Briefly, Please

Credited Director – Andrew Stanton; Credited Screenwriter(s) – Andrew Stanton & Kenna Harris

Once the dam burst with a fourth film after the almost-perfect climax to the Pixar franchise, a fifth film in the series was perhaps inevitable but with the focus shifting from Woody and Buzz to Jessie – the film smacks of the spin-off. The mix between this Jessie centric tale and an attempted merging with Woody’s already clearly completed arc is a touch messy. Perhaps a neater film could have done away with Woody, and even Buzz altogether and just been titled Jessie’s Story, embracing fully this new direction for the franchise. But above all, Toy Story 5 is a good time at the movies, the intended audience likely finding a lot of pathos and heart in the message of toys versus tech and the inevitable resolution between the two, but for the older audiences looking for a nostalgia trip, this one might not quite hit the mark.

Even Briefer, Please: Good fun but falls short of essential. Sure.

Credited Director(s) – Phil Lord & Christopher Miller; Credited Screenwriter – Drew Goddard

As it would turn out, Ryan Gosling is such a bottomless well of charisma, he can have chemistry with a sentient rock creature. Gosling excels throughout the film as the nerdy and nebbish scientist stuck in deep space with one mission and no way home. Unfortunately the emotional heart of his struggles is as often undermined as it is uplifted by the humour of the film, which is nearly always incredibly funny, but not always tonally consistent, leaving the viewer with jarring tonal shifts throughout. That being said, Project Hail Mary clips along at an admirable pace, with spectacular visuals – a commitment to a vibrant, even zany, colour palette that is commendable in an era of sci-fi wedded to Apple Marketing greys and whites. Great fun, but very little to sink your teeth into.

Even Briefer, Please: It’s a Sure, though a slightly regretful one considering the fun there is to be had with it.

Credited Director – Christopher Nolan; Credited Writer – Christopher Nolan

A film of the moment – a perfect storm of the right director, with what feels like his richest text, at a scale that seemingly only he could command, with the juice provided by the unexpected success of Oppenheimer, thriving on the magic worked by a sublime cast, all committed utterly to a sole vision, with production design, sound design, cinematography, editing, and score melded together by a crew of true artisans. The Odyssey is perhaps Nolan’s great achievement,  his great work, with his very own repertory company that have built to this over twenty years of collaboration. This film solidifies Nolan’s place as one of the directors of his era. Other than that, Jon Bernthal stuck out a bit for the wrong reasons and, despite this reviewer having no clue what one could cut from it, God this film is long. But my God it’s good.

Even Briefer, Please: A rare, emotional, staggering, epic. Yes. Of course Yes.

Credited Director: James Mangold; Credited Screenwriter(s) – Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp & James Mangold

A strangely orphaned film. The lack of Indiana Jones’ creators, Lucas & Spielberg, leaves Dial of Destiny adrift from its roots – but that suits the place in which we find Indy himself. Separated from the family unit we left him with in Crystal Skull, Indiana Jones’ call to adventure takes some time to bring him back into action. It’s telling that these sections, where he is less sure of himself and far more aware of his age are the most winning parts of the film. Mangold is a fantastic filmmaker but his take on the fully-fledged Indiana Jones sequences can’t quite compare to Spielberg at his best – but then again, who could? As a swan-song for Harrison Ford in this role, it works beautifully, as a film in and of itself, it’s great fun – as another addition into the ranks of the Indiana Jones series, it ranks in the middle somewhere. The de-aging is fine.

Even Briefer, Please: A wobbly Yes, fun that edges dangerously close to (shudder) fanfiction – the real winner here is Ford who absolutely delivers in the role he clearly cares the most for in his canon.

Director – David Fincher; Credited Screenwriter – Andrew Kevin Walker

Fincher takes on the lean, almost startlingly straightforward narrative of a nameless contract killer (Fassbender) who goes on an international revenge rampage after a hit goes wrong. The film is elevated by a comedic bent as this hitman’s chilling competence is matched only by his near constant gaffs – highlighted by the extreme dissonance between Fassbender’s voiceover and his actions. The ensuing tonal whiplash works for the most part but requires a closer viewing than a film of this type typically asks. The real highlight of the film is Tilda Swindon’s eventual appearance which subverts and reinforces tropes in a deft journey of a scene.

Even Briefer, Please: A marginal Yes. Slightly light on its feet but with all the intricate care and skill of Fincher’s best.

