Prime Time: Bagman (2024)

I like director Colm McCarthy. If you're unfamiliar with his name then I suggest you look through his extensive selection of film and TV work. You're bound to find at least one thing that you'll really like. The same can be said for Sam Claflin, who stars here in the lead role of Patrick McKee. The only main contributor here that I was unfamiliar with was writer John Hulme, and Bagman is so bad that I hope to now stay unfamiliar with anything he does, at least until he attends some lessons in how to avoid treating viewers like complete idiots who will eat up any half-cooked slop.

It's a tale that we've seen many times in the past couple of decades. A man is haunted by something, or some figure, from his past. He starts to worry that his own trauma is something very real that may cause harm to his own child. This puts a strain on his relationship, but that strain is slightly lessened by the fact that his partner (Karina, played by Antonia Thomas) soon ends up believing that some supernatural threat really is looming large over the family.

Yet another glossy mainstream horror movie that exemplifies the very worst of modern horror movies, Bagman is so astonishingly bad, as well as being painfully derivative in a way that does it no favours at all (because it's never a good thing when you watch a film that reminds you of the 2005 Boogeyman movie), that it kept me in a state of perpetual anger from the opening scene to the start of the closing credits. It's not scary, it's not effective in any standard dramatic way, and it's horribly dull, in terms of both the content and the visuals.

Claflin seems to be sleepwalking through the whole thing, which I guess is in line with the mental state of his character. He certainly doesn't do anything to improve the dialogue. Thomas is a bit better, perhaps due to the fact that she's not so burdened with the weight of being the lead, and there are decent performances from Steven Cree (the brother of Claflin's character), William Hope (the local Police Chief), and Peter McDonald (the father shown in flashbacks as a younger incarnation of Claflin's character first starts to sense the presence of the titular Bagman). I really can't be bothered mentioning anyone else, they're either not good enough or just not memorable (and that includes young Frankie Corio, who made such a fantastic acting debut in Aftersun). 

I don't blame the cast for the varying quality of their performances though. I blame Hulme and McCarthy. There's nothing here for anyone to latch onto, but the script and direction seem to be overseen by people desperately trying to convince everyone else that it has any weight and/or worth. That's sadly untrue. I really cannot think of any one moment in this film that doesn't have a corresponding moment in one of a hundred better choices. 

I have spent some time now staring at the end of this review, trying to think of one more positive thing I could say about this film. I cannot do it. The best I can come up with is to begrudgingly acknowledge that many of the crew members show a decent degree of competence. That's it. "Bagman - there are a few decent acting turns and some people who remain competent while working with such poor writing and direction." I doubt they'll ever use that as a pull-quote. 

3/10

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Mubi Monday: The Nightingale (2018)

While it's not a hill that I am willing to die on, or even willing to risk any minor injury on, it's worth noting that I wasn't as big a fan of The Babadook as so many other people. I also wasn't really taken with Jennifer Kent's episode in Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet Of Curiosities series. So, despite hearing some good things about this a few years ago, I was in no rush to watch The Nightingale, a 136-minute grim tale of abuse and revenge. I'm glad I got around to it at last though, it's easily the best thing that Kent has done so far (although you may find that I am the only person to hold that opinion just now).

Aisling Franciosi plays Clare Carroll, an Irish convict who is working as a servant for some British forces serving in Tasmania in the early part of the nineteenth century. With the promise of freedom being held over their heads, Clare and her husband, Aidan, are kept in check by soldiers who think they can pretty much do what they want without any fear of repercussions. They go too far though, way too far, but think it won't matter when they are just about to set off on a lengthy journey through the dangerous Tasmanian wilderness. That leads to Clare enlisting an Aboriginal tracker, Billy (Baykali Ganambarr), to help her find the soldiers she is determined to make pay for their horrific crimes.

With Kent once again assuming both the directing and writing duties, this is another film that allows her to accept all of the praise or criticism headed her way. It's praise from me, although I can imagine a few people being put off by some of the content here, and I'm so impressed by this film that I'll now be quicker to check out whatever she does next. There were a few moments here that had me slack-jawed with astonishment, but even the many scenes without any shocks or bloodshed were livened up by a look at class divides, colonialism, and the mistreatment and mislabelling of people simply due to the colour of their skin.

Franciosi has been doing very good work for some time now, even if there's nothing yet to declare as a breakout role, and this is one of her best performances. She's very believable and sympathetic, whether being emotionally devastated by the actions of men overpowering her or trying to dig deep within herself to find the conviction to exact her revenge when faced with the reality of what that entails. Ganambarr is also great, portraying someone who sees in Clare a strength and rage that he knows should be shared by himself, and many others like him. He helps to carry Clare along when she stumbles, but she in turn helps to strengthen his own resolve when he considers some extreme action. Sam Claflin may be a bit hammy in the main villain role, but he's entertainingly loathsome and someone you want to see get their comeuppance in the most protractedly painful way possible, and the same goes for Damon Herriman and Harry Greenwood.

