The Brown Note Movie Review

You have to hand it to the DC comic movie universe - they can do do any kind of movie just as badly as any other. Here they tackle indie/Joker-ish to predictably dire effect.

Politicised Brazilian auteur, Kleber Medonca Filho, is clearly one to watch but his acclaimed genre-bender isn't quite wild enough a ride and falls down in a few areas.

My top fifty films from 2010-20 plus my most overrated films of the decade - including one from Martin Scorcese (no, not that one).

This near masterpiece was possibly the most stress inducing film I've ever seen and not one for people with anxiety. Criminally shut out at the Oscars given its strengths in direction, cinematography, screenplay and sound plus a lead performance better than the Joker.

A look back over the second attempt at rebooting the Star War franchise, which after a strong opening salvo, was nearly as bad as the first attempt. All five films reviewed (and it isn't pretty).

What started as a review of the abysmal franchise nadir ended up an overview of the entire character of Rambo.

With three incredible and very different, yet socially and politically awake films, as good a decade for Korean director Bong Joon-ho. Paradoxically I thought that though Tarantino deserved best picture at the Oscars, this was also one of the best best picture winners this century.

All five seasons of Narcos have been superb and none more than the second Mexican cartel focused endeavor, where Diego Luna has a shattering Walter White-like descent into evil, as good as anything on television.

Trailers rarely ever lie but thank god this modernist take on Agatha Christie wasn't the quirky Wes Andersen twaddle I expected, and instead was a truly wonderful film.

It was with supreme irony for a film about how inspired maverick geniuses are held back by corporate interference as that's exactly what it felt like held back this film from greatness.

After putting Jesse through hell for most of the final season of Breaking Bad, finally some closure in this nerve jangling stand alone piece.

Part of a two movie David Hemmings retrospective (along with Blow Up) another classic - Dario Argento's masterpiece is superior to Suspiria.

As part of a two film retrospective on actor David Hemmings (along with Deep Red) - a first watch of the Michelangelo Antonioni's counter culture classic didn't let me down.

I'm no fan of director Sam Mendes at all - he stank up the Bond universe and few films got old quicker than American Beauty. Here he tried the time honored graft of releasing a film based on a gimmick just before the Oscars to hoodwink everyone for a month until they realise it wasn't very good after all - and if it wasn't for those pesky kids...

Our liberal democracies are being stolen from us in broad daylight and it's only getting worse and a polarised political scene is doing nothing to stop it. One of the most important documentaries of the modern era - the story of Cambridge Analytica using weapons of war against the public get right wing agendas elected.

Retrospectively uploading these reviews as podcasts, I've sometimes disputed my initial review - nothing comes close to this, inexplicably given 7.5/10. It's genuinely atrocious, a pointless and stupid film that takes the over-used trope of going to a major city and blowing up famous landmarks and makes an entire film out of it. A 3/10 awful nadir in the Marvel universe.

Just like the Hateful 8 (which I also loved) it polarised audiences but I thought the latest Tarrantino effort was his most impressive and mature directoral effort yet - had I not been preoccupied with end of decade best of lists, it would've beaten Parasite as my best film of 2019.

With several of the best fight sequences of the modern era, a breathtaking, flawless first hour and the best use of the mythos yet - the finest of the three Keanu Reeves genre films.

In retrospect a minor classic for me. The human side is still dire but it's evocation of Japanese monster aesthetics through stunning modern effects has never been done better.

The most recent of five uniformly good Netflix specials from the stand up legend is arguably the most focused and consistent.

I'd rate this hugely unusual, winter-blown black comedic entry into the Liam Neeson multiverse even higher now. Its icy Colorado landscape is hugely appealing, its dark humor closer to something like Fargo and Tom Bateman is one of the greatest gonzo B-movie villains ever.

Superb work from writer director Drew Goddard, who takes throws the  usual post-Tarrantino school book out the window and instead allows long, slow, patient character development to occupy the front half of the film, ably abetted by an excellent cast.

If there is a flaw in Steve McQueen's UK-tv female bank heist remake, it's too much of a good thing. All of the micro-universes portrayed in this film are worthy of a film of their own and all contain outstanding acting.

Director Adam McKay continues to score after his move away from comedy. After the superb The Big Short, this undervalued look at a broken American political system that is even worse today. Christian Bale was robbed of an Oscar, again.

Australia continues to produce these incredibly impressive, low-budget sci-fi films. This a perfect blend of body-horror, violent action and cerebral ideas.