Eva Ansley

Swiss Release Date: 27.02.20

Australian Release Date: 23.01.20

Film Data: Director: Destin Daniel Cretton - Writer: Destin Daniel Cretton, Bryan Stevenson, Andre Lanham - Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Rafe Spall, Rob Morgan

Photo and Video: © 2020 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved.

Articles RSS

Quiet On Set Podcast RSS

Queen & Slim

Think you’ve been on a bad tinder date? Well, think again, because Queen & Slim has come to change your mind.

We meet Queen and Slim, an African-American couple, having their first date at a cheap diner. It does not go very well, so they decide to leave and Slim offers to give Queen a ride home. The two aren’t getting along very well and it’s clear that they won’t see each other again. Until a police officer pulls them over. We, as viewers and the duo are then confronted with an agitated police officer, who isn’t calming down. After an altercation, the police officer takes a shot at Queen, grazing her leg, and Slim shoots the police officer in self-defense. 

What do you do? Stay and possibly spend a lifetime in prison? Or do you run and risk everything for the slight possibility of fleeing successfully?

Queen, a criminal defense attorney, decides that in this case, it’s better to run.

Queen & Slim marks the directorial feature debut of Melina Matsoukas, who is best known for working with pop stars such as Beyoncé, Rihanna and Lady Gaga on some of their most influential music videos, such as Just Dance, We Found Love, Pretty Hurts, Formation and many others. It’s clear that Matsoukas is excellent at making music videos, but features? Not as much.

The film certainly opens strongly and gives the viewer a promise of a great story. In fact, the first 15 minutes might even be the best part. Instead of living up to this promise, the whole story feels like a veeeery long short film, which is stuck in a timeless continuum. The last 15 minutes of the story managed to pick up my interest again for a great finale, even though it felt a bit cliché, to say the least.

View fullsize

Matsoukas definitely knows how to make a film look beautiful. It has some great shots and is visually appealing, but feels all together very dreamy and unrealistic, which isn’t exactly what the story intends to go for, at least at the beginning. All in all, one could say that the story is mediocre. The execution doesn’t lack in spectacle, but the film is so set on making Queen and Slim icons of the Black Lives Matter movement and all of it so deep, that it just feels forced and overdone. Combine this with bizarre choices in sound editing and the climax pun and it just doesn’t really seem to work. (You’ll know what I mean once you’ve seen it)

Finally, the story all just feels very lucky and unrealistic. The characters never seem to run out of luck. The collaboration of Matsoukas’ directing and the writing by James Frey and Lena Waither just doesn’t mesh well. Matsoukas’ intention is to create an everlasting story, which clearly attempts to become an icon for the Black Lives Matter movement but instead, it just overdoes it and bores. Again, not the first and last 15 minutes though! 

What I personally was able to enjoy most, was the cast. Daniel Kaluuya doesn’t have to prove himself anymore, we all know that he’s a great actor and together with Jodie Turner-Smith the two make a great duo. Also noteworthy are Chloë Sevigny and Indya Moore, the latter giving us some much needed queer representation.

View fullsize

In conclusion, Queen & Slim is a good movie, but it feels more like a stretched out short film. 

★★★⋆☆

Also, next time, consider Canada instead of Cuba. Your chances might be better.

Release date (Switzerland): 09.01.2020

Release date (USA): 27.11.2019

• Ewan Graf
• Kally Künnap
• Lachlan Thiele
• Michelle Bernet

View fullsize

Film data: Director: Melina Matsoukas - Screenplay: Lena Waither - Story: James Frey and Lena Waithe - Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bokeem Woodbine, Chloë Sevigny, Flea, Sturgill Simpson, Indya Moore, Benito Martinez - 131’ - USA - 2019 - Universal Pictures

Photo and Video Source: © Universal Pictures International Switzerland. All Rights Reserved.

The Peanut Butter Falcon

Peanut Butter Falcon, the Audience Award in Narrative Spotlight winner at the SXSW Film festival tells the down-to-earth adventure story of Zak, a 22-year-old man with Down syndrome who’s stuck in an elderly home. As well as fisherman Tyler (LaBoeuf) who finds himself in a wild feud with angry crab fishermen from whom he stole their catch. The unlikely pair is forced to work together when Zak, after escaping from the care facility, hides on a boat that Tyler uses to escape from the fishermen. Zak and Tyler embark on a bonding journey towards Florida to fulfill Zak’s life long dream of attending the wrestling school of his idol Salt Water Redneck and becoming a professional wrestler.

The Peanut Butter Falcon is written and directed by the creative team Tyler Nilson and Micheal Schwartz in their directorial feature debut. It stars Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, and Zack Gottsagen as the main protagonists. This marks Zack Gottsagen’s first feature film performance after writer and director Tyler Nilson discovered the actor at a camp for actors with disabilities and decided to write a story designed especially for him.

View fullsize

LaBoeuf and Gottsagen seem to click well together, which is integral for such an intimate and personal story like this to work. The film has some great moments that feel original and honest, but not all the way through. At a point towards the end of the second act, it starts to tick off the Hollywood plot point boxes and ends rather abruptly. I appreciate the trust in an emotionally intelligent audience because any other Hollywood film might have resorted to a voice-over narrator to explain the essentially obvious plot, and thus making the audience seem incapable of reading emotions themselves. But The Peanut Butter Falcon doesn’t rely on this lazy narrative element.

