2018 - The Year in Cinemas
Around this time every year, I do my predictably lengthy New Year's post - and that is still coming, I assure you. But this is an additional post, focusing on a resolution I made in late 2017. You see, for the last few years I'd been too busy making films to actually watch any new ones, so I set myself the challenge of going to the cinema at least once a month for a year. Here's how I got on, and what I thought of the films I saw...
(Please note, this list is not including the films I saw at film festivals this year - otherwise the post would be far too long - but I do want to give a quick shout out to the barmy but fun Anna & The Apocalypse which I saw at Mayhem Film Festival in Autumn, and the touching Just Charlie by Rebekah Fortune which I caught at Birmingham Film Festival in November)
DECEMBER 2017
Film: Blade Runner 2049
I started as I meant to go on in December 2017, and watched Blade Runner 2049. I am slightly too young to have seen the original in cinemas, and I had a bit of an unfair introduction to that film because I had to analyse it as coursework during my time at film school. But I adored watching the sequel on the big screen (at Derby Quad). I know it didn't do as well as expected at the box office, and I understand why some people pulled out sexist tones in the film - but I adored the scope of it. It was haunting and beautiful to watch, and it meant so much to me to see so many practical sets (by none other than Weta Workshop) in a sea of computer-generated Sci-Fi films. On top of that, the Vegas hologram fight scene featured some of the best sound design I've ever experienced.
JANUARY 2018
Films: Star Wars: The Last Jedi | The Shape of Water
A double-whammy this month, and I loved both of the films I saw. I know that Star Wars: The Last Jedi has divided people, and it helps that I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan of all time (much as I like the films), but I thought the sheer cinematic spectacle of it was incredible. Laura Dern's final scene, in particular, took my breath away - and the fight choreography was fantastic. I was cheering all the way through the film's two big lightsaber battles.
But The Shape of Water was, of course, film of the year (this year's OSCARs certainly thought so!). I saw it almost by accident, at a 'Screen Unseen' event at Derby Odeon (which is why I saw the film ahead of its main release), but the excitement in the room, when we realised which film it was, was palpable. On the first viewing, I wasn't overly keen on the 'chapters' format of the script, with many elements that were introduced at the start of the film having concluded too soon, and I would've liked more of a build up of the relationship between the two characters before the big escape heist. But none of this takes away from the sheer craftsmanship on show in every aspect of the film. It reminded us all that the best fantasy films aren't family films, and I've been a bit obsessed with Guillermo del Toro ever since!
FEBRUARY 2018
Film: Lady Bird
I saw this film with my regular collaborator Tommy Draper, and we'd been excited about it for a long time due to its indie-cool themes and the buzz around awards season (Greta Gerwig being nominated for Best Director at the OSCARs was certainly aspirational to me). When we finally saw the film, we did enjoy it. Having come from a Christian family myself, I could definitely relate to Lady Bird's upbringing. But the film could've done without the last act, for me, and there were a lot of equally good indie films this year that sadly didn't get the same attention (see September/October).
MARCH 2018
Film: Black Panther
I didn't know how much I'd love this film. I went to see it as part of a birthday night out for my partner, Edward Harvey, and I thought it was wonderful. I enjoy superhero films, but I tend to see them as a 'throwaway watch'. Black Panther was different - the storyline was fantastic, and the balance of female characters felt natural rather than forced, which was so empowering to see. It was the closest to the eighties fantasy films I love that anything I've seen in years.
APRIL 2018
Films: Annihilation | Beast
I didn't think I'd get to the cinema this month, because I was so busy with shooting The Poison Ivy Fan Film. It's also a bit of a cheat to mention Annihilation, because that wasn't released in cinemas - but I couldn't write this post without including it. Out of all the films on this list, Annihilation has stayed in my thoughts the most. A lot of it was frustrating to me - it was essentially a TV movie, with a budget to match, and I think that shows in some of the CGI. But it froze me to the core, in what I think was a good way; I've never seen something so tense and so beautiful in equal measures. It's also the film I watched the day after the Ivy shoot, when I was trying to get my energy levels back to normal (a feeling that every director will understand all too well), so it will stay in my memories for that reason most of all.
Then, at the end of the month, I saw Beast, at a special screening in Broadway with director Michael Pearce in attendance. As with Lady Bird, I think this is a film which should've ended an act sooner, but I adored the subtle fairytale undertones, the actors were brilliant, and it was so, so inspiring to hear from a first time director who had made a film of this calibre.
