Connor Macgregor Reviews Thread

→ in
Tools    







Connor Macgregor Reviews…Water Lilies

INTRO: Celine Sciamma’s debut feature is an intriguing one to watch. One that has set the tone and subject matter for what will be her entire filmography to date. With a young Adele Haenel at the forefront, Celine starts with a story with relatable and a coming of age tale that tests friendship with desire.

SUMMARY: Three girls, each about 15, deal with puberty, the onset of sexual attraction, and, for two, the pressure of virginity. Marie, who's slight and diffident, quiet and nearly expressionless, is friends with Anne, who's a bit chunky and impulsive and has decided that François will be her first love. Watching synchronized swimming, Marie is suddenly attracted to the team captain, Floriane, beautiful, aloof, tall, and rumored to be a slut. François pursues her. Marie begins to hang around her; they trade favors, and soon it's an odd sort of friendship. Each of the three experiences her own first, and Marie must sort out attraction and friendship.

ACTING: The performances in this film by very young talent are terrific. Adele Haenel especially is the breakout here, as she performs a role which you really can’t tell is genuine or not. Pauline Acquart is also smashing as the lead, playing the role of Marie, who is our central perspective throughout this film. Young, naïve and curious about herself and the girl she crushes on, the film is based around her arc, and the changes she goes through throughout the film. Louise Blachere is also great as best friend Anne, playing a slightly immature best friend who may or may not be an obstacle for Marie going forward. And of course Adele Haenel who is terrific in this film as Floriane, a sexually active young woman who may or may not be manipulating poor Marie. Either way, she is brilliant.

STORY: This is another coming of age story about young females trying to identify who they are, and how they want to be seen to the rest of the world. There are some good twists in there, particularly how it ends, and the arcs that the three characters go on. A short runtime yet it crams a lot in within that duration, and so it feels like a very rich fulfilling story in the process.

OVERALL: Water Lilies is a terrific debut featuring three young fresh performers, a perspective rarely tapped in cinema, and LGBT cinema that feels authentic, relatable and forms an attachment with an emerging audience in cinema.

RATING: 84% - A-





Connor Macgregor Reviews…Little Women

INTRO: A film with arguably one of the most talented casts assembled in many years. Actors mostly of the female gender, all with different yet impressive filmographies. With a director on the rise, this was always going to be a very special film.

SUMMARY: Jo March reflects back and forth on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters - four young women each determined to live life on their own terms.

IT’S A MASTERWORK: I pretty much knew going in that this would be a top film, and I wasn’t disappointed. For one, it’s one of the best acted films in years with a star studded cast including Meryl Streep, Laura Dern, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan & Timothee Chalamet to name such a few. All give worthy and special performances that play to their strengths, and channel a story that is very much timeless and beautiful to still watch in the modern era. It’s hard to pick a truly standout performance, but if I had to pick, I would say it’s a tie between Saoirse & Florence for the win.

I found the story wonderful and wholesome to watch with a good moral message and character arcs that are joyful to watch. The screenplay well written and also well directed by Greta Gerwig who understands the material well to modernise it appropriately without losing the magic of the story. Locations feel authentic, score majestic and fitting, and costumes very realistic.

OVERALL: Little Women is a 10/10 film that combines all the brilliance of modern filmmaking with a rich sense of timeless that will make this adaptation last for a long time, with many fans having their own relationship with it.

RATING: 100% - A+



Clash Of The Titans is a good retelling of the classic myth,the sequel was not as good though.



It's been a very long time since I last did film reviews on this thread. Lockdown like everyone else in the world has stopped the world's ordinary routine and the cinema industry has been crippled as a result. It was only last week did I finally go back to a cinema again after 6 long months away from the big screen. So to celebrate, as well as tieing into my 27th Birthday at the end of the month, I thought I would try and go through the month of September by reviewing a film a day. Given that I missed the first yesterday, I'll do two tonight and one every day until the 30th. Only fair I guess. So without further ado...



Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films In 30 Days

#1 - Deerskin

INTRO: Weird. Dark. Yet very very funny. We begin this month long review fest with the last thing I saw in cinema before the lockdown. And boy was it memorable.