I especially enjoyed the muted and green-toned color palette which brings out the constantly changing landscape. The camera work is well done and both staging and blocking are conceived in a way that helps convey the story and emotional beats well. This becomes apparent in every scene Dakota Johnson is in as they visually establish the dynamic of the trio in a subtle but effective way.

View fullsize

One aspect that did not work and felt superfluous was the angry fishermen Duncan and Ratboy’s dedication to hunt down and kill Tyler. It felt a bit excessive and over the top. Even though the story has magical moments, they never cross the line to fantastical, it tonally shifts whenever there was another fishermen scene. In my mind, the story would have worked even better without that spectacle of the eventual explosive confrontation between Tyler and the fishermen. However, it was the initial and to an extent seemingly the main drive to keep LaBoeuf’s character moving, which wouldn’t have happened if there was no big conflict when he initially stole their catch that forced him to run away from his home like Zak did.

Should I watch this movie? It’s a great film to watch for anyone who wants to see an uplifting, emotional story that is able to pull on your heartstrings. The main reason I’d recommend it, is Zack Gottsagen’s performance alone, simply because it’s the best performance I have seen from an actor with Down syndrome and is a real delight to watch.

View fullsize

★★★⋆☆

The Peanut Butter Falcon is an adventure movie about friendship and fulfilling your biggest dreams against all odds. It shines the brightest through the performances of Gottsagen and LaBoeuf but falls victim to a rather predictable plot in the latter half and an abrupt ending that prevents it from being a truly great film.

Release Date (Switzerland): 20.01.2020

Release Date: (Australia): 30.01.2020

View fullsize

Film Data: Director: Tyler Nilson Michael Schwartz - Writer: Tyler Nilson Michael Schwartz - Cast: Shia LaBeouf Zack Gottsagen Dakota Johnson John Hawkes Thomas Haden Church Bruce Dern Jon Bernthal Yelawolf Jake Roberts Mick Foley - 97’ - USA - 2020 - Distributor: Impuls Pictures

Photo and Video Source: © Impuls Pictures AG. All Rights Reserved.

Moskau Einfach! (One Way to Moscow) - English + German Review

One-way to Moscow - English

Against the backdrop of the secret-files-scandal of 1989, Lewinsky succeeded in making an actually funny comedy. For an hour and a half, I had my *very Swiss* parents in the cinema next to me cackling at things they recognize from “the old times” and gushing about polit-gossip from “back in the day”. Hilarious (not so much for some of the other viewers shushing them – which might or might not have been me). 

Viktor Schuler, a Swiss police officer, is sent off on an undercover mission in the Zurich Schauspielhaus, where he is supposed to spy upon the theatre ensemble who is allegedly planning some dangerous demonstration against Switzerland. Because naturally artists and actors are all anarchists and are of course secretly terrorists. (The Swiss at that time were afraid of the Russians and wanted to "protect" Switzerland from turning into a totalitarian dictatorship - by spying on more than 900.000 people in their daily lives and creating files of them to oversee their every move, because whoever had a leftist political opinion was THE ENEMY). During the course of his mission, Viktor is then forced to question his and others’ ideologies after he meets the spirited actress Odile who seems to show him an alternate reality of what he and the world could be. 

View fullsize

However, at different points in the second half of the film, it felt like a bad Hollywood rom-com. The emotionality and sappiness were over the top. I felt like the audience in the Schauspieltheater during the recital of the ensemble’s play - who was ooh-ing and aww-ing at the impromptu love scene between Victor/Walo and Odile - was the exact same as the audience who sat in the cinema with me tonight. So I guess Lewinsky actually managed to pull off a realistic portrait of my country, with all the things I hate about it included. 

It would have been of interest to show less of the over-stylised love story and more of the secret-files-scandal or more of the comedy. Or just make it less emotional, but I guess that might just be my taste getting in the way of objectivity here. The film doesn’t need to make the polit-historical backdrop the main thing in this movie. The aim of this film was, I believe, to create a comedy set at that time. And that it did perfectly fine. 

At this point, I want to compliment the film on its cinematography. Some shots are genuinely nicely done,  to watch. The coloring and tone of the movie are aesthetically pleasing. 

View fullsize

I believe that this movie is enjoyable even if you’re not Swiss. However, knowing the country and its customs – sometimes quirky, odd and yes, frustrating, but I shouldn’t make this a sociological analysis – is certainly a plus when watching this. A film such as Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite may just as well be as international but seems more approachable or even universal than Moskau Einfach in its themes and conventions (Yes, I know you can’t compare these two movies).

So, go watch this if you’re Swiss – always fun to see what your own country is up to – or go see it if you’re not Swiss but want to acquire some new material to mock Switzerland with. It’s got all the clichés you will already have heard of (sketchy bank deals, funny language, laughable policemen, all the red tape) and even more to stock up on. 

