imalloutofgin

FILM BLOG | Nonbinary (they/them) | 32

[imalloutofgin]

Here we go again...

I keep sating to myself that I am going to start reviewing again but so far, I haven't. So here are short reviews for the last year or so... Please note, I do have a plan with my creative partner to potentially do some video reviews in the new year, but we will see if that comes to fruition. If so, I will post links to our videos here. :) (MINOR SPOILERS PRESENT!!!)

So, LETS DIVE RIGHT IN!

Samson and Delilah (2009): Incredibly powerful film, beautifully acted, but this is a one time watch. Absolutely heartbreaking. 4.5/5 stars.

Monkey Man (2024): I love a great action film and I could not stop thinking about it for months afterward. The story of how it was made and the on set issues makes it even more impressive. All films need bad ass hijra fight scenes. 5/5 stars.

Mad God (2021): I understood the vibe but found it too slowly paced and sometimes gross for being gross sake. Not really my thing but very well executed for what it was. 2.5/5 stars.

Turtles all the Way Down (2024): Really fun, interesting and well put together. Basic story and execution, but the element of the reality of OCD was done very well. Solid film. 3/5 stars.

Civil War (2024): Not a fan. Politically insipid. I did like the acting and the cinematography, but I didn't buy the characters reasoning or motivations, and I didn't feel there was strong pay off's when it comes to the relationships forming in the film. 1.5/5 stars.

The Fall Guy (2024): So much fun! I've watched it a few times now and I love it. Can really feel the care and love of the craft it was made with. 4/5 stars.

Mona Lisa Smile (2003): I liked this film and thought it was well structured and executed. Not particularly revolutionary, but a nice watch. 3/5 stars.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024): It was a fun film, but I don't really understand why it exists... 3/5 stars.

I Saw the TV Glow (2024): Heartbreaking. Devastating. Unflinching. Magical and gut-wrenching all at once. Changed my life. I wish I had made this so badly. Cannot wait to see what this director does next. 5/5 stars.

Existenz (1999): Fabulous, fun and who doesn't love a poorly disguised allegory for anal sex? 3.5/5 stars.

The Foreigner (2017): I liked some of this film... but it honestly didn't make much of an impression. I had to jog my memory to write this review. 2/5 stars.

Uglies (2024): Sooooo many things wrong with this film, from the poor casting choices to the random "fun" moments that don't further the plot in any way. Also the wild CGI faces for the Pretties. I know a lot has been said about how bad this film is, but can I also point out the casting of a trans woman as a villain who wants to preform surgeries on people was a /choice/. 1/5 stars.

Boy Kills World (2023): So much fun! Really interestingly put together, and I found that the concept became not at all gimmicky in Bill Skarsgård's capable hands. 4/5 stars.

Birdman (2014): I haven't stopped thinking about this one. So amazing and perfectly done. BUT, I did see it for the first time with the original drummer who created the score playing live at an event, so I have never actually seen the film with the original score. 5/5 stars.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): I adore the creature costumes, and I love it when nearly everything is made, rather than created in post. However, over all, I felt the story could use some work. Still fun though. 2.5/5 stars.

Matthias & Maxime (2019): Beautifully shot. Very real, natural, and surprisingly funny. The ending, however, was a little lacking for me. 4/5 stars.

Alien: Romulus (2024): So good! That alien was so moist! Which was totally delightful. The metaphors fucked me up some. Loved the parallels with the original. 4/5 stars.

Juror #2 (2024): Quite a good film. Fun to analyse and well acted, however, nothing to write home about. 3/5 stars.

Dead Poets Society (1989): I cannot believe I hadn't seen this before! It's been on my "to watch" list forever. Totally lives up to the hype. Great performances and a great watch. 4.5/5 stars.

Gladiator II (2024): It was fine... Would rather watch the original. 2/5 stars.

Nosferatu (2024): I really liked this film. Art and costuming really understood the assignment. A difficult one to rate because it may not have changed my life but it certainly made the excited about filmmaking and storytelling. 5/5 stars.

