Loving (2016) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written February 8th, 2017*

I wasn't massively excited for Loving, the trailers made it seem very Oscar baitey, but I did love Jeff Nichol's other film from 2016 'Midnight Special' so I went in with some expectations. And Loving was far more meaningful and heartfelt that I imagined it would be.

It tells the story of a shameful time in American history. An interracial couple are treated awfully, arrested even purely for the fact they of a different race. It is disgusting and blood boiling seeing and knowing people who love each other were treated like this for such nonsensical reasons.

One of my worries about this is how unsubtle I thought it would be. I imagined the audience would be beaten over the head with the theme of this, but it didn't. It all felt real and the opposite of flashy. It's engaging and meaningful, but quiet and poignant at the same time.

This is mostly due to Joel Edgerton's performance, who was great. He was really quiet, mumbled and subdued. There's no moments of over the top rage and anger, it's all restrained and made it far more believable. Ruth Negga was also fantastic as the wife, really earning her nomination with her sad and strong performance.

I really wish the film dedicated more time to developing the couples relationship. There are some really strong and genuinely moving moments, like a brief scene with them sat on the sofa together laughing at the TV that really got me invested in their love, but there's not a lot of this and most of the film focuses on the variety of different obstacles they have to go through in order to make their marriage legal with the help of a lawyer who takes their case for free.

What I really loved is how unsentimental and unmanipulative this felt. Films like this tend to bash you over the head with big emotional moments, but here it all felt earned and natural. The end is a real gut-punch that I didn't see coming and just a sad bit of reality added to what this couple had to endure. It just left me feeling dead inside.


Loving is a powerful and understated drama with fantastic lead performances and real emotional weight. A really pleasant surprise I didn't see coming.

8/10 Dans

Loving is out now on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

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It Comes at Night (2017) - Film Review

Review:

"The last of us"

*Originally written July 12th, 2017*

I'm having trouble calculating my thoughts towards It Comes at Night. On one hand it's a wonderfully shot and atmospheric piece, while on the other it's a frustrating exercise that left me feeling really cold.

I have to give it credit for its minimalist approach to a post-apocalyptic America that has been ravaged by an unknown disease. There are clear influences from recent films and other media with the same premise, The Road and The Last of Us are the two that sprang to mind.

There's a story of paranoia somewhere as a new family are introduced early in the film to live with the main family in an attempt at surival. It's just a shame that there never give us a reason to care about any of these characters. Aside from the dog, I couldn't remember a name of a single character. We learn nothing about these characters, nor was there anything interesting about them to make them feel compelling at all. The performances are decent for the most part, Joel Edgerton is always great it seems, even if his character is completely cardboard.

It is beautifully shot at least, and the score is foreboding and unsettling. We also get some really disturbing and grotesque images that I wasn't expecting. The cinematography is gorgeous though, making use of the singular location setting without feeling repetitive at all. I loved the look and lighting of the whole film, everything felt and looked natural. It's just a shame the film ruins its tense moments by building it to an annoying jump-scare on several occassions.

While being 90 minutes long is usually a plus for me with a film, I wish they took more time to develop some of the stuff on screen and explain it. So much here is frustratingly ambigious, leaving far more questions than answers. That said, it really was a quick watch, it was over before I knew it as the film abruptly ends with an ending as frustrating as the rest of the film.

I wish I had more to say about It Comes at Night, but there just wasn't a lot here for me to say. I'll probably watch it again at some point, I'd like to after my initial thoughts have cleared, but for now, despite its pluses, I left the cinema frustrated and annoyed, which is a shame because I was so ready to love this.

5/10 Dans

It Comes at Night is out now in cinemas in the UK
Watch the trailer below:

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