Ikiru

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

Original image located here. Accessed 1st August 2025

This is my 500th post on this blog so here's something that I've been saving for a special occasion. 

Much has been said about this movie already: One of Akira Kurosawa's most famous movies. Kurosawa at his most human. Takashi Shimura giving the performance of his career. The Japanese Its a Wonderful Life. So what can I add to the pile?

What is there to say? This is the story of a boring man who, upon diagnosed with a terminal illness, decides to make his remaining time count. And yet such a description doesn't do the film justice: It isn't predictable and it never once makes our protagonist pathetic or a punchline. And that is some remarkable restraint. 

Certainly this movie touched me on a deep level. As I'm getting older, I do ponder on my mortality and wonder if I will get everything I want to do done. Certainly, it's not the first time I've made such ponderings - I recall doing as many outstanding things as possible back in 1999 - but it still makes for an effective motivator. So there's something to be said about someone using his time to go from a  boring, meaningless life into finding something substantial. 
And there is something universal in that message. And seeing it shown in a movie like this is something else: Certainly there may some who would write this off as insincere but hey, who hasn't been confronted with thoughts on their own mortality?

Truly a magnificent movie. 

And as I close out this five hundredth post, I realise: Maybe there is still more to do...

Van Helsing

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

Original image located here. Accessed 20th October 2023

And with this post we have reached 400 posts on this blog - and what better way to acknowledge such a milestone then to finally have a movie reviewed for every letter in the alphabet (Thanks The Quiet Family and X-Men First Class!).
Once again we have a movie that I have been putting off for a long time. This can attributed to the fact that I recall when this was released, it was mauled by the critics. Still, may be the distance of nearly two decades may give way to a more fresh approach.

It is interesting to see this movie in the wake of the failed 'Universal Monsters' shared universe. Because I can see a lot of said monsters present. Was this an attempt to get a film franchise going? Perhaps - but it does mean I have to assess this movie as it's own entity as opposed to being part of something larger. 
Certainly there is a lot working against this movie: The CGI is practically lifting this movie entirely on it's shoulders, Richard Roxborough is completely ridiculous and the whole thing is kinda silly.
But was this movie dull? Of course not. It may be all style and no substance but there are some great action sequences and keeps an exciting pace throughout. And that is enough.

Casino Royale

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

Original image located here. Accessed 19th November 2021

After a slight deviation, my yearlong mission to watch more James Bond movies continues.
And now we enter the Daniel Craig era. This does mean we are bypassing the Brosnan era simply because I have seen them all. But in away, going from Dalton directly to Craig does indeed seem like a more natural progression as both actors are drawing heavily from the source material. Furthermore, i will admit I didn't give the Craig era much of a chance (I saw Quantum of Solace when it was originally released in the cinema and I do recall it boring me) so it would be interesting to see it Craig strut his stuff with fresh eyes.

And does he ever.
Clearly doing a reboot was the right call to make given that this series has a terrible reputation for formula. And drawing heavily, like never before, from the source material was also the right move. As a result this a Bond updated, repeating the same trick Goldeneye pulled off years earlier (no surprise that both have the same director).
As always, the action scenes are well choreographed and the drama is well handled. And, as this is an origin story, it is interesting to see Bond's progression into the agent we know. I am well aware some people don't like Craig for his dour/humorless take on the character but give him credit: At least he is taking a tried-and-tested role and taking into unfamiliar territory.
I guess being older and wiser gives me more patience for Craig so it would be interesting to see where we go from here...

Joker

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

Original image located here. Accessed 22nd November 2019

This is a difficult one to discuss as much has said about it already: The disturbing nature of the movie, the aesthetic of the movie, Joaquin Phoenix's performance, the Martin Scorsese connection (not least having Robert de Niro present), a vital step froward for DC and superhero movies in general, and much being said about this movie potentially being a touchstone of the incel culture (if it isn't already). Such observations are indeed correct so it's hard for me to say something that doesn't sound like I'm repeating something previously said like a parrot.

So in the end, Joker is far from an easy watch and deeply unsettling but I can't say it was boring

A Christmas Carol (1984)

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....A Christmas Carol (1984)!

Original image located here. Accessed 15th December 2017

I've always had a soft spot for A Christmas Carol. When i was a kid I was drawn to the ghost/horror element and the somewhat sarcastic nature of the title (well it seemed sarcastic to me).
But when i became an adult, I realize that the themes of redemption and turning one's life around for the better is indeed a powerful one.

As for the movie itself, well, it's well shot, there are some chilling moments and the ghosts are very imaginative in their presentation. But ultimately, the whole movie rests on the shoulders of George C Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge. And what a job he does: he's funny, bitter, angry and a jerk all at once - so there's something to be said for the scene on Christmas morning ("I'm as merry as a schoolboy!").