---

Moskau Einfach – Deutsch

Mit dem Fichen-Skandal von 1989 als Hintergrund schafft es Micha Lewinsky eine tatsächlich unterhaltende Komödie zu schaffen. Meine Eltern, selbst zu dieser Zeit in der Schweiz gross geworden, haben während den ganzen eineinhalb Stunden Laufzeit über „die guten alten Zeiten“ getuschelt und über die Politdramen der Zeit getratscht. Für alle Involvierten äusserst amüsant wahrscheinlich, für alle Anderen, unter Anderem für diejenigen, die ihnen böse Blicke zuwarfen (mag ich selbst gewesen sein) vermutlich weniger. 

Viktor Schuler ist ein Schweizer Polizist und wird gedrängt, illegal im Zürcher Schauspielhaus ein Theater-Ensemble zu bespitzeln, das angeblich einen gefährlichen Plot gegen die Regierung plant. Denn, allbekannt, sind ja Künstler und Schauspieler alle Anarchisten und darum sehr wahrscheinlich auch Terroristen. Die Schweiz., um diese Zeit, hatte Angst vor den „bösen“ Russen und wollten sie „beschützen“ vor der anscheinend imminenten Gefahr eine totalitäre Diktatur zu werden. So nahm die Regierung es auf sich, heldenhaft 900'000 Menschen abzuhören und sie im privaten Leben zu überwachen – für die allgemeine Sicherheit im Land – wobei sie Akten von vor allem links-politischen Personen zusammenstellten, die sogenannten Fichen. Während seiner Ermittlung sieht sich Viktor gezwungen, seine und andere Ideologien zu hinterfragen. Er lernt die Schauspielerin Odile Lehmann kennen, die ihm zeigt, was er und die Welt sein könnten.

View fullsize

Die Komödie ist durchaus gelungen, jedoch fühlte sich der zweite Hälfte des Films an wie eine schlechte Hollywood Rom-Com. Der Handlungsbogen der Liebesgeschichte wird überspitzt emotional und kitschig dargestellt. Das Publikum im Schauspielhaus Zürich, das bei der Premiere überschwänglich mitklatschte und mitfühlte bei der Liebesszene zwischen Odile und Viktor, war dasselbe wie bei mir im Kino. Insofern müsste man zugeben, dass Lewinsky hier die Schweiz artgerecht darzustellen wusste. 

Man hätte hierbei die überschwängliche Liebesgeschichte reduzieren können und mehr Fichen-Skandal und Füdlibürgertum hineinmischen können. Aber ich denke, hier steht mein eigener Geschmack meiner Objektivität im Weg. Allgemein ist der Mix gut gelungen. Es muss keine Aufarbeitung des polit-historischen Fichen-Skandals stattfinden. Das Ziel war es, denke ich, eine Komödie, die sich in dieser Zeit abspielt, zu machen. Und genau das ist es. 

Ich bin mir sicher, dass dieser Film unterhaltsam ist, auch wenn man nicht von der Schweiz ist. Trotzdem macht das Meiste erst Sinn, wenn  man mit der Schweiz vertraut ist. Die biederen Büroangestellten und die sogenannte Bourgeois-Bohème der Schweiz sind Archetypen im Land, genau so wie das Aromat, der TipTopf und das „Beefy“ im Silberkugel fast schon Nationalhelden sind. Der ironische Umgang mit diesen Eigenarten der Schweiz ist eben nur dann effektiv, wenn man sie kennt. 

★★★☆☆

Release Date (Switzerland): 13.02.2020

Film Data: Director: Micha Lewinsky - Writer: Micha Lewinsky Plinio Bachmann Barbara Sommer - Cast: Philippe Graber, Miriam Stein, Mike Müller, Micheal Maertens, Oriana Schrage, Fabian Krüger - 99’ - 2020 - Langfilm

Photo and Video: Copyright © 2020 Vinca Film

Platzspitzbaby - (Needle Park Baby)

Pierre Monnard’s Platzspitzbaby is based on the bestselling 2013 novel of the same name by Michelle Halbheer and Franziska K. Müller. Platzspitzbaby follows eleven-year-old Mia and her drug-addicted mother Sandrine after the closure of the open drug scene in Zurich. The family of two moves from the city to a more rural town but Sandrine’s drug addiction follows them wherever they go. Mia flees into her own fantasy world with an imaginary friend that helps her cope with her mother’s addiction. Mia soon makes friends with the rebellious Lola and her group of friends and decides to stand up for herself against her demanding mother.

Platzspitzbaby is inspired by true events that occurred in the late ’80s in a small park behind the main station in Zurich, Switzerland. Directly behind the federal state museum was the infamous hotspot for drug addicts and drug dealers. It was called the Platzspitz. The misery of the open drug scene with more than 3000 people gathering there daily was frowned upon by the public and neighboring countries which led to a clearance of the Platzspitz in early 1992. The drug scene had to relocate to the surrounding and less public areas instead. But even those places were eventually closed down by the national crackdown on drugs in 1995. This is where the story of Platzspitzbaby picks up.

Slight spoilers ahead.

Luna Mwezi as Mia and Sarah Spale as Sandrine

Mia, played by Luna Mwezi, is the central character of this film and the story is told entirely through her perspective. Although her performance wasn’t always solid and convincing enough to carry the entire film, it was still impressive to watch her portray a character that’s basically the same age as she is. I would have preferred if her character wasn’t written in such a stiff emotional fashion. Mia basically shifts between sad, angry and disappointed, with the occasional glimpse of hope. That wouldn’t be much of a problem if the character’s moments weren’t repeated over and over again without Mia taking anything away from them. Mia never really becomes an active character, she is always just reacting to other characters’ action and when she finally does something on her own, it is limited to her telling her mom she wants to go home.

