In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, governments all over the world – including the UK – have urged those who can to stay at home. This newfound plethora of time may feel stressful and strange, or perhaps mind-numbingly boring. What better way to alleviate lockdown blues than by watching a great film, or finally tackling the tv show you’ve had on your watchlist for ages? Below, a handful of our writers share what films and television shows they’ve been watching to pass the time.

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Sex and the City

Tomi Haffety

The perfect binge, watch-whilst-you’re-eating, feel-good series, Sex and the City is a noughties classic. Spanning ninety-four episodes over six years, the witty and glamourous series follows the lives of four women as they navigate style, sex and, quite obviously, the city. Carrie Bradshaw’s namesake column in a small New York newspaper is the backbone to the show as she narrates her and her best friends’ lives, inventing a wealth of creative euphemisms as the group’s relationships go out of fashion quicker than nineties sequins. Winning seven Emmy Awards out of a substantial fifty nominations, Sex and the City was an unprecedented hit when it first aired and is still just as relatable and entertaining. Although the crucial theme of spending absurd amounts of money on shoes and labels feels somewhat outdated – a detail toned down in the subsequent films – the show pioneered the normalcy of casual dating and cherished female friendships. As with many series from the same era, the show’s punchlines occasionally drew on casual racism and sexism, revealing the lengths the show still had to go. Nonetheless, it is a sitcom best watched when you want to fantasize about living in a big city, laugh at Samantha Jones’ consistent sexual humour, and realise, as popularly regarded, that Carrie Bradshaw is possibly the worst friend to grace television. More than this, the show’s unashamed approach to important issues regarding female sexuality and debates surrounding feminism continues to be relevant. Sex and the City remains a turning point in representing the modern woman, and its lasting legacy has filtered through generations; take, for example, the Instagram page ‘@everyoutfitonsatc,’ which has reached 670k people twenty years after the show aired. Watching Sex and the City will make you laugh, equip you with fashion tips, and – most importantly – help you pass the endless hours of quarantine.

Before Sunset

Sang Park

Whenever the going gets tough, at least one person will tell you to just focus on the positives, look forward, and crack on until things work out. However, it would be criminal for any of us to claim that the question of “what if?” has never crossed our mind. In Before Sunset, set nine years after Jesse and Céline’s first encounter in Vienna, we are re-introduced to the pair, who have both been pondering that very same question since the last time they saw one another. Once the two reunite, this time in Paris, what ensues is a stroll through la ville de l’Amour accompanied by a conversation that bounces around from topic to topic like a pinball. While their ramblings and chitchats show us the beauty of people’s ability to reconnect in an instant, no amount of coffee at a chic Parisian cafe or a sarcastic back and forth about American optimism and French sullenness is able to prevent Jesse and Céline from asking the inevitable question: ‘Where would we be now if we had met again after our night?’ As the two grapple with this hypothetical, the facade that they have both put up fades away and ultimately unsheathes the caged hopeless romantics living inside them. 

Amidst this pandemic, most of us, like Jesse and Celine, are forced to make peace with the fact that our relationships with our loved ones and our community have come to an abrupt halt, and that they may be lost forever. Maybe like Jesse, you wish you could just call that girl, who took up all the nooks and crannies in your brain or maybe, you just miss grabbing a cold pint with your mates. Whatever the case may be, Before Sunset has something for everyone wrapped up in the pain of solitude. Jesse and Celine’s encounters remind us that there is a future, where we can love and treasure one another unconditionally; their enduring love reminds us of the joy in the unknown ahead of us, no matter our past and present.  

Climax

Sofía Kourous Vázquez

There are a lot of parallels between quarantine life and Gaspar Noé’s Climax. Much like the film’s protagonists, who find themselves stuck in their dance school during a snowstorm in the middle of nowhere, we are all trapped indoors in what is also somewhat of a nightmare. Quarantine brings out the worst in everyone: you’ve got your sad babies who would rather curl up in a ball until it all blows over; your angry types who are just looking for someone to blame; and your run-of-the-mill thirsty hoes keeping their eyes on the prize through the chaos. If you need a reason to reminisce over your long-lost days of (possibly) substance-induced clubbing and then take it all back as Noé’s neon dance fantasy degenerates into depravity and horrific mayhem, Climax is your ticket. A global pandemic is a total bummer but hey, at least you’re not stuck unknowingly drinking large doses of LSD-spiked sangria with a bunch of fucked up French people! Explosive and immersive. Many trigger warnings apply.

