Film Round-Up: Yesterday, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Anna
Let’s get on with the reviews!
Yesterday
Jack Malik wakes up after an accident to discover that he is the only person in the world that remembers The Beatles. As a musician, he takes advantage of this to become a huge worldwide star. A warning first, this may be directed by Danny Boyle but it feels like it belongs more like rom-com master Richard Curtis. So expect something more like Love Actually than Trainspotting. But don’t let that be a knock because this is really good. The movie gets a lot of mileage from it’s conceit and some great gags too, the fact Oasis also doesn’t exist made me laugh out loud, and Himesh Patel puts in a great performance as Jack who becomes this star whose obviously uncomfortable with the praise being put on him. Yes we do have to deal with Ed Sheerhan for extended periods and bless him he’s trying but there’s a reason he’s a singer and a not an actor. Even with that, this is a very sweet and funny movie which will be replayed on ITV2 for years to come.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Spider-Man wants to enjoy his school trip across Europe but ends up being dragged into a fight to save the world alongside the mysterious Mysterio. The reason this has not got a big review is that you can pretty much read my review of Spider-Man: Homecoming and get the gist because very little has changed. Tom Holland is still great in the role, the movie is very funny and it’s a big step up from the Amazing Spider-Man if that still has to be said. The new stuff is good too with Jake Gyllenhaal being fantastic as Mysterio and his plot also being a very interesting one. I also enjoy how the movie tackles the end of End Game and where the Marvel Cinematic Universe appears to be heading. I did have a few issues though. The first third of the movie isn’t that great. It focuses way too much on petty school drama and one pretty egregious Carry On style joke. Mysterio is also pretty bland for a while even though he makes up for it later on. Despite that, Spider-Man: Far From Home is a fun movie and a good way to get things going again after End Game.
Anna
Russian spy Hanna does something. Not sure what. That’s the problem. Much like The Beach Bum, words I spit out of my mouth with the venom it deserves, it doesn’t really have a plot. It just lurches from spy thing to other spy thing and other than Hanna saying she wants her freedom from the KGB at some point, there’s no force driving it forward until the plot finally kicks in with about half-an-hour to go. It’s not even a standard structure with the movie constantly flicking between different times meaning you completely forget when the movie is meant to be. No matter what time it is though, nothing can excuse a Soviet Russia KGB Official from using a USB stick. That just doesn’t work on so many levels. In the end it becomes standard cold war spy fare with way more twists than it needs and a distinctly uninteresting story when it bothers to have one. It does have some decent action scenes though and Luc Besson at least makes it look pretty. There’s also a scene where Hanna makes a photographer howl like a dog so there’s that.
