January 2020

#9 and #7: The Gentlemen

This was my very first film of 2020. The trailers seemed very cheesy and uninteresting.

This was immensely boring.

The dry humour/long awkward pauses weren't funny.

The actions were okay at best.

I found the movie to be very long and drawn out.

*3 weeks and 1 rewatch later*

I chose to rewatch this instead of watching The Turning as I wanted to see if the film was indeed terrible or it was just based on how I felt that day I first watched.

I can safely say that it was far more enjoyable on a second watch. Knowing how things played out definetley helped the jokes and punchlines land.

Upon the second viewing, I did grow an appreciation for the set design. Loved Raymond's house, it was like something from an Ikea advert.

All actor's performances were great, Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam and Michelle Dockery especially.

First watch:
4/10

Second watch:
6/10

#8: Bombshell

I was mainly interested in this because of Margot Robbie.

Since both Charlize Theron's and Nicole Kidman's characters were based on actual people the studio behind this film thought it was a good for them both to have a heavy load of prosthetics to resemble their counterparts.

I honestly thought it was a bad idea for them to do that.

I wasn't really keen on this going off the trailers and promotional videos. It seemed very politics-heavy(ie, mentioning Donald Trump and his scandals).

This was okay, dragged immensely.

Over the course of the film, I didn't mind Charlize Theron's prosthetics. In fact, at the start of the film during her opening dialogue, I was blown away by how different she looked.

The green screened interviews where Theron's and Kidman's characters interviewed Donald Trump looked very cheap and poorly lit.

The objectivefying of women was sickening especially during the scene where Kayla(Played by Margot) involuntarily continued to lift up her dress because the head of FOX News told her to.

I was surprised to see Jennifer Morrison in one scene toward the culmination of the film.

5.5/10

#6: Bad Boys For Life

I haven't watched the previous 2 films. Just didn't excite me.

I much prefer the Fast and Furious series over them films(mainly 4-8, plus Hobbs & Shaw). I wasn't too excited to see this either, but mainly excited for Vanessa Hudgens.

The whole "One last time? One last time" that the trailers emphasized just seemed very cringeworthy. Like they were trying to capitalise on the Logan, Rambo: Last Blood etc film hype.

The first hour and 20 minutes was boring and unfunny. But the last 30-40 minutes was entertaining and quite funny.

The airplane secquence was hilarious.

Vanessa Hudgens was great.

It was weird seeing Charles Melton in this as I only know him from The Sun Is Also A Star.

Can't believe they(the script writers) expected people to think that Will Smith's character was gonna die less than 30 minutes into the movie.

The soundtrack was excellent especially during the song when The Captain dies.

I didn't like the constant orange tint throughout the film, I know that is something the BB films are known for.

7.5/10

#5: The Personal History of David Copperfield

The trailers seemed quite entertaining. Wasn't overly hyped going to watch this.

This was amazing. Perfect blend of comedy, drama and romance in a 100+ minute runtime.

Peter Capaldi was hilarious. I funnilly saw it as a alternate timeline where The 12th Doctor was a poor man who had a fascination with

Weirdly, the funniest, in my opinion, was when Copperfield found out his mother died. The awkward pauses when the guy was repeated every word his boss said.

Some of the scenes transitions were quite jarring and noticeable. But at the same time, some were smooth and really innovative.

I enjoyed this a lot and I think this will be on my top 10 films at the end of this year.

8.5/10

#4: Just Mercy

This did seem quite interesting. I was a little put off by the 136 minute runtime though.

This was incredibly moving from begining to the end. Very raw, tragic and brutal, that surprisingly has a happy ending.

It was heartbreaking to find out that guy who suffered from PTSD did indeed die by electrocution as the facts of prisoners and lawyers were shown at the end of the film.

Excellent shots of Alabama outdoor scenery.

Brilliantly beautiful original soundtrack.

Although, the premise of the film was quite simple. About proving a convicted man was innocent for a crime he didn't commit. It was somewhat difficult to follow the story entirely.

The chemistry between Jamie Foxx's Ray MacMillan and Michael B.Jordan's Bryan Steveson was a definite highlight throughout the film.

8.6/10

#3: 1917

I have been looking forward to this for quite some time.

I was intrigued by the fact that it would filmed in the way Birdman(2014) was filmed.

The way the camera blends two shots together making it seem like one.

This was excellent, definitely deserves any award it gets!

The soundtrack was amazing.

Beautiful cinematography from begining to end.

Great story, quite similar to another great war film, that film being perhaps the best war film of all time, Saving Private Ryan.

9.8/10

#2: JoJo Rabbit

I've been wanting to see this ever since watching the first trailer. Taika Watiti is amazing in everything he does(Playing Korg in Thor: Ragnarok, Endgame etc.)
Also because of Scarlett Johansson.

The story did seem interesting, according to the trailers. A German child who imagines having the most evil man during the early 1940s, Hitler(Played by Taika) as a best friend.

I did love the German rendition of 'Heroes' during the first trailer, my favourite David Bowie song.

This was fucking amazing!

Beautifully directed by Taika.

Brilliant acting by the kid who played JoJo. Especially during the scene where he finds out that his mother was hanged.

Not sure if it was in the book or not but it was excellent that his mother's shoes were the only ones that had any colour on them. Making it easier to realise who it was during that powerful scene.

I was happy it ended with 'Heroes'. Could hear the intruments instantly as they were fading in.

Taika's portrayal of an imaginary Hitler was great.

Over the course of the film, I realised that it was more than just a kid who imagines Hitler as a friend.

It's about a boy who idolises Nazis and slowly comes to terms that Jews were harmless and wanted to live in peace.

This will for sure be one of my favourite films of 2020 at the end of the year.

8.9/10

#1: A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood

This was my final film of January. I have been looking forward to this film for quite a few months.

This was probably the one film this month I watched a lot of videos of the actual person behind this film(Mr. Rogers).

I loved the actual Fred Rogers' warm openess and reassuring, calm manner.

There was one video on Youtube where it showed his first appearance and last appearance on his show and I was already moved.

He sticked with that show for 30+ years.

His children's tv show dealt with how we should deal with our emotions as well as introducing kids to themes of death, loss, war etc. in a very mature but also friendly way.

This was the best film of January 2020 without a doubt.

Tom Hanks' performance was exceptional!

The ending with Mr. Rogers doing the 'friend' hand sign to Lloyd that was introduced during the train scene brought me to tears.

The film showcased all the theme Mr. Roger's tv show dealt with(with the exception of war). Lloyd was filled with frustration toward his dad for leaving when his Lloyd's mother passed away.

It also dealt with forgiveness which started the film off with Rogers asking the viewer "Could they forgive someone that they loved if done something bad towards them" obviously referring to Lloyd and his father, which thankfully got resolved in the beautiful culmination of the film.

This honestly did not disappoint and hit all my emotional expectations.

10/10