Not far into the film, we realize that Luna Mwezi is the best performer out of the otherwise lackluster cast. Sarah Spale’s Sandrine was comically bad at times and did not manage to immerse me into the story at all. I always saw the actress rather than the character on the screen, which really didn’t help. The same goes for Anouk Petri’s Lola.

Anouk Petri as Lola and Luna Mwezi as Mia

The plot is not short of clichés and tropes clearly inspired by Hollywood films with a similar subject matter. This is yet another attempt of Swiss cinema trying to replicate Hollywood with a Swiss setting. All the plot points ranging from proving yourself to fit in by doing something crazy to being late for a school performance felt incredibly forced and resulted in the direction becoming muddled and unfocused. This problem becomes even more apparent in amateurish camera work. There are several moments in which the camera goes from handheld to static and back to handheld for no reason. Usually, a change in camera movement is motivated by what’s going on in the scene, but that was not the case in Platzspitzbaby and as it continued to happen it became increasingly frustrating to witness such poor direction. I haven’t even mentioned to the terribly inconsistent imaginary friend that pops up whenever convenient, only to over visualize Mia’s struggle.

Should you see this movie? The film is clearly intended to be watched by a Swiss audience that hasn’t seen a lot of similar movies produced in Hollywood. I’d recommend skipping this one, but if you’re interested in the subject matter Requiem of a Dream is a great alternative.

★★☆☆☆

Platzspitzbaby has a strong performance by the lead Luna Mwezi in an otherwise underwhelming Hollywood inspired drug addict story that spends to much time in cliché subplots and adds a weird singing imaginary side character for no plausible reason.

Swiss Release Date: 16.01.2020

Film data: Director: Pierre Monnard - Writers: Michelle Halbheer, André Küttel - Cast: Sarah Spale, Luna Mwezi, Jerry Hoffmann, Micheal Schertenleib, Jorik Wenger - 2020 - Switzerland - 98 min - C-Films AG

Photos and Video Source: © Ascot Elite Entertainment Group. All Rights Reserved.

The Gentlemen

INT. GUY RITCHIE AT HIS MOST GUY RITCHIE - DAY

The Gentlemen is a fun, thrilling and mostly enjoyable 2 hours but, it isn’t without its flaws. After all, it is a Guy Ritchie film. The Gentlemen is a current-day view at British gangsters funnily enough run by an American marijuana kingpin, wow, twisty. Let’s start at the beginning, where most of his films are the weakest. In true Ritchie style, it’s a mess because of the non-linear style. 

We don’t necessarily start at the end or in the middle. What we are treated to is Charlie Hunnam and Hugh Grant bantering and narrating the story but mainly Grant flirting with Hunnam. These two are the main source of context in the film. They explain what’s happening while Grant acts as a slight antagonist, however, the line is blurred between the good and the bad at times.

View fullsize

Colin Farell as Coach and Charlie Hunnam as Ray

While this is happening Grant tells the story. In fact, he’s written it as a script and if Charlie doesn’t buy the script off him, he’s gonna sell off the story to Miramax. Yes, Miramax the company making the movie, maybe I forgot to say this film is slightly meta. 

We follow the story along learning that the big boss Matthew McConaughey wants out. He’s built himself an empire from nothing and now he wants to just live a normal life. This news gains the interest of a number of different rival gangs, after all, he’s the biggest drug lord and marijuana is popping, so everyone wants a piece. 

Matthew McConaughey’s character is similar to Daniel Craig’s character in ‘Knives Out’.  However, instead of putting on the accent, Matthew can just use his natural one and it’s already out of place. His accent throws you off at the start but quickly becomes one of the best components of the film, until Colin Farrel enters the film. So you probably don’t know yet, but there’s a little soft spot in my heart for Colin Farrell. When I say little I mean like my whole heart. Especially when he’s also using his normal accent, it gives me In Bruges memories. 

Each character seems to be an archetype; Colin Farrell’s Coach is a tough softie looking out for his kids, Hugh Grant’s Fletcher is a cocky and confident private investigator and, obviously, McConaughey’s Mickey Pearson is the cool, calm and collective drug lord who’s always two steps ahead. While I’m not usually a fan of characters I’ve seen before, this film has such a complex plot, that it would be too difficult for this twisty story to involve twisty characters so this seemed like a necessary evil.

Henry Golding as Dry Eye and Tom Wu as Lord Gerge

Looking at The Gentlemen’s filmmaking techniques, it does use a variety of visual cues but again, it’s Guy Ritchie we’re talking about here. The fast and witty script combined with Ritchie’s visual humor style, keeps the audience entertained even during monologues and exposition. It’s the reminders from Fletcher (Hugh Grant) that the whole story hasn’t actually been told yet and that he’s holding it back that entices you. Ritchie wants you to guess and then when you think you know, he pulls the rug from under you. It’s Michelle Dockey’s character Rosalind Pearson, Mickey’s wife, who puts it perfectly: “There’s fuckery afoot.” 

