Tag: film criticism

‘Last Night in Soho’: The Interesting Genre-Bending Film from Edgar Wright

Posted on by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho works well to craft a film that just hits its mark as it juggles a lot to present a cohesive film.

CREDIT: Focus Features

3.5/5

Edgar Wright is back on the silver screen after his Academy Award-nominated film, Baby Driver. Yes, it has been four years since the last time we saw something new from the English director known for films such as Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Last Night in Soho like a lot of films released this year was supposed to be released last year but after two delays it finally graced the silver screen. Does this rank up there with the rest of his films? How does the latest Edgar Wright movie stack up against his filmography?

Last Night in Soho is directed by Edgar Wright from a script by Wright and Krysty Wilson-Cairns based on a story by Wright himself. The film stars Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, Michael Ajao, Terence Stamp, and Diana Rigg. The film follows Ellie played by McKenzie, as a young adult who lost her mother at a young age going off to fashion school to become a designer in London. Ellie is in love with the music and overall design of the ’60s. She does not really seem to fit in at her dormitory with the other housemates so she seeks out a new living arrangement. Ellie finds herself at a new flat in London that takes her on a journey of visions of 60’s London and an aspiring singer, Sandie. Thus, after an exploration of these visions things start to spiral out of control.

Last Night in Soho works most of the time when it is not juggling a convoluted third act and uneven pacing. The film is shot by Chung Chung-hoon who is well known for collaborating with South Korean auteur, Park Chan-wook. The cinematography works for the film and what it is doing but having someone like Chung-hoon as DP you’d think that it would have more style to it. The performances are fine but of course, Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy give some well nuanced and interesting performances. The story is interesting and Wright trying to bend genres like horror, Giallo, and a drama together makes for an interesting film but it falls under the weight of a lackluster second half. The film explores important themes about the personal agency of victims that deserve their own separate conversation. I commend Wright on basing this part of the film on many victims’ stories that he talked to. If it did not have many problems like its script then this would be another hit from Edgar Wright, but I still recommend people go watch this. It is still very much an Edgar Wright film and fans of that will be satisfied.

Watch Last Night in Soho in theatres and will be available soon on PVOD.

The Nerd Corps #457: ‘Dune’ Review

Posted on by The Nerd Corps in Podcasts

Let the spice flow. These nerds finally sit down to talk about Dune (2021) and this time they are joined by Luis our writer here at The Nerd Corps! The crew talk about the performances, scope, score, and much more about the film. What did they think about this monumental film? Listen and find out!

IMDb Synopsis: “Feature adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel, about the son of a noble family entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.”

‘No Time to Die’: A Stunning Conclusion to the Daniel Craig Bond Era

Posted on by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

No Time to Die wraps our current Bond era well enough as we say farewell to the films of Daniel Craig.

CREDIT: MGM Studios

4/5

It is finally here after several delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We can finally say that we have watched the final Daniel Craig James Bond performance. Of course, I went to the movie theater for this one and watched it on Cinemark’s awesome XD format. I had my large Coke Zero Sugar along with my large popcorn and I sat on a comfy sat as I enjoyed a movie that I had lost investment in. Yes, that is right I had lost interest in this film because of these constant delays. A long time ago during a time called pre pandemic times this movie was on my most anticipated of 2020 film list. Of course, most of the movies found on the list did not release that year but unlike Dune that has held my interest this one did not keep me “hyped” through its multiple delays. I think that it helped that I was not over the roof excited for this film because this was a pleasant surprise.

This 25th installment of the Bond franchise is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (Sin Nombre, Beasts of No Nation, True Detective) and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Fukunaga, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve). The film stars an ensemble cast of Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, and Ralph Fiennes. Of course, we know that our road to this film has been bumpy. Originally, this film was set to be directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire) from a script written by him and John Hodge then they left in August of 2018 because of creative differences. Production started in 2019 and Fukunaga replaced Boyle but then Daniel Craig was injured. Once production started again then in June of 2019 an explosion happened that damaged a soundstage damaged and left a crew member with minor injuries. Production wrapped in 2019 and then the pandemic hit in 2020 so we had multiple delays of the film until it finally released in the United States on October 8th. Was it worth the wait? I definitely think that it was.

I quite enjoyed No Time to Die from its stunning cinematographer by Linus Sandgren to the performances and story beats. Of course, Hans Zimmer always does a great job and this score is no different. The story is interesting enough to keep yourself locked in, but I felt there could have been edits made to its runtime of 163 minutes. The film does not need to be this long but I understand we want to soak in as much time we can with Daniel Craig’s final performance as James Bond. Seydoux does a great job reprising her character from Spectre and the chemistry with Craig is there through it all. Malek plays an interesting villain that really gets under the skin of Bond. I did not expect them to do as great as a job they did with his villain but I was surprised at how much his character was well developed. The performances from everyone else were good too but it was Lashana Lynch who truly surprised me and left me wanting more from her. I’m crossing my fingers that we get her back in some sort of role in the next films or as our next iteration of Bond. Ana De Armas’ presence is small but enjoyable, I just wish they would have done more with her.

Other than those minor gripes, No Time to Die beautifully wraps up this era of the Bond films. I love how we feel the presence and the unresolved trauma of the past films in this one. It feels like everything from Casino Royale to Spectre served a purpose to make this version of James Bond we see. It was tough to walk out of this one knowing it was Craig’s final Bond performance but the film does it justice. I am eager to see what this new era of Bond films will bring to the table.

Watch No Time to Die in theaters everywhere.

The Nerd Corps #453: ‘Possession’ Review

Posted on by The Nerd Corps in Podcasts

Raul and Brad continue on with their horror month here on The Nerd Corps podcast. This week they are taking it back to the early 80’s! They sit down and discuss the cult classic, Possession. These nerds definitely have a lot to say about this film so you want to listen to this one. What did they think? Check the episode out to find out!

IMDb Synopsis: “A woman starts exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce. Suspicions of infidelity soon give way to something much more sinister.”

NashFilm52: ‘Clean Slate’ Review

Posted on by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Festival Coverage, Reviews

Clean Slate is a brutally honest documentary film that presents the difficulties of being an addict and trying to make a film.

Courtesy of NashFilm

Art is a reflection of us as humans. It is a reflection of the human condition whatever that means to you. I believe that art needs to be honest and it needs to speak your truth. That is when, in my opinion, art works best and creates something that is extraordinary. These are all things I try to follow as I continue on my journey as a filmmaker. It is not easy though, all of this comes with a certain amount of vulnerability. Some people are not ready to pour themselves out to people and that is completely fine. Clean Slate does all of this well and creates a very personal documentary about recovery and the production process.

Clean Slate directed by Jared Callahan and starring Cassidy Detmer and Joshua Litton looks at these two Southern friends who are in a recovery program and trying to film their passion project, a short film called On The Fence. Their short film covers the pain they have caused their families through their long fight with substance abuse. We are presented to our filmmakers through their ups and downs. We examine their fight with their mental illnesses. All of this is done without being sugar coated and it is very personal. This film is a masterclass of the documentary filmmaking medium.

Clean Slate is incredible in every sense of the word. It is honest, patient, and not afraid to show the sides that we do not want to talk about. We care about our protagonists from the get go and want to see them succeed. That optimism is what also takes us through the rollercoaster of a journey, but there is a constant through it all. Film is our constant, the passion to want to continue making this short film even when things are at an all time low. That very passion is what keeps us moving forward and this film expresses the importance of having something to look forward to in life to fight our battles.

You are going to definitely want to watch this one when it eventually releases because I know that I already want to watch it again.