Film for Thought: July 2018

Tag (2018) is an action comedy film that is based on a true story of a 30-year old game of tag that was written in a Wall Street Journal article. Directed by Jeff Tomsic, this film has a star-studded cast list including Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms, Jake Johnson and Isla Fisher. The premise of this film is that Jerry (Renner) is about to retire from the 30+ year of tag to settle down in married life, but he has never been tagged in his life and it is up to the other members of the group to take this last opportunity to get him.

This is such a unique concept, and I was quite excited about this film when I saw the first trailer pop up. However, after I was disappointed with the other game-themed comedy this year (Game Night), I was also very hesitant about this. I didn't want this film to disappoint me either, especially with the cast list that is connected with this film.

Source: Broken Road Productions

I am glad to say though that this works so much better than Game Night in terms of the comedy and the action. All of the cast are very likeable in this film, and are very relatable. They are different to each other, but with the flashbacks we see of their child selves, we can connect how they are connected in all of this. Jeremy Renner and Ed Helms definitely shine in this film, and they have great comedic timing. I particularly love when we get to enter Jerry's brain in the tag sequences, and the way they are shot adds to the comedic timing.

The main reason why this film works for me is the story. It is simple in it's concept and presentation, but there are side stories along the way. This is a heart-warming story about friends that have managed to stay close for over 30 years due to this one game of tag. That is something that everybody wants to have for their own lives, and this film will make you want to reach out to your friends and catch up with them.

Source: Broken Road Productions

The direction of this film by Tomsic works really well. It was clear from the start what the film was going to be about, who we were meant to cheer on and what tone the film would be going for. There are some scenes that work brilliantly, yet there are some scenes that could have been cut out or shortened. The humour does get dark at points, but for me it works in the context of the story.

What makes this film a very good film for me is the ending. There is a twist that may be predictable for other people, but I personally didn't see coming. It wraps up the story nicely, and matches the tones and themes that the film was tackling throughout and fits well to make it consistent and coherent. They also refer back to the original source at the end credits of the film, and show home videos of them playing their game of tag. This is also a nice touch as a lot of the methods they used in real life was replicated in the film, and it feels like they are staying true to the source material.

Source: Broken Road Productions

Is this the best comedy in the past few years? No. Is this an example of sophisticated film-making that will be a major Oscar contender? Of course not. However, this is a fun little film that has a great balance of comedy and action. You end up loving the friendship between all of these characters, and at the end of the film, you may find yourself wanting to connect with your old friends once again. If a film can make you feel like that, then I say that it is successful. If you liked Game Night, or even if you didn't, I would highly recommend checking this film out.

7/10

Have you seen Tag yet? What did you think of it? Comment down below and I will make sure to check it out.

Until next time, that was some film for thought.

July 31, 2018 No comments

July 30, 2018 No comments

The First Purge (2018) is the fourth film in The Purge franchise, produced by the horror production company Blumhouse. The First Purge is directed by Gerard McMurray and debuts young actor Y'lan Noel, alongside talented actress Marissa Tomei (Spider-Man: Homecoming) as this film goes back to a time when the Purge was a new concept. The story follows Staten Island as the experiment of the first Purge happens, and shows the sides between the government and the citizens who have to survive the terrifying night.

I had not seen a single Purge movie before this one. I just haven't had the interest or time to sit down and watch them, but I know people that have seen all of them and describe them as fun horror flicks that doesn't take itself too seriously. I have a love for Blumhouse since seeing Get Out (one of my top films of 2017) and when I saw the trailer for this film I was intrigued. The concept of the Purge seems really simple, but also a fun idea to explore. When it seemed like they were going to try and make a political statement and show how the storyline began, it peaked my interest and that it why I wanted to particularly watch this film.

Source: Blumhouse Productions

This film is not a cinematic masterpiece. This is obviously not an Oscar contender, or even a contender for horror film of the year. But, nobody going into this film is expecting that. This is simply a refreshing take on The Purge franchise and is actually much needed. I feel like this should be the last film in the franchise, as I do not see how much more this franchise can hold. If it was to continue on, I would like to see a TV show focusing on one Purge, seeing the build up and the aftermath.

In terms of this film though, I did personally enjoy this film. It is a fun horror flick that does everything it wants to. I found the characters to be very simple and one-dimensional, but overall they have great morals and you end up cheering for them at the end. Y'lan Noel is going to have a fantastic career from this, as he is destined to continue being leads in movies. He conveys the passion and thirst for survival and keeping his friends safe.

Source: Blumhouse Productions

What I really liked about this film is the story that they chose to tell. Like I said, it is refreshing to see them take the story in this way. And what makes this interesting is the political route that they take the origin of the story to. There is a twist that they do that I wasn't expecting the to do, but it was cool to see them make that statement. I am not sure that all of their messages are clear or work for the theme, but I like the fact that they tried.

This film is a slow build. This is not like the other Purge films in which the action starts immediately. The start of the film goes into why the experiment is happening, the process of it starting and people being hesitant to join. However, when it happens it is also a little slower and less dramatic until the last 30 minutes. If you are only going in for the violence and gore, you may be left disappointed by this entry.

Source: Blumhouse Productions

Like I said before, I feel like this is a solid entry to the franchise. I am glad that this franchise is jumping onto TV now, as I feel it will work much better to spread it over several episodes to give different characters their own storylines. There is also more that they can do in terms of TV to explore themes of grief, life after the Purge and more. Overall though, if you are just wanting a fun horror flick to keep you going until the likes of Halloween, then this will be a good choice for you.

6/10

Have you seen The First Purge yet? What did you think of it? Comment down below, I love to hear your opinions!

