This week on the InSession Film Podcast: Extra Film segment, we discuss Netflix’s latest film in Tramps and also the Oscar-nominated Studio Ghibli film, The Red Turtle!
While vastly different, both Tramps and The Red Turtle are very interesting films. Tramps was one of the films we discussed during our Netflix discussion on Episode 218, and after seeing the film, it very much supports the argument that good movies are getting buried on the service. The Red Turtle is noteworthy, as it’s the first non-Japanese film from the great Studio Ghibli. If you haven’t seen either, you’ll need to soon.
On that note, have fun listening to this week’s Extra Film segment and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Hope you enjoy and thanks for listening!
– Stamps Movie Review (4:25) Grades
Vince: B+
JD: B+
– The Red Turtle Movie Review (36:09) Grades
Vince: A-
Brendan: A-
We try to make this the best movie podcast we possibly can and we hope you enjoy them. Subscribe today on iTunes and Stitcher and please leave us a review on iTunes. You can also find us on Soundcloud, PlayerFM and TuneIn Radio as well. We really appreciate all your support of the InSession Film Podcast.
To hear this Extra Film episode and everything else we do, download our apps on the Amazon Market for Android and the Podcast Box app on IOS devices. The mobile app covers all of our main shows, bonus podcast’s and everything else relating to the InSession Film Podcast. Thanks for your wonderful support and listening to our show. It means the world to us!
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Director: Lone Scherfig Writers: Gaby Chiappe (screenplay), Lissa Evans (based on the novel “Their Finest Hour and a Half” by) Stars: Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Bill Nighy, Jack Huston
Synopsis: A former secretary, newly appointed as a scriptwriter for propaganda films, joins the cast and crew of a major production while the Blitz rages around them.
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Their Finest is a war-time drama about Welsh journalist Catrin Cole, winningly played by Gemma Arterton, who gets seconded to the Ministry of Information film department to write the ‘slop’, or women’s dialogue for the much-derided ‘informationals’ that made up part of a trip to the cinema in 1940. Once there she deals with standard establishment bigotry from likes of Richard E Grant and Jeremy Irons but shows her talent enough to be recommended by Sam Caflin’s Tom Buckley to help out on a possible feature film about two sisters who stole their father’s boat and rescued soldiers from Dunkirk.
Once this film within a film starts, we meet Bill Nighy as Ambrose Hilliard, a gradiose actor past his prime actor who thinks he’s tthirty years old and still awesome. The film makers then have to deal with propaganda demands from the ministry of war (add in a genuine American airman, who naturally cannot act), a constantly shifting script, complicated actors as well as the stresses and strains of life during the war years, and the challenges of finding and holding on to love during the particular challenges of the Blitz.
On the whole I found this film entertaining, but a little uneven. It was frequently quite funny, then sad, then hopeful, then bittersweet, then funny again, which makes it very hard to pigeonhole into a single genre. It is slightly romantic, it is gently comedic, but it is also hard edged and, in places, quite brutal. It is also unable to wholly avoid cliche, which is a bit of a shame.
However, the performances are, uniformly, fantastic. Gemma Arterton combines sweetness and steel in a measured, nuanced performance that is utterly winning. Catrin comes across at times a naive, even downtrodden, but also strong and bloody-minded. She’s a complex, fully rouded character and Arterton delivers her with skill. Likewise Sam Caflin is superb as the ascerbic, sexist even cruel co-screenwriter Tom Buckley. The man is a hard-to-pin down character who is frequently utterly horrible, but Caflin’s performance enables us to find a damaged, even likeable man within the outwardly hideous character without the script needing to telegraph his innate decency. It’s an extremely tricky role, and Caflin pulls it off admirably. Bill Nighy too could have simply cruised through his role, seeing as it effectively just requires him to be the Bill Nighy role he’s performed for years now, but the actor brings more to well crafted character, allowing him to be more than just the light relief. In a film of subtleties, Nighy’s ever so gentle romance with Helen McCrory, and his understated ‘bromance’ with Eddie Marsden’s agent (both supporting roles expertly performed) is amongst the most subtle.
The script, by Gaby Chiappe, delivers these fine actors with plenty of well-wrought lines and subtle characterization, though I do wonder if it would have been better served with a bit more time, despite this being quite a long film. We do sometimes lurch from horror to banality, though it never loses sight of the deprivations of wartime. Sometimes the incongruity of the daily routine is brutally disrupted by the destructive, deadly bombing of the German Blitz. Other times the day-to-day ho-hum routine of sheltering, working and even loving whilst at any moment a bomb could explode and end your life, is beautifully drawn. It just occasionally feels a bit rushed, or a bit ‘paint by numbers.’ One wonders with a bit more running time if these various elements could have been blended together a bit more evenly.
