FILM | Reviews
TEEN COMEDY LOVE, SIMON (12A) 110min ●●●●●
Adapted from Becky Albertalli’s novel, Love, Simon is a mainstream teen comedy with a twist: its central character is gay; however, any l avour that suggests is washed out in Greg Berlanti’s blandly homogenised production. Set in afl uent Atlanta, it’s the story of Simon Spier (Nick Robinson), a high- schooler with an interest in musical theatre. Simon’s parents (Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel) have yet to recognise that their son is conforming to cinematic stereotypes of a closeted gay man, but when he starts swapping emails with someone known only as ‘Blue’, it’s clearly time for him to open up and i nd his ideal match.
Unfortunately the i lm gets bogged down by irrelevant sub- plots, sideshows which shunt Simon’s discovery of his lover’s identity and his i rst kiss until the end credits, coyly rendering off-limits any depiction of Simon’s sexuality, or consideration of how his relationship might unfold. While minor characters are better drawn than expected and the package has a certain gloss, indie dramas routinely tackle coming-out issues far better. In 2018 there’s no reason or excuse for a studio i lm to be so unwilling to honestly engage with the sexuality of its protagonist. (Eddie Harrison) ■ General release from Fri 6 Apr.
HORROR GHOST STORIES (15) 98min ●●●●●
Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson reimagine their hit stage production in the grand tradition of portmanteau movies. Whereas the play took the form of a lecture from Professor Goodman (Nyman himself) to the audience, the i lm becomes a quest, as he explores three unexplained cases. The generic title announces the i lm’s intention to honour
rather than rewrite traditions and, accordingly, each segment stems from a recognisably spooky scenario: a haunting in an ex-asylum is witnessed by a night-watchman (Paul Whitehouse); a mysterious beast terrorises a schoolboy (a superb Alex Lawther), after his car breaks down in the woods; and a wealthy businessman (Martin Freeman) tangles with a poltergeist in his home, ahead of the birth of his i rst child. Meanwhile, bit by bit, Goodman’s own backstory snakes its way into the foreground. Like the work of William Castle, there’s an overarching air of playfulness, from the casting of comedic stalwarts to the l ashes of humour that provide respite from the tension, if only to allow the next shock to have its full, juddering impact. Thoroughly British and made with abundant nous and affection, Nyman and Dyson have a ball dreaming up ways to scare you witless. (Emma Simmonds) ■ General release from Fri 6 Apr.
ANIMATION ISLE OF DOGS (PG) 101min ●●●●●
‘Whatever happened to man’s best friend?’ implores a tearful scientist as the pooches of Japan are plunged into peril. Wes Anderson’s latest returns him to the stop-motion animation style he employed so adroitly in 2009’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. The director declares his love for all things Japanese in a sensationally rendered, soft-hearted tribute to the cinema of Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki.
Set 20 years in the future, it sees the corrupt, cat-loving leader of a i ctional metropolis, Mayor Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura), whip the public into a frenzy regarding a ‘canine saturation of epidemic proportions’. With dog l u and snout fever rife, Kobayashi oversees the expulsion of infected animals to Trash Island.
Meanwhile his 12-year-old ward Atari (Koyu Rankin) l ies to the island to uncover the fate of his beloved bodyguard mutt Spots (Liev Schreiber). He’s assisted by a pack of exiled hounds, including affable domestic dog Rex (Edward Norton) and jaded stray Chief (Bryan Cranston). Back on the mainland, will the dog-owners – led by no-nonsense foreign exchange student Tracy Walker (Greta Gerwig) – rise up in time to stop the canine ‘i nal solution’? As the animals shufl e and scamper delightfully in their slightly staccato manner it makes
a wonderful i t for the unmistakably askew approach – that deadpan, faltering delivery of gung-ho heroism crossed with epic ineptitude. Animation allows the director’s imagination to run wild and free as he embraces the Far Eastern sci-i setting, throwing in eccentric indulgences aplenty and coating proceedings in a childlike optimism. It’s difi cult to drink in the detail in a i lm staged with mindboggling l air and precision, whose lust for life enriches every frame. (Emma Simmonds) ■ Out now.
THRILLER THOROUGHBREDS (15) 93min ●●●●●
There is a familiarity to this elegantly handled and suspenseful neo noir that lulls you into a false sense of security. The cinematic debut of playwright Cory Finley is blackly comic in tone, with traces of teen staples. And yet its story of two blue-blooded young women out for revenge feels fresh.
A dangerous liaison is rekindled when Amanda (Olivia Cooke) is asked to tutor former friend Lily (Anya Taylor- Joy). Their initial encounters set you on edge thanks to Erik Friedlander’s sharp score and the magnii cently unpredictable performances. Amanda is the talk of the
wealthy Connecticut suburbs and the manipulative Lily is fascinated by her twisted logic and lack of feeling. Paul Sparks is truly menacing as Lily’s stepfather Mark. Sick of his overbearing presence, she plots to kill him with conspirator Amanda, dragging dishwasher and small-time drug dealer Tim (the late Anton Yelchin in a fantastically frantic comedic turn) into their wicked scheme. The back and forth between Amanda and Lily is superbly scripted by Finley, recalling the clever penmanship of Ira Levin’s Deathtrap, while Cooke and Taylor-Joy are endlessly watchable as they serve up the deliciously devious dialogue. (Katherine McLaughlin) ■ General release from Fri 6 Apr.
68 THE LIST 1 Apr–31 May 2018