Review: Summer/Autumn Update

~ anfieldgirl ~ Leave a comment

Our cinema going over the Summer and Autumn dwindled considerably but with good reason. We bought our first house after years of renting and the process was long and stressful leaving little time for films. Hopefully we will return to our nearly weekly habit in the New Year. I’m going to give you a quick round up of the films we saw since June when we went to the excellent F1 film.

  • Jurassic World. I really enjoyed this. I wasn’t a fan of the franchise and this was probably the first time I’d seen a JP film since the earliest film. It has an engaging plot, nothing too brain taxing but the special effects were excellent. The sea creatures circling the boats were particularly thrilling for me. 7/10
  • Superman. Another film seen without much knowledge of prior films for me. This was an average film, made better by the slight flaw in the main character – he didn’t seem to be the “Superman” of legend, he was vulnerable and ultimately needed help to triumph. 6/10.
  • The Fantastic Four. Another average superhero romp for me. The acting felt a little wooden and I didn’t really warm to any of the characters. 6/10.
  • The Bad Boys 2. Just silly and funny. Nice animation. 7/10.
  • Taylor Swift | The Release Party of a Showgirl. Not really a film, more of an experience. I was with friends and we had a lot of fun. Selfies at the cinema, lots of other Swifties around us, an all around feel good night out. The filming of the video for The Fate Of Ophelia was the main theme of the film, interspersed with Taylor Swift talking about all the other tracks on the album. Fascinating to see the video process from the storyline to the choreography to the filming. 9/10.
  • Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere. I’m not a huge Springsteen fan, so this was never going to be a must see film for me but I’m glad I saw it. It was a deeply personal side of an artist I know very little about as a man. It would have worked as a biopic of a fictional artist just as well, the Springsteen element wasn’t the most interesting thing – the torment of not being understood as an artist, battling with everyone to deliver the masterpiece you know is inside you – that’s the story of the film and it was moving to watch. 7/10.
  • Nuremberg. Almost the film of the year for me. Definitely in my top three. I’ve subsequently read a couple of reviews criticising the performance of Rami Malek in the film but I enjoyed it, a slightly fragile, uncertain portrayal of a man battling with the monster he’s confronted with but reluctantly finding the human being oddly fascinating. I didn’t know a lot about this period of history so it was sobering and informative as a film. 9/10.
  • Park Avenue. I saw this alone and I think there was only three people in the cinema which is sad because it was a very enjoyable film. Plot wise it was slow and meandering but that was important, it embodied the whole theme of the story for me – Fiona Shaw’s character is slowly dying whilst trying to hide this from the people around her. The sets and costumes were beautiful – Kit’s wardrobe was wonderful. The storyline probably needed another strand to inject a counter point to the film, I think probably the daughter’s dalliance with an old flame was supposed to be that but it kind of got lost in the heaviness of the mother/daughter relationship. 7/10.
  • Wicked: For Good. Alongside everyone else I’d been waiting for the second part of the Wicked story for a year. I did well to avoid reading about the likely plot and similarities or otherwise to the stage show (which I haven’t seen) so the plot twist was a surprise. The film was wonderful – admittedly all the great songs seem to be in the first movie, but For Good was enough! The animation of the animals is beautiful and all the special effects were flawless. The most important thing is the story, you almost don’t notice the other things while you’re watching, just remember them when you reflect on the film later. The relationships and the story are wonderful and perfectly portrayed. I laughed, gasped, shed a little tear and rejoiced alongside everyone else in the cinema. 10/10

So that’s my whistle stop round of up our summer/autumn films. Hopefully the weekly review service will be resumed in January.

Review: F1 26 June 2025

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Two things before I start this review. I don’t like Brad Pitt and I used to be an obsessive motor sport fan, but that was over 10 years ago.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this film – my love of Formula 1 was immense but it’s faded in recent years and I haven’t seen a full race in a long time. I was concerned that simulated/staged racing might annoy me. I was also a little concerned my distaste for pretty boy Pitt would sour my view of the film too.

