Down in the Southern Highlands for Christmas I caught The Favourite: some mind-boggling scenes (I'll never look at a blood orange the same way again) intersperse a riveting revenge play of punch and counterpunch (or lick, as it were). All three female leads deserve Oscars.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) December 31, 2018
Relatively recently saw Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse: spirited and genuinely funny take on what has become a tired franchise bereft of originality (due to the proliferation of the same origin story). Some absolutely vintage identity politics on show to please the snowflakes.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) December 31, 2018
Horsey film Lean On Pete doesn't break any new turf but is still an entertaining and funnyish flick about friendship, loneliness and the kindness of individual strangers racing an unjust system. My gf thought it was too long.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) December 4, 2018
Fantastic Beats: The Crimes of Grindelwald in 4D is not boring but is completely ridiculous and a noisome aroma on the wider Wizarding World. The twist at the end is so ghastly that I am tempted to reveal it here to save you time, money, seat thrusts and general dampness.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) December 2, 2018
Rami Malek and the music is great in Bohemian Rhapsody but the film itself is a dishonesty hagiography of May and Waters, who airbrush Deacon out of significance and blame any and all of Queen's failings on Freddie's tragic gayness. But did I mention the music?
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) November 18, 2018
Recently saw Venom in 4D. Film was a real mind melter — could not for the life of me figure out what was happening — and I was shocked to discover Michelle Williams (who I love) was in it. The 4D elements were sensational, tho I advise against taking in a large long black.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) November 15, 2018
I didn't go as gaga for A Star Is Born as I thought I might. Music is terrific and there are some genuinely funny, moving and tragic moments — and the performances are excellent — but it also far too long and predictable. I note Shallow is #1 in the UK and Australia.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) October 28, 2018
Last night my gf and I saw Beautiful Boy. Not a great date film — almost unbearably intense and depressing, tho there was one hilarious mo — refuses to elide any of the pleasure, pain, futility and heartbreakfulness of substance abuse. Carell overacts but Ryan + Tierny are great.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) October 24, 2018
Some time ago my gf and I saw Ladies in Black but I forget to send a tweet about it b/c, you know, other things on my mind. It was fine, especially the delightful Angourie Rice, and the subplot detailing 1950s Australia's obsession with horseracing was pleasant, but otherwise…
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) October 24, 2018
Crazy Rich Asians "is a gamechanger for Asian men" says my Chinese-Malay-Australian crazy rich friend who now lives in Singapore. A fairly conventional romcom, but with unnecessarily confusing family connections, it's pleasant if long, and the first 30mins should be much funnier.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) August 30, 2018
BlacKkKlansman the perfect antidote to Trump's twitter. Beautifully realised art direction in a woodland palette backdrops pathos, humour, horror and introspection. JD (Denzel's lad) Washington is a revelation, Laura Harrier almost steals it and the alien from Girls is good too.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) August 16, 2018
Mission: Impossible – Fallout has everything you want in an action:
💣Stunning locales
💣Incomprehensible plot
💣Insane chase scenes
💣Gnarly fighting
💣Unneccesary romantic subplot
💣Choppers, boats, fast cars“I’m glad you saw that one without me,” remarked my better half.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) August 5, 2018
Some weeks ago I saw Ocean's 8 at the pictures but never got around to sending a Single-Tweet Reviews about it. I thoroughly enjoyed most of it, though I it coulda been heistier. I love that there was no tedious romantic subplot and James Corden's character was an Arsenal fan.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) August 6, 2018
Puzzle is a conventional tale beautifully told, each character seamlessly fitting together into a pulchritudinous mosaic of family life, feminism and new masculinity in the postish #metoo era. Text me, come over, let's do one together.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) June 10, 2018
The real tragedy of Chappaquiddick is Mary Jo Kopechne never got to be president.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) May 27, 2018
Though fairly conventional and familiar, Solo: A Star Wars Story is good clean fun. It might actually be my fave film from this megafranchise.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) May 26, 2018
So busy was I with weekend chicanery I forgot to tell you lot about Deadpool 2. Whatever you thought of the first installment you will think of the second.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) May 20, 2018
Just got outta the Saturday matinee of Avengers: Infinity War so I can only assume it must be Thursday.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) May 12, 2018
I bought the Breath bookiwook the same day as The Fountainhead. One of them affected me profoundly, the other inspired a well-meaning and eminently watchable film – surfporn is outstanding – that never quite gestated into the excellence it promises throughout.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) May 5, 2018
Ready Player One is a triumph of adaptation. Superb narrative choices arrogating a new tranche of 🎬, 🎼 + 🎮 references. Some of the more masterful exposition techniques from the 📚 are subbed out for convenience but it’s still a top notch 🎢, even for a filthy casual like ↖️.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) April 21, 2018
🏝️of🐶
So much to love! An ecstasy of Anderson aesthetic, a collision of canine calamities, a fable of four-legged friendship, a jocoseness of Japanese hijinks. Some people have called it problematic but I thought it was brilliant.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) April 12, 2018
Plenty of times during The Death of Stalin I guffawed and pointed knowingly at the screen but it was just a little too clever for its own good. Trrrfffc performances all over red square!
