Film Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

September 07, 2018 by Clive in Reviews, Films

For better or for worse I know pretty much what I'm going to get with a Marvel film nowadays. I went into Ant Man and the Wasp expecting a good sequel with Paul Rudd being charmingly funny and relaxed against some pretty big odds, Michael Peña being consistently hilarious like in the first movie, and all of this to be wrapped in a plot that was a bit predictable but still entertaining.

That's exactly what I got. I was in need of some escapism when I went to watch this and it provided that pretty much perfectly. Michael Peña continues to be probably my favourite Marvel side character and has an ability to somehow be funny constantly but without that getting annoying, a rare skill indeed. I like that they use him relatively sparingly and usually at the perfect time, so the writing and direction deserves some credit on that front. Evangeline Lilly's palpable chemistry (as Wasp) with Paul Rudd deserves a mention too.

My main complaint, if I'm going to critique this fairly straightforward superhero film, is that it probably tried to squeeze a few too many story-lines into its duration. Did we really need the Ghost story-line AND the gangster story-line along with the main thrust of getting back Hope's mother from the quantum realm? I don't think so. It felt like the film threw in a character too many for the sake of a future Marvel film to me.

I'd love this kind of budget to get thrown into something more ambitious and novel, but nonetheless I couldn't help but like the film for all the above, it was as I expected, but that was still a lot of fun.

7/10

Film Review: Game Night (2018)

August 13, 2018 by Clive in Films, Reviews

Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, Game Night is an action-comedy (some have said dark comedy, I'd disagree) which follows a group of our lead couple's (Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams - who steals the show) friends as they participate in a murder mystery game-night. Things get turned upside down when a real mystery happens simultaneously. It becomes unclear what is the game, and what is real.

I'm reviewing this mainly as a comedy. Although it does have some twists along the way these are more there to make you laugh than to keep you guessing what might happen next. As a comedy it works pretty well, it's pacey, entertaining and there are plenty of laughs to be had.

However, I'd say the jokes miss as much as they hit and the film overused certain jokes which were not that funny to begin with. I found the 'stupid-guy' character particularly annoying and one-dimensional, and the ending used a few of the clichés I'd hoped Hollywood might have left behind.

Overall I like the idea of the premise and there's plenty of fun to be had here. I just feel it might have worked better as a psychological thriller with comedy elements, or indeed as a much darker comedy. As it is it's just a decent comedy, nothing more, nothing less.

6 Clive Watches Ghilbi: Part 5 (2004-2008)

May 27, 2018 by Clive in Films

It's time for our next three Studio Ghibli films as my quest to watch and rank all the studio's output continues. This time it's a Miyazaki family extravaganza with Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo directed by Hayao and Tales from Earthsea directed by his son Goro. If you want to start from the beginning part 1 is her e. If not, let's get cracking with these 3 and see how they compare to what I've seen so far.

Loosely based on Dianne Wynne's novel of the same name, Howl's Moving Castle tells the story of a young woman named Sophie who is turned old by an evil witch. She then meets a wizard named Howl, who lives in a spectacular but rather dilapidated old castle which moves on four legs, and is powered by a fire-demon named Calcifer. In the backdrop to all this, there is a war happening with another unnamed kingdom.

Howl's Moving Castle was made in response to the Iraq war and Miyazaki's anger about it. As such it definitely has an anti-war message in there. War is depicted as idiotic and unwise throughout the film. However, this isn't the only theme and I'd say the more prominent message is that of humans getting happier in old-age, as we are freed from the expectations and challenges of youth. It once again features a very strong female central character in Sophie who helps the rather self-destructive and vain Howl realise the power he has. This is another Miyazaki film that tackles an awful lot of subjects in its running time and I felt it didn't quite do it as skillfully as for example Princess Mononoke where, although there was a lot going on, it all still felt absorbable in one viewing. This one feels like you need to watch it at least twice and there were definitely certain parts that didn't fully sink in for me on my initial viewing. It joins Spirited Away on the list of films that may well rise up the rankings on a second viewing. It's ambitious and magical, if slightly inaccessible.