However this is nitpicking. Ione Scherfig, the director, has delivered a fine film, balancing the horrors of wartime, the struggles of women to be accepted in a man’s world where most of the men are elsewhere, and a fine examination of the craft of 1940’s film-making.
By the end of the film, when despite of all the problems that have beset the production and our heroes, we see cinema audiences reacting to the fruits of their labors, you have to posses a hard heart not to feel lifted. It’s a fine film about women shaking off the shackles of the pre-war bigotry, rising to the challenge of the world, and succeeding.
As Bill Nighy’s Ambrose Hilliard says at one point “we only get these opportunities because young men are fighting, and dying, elsewhere.” This is a film about opportunities and when to seize them. It is not a comedy, not a laugh riot, and it is being misrepresented by the advertising. It is, however, a well made, very well acted, wartime drama. And, if you are in the mood for this kind of film, you would do well to look it out.
Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the biggest surprises in 2014, and one of my favorite films of that year. Going into that film, I, like many people, did not know anything about the Guardians Universe. I had heard of “Star Lord” but it was just a name that a few of my fellow nerds threw out from time to time. For the most part though, it was all new to me, which amplified the importance of the film’s marketing. And boy did they deliver on that front. The trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy were by far some of the best of 2014 and it catapulted Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling” back into the mainstream once again. They way Marvel/Disney introduced us to the world of Guardians – the music, the characters and their banter – was about as perfect as it gets for an unknown property.
And now here we are with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, by far one of my most anticipated films of the summer season. The trailers have been equally as impressive, this time launching Sweet’s “Fox on the Run” back in to the mainstream. But more than that, the character dynamic that elevated Vol 1, looks to be just as fun in Vol 2. Drax in particular looks like he may be my favorite thing about Vol 2. That whole bit at the end of the first trailer where yells at Star Lord for being embarrassed nearly knocked me out of my chair when watching that for the firs time. So hysterical. But every interaction he has in the trailers looks great to me. On top of that, you have Rocket and baby Groot, who is going to sell A LOT of toys this summer. Star Lord appears to be doing more “Star Lord” things, which we all know is great in the hands of Chris Pratt. Of course, the job of marketing is to make a film look good, and maybe that’s all this is, but the trailers have sold me big time.
Additionally to that, Vol 2 welcomes the likes of Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone. I repeat – Kurt Russell and Sly Stallone – are going to be in a Marvel film. That’s incredible. I’m not sure how they pulled that off, but I’m excited, even if they have limited bit roles. Or maybe they don’t? I really have no idea, but either way I can’t wait to find out.
I’m also curious to see more of Michael Rooker as Yondu in Vol 2. He was great in the first Guardians, but I’ve heard through the grapevine that he has more to do here, and that he knocks it out of the park. We’ve talked about on the show how Marvel has done a great job with its casting, and Rooker as Yondu ranks near the top for me. He was perfect for this role.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 kicks off the 2017 summer movie season, and by all accounts, it seems to be setting the bar pretty high. I can’t say I’m too surprised, and especially after last summer’s mediocre outcome, I’m hoping for something refreshing this year.
Here’s to a great summer movie season this year!
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Here’s what else you can expect at the box office this weekend:
Nothing wide – because other studios are smart. This Is Not What I Expected (limited) Chuck (limited) Enter the Warriors Gate (limited) The Lovers (limited)
Director: James Gunn Writers: James Gunn, Dan Abnett (based on the Marvel comics by) & Andy Lanning (based on the Marvel comics by) Stars: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell
Synopsis: Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ continues the team’s adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage.
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Rest easy gentle reader, for I wish to tell you a story. If you feel the need for some cocoa, go ahead, I can wait. It is 1999, it’s 11th of June, and this 20-something nerd is stupidly excited. Like bouncing off the walls excited. The reason for his excitement is easy to spot. In a week, *just a week*, the first new Star Wars film in twenty years is released and it looks good. There a skinless C3PO, a kid who has his own racing landspeeder thing, some cool looking CGI aliens, lightsabers. Oh this cannot possibly fail.