Director – Ridley Scott; Credited Screenwriter – David Scarpa

Scott and Scarpa weave a tapestry of French history in which tables are regularly turned and accents waver across the known universe. Scarpa’s script is deftly punctuated with a comedic vein of cynicism (thanks to an uncredited Paul Thomas Anderson rewrite) that theatrically heightens the drama to a dark and twisted farce. Phoenix and Kirby, as Napoleon and his empress-to-be Josephine, ground the picture with compelling and deeply human portrayals amidst a visually scrumptious display of wealth and blood. A longer cut down the line might round out the film and elevate it to an epic but what we have is nothing to sniff at whatsoever. Well worth two-and-a-half hours of your time and more besides.

Even Briefer Please: A confident Yes. History be damned, this is a worthy addition to the modern myth of a tin-pot tyrant.

Director – David Fincher; Credited Screenwriter – Jack Fincher

Mank manages to be both a breezy quip-filled ride through the golden age of Hollywood while also interrogating the very point of such an exercise. Here, Fincher is at his most introsopective, asking pointed questions about the film industry, its role in politics, as well as the pitfalls of the ironic, detached apathy exemplified in spectacular fashion by Gary Oldman as Mank himsef – a liberal in a capitalist world, an alcoholic and gambling addict who, through the course of the film and his own self-interrogation, will co-author Citizen Kane. The supporting cast (or, in Mank’s own words the non-headliners) are also excellent, particularly Amanda Seyfried in a humanising and often hilarious turn. Though special mention too should go to Tom Burke, saddled with the unenviable task of playing Orson Welles, a challenge he rises to admirably. Mank is mediative and electrifying and absolutely cannot be missed.

Even Briefer, Please: A Yes without reservation, Mank is a cinephile’s dream.

Director – Cary Joji Fukunaga; Credited Screenwriter(s) – Neal Purvis, Robert Wade & Phoebe Waller-Bridge

The Craig era of Bond wraps up with an absolute belter, hitting both the most explosive and sentimental notes. And this certainly is Bond at its most unashamedly soppy, though No Time to Die makes sure to tinge the sweet with the bitter edge that has so defined Craig’s tenure. The action is excellent, heavy and brutal, with a particularly exhilarating chase sequence near the start and an excellent shoot out featuring Ana De Armas’ Paloma – whose quirky cameo is a highlight of the film. The cast are generally reliably good, though one feels Malik is doing the best he can with an arguably muddled villain. Craig’s swan song, though perhaps a tad long, completes the mission statement of Casino Royale, bringing the franchise crashing into the 21st century without sacrificing the elements that make a Bond film so idiosyncratically enjoyable.

Even Briefer, Please: A firm Yes, James Bond will return; Craig won’t – but what an exit.

Director – Lyn Shelton; Credited Screenwriter(s) – Lyn Shelton & Mike O’Brien

An unusual situation – I can’t find any one element of Sword of Trust to wholeheartedly recommend it by. The script is often funny but rarely laugh out loud, the plot is engaging in the moment but quite inessential. The actors are generally rather good the majority hailing from a comedy background. Marc Maron in particular gives a very natural and honest performance – his brief scenes with Shelton’s Deidre are a particular highlight. Sword of Trust’s strength, more than anything else, is in its tone, its vibe – held together by Shelton’s confident direction, which calls to mind the best of Richard Linklater’s work. The viewer may not be left with much but the 88 minutes spent in the company of this cast of characters ends up feeling remarkably worthwhile.

Even Briefer, Please: It’s a high end of Sure, or a low end of Yes, depending entirely on your mood, nothing mind blowing but a pleasant romp with the occasional emotional kick.

Director – Shawn Levy; Credited Screenwriter – Matt Lieberman & Zak Penn

An intriguing twist on the awakening AI genre, so well codified by Her in 2013, with the AI in question being a non-playable character in a mass multiplayer online video game. Despite charming and earnest performances from Reynolds and Comer, the film rings hollow. For the gaming audience, the cries of “that’s not how games work!” will be abundant, but it’s so crammed with gaming references and jargon that it must, to an extent, shut out anyone else. There’s also a third act romantic twist that ultimately just feels creepy. Free Guy is certainly funny and engaging enough but one can’t help wondering if anyone in the production knew who this film was for.

Even Briefer, Please: On the lower end of a Sure, watchable and enjoyable enough, but never as interesting as the premise promises.