Tag: uk

I declare that my whole life shall be devoted to your service. “The Queen” (2006)

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directed by Stephen Frears
© 2006 Pathé Distribution. All Rights Reserved.

I guess you’re not surprised to see this film being recommended today. Considering the situation, I’ve decided to dedicate today’s post to the Queen and “The Queen”. If you haven’t seen it yet, I believe now is a perfect moment to catch up on that. The film isn’t a typical biopic, as it presents only a short period of Queen Elizabeth II reign, the year 1997 to be precise. Those who haven’t been born back then may not remember – it was the year of Princess Diana’s tragic accident, and that’s exactly where we begin the film. Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) and her new Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) have to manage the unpleasant situation. The whole story about the monarchy of the UK is quite complex, but shortly speaking – Diana wasn’t respected by the Royal Family, but at the same time she was the mother of a future king, so after her death it was difficult to decide how to react. They couldn’t treat it as an official royal death, but at the same time people were expecting the Royal Family to show respect. I find this film fascinating because it presented those events from the perspective of the Queen and partially Prime Minister. Perhaps we’ll never find out what was actually taking place in the Buckingham Palace, but this film reminded me that we should always consider both sides of everything. As much as Diana had some conflict with the Royal Family and her own reasons to leave them, they also had their own reasons to push her away. Maybe for us it was easier to sympathise with Diana as she was similar to us, ordinary people. However, when you’re a monarch, you have to follow certain rules, protocols, which isn’t easy either. So even if you may feel like doing something, you always have to remember about who you are and how your actions will be judged by others. I’m absolutely amazed by Helen Mirren for playing the role of the Queen (for which she was awarded an Oscar and many other) as she presented her in a very authentic way. I didn’t feel like I was watching a biography about a monarch, I felt like I was watching a story about a woman, who has to do her job and does it the best she can. A woman, who has to find compromises and get used to new expectations. A woman, who sometimes has to do things against her own will. A woman, who seems incredibly strong, yet deep inside she’s constantly questioning. And I believe that’s exactly how we shall remember Queen Elizabeth II. May she rest in peace.

My rating: 7/10
S.

It takes a certain kind of mindset. “Thirteen Lives” 2022

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directed by Ron Howard
© 2022 United Artists Releasing. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve just read that claustrophobia is the IRRATIONAL fear of confined spaces. Let me tell you something – if you got stuck in a narrow tunnel with a limited amount of oxygen, losing your mind wouldn’t seem so irrational, would it? Why am I starting with all that? Well, because today’s film is definitely not a pleasant experience for people with claustrophobia, so in case you’re one – honey, you’re not irrational and perhaps try watching something else. You’re welcome. However, if you think you can handle claustrophobic pictures, then it’s a great title to check out. The story is based on a real cave rescue that took place in Thailand in 2018. A group of boys from a local football team and their coach went to explore Tham Luang Nang Non cave and while they were inside, heavy rainfall flooded the cave and trapped them all inside. Nobody knew whether they drowned or somehow survived, because even for trained experts it was impossible to enter the cave. The whole world was following the rescue updates and many people outside Thailand got involved in it, including John Volanthen (Colin Farrell) and Rick Stanton (Viggo Mortensen), two British divers. After two weeks since the accident, they got an approval to dive into the cage, they managed to swim through some narrow passages and, surprisingly, they found the whole group of missing boys still alive. Despite their happiness, it was impossible to find a different way out and letting dehydrated and starving boys without any experience dive was tantamount to letting them die. And at this point I’m leaving you with many question marks in your head so you can see the film yourselves and find out what happened there. To be honest, I couldn’t focus much on the technical parts of this production as I was absolutely fascinated by the story. It’s amazing that there are people who can risk so much to save another person and who are also incredibly stubborn and creative, because they never say “no” no matter what. I also have to point out that Colin and Viggo did an amazing job in their roles and I think I’ve discovered Colin Farrell as a different kind of actor thanks to this film. There’s also a documentary about those events called “The Rescue” directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vaserhelyi. I haven’t seen the documentary yet, but I feel like I may recommend it anyway. It’s a story that should be shared, watched and remembered. But if I may suggest, watch “Thirteen Lives” first as the most important part is what they did after finding the boys and if you learn about that in the documentary, perhaps seeing it in this film won’t be that surprising and mind-blowing as it should. Nevertheless, huge respect to everyone involved in that rescue – you’re true heroes.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I’m coming for all of them. “Bull” (2021)

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directed by Paul Andrew Williams
© 2021 Signature Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

I saw this film last year during one of my favourite film festivals and I can’t believe I haven’t written anything. I guess I need to organise myself better since I watch way too many good productions and then forget to recommend them further. Especially since it’s a British film and I don’t appreciate their style that often (forgive me, my British readers). You may read that today’s recommendation is a thriller, but I feel it’s much more than that. This one plays with your mind and leaves you incredibly insecure for the whole time. Please, try not relying on the short description you may find on the Internet. It says that the main character, Bull (Neil Maskell), is a contract killer and he’s trying to get revenge for separating him from his son many years ago. Is it tempting? Well, not really. And I wasn’t that excited to see it either, but since the film had decent rating and it was shown during that festival, I decided to give it a try. What’s more, for almost whole film I wasn’t sure why it’s that much appreciated, honestly speaking. I mean, it is a well-done thriller, indeed, but I didn’t expect it to surprise me and that’s a big minus in my eyes. Yet, it did surprise me. It’s one of those films that you have to watch till the end and then you realise that it was a real blooming flower – at first just fine, mind-blowing in the end. Personally, I’m a big fan of productions that trick me and I always appreciate them more for that part. “Bull” is definitely a tricky one, that may give you confusion and chills. If you’d like to enjoy constant anxiety, this film is for you.

