FILMALUATION - online magazine

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run

23/11/2020

THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE ON THE RUN ★★★★☆
D: Tim Hill.
S: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Matt Berry, Reggie Watts, Awkwafina, Keanu Reeves.

Hilarious. The jokes come thick and fast. I’m not ashamed to admit these movies are ace. The first had David Hasselhoff, the second Antonio Banderas, and this one Keanu Reeves. Plus commentary here on greed, vanity, authoritarianism, etc.

The Alienist [season two]

23/11/2020

THE ALIENIST [season two] ★½☆☆☆
The three charismatic leads cannot save. This season of the nineteenth century serial killer thriller is derivative and formulaic. So many dire character and story decisions. I can’t believe I finished it.

The Vast of Night

23/11/2020

THE VAST OF NIGHT ★★★☆☆
D: Andrew Patterson.
S: Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz, Gail Cronauer, Bruce Davis.

Contains a dazzling long shot through a small town. (Who doesn’t love a bit of camerawork showboating?) Atmospheric and eerie, but an inefficient use of runtime and an annoying male protagonist.

Out to Own Today: On Body and Soul

23/11/2020

Out to own today:

ON BODY AND SOUL

“Actually, it’s kind of funny, no?” Endre (Géza Morcsány)

Love in an abattoir. Sounds terrible. But ON BODY AND SOUL is deeply romantic. There is an unpredicted informality, easy-goingness to the environment. Travelling against the atmospheric grain is rare, and here rewarding. The two leads are mesmerising to watch, exuding chemistry. Her elemental aura is not limited to the surface. She floats ethereally like a LORD OF THE RINGS elf. He exudes self-assured confidence; think Daniel Day-Lewis in THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS – totally at ease with himself.
[To read more, click here.]

All In: The Fight for Democracy

6/11/2020

If you’re flummoxed as to why the US election 2020 is so close, check out the documentary ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY (on Amazon Prime in the UK). It looks at the history of voter suppression in America, and its re-escalation in 2013.
It is upsetting, but essential viewing.

The Mandalorian [season one]

23/10/2020

THE MANDALORIAN [season one] ★★★★☆
This is what STAR WARS VII-IX should’ve been. The aftermath of imperialism. Even though the concern is the fate of one being, the stakes feel massive. An ace cast, the storytelling impresses, the music is brill, the episode titles are evocative, but the direction needed pizzazz.

Borat Subsequent MovieFilm

23/10/2020

BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM ★★★★☆
D: Jason Woliner.
S: Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova.

Perfect timing. The focus is the upcoming United States election. Excruciatingly hilarious, but also dispiriting that a film like this is needed. I spent the runtime watching through my fingers. I don’t know how Sacha Baron Cohen keeps a straight face.

Gender Inequality Documentaries

23/10/2020

I recommend these three documentaries looking at gender inequality:

- MISS REPRESENTATION [2011]
- HALF THE PICTURE [2018]
- THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING [2018]

The Boys [season two]

22/10/2020

THE BOYS [season two] ★★★★★
Kapow! What a superhero show! A genre dogged by mediocrity and formula now has a champion. This season it skewers a variety of political targets. Irreverent, savage, and compelling. (And is not above a supervillain called “Love Sausage”.)

Lovecraft Country [season one]

22/10/2020

LOVECRAFT COUNTRY [season one] ★★★★☆
Executive produced by Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams. History and popular fiction interweave to deliver a vitriolic analysis of racial inequality. Science-fiction. Fantasy. Politics. Unnerving and breakneck pacing. Would have benefitted from grabbing a breath.

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This website is written by Hemanth Kissoon.

Filmaluation is dedicated to arts culture, with a particular focus on film.

I care about intelligence, quality and entertainment.

Going to the cinema today? See the recommendations page of what is currently out. Click here.

The vital ambitions of art and entertainment:
- Perceptiveness
- Illumination
- The unexpected
- Innovation

Brains and soul are key; but adrenaline junkies do not fret, there is also much love for an experience that delivers a sucker-punch to the guts via stunningly delivered thrills.

Noun, “filmaluation”:
The evaluation of a film
Verb, "to filmaluate”:
To evaluate a film

I am well aware how difficult it is to make a film, put on a stage play, create a television show, write a novel, let alone make something of note. (That appreciation doesn’t stop me from having high standards though.)

This online magazine is edited by Hemanth Kissoon.

Filmaluation is owned by Filmaluation Limited (Company number 8549302. Registered in England and Wales)

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