MAY 2018
Film: Avengers: Infinity War
For many people, Avengers: Infinity War was the film of the year. It also flipped my expectations for a superhero film; from the very first scene, main characters - your favourite characters - start dying in numbers, and that continues throughout the film. People have compared it to Game of Thrones for this reason, but that doesn't mean the film wasn't enjoyable - the laughs came surprisingly often amongst the carnage, and the battle scenes were a riveting watch. But all the deaths... wow. I don't even think I want to watch it again seven months later! Major kudos to this film for building up the emotion so much that we cried over secondary superheros we hadn't really cared about before.
JULY 2018
Film: Pin Cushion
June was the month when my freelance work really started to boom, with some great new clients coming my way; it's also one of the months when I attended some training seminars in London. So I didn't make it to the cinema that month - and I only went once in July, but that was when I saw Pin Cushion, made by local filmmaker Deborah Haywood. Seeing any local filmmaker have their debut feature on general release is such a thrill - particularly when it's a female director - but this was an enjoyable film in its own right. It's brutal in places, particularly towards the end, but it's a modern realist fairytale with amazing production design, so it ticked many boxes for me. Oh, and the poster was awesome - it's probably my poster of the year!
AUGUST 2018
Film: Christopher Robin
I have my Mum to thank for this one, as I may not have made it to the cinema in August without her. She's been a fan of Winnie the Pooh all her life, so the family took her out for a birthday cinema trip to Belper's gorgeous Ritz Cinema to see Christopher Robin. Honestly, I hadn't cried so much in a film since Infinity War - and yet the two films couldn't be further apart. Christopher Robin is just beautiful throughout - the cinematography, the lush countryside locations, the adorable animated toys - and the message of 'don't forget what really matters' is so moving. I understand why some people didn't like it, but they're not seeing the bigger picture. Yes, the target audience of this film is children and families - but it's really for world-weary adults!
SEPTEMBER 2018
Film: The Miseducation of Cameron Post
This was another trip with Tommy Draper - and the first of a hat trick of cinema trips where we had the screen to ourselves, late in the evening. Cameron Post was a film I heard about at Underwire's 'Wired Women Weekender', where the producer was part of a panel discussion, and the trailer looked great, so we had to check it out. It's a very self-contained story, mostly set in one building, but the characters and the performances really stood out, and there were some heartbreaking, eye-opening moments blended into the script. It reminded us of the nineties indie films we loved so much, with a soundtrack to match, and I actually think it's a shame this film wasn't promoted as much as Lady Bird.
OCTOBER 2018
Film: Skate Kitchen
Another film I heard about during Underwire's 'Wired Women Weekender', and another one where me and Tommy Draper had the screen to ourselves (which is so unfortunate, on reflection, because of the quality of the film). Skate Kitchen was a lot looser in structure than Cameron Post, and the film mostly felt like a series of beautiful rushes for the Instagram generation; after the initial inciting incident, there was no conflict for almost an hour, which felt a little strange. But the characters in the film were SO cool, so watchable, and so natural on screen in spite of the actors' ages, so we loved it. We later found out that the 'Skate Kitchen' are in fact real people, and they were playing fictionalised versions of themselves, so in retrospect the film could be seen more as a type of docudrama - but that just helps to enhance it's wonderfully naturalistic tone.
October was also the month where I was glued to Netflix; I'm not talking about TV in this post, for obvious reasons, but The Haunting of Hill House is one of the things I most enjoyed watching in 2018, followed closely by the second seasons of Flowers and The Handmaid's Tale earlier in the year.
NOVEMBER 2018
Film: Suspiria
In late September, I attended BAFTA Guru Live, featuring an incredible talk from none other than Luca Gaudagnino. Primarily known as a director of subtle, clever dramas, I was so intrigued to hear more about his approach to remaking the 1977 cult classic horror Suspiria. So I caught Gaudagnino's Suspiria at Derby Quad shortly after its release, and I really liked it. The film wasn't quite to everyone's tastes, but I thought it was beautiful - and I think that only a director with Guadagnino's sensitivity could've worked those supernatural gory scenes into such an intelligent, challenging plot. More movies like this in cinemas, please!
DECEMBER 2018
Film: Mortal Engines
I really, really wanted to love this film. Watching a film from WingNut Films & Weta has been a bit of a Christmas tradition for me, ever since 2001's The Fellowship of the Ring (the film that essentially changed my life). I'd binged all of the Tested behind-the-scenes videos from Mortal Engines, and arranged a lovely little viewing party with cinematographer Chistopher Newman and Sam Tansley, who had bravely watched the last Hobbit film in a cinema with me as well. After Mortal Engines, I don't think it's a tradition we'll continue.