So I’m excited. Everyone in our shared nerd house in the arse-end of Wiltshire is excited. Pub conversation has been Star Wars focussed for a while now. My flatmate Lori suggested we go to the movies just a week before George Lucas’ newest opus hit the multiplex. What idiot is releasing a film that’s just going to disappear in a whole load of force-related hype?
“Who’s in it?” I ask.
“Keanu Reeves.”
“Is he still a thing?”
“Apparently.”
“What’s this film?”
“It’s a sci-fi thing. I reckon it’s worth a punt.” she said, wisely. Fair enough, I thought, and off we went.
The screen goes dark. A phone rings. Green numbers cascade from the top of the screen, then we plunge though one of the zeros and we’re in a rainy, almost fifties era city. Police are chasing someone, they kick open a door and there’s a woman, dressed in in plastic, standing by a pay-phone, the police raise their guns…
The woman leaps into the air…
… and hangs there…
… as the camera spins, impossibly, around her …
… and I’m sold.
That film was The Matrix, the Wachowski brothers’ ground-breaking sci-fi spectacle that came from nowhere (the pair had only made the good-but-hardly-a-hit lesbian thriller Bound previously) and broke the mould. No-one had ever seen anything like The Matrix before.
Star Wars suddenly looked a little flat.
Going into a cinema with no real idea what you are going to see is a rare experience. Nowadays films seem intent of giving away everything in the trailer, or the hype is so detailed that the film sounds rubbish and you’re not going to see it anyway.
The first Guardians of the Galaxy film was a similar experience. Here was a wacky sounding premise from Marvel: a sci-fi space opera with no known characters, no links to the established Marvel Cinematic Universe and contained a character who was a talking tree with limited vocabulary.
There was no real need to worry, the first Guardians was a highly imaginative, colorful, lively, fresh and funny movie with a robust rolling plot, instantly lovable characters, quotable dialog and, get this, it was fun. Seriously fun.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is, guess what, the first sequel to the film that introduced us to Peter ‘Starlord’ Quill, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Racoon and Groot and it has a lot to live up to. No matter that all the cast returned, along with writer/director James Gunn, there was always the worry that the first film was a fluke, a one-off never to be repeated. The oft-mentioned threat of rolling this free-spirited franchise into the wider MCU also raised eyebrows (and concerns).
Therefore I am happy to say that Guardians 2 (as literally no-one is calling it) is a worthy sequel to the original film. It is a slick, funny, colorful intergalactic romp that is resolutely like nothing else in the MCU and is just as good as the original. Though not hugely different from the first, who cares when a film is this much fun.
The story of Vol 2 (any better?) sees our heroes battling a inter-dimensional space beast on behalf of Elizabeth Debecki’s race of beautiful gold beings called The Sovereign. One swift double-cross later and a mighty space battle ensues causing our characters to crash on a remote planet where they are finally tracked down by Kurt Russell’s Ego. An ancient god-like living planet who just happens to be Quill’s long lost father.
One of the signature joys of a Guardians film are the snap scenes, scenes that don’t really advance the plot, but provide character moments that are sometimes sweet, sometimes caustic, but nearly always very funny. Other snap scenes are simply extremely stupid – at one point Yondo and Rocket perform multiple hyperspace jumps which wreak havoc on their physiology. A joke so silly that visiting it twice is only natural.
Performances are all excellent, with an particular nod to Kurt Russell as Ego, whose performance is subtle and well delivered, even when he is reduced to CGI for the inevitable climax, and Elizabeth Debecki who, despite being drowned in unflattering gold paint, delivers a performance of frustrated rage and despair hidden under a shell of calm control. See her performance in “the-scene-where-the-carpet-runs-out” for an example.
Visually the film never quite delivers some of the gob-smacking spectacles of the first – there is nothing that quite compares to “Nowhere” in the first film for example. However it is still a luch colorful look at space that is always attractive to look at.
There are other problems, the last 10-15 minutes descends into the CGI slug-fest that marrs so many of these films and swiftly becomes tiresome. Also the whole film differs from the first by not visiting any of the characters and locations we visited in the first film, there’s none of the Novacorp that set up much fun in the first film. The film is, in my opinion, weaker for not having our ragamuffin heroes dropped into and frustrating an icily organised and civilised society, and the Sovereign don’t quite cut it.
However these are minor quibbles. This is a film packed to the rafters with character, comedy bickering, whip-crack dialogue, stupid visual jokes, clever character moments, joyous action and a desperately cute baby tree.
