Flora and Son | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

A film that’ll have your toes tapping and your heart singing, Flora and Son is another music filled delight from John Carney. Led by a trio of wonderful performances and filled with catchy original songs, I dare you not to fall just a little bit in love with this one.

The movie revolves around the turbulent relationship between Flora and Max (Eve Hewson and Oren Kinlan) - a mother and son who rarely see eye to eye. In an attempt to better herself, Flora takes up online guitar lessons, and forms a meaningful connection with her teacher, Jack (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). It’s an uplifting story about self-worth, self-discovery, and finding unlikely common ground where you least expect it.

Hewson is absolutely wonderful, bringing a lot of warmth to such a blunt and opinionated character. You can tell she’s been through some hardships, and it’s led to her putting up walls when it comes to her relationships in life. Kinlan is the match to her fuse, with the two of them constantly going head to head in explosive shouting matches. It’s heartbreaking stuff, but you can still feel love between them despite their bitter demeanours. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is incredibly charming, playing his role with such patience and compassion. The back and forth, contrasting chemistry between Jack and Flora is a total joy to watch.

Of course, the music is a character of its own, playing such a huge role in the lives of these three people. John Carney obviously has a passionate understanding of the music industry and that shines through brilliantly here. You almost feel as if you’re a part of the lessons yourself. Hearing and seeing the small improvements with each passing session will surely inspire some viewers to take up guitar themselves after the credits roll. The songs and lyrics are beautiful on their own, but the creative way they’re filmed makes them truly magical.

Flora and Son is another winning musical showcase for John Carney. It’s a relatively familiar story, elevated by the magic of music, and brought to life through three wonderful performances. What’s not to like?

4/5

Review by: Benjamin Garrett

Boss Level Film Review

Boss Level is a new addition to the time loop genre, with a twist. Ex-special forces officer, Roy Pulver, played by Frank Grillo, relives the same day until he dies. Every day he is hunted by assassins and when killed, he wakes up back in his bed where he started, only to have to try and survive all over again. Roy has no idea why he is stuck in this infinite time loop but he must do what he can to survive, and the longer he survives, the more he uncovers about his particular situation. Unlike most action films that take time to build up, this film gets right into it and offers tons of non-stop combat sequences that would satisfy any lover of action films. Its erratic flow makes for some fun action scenes which come out of nowhere since Roy can expect the assassins to attack at any moment. If you play video games often and have ever been stuck on a level for hours or even days, you know the feeling of having to repeat the same thing over and over again u...

Godzilla vs. Kong Film Review

Godzilla versus Kong is the action movie we have been longing for since all major blockbuster films pushed back their release dates. After three solo films between Kong and Godzilla, we finally see the two titans clash on film for the first time in what is the culmination of the Universal Monsterverse. The story is split nicely in two as team Kong and team Godzilla each have their own mission. Team Kong is on a secret mission to the center of the earth to uncover the mystery of the titans. This team consists of Dr. Nathan, Dr. Ilene, Maia, and the Youngest character in the film, Jia. Team Godzilla consists of Madison, Josh, and Bernie who are also on a secret mission, to infiltrate Apex Cybernetics with the theory that they are up to no good and are the reason why Godzilla has been acting up recently. The dynamics of the teams are well balanced as the Kong story provides us with serious and more action-heavy bits in contrast to the Apex team story that ...

5Lb of Pressure | Review by: Gaius Bolling

5lbs of Pressure doesn't add anything new to the crime thriller genre but that's not to be meant as a detriment. By hitting on familiar beats, with the help of top-notch performances, writer/director Phil Allocco taps into what makes these films work. This is a tale of redemption and how being a product of your environment can shape you for better or worse. It's a story told across many films but that doesn't mean that Allocco's lens isn't still profoundly tragic and gripping. It's the sense of familiarity that makes the film work and as it reaches its tension-filled climax, anxiety hits a high hoping that the characters won't end up in an all too familiar outcome. Seeking redemption is Adam (Luke Evans). He's an ex-con, now sober, who is finishing his last month of probation for committing a crime that will continue to have a ripple effect through his life, even though he would like to leave it behind. He's attempting to forge a relationship w...

1st Reviews

Search This Blog