The Substance (2024): I. cannot. stop. thinking. about. this. film. Beautiful and grotesque. Absolutely LOVE how it is shot with so much colour and contrast. Love the story, love the acting, love the message. I was sold from the second it started, and the bloodbath at the end, while over the top, was absolutely spectacular. 5/5 stars.

Heretic (2024): I liked this film but felt that the message was a bit muddled in parts and overall, it didn't grip me like I had hoped. I do love the attention to detail paid to the Mormon faith though. Well acted, but missing something for me. 2/5 stars.

Brooklyn (2015): A beautifully acted and pretty film, however, overwhelmingly lacking in real conflict. Overall, very average, but I did enjoy watching it. 3/5 stars.

Novocaine (2025): This was fun, and funny, and just all-round enjoyable to watch. 3.5/5 stars.

Joy (2015): Some enjoyable moments and I liked the concept, however, I felt like there were too many ideas, and the voice-over was particularly naff. 2/5 stars.

Kajillionaire (2020): It's a film I really struggle to describe, but I loved it. Weirdly unsettling in moments. Some insinuations that fucked me up in ways I can't really articulate. This is a weird little film about an absolutely awful family. Well acted and executed, beautifully styled. 4/5 stars.

Sinners (2025): I started off with the question "why is he Irish?" What a well thought out and beautifully crafted project that never once holds your hand. You have to figure it out all yourself. It's shot like a music video half the time but that is used to such great effect. 4.5/5 stars.

Strange Days (1995): I am so glad I watched this film. A silly little white guy is helped and repeatedly saved by a kick-ass black woman (who loves him for some reason). The tech is cool, the film is gripping, and I am in love with Angela Bassett. 4/5 stars.

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025): I think everything can be summed up in one word... Why? But just to give you a bit more depth, they could have just made another film. I don't know why John Wick is even in it. I don't need him to be there. The whole thing was below average. 2/5 stars.

Challengers (2024): You give me one scene of those two men hooking up without her (after she's antagonised them is fine) and I would have been completely sold. Great score, great art direction, I was hooked immediately. 4.5/5 stars.

Hellraiser (1987): What a great film! I probably laughed a lot more than the filmmakers were intending, but still. There was something beautiful and erotic about this film in the most messed up way. Love the heroin allegory. Love the practical effects and the whole design of the Cenobites. Loved it, and I want to make something as cool as this film someday. 5/5 stars.

Hellraiser (2022): This was... okay. I liked Pinhead the most out of all the Cenobites, and casting a trans woman was a smart choice here. One thing this was lacking was the use of metaphor and allegory. I was shown a lot of direct things, and told more than I should have been. Also some of the acting from the leads brother and friends was... not the best. I also think this film failed to capture the fucked up eroticism of the original. BUT, ultimately, I did find myself having fun. 2.5/5 stars.

Okay, that's it. I probably missed some films I've seen because I did kind of stop keeping track at the end there. I hope to post more in 2026!

[myreputationandmygoodintent]

Hi peeps, I know theres like, 4 people who follow me on here but it would be absolutely rockin' if you donate to my crowdfunding campaign for our short film - Fucking Transfomer.

Do you like trans people? Do you like teen drama-comedy hybrids? Do you like a touch of surrealism? Then this film is for you! Made by a bunch of weird early career filmmakers in the middle of nowhere (Perth, Western Australia) this film promises to be kinda cool and it will deffs piss off a transphobe.

If you cannot donate, I'd appreciate a reblog! :)

[imalloutofgin]

I know, I need to post more reviews - but look what I've been up to! Please support if you can. :)

[imalloutofgin]

More Mini Reviews!

Barbie (2023): Had some absolutely laugh out loud jokes that dealt with complex themes, but ultimately the sentiment was a little hollow. Fun though. 3.5/5 stars.

Perfect Days (2023): A beautiful, slow, meditative film that pulled on my heart strings. Gorgeous performances especially from the lead. 4.5/5 stars.

Little Women (2019): As a big fan of the 1994 version I didn't have high hopes for this film but I really liked this take. The only thing I really didn't like was that I found Florence Pugh way too old to play the young version of Amy, and I wish they'd cast a younger actor to play her when she's still in school. I feel like this film had something extra that the other versions I have seen didn't have, specifically in it's pacing and characterisations, so I enjoyed it. BUT, did we really need another 'Little Women' film? 4/5 stars.