SUMMARY: Academy Award winner Jean Dujardin (THE ARTIST) is a recent divorcee in the midst of a mid-life identity crisis. In search of a new life and look, he ditches his past in a roadside petrol station and encounters a vintage, fringed deerskin jacket with influential supernatural powers. He relocates to a quiet French alpine village where he is mistaken for an independent filmmaker by an adventurous, enterprising bartender in a sleepy saloon (Adèle Haenel, PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE) who happens to be an aspiring editor with natural production instincts. The two forge a tenuous allegiance and team up to collaborate on a film inspired by the visionary deerskin jacket.

THOUGHTS: Deerskin as a film is an absolute gem. Two high profile French actors doing roles so different to what has been established in their filmography so far. Jean Dujardin as a weird, eccentric character who begins an obsession with deerskin clothing, whilst Adele Haenel desires an escape to her dull waitressing role, via through her passion in editing. Both these talents work well off each other, creating a unique relationship never seen in cinema before. I enjoyed their performances massively, with full of twists & turns and character moments that keep you surprised and engaged throughout to the very end. The dark humour and absurdity of the story makes it unique and a film not like others out there right now. Small moments in the first act come back in spectacular fashion in the final act, and a character you felt very comfortable with in the beginning, suddenly becomes more sinister throughout. Making the story more black in the process.

OVERALL: Deerskin is unique and fantastic. Two major French talents come together to tell a bizarre story with absurd humour, a sense of psychological discomfort and weirdness all over.

RATING: 91% - A





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films In 30 Days

#2 - Interstellar

INTRO: Christopher Nolan makes some fantastic cinema and this is one that really is more personal than spectacle, even if spectacle plays a massive part. Deep down, at the centre of it all, this story is about family and the extraordinary obstacles two members persue to reunite with one another.

SUMMARY: Earth's future has been riddled by disasters, famines, and droughts. There is only one way to ensure mankind's survival: Interstellar travel. A newly discovered wormhole in the far reaches of our solar system allows a team of astronauts to go where no man has gone before, a planet that may have the right environment to sustain human life.

THOUGHTS: Christopher Nolan creates special films. Unique films. Films that dare to take a step forward in ideas, effects and inspiration. Interstellar is one of those films. A film which upon first viewing was electric and intense to watch. Now a new mood has come to pass. One of emotion, poetry and thought provoking. The story is one of true heart. A father daughter story that is both beautiful, emotional and tragic. I love Matthew McConaughey and Mackenzie Foy’s performances and the sheer raw emotional that is played out, which in turn gets passed onto Jessica Chastain’s version of the character. Brilliant relationship and one that still gets me teary eyed and raw when writing about it. Other than that, you have the technical feet of the film which is awe inspiring. The visual effects that create empty but beautiful space, Hans Zimmer’s score with effective use or organs pianos, and the cinematography detailing landscapes and settings to fit the mood at the time. Lastly is the commentary of climate change and fake news which Nolan slyly throws in there, more so with climate change. But it really pushes the hopelessness of the story, as well as its scary parallels with the world today. It’s effective, touching and trembling also.

OVERALL: Interstellar ranks as one of Nolan’s best. Different but in keeping with the ideas and themes that fascinate Nolan as a creative, and one that makes him stand out from most filmmakers today. A future classic, no doubt about it.

RATING: 100% - A+





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films In 30 Days

#3 - Ready Or Not

INTRO: Ready Or Not maybe one of the most fun filled films I've seen in quite a long time. Spooky, intense, death-defying. All the midst of a wedding. Oh boy!

SUMMARY: After an elegant nuptial ceremony at the lavish manor of the uber-wealthy Le Domas clan, the gentle groom, Alex Le Domas, informs his blissful young bride, Grace, that the ceremony is far from over yet, and there's still a long night ahead of them. Before long, as part of a macabre long-standing family tradition, Grace will have to play a seemingly innocent game, and hide somewhere in the vast mansion's cavernous halls and labyrinthine corridors, until dawn. Now, whether Grace is ready or not, the armed-to-the-teeth Domases are coming for her, and it's going to get ugly. Will the newlywed quarry survive the relentless onslaught of the nasty in-laws from Hell?