Without getting too much into spoiler territory, the ending is satisfying. Ritchie brings it all together with very little loose ends. It’s not until the last 20 minutes that the confusion stops and you can get a full grasp of everything. I think that this film would have been better when told in order, yet I don’t think anyone else could have pulled off this screenplay than the guy himself, Guy Ritchie, but, that is a benefit of also being the screenwriter and the director I guess. You can do what you want. 

View fullsize

Eddie Marsan as Big Dave, Matthew McConaughey as Micheal Pearson and Charlie Hunnam as Ray

Should you see this film? If you like a crime mystery with a comedic thread holding it together, or if you just want 2 hours of Hugh Grant flirting with Charlie Hunnam, 2 hours of Matthew McConaughey being Matthew McConaughey supreme drug lord and Colin Farrell in a matching jumpsuit, go see this movie.

FADE OUT

★★★☆☆

Swiss Release Date: 27.02.2020

Australian Release Date: 01.01.2020

Film Data: Director: Guy Ritchie - Writers: Guy Ritchie, Marn Davies, Ivan Atkinson - Cast Matthew McConaughey, Colin Farrell, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Henry Golding, Hugh Grant, Jeremy Strong, Brittany Ashworth, Jason Wong - USA - 102’ - Miramax

• Ewan Graf
  • May 25, 2023 ASTEROID CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 FALLEN LEAVES - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 25, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 CLUB ZERO - Review by Ewan Graf May 24, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 FIREBRAND - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 24, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 ANATOMY OF A FALL - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 BANEL & ADAMA - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 MAY DECEMBER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 STRANGE WAY OF LIFE - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 HOW TO HAVE SEX - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 LE RETOUR (Homecoming) - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • Jan 21, 2022 La Guerra Civil (2022) - Sundance Jan 21, 2022
  • Dec 30, 2021 Belfast (2021) Dec 30, 2021
  • Dec 16, 2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) Dec 16, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Unforgivable (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Humans (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 The Green Knight (2021) - Quiet On Set Podcast Review Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 25, 2021 Cherry (2021) - Avenger vs Opioids Feb 25, 2021
  • Feb 8, 2021 CODA (2021) - The Big Winner of the Sundance Film Festival 2021 Feb 8, 2021
  • Feb 7, 2021 Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) Feb 7, 2021
  • Feb 5, 2021 Duel - 52 Years of 52 Weeks Feb 5, 2021
  • Jan 13, 2021 The Aristocats - 52 Years in 52 Weeks Jan 13, 2021
  • Jan 4, 2021 So I watched every movie in 2020... Jan 4, 2021
  • Jul 29, 2020 Unhinged Jul 29, 2020
  • Mar 10, 2020 Onward Mar 10, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 Mare Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 26, 2020 Just Mercy Feb 26, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 The Peanut Butter Falcon Feb 18, 2020
  • Feb 17, 2020 Platzspitzbaby - (Needle Park Baby) Feb 17, 2020
  • Feb 7, 2020 Horse Girl Feb 7, 2020
  • Feb 6, 2020 Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) Feb 6, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 2019 was the best cinematic year of the decade, change my mind Feb 5, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 Dolitte Does Little For Me Feb 5, 2020
• Kally Künnap
  • Mar 17, 2020 Dystopian Movies & Series to Binge on Whilst Quarantined Mar 17, 2020
  • Feb 25, 2020 Queen & Slim Feb 25, 2020
  • Feb 14, 2020 To All the Boys I've Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You Feb 14, 2020
• Lachlan Thiele
  • Jan 10, 2022 The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) Jan 10, 2022
  • Oct 17, 2021 Halloween Kills Oct 17, 2021
  • Sep 12, 2021 The Green Knight is the best film of 2021 Sep 12, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 Pig (2021) Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 29, 2020 Sonic The Hedgehog Feb 29, 2020
  • Feb 16, 2020 The Gentlemen Feb 16, 2020
• Michelle Bernet
  • Mar 12, 2020 EMMA. Mar 12, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 About Endlessness by Roy Andersson Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 Moskau Einfach! (One Way to Moscow) - English + German Review Feb 18, 2020

To All the Boys I've Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You

To All the Boys I've Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You is the second installment in the Netflix teen romance To All the Boys trilogy, which is based on the novels of Cathy Yan. After the huge success of the first To All the Boys film in 2018, the fans were quickly promised the rest of the trilogy. Principal photography was already finished in 2019. The second installment of the trilogy, P.S. I Still Love You, was directed by Michael Fimognari, who’s best known for his work in cinematography in the drama and thriller genre, for films such as The Haunting of the Hill House (2018) or Doctor Sleep (2019). This marks Fimognari’s debut as a director. 

Spoilers ahead! (Even though, the film’s title will already spoil it for you)

The film follows Lara Jean Covey (Lara Condor) navigating through the milestones and difficulties of a teenage relationship with her boyfriend Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo). Instead of the perfect relationship she had always imagined of, Lara Jean is constantly reminded of the past: she worries about Peter’s ex-girlfriend daily and more importantly, she receives a return letter from her middle-school crush John Ambrose (Jordan Fisher, replacing Jordan Burtchett) from Model UN, who was also one of the recipients of Lara Jean’s love letters from the first installment. The rest of the plot is painfully predictable, which can leave the viewer especially underwhelmed. 

