The Brown Note Movie Review

Now everyone is reversing like the French army back from criticism of Bruce Willis, Liam Neeson better watch out. His latest in a never ending run of apparent duds has a new low of 7% on Rotten Tomatoes. As a connoisseur of post-Taken Neeson movies, most of these films haven't been bad (not you Ice Road) or felt that cheap (not you Ice Road). With a sizable budget and nearly everything done reasonably well, this VERY stock standard Neeson actioner may not reignite the great Cold Pursuit era, but it's serviceable and it's star pretty decent.

It's easy to see why this Belgian duo's debut is one of the best reviewed albums of the year - throw in their racial diaspora make up and focus on social, gender, sexual and immigration issues, critics will likely lose their minds. For me however, this often enjoyable, light, bouncy, aerated post electro house too often lacks any sense of narrative or meaning in the lyrics. It's often painfully like a well meaning but cringe inducing school counselor relaying platitudinous sentences.

The North of England lads were an absolute blast with 2020's most fun and ebullient debut album, Full Whack No Brakes, but there was always a worry their shtick could grate - sadly realised by a second album that's twice as serious and half as fun. Though there are occasional brakes (sic) in their tried and tested post Robin S - Show Me Love bassline house, its more often than not like being hit over the head with varieties of the same mallet.

Alongside the review of Ghostbusters (2016), catching up on a couple of films I deliberately missed through sheer lack of interest but recently caught up on and had surprisingly strong reactions to. After not falling for the first IT film at all - especially the portrayal of the clown - I couldn't be bothered with the sequel, yet it's long, meandering, episodic nature felt far closer to the novel. Unexpectedly satisfying.

Alongside the review of IT: Chapter 2, catching up on a couple of films I deliberately missed through sheer lack of interest but recently caught up on and had surprisingly strong reactions to. I assumed this first reboot of the Ghostbusters franchise would be a fairly decent film, shot down by the egregious toxic masculinity that preceded it. I was wrong, its an abomination.

Ryan Reynolds feels a bit jaded this time around, like Netflix is really flogging his persona to death in this unbelievably rote and derivative sci-fi. Some pretty pictures and a mainly likable cast, that are occasionally moving but a paper thin plot and zero imagination.

One of the years "IT" horrors with strong reviews, ends up being very "meh". Throws a lot of interesting and contemporary ideas up in the air but doesn't really land any of them and after a promising (Young Woman) start, peters out a bit into nothing - plus its lightness of tone makes it difficult to imbue any sense of seriousness to, on paper, very dark themes.

The Catalan superstar builds on the stunning success of her minimalist breakthrough, El Mal Querer, with a maximalist follow up that sums up the entirety of the near dominant urban Latino music world, again, without ditching her traditional Spanish roots entirely and never pandering to mainstream success. A triumph of experimental contemporary music. Thank god it's a lot closer to that second album than I dared hope and not awash with Drake and Travis Scott features.

The fifth studio album from the Adrianne Lenker's indie darlings - worshiped like saints by the likes of Pitchfork - follows the huge critical acclaim of U.F.O.F. If I thought that album was half brilliant but a bit overrated, I've moved the dial along to mostly brilliant but still a bit overrated. Certainly the final third contains some inessential tracks.

If some acts like Bowie change and reinvent with every album, others (like Japanese sushi chefs or The War on Drugs) refine one perfect thing, over and over. The meticulous Baltimore dream pop duo, Beach House certainly do the latter but the 4 EP presentation of their 8th studio album, is itself the most fascinating change this time around for an always great album's band.