THOUGHTS: Ready Or Not is pure horror fun. Two words that don’t normally come together yet here we are. The concept is terrific, with good talent attached as well as a stunning Samara Weaving at the centre. Her wedding dress shines being both a delicate costume of beauty, as well as becoming functional and almost like a battle uniform as the film’s gruesome story continues. The premise of the story is fun with a cat and mouse game throughout the film and a backstory rich enough to hook us in. Samara Weaving puts on an excellent performance throughout, with a mixture of terror, bravery and cunning intellect to survive the night. As I said earlier, costumes are top-notch, especially the wedding dress which gets slowly striped layer by layer throughout the film. Yet the supporting cast are dressed to the fine wine, in what is inappropriate circumstances.

OVERALL: I really enjoyed Ready Or Not, having fun in the cinema which is often a rarity these days. Fun performances, plot, and excellent costume design which makes this a modern horror film to sit back and chill out with.

RATING: 94% - A





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films In 30 Days

#4 - Spy Kids 2: The Island Of Lost Dreams

INTRO: One of my personal top sequels when I was a child. Fun, fufilling and fantastic as a film.

SUMMARY: Exploring the further adventures of Carmen and Juni Cortez, who have now joined the family spy business as Level 2 OSS agents. Their new mission is to save the world from a mad scientist living on a volcanic island populated by an imaginative menagerie of creatures. On this bizarre island, none of the Cortez's gadgets work and they must rely on their wits--and each other--to survive and save the day.

THOUGHTS: The first Spy Kids film set up a fabulous kids idea with two excellent leads and had a fun time with the concept of spy kids and teasing the potential avenues with it. With Spy Kids 2, it goes further and creates in my eyes an excellent kids film which feels rich, fulfilling and at rare times, philosophical. The story is great, putting our two protagonists and the extended family in a very challenging and possibly dangerous situation. A mysterious Island. Rival Spy Kids. In-laws. Fun for each generation and together uniting for the greater good. Acting wise, it’s solid. The two kids from the first film are a whole year older, whilst also a whole year wiser. Together but also still worlds apart. They have developed and now act as a team with less bickering, but still have their own goals and wants in life, and work well in missions and when the odds are against them. The adults are also great, such as Steve Buscemi as the recluse resident on the island, who eventually grows and establishes a sense of bravery and authority over the island monsters. Antonio Banderas & Carla Gugino are back as the parents and are as equally as good as they were before. You also though have the grandparents with Ricardo Montalban & Holland Taylor coming in too, who actually are very funny in their own way, particularly when sparring with Antonio’s character. Lastly there is Donnagan, played by Mike Judge of all people, who is actually good too even if his villainy isn’t that impressive (a common theme in the Spy Kids films). Last thing to say about the film is how utterly charming it is as a kids film. Not too dumb, but not overly complicated perhaps. It works pretty much perfect to its target audience, and as a family film, is just such a fun time without any sense of boredom.

OVERALL: I really rate Spy Kids 2. A top film to watch as a family and one with such thrills, laughs and excellent storytelling that makes this one to remember.

RATING: 85% - A-





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films In 30 Days

#5 - Spy Kids 3: Game Over

INTRO: After Spy Kids 2, you'd think Spy Kids 3 would be just as good, right? WRONG!

SUMMARY: Under-age agents Juni and Carmen Cortez set out on their newest most mind-blowing mission yet: journeying inside the virtual reality world of a 3-D video game designed to outsmart them, as the awe-inspiring graphics and creatures of gaming come to real life. Relying on humor, gadgetry, bravery, family bonds and lightning-quick reflexes, the Spy Kids must battle through tougher and tougher levels of the game, facing challenges that include racing against road warriors and surfing on boiling lava, in order to save the world from a power hungry villain.

THOUGHTS: You’d think with the success of Spy Kids 2 that Spy Kids 3 would be just as good of a sequel. Sadly that wasn’t to be. If anything, it is significantly weaker overall, in every way possible. At the time of release, the film was titled Spy Kids 3D: Game Over with the gimmick of 3D being utilized before the likes of Avatar started 3D as a wave. The effects also haven’t aged well whatsoever, as they regressed into something of a bad PS2 game. And then there’s Sylvester Stallone in arguably one of the more cringiest performances I’ve seen on film. It’s just incredibly campy and off-kilter and not very much in tune with Sylvester Stallone’s usual style. And in addition, he’s just neither very funny or menacing. With that, the film is just a lackluster film with nothing really of merit to give. And in a way, is the final film in the Spy Kids trilogy for a while with these cast. The 4th was an attempted reboot with only Carmen & Juni reprising.