8/10

Hayao Miyazaki had always wanted to adapt Ursula K. Le Guin's Tales from Earthsea books to the big screen. When he initially asked he was turned down due to Le Guin's assumption that Ghibli was just another Disney. Many years later, when she realised this was not the case, she gave Studio Ghibli the rights to the film. Unfortunately, Hayao Miyazaki was busy on Howl's Moving Castle and so against his will, the film was given to his son Goro, who had limited animation experience. Father and Son didn't talk throughout its entire production and Hayao was apparently rather disappointed with his son's film upon seeing it for the first time.

Tales from Earthsea is a fantasy tale of wizards and dragons. It follows the story of Ged (or Sparrowhawk), a wizard who bumps into Prince Arren, a young boy with a dark side, as the world is beginning to deteriorate and all kinds of strange happenings are going on. They adventure together on a quest to stop an evil foe whose search for immortality could be the end of Earthsea.

This film gets a lot of hate and is generally believed to be Ghibli's worst film. While I probably agree, I disagree that this is a bad film, I just think it's a flawed one. The animation itself is just as stunning as any other Ghibli film (if perhaps less original or imaginative) and the dragons look particularly fantastic. The story, pacing and script are a little clunky but not to the point where it's particularly egregious, it just lacks the magic of some of his father's best work. As I've never read the books, the fact it takes large liberties with the plot didn't bother me. I liked the main characters, particularly Sparrowhawk, and thought that some of the more dreamy scenes were very effective. I also liked the androgynous villain. I think Goro Miyazaki bit off a little more than he could chew here, but the film is still enjoyable and I'd say it's 'ok' rather than 'bad'.

6/10

Ponyo is essentially Hayao Miyazaki's take on The Little Mermaid. One morning when heading down to the small beach near his house, the young Sosuke finds a small goldfish in a glass which he rescues and calls Ponyo. The films centers on their adventures together and Ponyo's quest to become a human and bring back the balance of nature.

As with a lot of Ghibli films, this one has a strong environmental message. However unlike a lot of Ghibli films, this one is definitely aimed at children. Ponyo as a character is absolutely adorable and the whole film has a very whimsical, sweet feel to it despite some of the horrible things happening. The protagonists are younger than those in most Ghibli films and that adds to the more simplistic feel of the film. It's beautiful to watch and there are some touching moments. However, it isn't among my favourites thanks to there not being as much to chew on than other films by the studio and the fact I found it a little hard to get behind the idea of kids this young falling in love. It's definitely one I'd recommend showing to children as I think they'd really enjoy it and it is very sweet, but it didn't do that much for me personally.

6/10

With only two of these posts left to go let's see how these three rank up against the others I've seen so far. New entries in bold italics.

1. Princess Mononoke

2. My Neighbour Totoro

3. Grave of the Fireflies

4. Kiki's Delivery Service

5. Spirited Away

6. Howl's Moving Castle

7. Laputa: Castle in the Sky

8. Whisper of the Heart

9. Only Yesterday

10. Porco Rosso

11. The Cat Returns

12. Ponyo

13. My Neighbours the Yamadas

14. Pom Poko

15. Tales from Earthsea

Thanks for reading. Join me again next time for Arrietty, From Up on Poppy Hill and The Wind Rises.

Clive Watches Ghibli: Part 3 (1994-1997)

May 10, 2018 by Clive in Films

It's time for part 3 of my adventure to watch all the Studio Ghibli films in order of release and rank them as I go! Head over to parts 1 and 2 here and here respectively if you want to read my thoughts on the earlier Ghibli films. This time we've got the lesser known Pom Poko and Whisper of the Heart as well as the anime giant Princess Mononoke. For the first time each of the three films features a different director with Isao Takahata directing Pom Poko, Yoshifumi Kondo making his directorial debut with Whisper of the Heart before his unfortunate death from overwork shortly after and the legendary Hayao Miyazaki directing his classic Princess Mononoke. Let's get to it.