The cinematography from Radek Ladczuk helps beautify some real ugliness, there's a fantastic selection of music from Jed Kurzel (who seems to enjoy working with Kent as much as he enjoys working with his brother, Justin, in between his other jobs), and the tone is balanced in a way that allows viewers to endure both the misery and the sense of jubilation that the main characters experience on their journey through some very dark territory. It could have been a bit shorter, agreed, and there could have been a different way to portray the villains without them being so ready to twirl their moustaches, figuratively speaking, and leer in an over the top style, but neither of those things made me dislike the film. I almost rated it even higher, but the fact that I would be hesitant to rush to a rewatch made me consider dialling my enthusiasm down just a bit.

8/10

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Charlie's Angels (2019)

I watched Charlie's Angels some time ago, when it was first released in cinemas. And I kept delaying my attempts to review the film. I knew that I'd enjoyed it more than I expected to, but I also struggled to write down my problems with it. So I waited, and waited. And waited. I waited so long that I ended up having to rewatch the film recently. I'm glad that is the way things worked out, because it turns out that most of my problems with this take on the classic trio of kick-ass young women aren't enough to stop me from recommending this, especially to the target viewers demographic.

Naomi Scott plays Elena Houghlin, a young woman who has created a device that could potentially replace the need for any major wiring and national grid. It can supply electrical power to a whole building, at the very least. Unfortunately, it can also misfire, killing anyone nearby with the human equivalent of an EMP. But people still want the device to be sold, which puts Elena in danger, and that is how she ends up under the protection of Charlie's Angels, mainly Sabina Wilson (Kristen Stewart), Jane Kano (Ella Balinska), and one of the main Bosleys (Elizabeth Banks). They all know what has to be done, but it soon starts to seem as if someone on the side of the baddies is getting some inside information.

As well as giving herself a major supporting role, Banks also wrote (Evan Spiliotopoulos and David Auburn get a story credit) and directed this incarnation of Charlie's Angels. That means that she got all the blame when it didn't perform as expected. Although I know not everyone will enjoy this as much as I did, I think it's a shame that people decided not to give it their time, and I think it mainly stems from the fact that a) people still don't really want to see Kristen Stewart in movies, and b) the recent movie versions of the Angels doesn't seem that long ago. Hey, that doesn't matter for Superman, or Batman, or Spider-man, I know, I know. I hear you. I just think it worked against this film more.

Speaking of Kristen Stewart, let's keep . . . speaking of Kristen Stewart. She's great fun in this, showing a decent flair for the mix of physicality and comedy given to her character. I was laughing aloud during the first main sequence, which has Stewart yelling out "you swiped right, I'm your girlfriend now" before headbutting a villain, and I was often smiling, at the very least, whenever she was onscreen, either being slightly behind everyone else as plans unfolded or acting dumb to put people off guard. The other leads work just as well in their roles. Scott is the newcomer, the one who can be shown everything along with the viewers, learning all about how the agency works, and how far-reaching they can be. Balinska is impressively fierce, and her working relationship with Stewart improves every time she sees her colleague get results, or at least try her hardest in her attempts. Banks is a good Bosley, Djimon Hounsou is another good Bosley, although hid role is a much smaller one, and Patrick Stewart is his usual wonderful self as a Bosley shown just at his time of retiring from the agency. Sam Claflin is the kind of businessman you know will want everything to go his way without him having to get his hands dirty, and Jonathan Tucker is excellent as the kind of tough "employee' always willing to get his hands dirty. There are also a number of familiar faces in smaller roles, and a selection of nice cameos (mostly throughout the end credits, which are at least worth sitting through once).

Banks has nothing to be ashamed of here. The film isn't perfect, mainly because it leans so hard into the idea of the Angels network being available everywhere, when needed most, but it's absolutely ideal for those who want to see an action thriller, with some comedy sprinkled throughout, that showcases young women who can take on their enemies with a mix of brains and fighting prowess. The action sequences are the best choreographed ones yet, for this particular brand, and things move breezily from one set-piece to the next, en route to an energetic ending that keeps the stakes high.

If you don't like the idea of another Charlie's Angels movie then I am not going to try to convince you that you should give this your time. You may still end up hating it, could think my rating and review too kind, and just be annoyed at me once you've given it your time. I will just say that it's better than the general consensus would have you think. And you MIGHT, just might, end up having as much fun watching it as I did.

7/10

You can buy the movie here.
Americans can buy it here.

The Quiet Ones (2014)

Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear. The Quiet Ones is another in the long line of movies that people can point to and use as an example of all that is wrong with modern horror. There are, of course, many fine examples to counterbalance this awfulness, but it can often be easier to remember the bad than the good.

Jared Harris is Professor Joseph Coupland, a man convinced that if people can cure one person who seems to be affected by supernatural forces then that could lead to a cure for the masses. He aims to test his theory on a troubled young girl named Jane (Olivia Cooke), and enlists some students to help him. Harry (Rory Fleck-Byrne) and Krissi (Erin Richards) are there to, apparently, help with the scientific side of things, while Brian (Sam Claflin) is asked to document everything on film.