All My Friends Hate Me (2021): Really good film but so deeply unsettling and upsetting. Just really tense and uncomfortable interpersonal dynamics, so you constantly feel on the back foot. Nobody I know has seen this film so I feel like it's quite underrated. 4.5/5 stars.

Saltburn (2023): Visually stunning, thematically vacuous. All set up, no pay off. Very disappointing. However, the acting was great for the script they would have been given, and I did like the visuals although they were fairly derivative. 2/5 stars.

She's The Man (2006): I don't know what I expected... I laughed a couple of times though. 1.5/5 stars.

Suddenly 30/13 Going on 30 (2004): This had some moments I liked but over all was a bit of a nothing film. I watched it because some friends got a sense of nostalgia from it, but without that I think it's a worse than average film. 2/5 stars.

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999): I watched this because everyone was comparing Saltburn (2023) to this film and oh my god so much better. It has interesting themes, great acting, and you care about main character. The ending made me so sad, but it was a great ending to a film that I very much recommend. 4.5/5 stars.

Dune: Part 2 (2024): I didn't have high hopes for the sequel but I ended up really enjoying it. Visually captivating, interesting plot, and my partner says this is the most faithful adaptation of the book yet (even though obviously some things have been changed or glossed over to save time). A very enjoyable watch with great acting and huge set pieces that blew my mind. 4/5 stars.

Gayby Baby (2015): This was okay. I liked some of the families included, but I watched it a while ago and I can't remember much about it now. As such, I don't fully feel it was able to do much to improve the lives of the kids of queer parents. I would have also liked some more diversity in the subjects and more of a political point - yell something from the rooftops, because as a queer person, we are never going to be acceptable to most others and I know that. A good watch though, and I do recommend it to anyone interested in a stripped back, only mildly political, queer docco. 3/5 stars.

More mini reviews to come!

[imalloutofgin]

Long time, no see...

Hello friends, I have been watching things this whole time I promise! I have finally graduated from my masters degree and will hopefully post a lot more frequently... But I am considering moving to video form. What do the few of you that actually read these think? Anyways, here's some mini reviews!

American Psycho (2000): Absolutely amazing, very funny while also being harrowing. I cannot comprehend how so many misunderstood this brilliant satire. 5/5

A Simple Favour (2018): Very fun. I adore Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively in this. THE OUTFITS! Recommend for a relaxed watch. 3/5 stars.

The End of Evangelion (1997): I would love all this symbolism if it had any other meaning besides "Catholicism looks cool". Great imagery with nothing to say. 2.5/5 stars.

Redline (2009): Good, but too over the top for me to really love it. My girlfriend was a big fan though. 2/5 stars.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953): I was going to give this film 4/5 stars but I actually can't stop thinking about it and I've watched it twice through. Really fun, great quotes, Marilyn Monroe at her finest. 5/5 stars.

Lady Bird (2017): I sobbed like a baby. This affected me in ways I can't fully articulate. What a painful and accurate depiction of a strained mother and daughter relationship. 5/5 stars.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016): A fun romp, but nothing to write home about. 3/5 stars.

Oceans 8 (2018): Looking at my notes I've given it 2.5/5 stars but I don't remember it being *that bad*. Certainly nowhere near as good as Ocean's 11... I did have fun though. 2.5/5 stars.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023): The more I think about this movie, the more mad I get. The book slaps - it's about fascism and it says something about power. The movie is about a guy falling in love with his tribute and he's a bad guy, actually. 1/5 stars.

Talk To Me (2022): What an amazing Australian film! Great music, awesome concept, and Australian as fuck. I would have liked there to be a bit more of an intense tone shift to create more fear, but other than that, basically perfect. 4.5/5 stars.

I have more reviews coming, so stay tuned!

[imalloutofgin]

Uni went back and my life fell apart again... (more mini reviews because I suck at this).

Lord of War (2005): I liked this a lot. It really had me hooked. The characters were interesting and I liked the surreal elements. Also, guns, haha. 4/5 stars.

