An unassuming tailor finds himself caught in a war between rival mobsters. Deliberately stagey crime drama seemingly based on the pun in the title, with the kinds of twists one might expect: anchored by an immaculate Mark Rylance performance. Not especially filmic, but enjoyable on its own terms.
Here’s the trailer.
An ambitious woman marries into a struggling fashion house. Loosely based on real events, this lacks narrative drive but is pleasant enough if one focuses on production design and on performances ranging from vivid to camp. It wants to be both The Godfather and The Wolf of Wall Street but falls between the two.
Here’s the trailer.
A former rodeo rider goes to Mexico to find his boss’s son. Minor road movie variant on Eastwood’s ongoing exploration of masculinity and aging. The star is the weak link, being two decades too old for the clunky script. That said, it looks and sounds great, and there’s pleasures along the well-worn way.
Here’s the trailer.
A hitman with Alzheimer’s disease struggles to make things right. Odd mix of character drama and potboiler thriller: it doesn’t really cohere, but there’s pleasures along the way. A solid cast, efficient direction and cinematography, and very effective use of Nu Boyana production facilities all help though.
Here’s the trailer.
A struggling new-in-London fashion student hallucinates that she’s in the 1960s. While there’s bags of confidence and style in this psychogeographic timeslip giallo-ish flick, and some fine performances, the storytelling’s awry: a rushed third act flails to get matters both properly set up and then clarified.
Here’s the trailer.
A woman goes missing at a truck stop: her estranged husband searches. Perfunctory thriller that’s unsure what to do with its Breakdown-ish setup, opting for linearity over complexity: there’s never doubt that Gerry Butler – for it is he – is anything other than a good guy. Stops rather than ends: a bit of a disappointment.
Here’s the trailer.
A desert planet with a fabled resource is given new custodians: a messiah figure may be among them. Impressive if slightly po-faced partial adaptation (Part Two is to come) of the Frank Herbert allegorical SF classic. Takes its time: the pacing is televisual rather than cinematic. However, it looks great, and a good cast plays to their strengths.
Here’s the trailer. And here’s another view.
1906. A farmer finds a wounded man and takes him in, hiding him from the team that’s hunting him. Excellent early 20th century Western, which manages to do a lot with modest resources and clear intent. Plenty to appreciate, not least Tim Blake Nelson in the lead.
Here’s the trailer.
A wife helps her husband escape jail: a chase and media circus develops as they cross Texas to be reunited with their child. Excellent road movie/crime drama hybrid with comic and bittersweet touches, and full of directorial promise. Loads to recommend here.
Here’s the trailer:
A memory technician becomes obsessed with a nightclub singer. Somewhat laboured SF noir, indebted to Blade Runner, Chinatown, and – er – Who Framed Roger Rabbit, saddled with po-faced script and narration. Some visual stuff works (there’s one genuine moment of wonder) but the central mystery and its importance is bungled.
Here’s the trailer.
![Last Seen Alive [AKA Chase] (2022, dir. Brian Goodman)](https://255review.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/last-seen-alive-poster.jpg?w=300)
255 Review 