Call Me By Your Name: Movie Review

Sensual love and haunting sadness.

Call Me By Your Name is a film about love and sadness. I would argue that that’s all it’s about and it’s beautiful. Timothée Chalamet stars as Elio a teenager in Italy who likes lounging about. Armie Hammer co-stars as Oliver an American who has come to stay with Elio’s family and work with his father. Elio doesn’t like Oliver much and just views him as another arrogant American. The subtle shifts in the characters and their perceptions is particularly good.		2017 Directed by: Luca Guadagnino Screenplay by: James Ivory Based on the novel by André Aciman Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer

Get Out: Movie Review

Humorous, bizarre and very well made.

Get Out is the type of movie that just begs you to keep watching. The theme of systemic racism has been explored before, the psychological thriller/supernatural element of the suburbs has been done before, even the horror ending has been done before (at least similarly), but none of it has been put together in quite this way before. It’s a very complete movie with brilliantly designed cinematography, and a score that perfectly balances the uneasiness and inherent humour.		2017 Directed by: Jordan Peele Screenplay by: Jordan Peele Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, and Bradley Whitford

The Disaster Artist: Movie Review

Hysterically funny real-life nonsense.

After just a few funny scenes of The Disaster Artist, I started getting antsy, that maybe I shouldn’t be laughing at one man’s lunacy, but there are two good points to keep in mind. As much as this is a comedy about the making of Tommy Wiseau’s The Room (it is – and a very funny one at that), it’s mainly about friendship and the pursuit of dreams, and Tommy Wiseau is all for it.		2017 Directed by: James Franco Screenplay by: Scott Neustadter, Michael Weber Based on book by Greg Sestero, Tom Bissell Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco

Wonder Wheel: Movie Review

Empty, meaningless fusion of 1950s Coney Island and family melodrama.

Wonder Wheel is disappointing. An interestingly constructed, 1950s fusion of Coney Island and the melodrama of a play. The main issue is that it’s just so empty. Ginny (Kate Winslet) is having an affair with attractive lifeguard and aspiring playwright, Mickey (Justin Timberlake). She spends her days having sex with him and fretting about how awful her life is. Mickey spends all of his time expounding to the camera about being in love with Ginny or her step-daughter Carolina (Juno Temple).		2017 Directed by: Woody Allen Screenplay by: Woody Allen Starring: Juno Temple, Kate Winslet, Jim Belushi and Justin Timberlake

Lady Bird: Movie Review

Heartfelt, honest and funny.

Lady Bird is about a lot of smaller ideas, all of which might seem uninteresting to the average viewer, but it so perfectly captures the awkwardness of a teenager coming of age and trying to survive her last year of high school, that there’s a relatable humour and warmth that will echo throughout the generations. Writer and director Greta Gerwig has referred to it as a love letter to her hometown of Sacramento, California, and it’s also about navigating the slightly different social structure of an all-girls catholic school, which Gerwig herself attended.		2017 Directed by: Greta Gerwig Screenplay by: Greta Gerwig Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges