Weekend Reviews Episode #10

By Adam Ray Palmer

This feature does exactly what it says in the title. Some reviews of films, from over the weekend – basically.
 
No matter the genre, nor the year… I basically watch a streaming service, or a DVD, and do a little bite-sized reviews for you to agree or disagree to.

Out of the three, let me know which film you prefer!

OUR IDIOT BROTHER
Anything that stars Paul Rudd and Zooey Deschanel has our curiosity, but when you add a dog into the fray; you have attention. Our Idiot Brother is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Jesse Peretz that didn’t really get a whole lot of showing around the world on release. I know in the UK for instance, it was limited. I had been meaning to catch this film for some time and over the past weekend, it was finally ticked off.
 
Our Idiot Brother centres on an idealist (Paul Rudd) who barges into the lives of his three sisters (Zooey Deschanel, Elizabeth Banks and Emily Mortimer) with very little warning, but lots of big mishaps. What ensues is nothing really original, but still heart-warming on the whole. Our Idiot Brother is a straight-down the middle of the pack movie. It doesn’t try to be anything too ambitious, but on the same spin, it ebbs and flows in entertainment.
 
Cineroom’s rating: 3 stars

HACKSAW RIDGE
This is a powerful film, and to me, Andrew Garfield is everything here. Hacksaw Ridge is a 2016 biographical war film directed by Mel Gibson and written by Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan, based on the 2004 documentary The Conscientious Objector. The narrative follows World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss (Garfield), who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people, and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.
 
At the Oscars 2017, I really thought Andrew Garfield had a chance at the statuette for ‘Best Actor’. Don’t get me wrong, this film is brilliant elsewhere too, from the script to the epic battle scenes that pack as much punch as they do emotion; but there is something just magnetic about Garfield’s innocent and fragile performance. He plays his role so subtly and nuanced, really connecting with the screenplay and audiences alike. I just feel he deserved more recognition – a top movie.
 
Cineroom’s rating: 5 stars

GREASE
Our final mini review in this edition is not only from over 40 years ago, but possibly the best musical ever… *cough* it’s actually second to La La Land but close *cough. Grease follows good girl Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John) and greaser Danny Zuko (John Travolta) who fall in love over the summer. When they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, the pressures of education and ‘being cool’ could hinder their chances of rekindling their romance.
 
SPOILER ALERT… it doesn’t. This is such a beauty of film with killer scenes throughout. The Greasing Lightening sequence is a highlight, as well as the Beauty School Dropout scene; but the one for me has to be the rock n roll dance night. The cinematography and directing of this sequence in particular is expertly intricate and a marvel to watch. From start to finish, Grease is a joy to behold. It’s an absolute classic that deserves to be watched at least once a year. Maybe even twice.
 
Cineroom’s rating: 5 stars