Archive for reviews

Film Review – If I had Legs I’d Kick You

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , on November 14, 2025 by Reel Review Roundup

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (MA)

Directed by: Mary Bronstein

Starring: Rose Byrne, Conan O’Brien

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Review by: Julian Wright

Linda’s (Rose Byrne) life is utter chaos at the moment.

She is a full-time therapist, her young daughter is being fed through a tube into her stomach and needs constant medical attention, her husband Charles (Christian Slater) is working out of town, and the ceiling in their apartment has just collapsed forcing them to live in a motel.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Linda is barely keeping it together – she displays the patience of a saint around her demanding child, but at night she retreats with a bottle of wine and a joint to disassociate.

Not even her therapist/colleague (Conan O’Brien) seems equipped to help.

The first thing you might do after watching If I Had Legs…is book a holiday because it feels like you have been on this exhausting rollercoaster blur of life events with Linda.

Director Mary Bronstein keeps the level of hectic consistently high, keeping the viewer on the verge of a a panic attack.

Linda is juggling so many balls in the air, it is just a matter of time until something has to give, right?

It isn’t just that a lot of things are going on in a short period of time, we are feeling how this impacts a person and how they deal (or not deal) with it.

It is all so scarily relatable.

Rose Byrne is astounding, her frustration and desperation always just bubbling under the surface as the fatigue slowly sets in and her eyes get heavier.

Just keeping up the level of energy required to film this is impressive in itself, fortunately she is skilled enough to bring levels of nuance to the performance.

The trippy interludes around the giant hole in the ceiling are a slight detour that cements its arthouse cinema status and are not entirely necessary.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick you is highly recommended viewing.

Not recommended is watching this in a double feature with Die My Love – give the two some breathing room.

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Film Review – The Long Walk

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , on September 10, 2025 by Reel Review Roundup

The Long Walk (MA)

Directed by: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Judy Greer

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Review by: Julian Wright

A group of desperate young men walk, talk and trauma bond in this tense and moving adaptation of a Stephen King novel.

In a dystopian, post-war America, the only hope for wealth young men have is to enter into an annual walking competition.

Sounds simple enough, but there is no set finish line – it is a walk cross-country to the death.

The men must maintain a certain speed and anyone who slows down or cops three warnings is shot on the spot.

Those left keep walking until there is one man standing.

Raymond Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) signs up and is dropped off at the starting point by his single mum Ginnie (Judy Greer).

He is immediately drawn to fellow competitor Peter McVries (David Jonsson) and the two get along like a house on fire, and quickly form a close camaraderie with a handful of other competitors.

Bonds form and motivations are revealed, which makes it even more devastating when they begin to meet their fate one buy one.

Who knew walking and talking could be so intense?

The Long Walk puts you through the gamut of emotions as we witness these likable characters trauma bond and develop deep connections with their competitors while fighting off the inevitable.

There are moments that are amusing, thought-provoking and downright shocking, and you will find yourself tearing up at least twice.

What is nice about this story is that the majority of these characters do not start out antagonistic despite being in competition with each other – they enter into this scenario with humility – an important tactic to ensure they are endearing to the audience.

This is one of the best depictions of male bonding on film with these young men allowed to be seen as sensitive and vulnerable.

Director Francis Lawrence has assembled a terrific cast of mostly unknowns – there is not a single weak link among them.

And in his dedication to realism, his adaptation doesn’t shy away from certain realities and how the men handle them – particularly bathroom breaks, which adds to the unflinching experience.

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Film Review – F1

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , on June 25, 2025 by Reel Review Roundup

F1 (M)

Directed by: Joseph Kosinski

Starring: Brad Pitt, Jarvier Bardem

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Review by: Julian Wright

“Someone call the 1990s…” a commentator says during a thrilling racing montage – an appropriate line in this loving throwback to action films of the era that had the formula down to a T.

Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is a retired F1 race car driver whose heyday is long in the past (by about 30 years).

These days he lives out of a van and gambles in his spare time – of which he has plenty.

When his old mate/former F1 competitor Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) is about to lose $350 million on his team of racers, he recruits Sonny to help get them a win.

With nothing to lose, Sonny joins the team, but there is immediate tension between the has-been and young hotshot Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), and the two teammates clash over how to claim the top spot.

Meanwhile, sparks fly between Sonny and the team’s technical director Kat (Kerry Condon), who tries her best, despite his charms, to keep things professional (spoiler alert – she loses).

This Ehren Kruger scripted, Joseph Kosinski directed, and Jerry Bruckheimer produced film takes all the best and most entertaining elements of a 90s action film and repurposes them for a new audience.

With just enough plot and character outlines to hook us in, it is fuelled purely by star appeal (Pitt has never oozed more charisma), bouts of bristling banter and thrilling action sequences.

It walks that fine line of the perfect amount of plot, character development and story complications so that there is just enough substance to keep us interested, but not too much that we get bogged down and distracted from the action.

If it wasn’t for the technical advances in filmmaking, one could have easily mistaken this for a 90s video shop staple.

Kosinski gets the audience out on the track in innovative new ways, mounting the camera on the cars, and spinning them 180 degrees for a dynamic point of view among the action.

And jaw-droppingly, none of these high-stakes races appear CGI assisted.

Don’t know the first thing about F1 racing? Or any car racing in general?

No problem – F1 takes care to ensure audience members that don’t even know the difference between an automatic and a manual can still follow along, even when it pops into fourth gear.

Everything clicks in to place to deliver a hugely entertaining popcorn film in the best way.

This is the quintessential crowd-pleaser.