My So-Called Life

Fatima Jafar

I watched all nineteen episodes of My So-Called Life in rapid succession one summer a few years ago, when there was a lot of time to do nothing. Something about the story of Angela Chase, a fifteen-year-old living in a quiet suburb of Pittsburgh, rang true for me then, and has stayed close to me all this time. Now, in these weeks of quarantine and isolation, when cities have slowed down and the roads seem quieter than ever before, I find myself turning to these episodes for some kind of solace. My So-Called Life expertly charts the lives of a few adolescents and their families in the fictional neighbourhood of Three Rivers. Each episode navigates the fabric of each character’s experiences with a tenderness that I have seldom seen in American coming-of-age television shows. The uncomfortable intricacies of growing up are delved into, and families, relationships, and health are picked apart and tackled with an unflinching eye. I think the reason that my mind goes back to this television show during the pandemic is because of its own willingness to sit in its slowness. The plotlines unfold with both the hesitancy and intensity that accompanies every confused teenager— the fleeting, intense crushes, the hot bursts of anger, the frequent tears. Because the heart of the show is the emotional drama between various characters, the story simmers within its own anxiety, and at times, it’s own yearning. This suburban pull – the desire to feel and experience something more than boring high-school life in a small neighbourhood – evokes a tension not far from the isolation we are experiencing right now. Watching human lives slowly playing out on screen and immersing myself in the tender fragility of passing time has helped me reframe this period of isolation for myself, teaching me how to pause and be on my own for a while. 

Rocknrolla

Maria Düster

This film, I’ll admit, is a wildcard. I think about Guy Ritchie a lot – not because I admire him in any way, but because his films occupy such a niche place in the film industry that none of us knows exactly what to do with. While some may simply call them “British gangster films,” I prefer “pathological commitment to imbuing every single storyline on earth – from Sherlock Holmes to King Arthur to whatever the hell The Gentlemen was – with a mildly revolting form of British maleness that roots itself in Cockney accents, martial arts, and a simultaneous hatred towards and fetish for the class system.” All of his films – save for Aladdin, thank God – appear to be colour-graded with the hard salt spray of an ugly British beach somewhere. Yet, I still find myself drawn to his films, unable to look away (except for the half of them I have never seen). Rocknrolla follows a trio of crooks called “The Wild Bunch,” comprised of “One-Two” (Gerard Butler), his partner “Mumbles” (Idris Elba), and driver “Handsome Bob” (Tom Hardy). When a (you guessed it) Russian mob boss concocts a massive real estate scam, The Wild Bunch – along with a crime boss (Tom Wilkinson), an evil accountant (Thandie Newton), and a punk rocker named Johnny Quid (Toby Kebbell) – all duel it out for a big wad of cash. Mark Strong’s alluring narration, combined with a convoluted and unrealistic plot, provide the perfect escapism for surviving a raging pandemic. Also, unless I imagined it in a fever dream, Tom Hardy hooks up with Gerard Butler in one scene. Or maybe it was Idris Elba? Either way, happy watching!

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Niloufar Javadi

I grew up consuming an unhealthy amount of American media. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was one of those films that I had heard about countless times, but never actively sought out. So when my American flatmate suggested watching it, I tentatively agreed. I was pleasantly surprised. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off follows wisecracking high school senior Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), who is determined to enjoy a day off school sightseeing in Downtown Chicago with his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) and his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck). Equipped with a charming protagonist, fast-paced plot, and surprisingly deep and tender moments, the film offers a welcome distraction from the sporadic episodes of uncertainty and confusion that seem inseparable from our new reality.  Like most people I know, I have become increasingly introspective during the lockdown (I like to think I have good reason to). Like Ferris, I am about to graduate and be hurled into the “real world,” where I will need to survive without an academic structure for the first time since I was four years old. The past month has forced me to put my life on hold, to think about the direction I am taking the rest of my adult life and why. Ferris Bueller offers a reassuring squeeze of the hand, reminding me that there is no harm (well, perhaps not too much)  in taking a day off of normal life to think, indulge and live more deliberately.

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COVID-19 is a global health emergency. UCL Film and Television Society urges all readers to consult their local government’s advice. For UK-specific advice, visit https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

Maria Düster remembers French New Wave icon Agnès Varda in a heartfelt elegy. 

Arlette Varda was born to Greek and French parents in Belgium in 1928. She changed her name at the age of 18 to Agnès – she didn’t like names that ended with “-ette,” the imposition of girlishness they possessed. At 19, she put a bowl on her head and told someone to cut around it – she kept the same haircut until the day she died. From adolescence until her passing, Agnès Varda possessed a joyful playfulness – never self-serious – and an indestructible sense of self.