Perhaps the real problem with GotGv2 (nope, there is no shorthand that’s going to work) is that is no longer a surprise, it is no longer that exciting new thing. The flaws of the first film, a weak villain, unclear plotting and over the top CGI climax, are still present here. If anything the plot is a little worse than the original. To beat this James Gunn turns everything up to eleven and, you know what, it works.
It’s a fantastic film, one of the year’s best, and it comes highly recommended. But be warned if you have not seen the first film, you may be a little lost.
It was our original plan to review The Lost City of Z on Episode 219, however due to time, we felt it was more appropriate to send this discussion to Bonus Content. So as promised, here is our review of James Gray’s latest film, starring Charlie Hunnam.
– The Lost City of Z Movie Review (3:35) Grades
JD: B+
Brendan: A
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This week for our poll, we are talking about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, which is hitting theaters this weekend in the United States. We were big fans of the first Guardians and are very excited for what Vol 2 has to offer. So we are posing this question; who would you pick as the guardian of your personal galaxy? Perhaps you want Groot as your body guard? Or maybe Rocket? He may not be a great body guard per se, but Star Lord would be fun to hang out with at least.
In my previous monthly posts, I made the argument that the “summer movie season” is slowly becoming a thing in the past. But if we were to ignore that sentiment, and play by Hollywood’s rules for just a second, the month of May is the official start of summer; I guess they don’t ever intend to follow solstice rules. You know the summer movie season begins when you’re coming releases of the month include Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Alien: Covenant, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Aside from King Arthur, all of May’s major releases are sequels, a trend we’ll continue to see all summer long. Is that so bad though? Well, let’s take a more personal look.
Guardians of the Galaxy to boot (it currently ranks in my top 3 of the MCU), I’m certainly looking forward to its sequel, even ignoring the fact that it has arguably the best marketing for any Marvel film yet (I still have Sweet’s “Fox On the Run” stuck in my head). And of all May’s major releases, it’s this one I’m most excited about. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about anything else. I’ve never been a big defender of Guy Ritchie’s work, so King Arthur hangs low on my personal totem pole. Then there’s Ridley Scott, whose output as of late has been quite lackluster (aside from The Martian), and despite being a massive fan of the Alien franchise, none of the marketing for Covenant has appealed to me in the slightest (it looks more like a mess than a bloody mess). And then we have the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, one I could have done without arguably since the first film, leaving Dead Men Tell No Tales to just feel dead on arrival for me. As I write this, I think I may actually be more interested in Baywatch than these other three films; I feel like that’s a problem.
That’s okay, we have the indie circuit to keep us occupied right? Well, that just makes matters worse, as the indie circuit this month feels unfortunately tame, something I surprisingly couldn’t say about this past March or April. I certainly have an intrigue for whatever A24 puts out, and this month sees the romantic comedy The Lovers, starring Tracy Letts and Debra Winger, which sounds charming enough on paper. Director Doug Liman also returns with his war thriller The Wall, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and John Cena (yes, THAT John Cena), which again, sounds fine enough on paper. The film 3 Generations (previously known as About Ray) with Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts, and Susan Sarandon is finally seeing a US release, though early reviews scream mediocrity. Then there’s the thriller The Dinner with Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan, and Rebecca Hall; directed by Oren Moverman, I feel like this is the film that has the most potential, given his past resume.
But there is some hope to be had; Berlin Syndrome with Teresa Palmer and Chuck with Liev Schreiber have already seen some positive buzz, as well as Hounds of Love by first-time director Ben Young. There’s also Paint It Black directed by Amber Tamblyn (yes, that Amber Tamblyn), Manifesto with the one and only Cate Blanchett, and David Michod’s Netflix original film War Machine with Brad Pitt. Plus, a slew of promising documentaries could help alleviate the pain (such as Risk and Last Men in Aleppo). But I can’t help but wonder if this will be enough for the start of the “summer movie season”, and I will not let any May hype snatch me away (a clear reference to the upcoming comedy Snatched with Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn, and there’s a reason that that film goes unmentioned).
This week on Episode 219 of the InSession Film Podcast, we discussed our Top 3 Jonathan Demme films. For obvious reasons, this discussion was sadly bittersweet. We were sad to hear about the passing of Demme and our condolences go out to the family and friends of the great Jonathan Demme. We did our best to honor this great filmmaker by discussing our favorite films in his very diverse filmography, and while loved discussing these movies, we wish it was under different circumstances.