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Film Review – A Minecraft Movie

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , on April 4, 2025 by Reel Review Roundup

A Minecraft Movie (PG)

Directed by: Jared Hess

Starring: Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Review by: Julian Wright

Hollywood hunk Jason Momoa and funny-man Jack Black team up for a big screen adaptation of a video game – with pleasantly surprising results.

When bored office worker Steve (Jack Black) finds a magical glowing blue cube that opens a portal to another world, he steps in and starts exploring.

He falls in love with the endless imagination and creativity that this cubic world offers (everyhting from buildings to people and nature have a block-like appearance), closes the portal with the cube hidden under his bed (he admits, a lousy hiding spot) and never returns home.

Years later and in his hometown, the washed-up video arcade competition champion Garrett (Jason Momoa), siblings Henry (Sebastian Hansen) and Natalie (Emma Myers) and quirky real estate agent Dawn (Danielle Brooks) find the cube and enter this other world.

Together, they must navigate the world, their new-found capabilities, battle local villain Malgosha (voiced by Rachel House) and get back home.

There are definite Jumanji vibes about A Minecraft Movie, and the internal logic of the cubic world was unclear – at one point, Natalie utters “This place makes no sense” and honestly, she wasn’t wrong.

But when the laughs are so consistent, the cast is engaging and the action a pleasant distraction, it is easy to overlook the convolutions.

Momoa and Black bring a lot of charm to their block-head roles, with Momoa in particular thriving in his “The Rock does comedy” era.

Jennifer Coolidge is utterly delightful, delivering some of the biggest laughs (if you are a fan of her style of comedy, and it seems lately, many of us are), in a completely superfluous B-plot that could be easily removed and have no impact on the film.

The film zips along at a great pace so to avoid boring young ones and game fans – the frenetic action pausing only on occasion to reiterate that creativity is good and should be encouraged, nurtured and supported (positive message – check).

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Film Review – Conclave

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , on December 23, 2024 by Reel Review Roundup

Conclave (MA)

Directed by: Edward Berger

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Review by: Julian Wright

Conclave pulls back the curtain on one of the biggest, but most secretive, processes in history – finding a new Pope.

When the Pope dies in his bed, the wheels are put immediately in motion to find his replacement.

Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with leading the process, with candidates coming from all over the world in hopes to take the coveted spot.

There are the obvious front-runners, but as the competition heats up and the votes start rolling in, motivations are questioned, policies are feared and past indiscretions are revealed.

Conclave is a riveting drama that is handled like a slow-burn thriller, as layers are pulled away on the key characters, which raise suspicions.

Fiennes delivers a beautifully controlled performance, leading us through this fascinating, yet scandal-filled process, each twist testing the reluctant Cardinal.

Speaking of twists, the wallop delivered at the end is one for the ages, but more than simply there for shock value, it forces you to re-assess everything that has come before it and look at it through another perspective.

Just when you think you have a handle on what Conclave has to say about religion and progressiveness, the final twist brings with it a much more evocative and thought-provoking situation.

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Film Review – Paddington in Peru

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , on December 23, 2024 by Reel Review Roundup

Paddington in Peru (G)

Directed by: Dougal Wilson

Starring: Ben Wishaw, Emily Mortimer, Olivia Colman

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Review by: Julian Wright

The Marmalade-loving bear discovers his roots in an overseas adventure, but the hijinks don’t quite hit the heights of the previous two films.

When Paddington receives a letter from his Aunty Lucy, he and the Brown family decide to visit her at the Home for Retired Bears in Peru.

When they arrive, they discover she has actually disappeared, and must track her down through the Amazon jungle in a greater adventure than they planned.

Along the way, they meet a collection of quirky characters including Reverend Mother (a scene-stealing Olivia Colman) and treasure hunter Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas), who may or may not be trusty allies.

It is always a joy to see the gentle and sweet Paddington on the big screen, again, perfectly voiced by Ben Wishaw. He is so beautifully realised by the creative team and his presence is always so heartwarming.

Unfortunately, his latest adventure is lacking.

The absence of writer/director Paul King is noticeable – his films tackled themes like immigration which gave them weight.

Here, Dougal Wilson has stepped into the director’s chair working with a story about family and discovering your roots, which just doesn’t have the same urgency or edge.

The pacing this time around is also skewed – there are some action packed sequences, but they are bridged with long, slow stretches that could test the patience of youngsters.

Come for Paddington but stay for Colman, who is the brightest spark in a cast of actors struggling to make their mark (the Brown children are always there, but don’t actually do much.)

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Film Review – Force of Nature: The Dry 2

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , on February 14, 2024 by Reel Review Roundup

Force of Nature: The Dry 2 (M)

Directed by: Robert Connolly

Starring: Eric Bana, Anna Torv, Deborra-Lee Furness

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Review by: Julian Wright

Federal Agent Aaron Falk swaps the outback for the rainforest to solve another mystery that hits a little too close to home.

When a group of women on a corporate team bonding hike return minus one, a search is immediately dipatched.

Turns out the missing woman is the pushy Alice (Anna Torv), who has made enemies with everyone in her team at one point, and is also an informant for Agent Falk.

With a heavy sense of responsibility, a familiarity with the region and need to get the vital information he needs for a prosecution, Agent Falk joins the investigation, despite it being out of his jurisdiction.

Did Alice meet with foul play out in the wilderness? Everyone on her team certainly had a possible motive for her to never return.

Star power goes a long way in this consistently intriguing, but often low-key to the point of being a glorified television scale mini-series mystery.

Bana and Torv lead a knock-out cast of supporting performers; this is one of the best ensembles in an Australian film for quite some time.

Connolly is adept at building a solid mystery, but is unable to recapture the palpable tension of The Dry 1 a couple of years ago.

And yet, I would not say “no” to a third Falk mystery.

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