Pep Reviews

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

If anyone can make a real-life based courtroom drama film interesting, it is Aaron Sorkin. This film tells the story of the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, USA and the trial of the seven men held responsible that follows. The cast boasts many big names, from Eddie Redmayne to Yahya Abdul Mateen II to Michael Keaton to Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Sacha Baron-Cohen. It shows how much protest is ingrained in what it is to be American and how much the American judicial system is not equipped to deal with that fact.

Mark Rylance stars as the lawyer representing the Chicago Seven and although his American accent is admirable, he doesn’t quite reach the mark as the hard-ass, menacing character. Sorkin’s writing shines through Baron-Cohen and Jeremy Strong’s characters of ‘Yippies’ and ensures that the legal jargon is balanced well with humorous relief. The story of Bobby Seal provides an ever-necessary reminder of the discrimination that black people face in the judicial system and how the odds are stacked against the defendants from the start.

The style is witty and engaging and has added to the catalogue of this years’ historical films that reflects and speaks to the current times. Sorkin has knocked it out of the park once again.

‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ is available to stream on Netflix.

Queen and Slim (2019)

An incredible feature film debut from both director Melina Matsoukas and screenwriter Lena Waithe, Queen and Slim tells the romantic-crime-road-trip story of an African-American couple whose first date is interrupted by an unnecessary police stop. It is an incredibly contemporary film that tells a story that could be behind any of the headlines that we see coming from America today, encapsulating the police brutality whilst also giving the victims a whole and three-dimensional story.

Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Black Panther) and Jodie Turner-Smith (Nightflyers) have a great chemistry while playing the opposing personalities of the main couple. The dialogue is interesting and stays interesting which is rare in such romantic scenarios. Kaluuya delivers a beautifully emotional performance, particularly in the ending scenes. Its run time is a little long, but the characters are ones to invest in so its barely noticeable.

There is an overarching contrast of love and hate in the imagery of the film and the great soundtrack underpins it all wonderfully. This film really looks at the line between self-defence and an eye-for-an-eye, and the way in which African-Americans have to feel the weight of the perception of an entire race in almost every decision that they make.

‘Queen and Slim’ is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

The Personal History of David Copperfield (2020)

Armando Iannucci takes the Charles Dickens’ novel to the big screen in a joyous whirlwind of fun and laughs. The ensemble cast of British actors, including Hugh Laurie, Benedict Wong and Peter Capaldi, is led by Dev Patel in the starring role, and he is fantastically charming and entertaining as the leading man. The film follows the trials and tribulations of David Copperfield’s life and how he eventually puts them down in writing, to great financial success.

There are some incredible shots of the English countryside, a great use of inserts and references to other forms of visual arts like projections and silent films. The transitions between scenes are particularly imaginative and enjoyable. It shows Copperfield finding his identity in relation to the people around him (through names) and uses British humour to look at the broken Victorian system.

This adaptation of the novel makes the literature accessible and representative of the audiences who are watching it now rather than sticking with the ‘traditional’ period style. Tilda Swinton proves once again that she can be a comedic actress, and Ben Whishaw as a villain and Jairaj Varsani as Patel’s younger counterpart are fantastic. It is possibly the most diverse cast of a period film that has ever been seen, even down to the extras and it is a wonderful thing to see.

‘The Personal History of David Copperfield’ is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

i’m thinking of ending things (2020)

Adapted from the book by Iain Reid, i’m thinking of ending things mixes melancholy, surrealism and absurdity in a story about a woman meeting her boyfriend’s parents for the first time whilst also seemingly battling suicidal thoughts. As soon as you think that you have a handle on what is going on, something even weirder happens. The constricting 4:3 screen ratio means that you really focus on what is in the frame, and Kaufman really captures some interesting shots.

It really fits into the recent Netflix look as the production design makes the setting seem older and more vintage than it is, while the characters still have modern technologies. There is a strange humour to the meet-the-parents dinner and it takes the awkwardness to another level. Toni Colette as the mother gives a particularly unsettling performance. The narration at the beginning is a good demonstration of the inner monologues that people can be going through whilst a normal conversation is going on.

Nothing is ever quite what it seems and there is no obvious structure or resolution so it is an intense couple of hours with no satisfaction at the end, but it is what creates the surrealistic thrill that keeps you hooked until the end.

‘i’m thinking of ending things’ is available to stream on Netflix.

The Farewell (2019)

It is wonderful to see another successful film with an all Asian cast after the success of Crazy Rich Asians. The true story of a Chinese family keeping the truth of her cancer from their matriarch is heart-warming, beautiful and funny. It centres around the main character of Billi, played by Awkwafina, who learns that her family are keeping a secret from her grandmother.

It looks at the way in which the East deals with life and death and the struggle between what is good for yourself and what is good for all. There is a lot of wisdom about living life without fear and has a strong message about family and community. The dialogue is very natural and appropriate to the family dynamic and the beautiful shots of China really tie the whole thing together.

The struggle of the immigrant’s identity between their family’s home country and culture in contrast to the country and culture where they grow up in is also a big part of the film and one that Awkwafina plays very well. In particular, the duality of the Chinese-American character is reflected from the very beginning with the titles being both in Mandarin Chinese and English. Zhao Shu-zhen is fantastic as Nai Nai, the witty grandmother who brings tragic comedy to this collaborative and understated film from Lulu Wang.