On that note, which Jonathan Demme movies would make your list? Here are the one’s that made ours:
*Keep in mind we have different criteria for our lists as well*
JD
1) Rachel Getting Married
2) The Silence of the Lambs
3) Swimming to Cambodia
Brendan
1) Stop Making Sense
2) Rachel Getting Married
3) Something Wild
Honorable Mentions (Combined) The Manchurian Candidate, Philadelphia, Married to the Mob, Beloved, Justin Timberlate + The Tennessee Kids
Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. Jonathan Demme certainly had a unique career and we hope you enjoyed his movies the way we did. That being said, what would be your Top 3? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].
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This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we discuss James Ponsoldt’s new film The Circle, starring Emma Watson and Tom Hanks. For our Top 3 this week, due to the unfortunate news of the passing of Jonathan Demme, we decided to honor the great filmmaker by discussing our favorite Demme films. We had also planned to review the latest film from James Gray, The Lost City of Z. However due to time, that review will be featured on our Ep. 219 Bonus Content, so be on the look out for that soon.
This week’s show was very bittersweet. We had fun discussing The Circle, but as you’ll hear on the show, it was disappointing to see a James Ponsoldt film fail to the degree it did. And similarly for our Top 3, we loved talking about our favorite Demme films, however we wish it was under different circumstances. Hopefully our discussion of The Lost City of Z and Robert Pattinson will cheer us up a little bit (stay tuned!).
On that note, check out this week’s show and let us know what you think in the comment section. Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting the InSession Film Podcast!
– The Circle Movie Review (4:47) Grades
JD: C+
Brendan: C
– Top 3 Jonathan Demme Films (44:17)
As stated above, this discussion was sadly bittersweet. Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the great Jonathan Demme. For our top 3 this week, we did our best to honor this great filmmaker by discussing our favorite films in his very diverse filmography. On that note, what would be your top 3?
Main Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2
Top 5: Summer Movies
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This week on the InSession Film Podcast: Extra Film segment, we discuss the Ben Wheatley guns-ablazing action film Free Fire and also the kaiju film Colassal, starring Anne Hathaway.
Our very own Josh Williams joined us for our discussion of Free Fire and once again he was fantastic. It was really interesting to see how we were all over the place on that film. Josh, Brendan and Vince had varying views and it goes to show just how divisive Wheatley’s new film really is. Both of these were fun to discuss though, and worth checking out for their unique concepts.
On that note, have fun listening to this week’s Extra Film segment and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Hope you enjoy and thanks for listening!
– Free Fire Movie Review (9:21) Grades
Vince: C
Brendan: B
Josh: B
– Colossal Movie Review (38:43) Grades
Vince: C
Brendan: C-
We try to make this the best movie podcast we possibly can and we hope you enjoy them. Subscribe today on iTunes and Stitcher and please leave us a review on iTunes. You can also find us on Soundcloud, PlayerFM and TuneIn Radio as well. We really appreciate all your support of the InSession Film Podcast.
To hear this Extra Film episode and everything else we do, download our apps on the Amazon Market for Android and the Podcast Box app on IOS devices. The mobile app covers all of our main shows, bonus podcast’s and everything else relating to the InSession Film Podcast. Thanks for your wonderful support and listening to our show. It means the world to us!
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If you voted on our poll this week, you’ll know that we are big fans of director James Ponsoldt. The Spectacular Now was one of the best films of 2013 and End of the Tour was equally one of the best films of 2015. Not only is Ponsoldt batting 1.000, but he’s done it in (ahem) spectacular fashion. You could say, he’s not ending his tour any time soon. Okay, that was dumb, but you get my point. He’s a director that you need to keep on you radar, which is why we’re incredibly excited for The Circle.
Additionally to Ponsoldt, the cast is quite extensive. The Circle features the likes of Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, Patton Oswalt, Bill Paxton, John Boyega, Ellar Coltrane, Karen Gillan and Beck among others. Wow. I’m excited to see how this cast gels in this film, in particular Ellar Coltrane, who is mostly known for Richard Linklater’s Boyhood. It’s the only film I’ve seen him in and I’m curious to see him in another project. Hanks, Boyega and Watson are always a joy to see on screen, as is Patton Oswalt. I’m so happy to see Oswalt staying busy as he continues to cope with his grief (due to his wife’s unfortunate passing last year). The Circle is also the last time we’ll see the late great Bill Paxton on screen. I’m not sure about you, but the moment I see him I will probably get all the feels.
