Kirsty2515 Reviews

Parkland (2013)

A powerful fresh conspiracy free take on the assassination of JKF.

[7/10 · 20 March 2018]

I love history and i particularly enjoy watching films, documentaries, TV series about the assassination of JFK. Each time i watch a depiction of the assassination there is always a different take on what happened or a new conspiracy that gets put out there. This film is completely different to anything else i have seen. It doesn't focus on any one person, any conspiracy theories or even the assassination itself. It focuses entirely on the facts and effects that this tragic event had on the people that witnessed it or had some direct involvement with the aftermath of it. It was refreshing to see a JFK film focus on something more than just the same conspiracy theories and general information that gets put out over and over again.

The use of real archived footage from news outlets, TV stations and home videos mixed in with the new film was excellent. It really added to authenticity of the movie. Some of the scenes that come when JFK arrives at Parkland are quite disturbing and hard hitting. Particularly when Zac Efron is administering CPR to the president or when Jackie Kennedy hands part of the presidents skull over to the nurse. But on the other had some scenes are left to the cast to convey for example the Zapruder film does not get shown in full, you are left to see the shock and horror on the characters faces, which is a strange way is just as disturbing as watching it. All of the actors do an amazing job in portraying the trauma, shock and sadness that their real life counterparts would have experienced when this tragedy happened.

The way that Peter Landesman has written and directed this film is fantastic. He uses small but obvious details to convey the pain and the grieving of all those involved and those. There is no taking sides. He is not trying to prove Oswalds guilt, or the failings of law enforcement or any other agenda. He is simply showing how people react and what raw human emotion looks like.

This is a great factual film. Great cast, great script, great directing. Well worth watching.

Pay the Ghost (2015)

Not bad, worth watching if you like supernatural horror movies

[5/10 · 20 March 2018]

Overall this film is okay. Its defiantly not the best supernatural horror movie I've seen but it defiantly deserves a watch. The plot is not anything that hasn't been done before, Nick Cages plays a father of a boy that goes missing. After a year of searching and doing his own investigation he discovers that there is an supernatural force taking children. Him and his wife fight to discover what happen to their son and try to get back.

As expected with this type of movie there are a few jump scares. They are a little hit and miss. Some got me, some were massively preemptive and you knew they were coming. Some of the "scare" scenes felt a little bit rushed, it would have been better if they had more time to build the suspense. I think that would have made this movie a little more spine tingling. The crying lady character is quite sinister, when she appears in a few of the jump scare scenes she looked pretty menacing. I cant say I really liked the vultures that randomly appear. I get they are meant to be a calling card/sign of the crying lady but they feel out of place. I particularly liked the scene when Cage finds the sea of missing children, that was quite chilling. The script was everything it needed to be, but again nothing special. It ticked all the right boxes for the type of film it is, it just felt like it was missing that extra bit of scare factor.

Nick Cage does a good job, it almost feels like he could be at the start of getting back on track with this movie. Its not as great as the Nick Cage that was in Con Air or Gone in 60 seconds but it was defiantly a better performance that he has given in other films recently. The only thing I hate seeing is him running. He is not a runner. He looks awkward and uncomfortable and for some reason it irritates me. Sarah Callies plays the part of the grieving mother well. She supports Cages character nicely. I would have liked to see her be a little more involved in the story but she was good when she was on scene.

Watch this film if you have an hour and half to spare and fancy watching a jump scare supernatural film. If you want to watch a great horror movie then this isn't for you, maybe watch something else.

Just Getting Started (2017)

Just getting started, never really got started.

[4/10 · 20 March 2018]

I'm a huge Tommy Lee Jones and Morgan Freeman fan. They are both fantastic actors, however this film is not their finest work. The plot is an overall familiar one, two charismatic guys fight for the attention of a woman. She ultimately picks one and the other finishes with the consolation prize but finds happiness in that. Throw in the fact that someone is trying and failing to kill Freemans character in a comedic way and the 60/70 year olds acting like horny teenagers that pretty much gives you the whole story.

The writing was poor, it felt like it was left wanting. The story never really went anywhere and the little plot it did have was massively dragged out. There are a few chuckle moments but they are few and far between. I'm not sure if it is meant to be a Christmas movie or if they just needed a holiday to use to help the script along but it felt pointless including the Christmas element in to the story.

The film isn't completely awful, its just not anything special. I've only given it a 4 out of 10 mostly out of respect and love for Jones and Freeman. Don't watch it if you have something else to watch.

Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017)

A fantastic and truly touching story.

[9/10 · 19 March 2018]

I wasn't overly sure what i was going to get when i sat down to watch this film. I'm a little sceptical when it comes to biopics, they can be very hit and miss but this was something else.

