Richard Jewell (2019) ***

Source: Imdb

I expected a lot more from this drama about a security guard being wrongly accused of planting a bomb and having his life destroyed in the process. Though the actor playing Jewell was good casting, and his mom too, Sam Rockwell was too much like, well, Sam Rockwell. Olivia Wilde was a bit over the top as well in her portrayal of a story-hungry journalist and not credible in her regrets later on. The script would have needed a lot of tightening up. I thought this was going to be one of these slow torture movies that spirals tighter and tighter, creating painful and inescapable tension. Well, it was slow alright. I pretty much got bored after 30 minutes and the expected finale never quite materialised. Instead, everything sort of petered out [SPOILER] pretty much like the case itself did. Also, I’m not sure you can call a film set in the 90ies a “period piece” just yet, but they definitely did not try at all to recreate the vibe. Very disappointing on that front, too.

So, barely a 3/5. This could definitely have been done better.

Richard Jewell on Imdb

Free Solo (2018) ****

Source: Imdb

This documentary about free climber Alex Honnold tackling a rock face in the Yosemites was incredibly nerve-wracking - even during the practice climbs with a rope  - because you expect him to fall at any moment. I was kind of grateful when the film team started discussing this fear as well. It was heart-breaking and really touching to see his friends worry for him. Particularly that Tommy guy was absolutely terrified out of his mind. I wonder why he would support his friend in his madness if it hurts him so much – why any of them would. You could practically taste the fear. It was in all of their eyes. The bit where one of his camera team just couldn’t bear to watch that tricky one-shot part... omg. The emotional torment Alex is putting his friends and crew through does not seem to register with him at all. He has a very low sense of self-worth, that is clear, and bad social skills. This guy is completely insane, pig-headed and selfish (though he would see it differently). My hands were dripping sweat through all of this.

The material was beautifully shot by a daredevil team – I would never entrust my life to a single rope, but they all did it – and crafted into a showcase of human endurance, single-mindedness and drive. It also illustrated a way of life that is unimaginable for most of us. Yet this film not only provides a glimpse or a little window. It sucks you into this alien world of adrenalin and fear, and for a few brief minutes, I almost felt like I understood.

Mind-bending work by everyone involved. 4/5, but I would not watch this again. It’s slow torture.

Free Solo on Imdb

The Handmaiden (2016) **

Source: Imdb

This intricate drama about a lady in 1930ies Korea being chased for her inheritance was quite different from what I expected. The production impressed with its opulence, painting lavish pictures of high-society life of that period. However, it took a while for the film to get interesting – it only really took off in the second half – and that’s probably the fault of the sluggish scrip that started out with portraying boring and superficial, almost cartoonish characters. It eventually started making more sense as the film progressed and the portrayal changed perspective, but initially, it was hard to find any logic in the characters and connect with them in any way. The acting was a bit over-the-top at times, which highlighted the weirdness of the personalities even more, and the actors lacked true chemistry. Also, the script took a shockingly dark turn during the last 10 or so minutes. I hate it when there is unexpected violence suddenly popping up out of nowhere. On top of that, the rather sardonic script featured some misplaced humour that I found jarring. Lastly, the editing was a bit erratic at times, on the one hand providing some generous long takes and on the other hand chopping up some bits in a completely unnecessary way.

What I liked most about this production, aside from the nice visuals, was the gorgeous score by Cho Young-Wuk, but it didn’t really seem to fit the feel of the film very well.

So, not really a recommendation, though fans of Korean cinema might still enjoy it. 2/3

The Handmaiden on Imdb

A beautiful day in the neighbourhood (2019) ****

Source: Imdb

I went into this drama about a children’s TV host and his new friend expecting a feel-good movie, even though I was doubtful that they would be able to create any kind of tension arc from this material, but they did and the only word I can think of to describe this film is “beautiful”. Sure, there are some heavy cliches at play (e.g. anything about the family feud), but they sort of balance the weirdly anti-cliche nature of their main star (e.g. the apparent lack of ulterior motives). Tom Hanks gave a heart-warming, earnest and genuine performance as the empathic hero of this film, Fred Rogers. It was a joy to see him handle this character with skill and respect for both him and his audience. Though I was not familiar with Mr. Rogers until I saw this movie, I get the feeling that Hanks stayed very close to the actual person with his performance and that he really enjoyed playing someone with no obvious shadows to their character. Particularly the scene where Fred first greets Lloyd made me cry a bit. It’s incredible to see a person be so positive and so accepting towards this guy who is used to having to defend himself using his elbows. I wish there were more people like this. It was beautiful to see a friendship grow simply because one person accepted another as they are and made an effort to help them realise their own unconditional worth.
The rest of the cast was decent, but not that great. There was very little score, and most of the actors were just not good enough to cope with the demand of having to fill a scene all by themselves. Still, they played their roles well and the scenes with Mr. Rogers would not have worked without their contributions.
The directing on this one was not too remarkable, and I found their choice of changing screen formats totally weird. I see what they were trying to do, but it just doesn’t work for me. Other than that, this project did not seem to require a lot of technical finesse. It seemed pretty straight-forward, which means it all rests on the shoulders of the actors, particularly Tom Hanks and he managed to truly inhabit his character, so kudos to him.
I’ll say it again: a beautiful film, thought-provoking and surprisingly captivating. 4/5

A beautiful day in the neighbourhood on Imdb

A united kingdom (2016) ***

Source: Imdb

This drama based on historical events surrounding the foundation of Botswana was a lot more engaging than I thought. David Oyelowo gave a riveting and charismatic performance as righteous leader of his people. It was a joy to watch him at work, fearless and passionate. Definitely the stand-out performance in this film. Though I’m not a fan of Rosamund Pike, she did do a good job here, providing a strong partner to Oyelowo. Also worth a mention is Tom Felton, who has grown up quite a bit since Harry Potter and has definitely settled down a little as an actor, becoming more subtle and grounded in his art. I liked watching his work here a lot better than previous projects of his.

I am unable to say to what extent the script took liberties with the depiction of the events, but it is safe to say that it made what could have been a deathly boring political film into an interesting watch. The pacing was just about right, feeding the characters challenges that stayed on the workeable side of frustrating. The only thing that I had a hard time believing is that back in the 1940ies people in UK would have been this tolerant and even supportive of Khama and his cause. Even now, there is wide-spread racism – but that actually makes the film’s message all the more satisfying: There are good people to be found anywhere, and they will support each other in standing up for what’s right.

All in all, a better film than I expected. 3/5

A United Kingdom on Imdb