Yet, P.S. I Still Love You suffers from more than just a predictable plot. The essential part of Lara Jean’s character, the support system of the three sisters, which is emphasized in the first installment, is now almost non-existent. Lara Jean’s sisters are now replaced by a retirement home resident, played by Holland Taylor. This older lady sure is a fun new addition to the story, yet it seems unfitting as Lara Jean’s beloved sisters are now on the sidelines. One can see even more unfitting character development, when Lara Jean’s current boyfriend Peter is suddenly portrayed as (pardon my language) an asshole, and the returned John Ambrose as an angel. 

View fullsize

The cinematics of the film are fine, it is what you’d expect from a teenage romance on Netflix. What P.S. I Still Love You excels in, is the creation of an idyllic atmosphere, with beautiful use of color, a strong soundtrack and quote-worthy dialogue. The combination of which creates the impression that this film wasn’t intended to be good or award-worthy, but instead, the creators are designing a perfectly repostable facade, appealing to the teenage viewer, which will essentially result in free marketing.

View fullsize

In conclusion, To All the Boys I've Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You underwhelms with a predictable plot, and problematic character development, which allows for the film to be quickly forgotten as just one of those high school romances. The question now is if the last of the trilogy, To All The Boys: Always and Forever, Lara Jean, will manage to revive the story from sequel fatigue and present us with a worthwhile end to the trilogy, or if it will follow down the path of many failed trilogies, such as Divergent, Legally Blonde, 50 Shades and so on...

★★☆☆☆

If you haven’t caught up with the first part of the trilogy, don’t bother. If you are a fan of teenage romance stories, such as The Fault In Our Stars or Five Feet Apart, go ahead, you’ll have a blast.

Netflix Release Date (Global): 12.02.2020

Film Data: Director: Michael Fimognari - Writers: Sofia Alvarez, J. Mills Goodloe - Cast: Lara Condor, Noah Centineo, Jordan Fisher, Anna Cathcart, Janel Parish, Trezzo Mahoro, Emilija Baranac, Holland Taylor, John Corbett - USA - 102’ - Netflix

View fullsize

Photo and Video Source: Netflix Switzerland. All Rights Reserved.

Horse Girl

• 1.5
• 2.5
• 2019
• 2020
• 2021
• 3
• 3.5
• 4
• 5
• 52 Years in 52 Weeks
• Cannes
• Lists
• Reviews
• Top Lists
• Video
• by Ewan Graf
• by Kally Künnap
• by Lachlan Thiele
• by Michelle Bernet

Horse Girl is Writer and Director Jeff Baena’s fourth feature film and launched on Netflix this Friday after premiering at the Sundance film festival in late January. This is the second collaboration between Baena and lead Alison Brie after 2017’s The Little Hours. Horse Girl tells the story of a socially awkward woman with a fondness for art and crafts, horses and supernatural crime shows who increasingly finds herself in ludic dreams that trickle into her waking life.

Alison Brie mentioned in interviews that she was inspired to write this story because of her personal family history of mental illnesses. She questioned if her relatives' conditions could suddenly spark up in her as well. Brie’s performance comes across as genuine, raw and honest. The film, however, is never able to match her performance and dedication. Most secondary characters are one dimensional and never serve a more important purpose function than illustrating Sarah’s (Alison Brie) social awkwardness and lack of self-awareness.

View fullsize

The movie starts off somewhat grounded and reasonable but shifts gears in the latter half towards a crash of an ending. The introduction of our protagonist Sarah, a saleswoman at a crafts store called Great Lengths also takes a great length to introduce us to her unusual quirks and daily life structure. At that point, it becomes clear that the story is relatively slow and panders in awkward social encounters for the sake of awkwardness and spends time on a love interest subplot that does not lead to a meaningful conclusion.

Throughout the film, there are a few hints of good ideas and concepts, but they either get abandoned or lose focus in the often stagnant plot progression. Horse Girl is a sad movie about loneliness and susceptibility to extremist ideas when one’s own sanity is questioned. The basis for an introspective Indie film about mental health is given. The film, however, panders in boring subplots and a confusing main plot that switches genres from a Drama to a Sci-Fi Thriller out of thin air in the third act.

View fullsize

Debby Ryan as Nikki, Jake Picking as her boyfriend Brian and John Reynolds as Darren were all fine but suffered from bad writing for their characters. Especially Darren was quite inconsistent and just a plot device to show Sarah’s rapidly increasing deliriousness. The rest of the cast is good as well, but no one as captivating as Alison Brie’s performance.

Should I see this film? I would not recommend this film to anyone other than fans of Alison Brie as her performance is the best part of the movie. See these movies instead as they deal with mental illness in a more interesting way: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Shutter Island, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape or Fight Club.

Horse Girl is a sad movie about loneliness and susceptibility to extremist ideas when one’s own sanity is questioned. The basis for an introspective Indie film about mental health is given, the film, however, panders in boring subplots and concludes in a messy nonsensical open-to-interpretation finale.