I was wrong on both counts. This film was incredible. The racing scenes were impeccable. I felt like I was watching a real race, I gasped and covered my eyes several times through the film. The commentary provided of course by Martin Brundle and David Croft was a little bit hammy but it wasn’t distracting. The footage, filmed at real Grand Prix during 2023 and 2024, was seamless. The cameos of drivers and team members were not gratuitous, just enough to keep F1 fans happy to see their favourite drivers, but not too much to detract from the story telling.

The plot wasn’t anything ground breaking – washed up former driver comes back to rescue team, trials and tribulations and a happy ending all round as you’d expect but there was an unexpected human side to this story. Cleverly woven between the racing were the friendships – developing and growing with the plot. All very obvious but still well drawn and believable. The cast draws you into their whirl wind life and also into the bonds that hold the team together.

Pitt was excellent, as much as I was expecting an average performance from him – I was wrong. As Sonny Hayes, he charms everyone, including the audience. I believed in the character. I believed in his belief he could turn the team around if they’d just give him and his maverick ideas a chance. Even the glaringly obvious love interest plot line didn’t feel horrible. Its resolution was also pleasingly handled.

Damson Idris, playing Joshua Pearce, was leaning hard into his Lewis Hamilton vibe. Hamilton produced the film and appeared as a rival to Pearce in the last race of the season. Idris was just the right amount of cocky and confident, but revealing the inevitable good team spirit performance that we all knew was coming.

I really enjoyed this film. It was a great mix of action and emotion – balancing the two very well. The plot was standard, no twists or surprises but it didn’t need them. A good story, well told. With a lot of amazing racing. What more do you need?

One of my favourite films this year. 9/10.

Review: Elio 20 June 2025

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Only a short review as there isn’t an awful lot to say about this film. It’s made by Pixar so obviously it’s beautiful. Pixar graphics are instantly recognisable and there’s something to be said for the consistency of the studio over so many animated films – it gives a level of security, of trust in the product from the get-go, just because you know it’s Pixar.

Elio is a little boy who dreams of being abducted by aliens and his wish comes true. What follows is a gentle story of friendship, making the best of your circumstances and fighting intergalactic bullies. Oh and finding your place in the world when you think no-one loves you. So nothing ground breaking here. But it’s funny in places (am I the only one that got the Death Star reference?) and silly enough to keep the younger children in the theatre entertained.

We were amazed how many kids had been in there as they were so well behaved – they must have been really enjoying it. No tears or endless toilet breaks! That’s not meant as a criticism – I love going to kids films and hearing them laughing, crying, engaging with the story – if I want to see a film in complete silence I’ll stay at home! I was just surprised by how many kids were there when the lights went up.

I enjoyed the film but it wasn’t breaking any boundaries and sometimes that’s ok. If you just want to see some Pixar loveliness this is a great choice.

6/10

Review: How To Train Your Dragon 9 June 2025

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Another live action remake hot on the heels of Lilo & Stitch. I really wasn’t sure how this one was going to turn out. I was right to be apprehensive. It’s a good remake – the live action part is well done, the CGI of the dragons is amazing but something about the whole thing is just a little bit too dark. I mean this visually as well as metaphorically. I missed a lot of the dialogue in the opening scenes, it was all very loud and dark. I hadn’t read much about this remake and I don’t know how many of the other films are planned for this reimagining. I hope they inject a little more lightness into any future films.

Hiccup was as I remembered him and of course Toothless is a wonderful recreation, almost indistinguishable from the original, about which I am glad. I love Toothless and I would have hated for them to have lost anything about his character in this version, but it was all there. The flying scenes where they finally bond and just click together were lovely.

I feel like this was a little bit too grown up compared to the original, it felt like it had lost a little of the innocence and lightness but nevertheless I enjoyed it. The dragons were brilliant and the story was well told. It has made me want to go back and watch the animated versions again so I’m ready for any sequels.