My rating: 6.5/10
S.

There are certain things you don’t share. “After Love” (2020)

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directed by Aleem Khan
© 2020 BBC Film. All Rights Reserved.

What would you do if the person who you trusted entirely lied to you? Or not even actually admitted lying to you. Mary (Joanna Scanlan) has recently become a widow as her husband Ahmed died all of a sudden. The woman was madly in love with her partner but soon she discovers that her husband had a lover named Genevieve (Nathalie Richard). After checking the messages on his phone, Mary decides to meet this other woman. Accidentally, Genevieve takes Mary for a cleaning lady whom she hires to help at home. At the same time, Mary finds out that Ahmed and Genevieve have a son named Solomon (Talid Ariss). The widow decides not to reveal who she is and get to know Ahmed’s secret family, which is both strange and heart-breaking for her. It’s not a must-see film, but I think it gives you a lot of food for thought and would be a perfect choice for your next film club meeting. Maybe the story seems simple (although unusual), but I’ve reflected a lot. Firstly, it shows how complicated and unpredictable love can be. It’s not always two people madly in love for the rest of their lives. It’s not Disney. We often have to go through different kinds of dramas, deal with our and our partner’s flaws and sometimes annoying habits, adapt to new and unexpected situations in life etc. And I’m glad that nowadays films show a lot of this realistic love. Secondly, even though Ahmed was lying to both women and they are from two different worlds, they ended up in the same situation and their reaction to each other is also very interesting. It reminds us not to judge the other person that easily. And the last thought I had was that it shows what patriarchy is all about. Even if the man messes up, the responsibility is taken by women. And that’s the saddest truth about it. So as you can see, even such simple drama may leave you on reflection mode for some time. As I said, it’s not a must-see, but have yourself a bit of this food for thought.

My rating: 6/10
S.

Sometimes life is a walking joke. “A Bump Along the Way” (2019)

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directed by Shelly Love
© 2019 Element Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Perhaps today’s film isn’t generally rated high, but I still want to put a spotlight on it. Although, I guess my female readers might like this recommendation a bit more, because the film tells a story of a mother-daughter relationship. Yet, everybody’s welcome to watch it. Cinema has no boundaries, remember that. So as I said, we have a mother and a daughter. Pamela (Bronagh Gallagher) is a single parent over 40. She’s quite a party animal since she finds it difficult to provide for her little family. And what’s the easiest way to forget about our troubles? Alcohol, unfortunately. One night, Pamela gets so drunk that she has a one-night stand with some random young guy. Assured that she cannot get pregnant, she has unprotected sex with her one night lover. And, as it often happens in such stories, she actually gets pregnant, which is a complete disaster. Her daughter Allegra (Lola Petticrew) already despises her, thinking that Pamela is a horrible mother, who cannot deal with her life and doesn’t know how to be mature. Pamela’s ex-husband doesn’t support her financially and she has just a part-time job. Plus, the father of her second child is some random kid as well. However, the woman tries to handle everything and takes this new baby as a sign to finally manage her life. I must say I find British cinema quite difficult to stand sometimes. I feel like they have amazing ideas, but in the end, the productions are rather average, although there was a huge potential. Yet, I keep giving them a chance. And I’m glad I watched this film because it’s a lovely picture about motherhood and the power of women. Not only those wealthy, popular and successful women we see on the Internet. The power of those struggling single mothers who do their best and are true superheroes, but often have no idea about it. Simple and beautiful story, so give it a chance yourselves.

My rating: 6/10
S.

If at first you don’t succeed, pull your foreskin over your head. “Still Crazy” (1998)

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directed by Brian Gibson
© 1998 Columbia Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Aren’t British comedies specific? I mean, their humour is just so extraordinary that most people don’t understand it. Including the British. Okay, I’m kidding, but you have to admit that British jokes are often quite difficult to stand unless you’ve drunk several pints of beer. So if you want to see whether you’re a fan of such humour or not, check out “Still Crazy”. It’s a comedy about “Strange Fruit” band from the 70s. They split up and after 20 years decide to reunite. As you might be guessing, none of them ended up being a rock star. They are all over 40, doing very different jobs and living their more or less boring lives. And they are definitely not those hot-looking musicians who could make girls scream. Still, they come up with the crazy idea to try again and, despite their age, rock the music world. Will they succeed? Will they become rockstars? Will they make girls scream? You’ll see. Personally, I’ve never been a big fan of British humour. I mean, I do like some British comedies, but I wouldn’t call them my favourite. This one is pretty acceptable. I mean, it’s still full of dirty and goofy jokes but, in the end, I had an enjoyable evening. Besides, the cast is marvellous, because we have Bill Nighy, Billy Connolly, Timothy Spall, Stephen Rea, so I guess it’s worth to see this film even for them. Besides, maybe some of you’ll get inspired and start their own band again. Why not?

My rating: 6/10
S.