I Love Sarah Jane… But Only As A Very Good Friend! // I Love Sarah Jane Short Film Review

Plot Synopsis:

Jimbo is 13 and can think of only one girl — Sarah Jane. And no matter what stands in his way-bullies, violence, chaos, or zombies-nothing will stop him from finding a way into her world.

Full Review:

I am absolutely drained out from all of my exams. Never have I carried out so much revision in my life and I still have a few more exams to go! I am as exhausted as Rick Ross on a treadmill. So when it came to deciding what film to review this week, I thought to myself “What is the cinematic equivalent to how I feel at the minute?” And the answer? Zombies!!! But not just any zombie flick… A romantic zombie flick! The reason for this is because I’ve seen quite a few attractive ladies in the exam hall!!! There is always a reason.

Anyway, I Love Sarah Jane is a quirky and very gritty romantic drama that, ironically, has very humanistic characters and rather compelling dramatic friction between each of them. But at the end of the day, I feel the same way about this that I do about my recent Psychology exam: the bits that were done well were done REALLY well but overall could’ve been just a tad better.

I’ll start with what I liked. The characters. There is a healthy variety between each character’s personality; our lead is shy and timid, his love interest Sarah Jane (played by Mia Wasikowska!) is bitter and owns one hell of a foul mouth, and those around them resemble chavs that think they’re so cool but are actually weak as brittle. Visit North London if you want to know what I mean!They all behave and act just as they should in an dystopian apocalypse; sad, angry, and hopeless. And they interact accordingly too. Everyone’s nerves are slowly shredding and they are unsure of what to do with themselves for good reason: it’s the zombie apocalypse! In short, each character felt relatable, authentic, and deserving to be included in the film.

Of course, no character is made without a great actor behind them. And thankfully, the acting talent in this short is IN SPADES!!! BA DUM TSS! (if you’ve seen the film, you’ll understand that pun!). Mia Wasikowska (Alice In Wonderland, Lawless) stars in one of her early roles as the no-bullsh*t persona Sarah Jane, and you can absolutely tell she was gonna go places! She is lean, fierce and commands every scene she’s in. And even better, the boy who plays our adorably sympathetic lead Jimbo (Brad Ashby) adds a lot of much needed heart to the film. The other three characters all kind of feel the same as each other and there isn’t anything greatly unique with how they portray their characters, so they unfortunately don’t make such a grand contribution to the film as much as Ashby or Wasikowska.

On the other hand, the screenwriter contributes something of his own: substance. Even though this is technically a zombie film, the divine characters carry the most significance throughout which makes it more of a gripping drama in the vein of The Road and The Walking Dead rather than a guns-blazing shoot-em-up. The film cleverly uses the zombie theme only to assist and heighten the drama and increase the conflict between our characters.

Unfortunately, the script trips over the hands of a brain devouring zombie and falls flat on its face, ready to be eaten for lunch, near the end. From frame one all the way to roughly the 12 minute mark, the film told a engaging story that took a unique twist of the tired tropes of its own genre. But sadly, as the film reaches a close, it retreats from it’s humble base and decides to take cover in the Cliché Camp. I won’t spoil what happens but the film’s final frames very quickly became painfully predictable and lost most of the overall credibility that made the film intriguing to begin with. Also, I feel that for what’s only a fifteen minute movie that it kind of dragged along a little bit too slowly which (only slightly) dulled the punch of the otherwise compelling drama.

But as a whole, did I think I Love Sarah Jane was a bad movie because of this? Hell no! There are way too many great assets of this film that are too hard to ignore, despite a few of them being tainted by the film’s faults. I still recommend this film as it’s a refreshing change to your movie loving system and overall it is indeed a extremely well made short. And as well as being cliché, the ending is quite gruesome. So this might not be for the faint hearted!

Fergie’s Final Fifteen:

Solid acting, coupled with arresting characters and bewitching turmoil. An invigorating experience despite inadequate ending.

Here’s a link to the short for you to enjoy in all of it’s gruesome and slightly heartwarming glory!

 

The Words // A Written Review Of A Film About A Book?!?!

Plot Synopsis:

A writer at the peak of his literary success (Bradley Cooper) discovers the steep price he must pay for stealing another man’s work. Also starring Jeremy Irons, Zoe Saldana, Dennis Quaid, and Olivia Wilde.

Official Trailer:

Full Review:

Okay guys, listen up. I’m going to share some personal news with you all. I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Despite my adoration for film and cinema, my love for movies is mainly due to my fascination with books and novels. Ever since the age of five, I’ve wrote many short stories (which were all terrible) and have read many superbly written novels. And in fact, I’m planning to write a full length science fiction novel and hoping to finish it later this year. At heart, I’m a bookworm and I’m a proud one at that.

