The Tameside Radio presenter has had a busy week of watching movies - including Marcel The Shell With Shoes On and The Inspection.
I enjoyed my first cinema double bill in a while on Tuesday, with screenings of Marcel The Shell With Shoes On and The Inspection. Marcel is a one-inch shell who lives with his grandmother, and is hoping to be reunited with the rest of his family. This film is quirky stop-motion animation at its best, and touches on themes of love, loss, friendship, community, and appreciating the little things in every day.
I really enjoyed its warm-hearted and silly vibes. It gave me a peaceful, easy feeling (to quote the Eagles song used in a memorable scene). Gentle, enchanting, and hugely original.
The Inspection is based on Elegance Bratton's own experience of being a young, gay, black man who signed up for the Marines. Shunned by his mother and living on the streets, Ellis French (a brilliant Jeremy Pope) faces a gruelling training regime which pales into insignificance compared to the homophobia he has to battle once his sexuality becomes known amongst his fellow recruits. It's brutal, unflinching, and brilliantly portrayed.
Gabrielle Union is exceptional as French's mum, and the restaurant scene towards the end of the picture is heartbreaking. I went knowing nothing at all about this film, and was hugely impressed. In a sea of Marvel superheroes and blockbuster titles, this deserves to find an audience, as it shines a light on prejudice faced by the LGBTQ+ comnunity.
Also this week, I rewatched Jordan Peele's excellent Nope, which blends horror with sci-fi, and makes me nervous of those inflatable items you ofen see around car washes. The basic lesson is don't try and capture UFOs on film, as you'll probably meet an untimely end. Perhaps there will be a sequel based on all the recent shooting down of objects in the US skies.
And Shotgun Wedding features a gun-toting Jennifer Coolidge, Jennifer Lopez kicking derriere in a wedding dress, and Lenny Kravitz being rather excellent as the ex invited ill-advisedly invited to exotic nuptuals that end up being taken over by pirates demanding millions of dollars from the father of the bride. It's been described by some as Die Hard meets the romantic comedy genre, and if you just want to stick your brain on charge for 100 minutes, it's the movie equivalent of a takeaway pizza. Quick, tasty, but little nutritional value.
Apparently, Ryan Reynolds was originally due to star in the lead role, but his replacement Josh Duhamel does a decent job. Lopez could make even the weakest line entertaining, and looks great in a wedding dress! Be warned...it's quite violent. Perhaps more so than I expected. The pirates are thinly drawn stereotypes, but really that doesn't detract from the enjoyment factor. Say yes to the blood spattered dress!
Coming up this week, I'm watching The Son, Knock At The Cabin, Magic Mike's Last Dance, and new release Cocaine Bear, which hits cinemas on Friday (24 February). I'll have verdicts on those in the column next week. Happy film watching!
You can listen to Alex every weekday from 7am to 11am and on Saturdays from 3pm to 6pm, on Tameside Radio 103.6FM.
Alex also has a regular newspaper column where he gives his unique take on life. Read his latest one here.