Varda started her career in photography, studying at the Vaugirard School of Photography before eventually serving as the principal photographer at friend Jean Vilar’s Théâtre National Populaire from 1951-1961. Her first feature film, La Pointe Courte (1955), was inspired by photos taken for a friend in Sète of the fishermen’s quarter. Setting up her own co-op, Varda began production, the film so low-budget the crew couldn’t be paid.  Seven years later, Varda released Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962), a film that follows its titular protagonist in “real time” as she waits to hear the results of a cancer scan. Both films were critically successful, the latter cementing Varda’s place in the New Wave movement, a singular voice among her male peers.

Agnès made nearly fifty short films, documentaries, feature films, and television movies over the course of her career. Her subjects ranged from murals in Los Angeles to post-revolutionary Cuba to housewives, divorcées, and vagabonds. She blurred the lines between documentary and fiction. She experimented with style and direction constantly – double narration, photo documentary, continuous shots, autobiography – and squeezed cinema for all it was worth. Her films took place all over the world, in cities and towns and beaches, on walls and houseboats, and in the faces of her actors. Varda’s work stands alone in its ability to match genuine empathy, creativity, and emotion with technical skill and vision.

INTERLUDE

The scene in Documenteur where Emilie is lying on the bed staring at her naked reflection. That moment of aloneness / loneliness that Varda gifts us. I look at her and see myself / women, always looking at ourselves and past ourselves.

Le Bonheur. When François visits Émilie for the first time and she opens up the door and the shot flips back and forth and back and forth and back and forth between their faces, eyes meeting upon the threshold of transgression. The sickening sweetness of the children playing in the meadow.

Uncle Yanco and Agnès’ “first meeting” – she approaching as he greets her, followed by another take of her approaching, then another. A wall is broken, the moment is rehearsed. We’re asked to reconsider everything we know.

Cléo standing at the piano with Michel Legrand playing next to her. The lightness of his body next to her dread. The opening shot of Black Panthers. Agnès crying in Faces Places when Godard plays his trick. JR touching her shoulder. Agnès at Jacques’ grave in Beaches of Agnès. “He is the most cherished of the dead.” They are together now.

And all of the colors, of course, which I could never even begin to describe.

END OF INTERLUDE 

Varda’s films made little money throughout her career. Vagabond was the most commercially successful and the only film for which Varda was nominated for directing at the Cesars. The majority of the filmmaker’s accolades came towards the end of her life; in 2015, Varda became the first woman to win an honorary Palm d’Or and the first female director to ever win an Honorary Oscar in 2017. Often overshadowed by her male peers in the New Wave, the praise bestowed to Agnès was often belated and muddled with an equal share of criticism – too radical, too emotional, not feminist enough.

I remember someone telling me that if I didn’t like Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman, I wasn’t a feminist. The commodified version of feminism pervasive in mainstream pop culture can be tiring – narratives about women still being written and/or directed by men, female protagonists only deserving of funding if they’re “strong” and “inspiring.” Agnès’ work stands antithetical to this; her films feature women who are unlikable, who love their husbands no matter how much they are abused; women who are lonely, sexual, languid; women who are disposed of by men, who break down, who kill themselves. There was no interest in presenting an ideal type of woman but rather placing female protagonists in different spaces and engaging with the complexity of – and the inherent contradictions within – womanhood. Varda spoke of a common denominator within the universality of film: our experiences, no matter how different, eventually “cross a middle knot” – this knot is bound by our emotion and feeling, perhaps what we don’t have words for yet. I watch Thérèse and Mona and Jane and Cléo and Agnès and I get closer to finding them.

Nothing seems to be enough to convey what Agnès meant to me and so many others. I find myself constantly battling with the type of woman I am -am I a bad woman? Is the work I do (and want to do) necessary? Do I have anything valuable to provide this world besides my pain and my body? Womanhood is a constant state of imposter syndrome. I get lost for a moment. Agnès reels me back in.

I will miss her silliness. She was a saucy minx, a friend remarks to me, and I smile. Her legacy lives on through her films and the shades of pink and blue and yellow within them and the people she touched with them. In the space between truth and imagination, Agnès rests.

Welcome (back) to UCL! Maria Düster curates a list of back-to-school films for every taste. 

For The Fresher:

Monsters University (2013)

Heartwarming and funny, this prequel to Monsters Inc. follows Mike and Sully as they begin university and attempt to achieve their dreams. Filled with realistic struggles many new students may face, Monsters U. is relatable and will remind you of a simpler time before exams and the horrors of Tinder.

Raw (2017)

Sometimes university changes you in unexpected ways – in Raw, a student develops an insatiable desire for human flesh after starting veterinary school. As riveting as it is disturbing, the French-Belgian horror movie will make you thank your lucky stars you don’t go to RVC!