So when I heard that this film was about a struggling writer trying to break into the publishing industry, I was intrigued. And I was even more intrigued when I heard that Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook, The Place Beyond The Pines) and Jeremy Irons (Die Hard With A Vengeance, The Lion King) were starring. And when I learnt it was a drama, I was flat out excited! You guys know how much I love my dramas!!
So what did I think of The Words? I thought it was good, but not brilliant. I was immersed into the story, but my experience was tainted by a few bothersome flaws in which I will divulge into.

As always, we’ll begin with what the film did well. Like I said earlier, I was immersed into the story and that wouldn’t be the case if I didn’t care so much about the characters. With this being a drama, good character development was vital in making this a successful film and thankfully, every character had a excellent amount of substance and great significance. No matter what emotion each character is feeling, you feel the same as they do as if you’re holding their hand throughout, which is something every film should aim to do.

Of course, great characters wouldn’t exist without great acting. Fortunately, The Words has exactly that, which isn’t much of a surprise with the talents of Cooper and Irons being showcased on screen who play their respective parts well, particularly Jeremy Irons who effortlessly exudes emotion and feeling in his role. Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Star Trek) gives a good performance as well, and quite possibly the best I’ve seen her. But to be honest, the only people I didn’t like we’re Olivia Wilde and Dennis Quaid. I just found them slightly annoying and their characters seemed to belong in a bad RomCom, judging by how they interacted with each other. They don’t have roles that dominate the story much so it’s not a major issue but it’s still an issue I had nevertheless.

Apart from the acting, I was invested in this film due to how layered this film was. In case you’re unaware, the film bounces back and forth between three time periods; the past, present, and future. The story that takes place in the present is (very aptly) narrated by Dennis Quaid from the future time period, who makes mention of Jeremy Irons’s character who then narrates the story from the past. So, it’s a story within a story within a story… Story-ception!!! But seriously, each layer is handled well and given enough importance and dedication. So big credit to the film for that.

However, where the acting and the story structure excel, the writing itself falls short. At times, the story is very cliché and therefore feels a little bit like ‘Been here, done that‘, with scenarios such as the classic “Two Strangers Talk On A Bench In The Park” and the family favourite “Moving Into New House To Start A New Life”.Because of these clichés, the story can also feel pretty predictable, especially the ending. Although it was touching and eloquent, I saw it coming from a mile away. With a strong story of this calibre, its a massive shame that these factors bring down the film’s overall quality by a few notches.

I also felt that pacing was a fairly big issue. By that, I mean it wasn’t ‘in your face’ big but it was noticeable and consequently off putting. As previously mentioned, the film takes place throughout three different time periods and it is for this reason that we are unsure of how long each period lasts. I have no idea how long Bradley Cooper had to suffer through his ordeal and it’s repercussions since it is not addressed or even subtly mentioned. Just to prove my point, Cooper is told to get a job (don’t worry, no spoilers!) and yet a minute later, he’s nailed a work placement and then another minute later, he says he’s worked there for two friggin’ years! Films don’t have to show us everything, but I would’ve liked to see build up of some kind.

And whilst on the topic of clichés, the dialogue was a bit iffy and wasn’t incredibly original in some regard. As a whole, it’s just passable but during some scenes, you can kind of sense awkwardness and inauthenticity in the flow of the conversation and the words the characters speak. I may only be picking up on this due to being exposed to SO many films with dialogue exactly like this and I’m fairly confident regular audiences won’t give a toss about whether or not the dialogue seems forced or somewhat contrived. But I’m not regular, so I do give a toss about it!!

It really irritates me that The Words has a inviting story that’s on the verge of riveting, but is unfortunately scattered with amateurish imperfections in how it’s executed. The script could’ve been improved by a substantial amount but I will say that the enjoyability of the film isn’t degraded because of this. I didn’t want to kill myself while watching this film, which is an added bonus(!), and I definitely don’t regret seeing it as it has some very moving and wonderfully composed moments. But at the end of the day, I have to compare it to an attractive woman with a terrible personality. It’s beautiful on the surface, but it’s inherent flaws sadly cannot be ignored.

Fergie’s Final Fifteen:

Poignant and captivating, but is woefully ironic in its flaws. Not painful but not magnificient.

Rating:

C+

I liked the film for what it was trying to do; to tell a great story in a midst of rehashed and unoriginal Hollywood films. Ultimately, I would still recommend the film but just keep in mind that you should not expect the same level of filmmaking as Citizen Kane or the same quality of screenwriting as any one of Quentin Tarantino’s movies. Enjoy the film for what it is and you will have a good time.