‘The Farewell’ is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet (2020)

Delayed by the very pandemic that the nation’s grandfather warned about in his last documentary programme Extinction: The Facts, David Attenborough’s self-professed ‘witness statement’ is an essential watch. Using the familiar beautiful sights of Blue Planet and Planet Earth, along with archive footage of Mr Attenborough’s adventures through the years, he uses his life as a case study for showing the drastic change in the world’s population, carbon output and wilderness.

In no way is this a “good old days” nostalgia trip that you can find on any middle-aged person’s Facebook page. It is a warning and a plea from someone who really knows the value of the natural world. The falling of the trees as they show the deforestation is almost akin to a Hollywood hero falling from a cliff.

He begins in Chernobyl, as an example of what we could face if humanity doesn’t change its ways. It is a wakeup call and it comes from one of the most trusted people in the UK. However, it is not all about the tragedy of the damage that has already been done (although there is plenty). Sir David sets out the steps that need to be taken in order to get the world back to where it was ninety-three years ago when he was born, and makes a compelling case for not letting this national treasure down.

Onward (2020)

Disney Pixar continues to make family friendly and moral-teaching films that are full of humour and heart. Perhaps Pixar’s attempt to build on Frozen’s success, family and magic are the key themes of Onward. It takes a look at the impact of technology on the magic of the world that elves Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley (Chris Pratt) live in. They embark on a quest to find the gem that will enable them to spend a day with their father, who passed away when they were very young.

It draws on and brings to life quest games like Dungeons and Dragons and there is even a potential Mad Max reference. It’s full of action and pixies and unicorns, with Holland and Pratt having great chemistry as chalk- and-cheese brothers. The animation is world-class, which is obviously to be expected from such established studios.

The film has some great messages about appreciating what is right in front of us instead of wishing too much about what could have been. There are lessons about giving in too much to a fast-paced world and putting your heart and belief into everything that you do which is perfect for its child audience, but also relatable to any age. It includes some great active roles for the female characters as well, with the mother having an entertaining subplot with the powerful Manticore.

‘Onward’ is available to stream on Disney+.

Chemical Hearts (2020)

The film follows the story of a boy who falls in love with a girl who is stuck in the memory of her dead ex-boyfriend. Initially, it seems to be a familiar teen love story that is trying to have a deeper meaning than it actually does. There’s some awkward dialogue and it takes a little while to get the story really moving, but the acting is fairly solid from Lili Reinhart (Riverdale, Hustlers) and Austin Abrams (Euphoria, This Is Us) and it deals with some interesting aspects of the teenage experience.

The fact that it is based on a novel is clear because the subtlety of the message of the film is lost in the practicalities of fitting the story into ninety minutes. However, the visuals are solid, with a good use of inserts and symbolism which really tie the story together well.

The pacing of the revelation of information keeps it compelling and there is some good diversity in the secondary plotlines. It is more original than it seems at first glance, with an existential look at adolescence and there isn’t a predictable ending. There is a great comparison between the metaphysical (poetry) and biological (chemical) approach to love which is more refreshing than the usual Nicholas Sparks romance fest.

‘Chemical Hearts’ is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

The Two Popes (2019)

One of Netflix’s several Oscar nominees this year, The Two Popes looks at the real-life story of Pope Benedict and Pope Francis’ friendship during their consecutive reigns. There is a very documentary, fly-on-the-wall feel to the whole style of the film with the close-up camera angles during conversations, and disarming moments of pop music and jokes which break up the tension of the highly organised religious practices.

It is interesting despite being a simply structured plot of a man trying to retire from his job and being based on a true story so the events are already familiar. The actual scandal of sex abuse within the Catholic church is perhaps glossed over and downplayed too much in favour of the focus on the two men’s friendship.

Contrasting personalities of Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins’ characters present the ideas of new and old, conservative and liberal in relation to the church’s views. In particular, it relates the film to current issues like distribution of wealth, division through hate, in Pope Francis’ speeches. These men, who are regarded so highly as powerful and pious men, are humanised in this film, through their conversations and interests (like piano playing and watching football). Ultimately, the moral of the film is that we are all flawed humans, even those regarded by some as the closest to perfection that anyone can be, and that’s perfectly fine.

‘The Two Popes’ is available to stream on Netflix.

Secret Society of Second-Born Royals (2020)

Disney+ has released its newest original movie in association with Disney Channel and it is its most diverse and modern movie yet. It starts out having everything you would expect from a Disney Channel Original Movie: a generic social message about rebelling, some cheesy dialogue and some generic, basic music. But there is less cringe factor than you would expect. In Secret Society of Second-Born Royals, royalty meets X-Men as the second born children of royal families find out that they have secret powers in a Breakfast-Club-style reveal.

The movie can boast having Disney’s first live action black prince in the shape of Niles Finch (This Is Us), as well as the main royal family being women of colour. There is even a casual mention of James, their teacher, having a boyfriend which is a much better attempt at including an LGBTQ+ character than in their other feature films as it is in a scene which would be hard pressed to edit out.

Much of the first twenty minutes are quite choppy and changing and fast-paced in order to fit in a lot of exposition. There is also the small matter of them being in a European country but the main princess has an American accent, but that is by the by. The dialogue is quite basic, definitely telling more than they are showing, the stakes never get too high and the resolution comes perhaps a little too easily, but there are no major plot holes and there is a solid twist. It is predictable but it is a teen movie and it’s a pretty good one at that.

‘Secret Society of Second-Born Royals’ is available to stream on Disney+.