Juror #2 (2024)

A film by Clint Eastwood about moral dilemmas, truth, justice, values assigned to people because of their past behaviour and appearance and much more, wrapped up in a courtroom (or rather, mostly, jury's room) drama. When watching, this is what to focus on really rather than thinking about the plot holes and inconsistencies which will just spoil it.

Justin Kemp is played by Nicholas Hoult and the character is called up for jury duty. His wife is about to give birth and he doesn't want to be there, but does the dutiful thing. When he gets into role and starts hearing about the case in question, he quickly realises that the man being accused of murder couldn't have done it - because, he thinks, he did!

Kemp's an ex-alcoholic making good in life, portrayed to us the viewers as someone who used to be bad but now is good, thus further dangling the dilemma in front of his face in the courtroom. If he had done it, it was an accident, but because of his background he fears that the authorities wouldn't believe him and he would be whisked away to prison himself instead. So he deliberates long and hard about doing the 'right' thing weighed up against what he has to personally lose. Keep quiet and let the accused take the rap or do the decent thing and ruin his own life.

The prosecutor is played by Toni Collette by the numbers, J.K. Simmons pops up as another juror with a background and agenda of his own, Kiefer Sutherland jumps in for a couple of scenes as a lawyer Kemp consults and that's about all I know of the cast. They generally play it straight and without thrills and the film does come across at times like a made-for-TV outing I'm afraid. I wasn't convinced that any of them were here for anything much but a payday. There's little tension or suspense, even given the plot and time spent in the jury room, and it takes the film's last two scenes to get any momentum, summarising the above, really.

It's OK - it's just not going to blow anyone's socks off as it trundles along towards the end after 2 hours, seeping out bits of flashback to fill in gaps - and round the characters' stories up about the events surrounding the night in question, 12 months before any of this film is set. It makes its points in the end, verges on being thought-provoking but even that's not good enough to overcome much of the clumsy editing and unhelpful missing data in the plot. Bit of a head-scratcher in the end. It's doing the rounds on one or two streaming services as I write in the UK - but if I were you, unless I had vouchers or points to use, I'd wait 'til it's 'included' somewhere rather than coughin' up your hard-earned.

Conclave (2024)

I'm not usually one to go for religion-centric films, but this has got such rave reviews that it had to be given a go! I'm pleased that I did, as it's actually more of an unfolding thriller, with more simply a backdrop of all the religion stuff.

It's centred around the events following the death of a pope and the now well-known traditional, elongated process of the cardinals picking a new one. Rafe, sorry, Ralph Fiennes (In Bruges, The Invisible Woman, Official Secrets) plays Lawrence, the (now) top bloke in charge of the procedure, ensuring that it goes smoothly and without incident. Some hope!

What comes out in this adaptation of Robert Harris' 2016 novel (so no, it's not a true story!) is a depiction of carefully constructed back-biting, power-struggles, conspiracy, bad behaviour, lies, politics and cheating by egocentric characters, apparently all fighting and manipulating each other to get themselves voted in by the others.

Fiennes' performance is staggeringly convincing, as we'd expect by now, but the other main player in the cast also thrill with what could be described as their career-best performances. Stanley Tucci (Julie & Julia, The Lovely Bones) plays Bellini, John Lithgow (Luther, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Cliffhanger, Dexter), Tremblay and Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet, Immortal Beloved, Merlin), still going strong, as Sister Agnes in this Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) delight of a film.

It's all set in the claustrophobic Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel, start to finish with cinematography reflecting that, beautifully shot with lovely colours, as the film, at something of a pedestrian pace at times, lingers on individuals, their thoughts, moral struggles and particularly Lawrence's difficult emotional task as he tries to sort it all out - keeping a lid on any scandal potential which pops up and the impact of that on the people involved and the image of the religion.

So yes, he spends most of the film getting alongside the others, investigating claims and counterclaims of wrongdoing, guiding and counselling some, damping down the ambitions and self-centredness of others. Some who think they don't want the job - others who clearly do but not wanting to show that they do, one other, particularly, who clearly desperately wants it in order to return the religion to the old values, rather than the currently depicted more liberal approach.

Issues such as homosexuality, race, gender, equality are on the table with different characters believing that different ways forward are the right ways for the religion to go. It seems to be made as a reflection of the political processes in countries around the world, where so many of these attitudes and beliefs of the best way forward are out there and clear for all to see. At time of writing, we have just had the American swing from a more liberal democratic government to a more traditional and nationalistic republican one - and it's clear to see the parallels.

Yes, the film can appear to be slow at times, but just around every corner there's a twist or turn to surprise the audience with plenty of tension and suspense on display - including a finale which I'm sure you'll see coming, but one element of it you probably won't. I shall say no more!