 

My Valentine’s Day Pick // MUD Film Review

Plot Synopsis:

Two young boys (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland) encounter a man (Matthew McConaughey) living alone on an island and form a pact to help reunite him with the love of his life Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). Also starring Sam Shepard, Sarah Paulson and Ray McKinnon.

Official Trailer:

Full Review:

Considering it was ‘Make Single People Feel Bad About Themselves’ Day (AKA Valentine’s Day) on Friday, I thought I would review a film that suits the occasion. Although this is an unconventional choice for most, I highly recommend viewing Jeff Nichols’s cinematic triumph Mud with your loved one next Valentine’s Day since it is a far better alternative to McCounaughey’s other romance movies! But seriously, whether it is Valentine’s or not, you need to watch Mud no matter what as it is a brilliant study of the emotionally damaging effects of love and affection.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer, Killer Joe) gives yet another charismatic performance as the title (but not lead) character Mud. His acting in this role is very down to earth and somewhat minimalistic, which makes sympathising with his character so much easier. And ladies, despite showing off his abs during one scene, he doesn’t particularly have the nicest teeth in this role. Oh well. You win some, you lose some!

You might’ve noticed how I had to point out how McConaughey is not the lead character. The reason for this is because, from my perspective, he really isn’t the main character. Sure, he is the storyline’s most pivotal point and McConaughey has the star power, but I believe Tye Sheridan’s character Ellis is the film’s main focus since he is given the most screen time and has to face more dilemma than anyone else.

With that being said, Sheridan (Tree Of Life) is absolutely spectacular in this role, giving the best child actor performance I’ve seen since Christian Bale’s outstanding performance in Empire Of The Sun. If that’s not high praise, then I don’t know what is!. He is able to express feelings of happiness, sadness, despair, anger and heartbreak throughout the film to a sublime level, perfectly complimenting the talent of McConaughey. This kid is going places!.

Jacob Lufland also gives a great performance as Ellis’s best friend Neckbone who also gives us some comic relief to allow the audience to breath between the more electrifying and dramatic sequences. Despite having very little to work with, Reese Witherspoon contributes another good performance to the movie’s top notch acting portfolio as McConaughey’s on-screen sweetheart Juniper. Michael Shannon (who has worked with Jeff Nichols previously) also makes an appearance, but unfortunately his talents aren’t fully capitalised upon since he plays such a minor role, which is a real shame but because he is still able to give a decent performance, it ultimately doesn’t hurt the film that much.

On another note, the cinematography is as gorgeous as the orange glow from an early morning sunrise. At no point does this film appear ugly or unattractive as every frame is aesthetically wonderful and glorious. Perfectly capturing the atmosphere of sunny Americana, the soundtrack consists of very well chosen country and folk music you can’t’ help but tap your foot along to. Watching (as well as listening to) Mud takes you on a luxurious miniature holiday, immersing you further into the film more than you could imagine. Plus, Jeff Nichols’s direction really adds to the visual beauty by providing many shots showcasing the natural environments surrounding our characters in all of their glory.

Speaking of Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Shotgun Stories), who directed and wrote this film, the writing is phenomenal! Rich with raw emotion and superb dialogue for one to sink his/her teeth into, the story is a fantastic analysis of the false representations of love and how reality is a harsh truth that always advocates the destruction of the delusion of a perfect relationship that we can ALL relate to. Thanks to this, Mud ends up being an extremely heartwarming and occasionally heartbreaking tale of true love which makes us question the lengths one will go to in order to keep their other half safe. In turn, this will pull you and your other half closer together more so than ever before, and hopefully make you cherish the love of your life for as long as you’re together.

And that’s why I’m recommending this as a movie to watch with your boyfriend/girlfriend. Mud does something that every single RomCom cannot do even if they tried; it makes you feel something. You and your companion will not finish the film with the thoughts “Why can’t our relationship be like that?!” but instead your relationship will benefit from knowing the love between the two of you will never die. Granted, I can’t tell you that with experience since the only companion I have at the minute is my cat! We’re actually going through some troubles at this moment of time, but hopefully all the fighting and arguing will end very soon … She won’t even talk to me!!

Fergie’s Final Fifteen:

A riveting drama that tugs on the heart strings like no other. A romantic triumph.

Rating:

A

Gone are the days where you’re left with no choice but to watch the latest ‘chick flick’ with your partner when instead you can watch this stupendous piece of cinema and not feel utterly compelled to kill yourself!