OVERALL: Spy Kids 3 is pretty naff with outdated effects and just a story that doesn’t really take off as much as the others.

RATING: 30% - C-





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films In 30 Days

#6 - Terminator: Dark Fate

INTRO: I really don't know what else to say about Terminator. Other than first two films are classics, and the rest...just sort of exist.

SUMMARY: A young female Mexican worker, Dani Ramos, is hunted down by a virtually indestructible terminator from the future called a REV-9. However, she is protected by an enhanced human named Grace who is also from the future. They flee from the unstoppable terminator and out of the blue Sarah Connor helps them on the road. All three head to Laredo, Texas, where Grace has the coordinates of a possible support and where they meet a T-800 who is living in an isolated location with his family. The group teams up to try to destroy the REV-9.

THOUGHTS: Terminator Dark Fate is a weak entry to the franchise. One that has inherited a routine of poor instalments and in turn continues to add to that burden. But I’ll start by praising what I like, and that’s the action. Very engaging, thrilling and tense at times. It works well on screen and it is exciting. But there is sadly a lot of bad. The alternate timeline now established is controversial and does well to upset long time fans more with its sudden twist. And add to that, the story told isn’t very fun. If anything, its more dull with uneventful plot threads and characters you don’t tend to get attached too. Even the returning Arnold Schwarzenegger & Linda Hamilton don’t deliver in anyway. Hamilton’s new Sarah Connor is bitter and unfeeling, whilst Arnold you get the sense is just there for the paycheck and not much the story. It’s such a let down.

OVERALL: A disappointment. Terminator Dark Fate surely should be the last Terminator story as it does nothing to take the franchise into new directions, and only just makes you really love the first two Terminators even more.

RATING: 60% - B-





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films In 30 Days

#7 - Love Me If You Dare

INTRO: This is a film often overlooked and not considered on the same levels of Amelie or those types of films. But I love it. I really really do love it.

SUMMARY: As adults, best friends Julien and Sophie continue the odd game they started as children -- a fearless competition to outdo one another with daring and outrageous stunts. While they often act out to relieve one another's pain, their game might be a way to avoid the fact that they are truly meant for one another.

THOUGHTS: This film to me was such a treat to watch. A very enriching and fun love story that is both quirky and weird and ends on a downright odd note. I’ll start with the two leads who are terrific, with great chemistry and an arc very rich and rewarding with twists & turns all over. Guillaume Canet & Marion Cotillard are both brilliant in this film, and create a romance very genuine and sincere that lasts a lifetime. I also think the story is very quirky and unique. Taking place through multiple times, the romance drives the story and allows it to be very alive and allow the twists & turns of life. The ending also is very left of field but one I find at times lovely and other times weird. It really depends how I feel on the day.

OVERALL: I love this film. Fun, beautiful, quirky, and well acted. I think it’s a terrific film which is underrated in my eyes, and should be seen if you have the chance.

RATING: 91% - A





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films in 30 Days

#8 - Vivarium

INTRO: Talk about a horror film that takes something like surburbia and turns it into a nightmare.

SUMMARY: A young couple is thinking about buying their starter home. And to this end, they visit a real estate agency where they are received by a strange sales agent, who accompanies them to a new, mysterious, peculiar housing development to show them a single-family home. There they get trapped in a surreal, maze-like nightmare.

THOUGHTS: I think when seeing this I didn’t really expect much from it. The ideas tended to stand out more than the story in the trailer for the film. But when seeing it, I think it really goes for a tone & style that is quite alternative. It portrays suburban living as some form of never ending nightmare with no possible means of escape. The story is itself horrifying, with a young couple permanently stuck in suburbia. Two exceptional performances from Imogen Poots & Jessie Eisenberg, especially from Poots. There’s one particular shot of her expression after she’s discovered something devastating which still sticks in my head is horrifying and real. The whole mood of the film has this haunting scary attitude to it, with very little hope throughout. The ending makes it all the more bleak, and lingers with you for some time.

OVERALL: I liked Vivarium and is a very scary film in a different way, with two strong leads and a chilling dread throughout.

RATING: 71% - B+





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films In 30 Days

#9 - Summertime

INTRO: Can't go wrong with a bit of French 2010s LGBT Cinema. Quite a good genre I hear.

