(film review) - Blink Twice

I first heard of this film via a trailer which is very unlike me. That is not to say I know everything going on in Hollywood and the movies due out, but I do hear a fair amount of rumours quite a bit and films that have been stuck in development hell for years upon years, like The Crow for example, but Blink Twice came out of nowhere and when I found out it was directed by Zoë Kravitz, I was intrigued. I think I first saw Zoë in X-Men: First Class and I last saw her in 'The Batman'. In between that, it was Mad Max: Fury Road, so I had no idea she wanted to direct, so I found this refreshing. It is nice to have an actor turn director. Michael B. Jordan did it with Creed III, Daniel Kaluuya did it with 'The Kitchen' and Ben Affleck is also known for his great directorial work, so hopefully, Zoë has picked up and learnt a few things to become a decent to maybe even great director, only the film would tell, right? While I would not say this film is a masterpiece, but damn, it was a perfect, well-shot but triggering watch.

Frida (Naomi Ackie) is a waitress with her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) and they are both invited to a former Tech CEO, Slater King's (Channing Tatum) private island. On the trip to the island, Frida and Jess meet Slater's bodyguard and work colleagues along with other friends or known media personalities who are travelling to the island for fun. Once on the island, whilst beautiful, carefree and remote, Frida starts to realise something is incredibly off with the trip, the island, the workers on the island and the hospitality. Frida must try to work out what is going on, and how to stop it and leave the island.

This film is really good. The writing is great, the acting is great, the plot is great. The music compliments the film although near the beginning I felt we had two back-to-back tracks that made me feel like I was watching a music channel. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts did something similar where I was taken out of the movie a little, due to the music choice and volume, but once the movie gets into gear, it's fine. I also felt the movie started off a little slow and I was a little unsure of what was happening at the very beginning. Maybe I missed it, but who is Frida and why should we care about her and what she is doing, going on in her life or about to do? But I realised that the film is more about what is going on, regardless of where Frida has been or her plans in life. Nothing much in the film is given but it does start to piece together.

I first noticed Naomi in a Star Wars movie (Rise of Skywalker), but for a moment in the movie, I kept saying to myself, isn't she playing Whitney Houston? But after the first few moments, I watched how Naomi commands the screen. She does a little eye acting and she plays her character really well, a fun jovial, carefree woman who wants something and to experience something different, but someone who also knows what she wants when she gets it, which leads me onto the character dynamics. All the characters rift off one another in a great way and everyone played their parts well as previously stated. It seems as though all the actors had fun making this movie as they were all engaging, which also leads into the story element of it all. Without going into spoilers, there is some unnecessary tension on the island which is resolved by the end of the movie but by this point, the entire story and events have changed gears to something more sinister. I really enjoyed this movie but it is triggering. Zoë did a great job with telling this story, the shots and the visuals, the dialogue, the execution, it was all very well done. I think I would have cleaned up the beginning a little by having a few more minutes centred around Frida Nd Jess, but other than that, I really enjoyed the movie.

(trailer review) - Blink Twice

 

I love it when an actor turns director. Sometimes it is about being in control of the art, knowing what you want to do and how you want it executed. And Zoe Kravitz is not someone I thought was going to make this turn. She has been in a few really good projects such as X-Men First Class, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Batman, but to get into directing and bringing us something that seems like a cross between Knives Out: Glass Onion and another thriller set on an island somewhere, this looks great. The acting, the cast, everything.

Channing Tatum seems to be some kind of billionaire who brings people to his wonderful island for a time of their lives only for it to literally be a time of their lives as people seem to go missing or end up dead? The end stinger with the lines "blink Twice if you are not ok" and Channing makes an slightly quick and awkward yet "charismatic" joke about the comment by covering the person's eyes and laughing it off, meaning he knows what is going on on his island. I think I need to see a other trailer to fully confirm how I feel, but I do want to watch this as I love a "murder mystery", suspense thriller.

(film review) - 22 Jump Street

So, I remember when my boys first told me about 21 Jump Street. They both went to the cinema to watch it and said to me, well if I can remember the exact verbatim, "Bruv, you really need to see that film, it is soooooo much jokes, too funny" and I instantly thought of the trailer and was like, "ehh" and literally replied, "It just didn't look that funny or that appealing". After they reassured me, some months later I watched the movie and boy was they right. Although I'm not sure if I find it funnier than the Other Guys or maybe the comedy was more consistently laced throughout the movie, where the Other Guys to me, has sections of hilarious comedy, I still felt that 21 Jump Street was hilarious and I would indeed need to watch the sequel when it comes out.

And right off the bat, the sequel to 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street is totally BEYOND HILARIOUS!!!

As the film starts, it gives you a brief outline of what the first film was about with both Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum), then it literally pics up where the last one left off. I was not given the impression that a lot of time has passed since the last film. As I really can't be bothered to type a lot about this film and tell you bits and pieces because, 1, it is a comedy and I can potentially spoil the gags/sketches and 2, I don't want to give away the story for spoilers sake, I Just want you to know that, they have upgraded to 22 Jump Street, they have another assignment and the comedic levels have sky rocketed to more silliness, more insane stuff and just much more laughs guaranteed.

Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill are brilliant together. The chemistry is excellent and the comedic timing could not have been any better, this time around. The way they capture their characters are spot on. Especially as this is a sequel, nothing was left out in the gap from 21 to 22. Ice Cube as Captain Dickson was the same as before, but excellent and a slightly bigger role. If you are quick enough as me as I was possibly the ONLY person in the cinema who caught the Ice Cube reference in the film, this film is very cleverly written. From old school culture to pop culture and out of the box/4th wall references, this film is just intelligent. Very self aware of what it is and that is a well written comedy. The pacing was great and although some gags fell a little flat on me, majority of the films comedic elements were delivered very well.

My favourite bits from the movie that absolutely sold the film to me (Hopefully this isn't considered as a spoiler)...The Twins. The New Twins. The homosexual referencing. The Grenade. The Schmidt Fight. The Parents coming to school. The Police Update after the parents coming to school scene. The beach. damn, I think the list actually goes on. #Sigh.

Brilliant film. Go and Watch it.