Probably the weirdest Ghibli film I've seen so far. Takahata's Pom Poko tells the story of a tribe of raccoons who are having their habitat mowed down by humans to make way for a new housing development outside of Tokyo. The raccoons have magical testicles (yep, it's a thing) that can help them transform into all sorts of things, which plays a big part in the film's plot. They use these skills, among others, to attempt to thwart the human attempts to build on their land.

Pom Poko delivers its message in a very heavy-handed manner, and coming in at just shy of 2 hours feels a little too long. To me, it doesn't quite justify its running time as the story is very simplistic, never has any major surprises, and doesn't have all that much to say on the topic other than that we need to consider the effects of destroying habitats. A great message no doubt, but not one that needed to be delivered in a fresher way than it is here to hold my interest. I didn't latch onto any of the characters in this one in the same way I have in other Ghibli films, and I have to say it's my least favourite of the bunch so far. Not bad by any means, perfectly watchable, pretty as usual, and there's fun to be had here. But overall I found it a little disappointing.

6/10

Whisper of the Heart is a pretty straight love story. Shizuku is a bookworm who is constantly taking out books from her school library. She soon notices that all the books she chooses have been checked out by a boy before her and she endeavors to find out who this mysterious guy is. As well as the love story at its core, the film tackles the idea of living as an artist and the sacrifices it entails, a topic that is close to my heart.

I really liked this film. I don't generally like love stories all that much but I found Shizuku completely charming and the relationship depicted never seemed cheesy or overly sappy. I strongly disliked the final scene because it felt so out of place with the rest of the film's tone regarding this but I won't go into more detail as I wouldn't want to spoil anything. Perhaps I just need to see it again? Animation-wise this is one of my favourite looking Ghibli movies, which is quite the achievement. It somehow makes normal neighbourhoods look magical, and the attention to detail is phenomenal. I thought the film had a lot of interesting things to say about honing one's craft as an artist, a theme that was covered in a much more interesting way than a lot of films I've seen. A delightful film slightly hampered by the not-so-great final scene.

8/10

Princess Mononoke is a hard film to write a blurb for because there's just so much going on but I'll try anyway. Ashitaka is cursed when he defends his village from the attack of a boar god. On his way to find a cure, he finds San, or Princess Mononoke, who is fighting to protect the forest from the local humans, led by their strong-willed queen Lady Eboshi, who are planning to destroy it.

I'm just going to come right out and say it. This is a masterpiece. My favourite so far. Although longer than Pom Poko (this one comes in at over two hours and ten minutes) none of its running time is wasted and it feels much shorter than that. There is so much going on in this film it's almost ridiculous, and yet it is never confusing or overbearing. The plotting and pacing throughout are masterful. Then there's the animation, which is hands down some of the best I've ever seen, it's thematically much darker than other animations I've seen and this is brought across perfectly in the darker, and yet still bold, colour palette of backgrounds. The film has so many themes: environmentalism, feminism and war being just a few of them and it handles them all in such a way as to never feel preachy, and yet you'll still take a bunch of messages on board. It also has one of the strongest endings you'll see anywhere, not just in animation. A magical piece of art that redefines to me just what an animation film can be.

10/10

Now it's time to throw these three in amongst the other Ghibli films I've seen and see where they rank. This post's films are in bold italics.

1. Princess Mononoke

2. My Neighbour Totoro

3. Grave of the Fireflies

4. Kiki's Delivery Service

5. Laputa: Castle in the Sky

6. Whisper of the Heart

7. Only Yesterday

8. Porco Rosso

9. Pom Poko

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time for My Neighbours the Yamadas, Spirited Away and The Cat Returns. Stay classy.

Alex Wain's Top Films of 2017 (UK Release)

February 08, 2018 by Alex Wain in Films

2017 was perhaps the year of the noble failure for cinema. Failure from a variety of perspectives. Blade Runner 2049 failed, from a commercial standpoint, to ‘wash its face’ – the brilliantly simple industry analogy for a films net gross covering both its budget and marketing. Get Out failed to preach to anyone but the choir, judging from the continuous attention received by the ‘alt-right’ in the race relations conversation. The Death of Stalin failed to receive a significant cinematic audience in the one nation that needed to see it most. Oh, and Moonlight, well Moonlight failed to even get a best picture award without a ludicrous gaffe. Yes, 2017 was the year of the noble failure for cinema. Great art is often neglected in its own time, be it from a commercial perspective, a critical one or simply an inability to instantly enter the zeitgeist. 2017 was the year of the noble failure for cinema, but it was also a year that I am convinced will be remembered with reverence.