One Night In Soho (2021): Fun film, but I felt like it kind of lost it's way at the end. Maybe it tried to go a bit too big with it? Things really escalated. But I loved the story and the way the two worlds wound together. The music and the fashion had me gripped. 3.5/5 stars.

BlacKkKlansman (2018): This movie was very clever, funny, and a really good time to watch. It was also hard hitting when it needed to be and had something to say. It loses one point for potentially being copaganda. 4/5 stars.

Sorry to Bother You (2018): The lighting though! And beyond that, an interesting story told well that really gripped me. Completely off the wall in parts. An enjoyable film to watch. 4.5/5 stars.

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991): How Not to Make a Film - The Movie. I really enjoyed this as someone who is trying to work in the industry. 4/5 stars.

Madoka Magica Movie 1 (2012): I am pretty sure this is the one I watched. I watched the series and then the film back to back and was a big fan. This anime has an art style like no other, and is an interesting critique of the magical girl genre - whether or not it was intended in that way I'll leave up to you to decide. 3.5/5 stars.

Perfect Blue (1997): People absolutely rave about this film and I did like it, but I think maybe it was over hyped. I love the surrealism and the animation style, and I love the visual elements and the darkness to it. A scathing view of idoldom that I feel is still relevant today. However, it ends in a way that kind of undoes some of that work and that was a bit of a let down. 3/5 stars.

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014): Yeah, no, perhaps I've been spoiled for fight choreography recently but this didn't really do it for me. It was also very... conservative? The main guy is deffs a Torrie. Absolutely not for me. I did like the fight scene in a church though. 1.5/5 stars.

Tár (2022): I need to watch this film again to properly develop my thoughts so perhaps I'll write a long review about this later... I liked some of it, and felt like it was at least attempting to be a critique of people in positions of power... bur then it also kind of seemed to not do that. The music was really interesting and the main character unraveling was quite compelling. I'll watch it again and see what I think as we watched this at an outdoor cinema and I feel like we missed most of the movie. 3/5 stars.

You Were Never Really Here (2017): That was a lot. I loved how colourful this film was, I don't feel like you see enough of that in these kidnap/abduction movies. Brutal, visceral, intense. I cried a little bit. It's been a while since I saw it so I can't remember why I only gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars... but I do think it's not quite a 5 star film from memory, but very close. 4.5/5 stars.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023): This is my least favourite John Wick film. I feel like after the last one they were trying to go even bigger, but they couldn't really find a way to do that. Some things just felt a bit silly... there was too many bad guys waiting to take their turn fighting Mr. Wick instead of running in to kill him. The fight choreography of 3 outshone this one, in my opinion, and they re-used some old character types and just changed them slightly. Donnie Yen did a kick ass job though, and I loved some of the gags they used with this character - like the doorbells. Still, a fun film I enjoyed watching. 3/5 stars.

[imalloutofgin]

Gin and Talking Pictures | Appleseed Alpha (2014)

***SPOILERS AHEAD***, but you won't mind...

Okay, so at the best of times,I'm not so good with character names, but in this film I don't remember any of them. So I have re-named them to make this reviewing experience even remotely fun, so, here goes nothing...

Appleseed Alpha follows Tits McGee and Cyborg Bunny as they work for Grumpy-Vending-Machine. They don't like Grumpy-Vending-Machine because he's an asshole and doesn't pay them well, and they say they're going to do one last job for him, botch it, and now it's their one-last-job-take-2. Grumpy-Vending-Machine is the only character I really liked even though he's a somewhat-baddie. They go out to this place to take out some robots that keep shooting people and find More-Human-Than-Cyborg and Sickly-Victorian-Child and help them out of a bind, and almost get killed in the process. Then THE-BADDIES rock up and kidnap Sickly-Victorian-Child (who we are supposed to care about for some reason) and the rest of the film is them trying to rescue her. OH and something about a promised land, post apocalyptic safe haven... you get the idea.

I never cared about any of these characters, the plot is formulaic at best, ridiculous at worst, and I wanted to turn it off almost as soon as we started watching it but I know I should also watch bad films so *here we are*. The art style also is weird where it interacts with human faces... the robots actually look pretty cool, but all the humans are kind of stiff (I know this is 2014 but their hair doesn't even move at all really). The whole thing seems like an extended video game cut scene and I am against it.

