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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 06 June 2023

Based on the fictional 2012 novel authored by Rachel Joyce (who also developed the film’s screenplay), The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is the story of an elderly man who goes for a walk… and then keeps walking.  His name is Harold (Broadbent) and when his wife (Wilton) asks “Will you be long?”, he simply says “I’m only going to the post box.”

Harold’s response was accurate at the time.  His intention was to mail a letter (he’s not up with technology) to Queenie (Bassett), an old work colleague dying of cancer and living in a hospice in Northern England.  It’s while talking to a stranger at a gas station that he comes up with the inspired/insane idea to walk roughly 500 miles from his home in Kingsbridge to the hospice in Berwick-upon-Tweed.  His odd rationale is that he hopes it’ll serve as motivation for Queenie to keep fighting and keep living.

It doesn’t make a lot of sense.  You think Harold could have at least bought himself more comfortable clothes (he’s walking around in a long sleeve shirt, cardigan, and tie) and better fitting shoes (he’s got blisters from day one).  There are also peculiar scenes where he’s channelling Christopher McCandless (depicted in 2007’s Into the Wild) and living completely “off the land” with no money and shelter.  He’s as much delusional and he is motivational.

All of that said, the film’s big heart overrides its shortcomings.  Harold interacts with an assortment of warm, comforting people across his two-month journey and, while some the conversations are a little strange (one in a diner stands out), they remind us about the importance of human connection and being open with each other.  These chats, along with the time spent walking alone, help Harold reflect on past mistakes (the flashbacks are a little clunky) and value the many positives in his life today.

74-year-old Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (Iris) is wonderfully likeable in the lead role and so too is Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey) as the doubting wife struggling to reconcile her husband’s actions.  There’s no villain in this tale.  It’s a film which highlights the best of humanity and in doing so, should leave a smile on audiences’ faces.  A simple but effective feel-good yarn!

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 May 2023

One could look at this film cynically and see it as an unnecessary, cash-generating vehicle for Walt Disney Studios.  The 1989 animated feature, loosely based on a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, was a short, unassuming, likeable flick with catchy tunes.  In addition to winning the Oscar for best original score, the memorable “Under the Sea” won best original song.  Do we really need a live action remake and if so, what could it offer which improves on the original?

The storyline remains simple.  A young, adventurous mermaid named Ariel (Bailey) is going stir-crazy in the ocean and yearns to explore the human world.  After rescuing the handsome Prince Eric (Hauer-King) who falls from a sinking ship, her auntie Ursula (McCarthy) gives her legs for 72-hours so she can interact with the prince on land and travel to his castle.  However, Ursula has villainous motivations (“squibbling rivalry”) and it falls upon Ariel’s animal friends – a bird (Awkwafina), a crab (Diggs), and a fish (Tremblay) – to intervene and help save the day.

One noticeable change between the two movies is the running time.  The 1989 version clocked in at 83 minutes whereas this fresh look runs for 135 minutes.  The extra time allows them to add three new songs, create a backstory for the prince, and introduce additional characters.  A few plot points and song lyrics were also tweaked to help modernise the messages (e.g. Ariel wants more from life than just a man).

Tony Award winning actor Daveed Diggs (Hamilton) is the MVP of the cast with his scene-stealing voice performance as Sebastian the sarcastic, frustrated crab.  Art Malik wins points Prince Eric’s sage butler and Halle Bailey (Grown-ish) will garner new fans for her lead performance.  The narrative is sluggish in places (particularly in the middle act) but the catchy songs, all beautifully sung, add doses of energy at necessary moments.

I wasn’t sold on the direction of Academy Award nominee Rob Marshall (Chicago) but it doesn’t help that James Cameron showed us 5 months ago what was possible with Avatar: The Way of Water.  The rich detail and bright colours which Cameron brought to his underwater scenes is absent here.  The stuff above ground isn’t too bad (costumes are great) but the CGI-created sea sets in The Little Mermaid are too dark and grainy. 

With Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights) adding helpful input as a producer and songwriter, and Alan Menken returning as composer, The Little Mermaid is good enough.  I don’t think it’s any better than the original but in trying to judge on its own merits, the film provides light entertainment for younger crowds.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 01 June 2023

Over the past two decades, the animated feature film industry has become more voluminous and more competitive.  This is great for fans of the genre but on the flip side, it’s made it harder for an animated feature to “stand out” in terms of style and narrative.  Released in late 2018, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse broke away from established moulds and created something fresh.  It was rewarded by becoming the first non-Disney/Pixar movie to win the Oscar for best animated feature in eight years.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the much-anticipated sequel and, whether it be for cash reasons or script reasons, has been split into two parts.  The final instalment will be released in March 2024.  The “wow” factor isn’t as strong this time around (we know what to expect) and the lack of subplot closure creates a slight sense of unfulfillment but, for the most part, this is a fun, twisting, entertaining adventure that has something to offer from start to finish (although there’s no need to stay until the end of the credits – it’s just a blank screen).

The opening offers a quick refresher and reminds us that our Brooklyn-based protagonist, Miles Morales (Moore), is the new Spider-Man in his particular universe.  The 15-year-old keeps his identify hidden and stops bad guys at any opportunity.  We also learned that different heroic “spider people” exist in other universes and that it’s possible to travel between these worlds.