The film is about the life of A.A Milne. It shows how Winnie the Pooh came to be but it doesn't become solely about that. The film mainly focuses on the changing relationship between Milne and his son Christopher Robin. How the closeness between a father and son helps Milne overcome his PTSD and how what started as an imaginary world built by a father and son to help them bond turns in to one of the biggest selling and most loved children's stories of all time. It gave an idea in to what life of a middle class family may have been like in the early 20th Centaury, how the "stiff upper lip" approach was taken by parents and how children's relationships with their Nannies were so important. As for the creation of Winnie the Pooh, the film shows just how the characters were created and how the idea's for them were developed, not just by Milne, but also by the real Christopher Robin, Mrs Milne and the family Nannie. It shows the price that the creation of Winnie the Pooh had on the family and on the childhood of Christopher Robin and how that followed him in to his young adult life.

Another beautiful element of the film is the locations where they film. Especially the locations in Ashdown Forest. The scenes were breath taking. It was also lovely watching Milne and Christopher Robin playing Pooh sticks. The fact that they use replicas of the original toys was also a really nice touch. It was nice to be reminded that Winnie the Pooh wasn't always Disney.

The script is fantastic and very well written. There are some very witty one liners and little jokes which make you chuckle. The WWI and WWII scenes are very impactive and make you think about the brutalities of War. The way the relationships between the characters are written keeps you fully in grossed in the film all the way through.

The whole cast are brilliant, especially the performances given by Domhnall Gleeson and Will Tilston. Their chemistry on screen is heart-warming and adds to the brilliance of the film. Margot Robbie plays the stern English mother excellently and Kelly Macdonald's performance as the loving caring nanny plays opposite that superbly.

Overall i would highly recommend this film to everyone. It is truly heart warming and touching. It will make you laugh, cry and want to read Winnie the Pooh all over again. Brilliant.

Churchill (2017)

Disrespectful portray of a great man.

[1/10 · 19 March 2018]

The opening few moments of this film was probably the only part of it that was great. Watching Churchill walking along the beach with the tide coming towards him blood red was impactive. The realisation of what happened on the beaches of Normandy hits you in them few seconds and makes you think of the tragedy that came with the wars. That being said from that moment on the film goes downhill and is an inaccurate, non realistic story of a great man. In my opinion this film turns Churchill in to a bumbling alcoholic, senial old fool who was unsure of himself and unable to make a decision. For a film about a man who was one of the most famous leaders in British history it showed him as weak. If the real Churchill had been like the character in the film then he probably wouldn't have been able to lead Britain in a fight with a paper bag let alone lead them in to war.

I think the only other thing that was as awful as the Churchill character himself was the music that they used in the film. I really don't think I could have been more irritating if it tried, especially in the scene where Churchill is going to meet Eisenhower for the first time. It made me wish I had some ear defenders handy.

I honestly believe the only thing that even remotely saves this film is Brian Cox'x performance. Although I completely disagree with how the writers have designed the character Cox does a wonderful job with it. He is completely believable playing a bad version of Churchill. Aside from this I have to say that the costume and the sets were also amazing they use some brilliant locations for the film they provide fantastic backdrops for the film.

Avoid watching this if you have any respect for history and Churchill himself.

Leatherface (2017)

Surprising good prequel.

[7/10 · 17 March 2018]

Now I know prequels can be massively hit and miss, but I was really impressed with this one. I love the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, it's a classic. When I sat down to watch this film I was really hoping that this wasn't going to one of them films that tried so hard to fit in to an iconic franchise and fell flat on its face and it wasn't.

For me the film helped to build and understanding of Leatherface and how he became the crazed killer that we have seen for so many years.

I loved the way that from the start the film kept you guessing as to which of the characters was going to end up being Leatherface. It made you feel compassion and sympathy for the character of Leatherface and although you know that no matter what he does, his fate of becoming that brutal killer is set, you still hope that he may be able to have a normal happy life away from the depraved family that want him back.

The film has all the elements of a traditional TCM film, the gore the brutality the suspense. There are a few scenes that make you uncomfortable, for me the scene where Clarice and Ike are having sex and they include the dead body they found turn my stomach and when Bud makes Ike bite the rock but every nerve in my body on edge, but for a film like this them type of nasties are expected.

The Sam Coleman, Jessica Madsen and James Bloor done an amazing job of play psychotic crazies. They were terrifying with their unpredictableness. Sam Strike was brilliant at carrying such an iconic role. I think he really took you on the journey of Leatherface and made you love him, hate him and fear him all at the same time. As for Dorff, you just have to hate him all the way through and feel a slight happiness when he gets his just deserts, And Lili Taylor just plays that depraved killer mother role far too well.

I think this is a really great film, and a welcomed addition to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. Defiantly worth a watch.

A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)

Not as good as the first one, but still good.

[6/10 · 17 March 2018]

I was so looking forward to seeing this movie. I really enjoyed Bad Moms. I thought it was hilarious. It was also really relatable for many Moms out there who have ever felt the pressure of being a "good parent".

