Tag: Toni Collette

Mickey 17 Review: Robert Pattinson’s Rise Continues.

Six years after his Best Picture Winner, Parasite, Bong Joon Ho has returned with his latest film, Mickey 17.
Based on the book Mickey7 by Edward Ashton, the film stars Robert Pattinson as Mickey, a man living in the future who unintentionally volunteers for the worst job in existence, that of an Expendable.
Mickey must take on consistently fatal jobs and, every time he dies, he is cloned and has his memories replanted.

Worst. Job. Ever.

Given that Mickey is on a colonization mission lead by morally bankrupt politician Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo) and his wife Ylfa (Toni Collette), his deaths are often brutal.
Thankfully, Mickey has the support of his girlfriend Nasha (Naomi Ackie) to help him through the constantly traumatising process.
However, Mickey’s situation worsens when, on his seventeenth life, it is wrongly assumed that he died and an eighteenth clone is printed out.
Now, Mickey 17 must find a way to cohabitat with Mickey 18, or they will both be killed for being Multiples. 

The mix-up kicks off the movie’s conflict.

Mickey 17 is not doing so well financially at the moment, which is a shame because it is quite a good time.
Certainly not Bong Joon Ho’s best work but is still worth the price of admission.
For starters, the performances are all really good, especially Robert Pattinson as Mickeys 17 and 18.
Despite being clones of the same person, they have two completely distinct personalities, and Pattinson is able to pull off both masterfully.
Due to his efforts, you really feel for Mickey, as you watch him constantly be exploited by those around him. 

You can often tell the difference between the Mickeys, even when they look the same.

Along with the performances, the themes are also pulled off well, with Bong Joon Ho’s focus on the exploitation of the working class by the so-called elite.
He even brings in themes of animal and nature conservation, which has been present in many of his previous films, like Okja.
The special effects for the film are also top notch.
There was not a moment where I was drawn out of the film due to bad CGI, as everything looked great.
If I had to name any criticisms, it would be that I feel the film is a little overly long, and there is a subplot with Anamaria Vartolomei’s character which does not really go anywhere. 

I feel like if this subplot had been removed it could have made the film more cohesive.

Other than these two issues, Mickey 17 is a solid film, improved further by a terrific performance from Robert Pattinson.
I would recommend seeing it, especially in light of its financial disappointment. 

Knives Out Review: Take a Trip Down the Donut Hole.

5 stars
“A whodunnit like no one has ever done it” is the phrase that has been used so prominently in marketing Rian Johnson’s latest film.
Coming off the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which was… let’s say controversial, Johnson returns with the completely different Knives Out, a film that follows the investigation into the death of millionaire, crime writer Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer).

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Thrombey’s death drives the story with an interesting take on the murder mystery.

What follows is a constantly intriguing, suspenseful and humorous murder mystery with a star studded cast including Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield and many more.
The standouts of this cast are, without a doubt, Craig, de Armas, and Evans who all turn in fantastic performances.
Craig is brilliant as the wonderfully over the top detective Benoit Blanc, who has been mysteriously hired to investigate the also mysterious death of Thrombey.
Despite this pivotal role, I think the part of main character actually belongs to de Armas’ Marta Cabrera who has the most screen time, takes the most action out of any character, and plays into the themes of the film.

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De Armas and Craig both lead the film with great performances.

Then there is Evans, who plays the spoiled grandson of Thrombey, Hugh Ransom Drysdale, in a welcome deviation from the roles he usually takes.
Along with these three, the other actors of the film do a great job as well; supported by a witty script with plenty of suspenseful and humorous moments.
These two tonnes blend together so well that it feels like Johnson is  taking the murder mystery genre seriously while satirizing it simultaneously, to gleeful results.
There are also so many well placed small details for viewers to notice as well, demanding a second viewing.

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Amazing subtle details, like how flashbacks change depending on who is telling their side of the story, appear throughout the film.

Knives Out certainly lives up to its phrase of “A whodunnit like no one has ever done it,” as it left me hoping for another adventure down the donut hole with Benoit Blanc.