DAMIEN RILEY, world musician and performer

Category: Uncategorized

  • Anthropoid (2016) 4/5 – Epic bio film about taking down Hitler’s third ranking officer

    Biography films can be long and even boring sometimes. This is a break from that mold. We see the Czechs go after Hitler’s third man in charge. They call him the butcher. What seems an impossible task becomes a tenacious one and as Cillian Murphy’s character says “We are Czechs, we will never surrender!”

    Anthropoid

    “Based on the extraordinary true story of Operation Anthropoid, the WWII mission to assassinate SS General Reinhard Heydrich, the main architect behind the Final Solution and the Reich’s third in command after Hitler and Himmler.” -IMDB

    Cast

    Jamie Dornan Jan Kubis
    Cillian Murphy Josef Gabcík
    Brian Caspe Antonín
    Karel Hermánek Jr. Ignác

    Directed by

    Sean Ellis

    Written by

    Sean Ellis, Anthony Frewin

    Other Info

    Biography, History, Thriller, War
    R
    Fri 09 Sep 2016 UTC
    120min
    IMDB Rating: 7.2

    Director Sean Ellis who gave us the funny and sexy Cashback., really made a sideline here for a gritty, violent biography. I don’t usually gravitate toward these films but I’m glad I did this time. A slow starter, this film does pick up with a passion and takes the audience along for a helluva ride.

    Cillian Murphy plays the lead role. He’s an assassin from the resistance against Hitler. He sets out to kill Hitler’s third in command, after Himmler. Jamie Dornan also gives a powerful performance as the accomplice. Viewers may remember him from the not so stunning Fifty Shades of Grey.

    The story is about a pair of Czechs whose country has been decimated by Hitler and his cronies. They set out to assassinate the third in command who has been put in charge of terrorizing and occupying Czechoslovakia . The hit many walls along their journey and the end is a scene of bittersweet historical fact.

    FINAL THOUGHTS
    I really liked this film in the way it presented the characters in a slow way but sped up during certain exciting scenes which kept my interest. It’s a must see for fans of World War Two films with an emphasis on the horrors of Hitler. I recommend it to historians and casual biography watchers alike. There are times it does go a little slow and I didn’t truly embrace the way the ending was presented even though I liked it very much.

    4/5

  • Paddington 2

    Here we have a character that is so cute, it really doesn’t matter if the story is good, you just want to see him talk and move. But the story here is awesome. We go on a lively and comical adventure with a bear named Paddington.

    Paddington 2 (2017)
    PG | 1h 44min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy | 12 January 2018 (USA)

    Paddington, now happily settled with the Brown family and a popular member of the local community, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.
    Director: Paul King
    Writers: Paul King, Simon Farnaby | 1 more credit »
    Stars: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville

    Here we have another writer and director that amazes. Paul King has a limited number of titles as a director but he really shines with Paddington 2.

    We see a lot of the same cast as the first film. There is a slight twist in that Hugh Grant’s character is conniving, seeking to steal a sacred pop-up book. There are laughs in this there are also some truly sad spots. Paddington interprets these emotions well. I think this film brings his personality to life much more than the first film does, and I liked the first film! As a fun family film that certainly entertains, I give this film an 8/10

  • Phantom Thread

    The presenting room is full of women in white nurse-like dresses holding pins and needles with measuring tape. Like in a hospital they are waiting fearfully for the designer to enter the room. That designer is Reynolds Woodcock, the year is 1950 in London. He is the surgeon, they only wait on him to perform their secondary duties. Though he is renowned, perhaps Mr. Woodcock is a bit too fastidious for this earth, for his own sanity.

    Phantom Thread (2017)
    R | 2h 10min | Drama, Romance | 19 January 2018 (USA)

    Set in 1950’s London, Reynolds Woodcock is a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover.
    Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
    Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
    Stars: Vicky Krieps, Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville

    Paul Thomas Anderson showed us with “The Master” and “Inherent Vice” that he was a strident, intense filmmaker who has a vision for the story. “Phantom Thread” keeps with that showing us the mind of a celebrated dressmaker is is probably mildly mentally ill. We are shown right away he is not a sprightly aged man. We are shown soon after he must have thigs his way. One example is how he only likes asparagus prepared with oil, not butter.

    The film is lovely yet dismal throughout, like a sweet and sour sucker. To be married to him you must be at his whim and understand his moods. It hardly seems worth it and yet his child-bride played by Vicky Krieps but she accepts the calling. The two have romantic and tense fighting times, sometimes with words, others in silence. Incidentally these times are the best for learning out who this couple is as individuals.

    Ultimately, the music and gifted performances in this film are why it has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. It’s not a hip or “chic” topic and I feel many people will be turned off by the slow cadence of it all. It’s a film that draws you in though, gives you an experience and then lets you draw your own conclusions. It is elegant but some may find it doesn’t have enough of a point (no pun intended). I give this film an 8/10.

  • The Levelling

    A young woman is called back home to her farm without reason. Though her raising wasn’t free from tormet, she travels back to help her father and brothers put back the pieces of a broken farm. Is she successful?