7/10

Review: Lilo & Stitch 21 May 2025

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I’ve been trying to write this review for a couple of weeks. I keep coming back to it and deleting what I’ve written. I find it hard to explain how much a movie about a little blue alien means to me. I’ve always loved Stitch. From the very first time I saw the movie all those years ago, to the present day when I’ve seen the latest reincarnation twice now and can’t rule out going to see it again. This latest version is a mostly faithful retelling of the original story and a live action version was always going to have a couple of compromises. It was close enough not to have me wringing my hands at the screen. The ocean scenes are amazing and the CGI all the way through is beautiful.

I have more Stitch merchandise than any other franchised memorabilia I own. I have sweatshirts, bags, jewellery, dolls, Lego. Something about that little blue guy who tries so hard to be good, to find his place, to be loved just touches my heart. Yes, he makes me laugh. Yes, I love the songs from the movies and of course I love Elvis. I love Lilo and her own journey to find love and peace. But above all I love Stitch’s joy at being alive. When I carry my rucksack or wear my jewellery, when I carry my Stitch plushie with me to the cinema or when I look at the various incarnations of him around my house I remember that joy. This new film has all the joy I feel when I see Stitch – that laugh, that face.

All the joy is there.

10/10

Review: Blue Rose Code 10 May 2025

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Thornton Hough Village Club and Bar

Sometimes you miss going to a gig because life gets in the way, or you miss the announcement or you have other plans. Then you have to live with the hint of regret when you hear people talking about that gig that you missed. Happily because Neil Johnson seems to have a perfect handle on the kind of music I love and he nudged me in the right direction this week, I had the immense pleasure of being at the Blue Rose Code gig at Thornton Hough Village Club & Bar last night. I feel like it might be one of those gigs I talk about a lot – “….. remember that night…..”.

Normally my reviews are full of details and songs and band members and history. I have none of that for this gig. I went into the gig knowing almost nothing about the band/duo – I knew I’d heard the name but that was as far as it went. I was not prepared (even after a few listens on Spotify) for the sheer beauty and passion in the music. Ross and Ben took the small but perfectly formed audience on such an emotional journey last night. In places I was just mesmerised both by the intensity of feelings and also the amazing guitar skills of both musicians.

I had a chance to chat with Ross in the interval, what a lovely man – so appreciative of the audience (we’re pretty cool at THVC to be fair, we even sing along when we’re asked to 😆) and so approachable.

So now I go out on my Blue Rose Code journey, in an effort to catch up and fill my soul with these beautiful lyrics and glorious songs.

I’m off to find my “murmuration of starlings” ❤️

Review: Thunderbolts* 2 May 2025

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The latest Marvel film landed this week. We’re not Marvel die hards but we do love the films and seeing them in the cinema in the iSense rooms at our local Odeon is the best way to experience them in my opinion.

Thunderbolts* is everything you expect from a Marvel offering – big budget, incredible special effects, a great storyline, good guys, bad guys and lots of puny humans that need saving. It’s a tried and tested formula that never gets old. This time however there is a little twist – our good guys are former bad guys twisted round to the side of good by a diabolical politician. Some of the characters I recognised (Bucky, John Walker), most I didn’t and assume are new to the story. Like I said – I don’t have a great knowledge of Marvel canon I just enjoy the films.

The fight sequences in this film are excellent and the special effects are amazing. I particularly liked the darkness of The Void and how it crept through the city. Obviously it’s a metaphor for evil but as we learn as the film progresses, it is also more subtly a symbol of depression and loneliness and the insidious nature of that condition. Our descent into Bob’s trauma through Yelena is key to the whole film and is very moving.

Our band of intrepid heroes of course save the day and New York is restored (with a lot of cleaning up needed!) and there’s a comeuppance for the dodgy politician (played brilliantly by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) which is surely going to feature in future episodes.

As with all Marvel films I’ve seen, we were rewarded for sitting though the credits with a couple of extra minutes of the story, which I won’t go into but I’m looking forward to the next instalment already. 9/10

Catch Up Reviews – April 2025

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I’m a little behind on my reviews so before I cover the film we saw today, I thought I’d do a little round up of the last two films we saw, in April.

