{"id":6814,"date":"2022-12-26T16:26:48","date_gmt":"2022-12-26T16:26:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canicula.com\/wp\/?page_id=6814"},"modified":"2023-12-23T21:16:11","modified_gmt":"2023-12-23T21:16:11","slug":"new-film-releases-seen-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/canicula.com\/wp\/new-film-releases-seen-in-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"New Film Releases Seen in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The newly released films I see in 2023 will appear here. I now include films seen in the cinema and new releases watched via streaming at home, as that’s the future for film releases post-pandemic. The text reviews beneath each film are what I said on social media<\/a> about each one.\u00a0<\/p>

2023 Total<\/b>: 27. (Seen in cinema:<\/b> 20. Seen<\/b> via home streaming:<\/b> 7.)<\/p>

The 2022 page is here<\/a>. It links to the previous year, and so do the others, going back to 2015 when I started the One Film Per Week cinema thing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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November 2023<\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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1The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes - 7th November. 8\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rating:<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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I liked The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I didn\u2019t read the book when it was released. I\u2019m a huge fan of the previous 4 films. Mockingjay Part 1 is my favourite of them all. I\u2019m in a minority with that opinion, but it\u2019s a great war film that deals with how propaganda is used alongside a conflict.<\/p>

The latest prequel isn\u2019t at that standard but it\u2019s a good addition to the series. It covers how the Hunger Games we see later originated. It\u2019s a tad long,<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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October 2023<\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Foe - 23rd October. 5\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Foe wasn\u2019t very good. Even Saoirse Ronan doesn\u2019t make it worth seeing in the cinema.<\/p>

It\u2019s like an episode of The Twilight Zone figured out how to get itself released as a film. But not a very good episode.<\/p>

It\u2019s an MGM film. So it\u2019ll probably appear on Amazon Prime Video soon. Watch it there. And bail when you feel like it. Disappointed in Belfast. Rating of 5 for the effort of the cast, given the material.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Miracle Club - 13th October. 7\/10.<\/B>
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Rating: <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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The Miracle Club is okay. Not a stand-out film, but good for its type of film \u2013 a retelling of a young woman who leaves Ireland for America due to \u201chealth\u201d reasons. It shines a light on how women not having reproductive rights has knock-on effects on their family, their friends, and others in the community they leave behind.<\/p>

The cast is good, although some characters are cliched when viewed with a 2023 lens. The script is minimal in parts, with pauses and expressions substituting for dialogue.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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September 2023<\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Flora And Son - 29th September. 8\/10.<\/B>
\ud83d\udda5 via \uf8ffTV+ on AppleTV.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Well. Flora and Son is fab. It\u2019s not CODA-level fab. And probably not Sing Street level fab. But it is fab.<\/p>

It\u2019s funny, poignant, and well worth 100 minutes of your time.<\/p>

It\u2019s got the best usage of cursing in a film that I can recall. Possibly ever \ud83d\ude0a<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Creator - 29th September. 7\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex MAXX Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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There is a lot going on in The Creator. Big philosophical ideas. Western imperialism plays a big part, including a maniacal military commander like the one in the first Avatar film. It’s a messiah tale, in this case a messiah for when robots who live peacefully with humanity in Asia get attacked by USA forces. Metaphors R\u2019 Us. Visually, the film is stunning. I thought of Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor, and Chappie when watching it \u2014 as well as Sea of Rust novels by Bob Cargill.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Dumb Money - 22nd September. 8\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I liked Dumb Money a lot. It\u2019s very brash. This could have been jarring, but it\u2019s not. I don\u2019t think it\u2019ll have the longevity of The Big Short. Time will tell. The performances are all good. As is the mixing of action with events happening online via screens.<\/p>

If you are looking to go to the cinema in the next few weeks, you probably won\u2019t be disappointed by Dumb Money.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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July 2023<\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Barbie - 21st July. 9\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in OmniPlex MAXX Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Barbie is a modern fantasy with lots of metaphors about existentialism & feminism, about how everybody (men & women) should get equal opportunity. The archetypal Barbie & Ken have fulfilling story arcs. As do the main human characters when Barbie World and the Real World collide. That collision is a big part of making this a fantasy.<\/p>

It looks and sounds great. Its messages are fab. It’ll annoy the right people. It’s a big-budget Gerwig & Baumbach film. I love their films. I loved this.<\/p>