One of the more intriguing aspects to The Circle, especially as it relates to Ponsoldt’s career so far, is that The Circle circles in the sci-fi arena. To this point, Ponsoldt’s films have been relationship-based dramas that are grounded in emotion and human interaction. I’m sure The Circle will encompass that in some way, however, its aesthetics will be new territory for Mr. Ponsoldt and I’m curious to see what he does with that. It should also be interesting to see how Dave Eggers’ screenplay interweaves with those aesthetics. If you’re not familiar with Eggers, he also wrote the screenplay for Where the Wild Things Are, a film we really adore. On paper, this film looks great. We’ll see how it turns out this weekend.
Are you excited for The Circle?
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Here’s what else you can expect at the box office this weekend:
Sleight
How To Be a Latin Lover Black Rose (limited) The Black Room (limited)
Director: F. Gary Gray Writers: Chris Morgan, Gary Scott Thompson (based on characters created by) Stars: Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, Charlize Theron, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris
Synopsis: When a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of terrorism and a betrayal of those closest to him, the crew face trials that will test them as never before.
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The Fast and Furious franchise has revved into high gear the last three films and The Fate of the Furious only continues to accelerate. Instead of dropping cars out of a plane, Fate introduces a car stampede and a submarine as part of the action. At this point, the only place they can go to next is space, right?
The entire gang is back in Fate of the Furious, only this time things change when Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) goes “rogue” for unknown reasons. Cipher (Charlize Theron) has something close to Toretto’s chest that forces him to do her bidding. This leads to an intriguing conflict that results in more action and furthers the franchise’s notions of family.
For all of the crazy antics The Fast and Furious films have implored lately, its ideas of family really do resonate. The Fate of the Furious is not quite as emotionally resonate as Furious 7 – and it’s doubtful the series can reach that peak again – but the MacGuffin of this film does force Dom to really wrestle with why family matters to him. It also helps give Fate a dramatic through-line that allows you to root for both Toretto and his team, even if they are at odds with one another here.
The real charm of Fate though is the dynamic of Deckard (Jason Statham) and Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), who are hysterical in their scenes together. Their machismo banter is brazenly satisfying. Statham and Johnson have a clear chemistry that is palpable on screen. Additionally, Deckard’s inclusion to the team – while a bit off-putting given his actions previously in the franchise – leads to a riveting climax where he becomes involved with Dom’s MacGuffin.
While there’s enough charm to go around between Statham and Johnson, let’s not forget Vin Diesel, who give one of his best performances in this franchise. Not only does he have to work as an antagonist and protagonist simultaneously, but he has to carry the dramatic weight of this film, and he succeeds wonderfully. At times Dom barks back at Cipher in relation to threats on his family, and Diesel’s presence is heavily felt in those moments. Michelle Rodriguez has a smaller role in Fate, but she does a fine job. Tryese Gibson and Ludacris also give familiar, but still satisfying, performances as well. Charlize Theron is unfortunately a waste here. Her performance is fine, but the script doesn’t give her anything fun to do. She more or less snaps orders at Dom and that’s it. There are a few moments where she lets loose – especially when giving her motives – that are compelling. But on the whole, she’s rendered a mundane villain.
Fate of the Furious is a mostly well-balanced and fun action movie, however there are moments in the script that panders too much to the previous films, and more specifically, its ideas of family. There are a few moments that feel forced and unnecessary in that regard, as if every corner of this film and every character has to fall into this rabbit hole of family. I like how the franchise is rooted in something familial, but at times it does go too far.
The action is also quite great. The opening race in Cuba helps establish the roots of this franchise and it’s fun to watch. The New York set piece is a bit CGI overload and its stampede elements felt a bit dull, but the third act more than makes up for that. There is a submarine car chase in this film. I repeat – a submarine chases and shoots missiles after cars. That sequence will go down as one of the most absurd action scenes every put on film, and it’s amazing in every way.
On the whole, The Fate of the Furious is exactly what you think it’s going to be. By now, you either like these movies or you don’t. Fate may not be the best of the bunch, but it’s far from the worst. It’s crazy, it’s fun and it’s family. Nothing more, nothing less.
This weekend on Episode 219, we’ll be diving into the next film by director James Ponsoldt in The Circle. If you’re not familiar with Ponsoldt, you should be. His 2012 film Smashed was well received and some started to take notice. However, it was The Spectacular Now in 2013 that really put him on the map with critics and audiences. The End of the Tour was another great film in 2015, stamping home that Ponsoldt is a director to keep on your radar. And I did just that – The Circle made my Top 10 most anticipated of 2017. So far Ponsoldt is batting 1.000 for us and we can’t wait to see what he does with The Circle.