For the Oxbridge reject: 

The Riot Club (2014)

Considering Oxbridge rejects comprise about 90% of UCL’s student population, here’s a film to remind you of what you’re missing out on! Following members of an exclusive dining club at Oxford, the film explores institutional British classism and privilege through male students from varying backgrounds.

For Sports Night fanatic:

Animal House (1978)

If you’ve ever wished Sports Night could be at your house and multiple times a week, Animal House will allow you to live out this fantasy! Infamous for its depiction of US fraternity culture, the 1978 classic is full of debauchery and drunkenness – perfect for those who frequent Loop.

For the Economics & Finance Society member:

American Psycho (2000)

No explanation needed.

Honourable Mention: The Big Short (2015) – for inspiration.

For the Romantic:

Love Story (1970)

For those who dream of finding The One during their years at UCL, Love Story is a must-see. Following two students from wildly different backgrounds who meet while attending Harvard and Radcliffe College, the film is as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking. Bring a box of tissues. Or four.

For the Glittoris regular:

Love, Simon (2018)

While there are many incredibly depressing and exploitive LGBT+ films out there to recommend, Love, Simon is filled with optimism and love (and a happy ending!). This coming-of-age story follows a closeted teenager Simon who begins an online romance with the mysterious Blue as he struggles with his sexuality and the trials of growing up. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll probably live vicariously through the main characters.

Honourable Mention: Paris is Burning (1990)

For the Bartlett and/or Slade student:

Masculin Féminin (1966) 

Considering art and architecture students appear to live in a bubble of cigarette smoke, sleep deprivation, and “creative processes,” the French New Wave seemed apt. This Godard classic follows Paul and Madeline, two young Parisians struggling to pursue their artistic dreams while becoming increasingly disenchanted with the world around them. Full of commentary on film, art, sex, and capitalism, it’s just niche enough for conversation in someone’s “artist loft.”

For the “Film Buff”:

The Dark Knight (2008)

For those whose favourite films include Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver, and Fight Club, The Dark Knight is the perfect film to add to your repertoire of angsty white men. The second instalment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy is a masterpiece with heaps of violence and toxic masculinity, and of course, the only good portrayal of a character in the entire trilogy (Heath Ledger as the Joker). Perfect for watching and then posting on Reddit about afterward.

Honourable mentions: Baby Driver (2018), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), anything Quentin Tarantino has ever touched.

For the recent or soon-to-be graduate:

St. Elmo’s Fire (1985) 

Following a group of recent university grads in America, St. Elmo’s is a great choice for those who have just received their diploma or who are in their final year. Whether you’re struggling to find a job, or working through a relationship that started at university but it isn’t working out in the real world, the movie discusses real issues against the background of an enjoyable 80s aesthetic.

Honorable mention: The Big Chill (1983)

Interested in joining FilmSoc? Check out our Try Fortnight events here.

Maria Düster evaluates the library heist drama and its representation of female characters. 

WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers.

The first thing Bart Layton – the young, British director of American Animals – tells the audience before we watch his new release is that there has been some confusion regarding if the people we see in the movie are real. Yes, he clarifies: if it says they are the real person, they are. 

The film opens in Fall 2003, when Spencer Reinhard (Barry Keoghan) begins his first semester at the University of Transylvania in Lexington, Kentucky. As the first few weeks go by, Spencer becomes increasingly disappointed in this new chapter of his life, expecting exciting change and growth but experiencing none. During one of his orientation tours at the university’s library, he is shown the rare books room, where the original works of John James Audubon and Charles Darwin are on display. We are told that the books are priceless, and Spencer, staring at the image of a pink bird, cannot take his eyes off of it. Not long after, Spencer meets up with his high school friend Warren (Evan Peters), who attends another university in the same town. Warren is antithetical to Spencer in personality – where Spencer is quiet and reserved, Warren is loud and obnoxious. Warren is a show-off, always wired, constantly high on some type of drug. The two bemoan their circumstances, Spencer telling Warren he always feels like he’s waiting for something to happen. Then, Spencer mentions the books. After astonishingly short deliberation, fueled by the stupidity and confidence that belongs singularly to young white men, they decide to steal the treasured works. From that moment on, the plot takes off. Warren and Spencer begin to plan their heist, quickly developing a plan. They eventually enlist the help of two other friends – Eric (Jared Abrahamson) and Chas (Blake Jenner) – and set a date.

From the very beginning, we are made to not trust any of the players in the game. Layton intersperses the fictional with the real, cutting to interviews taken sometime in 2017, where the real Spencer, Warren, Eric, and Chas are seated in front of a camera. Names, appearances, and sequences of events don’t line up; the interviews seem so well constructed that it blurs the line between who’s telling the truth and who isn’t (and why the director felt the need to clarify it was actually them). This is obviously what Layton meant to do: challenge the idea of truth, the fine line between fact and fiction, in storytelling. In an age where lies are frequently contested and “fake news” abounds, the choices are unmistakably political. Layton mashes together a narrative film with a documentary, competing for our faith, yet focuses too much on the meaning of it all rather than the effectiveness. 