Matt Reeves appeared to bring the curtain down on this most resistant of franchises with a third act as impressively poignant as it is bombastic. Caesar, the messianic leader of the apes, leads a desperate struggle for survival against human forces determined on their extinction. Andy Serkis, the granddaddy of mo-cap, brings life and a sense of humanity to his performance as Caesar. An artificial computer-generated skin may layer Serkis during this performance, but the dignity and pathos he manages to project deserve recognition. The Apes franchise has always had the whiff of B-movie absurdity, but Reeves (and originally Rupert Wyatt) have achieved a rare feat in blockbuster film-making by maintaining the original concept and instilling a new sense of gravity. I cannot help but think of Richard Donner convincing audiences in 1978 that a man could fly. Taking in over $1.6bn at the global box office for the combined series, the Apes franchise is continued proof that intelligent popcorn entertainment has a market. Serious monkey business (sorry, not sorry).

Jump scares are cheap, a lingering sense of dread is built to last. My favourite horror-cum-thriller of the year and a welcome reminder that tired genres can still surprise. Set during an unexplained outbreak of a deadly virus, It Comes at Night is a survivalist end-of-world thriller that will linger at the base of your neck follicles long after you’ve finished watching. Drenched in an unsettling and claggy atmosphere of dread, the narrative concentrates solely on two families with understandable trust issues, guessing and second-guessing motives in the name of survival. Joel Edgerton is on reliable form as the stoic and patriarchal head of one family, continuing a rich vein of form with his customary understatement. It Comes at Night is likely only to be a footnote on a crowded genre page, but it is a considerable achievement for debut director and writer Trey Edward Shults.

Christopher Nolan continues to genre-hop, with a typically unconventional take on the war movie. Obsessed once more with time and the manipulation of it, Dunkirk confronts the historical concept and gradual mythologizing of the British stiff upper lip. Nolan’s soldiers just want a way out. The fight is lost and the only victory can be taken from getting away with as many pieces of themselves as they can carry. Nolan is both respectful of the event that Britain built its spirit of resistance upon, but ruthless in inspecting the reality of being cattle trapped for the slaughter. Un-showy performances all round, with special mentions to Mark Rylance and Cillian Murphy are the backbone of creating a believable portrayal. While not Nolan’s finest work, Dunkirk adds to an already varied canon.

As much a Western as anything else, James Mangold surprised both the comic book industrial movie complex and the wider cinematic community with this raw and unflinching conclusion to the Wolverine series. The near future has not been kind to Logan (or Wolverine). Living in a disused set of industrial buildings just over the Mexican border, Logan has become bound to a life of continuous struggle as he cares for the rapidly-declining telepath of mass destruction Charles Xavier. To make matters worse, his own powers of healing that have created an aura of invincibility are waning. Logan hurts and can be hurt. Not so much on the nose, as a punch to the nose, Johnny Cash’s overplayed, but undeniably haunting cover of ‘Hurt’ has never been more appropriate for appropriation. What is often missing from even the best of superhero movies is a sense of stakes, a sense of genuine danger to our protagonist. Logan convinces the audience that all cards are upon the table from the opening scene. A bold entry into a genre in dire need of caustic creativity.

The only entry on my list I have not seen in a cinematic format is typically one of the finest to look upon. Released to a limit run in cinemas, Mudbound is a Netflix-original production that most will only have had the opportunity to see on the small screen. Set following World War Two, Mudbound follows the contrasting receptions that two war heroes receive upon return. Class and more significantly, race, define the narrative in this withering and poetic production. Mudbound tightrope walks the viewer between differing emotions. Rarely have I been moved to tears and riled to physical-sensation anger by scenes just minutes apart. Dee Rees grounds the film in the economic reality of land ownership, with scenes of status quo racism often as impactful as Klan activity. Special mention must go to Mary J. Blige and again to Joel Edgerton as what might be considered a palatable racist; a man without malice and without determinable prejudice, but lacking in moral backbone. Mudbound makes the oft-argued case that all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.

