Review: Darkest Hour (2017) (Churchill On The Tube?!?!?)

(SPOILERS AHEAD)

“He stands for one thing and one thing only: himself”

Do you want a film about World War II where at least three of the main characters are rich, white, old and have a speech impediment? Do you also want a film that completely shifts its tone in the third act, upending everything that’s been built up in the previous two acts? Then Darkest Hour may be the film for you! Can Churchill’s manner of speaking be classed as a speech impediment? Well, it impeded my hearing of the dialogue. Does that count? Darkest Hour is a good, even very good film the first two acts. However, a pivotal scene in the third act comes across as crass and ridiculous. For me, at least, it ruined the entire film.

Review: The Prestige (2006) (Christopher Nolan’s Greatest Film?)

Are you watching closely?

Is The Prestige Christopher Nolan’s greatest film? Of course, it has strong competition from The Dark Knight and Memento (of course, readers will also point to Inception, Interstellar and Dunkirk). But in my humble opinion, it’s comparable to Coppola’s The Conversation. He squeezed that in between Godfather Part I and II and I reckon it beats both of them. For Nolan, he squeezed The Prestige in between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight…and again, I reckon it beats both of them…and every other Nolan film.

Review: Detroit (2017) (The Horror Movie Of The Year?)

“Welcome home”

Here we have a film, based on an extraordinary event in history, featuring sweat-inducing scenes of tension, bullet sound effects that burst eardrums, and a large cast that often aren’t even named. Oh, it’s also topical as well. I could be talking about Detroit, or I could well be talking about Dunkirk. The former comes at a time where racial tensions in America are high. The latter came at a time when all Britain’s going through Brexit. However, in my humble opinion, Detroit succeeds a lot more in the tension stakes than Dunkirk. I found myself bored by huge chunks of Dunkirk. For the second act of Detroit I squirmed in my seat for almost an hour. It maybe let down by a tonally jarring and dull third act, but essentially it’s a true horror story that makes you want to look away from the screen…but you can’t stop yourself from looking.

Review: Dunkirk (2017) (A Nail Biter? Or A Thumb Twiddler?)

“I’m English”

Dunkirk is Christopher Nolan’s latest film. You know, that guy who directed The Dark Knight trilogy and Inception? He’s kind of a big deal. But apparently he’s veering away from fantasy and science fiction with this film about the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II. According to Nigel Farage, Dunkirk is a move all youngsters should see. According to most critics, it’s a film all people should see. Yes, yet again, a Nolan film is receiving high critical acclaim. But does it deserve it?

HAMMY’S TOP 10…WAR FILMS

Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk was released last week. We’ve seen World War II done to death, in cinema, video games and books. But I trust Nolan to deliver something new and unique in the sub-genre. But it got me to thinking about the war genre as a whole. What are my favourite war films? Of course, the list could consist solely of World War II films, as there are plenty of them. However, I always try to broaden my horizons, especially when it comes to war films. I like to find something a little…different! So here are my Top 10 War Films!

Review: Inception (2010) (A Sweet Dream…Or A Beautiful Nightmare?)

“If we are gonna perform Inception then we need imagination”

What do you get when you mix up a typical Bond film, The Matrix and Ocean’s 11? Christopher Nolan’s Inception, that’s what you get! After the success of The Dark Knight, Nolan could have directed anything he wanted. And he did! He brought us Inception. You know, that film about dreams within dreams within dreams? Its typical blockbuster fare mixed with high concept ideas. There are big explosions, gun battles, fights that defy gravity…and ideas about the nature and perception of reality. I loved it the first time I saw it. But every time I rewatch it I enjoy it a little less…