I've wondered if Mortal Engines could've been better, but perhaps the source material shouldn't have been adapted in the first place. I liked the imagery of the young leads walking through giant tire tracks, and there were a couple of nice character moments whenever the action paused - but those moments felt few and far between, and the rest of the characterisation was grossly under-developed. One part of the film even felt like pro-America, anti-London propaganda; that may have just been my reading, but in a time of political unrest, when England is facing (understandable) mockery from the rest of the world, it was an uncomfortable moment... anyway, all that aside, the main thing I hated about this film was the fact that it just didn't look real. You can add as many sunset effects as you want, but CGI on this scale will always look fake, and it takes you out of the action - which is doubly disappointing after the great work Weta did on Blade Runner 2049.
HOWEVER, the problem we have here, as with all bad fantasy films, is that they aren't going to improve unless we support them. If enough people go to see original fantasy films in cinemas, for better or for worse, they will prove that there is a demand for them; more original fantasy films will be made, and there's a greater chance that the quality will grow. It's a point I've explored in detail in a previous blog post, and it's still true today. So I implore you, if you want to see more original fantasy films, and if Mortal Engines is still showing in a cinema near you, please go and see it - even if you just go for the popcorn and a nap in a comfy seat! The other option is to lose films like this from cinemas altogether.
*
Looking back, I'm impressed with how I stuck to this resolution. In spite of my busy schedule this year, there was only one month when I didn't make it to the cinema - which shows how possible it is to get out of the house more, away from Netflix, with just a little effort.
There were two films that 'got away' from me this year. Firstly, I missed Blue is the Warmest Colour on a re-release at Derby Quad, because I got caught up in too much editing work that day (sorry, Tommy!), and secondly, I missed A Star Is Born because I couldn't afford to go to the cinema twice in November - but I plan on catching the latter film as soon as it's on DVD. I also want to continue with the 'one film a month' plan in 2019, starting with The Favourite in January.
We can't forget the importance of cinemas. For filmmakers in particular, nothing beats the feeling of seeing a film on the big screen, with an audience and full quality audio - but if the number of cinema-goers continues to decline, then by the time we all get our first features off the ground, there won't be any big screens left to show them in. So, now you've finished reading this blog post, get off the computer/away from your phone and go and visit your nearest cinema. It only takes a few hours out of your day.
Sophie
(Please note, this list is not including the films I saw at film festivals this year - otherwise the post would be far too long - but I do want to give a quick shout out to the barmy but fun Anna & The Apocalypse which I saw at Mayhem Film Festival in Autumn, and the touching Just Charlie by Rebekah Fortune which I caught at Birmingham Film Festival in November)
DECEMBER 2017
Film: Blade Runner 2049
I started as I meant to go on in December 2017, and watched Blade Runner 2049. I am slightly too young to have seen the original in cinemas, and I had a bit of an unfair introduction to that film because I had to analyse it as coursework during my time at film school. But I adored watching the sequel on the big screen (at Derby Quad). I know it didn't do as well as expected at the box office, and I understand why some people pulled out sexist tones in the film - but I adored the scope of it. It was haunting and beautiful to watch, and it meant so much to me to see so many practical sets (by none other than Weta Workshop) in a sea of computer-generated Sci-Fi films. On top of that, the Vegas hologram fight scene featured some of the best sound design I've ever experienced.
JANUARY 2018
Films: Star Wars: The Last Jedi | The Shape of Water
A double-whammy this month, and I loved both of the films I saw. I know that Star Wars: The Last Jedi has divided people, and it helps that I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan of all time (much as I like the films), but I thought the sheer cinematic spectacle of it was incredible. Laura Dern's final scene, in particular, took my breath away - and the fight choreography was fantastic. I was cheering all the way through the film's two big lightsaber battles.
But The Shape of Water was, of course, film of the year (this year's OSCARs certainly thought so!). I saw it almost by accident, at a 'Screen Unseen' event at Derby Odeon (which is why I saw the film ahead of its main release), but the excitement in the room, when we realised which film it was, was palpable. On the first viewing, I wasn't overly keen on the 'chapters' format of the script, with many elements that were introduced at the start of the film having concluded too soon, and I would've liked more of a build up of the relationship between the two characters before the big escape heist. But none of this takes away from the sheer craftsmanship on show in every aspect of the film. It reminded us all that the best fantasy films aren't family films, and I've been a bit obsessed with Guillermo del Toro ever since!