SUMMARY: There was little chance, in the year 1971, that Carole, a Paris Spanish teacher and feminist militant, would ever meet Delphine, the daughter of a couple of Limousin farmers. But they did meet and not only did they come across each other but they fell passionately in love as well. Unfortunately, Delphine's father fell victim to a stroke, and the young woman had no other choice but to go back home to help her mother run the family farm. Carole, who was so smitten by Delphine, couldn't stand the estrangement and decided to join her lover at the farm. But could feminism and lesbianism easily be transferred to the countryside and its standards of the time...?

THOUGHTS: I found Summertime to be a fairly solid film with two very good central leads and a romance that you really grow fond of, and a situation that proves to be very awkward and difficult to watch. The highlight for me is Izia Higelin. I love discovering new talent when watching international cinema and this is the first film I’ve seen her in. I’ve of course reviewed her in other films (Samba comes to mind), but this was the first film I saw her in and was immediately drawn to her. Gorgeous smile, a free spirit and excellent acting ability. Her chemistry with Cecile De France’s character is good too and very convincing. The story itself is good fun, with a dose of feminism in the 70s clashing with traditional values and society. The conflict has been seen often in film and in real life, but works well here and you really root for the two to overcome the odds and be together.

OVERALL: I like Summertime and I think it’s a solid film with nice ideas, good acting and a lot of French countryside.

RATING: 81% - A-





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films In 30 Days

#10 - Blue Is The Warmest Colour

INTRO: Next up is one of the more famous french films in recent years, that catapulted two young actress into international stardom. And that's also a fair bit of raunchy sex too.

SUMMARY: Adèle is a high school student who is beginning to explore herself as a woman. She dates men but finds no satisfaction with them sexually, and is rejected by a female friend who she does desire. She dreams of something more. She meets Emma who is a free spirited girl whom Adèle's friends reject due to her sexuality, and by association most begin to reject Adèle. Her relationship with Emma grows into more than just friends as she is the only person with whom she can express herself openly. Together, Adèle and Emma explore social acceptance, sexuality, and the emotional spectrum of their maturing relationship.

THOUGHTS: It’s one of the more famous films to come out of France in recent years and for good reason. Blue is The Warmest Colour is a spectacular tour de force of love, personality, society and finding solace with another human being. The magic of this film comes down to its two leads: Lea Seydoux & Adele Exarchopoulos. Adele is the more unknown of the two, but both have been in films prior to this, and yet feel very much like new faces, especially Adele. Lea transforms for the most for this film with her hair going short and blue. They both as a couple are great, infatuated both mentally and physically with each other and provide a realistic couple that aren’t all romantic and unrealistic with one another. That’s the key strength of this film. In how real and honest it can be. No sense of sugarness whatsoever, and there are real moments of heartbreak and sorrow. The film is also very long, but worth it as you get to know both these characters as people with ideas and goals that often at times clash with one another, which makes the relationship much more fascinating to watch.

OVERALL: Blue Is The Warmest Colour is a terrific film which is such a tremendous moment for French cinema in being wonderful, raw, transfixed and honest about love & life in a three hour epic.

RATING: 92% - A





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films For 30 Days

#11 - The Eyes Of Orson Welles

INTRO: Time for something more left of field which for me is one of my favourite watches in a while.

SUMMARY: Mark Cousins dives deep into the visual world of legendary director and actor Orson Welles to reveal a portrait of the artist as he's never been seen before.

THOUGHTS: This film isn’t so much a documentary, but more of an essay of sorts. A personal essay. The script takes the form of a hypothetical letter to Orson Welles, which is both personal and informative towards his life. Cousin’s narration is of course soothing and gorgeous to listen to throughout, and hooks you in to his ideas and where he is leading the narrative. Through this film you learn more about Orson Welles as a person, as well as a good idea of his career, his interests, and his mindset and values throughout his life, as well as the struggles in his later life. With that, it creates an innovative and fantastic film throughout and is excellent viewing from beginning to end. I like non fiction films like these that experiment and try new ideas to tell stories, and this is one film that executes that brilliantly.

OVERALL: The Eyes Of Orson Welles is a great film and one of my favourite watches in a while. I love how personal it is, how informative it is, but also just a well made piece of work that cements Mark Cousins as one of the most unique filmmakers in the world right now.

