Notes on films I’ve recently watched.

1917

Seen at the cinema. Very good but not quite on a par with 2017’s Dunkirk. Like all of these faux-low-cut films, I found myself distracted by looking for the seams between shots. Oddly, I found Cumberbatch’s depressed and nihilistic ‘Colonel Mackenzie’ the most affecting character; what must have it been like to know that you were going to order a good number of the men under your command to their deaths and that the only uncertainly was if it was going to be this week or next?

Bladerunner 2049

A home rewatch. Still very good and, out of the two Bladerunner films, my preferred one. The Harrison Ford segment still creeps up and surprises me by its presence. Better on a huge screen.

Cats

Seen at the cinema. A terrible film – disjointed, oddly paced and full of mushy, uncanny-valley visuals. If I squint really hard I can just about understand why someone might enjoy the stage musical but, having seen the film version, I am in no hurry to see it on the boards.

Jojo rabbit

Seen at the cinema. A well constructed dark comedy with a number of brave turns. As with ‘Under the Skin’ and ‘Lost in Translation’, Scarlett Johansson shows she can do far more than just stand around in a catsuit. It’s probably one that would survive the transition to a small screen without much loss.

Flash Gordon

A home rewatch of a cult classic. Still campy, cheesy fun with an excellent soundtrack. This is probably the first time I’ve seen it sober this millennium.

Masters of the Universe

A home rewatch. Better than I expected but still very much a product of it’s time – it’s certainly not high art. Both Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella ham it up well. I suspect that there’s a fun drinking game to be paired with it.