Edit: I saw it again in the cinema and raised my rating to 10. It was even better the second time.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One - 17th July. 8\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in OmniPlex MAXX Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One is very silly. But that’s okay. The plot could have been lifted from a 1970s cereal box designed to give kids something to read as they munch on their Cornflakes and toast. But we’re not here for literary prowess. We’re here for the chases, the fights, the smouldering romantic tension, and the tongue-in-cheek comedy. It delivers on all those fronts in spades. I enjoyed it. It didn’t rise to great level, but it’s worth seeing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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June 2023<\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Asteroid City - 23rd June. 9\/10.<\/B>
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Okay. Asteroid City has an unusual structure. It\u2019s about the writing and the staging of a play set in the titular Asteroid City. It jumps between a greyscale theatrical real world with a narrator and the play scenes in Asteroid City. The play scenes are in over-saturated colours. I was dubious as it started, but it won me over. Both sides of the world. The actors in the play and their fictional character’s backstories are told well. Plenty of critics will hate it. I loved it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"No\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
No Hard Feelings - 19th June. 9\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i>\t\t\t\tRated 9 out of 10<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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No Hard Feelings is fab. It unfolds how you would expect, but there is nothing wrong with that. Story beats are used repeatedly for a reason. It’s funny, poignant, and leans into the age thing that people have been criticising without seeing the film. I liked it a lot. The leads are excellent. Recommended.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Chevalier - 10th June. 7\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Chevalier was okay. The opening is pedestrian, including the much-flagged violin face-off. It gets better once it gets going. The plot beats are predictable and duly arrive when expected. It would have been better in French with subtitles rather than in English. And I don’t think the actors are actually singing. Samara Weaving is obviously fabulous. It had the potential to be great. It’s not. It’s okay.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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May 2023<\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - 19th May. 7\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Are you their God? It’s me, Margaret is pretty pedestrian. Not a lot happens. It’s okay. Nothing special. It has one substantial redeeming feature. Religious people will hate it. \ud83d\udc4d\ud83c\udffb<\/p>

Later addition: Apparently, the religious nutters have banned the book it’s based on.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Polite\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Polite Society - 1st May. 10\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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If you mix themes from films on topics including teenage coming of age & fantasy worldviews, rebellion against cultural norms, arranged marriage pressures, social commentary, and secondary school friendships and drama, you have to do it well to nail it. As an aside, you also decide to make it funny.<\/p>

That’s what Nida Manzoor does with Polite Society. I loved it, and GLOL\u2019d several times. The undercover gym scene is fabulous. As are all the nods to other films and genres.<\/p>

It’s a keeper. I’ll be back to see it again, and I’ll buy it on iTunes. Go see it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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March 2023<\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rye Lane - 19th March. 9\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rye Lane is fantastic. It\u2019s quirky, vibrant, funny, has great dialogue, and overturns some tropes in a good way. The leads are fab, as is the supporting cast. The back garden barbecue party scene is a masterpiece. I LOL\u2019d several times throughout the film. I\u2019ll watch it again when it hits Disney+.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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February 2023<\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Squared Love All Over Again - 25th February. 6\/10.<\/B>
\ud83d\udda5 via Netflix on AppleTV.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Squared Love All Over Again isn\u2019t as good as the first one. And that one was average. The only upside is Adrianna Chlebicka. You could film her reading the morning paper with coffee, and it\u2019d be watchable. There will be more. It was the No. 1 non-English film on Netflix for a week earlier this month. And Netflix is contractually obligated to produce European output. I hope they hire some good scriptwriters if there are more.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What's Love Got to Do With It? - 24th February. 8\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I liked What’s Love Got To Do With It? Everyone & everything ends up exactly how you would expect. The path to get there is fun and has all the plot beats you expect and frankly want from a rom-com. But they are familiar plot beats for a reason. They work.<\/p>

The film has some interesting things to say about marriage in western and Pakistani cultures. And modernisation. So traditionalists will likely be upset. Good leads and supporting cast. It’s well shot, and the music is good.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Your Place Or Mine - 12th February. 7\/10.<\/B>
\ud83d\udda5 via Netflix on AppleTV.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Your Place Or Mine is okay. A bit by the numbers for the main characters. The supporting characters are the most interesting part. I\u2019d watch a film about Minka\u2019s New York shenanigans or Alicia\u2019s life in Los Angeles. It\u2019s worth a watch.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Somebody I Used To Know - 10th February. 5\/10.<\/B>
\ud83d\udda5 via Amazon Prime Video on AppleTV.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Someone I Used To Know didn\u2019t spark for me. The lead characters are hard to like. They do have redemption arcs, as expected, but I disliked them so much from earlier that the redemption didn\u2019t compensate. It\u2019s not a patch on the redemption arc of Olivia Allan’s character in The Valet (2022). Anyone who has been reading my ramblings for a while will know how highly I praise that film. Maybe unfair to judge Someone I Used To Know against it. But I do. Not recommended.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Wedding Season - 5th February. 8\/10.<\/B>
\ud83d\udda5 via Netflix on ApplTV.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Wedding Season (film on Netflix) is a lite but good romcom. It has a bit of a 27 Dresses feel due to the many weddings the lead characters attend in and around the Indian diaspora in New Jersey. The leads pretend to be a couple at these weddings to get their parents and extended family to stop trying to set them up with partners. The outcome is as you\u2019d expect. Nice journey to it though.<\/p>