    The Levelling (2016)
    R | 1h 23min | Drama | 24 March 2017 (USA)

    Somerset, October 2014. When Clover Catto (Ellie Kendrick) receives a call telling her that her younger brother Harry (Joe Blakemore) is dead, she must return to her family farm and face … See full summary »
    Director: Hope Dickson Leach
    Writer: Hope Dickson Leach
    Stars: Ellie Kendrick, David Troughton, Jack Holden

    This is Hope Dickson Leach’s directorial debut. Another director writee 2-in-1. I always have to note that because I think it shows high talent and intelligence. Of course it helps if the story is good and for the most part, this one is.

    Clover gets a call from her brother asking her to come home. She was raised on an Irish Dairy/Agricultural farm. When she returns it’s a bit of an episode of “Where are they now.” There are lovely stories that wax nd wane through the middle of the film. It allows the viewer to get an idea of what is happening for oneself not just by getting it thrown at us all at once. I would say the director has a real talent for telling a story on film.

    Te final scenes are gripping. To me they represent the new coming n and replacing the old way. This is a very good story that really doesn’t try to be flashy. The Irish countryside, actor dialogue, and the fun of putting it all together are what this film has to offer, a simple pleasure. I give it an 8/10

  • Aquarius

    Sometimes the new apartments get planned without getting everyone out of the old ones. In this case we have Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman) refusing to leave her apartment for sentimetal reasons. I think the director and writer does a great job examining what happens at this rift between people.

    Aquarius (2016)
    Not Rated | 2h 26min | Drama | 1 September 2016 (Brazil)

    Clara, a 65 year old widow and retired music critic, was born into a wealthy and traditional family in Recife, Brazil. She is the last resident of the Aquarius, an original two-story
    Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho
    Writer: Kleber Mendonça Filho
    Stars: Sonia Braga, Maeve Jinkings, Irandhir Santos

    Clara will not leave! Director/Writer Kleber Mendonça Filho starts us off empathizing with her. The corporate greed wants her put to start a money making venture and she is literally in the way. The writer and director light has been triggerred. That winds a lot of points with me. The mind that created the story puts it on the screen as well. A mighty task.

    The obnoxious activities that go on all around her apartment will resonate with anyone who has had raucous neighbors. As a cancer survivor, she states she will not be easily moved. This was a giid character study as well and a piece about humanity. I gave it an 8/10

  • Christine (2016)

    I’ve known women who are batshit crazy and loved them anyway. I’ve known women that are outgoing and ambitious and play by the rules and seem normal despite their inner craziness and loved those too. There’s something lovely about most women in the world but when it comes to mental illness, most people lose the affection. This is true mostly because society as a whole doesn’t understand mental illness, we are an ignorant human race.

    Christine

    Christine

    “The story of Christine Chubbuck, a 1970s TV reporter struggling with depression and professional frustrations as she tries to advance her career.” -IMDB

    Cast

    Rebecca Hall Christine
    Michael C. Hall George
    Tracy Letts Michael
    Maria Dizzia Jean

    Directed by

    Antonio Campos

    Written by

    Craig Shilowich

    Other Info

    Biography, Drama
    R
    Fri 14 Oct 2016 UTC
    119min
    IMDB Rating: 7.0

    We understand drive and tenacity but not a twisted version that would take the life of its sufferer. Some people can never be helped to feel good, they are tortured souls plain and simple. Christine is one of those and she fit so well into the background of news reporting that no one ever noticed. Rebecca Hall does a great job portraying this tormented character.

    The performances are ok, just enough to get through a very dull yet controversial story. What’s really controversial is the ending, not her life’s work as a reporter.

    Christine is a movie based on true events. It’s about the 70’s tv reporter who shot herself in the head on television. There is some
    character development to help the viewer me to a conclusion as to why she would do this. The most powerful in my opinion is the stuff about her depression and being hospitalized for it. She shares a couple times that she feels as though she is being baby-sat by her other while at the same time playing the grown-up role by paying the rent and all expenses. This did seem very unfortunate for her.

    Meanwhile at work, her boss/tv producer is pushing everyone to get more shocking stories for the show. As she would call it: “blood and guts.” I’m not sure exactly why I wasn’t highly impressed by this film. I am very interested in films presenting mental illness.

    Perhaps I don’t understand what would make a person do this. She did have a number of serious life challenges going. I also didn’t like the
    side stories about her dating Michael C Hall’s character, which turns out to be a dupe. To me, the choices are thin storytelling. Then again, that’s the story of this depressed woman on a news team. Maybe we’re just meant to watch it and take it in without a thumb up or down, just acknowledge there are people like Christine walking among us,
    silently.

    Ultimately, what we have here is running time of a woman’s life and death. I think the director means to give us information so we can
    assume why she did what she did. It’s not a boring film and it’s not terribly engaging. It is interesting to watch though and even when you
    know the end is coming, it’s pieced together with fairly good performances. Again, however, I never really embraced Christine. She was depressed and unable to improve her condition. Perhaps the ending was more her fate than anything that could have been avoided. For
    solid performances in this based on true story, I give it a

    7/10