Despite this, the film is entertaining. It’s well-constructed, following a simple formula, and led by an incredible performance from Evan Peters (an underrated actor who desperately needs to graduate from Ryan Murphy projects and solidify himself as the movie star he is). The soundtrack and score match the pace of the movie perfectly, the bass literally syncing with my heartbeat during a particularly tense sequence. In the beginning, the film is shot on a handheld, mirroring the naivety and the messiness of the young boys. However, as the film progresses and the boys gain knowledge and hone their skills, we start seeing the use of tracking shots and steadicams, with shots becoming cleaner, sharpener, and more exciting. The camerawork literally creates the movie that the boys see themselves as actors in; living out a fantasy where they control the narrative and do something with their lives. While the characters are not incredibly sympathetic, we are set up to root for them, even against our better judgment. In the Q&A after, Layton mentions that he’s interested in this aspect: making the audience care even when they know they shouldn’t. With his empathetic script and concise direction, he succeeds. 

There is a scene I keep coming back to: when the boys are committing the robbery, they tie up a female librarian who guards the books. She is plump, middle-aged, and framed as having no sexual appeal to young men. Throughout the entire film, as the boys are planning the crime, they all hesitate at the idea of “neutralising” the librarian. In one scene, the four fight over who will do the deed, with Warren eventually agreeing. When the heist occurs, they use zip ties around her arms and legs and cover her mouth with duct tape to silence the screams and whimpers (this is not what bothered me – a minor female character bound and gagged is common image in cinema). The next shot shows the woman’s backside on the ground. We see a wet stain under her butt, signifying that she has peed herself in terror. The camera lingers on the stain, as Warren undoubtedly sees it himself.

I was immediately humiliated. Violation washed over me, not only for the librarian (who is the only female character in the entire film) but for all women. It reminded me of watching Darren Aronofsky’s mother! and the helplessness and anger I felt, and I ask myself, why? Why did Layton choose to include that shot? Was he merely providing a commentary on the fact that when animals, a heavy theme throughout the movie, get scared, they pee themselves? Is he trying to provide commentary on violence against women? When discussing the film afterwards, Layton revealed that he personally received the blessing of BJ (the real librarian), without which he would’ve never gone ahead with making the film. This comment annoyed me: it seemed to suggest that because one woman supposedly consented (though we have further details about what she consented to), it justifies continuing to humiliate women on screen. Perhaps this was his point: these young dumb white boys neither care about women nor think about the impact of their actions. But I suppose I’m sick of seeing women hurt, violated, and humiliated on screen, just for the sake of exploring the moral dilemmas of young white men. I know that the average man doesn’t think twice about the pain that sexism and the patriarchy inflict on women – I don’t need a film to remind me. Layton isn’t a raging misogynist – he’s just a man. But his comments seem to suggest this: female pain is justified because these white boys are sad. The film cannot escape this criticism because it is this same white male dejectedness that fuels the entire story and the reason for the crime committed. Their self-pity is meant to garner sympathy from the audience and allow us to forgive them for their actions because they are lost. The scene leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth I can’t shake, no matter how entertaining the heist may be. 

After the film ends, Layton returns to the stage and answers questions. An audience member asks about the real men who committed the heist, all of whom served prison time for their crimes. The director mentions that they’ve “gotten a lot of flack” in and out of prison because they are “white privileged men.” Layton is obviously annoyed by this and adds, “but they’re human too.” With this, he completely misses the point. The issue with American Animals isn’t that the characters are thought of inhuman or undeserving of redemption – it’s that this film once again prioritises the narratives of privileged white men with no desire to examine the dangerous implications of doing so.

6/10

American Animals opens in the United Kingdom on September 7th. Check out its trailer below:

Maria Düster breaks down the Al Pacino aesthetic.

Al Pacino is one of the most legendary actors living today – from popularizing the use of method acting to creating some of the most iconic movie characters of all time, his impact is immeasurable and undeniably powerful. The only thing more important than his talent, passion, and influence? His beauty!

For literally no reason, I have decided to examine a selection of Al Pacino’s filmography purely through the lens of physical objectification – enjoy!

 Bobby Deerfield (1977) dir. Sydney Pollack

I think youtube user sochuiwon khapai sums up this movie perfectly:

This movie is not good. However, Al Pacino plays a famous daredevil race car driver with a great head of hair and suave sense of style. What more could we ask for?