With that as our inspiration this week, what is the best film directed by Ponsoldt thus far? Vote now!
This week on Episode 218 of the InSession Film Podcast, inspired by Personal Shopper, we discussed our Top 3 movies about grief. If you follow us on Twitter, you saw a lot of people respond to our tweet about your favorite movies about grief. We don’t always get a response like that – and perhaps the vast amount of feedback is rooted in how visceral and pertinent grief is in our lives. We all experience it at some point in our lives and art can be a coping mechanism in helping us grieve. With that said, we hope our lists reflect why these films resonate with so many people, including us.
On that note, which movies would make your list? Here are the one’s that made ours:
*Keep in mind we have different criteria for our lists as well*
JD
1) Ordinary People
2) Solaris
3) Rabbit Hole
Brendan
1) Three Colors: Blue
2) Mystic River
3) Stand By Me
Anne
1) Exotica
2) The Babadook
3) The Accidental Tourist
Honorable Mentions (Combined) Rachel Getting Married, Up, Sophie’s Choice, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, John Wick, Beginners, A Single Man, The Sweet Hereafter, Big Hero 6, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, Ida, Inception, The Orphanage, Under the Sand, Truly Deeply Madly, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Breaking the Waves, In the Bedroom, In Bruges, Arrival, A Monster Calls, Kubo and the Two Strings, Manchester By the Sea, Midnight Special
Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. As mentioned above, this subject seemed to hit a soft spot for many people and perhaps your lists vary from ours, depending on your own criteria. That being said, what would be your Top 3? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].
This week on the InSession Film Podcast, film critic Anne Hoyt joins us to discuss Personal Shopper, starring the great Kristen Stewart. We also talk about our favorite movies about grief and we discuss the impact – potentially negative – that Netflix has had on the indie film industry in a segment we call Let’s Rethink This.
Big thanks to Anne for joining us this week, it was a pleasure to finally get her on the show. Despite the sad nature of grief, we had fun discussing the best movies that showcase that emotion and why it resonates with us. We also had a great time discussing the greatness of Kristen Stewart.
On that note, check out this week’s show and let us know what you think in the comment section. Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting the InSession Film Podcast!
– Personal Shopper Movie Review (6:27) Grades
JD: A
Brendan: A
Anne: B+
– Top 3 Movies About Grief (44:17)
Well if you follow us on Twitter, you saw a lot of people respond to our tweet about your favorite movies about grief. We don’t always get a response like that – and perhaps the vast amount of feedback is rooted in how visceral and pertinent grief is in our lives. We all experience it at some point in our lives and art can be a coping mechanism in helping us grieve. With that said, we give our Top 3 movies about grief and hopefully our lists reflect why these films resonate with us. On that note, what would be your top 3?
– Let’s Rethink This (1:36:26)
This week we focus our discussion collectively on Netflix and this idea that their movies – original or purchased – are getting buried due to poor marketing and no effort to make them easily accessible for those unfamiliar with them.
Main Review: The Circle / The Lost City of Z
Top 3: TBD
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This week on the InSession Film Podcast: Extra Film segment, we discuss the small indie film Gifted starring Chris Evans, and also the new Joe Swanberg film Win It All, now out on Netflix.
Speaking of Netflix, we briefly talk about the future of the streaming service and how it will influence the movie industry going forward. We’ll also dive more into that on Episode 218 this weekend, so stay tuned for that.
On that note, have fun listening to this week’s Extra Film segment and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Hope you enjoy and thanks for listening!
– Gifted Movie Review (8:25) Grades
Vince: B
Brendan: C+
– Win It All Movie Review (40:20) Grades
Vince: B
JD: B+
We try to make this the best movie podcast we possibly can and we hope you enjoy them. Subscribe today on iTunes and Stitcher and please leave us a review on iTunes. You can also find us on Soundcloud, PlayerFM and TuneIn Radio as well. We really appreciate all your support of the InSession Film Podcast.
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For my latest guest appearance, I joined Matt St. Claire on the The Film Scoop podcast to help preview this year’s 2017 Cannes Film Festival. We also talked about movies we’ve seen recently and a couple of film news topics. It was a fun show and I was honored to be a part of it. Go check it out!
