The Brown Note Movie Review

A Promising Young Woman (2020)

After calling out star Carey Mulligan for shameless Oscar politicking a few weeks ago, I finally get to see this polemical nice-guy destroying debut from British director Emerald Fennel and it didn't disappoint. An incredibly relevant and wildly ambitious, risk-taking destruction of the excuses around rape-culture, entirely focused on a probable and deserving Oscar winning performance from Mulligan. Amazing and essential film making that leaves no prisoners. And though I stand with the critic who Carey destroyed, he was wrong about Margot Robbie being a more natural fit to this role.

Music (2021)

As an officiando of car crash cinema, I deliberately seek out the truly terrbile (so I can stick the boot in too!). No film of the modern era has generated quite such howling from critics as Australian singer Sia's misguided autistic triumph. Yet I can only call it as I S(ia) it. I actually kinda enjoyed it. It's badness is so wild it almost creates it's own universe but it's never dull for a second, and the main characters, particularly a fantastic nipple-popping Kate Hudson are actually really nice, well drawn and decent to spend time with and even it's daffy continual musical interludes often made me smile. Sesame Street on LSD.

ShadowIn The Cloud (2020)

The obviously talented and ambitious NZ/China newbie director, Roseanne Liang follows up the local success of her first film with this Twilight Zone referencing full bore B movie, that's far more interesting and surprising than it sounds on paper. A small budget often looks spectacular and Chloë Grace Moretz holds an entire movie together pretty much by herself in an excellent turn. Far wilder and more human than I expected.

The Nest (2020)

It's take directer Sean Durkin nearly a decade to follow up the excellent, Elizabeth Olsen starring, Marth Marcy May Marlene, but he has done so in style with this intense psych-drama starring and excellent Jude Law and Carrie Coon as a collapsing couple. He shows great command throughout, including lifting a stoic film into crazy mania for it's final third.

Outside The Wire (2021)

It's been poorly received but this Anthony Mackie starring dystopian sci-fi war-zone pic, is a thoughtful cut-above the never-ending run of bombastic and often stupid Netflix actioners and well worth a once through - though it should wear the heady political and moral themes its tepidly offers with louder pride.

The Furnace (2020)

The Aussie outback is one of the most cinematic environments on earth and it's brutal history has given us many unforgettable films - sadly The Furnace is far too slight and poorly played to live up to its illustrious predecessors. Don't believe the reviews, despite an incredibly original and evocative set-up, the story is beyond rote, fairly tame and the acting decidedly average - as shown up by a brilliant David Wenham.

Carey Mulligan’s Oscar politics at its worst

Actor Carey Mulligan (and the whole world) owe film critic Dennis Harvey a massive apology for the disgraceful act of destroying his career and reputation, to try and position themselves in this year's Oscar race. Her completely inferred response to a year old review, was nothing but the usual stories actor's, publicists and studios pump out between Christmas and February, just to put themselves in the minds of academy voters - only more cynical and vile. Harvey never said a word about either Margot or Carey being hot or not, cos a 60 year old gay guy doesn't think like that.

Nomadland (2020)

In all the years I've reviewed movies on the main show (posted here more recently) I've never given a perfect 10 out of 10 to a new release film before Nomadland. It's so much more than the grim, cinema verite, politicized look at America's post global financial crisis economic situation I expected. Instead I got the most insanely beautiful and artistic poem about heartland America, an optimistic world of people who'd escaped the "tyranny of the dollar" for an enrichingly soulful existence, that never needs to bang any drum, and gives wonderful characters effected by economic hard times but never formed by them. Front and center, Francis McDormand, who creates a character as likeable, alienated and unknowable as Harry Dean Stanton in Paris Texas - a film I found myself frequently referencing. Director Chloe Zhao shows complete mastery of the form and never makes a single misstep, even the cinematography and music are stunning. I'd feel comfortable calling it the best picture, director and actress Oscar winner, though it will certainly pic up nominations for the screenplay, supporting actor, score and cinematography, so that list maybe too short. A modern masterpiece.

Soul (2020)

Since Disney started meddling with them, it's been an up and down road for Pixar, with too many sequels and the once sacrosanct originals varying in quality. If there is one man to save them, it's probably director Pete Docter (Monsters Inc., Up, Inside out) who delivers another wildly imaginative and dazzlingly ambitious original concept just worthy of their other high water marks. A less stunning middle section is compensated for by some beautiful artistic choices and the least child-friendly, existentially-adult Pixar concept yet.

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

A film that redefines what the term "hot mess" means to me and makes me think director Patty Jenkins fluked it with the superb first encounter, still the only brilliant DC Universe film. The main flaws here are terminal - awful, lazy, tonally inconsistent, repetitive and dull writing, a director with no coherent vision at all and the most glaring plot-holes and logical inconsistencies of any film at this level in the modern era. Gal Gadot is still unbearably lovely but perhaps the film's most egregious failure (in a litany of them) is there isn't anything feminine about this film, it no longer matters that Wonder Woman is a woman.