The Neon Demon (Review)

The Neon Demon (Film Review) 2016

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Keanau Reeves
Psychological Thriller

The Neon Demon, visually, is a masterpiece. Every shot is like an individual painting, meticulously coloured and set. If I was to rate the film solely on its visuals I would have give it a 10/10, but a film is more than just visual.

I don't believe the plot and theme are as complex as some choose to claim. A slightly overdone message on the dangers of vanity and industries which obsess over beauty and youth. I don't believe its disturbing scenes are gratuitous, emphasising how far the idea of beauty can influence people. There are some very interesting visual metaphors throughout the film, also.

The performances in the film were solid, but not exactly extraordinary. Elle Fanning definitely has fun in her role, but her given dialogue was bland. The same goes for the remaining cast, no performances really shone through. It is possible that the simplistic dialogue adds to the theme of vanity.

The film has another 10/10 aspect, its score. Finishing with a powerful piece from Sia, the film is littered with haunting and modern pieces which stick with the viewer. The trailer clearly displays the film's mastery of music.

The Neon Demon is an art film. I am in no way surprised by negative or positive reviews, and it seems the negative to positive review ratio seems to be about 1:1. Its visually and musically amazing, but I personally found the theme to be slightly shallow with some less than stellar dialogue. Although, the visuals and score did effect me more than the latter.

8/10.

Rated 18, runtime 117 minutes.

Ghostbusters (Review)

Ghostbusters (Film Review) 2016

Directed by Paul Feig
Starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon and Chris Hemsworth
Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Following the absolute hatred which I've seen displayed by die-hard Ghostbusters fans, I had very low expectations for this reboot. I was pleasantly surprised by an entertaining and funny fantasy film which understands what kind of movie it is. ''Ain't no bitches gonna hunt no ghosts'' is a great reference to this fan hatred.

The comedy aspect of the film definitely worked. I was laughing throughout, although there are some missed jokes present in the script. Some of the humour, namely that involving Chris Hemsworth and Leslie Jones, was overdone and reenforced stereotypes. I was surprised by the problematic loud-mouthiness displayed by Lesley Jones character, the only non-scientist ghostbuster, who also happens to be a black woman. This is especially for a film which prides itself on its inclusivity.

The plot has some shady logic, but clearly isn't going for anything other than fun. It is similar enough to the original to evoke nostalgia, but different enough to warrant a reboot.

The visual and special effects were very well-done, especially in the first two acts, although the CGI gets excessive and cheesy in parts of the end-battle. The film maintained being entertaining for the entire three acts, although I would have to say I preferred the beginning acts.

Overall, Ghostbusters is nothing like a ''bad film'' as many original fans claim. It is a decently-made, funny and entertaining reboot. I enjoyed watching, and so did most of the people at the cinema, to my knowledge. It doesn't pretend to be superior to the original, but is a fresh take on a fan favourite.

7/10.

Rated 12a, runtime 117 minutes.

Tale of Tales (Review)

Tale of Tales (Film Review) 2016

Directed by Matteo Garonne
Starring Salma Hayek, Toby Jones and Vincent Cassel

The film is split into three distinct plot lines, an infertile queen longing for a child, two old women longing for beauty, and a king and his flea. I found the ''Two Old Women'' plot line to be vastly superior to the other two. It was the most intriguing and never felt dragged out. The majority of the third act is dominated by the flea story, one which I felt ran overtime, but was the most humorous. The queen plot line also didn't intrigue me to the same extent, having some low-interest moments.

While the acting wasn't the aspect of the film which stuck with me, there are no complaints about any of the actors. Salma Hayek felt so natural in her role, along with Vincent Cassel.

The set design and makeup design was remarkable, completely transforming the film into an authentic middle-age tale. Mixed with the cinematography, Tale of Tales was visually amazing.

Tale of Tales is an eccentric and visually beautiful film, although it drops in intrigue in its finishing act.

7.5/10.

Rated 15a, runtime 134 minutes.