THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS SLIME THE MOVIE: SCARLET BOND
Released Wednesday 18 January
Synopsis: Corporate worker Mikami is stabbed to death by a random killer and reborn as a slime monster in an alternate world. He gains new abilities and has many adventures with new friends after being given the name Rimuru.
Director: Yasuhito Kikuchi
Cert: 15
ALICE, DARLING
Released Friday 20 January
Synopsis: Pushed to the breaking point by Simon, her psychologically abusive boyfriend, Alice rediscovers the essence of herself and gains some much-needed perspective while on vacation with two close girlfriends. However, Simon’s vengeance is as inevitable as it is shattering, and once unleashed, it tests her strength, her courage, and the bonds of deep-rooted friendships.
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Wumni Mosaku, Kaniehtiio Horn, Charlie Carrick
Director: Mary Nighy
Cert: 15
BABYLON
Released Friday 20 January
Synopsis: Decadence, depravity, and outrageous excess lead to the rise and fall of several ambitious dreamers in 1920s Hollywood.
Cast: Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Tobey Maguire
Director: Damien Chazelle
Cert: 18
FAB UK Review:
Be aware that this film is over three hours long. But at a local screening of the film last month, I didn’t go to the bathroom once, didn’t get bored once, and didn’t look at my watch once (though after two hours I did get a glimpse of the watch of the person in the row below me). ‘Babylon’ is not a boring film. From beginning to end it will hold your attention with the story about the debauchery and desperation of wannabe actors in Hollywood in the 1920’s.
Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie) and Manny Torres (Diego Calva) are hungry to be famous, with Nellie having the looks (and curves) to get ahead, quicker and easier, while Manny has the brains to get ahead.
The opening shots in the film introduce both their characters in a large mansion on the outskirts of Hollywood where anything and everything is happening: people dancing, coupling, intertwined with each other, drugs, half dressed and some not dressed at all, drinking, one large elephant – it’s a bacchanalia of excess. It’s a lot to take in and immediately hooks you into the film.
Nellie and Manny have two very different journeys on their paths. Nellie, who was spotted at the party, is plucked to star in a film, and nails it, while at the same time meets washed up actor Jack Lord (a fabulous Brad Pitt who seems to find roles that match his looks and skills – he is getting better and better with age). Nellie soon has her dreams come true and is chosen and contracted to star in a string of films.
Meanwhile, Manny carries a torch for Nellie, and she knows that, but his fantasy to be with her never really comes to fruition. While Nellie makes all the wrong decisions in her career, and meets all the wrong people to boot, and at the same time Jack’s career seems to be fading, while Manny starts becoming disillusioned with it all. Such is life in Hollywood, the ups and the downs and the downs.
Damien Chazelle, who brought us ‘La La Land’ in 2018, copies it’s formula in this film that, as mentioned above, is never dull and never boring. And while it’s not the best of films, it is definitely entertaining, and isn’t that what Hollywood is all about?
Also released this week:
DREAMING WALLS: INSIDE THE CHELSEA HOTEL
Release date: Friday 20 January | Cert: 15
HOLY SPIDER
Release date: Friday 20 January | Cert: 18
JACK
Release date: Digital Download on Monday 23 January | Cert: 15
FAB UK Review:
Jack is not the name of the main character in this movie, his name is Charlie (played by a boyish Luke Rollason). Charlies has named his penis Jack, so this film is all about that. And Jack pretty much runs Charlies’ life. Jack is the brains of the operation, he and Charlie have been friends from birth, obviously. When Charlie meets Barbie Le Fleur (Angela Sant’Albano), a very pretty Canadian transfer student, Jack will do everything in his power to guide Charlie in his quest to enchant his dream girl. With the help of an odd group of friends; Charlie will use his brain to get the girl of his dreams, and Jack will not take no for an answer.
Jack is exactly like an episode of ’The In-betweeners’ but stretched out to 90 minutes, and doesn’t quite match the expectations you want it to. But it’s cute and funny, and while some of the jokes misfire horrendously, it’s light and entertaining, and the actors give it their most with what they have been given to work with, which is not much.
Director Pelayo De Lario has the thankless task of being the voice of Jack.