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HARVEST ★★★½☆ Very different to director Tsangari's CHEVALIER and ATTENBERG. This a cross between Malick and Loach. An idyll ruined by greed, cruelty, and ignorance. (As it's Tsangari, I kept waiting for a cheeky twist, which didn't come.)  FLOW ★★★★★ Staggering animation devoid of dialogue. A perilous adventure of survival. A cross between LIFE OF PI and PONYO. So good I actually wanted to re-watch immediately - that normally only happens to me with things like JOHN WICK 4 and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING.   THE MONKEY ★★★★☆ A rollicking gorefest with a dry, resigned humour. There’s a lot of blood. Joins the COMPANION and HEART EYES enjoyable run of black-comedy horror cinema. Prefer to director’s overrated LONGLEGS. Tackles Stephen King’s theme of bullying.  SUGAR [season one] ★★★☆☆ Initially, a conventional neo-noir, but Colin Farrell’s ethereal performance masks a monumental rug-pull. The look and disjointed editing jar. Ambitious combination of elements, though individual parts don’t excel. Am still digesting. Theme of depravity disquiets.   BAD MONKEY [season one] ★★★★☆ A bingeable crime-comedy. With this and FREAKY, Vince Vaughn has dialled up the charm to delightful effect. Here, he is a one-man screwball comedy, with an on-form ensemble. The dialogue is terrific!   THE GORGE ★★☆☆☆ A cross between THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, SERENITY, and THE LAST OF US, but not up there with any of them. A love story slash horror slash action flick, doing none of those particularly well. The ending is trite.  ELEVATION ★½☆☆☆ Three years on from invincible monsters emerging, characters are having conversations as if they’ve never spoken about them. The lazy and perfunctory dialogue sums up the experience. Even Mackie and Baccarin can’t, ahem, elevate.  LOVE HURTS ★★★☆☆ A fun little action flick from maestro choreography production house 87North. Treading a fine line for Valentine’s Day, asking the question: Can something be gory and meet cute at the same time? With EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONE and LOKI season two, Ke Huy Quan is proving to be a compelling screen presence.   SEE [seasons 1-3] ★★★★★ One of the most spectacular shows of all time. The jewel in Apple TV+’s crown. Pulse-pounding, breathtaking, brutal, tragic. A cornucopia of dystopian carnage.   A COMPLETE UNKNOWN ★★★★½ Music biopics are a lacklustre genre; they tend to be inert and hackneyed. Normally I feel director James Mangold is mediocre with a few moments of inspiration. Here, though, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN is both electric and enigmatic.   |
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. Need some movie and TV show recommendations? See the drop down to the right of the Home tab. Enjoy. 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) Archives
April 2025
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