I don’t want to give too much away about Across the Spider-Verse but suffice to say it takes those ideas to a higher level.  There are Spider-Horses, Spider-Cats, and Spider-Dinosaurs.  That may sound quite goofy (and I guess it kind of is) but there’s a deeper story at play about fate and destiny.  As we’ve seen explored in time travel flicks, can we change the path we’re on?  Or are there predetermined “canon events” which are beyond our control?

Miles remains a key player but this is Gwen Stacy’s (Steinfeld) film.  She’s more than just a love interest (although I liked the romantic connection) and her complex character is given the important task of opening and closing the movie.  The three-member screenwriting team also deserve praise for adding “greyness” to the point where the heroes and villains are not easily defined.

There are times when it all feels too hectic.  It’s hard to stay “in the moment” when being served up a torrent of fast-paced conversations, information boxes, split screens visuals, outlandish action, and just about every colour which has ever existed.  You also need to watch the movie in slow motion to fully absorb!  Thankfully, there are fleeting scenes where the characters get a chance to sit down, breathe, and have a heartfelt chat (like a moment atop the Williamsburg Bank Building).

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a winner and is likely to be a big hit.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 23 May 2023

As proven by the mockumentary television series What We Do in the Shadows, there’s a place in the world for vampire comedies.  There’s nothing flash about the storyline but Renfield allows its three stars, Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy), Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas), and Awkwafina (The Farewell) to showcase their comedic talents and generate well-earned laughs.  They’re having fun and that vibe is imparted onto the audience.

Hoult plays the title character of Renfield, a one-time real estate agent who, many decades ago, took up the opportunity to be Count Dracula’s (Cage) submissive assistant.  When Dracula wants to go on a “blood sucking bender”, it’s Renfield who tends to his needs – getting his cape dry cleaned and finding unsuspecting victims for him to feed up.  The “Prince of Darkness” has a penchant for happy couples, tourists, nuns, and cheerleaders.  He has no issue with diversity either.  He’s quick to point out that he’ll joyously suck the blood from either a man or a woman.

Dracula has largely kept a low profile (he hides out in an abandoned hospital in New Orleans) but with new ambitions for world domination (people can either be followers or food), Renfield has decided to pull the rip cord.  Just like a bad, one-sided relationship, he wants to break away from Dracula’s control and start a new life for himself with colourful clothes, a tidier hairstyle, a decorated studio apartment… and yes, a job where he doesn’t have to kill people.  He also finds romance with Rebecca (Awkwafina), a lowly ranked traffic cop who is seemingly the only uncorruptible person within the police force.

There’s a subplot involving a much-feared crime family headed by a ferocious matriarch (Aghdashloo) and her not-so-competent son (Schwartz) but it doesn’t add much.  Renfield is at its best when the three lead characters are venting about their bizarre troubles and, keeping their faces as straight as possible, bouncing jokes off each other.  Hoult’s character attends a self-help group for co-dependent relationships which also serves as an opportunity for humour.

Fitting the film’s comedic tone, director Chris McKay goes for outlandish, over-the-top gore as opposed to something more graphic and sinister.  Based on the audience reactions at my preview screening, the loudest laughs are saved for unexpected moments where heads explode and blood is splattered over everyone and everything (okay, I’ll admit this isn’t for the squeamish).

Underperforming at the box-office when released in the United States last month, Renfield isn’t a game changer but it’s still an entertaining watch for its concise 93 minutes.      

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 May 2023

Fifteen years ago, Dave Fishwick was a self-made millionaire who had become the biggest minibus salesman in Great Britain.  Then, the Global Financial Crisis came along.  Dave’s business was fine but his customers, despite having never missed repayments previously, were struggling to get finance for new loans because banks had changed their thresholds.  So, Dave did what anyone else would do (note: sarcasm) – he started his own bank!

Burnley Savings and Loans was established in 2011 as a not-for-profit lending company to largely serve small investors and borrowers in the county of Lancashire.  It’s no threat to the major UK banks but with its catchy “Bank on Dave!” slogan, it’s challenged the negative mindset many have of financial institutions.  The company is big on “old fashioned local banking” with a focus on customer service and charity (instead of just the bottom line).

Directed by Chris Foggin (Fiserhman’s Friends), Bank of Dave is a comedic, big-hearted tale which is looooooosely based on the above events.  The protagonist’s name is appropriate because it’s framed as a David v. Goliath battle where Dave (Kinnear) teams up with a naïve city lawyer (who didn’t exist in the real story) to take on the big, nasty banks who wanted him stopped.  The film also boasts a Def Leppard cameo but again, their fundraising role in the movie is not a reflection of reality.

I wish this film wasn’t so simple and clichéd.  The good guys are very good, the bad guys are very bad, stuff about the banking system is overexplained, and there’s a tokenistic romance to try to broaden its appeal.  The dialogue is rubbish in places and would be better suited to a cheesy, American soapie.  Sometimes you can try too hard in developing a feel-good narrative and it’s a trap writer Piers Ashworth (St Trinian’s) appears to have fallen into here.

Bank of Dave will still have its supporters depending on what you’re in the mood to swallow.  Rory Kinnear (The Imitation Game) is the pick of the cast and, despite playing a successful millionaire, does a nice job creating a likeable guy worth cheering for as he takes on the villainous “establishment”.  Enjoy this movie for what it is and then do some extra reading to help separate the facts from the fiction.