I also apologise for the lack of blog posts this week. I have had such a busy week from doing two jobs and I am finally settling into a new schedule. However, I will be posting almost every day this week to make up for this, and I have some great films to review for you (TAG and Incredibles 2 will be up in the next few days!)

Until next time, that was some film for thought.

July 16, 2018 No comments

July 09, 2018 No comments

It has been years since I have wanted to start watching Friends. My mum is a massive fan of the show, and I have watched the odd episode or two when it was on Comedy Central and loved them. So, when the entire show came onto Netflix earlier this year, I simply knew that I had to watch it. This was only heightened by the fact that all of my friends were also watching it, and that FriendsFest is starting this week in Glasgow.

This show was one of the biggest shows in the 1990s, and this has had a massive impact on sitcoms and TV afterwards. However, when this show finally dropped on Netflix, this allowed a younger audience to start watching the show. This should have been great, but the show got a lot of negativity from a younger audience. This was down to the sexism and slight homophobia the show displayed in its jokes. This was the humour that was used and accepted in the 90s though, and if this was a show shot and shown in 2018, it would not be accepted nowadays.

Source: Warner Bros. Entertainment

If you have been living under a rock and have never heard of Friends, it is a 90s sitcom that focuses on six people and their friendship. Through different relationships, change of jobs and constant moving of houses, their situations change but their friendship stays constant throughout. The show lasted for ten seasons, between 1994 and 2004 and each episode was roughly 22 minutes long.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of sitcoms in general. Yes I may watch the odd drama or fantasy show, such as Supernatural or Sherlock, but overall most of my TV show time comes down to sitcoms. This could be from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, How I Met Your Mother or That 70s Show, but I just love a really good sitcom. I love how quickly the show goes by, considering they are usually half the time or a regular drama show, and the tone of the shows are lighter and easier to get through on one sitting.

It is safe to say that I loved this show. Overall, it took me roughly two months to watch over 200 episodes. These episodes were great fun, and varied from light "filler" episodes to important story-building episodes. This is a great balance as a lot of times, these shows are not watched in order and people can turn on to a channel like Comedy Central and just watch whatever episode is being shown at the time.

Source: Warner Bro. Entertainment

Some of my favourite episodes are not only the filler episodes, but also come from the final two seasons of the show. These are "The One with the Lottery" and "The One with Ross' Tan". Side note, I absolutely love the naming system of Friends to have every episode be "The One with..." as it makes it easy to find a particular episode, as well as being a fun way to name each episode.

In terms of the six main characters, I love every single one of them. I know a lot of people have problems with Ross in particular, but I found him to be funny and to have a sad past. Yes, he has done some bad stuff like his second wedding or lying to Rachel about important manners, but every character in this show has done some bad stuff. This makes them flawed, yet also realistic. Comedy also relies on tragedies to happen, and this is executed well throughout all of the characters.

If I had to pick a favourite character out of everyone, I would probably pick Joey. Matt LeBlanc is the absolute perfect cast for Joey (as is everyone else for their roles) and his development throughout the show is great to watch. I love seeing him do well in his acting career, but also the hilariousness of when it all goes wrong. He is also a little bit dumb, yet is the most loyal and honest friend out of them all.

Source: Warner Bros. Entertainment

There are also some great re-occuring characters when it comes to this show. Janice may be an annoying character, but it is always great to see the antics that come with her character and the moment we hear her say "oh my god" is always at the wrong time, which makes it even more hilarious. Mike doesn't come in until the ninth season, but he is a fantastic addition to the group of friends and I love Paul Rudd anyway, so to see him in this show is great.

In fact, the list of celebrities that appear on this show is worth watching for alone. That moment when you can say "Wait is that this person?!" is so fun to experience for a first-time viewer. I won't give away too many names so you can have that experience as well, but some big names that make it in some episodes include Brad Pitt (who was dating Jennifer Aniston at the time) and Jeff Goldblum.

Of course, there are going to be some flaws when it comes to a ten-season show like this. There are several plot points that drag on and aren't fun to watch (in particular Monica's relationship with Richard and Joey's relationship with Kathy), but there were particular episodes that felt unnecessary. These are the ones with the flashbacks. After about season five, this would seem to happen at least once a season, and they just felt like forced episodes to go over everything we already knew. Yes, they were nice and sentimental but they felt like they were placed in just to fill up an episode. I was marathoning these episodes, so to see repeat stuff that I had seen two days previous (this wouldn't be the case for people watching live, but that doesn't affect me) just seemed pointless overall.

Source: Warner Bros. Entertainment

This is one of the greatest shows to be created, and possibly the most iconic sitcom. Following the previous trends of sitcoms, such as the triple camera and laugh tracks, this feels like a proper sitcom. This formula is still used to this day by shows such as The Big Bang Theory, the biggest sitcom that is currently running. This formula works and whilst I feel laugh tracks are starting to die out, and single camera shows and rising up such as The Mindy Project and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the way Friends is show feels like a natural sitcom.

This is a show I am going to watch over and over again. Whether I choose to sit down and watch the entire show at a slower pace, or if I just want to watch my personal favourite episodes throughout the ten seasons, I will definitely be going back to it. I love this show so much, and I encourage anyone who has not seen to show to watch it in its entirety, and fall in love with the characters the way that I did.

Have you watched Friends yet? Was it the entire show, or just certain episodes that aired randomly? Did you like it as much as I did? Leave a comment down below and I will make sure to read them and get back to you, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the comments I got last week! Also, if you are a fan of Friends like I am, come back on Monday where I will have blog post on my experience of going to FriendsFest in Glasgow this weekend!

Until next time, that was some film for thought.

July 05, 2018 No comments