★★☆☆☆

Release (Global) 07.02.2020

View fullsize

Film data: Director: Jeff Baena - Writer: Jeff Baena, Alison Brie - Cast Alison Brie, Debby Ryan, Stella Chestnut, John Reynolds, Molly Shannon, John Ortiz, Hazel Armenante, Jay Duplass - USA - 2020 - Netflix

Video and Picture Source: Netflix Switzerland All Right Reserved

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is director Cathy Yan’s first feature-length debut and Margot Robbie’s return to Cupic Of Crime herself, Harley Quinn. The film takes place in the loosely connected DC cinematic universe in which the critical flop Suicide Squad introduced Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. This is really her film and even though the titular team of Birds of Prey was the advertised focus of the movie the majority of the runtime is spent with all of these characters either working against or separate from each other. At this point, it should be mentioned that if you want to go into this film without knowing anything about the plot, be warned, there might be slight spoilers ahead.

Alongside Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, there are the three members of the Birds of Prey with Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress, Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Dinah Lance/Black Canary and Rosie Perez as Det. Rene Montaya. Although as mentioned before, there’s not a lot of teaming up in this film. It reminded me of Deadpool 2 and that brief fake-out X-Force team-up. X-Force (and the Electrifying Vanishing of a Brad Pitt cameo). Birds of Prey shares quite a few things with the plot and character of the second Deadpool installment. The often unreliable narration with frequent time jumps and freeze frame exposition dumps, a kid being hunted that needs protecting, and a group of misfits teaming up. But at least Harley wasn’t as persistent on the pop culture references.

Margot Robbie’s charismatic performance and the highly stylized and surprisingly violent fight scenes are the most entertaining aspects of the movie. Even though the overused slow-motion speed ramping does become noticing at times. From Harley Quinn’s psychologically unstable perspective we get an unreliable narrator that jumps back and forth in time as a reflection on Quinn’s incapability to focus on telling a story from beginning to end. Or it might be a way to make this rather simple plot appear to be a bit more than just a dragged out MacGuffin chase featuring one-dimensional secondary characters with motivations like ‘oh no don’t kill the neighbor kid’ or ‘revenge’. Even the most interesting character, which was Winstead’s Helena Bertinelli aka Crossbow Killer aka The Huntress, ended up becoming a comic relief character and wasn’t used up to her true potential.

View fullsize

Birds of Prey left a rather underwhelming impression on me. However, I have to say that Ewan McGregor seemed to have had a blast overacting in every scene he was in. It was honestly the most consistently funny thing for me in the film. When it comes to his character Roman Sionis aka Black Mask there’s not much to mention other than a statement I have previously made about the poking fun at stereotypical movie tropes: just because you acknowledge that your writing is lazy and bad doesn’t make it funny or original.

Child actors are a pet peeve of mine. It wasn’t just the scenes with Ella Jay Basco’s Cassandra Cain that fell flat most of the time. There’s a scene with Ewan McGregor in which his insanity is supposed to be showcased, but all it made me do is cringe and laugh because it was so awkward and misplaced. For Cassandra Cain, the laughable over-the-top acting isn’t an option because her role is to ground Harley and everyone else and be the audiences’ vessel to sanity. But her acting is just straight-up bad and took me out of the story multiple times.

The story goes the way you expect a story like this to go and although I enjoyed the explosion of colors with green and pink everywhere the tonal inconsistencies were too frequent to turn a blind eye.

Should I watch this? If you are been entertained by the likes of Deadpool or got a least a pinch of enjoyment out of Suicide Squad there’s a good chance you are going to enjoy returning to Robbie’s portrayal of Harls. If you, however, disliked the above-mentioned movies I’d suggest skipping this one. It’s fun, dumb and entertaining.

★★☆☆☆

Birds of Prey ranks somewhere in the middle of the post-Nolan Dark Knight trilogy DC movie universe. Most performances are decent at best and the predictable and formulaic plot renders the movie forgettable.

View fullsize

Swiss Release Date: 06.02.2020

Film data: Director: Cathy Yan - Writer: Christina Hodson - Cast: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ewan McGregor, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Derek Wilson, Steven Williams, Chris Messina, Charlene Amoia, Rosie Perez, Ali Wong - USA - 109’

Video and Photo Source: © 2020 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved.

