It weirded me out a little, but it probably meant to. The idea being, no man should be genuinely that nice and gentle and kind without being creepy... because no one else is. A very interesting premise that proves its point very eloquently. Hanks consumate as ever. I wouldn't rave about any of it, but … Continue reading A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Love Bo Burnham and everything he does. Smart guy, with bags of all round talent. If this sweet, well observed gem is an indication of only the start of his directing career, then we have some amazing work to look forward to. Elsie Fisher is so natural it borders on documentary. So much to say … Continue reading Eighth Grade
Really enjoyable character study. The best serious acting Melissa Macarthy has done by far. Supported by the immaculately cast Richard E. Grant in the role he has waited 30 years for since Withnail & I. Some lovely pathos and tender moments. Just short of excellent all round work. Decinemal Rating: 72
Some interesting ideas in a very uneven package. Driver great as usual. Pryce also totally at home with Gilliam's bonkers script. Not as good as hoped for, but not terrible either. Seen early September 2020, deep in lockdown madness, which was apt. Decinemal Rating: 66
I have been absent from The Wasteland for a while. And, to be honest, I'm not watching as many movies as I used to. You know how it is: work, work, work. And sadly I don't get paid for this... but I do miss it. Often I watch something, then write a post about it … Continue reading True Story Triple Bill
So, it's been a good while since I wrote about anything at all. It hasn't been that nothing has inspired me, far from it. There have been some amazing films and TV shows all over the place. But is has been a while since I shared an experience worth talking about. Tonight was a special … Continue reading C’mon C’mon
Available on Netflix since 2017, this excellent documentary from Ava DuVernay, the director of the memorable and equally impressive Selma, caught my attention for its Oscar nomination and compelling subject matter. It took me until early 2020 to watch it, based on many recommendations, but the subject matter hadn't lost any relevance or importance in … Continue reading 13th (documentary)
Welcome to Bad Movie Triple Bill's part five, looking today at 3 films from directors notorious for producing a mixed bag of work. None of these three are outright disasters, but all contain enough cinematic sins to condemn them to this part of The Wasteland. Please do comment if you'd like to disagree or defend … Continue reading Bad Movie Triple Bill #5
Kicking off my attempt to catch up on 14 months backlog of reviews with a vintage cinema classic, which I finally managed to see a mere 70 years after its release. Keeping my comments brief and to the point until I can tick off a bunch of reviews and get back up to date. Two … Continue reading Sunset Boulevard
Hello Wasteland readers, it has been 8 months since my last confession, how time flies when you have gone back to work after a couple of lockdowns. I have been quietly keeping a list of cultural experiences I wanted to talk to you about, but just haven't been able to find the time, motivation or … Continue reading Portrait of a Lady on Fire
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