SilentLuminary Reviews

  Genre: Romance/ Musical  Time: 2h 13mins Directors:  Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell Quick Summary:  A young ballerina is torn between her art and her romance with a young composer. I adored every single second of this and honestly, I never wanted this to end. This film is a visual masterpiece, wonderfully drenched in fully saturated vibrant colours. Imagine a fairy tale coming to life, a timeless classic that I'm sure people will love for many many years still. Absolutely visually stunning, every single frame is full of details to look at and it is so mesmerising to watch. I was glued to this the entire time. There is a 17-minute ballet performance around halfway through and honestly, I could have watched that forever. Any of the ballet scenes I was in love as they were all so breathtaking.  This is honestly so captivating. It seamlessly blends the world of ballet and romance, with an almost fairy tale-like essence that takes the viewers on a journey of ...

  Genre: War/ Action Time: 2h 38mins Director:  Ridley Scott Quick Summary:  An epic that details the checkered rise and fall of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his wife, Josephine. You know, I didn't expect this to be so funny that it breached comedy territory.  We all love our freaky little guy Joaquin Phoenix to play freaky little guys, and honestly, if it wasn't for his acting this in I would have stopped watching. He makes Napoleon look like a complete joke of a man and I love it. Really nobody else could play this guy who when he gets horny makes horse and pig noises. Though admittedly, I don't think he was handed the best of scripts as some of the stuff he said came across like he was trying to say a joke half the time.  Don't get me wrong, this is a stunning film. The battle scenes are breathtaking and rammed full of action. But sadly, there are only a h...

  Genre: Thriller/ Crime Time: 2h 33mins Director:  Justine Triet Quick Summary:  A woman is suspected of her husband's murder, and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness. Maybe I was just expecting more out of this, but a good portion of this was so slow. I must admit, there is one reason why I really enjoyed this film. It is because it does not give us a straightforward answer for a significant portion of its runtime. Instead, it examines how people create their own stories and interpretations based on incomplete and biased information. Though it was frustrating to not get an answer, it was interesting to see this take. This has plenty of nuances and is a complete study into human behaviour when we're aware and not aware we're being watched. A lot of the courtroom scenes were brilliant to watch as they were so intense watching these people battle each other in games of verbal tennis, desperate for the other to slip up. More and more information is re...

  Genre: Horror/ Comedy Time: 1h 47mins Director:  Marjane Satrapi Quick Summary:  A likeable guy pursues his office crush with help from his evil talking pets, but things turn sinister when she stands him up for a date. I'm pretty sure any person who has owned a cat has experienced this. Right?  One of the most interesting parts of this is its exploration of mental illness and the blurred lines between reality and fantasy that people can experience. You're taken on a rollercoaster ride through this guy's perspective, witnessing his interactions with talking animals that represent his conscience; a soft and kind dog, and a sinister cat. Honestly, they were both hilarious and being voiced by Ryan Reynolds it made them even funnier. Watching these two bicker and try to convince him to do or not murder people was brilliant, though it also gives a chilling insight into our main guy's fractured psyche. I did like how everything was vibrant and cheery when we were lookin...

  Genre: Thriller/ Comedy Time: 2h 7mins Director : Emerald Fennell Quick Summary:  A student at Oxford University finds himself drawn into the world of a charming and aristocratic classmate, who invites him to his eccentric family's sprawling estate for a summer never to be forgotten. What a wild film this is. I wouldn't recommend this to the general public as this film gets weird .  Honestly, I do recommend you go into this film with zero knowledge about it, the less you know the better.  Something I love about this is that it dances the blurred boundaries between love and obsession. Despite the disturbing nature of the film, I couldn't help but appreciate the artistry behind it. this was a wild ride, full of unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I was thoroughly impressed by the way the plot unfolded, leaving me completely shocked by the final outcome. I felt like I was watching live art. Very fucked up and twist...

  Genre: Musical/ Thriller Time: 2h 33mins Director:  Carol Reed Quick Summary:  After being sold to a mortician, young orphan Oliver Twist runs away and meets a group of boys trained to be pickpockets by an elderly mentor in 1830s London. This absolutely stands the test of time. This is a true gem that captures the essence of the source material while adding its own magical touch and so much more. The whole cast brings the characters to life with unparalleled charisma and wonderful performances. Mark Lester's portrayal of Oliver, is both heartwarming and convincing. His innocence and vulnerability make him an endearing protagonist, and Lester's performance shines throughout the entire film. Ron Moody's portrayal of Fagin is equally exceptional, adding depth and humour to the character, and making him memorable and sympathetic, though admittedly he terrified me, even as an adult.  Before I talk about anything else, I need to talk about the music. They are all brill...

