January Round Up - Part I

The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, Michelle Dockery, Colin Farrell
Synopsis: American kingpin Mickey Pearson (McConaughey) is looking to sell his lucrative marijuana business. The sale draws the attention of many eager buyers who all seek to undermine Pearson, setting off a chain of blackmail and scheming.

 After forays into the blockbuster realm with the critically divisive King Arthur and Aladdin, Guy Ritchie returns to his roots with The Gentlemen, a romp of a film with strong echoes of Snatch. However, Ritchie's attempt to emulate the success of the aforementioned fails to take into account the changing times where casual racism is significantly less accepted and tolerated. The slurs and stereotypes thrown at characters such as Henry Golding's Chinese mobster "Dry Eye" and the overview of which drug lords are given the moral high-ground seems firmly cemented in their race, making the whole film appear dated and out of touch.
 The cast are all incredibly game and clearly relish the opportunity to deliver such entertaining and distinctly Guy Ritchie dialogue such as "There's fuckery afoot". Despite being the protagonist around which the story centres, McConaughey makes the least impact as louder and more colourful characters continually steal focus, particularly Hugh Grant playing against type as the cockney opportunist Fletcher and Colin Farrell as Coach, a man who finds himself embroiled in the chain of events against his wishes. Ritchie's staple expletives are rife but the frequency at which they are employed grows tiresome nearly immediately and the film's reliance on swearing and shocking language feels like a cheap ploy for laughs.






Uncut Gems
Director: Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie
Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox
Synopsis: Howard Ratner (Sandler) runs a jewellery store in New York's Diamond District. Having incurred a huge amount of debt through gambling, Howard must retrieve an expensive gem to pay off his debts but his addiction to the thrill makes the transaction much more complicated.

 The Safdie brothers have given Sandler the role of a lifetime with Howard Ratner and spotlight everything that the typically comedic actor is capable of, and much more. Howard is a character that we root for; a ticking clock hangs over his head as he attempts to secure the gem and assuage his mounting debt, all the while trying to find happiness with the woman he loves, Julia (Fox). However, he is also a figure of frustration throughout as betrays his loving family with his marital indiscretions and endangers them by never making sensible business decisions. Sandler often has to shift our sympathies with the character within a single scene, doing so with fearless aplomb.The talented sibling duo behind the camera deliver one of the most assaulting (in the most wonderful way) and incendiary films of the last decade.
 They plunge us into the New York Diamond District and the electric energy that it generates, grabbing the audience by the throat and never releasing their grip until the credits roll. The third act plays out like something from a Shakespeare drama, as our protagonist's hamartia threatens to unravel the progress that had subsequently been made and induces anxiety never before experienced as a viewer.

Waves
Director: Trey Edward Shults
Cast: Kelvin Harrison Jr, Lucas Hedges, Taylor Russell, Alexa Demie, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Sterling K. Brown
Synopsis: A suburban African-American family undergo an emotional journey of epic proportions as they must navigate love and forgiveness in the aftermath of a tragic loss.

 Independent film-maker Trey Edward Shults, known for the drama Krisha and psychological horror It Comes At Night, has crafted his most intimate and moving film to date with Waves, a moving portrayal of a family in turmoil. The writer-director paints a beautiful canvas of emotion on the screen, with Shults filming it all with a stylish vibrancy and scoring it with an emotive soundtrack that captures every ounce of the film's spirit.
 Relative newcomers Kelvin Harrison Jr and Taylor Russell give phenomenal performances as Tyler and Emily, with both actors carrying the narrative as it shifts perspective between the siblings midway through the film. Tyler's story is significantly more impactful and kinetic but the conclusion of his story makes way for a more subdued and sensitive second half where Emily comes into focus. In the wake of tragedy, Emily must forge her own identity and find happiness, which is eventually made possible by her new friend Luke (Hedges), a kind soul with only good intentions. Meanwhile, Tyler and Emily's parents attempt to salvage their crumbling marriage whilst coming to terms with the family's loss. The dynamics explored and the examination of grief and healing result in some of the most tender, raw and affecting scenes in film of the year.

Queen & Slim

Director: Melina Matsoukas

Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith

Synopsis: Queen and Slim's first date takes a dramatic turn when they are pulled over by the police over a minor traffic violation. The situation escalates and results in the death of the policeman, forcing the couple to go on the run, gaining notoriety in the press and unwittingly becoming a symbol of injustice for many people across America.

 Queen & Slim's message regarding race issues and relations in America, particularly police brutality, has never been more timely or important. The vilification of African-Americans in the media and the outcry against the prevalent injustice is captured and all of the cruel realities that many citizens in the United States are confronted with. Director Melina Matsoukas (known for her work directing music videos for the likes of Rihanna and Beyonce) guides the story with a firm and sensitive hand whilst adding an impressive aesthetic flourish to the proceedings. Amidst all of the harsh and unfathomable circumstances that the titular characters face, Matsoukas frames their journey across America with an unflinching beauty and the director's eye for visuals definitely warrant their place on the big screen.

 The direction may be strong, but Lena Waithe's debut film screenplay is often too mechanical and struggles to sustain our interest after the initial high-adrenaline set-up. Kaluuya is reliably strong but Turner-Smith is less assured, underplaying every moment and giving Queen an inaccessible vacancy and cold exterior that makes connection to her character a challenge. Additionally, the transition from strangers to soulmates that the couple undergo is clumsy and unconvincing, with their eventual union supported only by plot convention rather than any genuine chemistry between the two leads.

EB