Unfortunately, this movie just didn't live up to the first movie. It defiantly had the same heart-warming message to reassure all the Moms out there that they are doing a good job but there was not as many laughs as there was in last film. That being said there was a few scenes that made me chuckle. I especially loved the scene when they "Take back Christmas" at the mall and get drunk. It made meeting Santa fun. The sexy Santa competition and the fight between Kunis and Baranski was also pretty funny. I think the relationships between the Moms and their Moms are great. I'm pretty sure most of us would be able to relate to one of them.

The cast did really well with what they had to work with in terms of script. Hahn is hilarious in the delivery of her lines. She cracked me up with most of what she said. Kunis, Bell, Baranski, Sarandon and Hines are all brilliant and all play opposite each other amazingly. The chemistry between them really carries the films. I just don't think the script was a good as them.

Overall its worth a watch. It's a good Christmas movie that you can just sit back and enjoy, but don't expect it to blow you away.

Once Upon a Time in Venice (2017)

Was hoping for so much more.

[2/10 · 17 March 2018]

I was really hoping for something good with this film. Sadly, it was the complete opposite. I feel like the film fell flat from the start. It was disjointed and felt more like individual skit than a whole film. I hated the way Middleditch narrated the whole way through the film. It felt pointless. A good film shouldn't have to have someone explain to the audience what's happening.

The jokes and comedy felt forced, I felt like I was expected to laugh instead of finding the comedy belly laughing funny, however watching Bruce Willis skateboarding naked and then clenching a gun between his butt cheeks was priceless.

Looking at the cast you would automatically expect thi film to be good. Willis, Goodman, Mamoa, all great actors, just not in this particular film. I could hardly understand Mamoa when he spoke and as for Willis and Goodman, they honestly looked like they were just going through the motions of acting their parts, there appeared to be no efforts from them at all. Definitely not the performances you would expect from these actors.

Sadly for me this film is not one that I would recommend anyone to watch.

Happy Death Day (2017)

Didn't expect much but was surprisingly impressed.

[7/10 · 17 March 2018]

I didn't have much in the way of expectations for this film. Most of the slasher movies that get released nowadays just follow the same old concept and are generally poor imitations of each other. Happy Death Day however was surprisingly different.

The Groundhog Day meets Scream combination really managed to hold my attention. It was something different and fresh.

It had all the traditional elements for a teen slasher movie, the mean girls, the nerdy kid you root for, the forbidden sex, the lesson to be a nice person and you won't get killed. Not forgetting the creepy masked killer who face you will stick in your mind and that you spend the whole movie trying to figure out who it is. Also, the scenes that make you jump out your skin.

The movie adds comedy in to the mix which actually works well and doesn't take anything away from the scare factor. Another refreshing factor is that the movie doesn't rely on gore to scare the audience which is another rarity nowadays.

I particularly like the way the movie blindsides you near the end, just when you think you have it all figured out it throws you a curve ball.

The cast all appear to be up and coming. There are no big names to try and sell this movie which I actually like. However, this is probably why it has not been advertised as much as other films.

I think this movie has been undersold. It's not the best slasher movie ever seen but at the same time its not the worst. Its defiantly worth a watch.

Mother! (2017)

That's 2 hours of my life I am never going to get back!!

[2/10 · 5 March 2018]

I'm not really sure where to start with this. I've seen a number of Darren Aronofsky films and I've generally liked them. His movies always give you something to think about, however this was a whole different story. I honestly feel like I just wasted 2 hours of my life watching a poor re-telling of the bible that tried to use shock tactics to impress the viewers.

From the Cain and Abel story line, to the word of God spreading, to the birth of Jesus, the film is packed with biblical allegories and metaphors, however it feels like the hole in the floor that is meant to represent a bleeding vagina, the people killing the baby then literally eating his flesh and the crushing of mother nature's burnt heart to reveal a crystal, has all been added to the film in order to give it the dark tone it needs to earn the horror tag that it has and to shock the viewers and give them something to talk about after they have watched it.

It felt like the movie came in 2 halves, it was almost like Aronofsky got half way through and realised the film was awful and that he need to add some form of action, sex and gore to it to make it something.

The cast for this movie should have been enough to make this a great film. Lawrence and Pfeiffer are fantastic and bring the tension that the film is hoping for when they play opposite each other, but for me they were let down by their male counterparts. Bardem and Harris, although both great actors in their own right for me did not stand out in this film at all. If anything, their characters irritated me.

As I watched this movie i tried to keep an open mind and stick and give it a chance to get better. I did manage to get all the way to the end however I honestly lost my will to live somewhere in the middle section.

I've read a number of other reviews that claim if you don't like this movie you are not intelligent or don't understand the art that you have just been exposed to. I completely disagree with this. I think if you disliked this move you are probably an honest person who isn't trying to make yourself sound like you are some pretentious movie expert who sees something that extortionary in this film.

All in all, I feel there are a number of much better films out there that deserve the praise that people have given to this.