…And Justice For All (1979) dir. Norman Jewison

Al plays an incorruptible lawyer who is trying to reform the criminal justice system while having to deal with a haunting past of clients he has failed. Good film, but more importantly, he sure does look good in a well-tailored suit!

 Dog Day Afternoon (1975) dir. Sidney Lumet

Al looks like an absolute mess throughout this entire film but somehow manages to pull it off. 

Dog Day Afternoon centers around a petty criminal named Sonny who robs a bank, only to find it’s not as easy as it looks (shocking). As plans go awry and we learn more about the motives of the robbery, the film provides a fascinating character study of the lengths people will go to in order to obtain what they want.

 Scarface (1983) dir. Brian De Palma

Tony Montana (not to be confused with Hannah Montana) is not everyone’s cup of tea – he’s violent, morally defunct, and a misogynist – but there’s something about him that earns him a rightful spot on this list.

The two images above remind me that there are higher powers at work and they love us!!

Serpico (1973) dir. Sidney Lumet

He goes from this (young, handsome, an honest Italian man)…

… to THIS (top grade zaddy material) …

TO THIS!!!

I never knew I needed to see Al Pacino with facial hair until this film – life-changing!

(Also a really great movie – deals with the issues of police corruption, crime, and prejudice.)

The Godfather Part One and Two

The most difficult decision I have ever had to make is whether Al Pacino is hotter in the first or second Godfather film. Let’s review our two options:

The Godfather (1972) dir. Francis Ford Coppola

The thirty minutes Al Pacino is exiled to Sicily are arguably the most important thirty minutes in cinematic history (relating to hotness). Please look at the following to fully understand my argument:

As Michael’s character develops over the course of the film and moves from innocent son to the patriarch of the Corleone family, his physical appearance changes to match this.

Michael in the beginning, a young patriotic and honest man:

Michael towards the end of the film, renouncing Satan while simultaneously murdering multiple people and committing unforgivable crimes:

Still hot, though!

The Godfather Part II

At the end of the first film, Michael still possesses some redeeming qualities. By the end of the second … yikes!

Our first shot of Michael, still looking fairly similar to his younger self, though definitely hardened by tragedy and the burden of Mafia leadership:

If you thought things were looking up for Michael at the end of the first film, the second one is like getting hit by a train!

I would describe Michael’s look in the second movie as “slowly dying inside, all life and humor draining slowly as more betrayal reveals itself and all those who love him leave”.

Final decision: While we love innocent floppy-haired Michael in the first movie, coming-into-his-own-power Michael in Part II is

Here are some other honorable mentions:

Godfather Part II officially takes the cake, but literally any film starring Al Pacino filmed before 1990 is guaranteed to be visually stunning! Happy watching!!

(Featured image: still from Phantom Thread)

2018 boasts an impressive lineup of films, ranging from superhero epics to buzzed-about indies. We compiled a list of films worth watching below, ranging widely and with something for everyone. This list includes UK release dates. 

Phantom Thread (UK release 2 February 2018)

Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis stars in his final film as Reynolds Woodcock, a renowned couturier who begins a relationship with a young waitress named Alma. Directed by the actor’s longtime collaborator Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, The Master), this sensual feature explores the dark underbelly of dependent relationships, gender roles, and control. Garnering early critical acclaim, specifically for Day-Lewis’ performance, the film is sure to be a proper sendoff for the legendary actor.

Wildlife (Sundance premiere 20 January 2018; limited release expected late 2018)

Actor Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, There Will Be Blood, Love & Mercy) makes his directorial debut with this family drama, set to debut at the Sundance Film Festival in late January. The film will follow a young boy who witnesses the dissolution of his parents’ (Jake Gyllenhaal and Carrie Mulligan) marriage after they move to Montana in the 1960s. Upon positive reception, the film is expected for be picked up for distribution and released at the end of the year. If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing Jake Gyllenhaal as a dad, now’s your chance.

Black Panther (UK release 13 February 2018) and Avengers: Infinity War (UK release 27 April  2018)

Marvel Studios’ next two films come out within two months of one another, the former tying up loose ends for the epic face-off to come in Infinity War. Black Panther will follow Wakandan prince T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) as he returns to his home country to ascend the throne after his father’s untimely death. Michael B. Jordan plays Killmonger, T’Challa’s challenger to the throne, with Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, and Angela Bassett starring as some of the prince’s closest body guards and confidants. It will be Marvel’s first film mainly comprised of actors of colour and has already broken the studio’s record for most pre-sale tickets sold. The film will introduce important characters into the MCU in time for Infinity War.