It's a riveting watch even, for those like me who usually reject all things religious, as there's something for everyone, including a great score - but particularly quite superb acting from a highly respected and experienced cast. A must-see. At time of writing it's available in the UK at cinemas but also pay-to-view on two or three streaming services. If you don't have vouchers, points and other ways of watching I'd hang on until the price drops a bit though.

Survive (2024)

We covered this in Coming Soon on our Projector Room Podcast recently and it's now available to stream on various platforms and seems to have been slated in reviews, left, right and centre! I didn't read any of them until after I'd seen it and on the whole, I think most are pretty harsh for this interestingly different low-budget thriller out of France.

It's about some rich folk, family of four, who can afford their own cruiser and are out on the high seas when suddenly there's a storm which throws them all over the place, knocks them all unconscious through fatigue, and when they wake up in the morning, as depicted in the trailer, there's no water under them. The sea has gone. No ocean!

Eventually they blame this on an event which switched the poles of the earth and all the water became land and land, water - so maybe a bit daft and extreme - but the filmmakers have made the most, then, of the survival adventure of the family members in question. They manage to track down another survivor by radio who is sitting in his submarine, similarly on the newly-formed land, and who has worked out that the reverse will happen at any moment and wash them all away!

So they have to leg it across the seascape (now land) which is a three day hike. There are some twists and turns along the way (though that poster gives at least one of them away!), some nastiness and gore thrown in for good measure and at least one surprise! I thought it was actually pretty well done if you ignore all the unlikely aspects of it (and daft ending) and simply enjoy it as a little survival/adventure yarn. It kept me hooked, but then maybe I'm easily pleased!

It's in French, German and English (don't ask!) but with subtitles where needed. It's only an hour and a half long and I reckon, well worth a look! Don't know the director or anyone in it but it's quite good, if far-fetched, fun!

Army of Thieves (2021)

This is a decently fun heist romp which focuses more on the main five characters than actually what they are doing! The plot is fairly simple, there being three 'supersafes' out there in various establishments holding increasingly large sums of cash, depending on how difficult each is to break into. The film/story is a prequel to the Zack Snyder creation Army of the Dead from the same year.

We start with the tale being told by Sebastian, played by Matthias Schweighöfer (who is also the director), of a sad old man, a locksmith who created four safes which were horribly hard to break into, three of which feature in this film. The fourth one lays at the bottom of the sea with the sad man inside after he ended his own life, having lost the will to live after his wife and son died. A story that we don't hear much more about.

We switch rapidly to observing the dull life of Sebastian going about his daily work as a clerk in a bank, but who has an interesting hobby - yes, cracking safes! He decides to make a YouTube video about the aforementioned locksmith and promptly publishes. As a result of this, he's invited to attend a (what appears to be underground) competition (in the style of Fight Club!) where an organisation is presenting like-minded people with challenges to crown the top safe-breaker.

Attending this event, lurking in the corners, is the super-criminal Gwendoline, looking to recruit someone to join her team of hoods, thus beginning the heist part of the film and Sebastian's introduction to the gang of (now) five. Korina is the computer nerd, Brad is the muscle, Rolph is the driver and Gwendoline the brains - and fairly nifty fighter if needed!

So, the team start planning to hit each of the three safes in their situations, using their collective skills and attributes, then legging it with the loot. We journey with the team, Mission: Impossible style, as they hit one after the other, but more importantly, the story focuses on the interplay between the characters which is arguably more interesting than what they're doing, as I said.

Each of the five has a backstory and attitude, getting them to where they are now, which we sample bit-by-bit, interwoven into the process of the heists. The dialogue between the main players is well-constructed, funny often, simple sometimes, complicated others. There's hidden agendas and sub-plots going on as we learn more about the thread between Gwendoline's and Brad's relationship, now hijacked by Sebastian and Gwendoline falling for each other! Anyway, back to the plot and the smart planning involved in order to throw the irritated Interpol detective off their scent and ensuring that the team stays one step ahead. He's very funny too, adding to the mix of humour, tension, suspense and action as they all go about their business on each side of the story and law. It really is pretty good fun and keep you smiling.

The whole cast, apart from Schweighöfer do a great job, Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones, Fast & Furious) as Gwendoline, Ruby O Fee (Polar) as Korina, Stuart Martin (Babylon) as Brad, Guz Khan (Zapped) as Rolph and Jonathan Cohen (Amanda) as Delacroix the detective. Excellent characters with super teamwork. Schweighöfer is engaging in the main leading role particularly, too - you can't help but like him, feel sorry for him, be amused by him and ultimately hope that he gets the girl! It's on Netflix if anyone fancies a look. I'm off to watch Army of the Dead now which apparently has more to do with the Zombies in America, loosely referred to in this film but not explored much.

