Joseph the Reviewer

Guy Ritchie has been in the film industry for years now and much of his career sets itself in the British gangster world. After a few duds, as he stretched to other genres, he returned to his routes with   The Gentlemen , the most exhilarating cinema experience of 2020 (which isn’t saying much). Now Ritchie expands that world through his debut in television, a Netflix 8-parter that packs an arsenal of fun actors that all work together to produce the filmmaker’s electric sense of humour. In its premise, ex-forces Eddie (Theo James) returns to find himself inheriting his deceased father’s estate and secret business of drug farming. Through a series of unfortunate events, Eddie finds himself immersed in the criminal underworld, guided by Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario), whilst having to deal with family trouble and violent rival gangs. Critics generally agree that the series offers reliable entertainment value. The  Wall Street Journal 's John Anderson said: “No surprise, this crim...

Dune Part II , directed by Denis Villeneuve, is receiving pristine critical and financial triumph. Like its 2021 predecessor, the Dune movies adapt the revered novel from the mind of Frank Herbert, still considered one of the most important pieces of science fiction storytelling. Popular cultural icons from   Star Wars   to   The Matrix , even to an extent   2001 A Space Odyssey , owe their inceptions to   Dune   from plot layout to world-building. A New Direction for Dune After the unfavourable attempt from David Lynch,  Dune  finds itself in the hands of one of the greatest directors of the current generation, one whose resumé seemed ideal for what Herbert set in stone. I read the book in lockdown and it’s an excellent read, Herbert was undeniably a genius. Therefore, along with an ensemble of superstars, the Dune movies seemed destined to be the generation-defining sci-fi epic, at least that is how many have deemed it. As expected, both movies...

It is now the conclusion of this year’s award season as the 96 th Academy Awards aired with an array of pleasing, if not predictable, results. You might be sensing a bit of a pattern from these award ceremonies. The Golden Globes, Critic’s Choice and BAFTAs alike have all seen Oppenheimer explode (no pun intended) in most if not all of the major categories. And now that the Oscars have passed, this year’s award season can be safely deemed ‘Oppenheimer and the rest’ as it took home seven awards, including Best Picture and Director. Us Oppen-homies can rejoice at the hugely satisfying display of Christopher Nolan clutching Best Director. Despite being acclaimed as one of the greats of modern cinema, the auteur has struggled to twist the awards in his favour as he has done with time and linear narratives. His only wins are one for the effects in the sci-fi odyssey Interstellar and a posthumous Best Supporting Actor for the late Heath Ledger. Now, not only is Nolan’s award shelf jam...

I almost always have a witty comment to summarise my thoughts on the film I’ve just watched. But after witnessing what I think might just be the most devastating and epic drama of the year (judging by UK releases), I’m not sure I can muster the energy. Had this emotional body slammer of two and half hours come out last year, it could have perhaps rivalled Oppenheimer for the top three. I am pleased to say that this semi-historical account of one the wrestling world’s most infamous families is my first A+ grade given to a newly released picture in years. Regardless of issue, for there were a few, this is an experience rich with prestigious direction with a clear love for the topic and a family of beautiful performances. Because the latter element is so juicy, we have to discuss that first. Let’s begin with Zach Efron… WHAT THE HELL?!!! Where did this come from?!!!!! I was always aware of Efron slow ascension above the High School Musical type casting, but I never could have predicted he...

From what looked like a snazzy premise of art imitating life, Matthew Vaughn seemed to get lost in keeping the concept alive for a runtime that is too long for it, along with losing the directorial flair of his Kingsman films. As a result, Argylle is very messy. It succeeds well in the first hour where the imagination of Ellie Conway, an introverted spy novelist, matches the ongoings of a shady syndicate and a spy, played by Sam Rockwell of all people, is sent to protect her. So, let’s clear this up, Henry Cavill is not the main star of this show. As it is always wonderful to see his beautiful face and for him to live, albeit briefly, in the role of James Bond that he may never see, Cavill is a fleeting cameo designed only for ticket sales. It would have been fun had he played more of a part in the big twist at the end, but alas, one of the most popular actors of today is sprinkled throughout the first three quarters, then disappears and had me forget he was in the film, to begin with...

Introduction Superman has been recognised, across the world, as the quintessential icon of heroism. He has held this office for the past eighty-five years ever since his creation in Action Comics ’ first issue (Siegel and Shuster, 1938) This remained unchallenged until September 11 th , 2001 when the people who had grown up with, adopted and loved Superman started to look elsewhere for their heroes.  The post-9/11 world was very different from the era in which Superman had become and was maintained as a dominant hero. The narrative and consensus are that ‘9/11 changed everything’ (Rich, 2001). In the public discourse, one of Superman’s most well-known aliases is ‘The Man of Tomorrow’, yet the character has faced varied criticism of irrelevance to contemporary society. The ‘perfect good guy’ found in Superman was no longer the superhero to the Western world, in particular American society, wanted in response to 9/11. The American people were in shock, hurt but angry, the cape-wea...

  Best picture ·        American Fiction ·        Anatomy of a Fall ·        Barbie ·        The Holdovers ·        Killers of the Flower Moon ·        Maestro ·        Oppenheimer  ·        Past Lives  ·        Poor Things ·        The Zone of Interest Best Actor ·        Bradley Cooper - Maestro ·        Colman Domingo - Rustin ·        Paul Giamatti - The Holdovers ·        Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer  ·        Jeffrey Wright - American Fiction Best Actress ·     ...