Armando Iannucci made a welcome return to the big screen with this adaptation of the same-titled French graphic novel. Interspersing wry satire, pure abyss-black comedy and belly laughs, it’s difficult to remember the last time I was this enthralled by a cinematic comedy. Semi-historical, The Death of Stalin creatively recreates the power vacuum and subsequent struggle between Stalin’s underlings in the wake of his untimely death. Singling individual performances amongst such a wonderful ensemble seems unfair, but Simon Russell Beale is a rare performer on the big screen and his reptilian portrayal of Lavrentiy Beria, snarling and contemptuous, is something to behold. The Death of Stalin is, at time of writing at least, banned in Russia, branded ridiculously as propaganda by certain institutions of the state. Looking at the film as piece of art rather than as a commercial venture, this feels like a final satirical flourish that Iannucci could not have planned better.

This is probably the most controversial pick of my top ten, knowing that this film is forever associated with the alleged abusive behaviour of its star Casey Affleck. While the alleged behaviour is not said to have occurred during production of Manchester by the Sea, it haunts the legacy of what is otherwise an exceptional piece of filmmaking, and it has to be said, a towering performance from Casey Affleck. Lee Chandler is our solitary and ravaged protagonist, living in isolation away from his hometown of Manchester following an awful incident that leaves him unable to cope. The death of his brother Joe means Lee becomes the legal guardian of Joe’s teenage son Patrick, forcing Lee to remain in Manchester. Directed by Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea is a study of grief and guilt, shot compassionately and with real nerve. This isn’t a world where redemption can be found easily. Manchester by the Sea is brave enough to ask the audience to consider if there are some things in life you just can’t recover from. Irrespective of his alleged abuse, Casey Affleck fully embodies his character in a performance that I have rarely seen the likes of. Bleak and honest, but with traces of real beauty, Manchester by the Sea is an essential watch.

The majority of films on this list can be categorised with relative ease, but Get Out could sit comfortably within three genres. Part horror, part black comedy (pun honestly not intended, but it’s staying) and part thriller, Get Out was arguably the best surprise of 2017. Starring Daniel Kaluuya, an actor of real magnetic presence, we join Chris as he visits his white girlfriend’s wealthy family in the country. A pleasant time is had by all. The end. Hah. Get Out satirises the worst of wealthy white America, scything away at the façade of pleasantries that mask the reality of current race relations with wit and unpredictability. Never letting the audience sit comfortably, Get Out achieves a genuine disquiet that left me often out of sorts with my own emotional reactions to events on screen. This power to leave an audience suspended between mirth and unease is the real strength of the film. Without going into detail, for risk of spoilers, I wonder whether Get Out would have been even stronger with the ending flipped. Jordan Peele addressed the subject and said he couldn’t bear to end the film on the note in question. Despite the worldview on show, the film never relents to hopelessness and this feels like the right decision. Described by a fellow Stick Around reviewer as world-view altering, my only fear is that the people who need to see and correctly interpret Get Out the most, will either never see it or miss the point entirely.

An entirely worthy winner of the Best Picture award at the 2017 Oscars, in spite of the farcical nature of the ceremony and the fall-out that enveloped proceedings (sorry, not sorry). Moonlight is a special achievement that circumvented the trepidation I had before viewing. Beautifully shot by cinematographer James Laxton and meticulously orchestrated by director Barry Jenkins, we follow the coming-of-age of Chiron through three different stages of his life. Despite its weighty subject matter, dealing with race, LGBT issues and poverty, Moonlight is immensely watchable from start to finish with hyper-real performances in contrast with artistic direction. I was drawn into the narrative and I was reminded of Boyhood, a film I narrowly prefer, as we journey through the stages of what felt like a very real life. Barry Jenkins is clearly a superlative talent, capable of building a reality the audience is dropped right into, without need of exposition. I am not qualified or educated enough to discuss the reality of LBGT life in the African-American community, but it struck me that Moonlight approached the subject with a confidence and grace that could only have been achieved by an African-American LGBT director and an entirely African-American cast. This isn’t to say that an outsider couldn’t have achieved similar results, but Moonlight has a really authentic feel.