Regarding the first half of the 2017, Personal Shopper is arguably my most anticipated film yet. I know this film has been out in theaters for some audiences already, but it’s one we finally have on our hands after patiently waiting for what feels like forever. Personal Shopper is director Olivier Assayas’ second collaboration with Kristen Stewart, who partnered for the 2015 film Clouds of Sils Maria, a film that should have earned Stewart an Oscar nomination. Assayas is a director that I need to see more of, but additionally to Sils Maria, I loved Summer Hours in 2009. The characters in his films are always fascinating and he has a remarkable ability to conjure fantastic performances that amplify his characters in great ways.
Speaking of performances, are we over the whole “Kristen Stewart in Twilight” thing? She’s a phenomenal actress and has an uncanny ability to emulate a vast amount of emotion in her subtleties and mannerisms. From Camp X-Ray to Still Alice to Cafe Society and Certain Women, Stewart is able to render fascinating characters that ooze from the screen. In fact, it was that magnetic component that got me through Billy Lynne’s Long Halftime Walk, a disaster of a film. Regardless of project, Stewart has transformed into one of the more compelling actresses over the course of the last 4-5 years, and personally, I eagerly look forward to everything she does. Personal Shopper has an intriguing premise already – and as mentioned above a great director – but adding Stewart to the mix pushes this to the top of my list.
Speaking of premise, Personal Shopper is essentially about a sister (Stewart) desperately trying to cope with her grief after the death of her twin brother. However, the film becomes more complicated than that, when “ghosts” become involved and mystery lingers as to how it all unfolds. Of course I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll leave it vague, but it sounds really great on paper, on top of the individuals involved.
All in all, if Personal Shopper lives up to the bill, it could go down as one of my favorite films of the year. We’ll see soon enough. Are you excited for Personal Shopper?
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Here’s what else is coming to theaters this weekend:
Unforgettable
The Promise
Phoenix Forgotten
Born in China Free Fire (expanding) Lost City of Z (expanding) Gifted (expanding) Let it Fall (limited)
Director: Ben Wheatley Writers: Amy Jump (screenplay), Ben Wheatley (screenplay) Stars: Sharlto Copley, Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Jack Reynor, Cillian Murphy
Synopsis: Set in Boston in 1978, a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two gangs turns into a shootout and a game of survival.
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Of its 90-minute run time, there is perhaps a total of 16 minutes where there is not a gun being fired. So if the idea of an A-List cast shooting at each other in warehouse excites you, then you will absolutely have a blast (no pun intended) watching the latest Ben Wheatley production.
Films that take place in one central location are very hard to do, especially for a film that is mostly a chaotic shoot-out, because keeping the audience engaged can be a challenge. That said, when this idea flourishes, it’s usually because of the acting involved and Free Fire certainly falls into that camp. Whoever was in charge of the casting should get a raise. Each main character has their moments to shine, and their dynamics with one another makes for an overall better experience – and it some ways adds a sense of realism. By realism, I mean that nobody here has the aim of Deadshot, who couldn’t miss if you paid him too. Additionally, in shootout movies, often times there is that one person who wants to be a hero, but in Free Fire the characters move around to protect themselves. Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Shartlo Copley, Cillian Murphy and Jack Reynor are all having fun in this shootout.
While the film does have its fun, it’s far from perfect and there were several elements that threw me off. My guess is that no matter what city you reside in, if you heard a plethora of bullets going off you would call the police. If you were involved in this shootout – maybe you would treat it like an escape room. However, the questions Free Fire raises as to how people would truly respond to this film goes unanswered. Sure, Free Fire is a genre film looking to have fun – which I did – but it was hard to ignore certain contrivances that happen here and there.
On top of engaging characters, the cinematography is extremely well balanced here giving us multiple perspectives without giving us any migraines like Resident Evil: The Final Chapter did. Wheatley uses the camera effectively and draws us into the action well with his aesthetics.
Is Free Fire for everybody? No, but the film executes its premise much better than The Belko Experiment and it is another solid base hit from my favorite film studio, A24.
This weekend on Episode 218, we’ll finally be diving into the next Olivier Assayas film Personal Shopper, starring the great Kristen Stewart. The last time Assayas and Stewart collaborated was on Clouds of Sils Maria, a film that should have earned Stewart an Oscar nomination if you ask me. For some audiences Stewart still carries a certain stigma that isn’t really warranted in any way, as she’s transcended beyond her commercial failures over the last six or seven years. Not only has she become involved in some really interesting films, but her performances are wonderfully nuanced in emulating emotion without much dialogue.
So with that as our inspiration this week for our poll, we want to know who Kristen Stewart is to you as it relates to her career. Vote below and leave any comments in the comment section below.
