BlacKkKlansman (2018) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written August 29th, 2018*

Spike Lee is a director I'm not the most familiar with, I've seen his least critically acclaimed films, the average American remake of Oldboy and the decent (From what I remember) Inside Man, I've yet to see his truly great films, Malcolm X and Do the Right Thing. I went into this with quite high expectations and I was not disappointed. BlacKkKlansman is an angry, angry provocative work of art and possibly the most important film of the year. I left the screening with that same cold feeling of silence I got after seeing Detroit last year.

The story is a fascinating one. A young black cop Ron Stallworth (John David Washington, son of Denzel) goes undercover in the Ku Klux Klan, despite his race. It's an engrossing ride from start to finish and one of the most interesting undercover cop films I've seen in quite some time. Every scene is either tense or has something interesting going on in it, but I was surprised at how genuinely funny it could be at times. Stallworth's phone conversations with David Duke (The Grand Wizard of the KKK) are some of the funniest things I've watched in a while and has a wonderful payoff in the end.

Obviously with Stallworth being black, they have to send in a white cop for the face to face stuff, which leads to some really tense moments. Adam Driver does a wonderful job in these moments and he really is one of the best actors of our generation, I just wish his character had more of an arc, he's more just a tool of the investigation than a real character, which is fine, as this film is more or less all Washington's story. And he puts in an amazing performance, equal parts charming, genuine and cocky, he really lives up to his father's legacy and even has his voice.

What's sad about BlacKkKlansman is just how relevant it is, despite the events happening over 30 years ago. There's a lot of references to Trump's America that fit in well and feel organic while giving the film a real emotional punch. A scene that cuts between a KKK meeting and a Black Power meeting is truly one of the best scenes of the year and the final credit montage is one of ballsiest and powerful endings I can think of. I just did not expect it, but it knocked me down a punch.

Lee really captures the time too, it's filled with references and soul music from the time. There's a little moment where Stallworth and his girlfriend are debating blacksplotation films of the day and it really made me realise I need to check out more of that stuff. Oh, and the clothes and hairstyles are just a joy to look at. We need a resurgence of those in real life.

A lot of what make BlacKkKlansman work is how real it feels. I know it's based on a true story, but I was a little worried they'd do something like turn the KKK into cartoony racists that just say the N word a lot, but they don't. These white supremacists feel like real people and that's a lot scarier. The stuff they say is horrifying and truly awful, it makes me sick that people like this exist. That there are people that believe black people are actually sub-human and that the Holocaust never happened. 


BlacKkKlansman is truly amazing, one of the angriest, political films of the year with excellent performances from everyone and a deep engaging story that leaves you devastated by the end. Fuck racism.

9/10 Dans

BlacKkKlansman is out now in cinemas in the UK
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Logan Lucky (2017) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written September 7th, 2017*

"Oceans 7/11"

Steven Soderbergh is a director I've never massively loved and his films have been very hit and miss for me. I must be honest though, he has a very varied and unique body of work, so I was interested to see him return to directing after his self-imposed and very brief retirement.

Logan Lucky follows three siblings who in financial straits, decide to rob a NASCAR race with the help of an incarcerated inmate and his two brothers. 

I'll get my brief problems with Logan Lucky out the way first. The heist itself is a bit convoluted and confusing at times. I wasn't entirely sure what everyone's role was and I had a hard time grasping a few of the twists at the end and how it all made sense. Seth MacFarlane was also woefully miscast as a British NASCAR driver. There's a bit of strange character choices too, the decision for the brothers to rob the speedway was also kinda just comes out of nowhere.

These were all things I could overlook however, because Logan Lucky is a blast. I love heist films and I'm so happy we have a new one from the director of Ocean's 11 (A trilogy I need to revisit soon). There's even a joke in the film referring to the heist as "Oceans 7/11". 

The cast are fantastic, filled with tons of memorable characters, even if the females of the film are very underused (Why was Katie Holmes even in this for such a thankless role?). I was worried by Daniel Craig in the trailer, I imagined he'd be the violent and unpredictable member of the team, but I was pleasantly surprised and he was one of my favourite things about it. His insane look and accent really stole the show. It's such a stretch from James Bond I couldn't believe it was him.

Adam Driver is also wonderful as the one-armed brother of Channing Tatum. Both of which deliver comedy extremely well. Tatum brings the heart of the film with the relationship with his daughter as he robs the speedway as he tries to get back in time for her performance at a beauty pageant. (On a side note, how fucking creepy are children's beauty pageants? There is nothing about them that doesn't make me want to vomit).

A lot of the comedy really lands here too. There was one excellent joke referencing George R.R. Martin and the Song of Ice and Fire book series that took me off guard. It's rare a joke about contemporary pop-culture actually works without feeling cringey and pandering. I also get the feeling Steven Soderbergh really hates smartphones and social media based on the constant references to how much Tatum's character hates it (I agree though). It was a Scottish setting away from being Ewan McGregor's "Choose Life" speech from T2 Trainspotting.