It gives me immense pleasure just not be disappointed by Blade Runner 2049. A sequel 35 years after an original, and an original that was never crying out for a follow up. When initially announced, the news of a Blade Runner sequel was met with fear as much as anything else. The original Blade Runner was a one of a kind science fiction film with great levity and intellectual class, never imagined as the first of a franchise. Blade Runner 2049 did not need to be made and nor was the news that it would be made met with welcoming arms by just about anyone, especially yours truly. Thank fuck it was. Blade Runner 2049 is a titanic, staggering achievement, taking the best elements of the original film and grafting on new ideas. Denis Villeneuve, director of recent sci-fi success Arrival, wasn’t an obvious choice, despite the quality of his work, but here he excels balancing raw entertainment with weighty concepts. Told with breath-taking scope visually and immense sound design, Blade Runner 2049 is a feast for the senses, with Roger Deakins surely a shoe-in for best cinematography at the Oscars. 14th time’s the charm, eh? Ryan Gosling is back to his stoic best as blade runner K, a replicant designed to hunt his own people. K's counterpart Luv, played with icy indifference by Sylvia Hoeks, forms the backbone of the film alongside him. What most makes Blade Runner 2049 such a success is the decision creatively, I assume consciously, to be a sequel and an original creative property simultaneously. It wasn’t welcome and it wasn’t needed, but Blade Runner 2049 is an instant classic, superb in just about every facet.

Clive's Top 10 Films of 2017 (UK Release)

January 21, 2018 by Clive in Films

2017 was an amazing year for films, and probably my favourite yet. I watched close to 40 releases and thoroughly enjoyed over 30 of them. Picking a top ten was particularly difficult and I feel this is probably the strongest top ten of any year since I started watching far too many films back in 2015. Before I crack on with my list I'd like to mention a few films that only just missed out. There were many that came close, but Wind River, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Hidden Figures and Maudie are perhaps those that came the closest. Here's those splendid pieces of cinema that made it:

The story of a boy who bullies a deaf girl and then, a while later, tries to make amends. It's a wonderful film. It tackles its subject in unexpected and mature ways and goes some dark places. Some have called it slow, but I feel dealing with the delicate matter of a person transitioning from being someone who is essentially horrible, to someone who feels regret and struggles to make peace with his actions, deserves the more delicate touch. Which is exactly what it receives here.

Christopher Nolan's foray into the war films genre. An incredibly tense film from beginning to end. All the interwoven stories worked well although their timelines were a little confusing at points, something I think a second watch will help. The film is the definition of a visceral experience. The sound and cinematography is fantastic, putting you right in the middle of the action and making you feel for characters that you know very little about. The simple story works, however I feel that it's one of those films where you come out having loved it, but then it doesn't really stick with you. This is the main reason it hasn't ended up any higher on this list. A fantastic piece of cinema, but I'm not sure it'll have even close to the same effect on a smaller screen.

Barry Jenkins' Moonlight, the coming of age story of Chiron, made quite a stir when it arrived and ended up clinching 2017's Best Picture Oscar. I loved Moonlight, it was full of amazing performances, had a beautiful story at its heart, and was shot with some of the most beautiful cinematography ever seen on the big screen. Why is it not higher on my list? Well, for me, the fact it was shot in such a stunning fashion where every shot is a work of art, took me out of the hyper-realistic nature of the film a little, and I think that was the prime reason that it didn't end up resonating with me as much as some of the films higher up on this list. Nevertheless, Moonlight is a film that no one should miss and deserves all the accolades it has got.