*Anyways*. I hated this film. 1/5 stars.

[imalloutofgin]

Gin and Talking Pictures | Blade II (2002)

What can I even say about Blade II?

Just a short review... This is a film that can't keep its premise straight, no better exemplified than with the moment when the vampires have to go into the sewers during the day and are worried about the daylight killing them. In the first act of the film, two vampires dressed in special suits swoop in, unhindered by the UV lights that Blade shines at them, and tell Blade they have a job for him... So why can't they just wear their suits in the later scene when they're concerned about the sun? No reason, at least, none given to the audience.

And that's the film in a nut shell. It is fun, in a bad way, and because it couldn't keep the story straight, it lost me time and time again. I did find myself enjoying it though, so I am going to give it a cheeky 2/5 stars, but if you want a fun experience I would recommend watching it with someone who is a fan of questionable action films like my girlfriend is.

[imalloutofgin]

Gin and Talking Pictures | The Menu (2022)

What a fun and clever film. It feels a little strange doing a review about a film where a reviewer gets their comeuppance (among some other not so nice people), but here we are. The cast clearly enjoyed what they were making, and this film has quite the star studded line up. It was great to see Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult in the same film; This might be strange to say but they give me similar "weird kid" vibes. The acting from them, and from the whole cast, was superb.

I really enjoyed the plot, and the story surprised me a few times. We follow foodie, Tyler, and his date, Margot as they travel to an exclusive restaurant on a secluded island. The restaurant is owned by a world renowned chef, Julian Slowik (played by Ralph Fiennes) and is a 'farm to table' style place with the island providing the ingredients used in the restaurant. It also has a 'this kind of feels like a cult oh dear god' vibe, that works with what we see of kitchen and front of house staff in media. This means that from the moment the characters set foot on the island, you know something isn't quite right... the question is, what?

This is a film that feels very clean. It doesn't reveal too much too soon and has a cold, modern detachment as it builds the tension, which matches the feeling of the restaurant that we are in. I love the steady decent into the drama and the way everything unfolds.

This really should be a 5/5 film, it has all of the right building blocks and I really did enjoy it, but there's something holding me back. I don't think I will be thinking about this film in years to come... even though I think the concept and execution were interesting and innovative. But maybe, that feeling is intentional? Like the food served by the restaurant itself? I don't know, anyways, it's a great film, I recommend it, and I'm going to rate it highly.... but can anything beat a good burger? Or a good popcorn-film? 4.5/5 stars.

[imalloutofgin]

Gin and Talking Pictures | Annihilation (2018)

***MILD SPOILERS*** This film blew my mind, not just because of the subject matter, but because this work is based on the 2014 novel of the same name. Although not a faithful one-to-one adaptation, rather, a "memory of the book" made to capture the tone and "dreamlike nature" of the story, I can't imagine that the task would have been an easy one. This film looks like taking acid feels.

The cast did a fantastic job, the story kept me guessing, and I like the open ended nature of the story. I also like that after the film ended, my partner, my friend and I, lay on our couch talking about if it matters that one or both of the characters at the end of the film are the same person.

I don't want to give too much away so I'll just say that it is a complex narrative that you really need to pay attention to. It's a fantastic film and I highly recommend it. 5/5 stars.

[imalloutofgin]

Gin and Talking Pictures | Ip Man 1 (2008), Ip Man 2 (2010), Ip Man 3 (2015), & Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019)

What a title! This is what I get for reviewing them all at once. Here are some brief reviews of each 'Ip Man' film (bar 'Master Z: Ip Man Legacy' because I didn't know it existed till just now).

Ip Man 1 (2008): (or, as my girlfriend dubbed it, Ip Man vs Japan). This was pretty fun. I like the characters and the choreography and it has an old movie feel even though it was made in 2008. Very propaganda heavy, but I could say that about a bunch of Hollywood movies. I enjoyed this film. 3/5 stars.

Ip Man 2 (2010): (or, Ip Man vs Racism). Again, a really enjoyable film. In fact, I'd say I liked this better than the last one. I liked the rivalry between Ip Man and the other masters, and I like how he wins them over with not only his fighting, but also with his manners. 3/5 stars.

