Film Roundup

Hello, and welcome to the Geeky Brummie film roundup! Every Thursday we take you through the films that are hitting the cinemas in the next week to help you decide what you want to watch. There’s a big batch of releases this week, presumably to get a bit of screen time before a certain sequel rides a giant sandworm through the cinemas next week.

Usual disclaimer: unless otherwise stated, I haven’t seen these films. All of my opinions are based on trailers, early reviews and other rumours and buzz.

Wicked Little Letters

I have been looking forward to Wicked Little Letters for a long time. Olivia Coleman and Jess Buckley – each of whom would be a good enough reason to watch a film on their own – finding inventive ways to swear at each other is a recipe for greatness. I went to a preview earlier this week and it didn’t quite live up to my expectations, but it was still a lot of fun.

Tonally the film is a slightly mixed bag. The humour veers between cartoonishly silly (especially any scenes involving Hugh Skinner’s Constable Papperwick or Joanna Scanlan’s egg-loving Ann) and more adult (especially when it embraces the sweary set-up). Both work, but the sudden swinging between the two can feel a little jarring.

The two lead actresses are every bit as excellent as you would expect them to be. Coleman plays Edith Swan, a devout Christian living with her parents, who relishes the attention she gets for being the target of the titular letters. The film, and Coleman, do a great job of portraying her as someone who wants to be having more fun than she’s allowed – her repressed personality is bubbling away below the surface and occasionally bursts through. Buckley’s character Rose is the complete opposite – someone who relishes every aspect of the freedom she’s forged for herself, but allows herself enough moments of maturity to make sure her daughter is well cared for. The other casting highlight is Timothy Spall, who makes a surprisingly terrifying villain as Edith’s controlling father.

There is a lot to enjoy with this film, and I think everyone will find at least some of it very funny (although which parts will depend on your sense of humour). Definitely worth a watch, mainly for the two central performances.

• Wicked Little Letters on IMDB
• Wicked Little Letters on Rotten Tomatoes

Perfect Days

This sounds like a very sweet film about a man in Japan who cleans toilets. I don’t know much about the plot, but I don’t get the impression there is much of one – this is more about the beauty and comfort of a daily routine. The reviews I’ve read have all been very positive and full of praise for lead actor Kōji Yakusho. This is what I think of as a hot chocolate movie – warm, comforting and inoffensive, and something to enjoy at the end of a stressful day. 

• Perfect Days on IMDB
• Perfect Days on Rotten Tomatoes

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To The Hashira Training

Almost certainly not a hot chocolate movie, our next pick is Demon Slayer – To The Hashira Training. I have not seen the anime or earlier films, but I know this is an incredibly popular franchise among those who have. The 2020 Demon Slayer movie Mugen Train took Spirited Away’s title as the highest grossing movie in Japan, and was in fact the highest grossing film in the world that year. 

If you are already a fan of the franchise, you are probably already hyped for this one. If not, films based on anime series tend to assume their audience is familiar with the characters and concept so this might not be the best introduction to the world of Demon Slayer. The anime is available on Netflix if you fancy the film and want to do the homework, though – if its popularity is any reflection of its quality then it may well be worth the effort.

• Demon Slayer – To The Hashira Training on IMDB
• Demon Slayer – To The Hashira Training on Rotten Tomatoes

The Taste of Things

I have seen the trailer for The Taste of Things a few times now, and it tends to make me hungry more than it makes me particularly want to see the film. Dodin (Benoit Magimel) is a gourmet chef who has an on-off relationship with a cook in his employ, Eugénie (Juliette Binoche). This sounds pretty light on plot but beautifully shot – like a really long M&S advert. It hasn’t had any Oscar nominations, which is surprising because it looks like the sort of thing the Academy would normally eat right up. All in all, it looks pretty great if you like slow burning arty films or generally if you’re a bit of a Francophile (it’s French people in a rustic country setting eating fancy food and being romantic – possibly the Frenchest French film to ever French) – just make sure you bring a snack…

• The Taste of Things on IMDB
• The Taste of Things on Rotten Tomatoes

Memory

Memory tells the story of Jessica Chastain’s Sylvia, who is followed home from a school reunion by Saul (Peter Sarsgaard) who suffers from dementia. It sounds like a very emotional character study of two troubled people making a connection, and from what I’ve read it uses interesting filmmaking techniques to portray Saul’s dementia and play with its titular concept. Jessica Chastain is a very dependable actor and the reviews have been very positive of her and Sarsgaard’s performances. I haven’t heard all that much about this one but it sounds like it could be very good, if a little sad.

• Memory on IMDB
• Memory on Rotten Tomatoes

American Star

The final film on our list this week is another one that I’ve heard very little about, but looks like it could be fun. Ian McShane plays a hitman sent to Fuerteventura, only to find that his target is delayed, leaving him to explore and fall in love with the island. McShane elevates everything he’s in, and the concept here gives a lot of scope for some nice picturesque shots of Spanish beaches and villas so it should look very pretty. In a long list of releases this probably won’t be a top priority, but if you manage to find the time for it then it looks like an enjoyable way to kill a couple of hours.

• American Star on IMDB
• American Star on Rotten Tomatoes

If you only see one film this week…

Arguably not as well made as some of the other new releases this week, but almost certainly a lot more fun and with some great performances from the lead duo, my film of the week is Wicked Little Letters.

Still in cinemas and worth a watch

• The Iron Claw
• Bob Marley: One Love
• All Of Us Strangers

Which of these films are you most looking forward to? What did you think if you have seen any of them already? Let us know in the comments!