Apartment 7A (2024)

New York City, 1965. A young dancer injures herself during a performance and is promptly blacklisted from future opportunities. Unable to pay her rent, she accepts an elderly couple's kind offer to come stay in their spare room at the ominous Bramford Apartment. The other tenants also get involved in her life, yadda yadda yadda, suddenly she feels her belly start growing. 

In case it hasn't become clear yet (and the poster above didn't tip you off), this is the prequel to Polanski's Rosemary's Baby (1968). This one had lofty shoes to fill, but it feels too distinctly glossy and modern to build up the necessary dread and creepy atmosphere. Since we already know everything that's coming, there are very few surprises, and it doesn't do anything to stand out on its own. The lead performances are strong, but unfortunately, it fails to make an impact like the original.

2 tannis roots out of 5

CLOUD ATLAS [2012]

Tom Tykwer and Lana & Andy Wachowski adapt David Mitchell's sprawling sci-fi novel Cloud Atlas into a visually stunning 3 hour epic.

It takes the near impossible task of simultaneously juggling six separate stories all at once, while retaining a smooth flow in the narrative. The film is a huge challenge to anyone not willing to invest their complete attention and brain into piecing together the confusing non-linear or picking up on it's many themes but the brave ambition poured into the film can't go unnoticed.  The prosthetics are a little distracting at times and hard to believe, as is the lack of character development and spotty acting.  However by the end, I felt it to be a satisfying experience that begs 2 or 3 more viewings to fully grasp onto it. 

4 problems with "pussy" out of 5

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

'Two sisters contend for the affection of King Henry VIII.'

I stole that from IMDB because I’m too uninspired to write anything new. I’m not the ideal target audience for the film, but I gave it a chance anyhow; I’m always pleased to be turned around and have expectations shattered.

The first half hour was really good with interesting camera-work that had me convinced I'd see it through to the end. Then it got repetitive, the same shots were used over and over, the awful golden colour cast offended my eyes, the atmosphere fell into the usual period drama gloom and I got bored.

1 insubstantial character study out of 5

THE WAY BACK [2010]

Director Peter Weir is no stranger to large scale epic dramas that manage to still pack a strong feeling of intimacy. The Way Back is no exception.
Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Saoirse Ronan and Colin Farrell turn in some beautiful and believable performances that could have easily gone over the top but these fine artists keep it grounded. The photography is absolutely gorgeous as the viewer is taken over 4000 miles of deserted land.
Unfortunately the film never lifts off the ground to reach the same type of quality that Weir's previous films have all done so well at.
The pacing is a little slow and doesn't quite have the emotional impact a story like this should hold. Never the less, it's still a good film compared to a lot of the other films these days being passed off as "epic".

3 ½ tree bark drawings out of 5