Ip Man 3 (2015): (or, Ip Man vs Cancer Pt.1 - or even, Ip Man vs his wife). I see what they are trying to do here, this is an opponent that even Ip Man can't beat. And I do like that we see more from his wife... these films are pretty devoid of rounded female characters, but ultimately it fell a little flat. Still fun, but less so than the previous two films. 2.5/5 stars.

Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019): (or, Ip Man vs Cancer Pt.2 - or possibly even, Ip Man vs America). I would say this is better than the last film but only a little bit. There is nothing that I love more than stereotypical belligerent Americans. The fighting with his kid back home is fine... I don't know where his other kid has gone though lol. The kids picking on the girl he saves are comically evil, which was funny but probably for the wrong reasons. We probably should have stopped after two films to be honest. 2.5/5 stars.

[imalloutofgin]

I've been making YouTube videos again and you should check them out. :)

[imalloutofgin]

Gin and Talking Pictures | Ghost in the Shell (2017)

I'm not going to go into much detail here because this film has been reviewed to death and I have all the same complaints as everyone else. I have watched some of the anime TV show (thank you SBS Australia) which of course I loved, specifically the use of colour, the feel of the city, and the premise itself.

This film can't even get the basic concept right - she's a ghost in the shell because ALL OF HER, even her brain, has been replaced with cybernetics. This is why the audience, and Motoko (in this film played by Scarlett Johansson for some reason), have some questions about her humanity. In this version, this question is explored clunk-ily at best, in an on the nose way at worst, and it doesn't really work because she has a human brain. The world is mostly desaturated and bland, losing the humanity of the place... Theres no ghost in the shell of this film, no human feeling, it just feels like corporate greed. It feels like the distillation of capitalism in a film. They took out all of the humanity from the premise and left a boring, bland, husk. Maybe that's dramatic, but that's how I feel, hahaha. :P

The good things? I mean they made a film that maybe if you hadn't seen any of the original material might be enjoyable. I liked some of the scenes and found this version of Batou to be different from the original but still interesting... I wish they had explained his cybernetic eyes in a better way though. Otherwise, there isn't much here to like. For me, anyway.

This is a below average film and I do not recommend it. I'm giving it an extra .5 for Batou being different but at least averagely interesting... 1.5/5 stars.

[imalloutofgin]

Gin and Talking Pictures | Bullet Train (2022)

***SOME MILD SPOILERS***

What a ride! I actually loved this movie. Things just kept escalating in the best possible way, and it even caused me to tear up a little bit toward the end.

This film feels like it started as an improv game. Someone said, "okay, our protagonist is going to be a *spins wheel* snatch and grab guy filling in for an assassin who is on sick leave, and our guy is going to *spins another wheel* be working on his mental health/psychological issues and is in the obnoxious phase of trying to fix or diagnose everyone he meets"... And then the writers room just fucking /rolled with that/. The characters consist of, of course, the above: and then, the twins, who are different races, one of whom is unhealthily obsessed with 'Thomas the Tank Engine'; the guy they are supposed to be protecting who is a right little shit; a spoiled brat of a girl who is actually trying to take out a mob boss but has set up a plan to get assistance to do it; and various other briefly on screen characters who all feel like they drew their character traits out a hat. And I love it.

The film is just stupid fun from start to finish. It's quippy but not /too/ full of pop culture references, and the pacing is pretty solid throughout (maybe lagged a bit getting into the third act, being how fast paced everything else is, but I do think it needed to take it's foot off the accelerator at some point). I wish we had more of the Japanese covers of western music cause that was really cool, but I liked those songs where they were used. I also really liked the colour palette (specifically the pink and blue train car was really neat).