RATING: 100% - A+





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films For 30 Days

#12 - The Translators

INTRO: Now comes a film I saw this year at the Glasgow Film Festival. One that I highly enjoyed and one I am eager to watch again.

SUMMARY: Nine translators, hired to translate the eagerly awaited final book of a bestselling trilogy, are confined in a luxurious bunker. When the first ten pages of the top-secret manuscript appear online, the dream job becomes a nightmare - the thief is one of them and the publisher is ready to do whatever it takes to unmask him - or her.

THOUGHTS: This is a terrific film. One with a fun premise that puts strangers together, and builds upon an intriguing mystery and goes into the mindset of ownership and authority. The film takes turns throughout the story that will surprise you and yet leave you very eager and hooked for what will happen next. This is helped by a very strong cast. One not with well known Hollywood actors, but smaller character actors with unique filmographies and come together to portray fascinating characters with rich arcs and backstories. Lambert Wilson stands out as the antagonist, and Alex Lawther is brilliant as the central character who he himself is very much a mystery and in which the plot begins to peel the layers of his persona more and more so as the film ticks on. To say the film has twists with the mystery genre isn’t very surprising, but the way they are introduced into the narrative and make the film come alive with identity. They obviously are very surprising and keep you glued, and by the film’s credits, leave you with a very complex towering world of complete people with agendas, beliefs, corruption and emotion.

OVERALL: I love The Translators and love the ideas and story behind it. Its enriching, fun, complex, twisty and a delightful addition to the mystery genre.

RATING: 94% - A





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films For 30 Days

#13 - Ingrid Goes West

INTRO: We continue with our....daily review of films through the month of September, and present a more modern and cynical look at social media.

SUMMARY: Ingrid Thorburn is an unhinged social media stalker with a history of confusing "likes" for meaningful relationships. Taylor Sloane is an Instagram-famous "influencer" whose perfectly curated, boho-chic lifestyle becomes Ingrid's latest obsession. When Ingrid moves to LA and manages to insinuate herself into the social media star's life, their relationship quickly goes from #BFF to #WTF.

THOUGHTS: Oh my how good is this well. Such a fantastic and vicious commentary on the social media phenomenon and how driven it is to make anyone semi famous and corrupting minds and people to become incredibly obsessed with what they post, and why they post it. The star of this film is far Aubrey Plaza, whose style of comedy absolutely fits this type of story. Dark black humour that makes pretty much every character in this story likable in the slightest. Yet the strength of the narrative and analysis of social media is enough to keep this film from being flawed, and just immerse the viewer into this crazy, almost fake world purely based on manipulation and coercion via small devices.

OVERALL: Ingrid Goes West is a brilliant commentary on social media, focusing on those who influence and those who are influenced. It’s cynical, grim, uncaring in its characters and makes me feel sick about Los Angeles. Underrated absolutely.

RATING: 100% - A+





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films For 30 Days
#14 - A Royal Affair

INTRO: Another strong fantastic film that took me by surprise, and really allowed me an insight into Denmark's fascinating history.

SUMMARY: In 1767, the British Princess Caroline is betrothed to the mad King Christian VII of Denmark, but her life with the erratic monarch in the oppressive country becomes an isolating misery. However, Christian soon gains a fast companion with the German Dr. Johann Struensee, a quietly idealistic man of the Enlightenment. As the only one who can influence the King, Struensee is able to begin sweeping enlightened reforms of Denmark through Christian even as Caroline falls for the doctor. However, their secret affair proves a tragic mistake that their conservative enemies use to their advantage in a conflict that threatens to claim more than just the lovers as their victims.

THOUGHTS: This is such a smashing piece of cinema. For one, its so rich with detail about the period and tells a very important story in Denmark’s history. Performances in this film are absolutely terrific, with Mads Mikkelsen & Alicia Vikander both superb in the lead roles, with their affair being absolute catalyst to the sequence of events that follow, as well as their manipulation of the mentally ill King whose brilliantly played also by Mikke; Folsgaard. The story itself is epic and rich in character arcs, stakes and emotion. I was easily hooked from start to finish and absorbed by the clash of the deed to do greater good for the people vs the establishment seeking to maintain the status quo. The finale is both emotion and hard to watch, but one that leads a lingering feeling with the viewer.

OVERALL: A Royal Affair is a modern day classic, with fantastic performances and a rich insight in a breathtaking moment in Denmark's complex history.