It has a good message about 2nd generation immigrants making their own way in the world. I liked it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Stromboli\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Stromboli - 4th February. 7\/10.<\/B>
\ud83d\udda5 via Netflix on AppleTV.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rating:<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i>\t\t\t\tRated 7 out of 10<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Stromboli is okay. It\u2019s about a group of traumatised people who have booked time at a retreat on Stromboli \u2014 run by your archetype guru and his Indian assistant. Over the course of the film, various role-playing activities and flashbacks show what traumatic experiences have influenced the individuals’ lives.<\/p>

I liked it, but I have a lot of questions. Did Sara go to the island to attend the retreat? How does the guru Jens know so much about Sara? Might need a second watch.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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January 2023<\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"That's\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
That's Amor - 28th January. 8\/10.<\/B>
\ud83d\udda5 via Netflix on AppleTV. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rating:<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i>\t\t\t\tRated 8 out of 10<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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That\u2019s Amor made me grin like a loon. It\u2019s very easy to dismiss feel good films like this. I let go of the cynicism that can be directed at rom-com films of this ilk a while back.<\/p>

This is a well-made romcom that hits all the beats. The cast are great, and the material is good. I don\u2019t recall seeing Riley Dandy in anything else. I\u2019ll be rectifying that. Recommended.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
27th January - The Fabelmans. 7\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex MAXX Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rating:<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i>\t\t\t\tRated 7 out of 10<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Fabelmans did nothing for me. It\u2019s a bland film. Neither inspiring nor annoying. I wonder if it would have been funded if the names attached weren\u2019t Spielberg and Kushner.<\/p>

I\u2019m baffled by the glowing reviews. It\u2019s average. Not a must-see by any stretch. I\u2019d rather have watched a documentary about Spielberg\u2019s life and career.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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20th January - Babylon. 7\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rating:<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Take Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett, the Ryan Murphy & Ian Brennan mini-series Hollywood, and Hail, Caesar. Put them in a big story blender and sprinkle on some powdered debauchery before cooking at the temperature of Southern California.<\/p>

Let the resulting film stand until cool & slice to 188 minutes. Call it Babylon and send it out into the world for consumption. It\u2019s not a classic. It\u2019s not even a must-see. It\u2019s way too long. By about a third. It hasn\u2019t much story. Average.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"M3GAN\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
16th January - M3GAN. 7\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex MAXX Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rating: <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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M3GAN is fun. It\u2019s not scary, and most of the violence is just offscreen. It\u2019s a typical AI gone bad story, but done reasonably well. Most of the story beats are predictable, but that’s fine.<\/p>

It\u2019s not as good as other comedic \u2019horror\u2019 films I love such as Happy Death Day and Ready or Not. But it\u2019s a fun watch without loads of jump scares.<\/p>

I actually think that the AI components are reminiscent of Ex Machina. And the violence in M3GAN is comparable to what Ava does near the end of Ex Machina.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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13th January - T\u00e1r. 8\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rating:<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i>\t\t\t\tRated 8 out of 10<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A lot is going on in T\u00e1r film. It has themes that touch on social climbing and forgetting your roots, the corrupting influence of power and strong influence over subordinates, megalomania, social and occupational rise then fall, and the regret that leads too.<\/p>

It also flirts with cancel culture, mental health, and asymmetrical relationships. The lead character is a person who is hard to like\u2014superbly played by Cate Blanchett. The sound is superb, as is the music.<\/p>

I thought about rating it 9\/10, but it’s overly long and is a bit full of itself in bits. Still a good film. But it could have been a masterpiece with some tweaking, in my untrained opinion.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Empire\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
10th January - Empire of Light. 7\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rating:<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i>\t\t\t\tRated 7 out of 10<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Empire of Light is a dark film about dark themes. Mental health, depression, racism, loneliness, and urban decay. If that hasn’t made you gallop to the cinema to see it, then I don’t know what will!<\/p>

Joking aside, there are some lighter moments in the connections made between characters. It’s an okay, but ultimately forgettable film.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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6th January - A Man Called Otto. 8\/10.<\/B>
\ud83c\udfa5 in Omniplex Dundonald.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rating:<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i>\t\t\t\tRated 8 out of 10<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I enjoyed A Man Called Otto. It’s a heartfelt story about life, love, loss, family, depression, community, neighbourhood, modernity, corporate greed, and redemption. I laughed out loud several times, and my eyeballs got a good wash. Strong 8\/10 rating from me. I will rewatch I expect.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The newly released films I see in 2023 will appear here. I now include films seen in the cinema and new releases watched via streaming at home, as that’s the future for film releases post-pandemic. The text reviews beneath each film are what I said on social media about each one.\u00a0 2023 Total: 27. (Seen […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6814","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canicula.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canicula.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canicula.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canicula.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canicula.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6814"}],"version-history":[{"count":106,"href":"https:\/\/canicula.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8118,"href":"https:\/\/canicula.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6814\/revisions\/8118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canicula.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}