The main thing I didn't like was the parts that were just so off the wall that they were not in any way, shape, or form, possible. I'm sorry, but you can't jump onto the outside of a bullet train and hold on. You can't break a window to get in with your bare hands. You can't do, well, anything that happens on the outside of the train, really. Often, these were CGI moments as well, and the CGI wasn't the best. I am willing to suspend my disbelief for some things (the gun thats rigged up, or one of the very hurt people surviving when they should probably be dead, or even a snake getting out of a cage by accident) but these parts where I found that I *couldn't* suspend my disbelief really took me out of the moment. But then I was sucked right back in as the next whacky thing happened. I will say that the combat was, in my uneducated opinion, pretty good, especially for something like this where they could get a little weird with it and maybe make it more unbelievable... It felt pretty grounded till they started needing to use CGI a lot.

I loved the acting because the whole film is really dumb, everyone had really good comedic timing, and I thought Brad Pitt was a perfect choice to play the lead. I feel like some people might have an issue with this movie... It might be too weird for some, or maybe they won't be expecting something so playful, but I can only give my honest opinion and I really liked it. This film, to me, is a great deconstruction of the tropes of the genre, and they do it with well timed comedy and exciting action scenes.

I found the film really fun and funny, and I recommend watching it with a group of people if you can so you can share in the chaos. :)

4/5 stars.

[imalloutofgin]

Gin and Talking Pictures | The Night Comes For Us (2018)

[I've been making these little banners for cohost (I post my reviews over there now as well) so I thought it might be cute to add them here too. If you have a cohost and want to add me, please do! My profile is: https://cohost.org/grey-ghost]

'The Night Comes For Us' is another film staring many of the same actors from 'The Raid: Redemption' and 'The Raid 2'. I really like the stunt work in all 3 of these films and I have been lead to believe that the group that does them is the same throughout (I'm struggling to find that info online though). I know a couple of the actors have also had stunt type roles in 'John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum', and it was great to see them in a mainstream American film. Basically, the people making these films are rad, and I am super thrilled to see them continue their craft, so I was very excited to watch this film and it did not disappoint.

The film is a real continuation of this body of work, and I can see the development of more complex story beats. I also like that we get some ladies involved in the fighting this time around, and I like how even the character of Reina, played by Asha Kenyeri Bermudez, gets to be part of the action. I did feel that some of the effects were more noticeable in this film though, and I do hope that they stick to more practical effects moving forward.

The acting was good, the action was good, but I felt like it was a bit repetitive, although I do think the gore has increased in the film (which I, personally, am a fan of). I do miss the simplicity of 'The Raid: Redemption' in this film because it is trying to do a lot, but that's not a massive complaint. This seems to be an attempt to bind action and story, and I think in the next few films, they'll get better and better about executing that. They have 2 more sequels for this one planned from what I've read.

This is an intense and gory film that I really enjoyed, but I feel like even more script development could have really made it shine. Super excited to see where they go with it in the next 2 films. Not quite as good as 'The Raid' duology, but absolutely a film you don't want to miss.

3.5/5 stars.

[imalloutofgin]

Gin and Talking Pictures | Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

I was looking for my review of 'Knives Out' (2019) to compare and contrast this latest film, and I can't seem to find it, so perhaps I have made an error and missed doing a write up for it. I feel like the original was better than this one, which I think is a bit of an unpopular opinion at the moment. But, my memory isn't the best and I don't have a review for the previous film to draw from, so, yeah, take that with a grain of salt. Also, I'm going to try and make this spoiler free so there maybe some details that seem odd in this review. I am trying to keep things in line with what we know at the beginning of the film, so bear with me. ;)

'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery' (2022), is a very engaging film. I like the mystery genre, and this was the kind of film where I didn't feel weird about pausing to try and solve the mystery with the people who I was watching it with. It was lighthearted over all, despite being about class and how the rich close ranks to keep their money/themselves safe from repercussions.

The story was interesting, and I loved the shift in perspective from ensemble piece to focus in on the main characters (Blanc and Andi Brand) in the second act. The way the film went back in time and showed different perspectives, which revealed something new, was very well done and I was surprised by some of the twists. I know this has been said but of course Janelle Monáe is an absolute stand out in her role as Andi, and I really think they made this film what it is.

The main characters (Andi and Blanc) are really interesting to watch and kept me guessing. The ensemble are completely unlikeable but that's what makes watching them really fun, however, I don't think I would have enjoyed them so much without the smaller roles of Peg (Birdie's PA), and Whiskey (Dukes girlfriend and occasional Twitch streaming partner). They added a perspective closer to our own as an audience. They are people trying to succeed while essentially working for a wealthy in group that will never fully accept them, so to me, they were the most relatable characters.