I delayed watching this because all the talk around it made me hate it before I'd even seen it. When I finally did watch it, however, and I was completely ready to hate it for being Oscar-bait, I unexpectedly fell in love with it. It's beautifully shot, I like the slightly understated nature of the songs and dance performances and I thought the chemistry between Gosling and Stone was brilliant. Yes, the dancing isn't technically perfect, but I think that's kind of the point, it brings some much-needed realism to a genre usually entirely based in fairyland. Completely stuck the landing in terms of its ending too. A gem.

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I felt sure after I'd seen this that it would end up in my top five at the end of the year but it's been such a strong year that it has just missed out. The story of Conor O'Maley's struggle to cope with his mother's terminal cancer was one of the most affecting films of the year for me. So much darker than I was expecting and all the better for it. It handles depression and grief in a realistic way, despite its fantastical nature, and never feels manipulative. Fabulous performances across the board, particularly from Felicity Jones, who brings across a vulnerability and anger that glues the whole thing together.

Jordan Peele's Get Out is a strikingly intelligent horror film. It's one of the rare films where I truly had no idea what was going to happen next, and I was genuinely terrified on many an occasion. The film obviously has a strong message but even if you weren't to consider that, which would be foolish, you'd have a brilliantly paced thriller that keeps you completely absorbed in its crazy, dark world throughout. Not only an amazing film, but also a razor sharp social commentary of our times. Uncomfortable and yet essential viewing.

The dialogue-free story of a man's survival on an island after a shipwreck. A beautiful film that is ripe for discussion of its themes and meaning. It's a quiet, meditative and contemplative study of life and its meaning. A heavy subject, tackled in a way that gives no answers, but makes you think about it in ways you never have before. The muted colour palette and basic animation style is stunning and suits the film perfectly, combining with an amazing soundtrack to provide one of 2017's most quietly moving cinema experiences.

Yet another animation! My Life as a Courgette is highly stylised with its brightly coloured claymation tinged with a deep sense of melancholy, but beneath the beautifully animated exterior lies a very real and raw film about love, friendship and the lack of family. A film that dared to be 65 minutes long, and is all the better for it. This one kept bouncing around my head for a long time after I'd seen it. A film that is in essence very sad, but also has a message of hope without a hint of cheese.

I fought tirelessly on our top five films of 2017 podcast to have this one included in our top five. My feelings about this amazing film are made more clear there than they ever could be in a small paragraph but here goes. Sean Baker, director of one of my 2016 favourites Tangerine, has graced us with an absolutely stunning tale of deprived childhood close to one of capitalism's biggest symbols, Disneyland in Florida. The child acting is quite probably the best I've ever seen, it's completely natural, and the way Baker always has the camera at a child's level is a genius touch that adds to the hyper-realistic nature of the film. Dafoe and Vinaite give unforgettable performances as the film's leading adults too. The film has an empathy for its subjects without forcing you to think one way or another, it shows you something that is happening, and lets you make up your own mind about it. It's a snapshot of a time, a sight into lives of the variety we probably have little exposure to, an eye opening tale of raising a child when everyone has already made up their mind about you.

Absolutely stunning. One that you really need to see in the cinema, so it's a shame it hasn't done very well at the box office. A film that is hugely stylised and creates a dystopian world that seems to have become more desolate since the original Blade Runner. Ryan Gosling is fantastic in the leading role and perfectly conveys the inner turmoil of his character in a way that isn't overwrought at all. The central story is gripping but everything around it is such a sensory overload that I doubt I'll ever forget watching this for the first time in a practically empty cinema late at night. The soundtrack drones and thumps, often focusing more on noises than any sort of melody, perfectly complementing this swamp of a world. The colours go from bright radioactive orange to a kind of dark, grey, muted metallic seamlessly and you feel like you're in some sort of strange dream, sat there wondering how on Earth something could be so gorgeous and yet so bleak at the same time. I came out of this one knowing I'd seen something special, and I firmly believe this is one of those films that will be looked back on as a classic many years from now.

What a year for film! Let's hope 2018 is as strong.

Thanks for reading,

Clive :)