Death Of A Unicorn. What can I say, it was both disturbing and unexpected. The concept of killer unicorns is a new one on me and a far cry from the Build A Bear creation I own (“he’s sooooo fluffy”). But while this film was exponentially darker than I anticipated from the trailer, it was an interesting concept. The greed and hubris of man will ultimately be defeated by the fantastical creatures of our fairy tales, and only the pure of heart will survive. Or it was just a dreadful film with very little plot, very dark (and often not very funny) humour and a cast that really weren’t sure whether the writers/directors were serious when they sent them the script. I’m not entirely sure either. 4/10

The Amateur. This was a mediocre spy thriller affair. Remi Malik as a computer genius turned vigilante was neither believable nor engaging. There was a pretty standard plot (man’s wife is killed, man chases bad guys, man confounds government agency, blah blah blah). There wasn’t anything dreadful about the film, it just wasn’t anything special. 5/10

Review: Ian McNabb, 5th April 2025

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Thornton Hough Village Club and Bar

Another spectacular gig at Thornton Hough Village Club & Bar last night. It’s been a while since we were treated to an evening in the company of Mr Ian McNabb at THVC – which is the finest venue in the whole of the North West if you want to really experience live music in its purest form. 

Ian played two sets as he usually does here and the crowd were up for singing and joining in right from the off. With a beautiful collection of guitars and a back catalogue going back <mumbles> years you always know you are going to hear something you love, maybe with a slight twist, or a new story to introduce it. Liverpool Girl got an upgrade of mass sound effects from the audience (by Ian’s instruction) – I was in the fog horn section 😂. 

It’s hard to pick a favourite song from Ian. There are songs that devastate my heart – Evangeline and Before All Of This – both of which were in the setlist last night, but mercifully not one after the other – thanks Ian 🥰 Sorry for sobbing. But there are also songs that make me smile (aforementioned Liverpool Girl) and songs that evoke such strong images (Film Noir Star).

I don’t think I’ve heard Camaraderie for such a long time and it’s one of my favourites. All the other classic songs were in the setlist (which I shamelessly stole at the end of the night 😇). 

As always Hollow Horse touches me like few other songs do – it’s a call to arms, a rallying cry, something that makes me think of the many gigs I’ve been to, stood with my arms around one of my Icicle Works compadres belting out that song like it’s our last day on earth. 

In all a wonderful evening surrounded by good friends in the company of one of the finest musicians I’ve ever had the privilege to call my friend.

I’ve added links to all the songs I’ve mentioned but please consider going to Ian’s website and purchasing something direct from the artist. https://www.ianmcnabb.com. Ian’s latest album, If It Wasn’t For The Music has just been released this week.

Review: Harp and a monkey

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Thornton Hough Village Club and Bar, 28 March 2025

As a photographer and scrapbooker my whole life is documented to some degree. I love taking photographs that tell stories, that mark a moment in my life. My greatest joy is doing that at a gig. I have thousands of photographs that take me back to a song or a moment in a gig, where I feel like I captured the essence of the performer, to be held on file forever, to allow me to instantly recall the feeling.

Every now and then I go to a gig where my camera is not enough. Where no matter how hard I try I cannot capture that essence. Last night’s gig at Thornton Hough Village Club & Bar by Harp and a monkey was one of those gigs. And it’s not the first time! Every time we see this band I am transfixed, by the stories, by the history, by the sheer love for their craft that oozes from the stage. Mostly I am captivated by Martin Purdy and his obvious joy in performing, a joy that just radiates out into the audience.

I can hardly shift my attention to my camera because I might miss something, some nuance of a story I haven’t heard before, a phrase I’ve not noticed before. And so the total sum of my photographs from last night is five 😆 But what an experience.

The setlist was as varied as their back catalogue but highlights for me were Pilgrim’s Cross, The Molecatcher and Serenade For A Winters Day. Also Tupperware and Tinfoil which is regularly played and sung along to in our car 🥰

Same time next year guys?

“Wherever you go there’s footprints upon the snow” ❤️