The costumes and the locations were good, but I did think some of the CGI, especially at the end, was really obvious and took me out of the moment. And although it was a fun film to watch and to try and figure out, I don't know if, now that I know the twists, I would watch it again. It felt less stylised with the camera movement than the last film, and that doesn't make me feel compelled for a re-watch.

All in all, I enjoyed trying to guess this mystery and I think there was some good messages about class that are very accessible in this film. I wouldn't give it a re-watch though.

3/5 stars.

[imalloutofgin]

Gin and Talking Pictures | The Batman (2022)

To sum this film up - they had me in the first half, I'm not gonna lie.

The Batman stars Robert Patterson as the most emo Batman I have ever seen, which is unsurprisingly (if you know me) something I like about the film. Patterson's Batman/Bruce Wayne is a tortured and moody recluse, who is very comfortable with violence, and more over, seems comfortable sacrificing lives in order to reach his goals. This film starts to say something - Batman is in a position to actually help people (Bruce Wayne is extremely rich), but he doesn't because revenge is sweeter. He believes in cops, authoritarianism, and that criminal activity of any kind is bad and wrong (unless you have a reason that he *personally* deems appropriate, I'm looking at you Selina Kyle). I felt like this Batman was finally going to be one that really had to recon with the atrocities he commits while seeking 'justice', and the first half of this film had all of the right set ups (exploding multiple cars during a high speed car chase on a freeway to ask the penguin a few questions certainly killed someone and he should probably face consequences to that).... but, alas, the second half let me down. Instead, they paint Batman as a person who is going to use what he's learned to become a better Batman. Not *ALL* the cops were in the mob bosses pocket, don't you know... Ugh.

Not to be too pedantic but I also hated the love line created between Batman and Selina Kyle/Cat Woman. Why was it there? It felt out of character for *this* Batman to get involved with a woman who could distract him from his goal, and although never explicitly stated, Selina was pretty clearly in a relationship with Annika. You don't call your roommate "baby" as a general rule... omg they were roommates.

I also struggled with the perfect politician who actually wants to help people and has socialist qualities as this bastion of "not all politicians" either. Honestly, it felt like I was being spoken down to by the film.

And I have to talk about the villain because I actually liked the Riddler (played by Paul Dano) a lot. But here's the thing, the character *is right*. His methods aren't, but he uncovered police and political corruption, and used the Batman as a template for justice, turning to vigilantism. But if the Riddler is technically right but using bad methods, what is Batman? This could have been explored in so much more detail if the filmmakers had been allowed to go there. Something tells me this was a studio choice.

Other than that, I liked it. The costumes were good, we saw decent fight choreography, and it was a technically proficient film (except for some jank CGI toward the end). This film will appeal to fanboys, people who like riddles, and emo kids. :P

2.5/5 stars.

[imalloutofgin]

Even more films I've watched recently that I haven't had time to post about... Yes, I know, I'm bad at this...

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado (2018): I would sum this up as "they had me going in the first half, not gonna lie". A scathing indictment of the American war machine. 4/5 stars.

The Raid 2 (2014): Obviously the fight choreography is amazing, but this sequel had more plot and character development than the last. Very fun and suspenseful. Loved it even more than the original. 5/5 stars.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022): It is exactly what you expect a Top Gun movie to be. Does exactly what it says on the tin. 3/5 stars.

13 Assassins (2010): I liked this a lot! I especially enjoyed the horror elements. I found myself very engrossed all the way through. 4/5 stars.

The Lego Movie (2014): This was surprisingly good. I really enjoyed it's anti-capitalist messaging and over all I just had a really fun time watching it. 3.5/5 stars.

Midsommar (2019): The imagery from this film has stuck with me for quite some time. It was quite a harrowing film, deeply unsettling, and had me gripped from start to finish. 5/5 stars.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019): I think this may be the most enjoyment I have ever felt from a John Wick film. I did like the others but this had an even greater sense of fun and playfulness. The film knows what it is and leans in. 4/5 stars.