January 2023

All movies I saw in the cinema for first time during the month of January 2023 ranked from worst to best.

(SPOILER WARNING FOR ALL 4 FILMS PICTURED ABOVE)

#4: I Wanna Dance With Somebody

I was never much of a Whitney Houston fan, hence why I left quite late into it's theatrical run, the most I've seen from her is 'The Bodyguard' (which I saw for the first time last February) and the iconic accompanying music video 'I will Always Love You'.

*

This was pretty decent, albeit 20 or so minutes longer than it should've been.

The performances were great and Naomi Ackie pulled off Houston's mannerisms with conviction. Her lip syncing of Whitney's legendary and soulful vocals were very chill inducing. I liked that songs were played in full and not cut abruptly.

Stanley Tucci had a great supporting role in this film, which isn't that surprising as he's usually been amazing in the films he's in.

During the finale, as soon as it faded to February 2012, I instantly dreaded every scene. Although the scene with her and the barista was so beautiful, showing that she still had devoted fans even after personal turmoil and rehab.

This was a good film, about a amazing superstar who's story ended incredibly prematurely.

6.5/10

#3: BABYLON

This was my final cinema trip of January 2023.

I've honestly not been looking forward to see this, primarily due to the runtime Standing at a staggering 3 hours, that's excluding the sometimes ridiculously long adverts/trailer reel. The only reason that was tempting me to see it, was ofcourse Margot Robbie.

The film has been out for a few weeks, and all I've heard from viewers is "OMG THAT FINAL MONTAGE!" (which I saw a little bit on Tiktok) as well as "THE LAST 20 MINUTES ARE AMAZING!" It's sorta worrying to me that the supposed best part of a 3 hour film is the end and not the parts before.

*

The montage was massively overhyped, the final 20 minutes dragged on a little but the film itself was alright, albeit incredibly long.

The performances were nice, the main 3 perfectly (Diego Calva, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie) carried the film through it's 180 minute runtime.

The production design and score were great, both felt very seamless going all the way from the '20s to the '50s. Linus Sandgren's camera was excellent, liked the occasional one shots.

The film definetley could've been 30 minutes shorter, but I still had an okay time.

7/10

#2: Empire Of Light

I was sorta intrigued to see this, mainly due to Olivia Colman as well the film being set in a British seaside area, and ofcourse the story focusing on a Cinema.

*

Sam Mendes and Roger Deakins continue to be a powerhouse film-making duo. Each film they do continues to be a banger (1917, Spectre, Jarhead and now this!). The NYE fireworks sequence was so beautifully shot!

Exceptional performances all round, but the pairing and chemistry of Colman and Michael Ward stole the show. I previously saw Ward in 'Blue Story' back in late 2019, which I blown away by his performance in that too.

I honestly didn't know projectionists had the observe the top corner for three black spots in order to switch to the other reels.

Not only is this a commentary on cinema/movie-going, but also shines an incredibly brutal & unflinching light on both racism and mental health. The motorbike sequence started off quite nice and pleasant, but then takes a sudden nosedive turning into unrelenting chaos, one of the most uncomfortable scenes I've ever had to sit through in the cinema. Also, the shot of Colman's character sitting in her flat awaiting the door being broken open by authorities was so powerful and immensely conveyed the kind of trauma and trouble she would've been dealing with.

'Empire of Light' was a brilliant regardless of off-putting scenes.

8/10

#1: A Man Called Otto

This was my first cinema trip of 2023.

I wasn't particularly hyped to see this, to be perfectly candid. The premise of film I got from the trailers did seem okay, and Tom Hanks was probably the only reason wanted to watch it.

*

Man, this was heartbreakingly beautiful. The film was reminiscent of 'Living' starring Bill Nighy (which I saw last month), which focused on love, loss and ultimately selflessness. The flashbacks to Otto's younger life were very sobering and powerful.

Hanks completely carried the film expertly despite the somewhat predictable story, going from a grumpy, cold man to a kind and giving person.

The film, while a little longer than it should've been, was still very intriguing and kept me engaged throughout!

7.6/10