It's hard for me not to use this review as an excuse to string together a lot of expletives. Hammer have gone from being "the studio that dripped blood" to "the studio that dripfed audiences jump scares" and those responsible for dross like this are, as far as I'm concerned, tarnishing a good name that was once, despite some ups and downs, synonymous with fine British horror.

The script by Oren Moverman, Craig Rosenberg and John Pogue (who also directed) alternates between uninteresting moments, horribly unbelievable moments, and those jump scares that I just mentioned. It's based on an original screenplay by Tom de Ville, although with all the rewriting done I can only imagine how far removed this is from the original work. As for Pogue's direction, it's mediocre at best.

Claflin tries hard in his role, at least remaining earnest in most of his scenes, but he can't do enough to make up for the lack of presence that Fleck-Byrne and Richards have. He also can't distract viewers from the fact that Harris and Cooke end up desperately overacting to make up for the fact that their characters are so poorly written.

Basically, nobody comes out of this looking good. I would feel sorry for the cast if most of them didn't seem to be compounding the script problems. And I haven't even mentioned the ridiculous finale, another insult that throws in a couple of "twists/revelations" that will only come as a surprise to the youngest, and most naive, horror fans. And I actually mean pre-teens.

Technically competent is about the nicest thing I can say in my attempt to end this review on a positive note. But it's definitely not worth your time.

3/10

http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Ones-Blu-ray-Jared-Harris/dp/B00KOBUO42/ref=sr_1_2_twi_2_twi_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420668107&sr=8-2&keywords=the+quiet+ones

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And/or you could also buy my e-book, that has almost every review I've written over the past 5 years. It's very reasonably priced for the sheer amount of content.

The UK version can be bought here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395945647&sr=1-3&keywords=movie+guide

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As much as I love the rest of the world, I can't keep up with all of the different links in different territories, but trust me when I say that it should be there on your local Amazon.

The Riot Club (2014)

The Riot Club is a film designed to paint the upper-classes at their very worst. It's interesting, although far too simplistic at times, and it's one that should start some interesting conversations after the credits have rolled.

Max Irons plays Miles Richards, one of the new boys starting his time at Oxford University. He's a posh lad, but one with a good heart. That's shown by how quickly he develops a relationship with Lauren (Holliday Grainger), a girl who isn't from any of the big schools. When Miles is invited to join The Riot Club he thinks that he's about to make some good connections, occasionally drink to excess, and generally have some fun in between studies. He soon starts to view the club differently during a grand meal that shows the members at their very worst.

Written by Laura Wade, who adapts her play "Posh" for the big screen, The Riot Club isn't exactly predictable at every turn, but viewers are usually able to realise what's coming in the next few scenes. That's okay though, this is not a film wanting to surprise you. It's one that uses your possible perceptions and prejudices of "the 1%" to give you a slick thriller that reinforces everything you think they get up to anyway.

Director Lone Scherfig has been doing solid work for a good few years now (I highly recommend both Wilbur Wants To Kill Himself and An Education) and this is another success, even if it's lacking in comparison to many of her past works. The pacing is almost perfect, the mix of characters helps to make everything that bit more palatable, and the ending is . . . . . . well, you'll have to wait and see.

Irons is good as the lead. He's believably earnest, and easy to root for, even as he's drawn further and further towards a very bad place. Grainger is even more likable, thanks to her dismissal of the snobbery around her, and Jessica Brown Finlay and Natalie Dormer both do well in smaller, but no less crucial, roles. Tom Hollander makes an impact with only one or two scenes to work with, and the actual members of the riot club range from the unmemorable (Olly Alexander and one or two others) to the memorable-for-all-the-wrong-reasons (Douglas Booth and Sam Claflin). Despite the fact that some don't make as strong an impression, everyone feels just right in their respective roles.

There are times when the film tries to make the lifestyles of the rich and wannabe-infamous seem enticing, putting viewers in a place that allows the characters to almost speak directly to them when they claim that the have-nots are just jealous of their riches and accessories. That's the main area in which the film stumbles. When it aims just for slick thrills, however, it quickly gets back on track.

7/10

UK is the main market for the disc just now - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Riot-Club-Blu-ray-Natalie-Dormer/dp/B00NAWK9F6/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420304607&sr=8-1&keywords=the+riot+club

You know how you can show your appreciation for bloggers? If you share and share then every additional reader helps. Connect through Google or Blogger or any way you can, and rest easy in the knowledge that you've made little ol' me a very happy man.

And/or you could also buy my e-book, that has almost every review I've written over the past 5 years. It's very reasonably priced for the sheer amount of content.

The UK version can be bought here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395945647&sr=1-3&keywords=movie+guide

And American folks can buy it here - http://www.amazon.com/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395945752&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=TJs+ramshackle+mov

As much as I love the rest of the world, I can't keep up with all of the different links in different territories, but trust me when I say that it should be there on your local Amazon.