Paddington 2

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Paddington 2!

Original image located here. Accessed 30th December 2022

I saw the original back in 2020 - and as I recall, thoroughly enjoyed - so seeing this was pretty much inevitable.

It may be easy to dismiss this movie as more of the same but personally, as it worked so well the first time around that is by no means a bad thing. Considering that the trick of 'kids movie adults can watch without their kids' is a very difficult one to pull it off, that they managed to do it a second time around is a damn near miracle. It is funny, heart-warming, never once condescending and the cast are clearly having an absolute ball. Needless to say, I don't know what the creative team behind this did to have to pull out something this consistently good but it's worked gangbusters.

And it's always nice to end this year on a positive note. So thank you, dear reader, for joining me on this year's clutch of weekly movies and I hope to speak to you again on the other side of 2023

The Muppet Christmas Carol

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Muppet Christmas Carol!

Original image located here. Accessed 23th December 2022

Yeah I've already seen this one but it still ranks as my favourite interpretation of Charles Dickens' tale. That may sound absurd but I stand by it because:
a) Muppets are awesome
b) it retains Dickens' prose via Gonzo (as crazy as that sentence reads)
c) Michael Caine gives his all and is magnificent, proving that his insistence on doing it seriously paid off incredibly
d) It actually shows Scrooge learning from what the Spirits showed him
e) It has the scariest Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

So yeah, I may have seen this before (multiple times in fact) but it never gets old and it has never been ravaged by the passage of time, 

Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Miracle on 34th Street (1994)!

Original image located here. Accessed 16th December 2022

Back in 2019, I saw the 1947 original. So why not watch the update?
I suppose it will be inevitable that comparisons will be made between the two. But I am willing to give this film a chance and allow it to stand up on it's own two feet.

That being said, one change made is the sub-plot the makers added with Bryan and Dorey. And in all honesty it didn't do that much for me. But what DID work for me is Richard Attenborough's performance as Kris Kringle. The man owns every scene he is in and gives the role plenty of gravitas. Indeed, you could make the argument that he is exactly how one expects Santa Claus to act.
I will also admit that, compared to the original, the winning argument is handled more successfully. So one-up to the remake.
So yeah, not a bad movie

Whiteley

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Whiteley!

Original image located here. Accessed 9th December 2022

For the uninitiated, this is a documentary on the Australian artist Brett Whiteley. Interestingly, I know nothing of the man or his artwork, but I did know that when he died there was a massive media sensation and the press were running stories about him for months afterward. So maybe this could be an introduction to him?

Unfortunately no. Sure a lot is revealed about Brett: His artwork, his methods and his way of thinking. Sure there is plenty of use of his letters and eyewitness accounts. Sure a lot is revealed about his passions. But to me, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Simply put: I found this movie dull. But, as mentioned above, it shouldn't have been. But if I can find my interest drifting away, which honestly happens rarely when i watch a movie, then something has gone wrong.

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Her Majesty Mrs Brown

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Her Majesty Mrs Brown!

Original image located here. Accessed 2nd December 2022

Anyone heard of this? It's a movie from the late-nineties that I've been waiting to see for a very long time. Because at first glance this shows a tonne of promise: A film about the bond between Queen Victoria and her Scottish servant John Brown? Well that's something different. And the cast: Judi Dench (who never disappoints), Billy Connolly (doing one of his serious roles), Antony Sher, Geoffrey Palmer, and Gerard Butler (in his film debut). And we have director John Madden? Well I'm sold.

It should be noted that I knew of Madden through the wonderful Shakespeare in Love (and I am more than prepared to die on that hill) and a lot of his skills are at work here: The handling his cast and the use of humour is great. The bond between the two leads is built up well and while John may have potential as a Manic Pixie Dream......Jack there is enough to him to be more than that. And whilst Dench is fantastic as always, the real treat is watching Connelly taking on a serious role.
So yeah, a lot of talent on both sides of the camera makes for a superb movie