The Round-Up #1 (March 22)
A regular collection of some of the films watched in the past week or two, with shorter reviews, all in one place. Longer reviews will still retain individual entries.
Jackass Forever (2022)
Twenty years and still doing stupid shit. This will make you laugh, cry, wince and cover your eyes all in the space of an hour and a half. I'm glad there are people out there that are prepared to show us just how stupid humanity can be and still remain stupendously cool while doing it.
Great, pointless, dangerous, hugely entertaining lunacy. Still not a film though.
Infinitum: Subject Unknown (2021)
I only realised upon starting this viewing that I had seen this before. Ian McKellen's appearance at the start made me begin to wonder if this was the pile of flotsam wrapped in nice paper with a bow on that I'd already come ac
ross and hadn't bothered commenting on.
It's a fun idea, McKellen is perfectly acceptable for the tiny fraction of the film he appears in, but the shortcomings are obvious. A one-person crew? Really? Hold the phone!!! Literally.
Less than ninety minutes and it still struggles to engage. I've seen four minute shorts with more characterisation and pacing than what we're afforded here and the direction is, to be honest, a bit ropey as well.
Cheap as chips, however, and kudos for getting McKellen to show his face at all. That's quite the feat, even if he probably forgot he was in it before I forgotten I 'd already watched it.
Sonic The Hedgehog (2020)
No matter how much you change the look, the script is still the same. Carrey is fun, Marsden plays along dutifully and there are laughs to be had sporadically, mostly thanks to Carrey. Harmless family fluff.
Ammonite (2020)
Reminded me of 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' immediately, only less subtle and nuanced. That was backed up even further when Kate and Saoirse stopped grubbing for rocks on the beach and into each others pants. Racier than expected, tbh.
Breaking News In Yuba County (2021)
I will never get enough of Alison Janney playing lead roles. This isn't one of her better efforts, however. The supporting cast are also formidable with the likes of Awkwafina, Mila Kunis, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall. This is before you even mention Matthew Modine and Ellen Barkin et al.
Described as a quirky comedy, I was struggling to find the laughs. The script is good for the most part but its quality is intermittent. If anything, it maybe overcomplicates itself with the ensemble all jockeying for character development that there simply isn't enough time for.
An entertaining story in concept, but this is a clear example of how delivery is more complicated than storyboard. This feels a little messy and maybe suffers from not only a gamut of talent, but a decent script editor would have gone down a treat.
The Bubble (2022)
A very timely April Fool joke. At least, I hope it's a joke. This Apatow created film within a film is the most disappointing thing I have seen from him in some time. Littered with great actors (apart from his daughter, ironically), all providing dire performances with a uniquely awful script.
As his comment on the pandemic, I think it is something he will learn to realise is woefully short-sighted and largely pointless. My general disbelief at its existence grew as the film went on and became exponentially more hopeless and unbearable.
This will be on the CVs of everyone featured, which is such a shame, as this is a complete embarrassment for everyone involved.