Soderbergh always keeps things moving and the film runs at a fast-pace while managing to keep every character likeable and easy to root for. The heist itself is a bit confusing like I mentioned, but it is a lot of fun and delivers some really cool and creative stuff. The idea itself to rob a speedway during NASCAR was very unique and was nice to see a heist film that wasn't just a bank. But like South Park taught me, NASCAR really is just for poor and stupid people.

It's a shame Logan Lucky did so poorly at the box-office, because I would have loved to have more adventures with these really memorable characters. Audiences complain about a lack of original films, but then they ignore films like this and only go see stuff like Marvel and DC. It's frustrating to say the least. Support original films if you want to see more of them!


Logan Lucky is a blast and a welcome return for Steven Soderbergh who delivers a fast, fun and extremely entertaining heist film with heart and a cast of interesting characters.

8/10 Dans

Logan Lucky is out now in cinemas in the UK
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Silence (2016) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written January 1st, 2017*

"You gotta have faith"

I've always been a huge fan of Martin Scorsese, so my expectations for Silence were at an all-time high, and those expectations managed to be exceeded as Scorsese delivers one of the most intimate, personal and emotional films of his career.

This is a far cry from the fast-paced debauchery of Scorsese's previous film 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (Which I loved), Silence is instead a much quieter and personal film with spurts of tension and brutality.

As an Atheist, I wasn't entirely sure how I would feel about a film centred around Christian faith. While I find their beliefs utter nonsense, you have to feel sorry for the torture and hell these people were put through purely because of what they believe. The methods of the Japanese in this situation during the 1600's was absolutely barbaric, and Scorsese's precise direction captures the brutality of this perfectly. This was nearly 3 hours of pure harrowing horror.

It's shown extremely risky to create a faith based film that is actually good. The most popular example I can think of is the 'God's Not Dead' series, which is just cheap, offensive, misguided propaganda with a completely one-sided viewpoint. Silence does not suffer from any of the problems those disasterpieces do.

I felt very much the same way watching this as I did The Revenant. It's nearly 3 hours long, but perfectly paced, never boring and completely exhausting by the end of it. I can't imagine this is one I'd rewatch often.

In terms of performances, everyone was excellent. Andrew Garfield gets a lot of flack, but he is front and centre here, giving it his all. Giving us a heartfelt performance that captures his struggle of questioning his faith and questioning God when he sees the horrors of what goes on in Japan in his quest to find Liam Neeson's priest with Adam Driver after Neeson publicly denounces his faith.

While Andrew Garfield is clearly the lead with the most screen-time, the other two 'leads' do a great job. Adam Driver gives one of his best performances, while Liam Neeson makes every second count from his role that is nothing more than an extended cameo.

Even with the excellent performances, compelling story and emotional highs. Where Silence is at its best is with its visuals. Scorsese has crafted the best looking film of his career. Every shot is gorgeous. From its long lingering landscapes to its haunting final image that will stay with me, Scorsese has raised the bar for how beautiful films can be in 2017. Bravo.

Silence surpassed every expectation from me. Visually striking, haunting, intense and wonderfully acted. Another masterpiece from Scorsese in a long line of masterpieces. 2017 is shaping up to be a great year for films.

10/10 Dans

Silence is out now on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK

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Paterson (2016) - Film Review

Review:

*Originally written May 1st, 2017*

I am shook. What a beautiful, beautiful film. This is hard one to recommend to most as I imagine a lot of people would say "Nothing happens", which is right, but this isn't a film about plot or story, it's about one man's struggle of what he really wants to do.

Adam Driver delivers what is probably the best performance of his career, it's so understated, yet powerful. Paterson is a character could just watch for hours, going through his day to day life, listening to different people during his daily journeys as a bus driver at work and his daily visit to the bar at night.

This is such a hard film to talk about, it's simplicity generates so much complexity. It's a look at every day life, it's something we can all relate to. Following around a guy who has a mundane job, but has a hobby as a genuinely good poet and whether he should persue that or not. Like most people, I imagine you have a hobby outside your usual job that you would love to do for a living, but can't. It's drenched in that reality of sadness that you probably can't and ever will do what you love for a living.

Adam Driver as poet and bus driver, Paterson

I loved there was no moments of forced drama or any real conflict at the centre of the film. There is one moment of danger that is quickly resolved and turned out to not be dangerous at all, but for the most part, you're just following the ins and outs of Paterson's life in a week, and it is so strangely engaging and wonderful.

My favourite moments are when he bumps into other poets, including a little girl and she reads him a poem while she is waiting for her mother. Little moments like this that sound boring on paper are bought to life with the incredible and engrossing writing that just took me along for the whole ride.

I wish I had something smarter or more insightful to say about Paterson, but for now I'm having a hard time gathering my thought. I will say Paterson is a masterpiece, although it won't be for everyone. I can't believe the lack of awards recognition this got, especially for Adam Driver, which is a damn shame.

10/10 Dans

Paterson is out now on Blu-ray and DVD now in the UK
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