• Ewan Graf
  • May 25, 2023 ASTEROID CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 FALLEN LEAVES - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Ewan Graf May 25, 2023
  • May 25, 2023 KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 25, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 CLUB ZERO - Review by Ewan Graf May 24, 2023
  • May 24, 2023 FIREBRAND - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 24, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 ANATOMY OF A FALL - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 BANEL & ADAMA - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 23, 2023 MAY DECEMBER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 23, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 STRANGE WAY OF LIFE - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 HOW TO HAVE SEX - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 22, 2023 INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf May 22, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Ewan Graf May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 LE RETOUR (Homecoming) - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023 MONSTER - Review by Lachlan Thiele May 18, 2023
  • Jan 21, 2022 La Guerra Civil (2022) - Sundance Jan 21, 2022
  • Dec 30, 2021 Belfast (2021) Dec 30, 2021
  • Dec 16, 2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) Dec 16, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Unforgivable (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Dec 11, 2021 The Humans (2021) Dec 11, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 The Green Knight (2021) - Quiet On Set Podcast Review Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 25, 2021 Cherry (2021) - Avenger vs Opioids Feb 25, 2021
  • Feb 8, 2021 CODA (2021) - The Big Winner of the Sundance Film Festival 2021 Feb 8, 2021
  • Feb 7, 2021 Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) Feb 7, 2021
  • Feb 5, 2021 Duel - 52 Years of 52 Weeks Feb 5, 2021
  • Jan 13, 2021 The Aristocats - 52 Years in 52 Weeks Jan 13, 2021
  • Jan 4, 2021 So I watched every movie in 2020... Jan 4, 2021
  • Jul 29, 2020 Unhinged Jul 29, 2020
  • Mar 10, 2020 Onward Mar 10, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 Mare Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 26, 2020 Just Mercy Feb 26, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 The Peanut Butter Falcon Feb 18, 2020
  • Feb 17, 2020 Platzspitzbaby - (Needle Park Baby) Feb 17, 2020
  • Feb 7, 2020 Horse Girl Feb 7, 2020
  • Feb 6, 2020 Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) Feb 6, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 2019 was the best cinematic year of the decade, change my mind Feb 5, 2020
  • Feb 5, 2020 Dolitte Does Little For Me Feb 5, 2020
• Kally Künnap
  • Mar 17, 2020 Dystopian Movies & Series to Binge on Whilst Quarantined Mar 17, 2020
  • Feb 25, 2020 Queen & Slim Feb 25, 2020
  • Feb 14, 2020 To All the Boys I've Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You Feb 14, 2020
• Lachlan Thiele
  • Jan 10, 2022 The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) Jan 10, 2022
  • Oct 17, 2021 Halloween Kills Oct 17, 2021
  • Sep 12, 2021 The Green Knight is the best film of 2021 Sep 12, 2021
  • Jul 28, 2021 Pig (2021) Jul 28, 2021
  • Feb 29, 2020 Sonic The Hedgehog Feb 29, 2020
  • Feb 16, 2020 The Gentlemen Feb 16, 2020
• Michelle Bernet
  • Mar 12, 2020 EMMA. Mar 12, 2020
  • Mar 5, 2020 About Endlessness by Roy Andersson Mar 5, 2020
  • Feb 18, 2020 Moskau Einfach! (One Way to Moscow) - English + German Review Feb 18, 2020

Dolitte Does Little For Me

• 1.5
• 2.5
• 2019
• 2020
• 2021
• 3
• 3.5
• 4
• 5
• 52 Years in 52 Weeks
• Cannes
• Lists
• Reviews
• Top Lists
• Video
• by Ewan Graf
• by Kally Künnap
• by Lachlan Thiele
• by Michelle Bernet

Robert Downey Jr. portrays the charismatic children’s book hero Dr. Dolittle, a physician with the ability to talk to animals. In his first role outside the MCU since 2014’s The Judge, RDJ teams up with writer/director Stephen Gaghan instead of the Avengers to bring us a family adventure nobody really asked for.

Dolittle’s production process was reportedly a huge mess in the editing room because of Gaghan's lack of previsualization. Throughout the 100 minute runtime, there are several sequences in which Robert Downey Jr.’s character isn’t even looking at the right spot. It feels like a big chunk of the work was simply handed off to the animators to figure out where animals would end up in shots that weren’t properly blocked and staged for them. All the conversations between the animals and Dolittle are noticeably disjointed and lack chemistry and cohesion between the animated and real-life characters.  There’s a scene between Emma Thompon’s duck and RDJ in which he just stares of into the distance even though the duck is right in front of him. The voice acting cast for the animals is impressive with the likes of Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Kumail Najiani, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, and Ralph Fiennes. However, all of these (mostly) great actors are heavily underutilized in the plot and undercut by the limitations of realistic animal animations. I personally don’t think that the use of talking animals will ever work outside of animated films and silly kids movies, but if definitely does not work in Dolittle.

When it comes to story it is basically an exact copy of Up just with fewer balloons and therefore less fun. We do get John Cena as a cuddly polar bear, but even that can’t prevent this ship from sinking. There’s the reluctant hero, who shuts down after the death of his wife until a young kid comes along and he sneaks onto the journey with him. They run into talking furry creatures and eventually complete the adventure that Dolittle's dead wife wasn’t able to complete.

This visualization of the relationship between the animals and Doctor Dolittle is a really helpful reminder for the waste of talent on this production. Honestly, I probably would have enjoyed it more if they went full-on Cats and morphed these stars into their animal counterparts. Now that would have been something. Even more of a fever dream, but certainly entertaining.

For anyone still indecisive about whether they should give this a chance or not, I want to highlight a scene in which a tiger named Barry, voiced by Ralph Fiennes, is kicked in his groins and yells “My Barry Berries!”.

---

★☆☆☆☆

Dolittle falls short on almost every level. It lacks humor, charm, and originality and wastes a star-filled cast in favor of a simple cash-grab

Swiss Release Date: 30.01.2020

Film data: Dolittle - Regie: Stephen Gaghan - Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Harry Collett, Rami Malek, Michael Sheen, Emma Thompson, Antonio Banderas, Octavia Spencer, Carmel Laniado, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Jessie Buckley, Jim Broadbent, Ralph Fiennes, Tom Holland, Kasia Smutniak, Selena Gomez - USA - 101 Minuten

Source for Pictures and Trailer: Universal Pictures International Switzerland / COPYRIGHT © 2020 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS and PERFECT UNIVERSE INVESTMENT INC. All Rights Reserved.

---