Infinity War will be set four years after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, when the villain Thanos (Josh Brolin) arrives on Earth to finish his collection of the Infinity Stones, allowing him to control reality and conquer the universe. In order to stop him, every major character introduced since the inception of the MCU – from Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) to Rocket (Bradley Cooper) to Falcon (Anthony Mackie) – will have to put aside their differences, band together, and fight. The film will feature the largest amount of superheroes on screen in cinematic history, and is sure to be an unforgettable ride.

Annihilation (Netflix UK release expected March 2018)

Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name, Natalie Portman leads this sci-fi action film surrounding a group of soldiers who enter an environmental disaster zone after her husband (Oscar Isaac) survives a foray in the territory and barely makes it out alive. As they venture deeper into the zone, their perceptions of time, nature, and each other are tested. Director Alex Garland (Ex Machina) continues to expand the sci-fi genre by examining the relationship between human beings, technology, and morality.

Isle of Dogs (UK release 30 March 2018)

Following the success of his first stop-motion animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson returns to the field with this film about canines. Set in a dystopian future, Japan has quarantined all dogs on an island due to “canine flu”. Five dogs agree to help a young boy named Atari to find his lost dog on the isle, and as Japanese forces try to capture him, Atari and the dogs race against time to reunite the boy and his best friend. The voice cast of the film nearly features every single actor who has ever starred in a Wes Anderson film, though Owen Wilson is notably absent. We hope everything is still okay between those two.

The Sisters Brothers (expected late 2018)

The story follows Eli and Charlie Sisters (John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix), two hitmen brothers on the trail of a prospector (Jake Gyllenhaal) who has stolen from their boss. The film is French director Jacques Audiard’s (A Prophet, Rust and Bone, Dheepan) first English-language film and will also star Rutger Hauer and Riz Ahmed in supporting roles. Many thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal for starring in so many films this year.

Boy Erased (USA release 28 September 2018; UK release expected late 2018/early 2019)

Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby, The Gift, Loving) writes, directs, and produces this coming-of-age drama surrounding a young boy (Lucas Hedges) who, after being outed to his parents (Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe), is forced into a gay conversion therapy program. There, he comes into conflict with his therapist and the rest of the patients. The film is based on Boy Erased: A Memoir and will feature Troye Sivan, Flea, and acclaimed director Xavier Dolan in its supporting cast.

Widows (UK release 16 November 2018)

Steve McQueen’s (Hunger, Shame, 12 Years a Slave) fourth film will center four widows (Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, and Cynthia Erivo) who team up to finish the dangerous heist that killed their cousins. With a screenplay penned by McQueen and Gone Girl author/screenwriter Gillian Flynn, we can expect nuanced female characters, a gripping story, and (hopefully) Viola Davis kicking ass.

If Beale Street Could Talk (expected late 2018)

Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins will follow his acclaimed film Moonlight with this adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel of the same name. The story follows Tish Rivers (Kiki Layne), a woman living in Harlem, whose fiancé Fonny (Stephan James) is falsely imprisoned for rape. When Tish finds out she is pregnant, she, her lawyer, and her family race to prove Fonny’s innocence. With police brutality happening daily and mass incarceration continuing to increase in the United States, the film could not be more relevant and timely.   

Ocean’s 8 (UK release 22 June 2018)

Serving as both a sequel and an all-female soft reboot of the original Ocean’s Eleven film series, the film centers around Danny Ocean’s estranged sister Debbie (Sandra Bullock) as she organizes a team to pull off a massive heist at the Met Gala in New York City. Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, and Helena Bonham Carter round out the core eight, promising a star-studded and exciting ride. George Clooney is not expected to make any cameos, but we can only hope. 

Other expected 2018 releases to keep an eye on:

A Wrinkle in Time (dir. Ava DuVernay)

Suspiria (dir.  Luca Guadagnino)

First Man (dir. Damien Chazelle)

The Death & Life of John F. Donovan (dir. Xavier Dolan)

Solo: A Star Wars Story (dir. Ron Howard)

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (dir. David Yates)

Backseat (dir. Adam McKay)

Maria Düster reviews Marvel’s latest blockbuster.

Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok offers a much-needed reboot to the Thor franchise. It is jam-packed with the humor, action, and engaging characters the first two films lacked. When it was originally announced Waititi would be helming the third movie in the Thor saga, those familiar with his work rejoiced. Waititi, an indigenous Maori actor, writer, and director from New Zealand, has been the mastermind behind numerous acclaimed indie films, such as his debut Boy, the vampire mockumentary What We Do In The Shadows, and, most recently, Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Known for his dry humor and inclusion of Maori actors and culture, Waititi serves as a breath of fresh air in an industry known for its whiteness and formulaic scripts. Waititi’s hiring comes as no surprise: several major franchises have welcomed lesser known directors (Jurassic World’s Colin Trevorrow, Guardians of the Galaxy’s James Gunn), often skyrocketing the careers of creators only known in the indie cinema scene. With Waititi, the choice has paid off: critics and fans can’t seem to get enough of the third Thor film, the film Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes since its initial release.