  Genre: Adventure/ Family Time: 1h 9mins Director:  Don Bluth Quick Summary:  An orphaned brontosaurus teams up with other young dinosaurs in order to reunite with their families in a valley. This is worth being traumatised.  I need to speak about this right away but Don Bluth's animation is flawless. It's so smooth and I love the art style so much. The environment and background are so pretty, being such a bleak wasteland too, he managed to make this world really come to life. Full of pastels that are easy on the eye, and wonderfully designed characters, it's so lovely to watch this just for that. This is moving and entertaining. Not only does it tell a story of friendship, courage, and love, but it also sheds light on the harsh reality of childhood friendships that are deemed unacceptable due to classism or racism, which is a common experience for many children. As well as the loss and grief of a parent. All of this isn't watered down, but it is told in such a g...

  Genre: Comedy/ Thriller Time: 2h 18mins Director:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz Quick Summary:  A seemingly timid but secretly ruthless ingénue insinuates herself into the lives of an ageing Broadway star and her circle of theatre friends. I tried to like this so much, but unfortunately, it is so slow.  I have heard about this film so many times and each time it was said to be a must-watch classic, so I wanted to watch it desperately. I feel like I have the opposite opinion of most with Bette Davis's character being really the only likeable one. She was brutally honest and was expressing her frustration that her career was being stolen. But she is treated as a villain, probably because she was seen as being mean and paranoid, but I found her the most interesting. Admittedly, I was getting through this film because of the scenes with her. I found her acting incredible and her presence on screen was so compelling. The dialogue is pretty funny a lot of the time admittedly, ...

  Genre: Comedy/ Silent Time: 1h 19mins Directors:  Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman Quick Summary:  After being rejected by the Confederate military, not realizing it was due to his crucial civilian role, an engineer must single-handedly recapture his beloved locomotive after it is seized by Union spies and return it through enemy lines. This is absolutely hilarious! Buster Keaton is a comedy genius. One thing I want to say straight away is that this guy has no sense of danger, the sheer amount of stunts that could have gotten him killed is insane. Going from almost derailing a train, almost blowing his head off with a cannon to throwing swords wildly. They are so incredibly impressive though with the stunts and physical jokes that he managed to pull off. This is worth watching just for that. Moving on to the story, it's actually paced incredibly well with a good handful of romance and action thrown in. Everything is extremely expressionate or absolutely deadpan which to m...

Genre: Action/ Comedy Time: 1h 38mins Director:  Kyle Newman Quick Summary:  A teenage special ops agent coveting a "normal" adolescence fakes her own death and enrols in a suburban high school. She quickly learns that surviving the treacherous waters of high school is more challenging than international espionage. I shouldn't have liked this as much as I did. It was fun. Who knew A24 and Disney Channel were the mash-up I needed.  The storyline, despite being so generic and predictable, actually still turned out to be entertaining for what it was. Really, you don't need to think about anything while watching this, just sit back and enjoy it. The biggest surprise for me is to see Samuel L. Jackson in this. Though it was a shame he didn't get much screen time. I'm glad he was incredibly funny with what time he did get. The comedy is mostly situational; in other words, there aren't a ton of punchline gags and snappy zingers. Overall it's pretty harmless ...

  Genre: Western/ Romance Time: 1h 24mins Director:  John Maclean Quick Summary:  A young Scottish man travels across America in pursuit of the woman he loves, attracting the attention of an outlaw who is willing to serve as a guide. Honestly, I don't remember much about the plot but I do remember just enjoying this as an experience. Following suit with the title, this is admittedly pretty slow but that doesn't mean it was boring at all. In fact, it's full of action and fun moments.  This was visually stunning as they used a lot of cool camera tricks to make the Frontier look like colourful artwork and I was glued to watching the scenery as it was so pretty. There was one cool scene where a Native Person was hiding in the trees and they blended in so well I completely missed them. Admittedly, though it was pretty, it felt very empty a lot of the time.  The humour probably won't mesh with everyone as it's very dry, which I happen to love, or some of the jokes m...

  Genre: Sci-fi/ Thriller Time: 1h 50mins Director:  Alex Garland Quick Summary:  A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I. I guess I'm a little disappointed after hearing all the hype around this. I think the plot is simple, and I was expecting more to it. It wasn't all that Thrilling really. There are a lot of dull moments and scenes that just go on for way too long. Another fault is that a lot of the characters are incredibly underdeveloped, and really the only interesting one was actually Nathan. I wanted to hear more from him and his mind. Not watching him stumble around drunk for most of the film. Being there were only 3 characters that spoke in this, I'm shocked they didn't give a lot of dialogue to them or go deeper into their characters. Really it only scratches the surface. Visually it's very pretty and the special effects ar...

  Genre: Sci-Fi/ Romance Time: 1h 53mins Director:  Christos Nikou Quick Summary:  Anna and Ryan have found true love, and it's proven by a controversial new technology. There's just one problem, as Anna still isn't sure. Then she takes a position at a love testing institute and meets Amir. Prepare yourself as this is a slow film. If you've ever been in love, like true deep love, I think you'll enjoy this more than most. It's painful and deep-rooted in you, like ripping out a fingernail. It comes with plenty of risks, there is always that unsure part of you that will say "Is this right?" This is where "The Machine" comes in to help prove if two people work together, get rid of that risk and give more time to find the right one. It hangs on the universal need for validation, especially in this current generation, and gives proof. But does it actually mean it's true? What happens when people change? Carefully it weaves in the doubts and q...

  Genre: Fantasy/ Action  Time: 1h 56mins Director:  Russell Mulcahy Quick Summary:  An immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his immortal opponents, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled "Prize". This is so entertaining and brilliant to watch. Science fiction meets fantasy in the perfect blend.  Let me get this out of the way first, unfortunately, the plot does jump around a ton, which makes it kind of confusing for a while. However, once you figure out what is going on and when, it's a bit easier to follow. Personally, I did like the jumps to the past to see our protagonist's past life as the present unfolds.  The landscapes shown in this are absolutely stunning with some amazing shots. One scene in particular when two people are swordfighting on top of a hill and the camera pans around the two to take in the whole area whilst the pair are still in the centre. It's just such a pretty shot. Speaking of the sword fighting...

  Genre: Family/ Fantasy  Time: 1h 30mins Director:  Michael Joens Quick Summary:  Ponyland comes under attack from the Smooze, a massive purple ooze created by an evil witch who plans to destroy the ponies' annual spring festival. I should have kept this as nostalgia.  This is just bad and very painful to get through. I'm not sure if it's due to the horrible quality of the audio, which is incredibly tinny, or the dull dialogue. Especially one of the main ponies which happens to be a very young one, her voice is like nails on a chalkboard. Shoutout to Bart Simpson's voice actor who simply recycles Bart's voice. I'll tell you what, that was one of the most jarring experiences I've had ever. Nobody, and I mean nobody is given any real personality. They're all just simple pin-point cutouts, this pony is caring, this one is shy, this one is stubborn. Okay, they somehow manage to get a few messages across like "Don't be selfish." and "Frie...

  Genre: Adventure/ Action Time: 1h 45mins Director:  Nia DaCosta Quick Summary:  Carol Danvers gets her powers entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, forcing them to work together to save the universe. Screw you guys, this was fun. Sure, this isn't a great Marvel film, but it's fun and full of action, it is mostly directed towards young teenagers so it isn't going to be fully serious.  Don't get me wrong either, I fully see the flaws in this, such as the underdevelopment of all the characters. Nobody really improved themselves, they just continued being themselves, which isn't fully bad I'll admit. For a trio that has just met each other, they bond incredibly fast and well. They work together really well, Brie bringing a more serious headstrong element, Teyonah more logical and brings a good amount of science into it, and Iman is just pure innocent fun and joy. I can see a lot of people finding her annoying, but I felt it was really refreshing...

  Genre: Horror/ Mystery  Time: 1h 35mins Directors:  Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou Quick Summary:  When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces. Alright, get your pitchforks out, because this is overhyped. For a start, it is so short, and it really could have been done with a much longer run time. Because of this, we don't get much time with any of the cast, who admittedly are a bunch of insufferable teenagers that I found incredibly hard to like, and not much of the plot was explained. For me, I feel like if the hand's origins were explained, or we got to see the effects on the users play out over a bit more time instead of cramming small moments altogether. Going back to the teenagers, they were awful people. Like seriously. I have never seen such an unlikeable bunch of people. They're all horrible and bitchy t...

  Genre: Romance/ Comedy Time: 1h 35mins Director:  Jeff Lowell Quick Summary:  A ghost tries to sabotage her former boyfriend's current relationship with a psychic. You know, some days you just have to sit back and enjoy life by watching an awful Rom-Com. I'll tell you what, this isn't awful admittedly, it's just not laugh out loud and a lot of the humour feels very airy. It does follow the same pattern that almost every single Rom-com does, and you can see the ending from a mile away. But who cares, this is fun and simple. Easy. You really don't need to think about this, just enjoy it with all it's ridiculousness. The romance is as soppy as expected, but it comes across and quirky awkward that does have a little bit of charm to it. The main actress, Lake Bell, though doesn't feel like she gives much, she gets overshone by Paul Rudd and Eva Longoria a ton as well the actuall character didn't have much from her aside from this awkwardly cute personalit...

  Genre: Sci-Fi/ Horror Time: 1h 28mins Director:  Stephen Chiodo Quick Summary:  Aliens who look like clowns come from outer space and terrorize a small town. How can you hate this, it's absolutely amazing.  This is undoubtedly the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. You'll either love it or see it as being a ridiculous piece of trash. I am a great fan of this campy horror-comedy flick and I can't possibly say anything negative about it. To me, this is a perfect film. You really can't get any more silly than this film. Don't get me wrong, the acting is awful. Like laughable, and so is the script. I don't think much thought was actually put into those parts of the film and the focus was mainly the clowns and the plot. But I'm not complaining at all. I think, honestly it makes this film so much more fun. The special effects are wonderful in this too. The clowns are brilliant but also terrifying. Like if I saw these guys, I'd run. The goofiness of the s...