What I Watched This Week #146 (Oct 14-20)
Deadpool & Wolverine
dir. Shawn Levy/2024/2h8m
Ryan Reynolds returns for the third time (well fourth, but no one talks about that first attempt) as the merc with the mouth, the first entry to be part of the MCU after Disney's acquisition of Fox. He must traverse the multiverse (yawn) in order to find a new Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) after the death of Wolverine Prime in the excellent Logan. Deadpool is perhaps the most predictable character in the MCU and you get exactly what you expect here – constant snarky quips, s*xual innuendo and gratuitous violence. It feels like it was written by a fourteen year old boy who needs more parental guidance. Reynolds is good as this character and he's clearly invested in it beyond getting a big pay cheque but he actually feels less developed than he did in the first film. The thing that the fans are getting excited about are the cameos, which I won't spoil here, but to me they're less about the characters and more about saying goodbye to the Fox universe of Marvel films – one of my favourite things is a sweet little montage over the end credits – which is a detriment to the actual story being told. Far and away the best thing about this film is Jackman's performance. I still think he should have let Logan be his last Wolverine film but he really gives it his all here and acts Reynolds off the screen in a couple of genuinely emotional scenes. 6.5/10
Terrifier
dir. Damien Leone/2016/1h25m
Terrifier is a slasher film starring David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown, a mute commedia dell'arte style black and white clown who brutally butchers a bunch of people while terrorising a couple of young women on Halloween night. This is straight up gorenography with zero effort put into story and characterisation (with the exception of Art) and everything invested in the admittedly excellent practical effects which were done by the director himself. Seriously, if you're even the slightest bit squeamish then give this one a miss. What salvages this from being a totally forgettable slasher is the character of Art and Thornton's performance which is both scary and at times pretty funny, I mean, he is a clown after all. There's one moment late on where he's trying to grab one of the girls through a door but he can't quite reach and in frustration he thrusts his arm through but instead of a weapon he's brandishing a little clown horn which he squeaks menacingly at her. I actually laughed out loud at that part. He also has really expressive facial expressions and physicality that elevates his performance. I wouldn't be surprised if Thornton has actual experience as a clown or mime. Outside of Art and the gore there is nothing that makes this film stand out from all of the other bland slasher films out there, which is a shame because I really do like that funny little guy. 5/10
Nothing Like a Dame
dir. Roger Michell/2018/1h20m
Nothing Like a Dame is a documentary that records a conversation between four lifelong friends and some of the greatest acting talents Britain has ever produced, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Joan Plowright and Dame Eileen Atkins (hence the title). Spending time with these ladies is an absolute delight and their real friendship shines through in how open and comfortable they are with each other. Their conversation spans their careers, their relationships – particularly Plowright's marriage to Sir Laurence Olivier, who Smith didn't especially get on with – and growing old, though Dench's first reply to talking about that is hilarious, “oh f*ck off Roger”. There is a bitter sweetness to the film when they talk about growing older even if it is with humour “I think we have about three good eyes between us”, and since this was shot Dame Maggie Smith has passed on, but that just makes their enduring friendship even more beautiful. A funny, charming and cosy film. 9/10
Encanto
dir. Byron Howard, Jared Bush/2021/1h42m
The 60th animated feature film from Disney is all about the Madrigal family who lives in a magical house in the hills of Colombia, with each member of the family having their own unique magical ability, all except Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz). When the house's magic starts to fade and the family start to lose their powers it's up to Mirabel to save the day. I found this to be a step up from Raya and the Last Dragon with the humour fitting the story more and a return to having the characters sing the songs. The songs are written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and they are really good but none of them really stands out above the others. This is a gorgeously animated film with a great use of colour, and I really like the way the house is alive and has a character of its own. The story didn't really grab me and I found that the conflict was resolved a little too easily at the end but this is still an entertaining and well made film with an engaging lead performance from Beatriz. 7/10
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
dir. Jay Roach/1999/1h35m
Mike Myers returns as the titular swinging superspy, this time having to travel back to the 60s after arch nemesis Dr. Evil (also Myers) steals his mojo with the aid of new henchmen Mini Me (Verne Troyer) and Fat b*stard (also also Myers). He is aided by his American counterpart Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham). Like the first this is a loving, and totally ridiculous, spoof of the Bond series that never makes the mistake of taking itself too seriously. Where this film goes off the tracks somewhat is in its use of gross-out humour through the character of Fat b*stard. I find that it goes a bit too far for the type of film it is and it doesn't really mesh with the tone of the rest of the film. I also don't think that Graham gives a very good performance and doesn't have half the chemistry that Myers and Elizabeth Hurley did in the first film. The real star of this film is Troyer who is hilarious and gives a masterclass in physical comedy. Even his small reactions when other people are talking are funny. Next time you watch this keep your eyes on him even when he's just in the background, you won't be disappointed. 7/10
The Producers
dir. Mel Brooks/1967/1h28m
The first film from Mel Brooks, The Producers stars Zero Mostel as sleazy Broadway producer Max Bialystock who, with the assistance of timid accountant Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder), realises that you could make more money with a flop than a hit, as long as you don't mind a little creative accounting. They set about looking for the worst play they can find and think they hit gold when they discover Springtime for Hitler, surely nothing could go right, right? In my opinion this is Brooks' best and funniest film with two stellar performances from Mostel and Wilder. Mostel is such a force of nature here he almost bursts out of the screen and slaps you around the face. This is juxtaposed perfectly with Wilder's sadly sympathetic loser who finally finds that spark of life. The two are surrounded by a whole supporting cast of memorable characters who all leave an impression even if they're only in one scene. Kenneth Mars as Franz Liebkind, the author of the play, and Christopher Hewitt as the director Roger De Bris are some of my favourites. And then there's the play itself. If you've never seen this then just know that the musical opening to Springtime for Hitler is one of the most hilariously bad taste bits of satire ever committed to film - “we're marching to a faster pace, look out here comes the master race”, “don't be stupid be a smarty, come and join the n*zi party” - and is also a genuinely well written piece of musical theatre. One of my favourite films of all time. 10/10 Lime's Film of the Week!
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