October 2022 Movies
Amsterdam
Comedy, Drama, History
Cast: Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington
Director: David O. Russell
Rating: MA 15+
Synopsis: The film is set in the 1930s and follows the story of three friends who were falsely accused of murder. In their search for the truth, the trio uncovers one of the most shocking plots in American History.
Reviews:
“If you loved Taylor Swift acting as part of a star ensemble in Cats but wished every single other thing about the movie was different, you might go cuckoo for Amsterdam.” – Flicks
“As for the leads, the best is John David Washington, who pursues a policy alien to his costars: less is more. His performance is cool, unruffled and his address to the camera is very seductively underplayed.” The Guardian
Don’t Worry Darling
Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Cast: Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine
Director: Olivia Wilde
Rating: M
Synopsis: It is the 1950s. A wife lives with her husband in an experimental town called Victory. Her husband works in a closely guarded facility whilst she takes care of their home. Everything is all that she could hope for until she discovers a crack in their idyllic paradise that makes her question what lies behind the perfect facade.
Reviews:
“‘Don’t Worry Darling’…takes a kind of “Stepford Wives” or “Truman Show” concept and reorients it with a potent #MeToo lens. All the ingredients are here for a powerful dystopic drama: Wilde, an ascendant filmmaker coming off her terrific debut, the 2019 teen comedy “Booksmart”; Florence Pugh, one of the most electric young actors working in film today; Harry Style’s pop presence; and some sensational mid-century modern production design thanks to Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann Desert House.” – The Associated Press
“Aesthetically, the film is incredibly pleasing. The sharp production design, gorgeous costumes and eclectic soundtrack brilliantly encapsulate the styles and trends of the 1950s, echoing the shallowness of the narrative and most of its characters. Leading the charge is the formidable Florence Pugh, who effortlessly conveys frustration, fear and determination in a domineering role that dissuades her from being pigeonholed into a somewhat cliché role.” – Flicks
Wog Boys Forever
Comedy
Cast: Nick Giannopoulos, Vince Colosimo, Sarah Roberts
Director: Frank Lotito
Rating: MA15+
Synopsis: Steve, the once infamous ‘Wog Boy,’ is now in his mid-life years, still single and working as a taxi driver. His life started to get complicated when the Minister for Immigration sought to exact revenge on him for destroying their late mother’s political career 20 years ago.
Reviews:
“The film is fearless in its ethnic representation and holds racism firmly in its grips, at times challenging stereotypes whilst simultaneously embracing them to earn the resounding laughter and applause of the audience.” – Greek Herald
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Comedy, Drama
Cast: Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert, Lambert Wilson
Director: Anthony Fabian
Rating: CTC
Synopsis: A heart-warming comedy about a cleaning lady in the 1950s who fell in love with her client’s Christian Dior gown. So she decided to pull her money and travel to Paris so she could buy her dream gown. Will she end up getting the dress?
Reviews:
“Director Anthony Fabian maximises a relatively meagre $13m budget, whisking us back to a modestly yet effectively realised recreation of 50s London and Paris, giving his film a cosy glow but with a bittersweet edge that prevents it all from fading into a puff of sugar. It’s an edge that cuts deepest in the last act which places Mrs Harris, and us, back in the real world, returning from a vacation to realise that the cruelty of life remains. Mrs Harris and her journey to Paris might not be one that stays with you for very long – one’s memory of the film might be as fleeting as her trip – but it’s so far the best escape many of us will have had this summer.” – The Guardian
“Director Anthony Fabian has made a broad and cheery snowglobe of a film. Exactly how the happy ending will arrive is given a teasing question mark. That it will is not in doubt. It takes nous to make a movie this sweet without rotting your teeth, and to say so much with just the look of things.” – Financial Times
Halloween Ends
Horror, Thriller
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Kyle Richards, Will Patton
Director: David Gordon Green
Rating: MA15+
Synopsis: It has been four years since Laurie’s last encounter with Michael Myers and she has been living a peaceful life with her granddaughter. Until a young man was accused of murdering a boy he was babysitting and a slew of violence and terror followed that set the stage for the final showdown.