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) April 8, 2018
Shhhhhh!!!! A Quiet Place is almost unbearable! Holy moly that was terrifying pitch perfect high concept horror in a bottle. Great autumnal feel w/ sylvan art direction and costume design. Loved it!
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) April 7, 2018
Love, Simon is very funny and only occasionally excrutiating and I’m sure it will make a lotta well-meaning straight people feel good about themselves.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) March 21, 2018
Expectations were highish b/c I grew up on The West v Russia gadget- and glamour-packed espionage thrillers of the 80s and 90s so that I was so intrigued and sated by the soaring Red Sparrow is a credit to a chicaning script, taut direction and saucy performances. Nasdarovje!
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) March 2, 2018
Bingo! Checkmate! The Nuts! Game Night is a jaw-hurtin LOL fest from first roll of the dice to last play of the tile. As much as I have laughed in a long time, twists and turns like Snakes + Ladders and some warping jump scares. I'm just as shocked as you.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) February 23, 2018
It’s goes without saying Black Panther is awesome entertainment, if a tad lacking in humour, which generally elevates the hot from the ho hum. Buried amongst the gripping set pieces and perfectly curated music is an urgent, piercing Obama v Trump allegory. Loved it.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) February 17, 2018
A delightfully funny vignette of burgeoning adulthood and its attendant calamities, Lady 💃🦅 Bird works as comedy, drama, romance and class parable. So many indelible scenes, so deeply personal, so thoroughly enjoyable.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) February 1, 2018
Phantom Thread is an extraordinary achievement in sartorial and comestible elegance. The most I have enjoyed a film in a long long time. It’s a comedy, by the way.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) January 26, 2018
The flop and turn in Molly’s Game are very encouraging, especially with the outstanding Jessica + Idris in the pocket, but the river felt like a bad beat. Still, it’s great to have Sorkin back at the table.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) January 26, 2018
I’ve seen some great ice skating films – Slap Shot, Mystery Alaska, Blades of Glory, Sudden Death, The Mighty Ducks, D2: The Mighty Ducks, D3: The Mighty Ducks – but none come close to the comedy-horror of I, Tonya. I, Impressed.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) January 25, 2018
Swinging Safari is a fondue of nostalgia for 70s Australian foodstuffs, gadgets, facial hair, sartorial effluence and defined gender roles. Occasionally funny and warm enough, it is surprisingly tame for a film romanticising pre-PC culture.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) January 21, 2018
The Shape Of Water is amazing and my Mum even liked it and she hates sci-fi slash fantasy.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) January 18, 2018
Darkest Hour is very good but b/c that scene on the train I hope it doesn’t win any Oscars.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) January 16, 2018
Whatever you thought of Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2 is what you will think of Pitch Perfect 3, taking into account that they are not really trying anymore.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) January 14, 2018
I’ve seen pretty much every modern film about print media + journalism, many very good, but none match the storytelling grandiosity nor capture the sheer effervescent excitement of the craft like The Post. Superb.
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) January 13, 2018
Holy kidnapping Gettyman! You’ve done it again Ridley! All The Money In The World is magnificent! Thrilling, emotionally thrusting, even at times humorous. Best film I’ve seen this year!
— Patrick Avenelllllllllll (@Patrickavenell) January 12, 2018