FEBRUARY 2018
Film: Lady Bird
I saw this film with my regular collaborator Tommy Draper, and we'd been excited about it for a long time due to its indie-cool themes and the buzz around awards season (Greta Gerwig being nominated for Best Director at the OSCARs was certainly aspirational to me). When we finally saw the film, we did enjoy it. Having come from a Christian family myself, I could definitely relate to Lady Bird's upbringing. But the film could've done without the last act, for me, and there were a lot of equally good indie films this year that sadly didn't get the same attention (see September/October).
MARCH 2018
Film: Black Panther
I didn't know how much I'd love this film. I went to see it as part of a birthday night out for my partner, Edward Harvey, and I thought it was wonderful. I enjoy superhero films, but I tend to see them as a 'throwaway watch'. Black Panther was different - the storyline was fantastic, and the balance of female characters felt natural rather than forced, which was so empowering to see. It was the closest to the eighties fantasy films I love that anything I've seen in years.
APRIL 2018
Films: Annihilation | Beast
I didn't think I'd get to the cinema this month, because I was so busy with shooting The Poison Ivy Fan Film. It's also a bit of a cheat to mention Annihilation, because that wasn't released in cinemas - but I couldn't write this post without including it. Out of all the films on this list, Annihilation has stayed in my thoughts the most. A lot of it was frustrating to me - it was essentially a TV movie, with a budget to match, and I think that shows in some of the CGI. But it froze me to the core, in what I think was a good way; I've never seen something so tense and so beautiful in equal measures. It's also the film I watched the day after the Ivy shoot, when I was trying to get my energy levels back to normal (a feeling that every director will understand all too well), so it will stay in my memories for that reason most of all.
Then, at the end of the month, I saw Beast, at a special screening in Broadway with director Michael Pearce in attendance. As with Lady Bird, I think this is a film which should've ended an act sooner, but I adored the subtle fairytale undertones, the actors were brilliant, and it was so, so inspiring to hear from a first time director who had made a film of this calibre.
MAY 2018
Film: Avengers: Infinity War
For many people, Avengers: Infinity War was the film of the year. It also flipped my expectations for a superhero film; from the very first scene, main characters - your favourite characters - start dying in numbers, and that continues throughout the film. People have compared it to Game of Thrones for this reason, but that doesn't mean the film wasn't enjoyable - the laughs came surprisingly often amongst the carnage, and the battle scenes were a riveting watch. But all the deaths... wow. I don't even think I want to watch it again seven months later! Major kudos to this film for building up the emotion so much that we cried over secondary superheros we hadn't really cared about before.
JULY 2018
Film: Pin Cushion
June was the month when my freelance work really started to boom, with some great new clients coming my way; it's also one of the months when I attended some training seminars in London. So I didn't make it to the cinema that month - and I only went once in July, but that was when I saw Pin Cushion, made by local filmmaker Deborah Haywood. Seeing any local filmmaker have their debut feature on general release is such a thrill - particularly when it's a female director - but this was an enjoyable film in its own right. It's brutal in places, particularly towards the end, but it's a modern realist fairytale with amazing production design, so it ticked many boxes for me. Oh, and the poster was awesome - it's probably my poster of the year!
AUGUST 2018
Film: Christopher Robin
I have my Mum to thank for this one, as I may not have made it to the cinema in August without her. She's been a fan of Winnie the Pooh all her life, so the family took her out for a birthday cinema trip to Belper's gorgeous Ritz Cinema to see Christopher Robin. Honestly, I hadn't cried so much in a film since Infinity War - and yet the two films couldn't be further apart. Christopher Robin is just beautiful throughout - the cinematography, the lush countryside locations, the adorable animated toys - and the message of 'don't forget what really matters' is so moving. I understand why some people didn't like it, but they're not seeing the bigger picture. Yes, the target audience of this film is children and families - but it's really for world-weary adults!
SEPTEMBER 2018
Film: The Miseducation of Cameron Post
This was another trip with Tommy Draper - and the first of a hat trick of cinema trips where we had the screen to ourselves, late in the evening. Cameron Post was a film I heard about at Underwire's 'Wired Women Weekender', where the producer was part of a panel discussion, and the trailer looked great, so we had to check it out. It's a very self-contained story, mostly set in one building, but the characters and the performances really stood out, and there were some heartbreaking, eye-opening moments blended into the script. It reminded us of the nineties indie films we loved so much, with a soundtrack to match, and I actually think it's a shame this film wasn't promoted as much as Lady Bird.