Reviews:
“There’s a poignant, flickering montage of Jamie Lee’s ultimate final girl throughout the ages, resulting in the gray-haired “trauwma” survivor we know and love today. In their epic present-day kitchen battle, Myers almost jams her hand in a garbage disposal, but she manages to wrench it away to stab his own hand with a hefty butcher knife. Nice.” – Flicks
Black Adam
Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Cast: Viola Davis, Dwayne Johnson, Sarah Shahi
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Rating: M
Synopsis: Nearly 5,000 years later Black Adam is now free after being imprisoned for abusing the mighty powers that were given to him by the ancient gods. Coming out of his earthly tomb, he is now ready to unleash his unique form of justice in the modern world.
Reviews:
Bros
Comedy, Romance
Cast: Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane, Guillermo Díaz
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Rating: CTC
Synopsis: A romantic comedy about a totally opposite gay couple who met at a club and the struggles they have to go through to find love.
Reviews:
“It’s big and clever in a way that so few films of this scale are these days – a pleasure to be shepherded through the easy motions of a romantic comedy by people who know what they’re doing for once, and manages to walk a difficult tightrope without falling, despite the heft of baggage. It might not be The Gay Film We Need Right Now (is anything worthy of that title?) but it’ll be one that many of us will want instead.” – The Guardian
“While most of the characters are underdeveloped, Eichner’s razor-sharp wit and caustic humor shines through in the dialogue and situational comedy as he skewers many aspects of gay dating culture, from Grindr hookups to obsessive gym usage to group sex.” – Roger Ebert
Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia
Animation, Adventure, Family
Cast: Gedeon Burkhard(voice), François Goeske, Rick Kavanian(voice)
Director: Adam Gunn
Rating: PG
Synopsis: Follow Mia and her crew as they set out on a magical adventure to the farthest islands of Centopia to face the monstrous evil toad, Toxor, who threatens the Unicorn World.
Reviews:
The Woman King
Action, Drama, History
Cast: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Rating: CTC
Synopsis: Set in the 1800s, this historical epic follows the story of Gen. Nanisca and the Agojie – an all-female group of warriors – who fought for their kingdom of Dahomey against a foreign enemy who threatened their peace and way of life.
Reviews:
“Viola Davis dominates the screen, leading an equally powerful ensemble cast in the historical drama The Woman King. Stocky and stacked, her formidable and intense presence is riveting to watch. This star-turn as a ruthless warrior is just another jewel in the almost sixty-year-old’s crown of acclaimed and award-winning roles on stage and screen.” – Film Ink
“Filled with superb performances from a top-flight cast, with an underrated director in total command of her craft and a surprisingly nuanced screenplay, The Woman King is what we say we want from the industry. It’s just terrific entertainment.” – Forbes
Barbarian
Horror, Thriller
Cast: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, Justin Long
Director: Zach Cregger
Rating: CTC
Synopsis: With no other place to spend the evening, a woman decides to stay at a rental home despite discovering that the place was already double booked. What happened next was totally unexpected and frightening.
Reviews:
“…for however straightforward his pathways can sometimes feel for his characters, Cregger does very well with the disquieting darkness that envelops them, and which especially comes from seeing a wild movie like this in the theater. The swaths of pitch-black in “Barbarian” are no fun to stare at, and your heart rate may agree.” Roger Ebert
“‘Barbarian’ regularly suckers you into letting your guard down because it earns your suspension of disbelief throughout, and then winds up being exactly as upsetting and mean as it needs to be. Once it gets going, ‘Barbarian’ does not let up, despite its many narrative digressions and tonal shifts. This may be Cregger’s first horror feature, but it hopefully won’t be his last.” – The Wrap
