Movie: Charlie’s Angels
Director:  Elizabeth Banks
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska
This is not really as bad as the lousy IMDB rating. There are some laughs, some good ideas, some flash tech and some entertaining scenes - sadly some of them saved for the credits. However, much as I wanted to like this, it really is not up to the mark. This is one of those films where if the quality of editing for the trailers had been applied to the whole film it might have worked immensely better. Or maybe people just need to look injured after being in an explosion, and battered after being in a fight. Probably both.
From the trailer you might get the idea that Patrick Stewart would make a good Bosley, but in the film he actually comes across as wooden, and like most of the cast other than Naomi Scott, just does not look comfortable. No doubt after Aladdin this seemed remotely plausible for Scott. The rest of the cast, seemingly unable to suspend their own disbelief failed to suspend mine. Because it is Charlie's Angels you could put some cheesy lines and acting down to some sort of homage to the 70's TV series, but if that is true and it was deliberate then it was a mistake, because just like the Townsend Agency the world has moved on and expects more.

Movie review: Ford v Ferrari (Le Mans ’66 in some markets)
Director:  James Mangold
Stars: Matt Damon, Christian Bale
If you are not into Matt Damon or Christian Bale or you have zero interest in fast cars on any level, this will not be of interest so you can stop reading.
For those continuing this is a character study of two fascinating men, as well as an allegory on 20th century American manufacturing power and the dichotomy of Taylorism and individualism (expressed in obsessiveness, ambition and shysterism) that propelled it.
This is the first time Damon and Bale share the screen, and you have to wonder why that is because the chemistry between them is so effective in portraying a complicated relationship. It will be interesting to see how the auto and design worlds respond to this. Carroll Shelby (Damon) was a legend of sports cars, but a man who had seven wives and had trouble keeping his businesses afloat is clearly complex. Bale’s Ken Miles is compelling viewing - exploring the relationships with his son and wife, easy to watch Caitriona Balfe, as well as with Damon’s Shelby.
The car front is a little less interesting. Though largely spared interminable racing sequences, there is no getting around that this is about a climactic 24 hour race at Le Mans. The foot-well shots of clutch pedalling seem to number in the dozens, but otherwise Mangold keeps this as tight as some of his other films.
This is a long film and feels like it, yet satisfying. I recommend catching it in conjunction with 1988’s Tucker: The Man and His Dream recently available on Netflix (at least in Australia). It also looks at issues of obsession and innovation, and the clash between those pushing at the boundaries and the industrial bureaucracies that constrain them. I will leave the political comparisons to you.

Movie review: Doctor Sleep
Director:  Mike Flanagan
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis
This is a sequel to The Shining (1980) which I have to say is one of the last horror films I ever bothered watching until this year. I thought this was an entertaining effort, which managed to cover what could have been tedious character development in a well-paced and efficient way, and set up well for the final act. Do not worry if you have not seen (or read) The Shining, most of the backstory you need is filled in well enough.
Cliff Curtis is well cast here, a perfect role for him. Rebecca Ferguson will inspire millions for their Halloween costumes in years to come, and Ewan gets it right. This is heavily dependent on child actor Kyliegh Curran in only her second film role but she carries it well.
The fantasy element is very present, so do not bother if you "just don't get it", but if you are able to buy into that kind of thing then this does a good job selling it. Though some cracks start to show in the last thirty to forty minutes, overall this is slick enough to create and maintain a suspension of disbelief. I guess you are likely to see this anyway if you prefer the genre, and for those of you who do not, I would suggest you check on this if you find the Cineplex devoid of choices that more naturally appeal.

Movie review: Terminator: Dark Fate
Director:  Tim Miller
Stars: Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mackenzie Davis
Is the return of James Cameron to the franchise as writer and producer all it is cracked up to be? Has the killer trailer that artfully uses scenes reminiscent of Terminator 2: Judgement Day, set to a cover of Björk's Hunter by RIAYA, created accurate expectations? This has its moments, but the short answers are "no", and "not really". However, if you are an Arnie fan or still, somehow, a franchise fan then you will see it anyway, and you will not feel too bad about it.
There is a terribly wobbly start with one of the worst CGI scenes I have ever seen but that proves to be uncharacteristic and, in the moment, most of the rest of the effects were...effective. The casting and performances are fine, the pacing is mostly good, though it does feel longer than its two hours, eight minutes. I will even credit that at least some of the backstory explanations make more sense than some of the ones we have had to swallow elsewhere in the terminator timelines. The real problem here is the film suffers from a lack of original content and is fuelled by nostalgia, scene after scene that seems to be deliberately evoking a counterpart scene from elsewhere in the franchise, and particularly from T2. In that sense at least the trailer was accurate because the highway scene it is built around just screams T2.
Hard to believe Arnie is 72, and while it has been over-hyped he is still up to it.

Movie review: Official Secrets
Director: Gavin Hood
Stars: Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Matt Smith, Ralph Fiennes

All-star British cast, including Keira Knightley, in a terrific ensemble performance: check
Based on a real story featuring spies, journalists and lawyers: check
Tightly written, yet with generously drawn characters showing moral courage in one of the by-plays of one of the most important historic events of the 21st century – the 2003 invasion of Iraq: check
Opening night at Broadway Hoyts, attendance: me, myself and I
Sure, this is a film that should and probably will get solid viewing on whichever streaming service hosts it, and you probably do not need to see it on the big screen, but there are moments when I feel like we simply deserve whatever apocalypse is heading our way.

Movie review: 21 Bridges
Director: Brian Kirk
Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Sienna Miller, J.K. Simmons
A half decent script, a half decent cast and some tight production values make this a highly watchable action thriller if you just need some down time. This is a by-the-numbers plot for the genre of US big-city police stories, NY in this case, and thoroughly predictable, but the excellent pacing lets you get away with ignoring plot holes. Just follow the action and don't think too much.
If I told you that out of Sienna Miller, Chadwick Boseman, Taylor Kitsch and J.K. Simmons it was Simmons who was the weak link you probably would not believe me, but there it is. To be fair to J.K. it is largely his half of the script that is not decent.

Juddy keeps busy consuming cultural media while posing as a student at a major Sydney university, thus shirking real work. He hosts pub trivia, and tutors at said university, for beer and book money.