RATING: 100% - A+





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films For 30 Days
#15 - The Princess Of Montpensier

INTRO: French Cinema has become slowly a favourite of mine, and this film is another one of those that I just knew I was immediately going to love.

SUMMARY: Bertrand Tavernier is in top form with this gripping, superbly mounted drama set against the savage Catholic/Protestant wars that ripped France apart in the 16th century. Based on a novella by the celebrated Madame de Lafayette, the action centers on the love of Marie de Mezières for her dashing cousin Henri de Guise, thwarted when her father's political ambitions force her into marriage with the well-connected Philippe de Montpensier, whom she has never met. When Philippe is called away to fight, she is left in the care of Count Chabannes, an aging nobleman with a disdain for warfare, and soon becomes exposed to the sexual and political intrigues of court

THOUGHTS: I mean, I love French cinema and when a period film delivers, it delivers. And this absolutely delivered for me. I loved pretty much everything about it. The costumes for started stood out to me as rich with detail and passion, with the colours wonderful and helping to convey the emotion displayed at the time. The performances are wonderful to watch, with Melanie Thierry as the lead whose brilliant and wonderful in this film to watch. She’s assisted by a terrific supporting performances, with notable work by Gaspard Ulliel and Lambert Wilson. Thirdly is the locations used in this film which are terrific and filled with a real sense of awe and history to them, taking place in some of the best rural parts of France, and exposing more of this fantastic country in this film.

OVERALL: The Princess Of Montpensier is a joy to watch. A thrilling, exciting, and deeply passionate film that makes period great to watch. With great performances and a deeply tense story, it’s a strong film with many to appreciate.

RATING: 100% - A+





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films For 30 Days
#16 - Spiderman: Into The Spidyverse

INTRO: More Spiderman to review, but this film is truly unique in its style, its story and its animation.

SUMMARY: Miles Morales is a New York teen struggling with school, friends and, on top of that, being the new Spider-Man. When he comes across Peter Parker, the erstwhile saviour of New York, in the multiverse, Miles must train to become the new protector of his city.

THOUGHTS: The praise of this film has been wonderful to see because it is so well deserved. It’s a film with such creativity and beauty in the genre of animation. Shots and colours and angles are all so beautiful here in this screen, and watching this in Blu Ray just heightens this achievement even more. Add to that the fantastic story which is very relatable to young people, and further expands the Spiderman mythos by giving Miles Morales a massive platform for his story to be unique and exciting to watch. Then you have the spiderman fan service with all the different types of Spiderman featuring in this film, from Spider Pig to Spiderman Noir. Even the Anime Spiderman shows up in this. It’s wild, but wonderful to watch as each version of the web slinger play a crucial role in the team. It’s great to watch and such a treat to see them.

OVERALL: A gorgeous magical animation, Spiderman: Into The Spidyverse is tremendous and an absolute delight to watch. Visually impressive, relatable characters and story, and a feeling of pure delight which can still occur when watching cinema.

RATING: 100% - A+





Connor Macgregor Reviews...30 Films For 30 Days
#17 - Escape From Pretoria

INTRO: Another film I saw during the Glasgow Film Festival, which I was really satisfied with, and think it has done so much for the future of Daniel Radcliffe's career. Based on the real-life prison break of two political captives, Escape From Pretoria is a race-against-time thriller set in the tumultuous apartheid days of South Africa.

THOUGHTS: I saw this film at the Glasgow Film Festival (just before we all became prisons in our homes) and it's safe to say that Daniel Radcliffe has range. Excellent range. Because his performance here is absolutely rock solid and incredible. He’s an actor that keeps continuing to try new things and expand his abilities to new levels. And this film is a case of that, by achieving something extraordinary by even the simplest of things. The plot in itself is very gripping and based off a true story about an extraordinary group of people who achieved something unique. You are left gripped from beginning to end, and all of that goes into the step by step risks of the escape plan, and the consequences of which if something really went wrong. The ending as well is amazing, as you are just left with your breath in your mouth, waiting to let it all out but the film’s high stakes just won’t let you until a result is formed. It's pretty terrific.

OVERALL: Escape From Pretoria is a gripping thrill ride with rich performances at the centre and a captivating true story that educates us about those who fought on the right side of history, regardless of what it cost them.

RATING: 91% - A