OCTOBER 2018
Film: Skate Kitchen
Another film I heard about during Underwire's 'Wired Women Weekender', and another one where me and Tommy Draper had the screen to ourselves (which is so unfortunate, on reflection, because of the quality of the film). Skate Kitchen was a lot looser in structure than Cameron Post, and the film mostly felt like a series of beautiful rushes for the Instagram generation; after the initial inciting incident, there was no conflict for almost an hour, which felt a little strange. But the characters in the film were SO cool, so watchable, and so natural on screen in spite of the actors' ages, so we loved it. We later found out that the 'Skate Kitchen' are in fact real people, and they were playing fictionalised versions of themselves, so in retrospect the film could be seen more as a type of docudrama - but that just helps to enhance it's wonderfully naturalistic tone.
October was also the month where I was glued to Netflix; I'm not talking about TV in this post, for obvious reasons, but The Haunting of Hill House is one of the things I most enjoyed watching in 2018, followed closely by the second seasons of Flowers and The Handmaid's Tale earlier in the year.
NOVEMBER 2018
Film: Suspiria
In late September, I attended BAFTA Guru Live, featuring an incredible talk from none other than Luca Gaudagnino. Primarily known as a director of subtle, clever dramas, I was so intrigued to hear more about his approach to remaking the 1977 cult classic horror Suspiria. So I caught Gaudagnino's Suspiria at Derby Quad shortly after its release, and I really liked it. The film wasn't quite to everyone's tastes, but I thought it was beautiful - and I think that only a director with Guadagnino's sensitivity could've worked those supernatural gory scenes into such an intelligent, challenging plot. More movies like this in cinemas, please!
DECEMBER 2018
Film: Mortal Engines
I really, really wanted to love this film. Watching a film from WingNut Films & Weta has been a bit of a Christmas tradition for me, ever since 2001's The Fellowship of the Ring (the film that essentially changed my life). I'd binged all of the Tested behind-the-scenes videos from Mortal Engines, and arranged a lovely little viewing party with cinematographer Chistopher Newman and Sam Tansley, who had bravely watched the last Hobbit film in a cinema with me as well. After Mortal Engines, I don't think it's a tradition we'll continue.
I've wondered if Mortal Engines could've been better, but perhaps the source material shouldn't have been adapted in the first place. I liked the imagery of the young leads walking through giant tire tracks, and there were a couple of nice character moments whenever the action paused - but those moments felt few and far between, and the rest of the characterisation was grossly under-developed. One part of the film even felt like pro-America, anti-London propaganda; that may have just been my reading, but in a time of political unrest, when England is facing (understandable) mockery from the rest of the world, it was an uncomfortable moment... anyway, all that aside, the main thing I hated about this film was the fact that it just didn't look real. You can add as many sunset effects as you want, but CGI on this scale will always look fake, and it takes you out of the action - which is doubly disappointing after the great work Weta did on Blade Runner 2049.
HOWEVER, the problem we have here, as with all bad fantasy films, is that they aren't going to improve unless we support them. If enough people go to see original fantasy films in cinemas, for better or for worse, they will prove that there is a demand for them; more original fantasy films will be made, and there's a greater chance that the quality will grow. It's a point I've explored in detail in a previous blog post, and it's still true today. So I implore you, if you want to see more original fantasy films, and if Mortal Engines is still showing in a cinema near you, please go and see it - even if you just go for the popcorn and a nap in a comfy seat! The other option is to lose films like this from cinemas altogether.
*
Looking back, I'm impressed with how I stuck to this resolution. In spite of my busy schedule this year, there was only one month when I didn't make it to the cinema - which shows how possible it is to get out of the house more, away from Netflix, with just a little effort.
There were two films that 'got away' from me this year. Firstly, I missed Blue is the Warmest Colour on a re-release at Derby Quad, because I got caught up in too much editing work that day (sorry, Tommy!), and secondly, I missed A Star Is Born because I couldn't afford to go to the cinema twice in November - but I plan on catching the latter film as soon as it's on DVD. I also want to continue with the 'one film a month' plan in 2019, starting with The Favourite in January.
We can't forget the importance of cinemas. For filmmakers in particular, nothing beats the feeling of seeing a film on the big screen, with an audience and full quality audio - but if the number of cinema-goers continues to decline, then by the time we all get our first features off the ground, there won't be any big screens left to show them in. So, now you've finished reading this blog post, get off the computer/away from your phone and go and visit your nearest cinema. It only takes a few hours out of your day.
Sophie
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