Virus (1980)

This is the film Gareth Myles referred to on our most recent Projector Room Podcast with the late Olivia Hussey playing a small part. A cut-down version is free to view on Plex (with ads), but the original version (which you can snag on DVD still if you look hard) is quite long at just over two and a half hours. As he said, it seems to have been a Japanese collaboration project, directed by Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale) and littered with a cast from east and west - it's fun star-spotting!

It's a disaster movie/thriller with some scary messages about nuclear war, weapons, Covid-like implications - but also human's (and all animals) spirit to organise, re-populate and survive - or not! It starts with a bio-weapon called MM-88 which is accidentally exposed to all life on earth, except for just shy of 1000 people involved in the military and research stationed in the Antarctic (of all nations). Turns out that the virus can’t keep going in cold conditions, so the game here is to wait it out (with their remaining two-year rations) before trying to venture out until the virus is dead (along with all other forms of life) in the rest of the world.

Trouble is that nuclear missiles from Russia and America are already pointing at each other and even though there’s nobody left to set them off, one of the events that will start the launches is an earthquake. Guess what? There’s an earthquake coming in the Atlantic, so some of the people in the Arctic have to bravely head for Washington DC in their submarine to shut the systems down before they are fired (and subsequently Russia’s system auto-detects incoming, so then fires theirs back at America).

In amongst all this, back in the Arctic, there are internal wranglings aplenty about the fact that there are only 8 women amongst the survivors with which to repopulate, so you can imagine what happens there with over 800 blokes(!), and friction between people’s cultures and nationalities. Everyone under stress in order to survive and make a brave new world. As long as it doesn’t get nuked first - or even if it does!

The acting from all was very good for the day and we’re treated to some lovely scenery and wildlife shooting (depending on which version you can track down). Again, depending on version there are included harrowing scenes of bodies piled up around the world - as before everyone’s dead the news channels report and shoot footage to broadcast to those still alive. The music adds to the atmosphere often too.

I won’t spoil the ending but there are certainly plenty of questions posed about what humans are doing to the planet and much food for thought about what might become of humanity and other animals during (and/or potentially following) such a disaster - and how whatever or whomever might pull through and survive, or not. Well worth a look if you can find it, particularly the longer, original.

Fresh (2022)

Currently showing on Disney+ this bonkers gore-fest from Mimi Cave is a kinda mashup of Silence of the Lambs, Boxing Helena, The Girl in the Basement and so on. You get the idea!

There's some particularly nasty twists in this one though as to why Mr Nasty is detaining young ladies, so I won't spoil that one as the build-up to the reveal is quite well done!

We follow Noa as she's swept off her feet by Mr Nice Guy (later turning out to be Mr Nasty, with a mission) and lured into a nice (surprise) countryside weekend away. He purposely made it a surprise for reasons that become apparent (at least until her phone signal went away)! You'd like to think that girls would be more sensible, but this one wasn't!

She was played by Daisy Edgar-Jones (Twisters, Cold Feet) and very nicely too as her character leapt from desperately seeking love, to realisation of the horror she faced, to attempting to plot an escape. Yes, I guess it's a survival tale, but one with a gruesome twist and turn or three!

It's all very far-fetched of course, but many good grizzly thrillers are, so that's alright! Sebastian Stan (Captain America) plays the fruit-loop fairly convincingly and the rest of the cast keep up well-enough too. It's quite nicely constructed, fairly well shot and produced. Has a lot going for it, for this genre and worth a look for us fans of grizzle!

Dream Home (2010)

Josie Ho is the star of this bonkers Hong Kong film under the bloodthirsty control of director Ho-Cheung Pang. And bloodthirsty it is! Billed as a slasher/horror, it's just that, as a feeble plotline is tacked onto the back of the gore and maiming!

Our central character is itching to get her hands of a certain apartment but can't afford it, so goes out to ruthlessly raise money in any way she can (even letting her dad die when she could have saved him) and generating a drop in demand for said apartment (thus a cheaper price for her) by turning it into a kind of serial-killer/gore location that nobody else would want to buy!

It's all good fun really, but I'm afraid that it wants to take itself seriously instead of embracing just that! Anyway, she goes on a murderous rampage with nothing left to the imagination. Plenty of nudity too and leaping around on the timeline as it tries to give us a flavour of her abused childhood and motivators for getting up the socioeconomic ladder. Sometimes we're given dates as to where we are, other times we have to work it out. I caught it on DailyMotion, but couldn't find it anywhere else. Have fun!