Thor: Ragnarok follows the events of Age of Ultron and Thor: The Dark World, and opens with the titular character searching the universe for his father Odin, who has been covertly overthrown by Thor’s trickster brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston). When the brothers eventually reunite with the patriarch, they encounter a new threat, Hela (Cate Blanchett), the first born child of Odin. Hela, Goddess of Death, promptly announces her plan to take over Asgard (and the world), overpowering the brothers and casting them into space. Thor finds himself on the planet Sakaar, on the other side of the universe from Asgard, and the main plot begins. There, the God of Thunder becomes a prisoner of the Grandmaster (played by Jeff Goldblum) and must battle the leader’s Champion for freedom.

While Thor flounders on Sakaar, his half-sister Hela returns to Asgard, establishes a dictatorship, and begins to expand the power of the Asgardian empire without mercy. Along with Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and the ever-scheming Loki, Thor must return to Asgard and prevent Ragnarok, the prophesied end of the world.

Though the beginning of the film immediately sets the scene for a hilarious and action-packed ride, Ragnarok takes longer than it should to get to the main plot line. The first third of the movie, unfortunately, has to tie up loose ends from the previous Marvel films and does so by randomly (or conveniently) killing off numerous characters or just avoiding them altogether. While the exposition is necessary for the movie to make sense, some of the creative choices seem as though the writing team realized last minute two other films had preceded this one, and then scrambled to resolve all of the plot holes. 

Regardless, right from the first scene, Thor: Ragnarok is funny. It’s lighter and doesn’t take itself as seriously as the previous two films, and Hemsworth seems to be genuinely enjoying playing his character. The Aussie actor manages to make us genuinely like the God of Thunder, transforming the “most boring Avenger” into a smart, quick-witted hero we can all root for. Where Thor and The Dark World’s joke were few and often fell flat, Ragnarok relies on humor as its driving force, the constant dry snark proof of Waititi’s influence. Waititi himself serves as comic relief, playing Korg, a dumb but lovable creature also imprisoned on Sakaar.

While the constant humour does add a fresh and younger vibe to the film series, Ragnarok ultimately sacrifices substance for laughs. Though there are serious themes throughout, including death and the concept of homeland, meaningful moments are scarce, and dialogue almost always ends in a joke. In one of the film’s scenes, Thor and his estranged brother Loki examine their relationship to one another and Loki’s place in the world. The conversation, full of emotion and seeking to humanize the mischievous god, suddenly cuts short as the two brothers have to devise a plan to achieve one of their goals, the end result entirely humorous. The sudden shift in tone and mood leaves us wondering if the film is any different from other superhero comedies and their formulaic scripts and unceasing jokes. Yet what sets Ragnarok apart is that commitment to humor and, more importantly, unpretentiousness. The film is meant to be dorky and stupid, poking fun at the previous two Thor films while creating something better.

Substance or not, the supporting cast is phenomenal. Jeff Goldblum plays the debauched and seedy Grandmaster like he was born for it, striding around in flashy clothes as a heightened intergalactic version of the actor himself. Tessa Thompson’s casting again showcases Waititi’s influence, in choosing to replace the historically blonde and blue-eyed Valkyrie with a black woman. Thompson knocks it out of the park, providing a sexy, powerful, and memorable heroine in a series arguably devoid of one (strangely, neither Jane Foster or Sif make an appearance in the film). Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, an initially surprising addition to the film, not only serves as comic relief but also allows for exploration of Bruce Banner’s difficult and traumatic relationship with his alter ego. Cate Blanchett’s Hela, however, leaves something to be desired. Like most Marvel villains, she spends a large chunk of the movie delivering long monologues about her past and the general destruction of the world, stalling the plot as our heroes race to defeat her. The constant cuts between Thor’s adventures on Sakaar and Hela’s takeover weakens the film, and the focus on the film’s villain only perpetuates the issues that plagued the first two Thor films.

Though the film occasionally falls into the trappings of other Marvel movies, Thor: Ragnarok emerges as a unique, funny, and essential addition to the MCU, led by Taika Waititi’s quirky brilliance. The film isn’t the next Captain America: Winter Soldier (arguably Marvel’s darkest, grittiest movie), simply because it doesn’t want to be. Unpretentious, the film offers a geeky and fun comedy for Marvel fans, and in this regard, it passes with flying colors. 

Thor: Ragnarok is currently out in UK cinemas. Check out the trailer below: