2024 movies

ARGYLLE or the Real Supervillain is THE SCRIPT! (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

As much as it is not pleasant to see terrible films like Strays or Trolls: Band Together it is a different kind of agonizing experience to see films loaded with potential that are almost good but make crucial mistakes that sink them. This is my experience with the new action comedy Argylle from director Matthew Vaughan. For about the first 45 minutes I was really enjoying it. It takes about that long for the first twist to be revealed and I was on board and having a good time with the films energy and the engaging cast.

Then as if encouraged by the first twist there’s another, and another, until it all becomes too much. Unfortunately the blame for this frustrating experience has to be lain at the feet of screenwriter Jason Fuchs. Somebody needed to go to him and say hold back. The first twist was all that was necessary. Sam Rockwell and Bryce Dallas Howard are great together (they are the leads of this film not Henry Cavill and his horrible haircut. The cat literally has more time than Cavill.)

The narrative does take the viewer around the world and there are some inventive sequences but there’s never any sense of tension because it’s all divorced from any kind of reality to take seriously.

If Argylle had taken a page from the underrated Knight & Day and taken Howard and Rockwell on a madcap espionage adventure  I would have been all in. Like I said, even the first twist I enjoyed but it just becomes too much. Also some of the supporting cast is shamefully wasted including Samuel L Jackson who literally sits at a desk waiting for a file to download for most of the film.

There are sequences in the film that look fresh and inventive; however, there are others that are surprisingly cheap and shoddy looking. We certainly expect much better from a $200 million action movie from Apple. The whole thing should and could have been much better. It’s beyond frustrating to see something so close to being great but it botches in execution.

5 out of 10

Frown Worthy

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Current Movie Reviews (Little Richard, Which Brings Me to You, Silent as the Grave)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hey friends! I am off to Sundance today but wanted to pop off a few reviews before heading out for the day. If you want to hear my thoughts on the first movie I saw at Sundance check out my appearance on KSL’s The Movie Show. I was on The Movie Show back in 2002 and it really inspired me so it was a thrill to get to be back on for a quick review of Girls State. I would love to be back so any positive feedback you can leave on their facebook page would be very appreciated.

The Movie Show

But let’s share a couple quick reviews.

Little Richard: I Am Everything

Speaking of Sundance I finally got to see a documentary from last year’s festival Little Richard: I Am Everything. I really enjoy these types of bio-docs and Little Richard was a fascinating human being that led a fascinating life. I think this documentary did a good job of telling his story with lots of interviews from people who were impacted by his life and music.

The most impactful section was about how his songs were appropriated by white artists like Pat Boone (who they have interviewed in the documentary) with almost no benefit to Little Richard. It’s no wonder he became jaded about the industry when you are treated this way. This aspect makes it a must watch for any music fan.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Which Brings Me to You

Naturally I love me a good rom-com so I was excited when a new one came across my emails called Which Brings Me to You. After watching and enjoying it I agreed to have the director Peter Hutchings on Hallmarkies Podcast to talk about his career and film (see above.) He’s an awesome ambassador of the genre and I really enjoyed talking to him.

Which Brings Me to You is a romantic comedy in the tradition of Definitely Maybe where 2 people meet and we get to hear their backstory of how they met and the people they had to be with that brought them to that point. Lucy Hale and Nat Wolff star as a couple who meet a friends wedding, almost hook up and then spend the evening talking about (and we see reenacted) the relationships they had over the years. The two actors have wonderful chemistry and the banter between them is charming with that spark you want to see in a rom-com. If you get a chance to see it I recommend as these types of adult rom-coms are important to the genre (I think this was a lot better than the recent Anyone But You personally.)

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Silent as the Grave

Again in the spirit of Sundance we have the micro-indie mystery Silent as the Grave. The title may make it sound more grizzly than it is. It’s a mystery story about a documentary filmmaker that returns home and starts looking into his uncle’s death. At first he thinks it’s just going to be a fluff piece documentary but then the more clues he digs up the more serious he realizes it is.

This is very low budget but the acting is compelling and because it is supposed to be an indie documentary the approach added to the tone and feel rather than detract. I love supporting small filmmakers with potential and that’s what you have here. It’s available to watch on tubi.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

So there you have it. Make sure you are following me on social media for all my Sundance updates and have a great weekend!

If you enjoy my writing please support me on patreon and you will get some great perks along the way! Check it out here.