Just Mercy | Main Trailer | 2020 [HD]

This film is rated M. In cinemas January 23. 137 minutes.

World-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson works to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner.

Powerful and thought-provoking, “Just Mercy” follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Foxx), who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds—and the system—stacked against them.

Originally published in The Washington Post, January 6.

The stirring, stylish legal drama “Just Mercy” feels familiar on several levels. The story of a wrongly accused man sent to death row, it joins such films as “Dead Man Walking” and the more recent “Clemency” as an affecting examination of how justice is confused with inhumane retribution. Based on factual events, “Just Mercy” is the story of Walter “Johnny D.” McMillian, who in 1987 was arrested for a murder he didn’t commit, but who was railroaded by a racist and incompetent legal system in Alabama — a story that is as old as the rugged cross itself. McMillian’s case became famous by way of a “60 Minutes” episode and the memoir of Bryan Stevenson, a brilliant, Harvard-educated attorney who came to his defense and has gone on to become a visionary leader in criminal justice reform.

Both on a macro and micro level then, “Just Mercy” — which takes its title from Stevenson’s book — might feel like something we’ve seen before. But in the judicious hands of director and co-writer Destin Daniel Cretton, it feels not new exactly, but fresh and urgent and more timely than ever.

Largely, that’s because Cretton, best known for his exceptionally assured 2013 breakthrough “Short Term 12,” knows exactly when to get out of the way and let Stevenson and McMilllian’s story simply unfold. “Just Mercy” begins in 1987, when McMillian — played in an astonishing comeback performance by Jamie Foxx — is in a forest outside Monroeville, where he works as a pulpwood contractor. Arrested for the murder of a white dry cleaning clerk back in town, McMillian insists he couldn’t have committed the crime (he was at a church fish fry that day along with several witnesses). Still, he winds up on death row, the result of countless assaults on his human and constitutional rights that will continue once he’s there.

McMillian would have been just another statistic of structural racism and irrational fear and revenge, had Stevenson not decided to move from the Northeast to Monroeville, where upon his arrival he’s encouraged to visit the “To Kill a Mockingbird” museum and to stand “right where Atticus Finch once stood.” In “Just Mercy,” the painful and infuriating gaps between myth and reality of the contemporary South aren’t underlined as much as opened up and revealed, allowing audience members to come to conclusions that will range from wincing discomfort to outrage.

Played by Michael B. Jordan with his usual combination of composure and submerged fire, Stevenson is the main protagonist in “Just Mercy,” but this isn’t a biopic. As much as viewers come to admire him for his courage and dedication, they don’t necessarily come to feel they know him. Similarly Brie Larson, who plays Eva Ansley, who joined Stevenson in founding the nonprofit Equal Justice Initiative, is often relegated to little more than providing awkward chunks of earnest exposition. There are moments when “Just Mercy” threatens to become as meandering and mired-down as McMillian’s case itself.

But Cretton keeps the narrative on course, leading the audience through the stakes and specifics of Stevenson’s quest with welcome clarity. Perhaps ironically, “Just Mercy” comes most to life on death row, where, when Stevenson first visits him, he’s ordered to submit to a humiliating strip search. A group of prisoners act as a moving Greek chorus while Stevenson doggedly searches for the truth and McMillian awaits a fate that feels tragically preordained. “That’s how it’s done down here,” McMillian says in one scene; it’s an eloquent if dispiriting summation of the emotional labor it takes to manage the anxiety, aggression and impunity otherwise known as white supremacy.

Foxx, delivering one of the finest performances of his career in a role that involves as dramatic a physical transformation as his Oscar-winning turn in “Ray,” is joined by an equally impressive supporting cast, which includes O’Shea Jackson, Jr., Darrell Britt-Gibson and Rob Morgan, who brings enormous sympathy to a prisoner whose extenuating circumstances throw the perversity of the death penalty into heartbreaking relief. Punctuated by a twitchy, uncannily on-point turn from Tim Blake Nelson as a crucial witness named Ralph Myers, “Just Mercy” is transformed from a mere billboard declaring that racism is bad to an intimate, immediate and deeply moving portrait of the trauma and psychic toll imposed on its victims and practitioners.

Propelled by a liltingly beautiful musical score by Joel P. West, “Just Mercy” keeps its emotions on a low simmer, its absorbing, tautly designed drama finally coming to a climax that is satisfying on one level, and absolutely shattering on another. From its smooth visuals and warm, swinging sounds to its magnificent performances, “Just Mercy” is masterfully constructed to keep us inside a story that otherwise would be too brutal to bear.

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Just Mercy - Reviews and Info

The Biggest Little Farm (Official U.K. & EIRE Trailer)

This film is rated PG. In cinemas January 16. 92 mins.

Documentarian John Chester and his wife Molly work to develop a sustainable farm on 200 acres outside of Los Angeles.

A testament to the immense complexity of nature, THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM follows two dreamers and a dog on an odyssey to bring harmony to both their lives and the land. When the barking of their beloved dog leads to an eviction notice from their tiny LA apartment, John and Molly Chester naively make the choice to move to the country to build a sustainable farm. The land they’ve chosen, however, is utterly depleted of nutrients and suffering from a brutal drought. THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM chronicles eight years of daunting work and outsized idealism as they attempt to create a utopia of 10,000 orchard trees, over 200 different crops and animals of every kind – including an unforgettable pig named Emma and her best friend, Greasy the rooster. As their plan to create perfect harmony takes a series of wild turns, they realise that to survive they will have to reach a far greater understanding of the intricacies and wisdom of nature, and of life itself. Beautifully capturing the remarkable scale of the journey and featuring unforgettable characters of both the two and four-legged variety, THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM is an inspiring and educational story for the whole family.

Originally published in The Guardian, 28th November 2019.

A lovingly made documentary about a couple who move out of LA to farm the land using traditional, environmentally friendly methods.

Those interested in farming, adorable animals and environmentally friendly lifestyles will swoon over this lovingly made documentary made by John and Molly Chester, a pair of Los Angeles-based workers from the media salt mines who upped sticks and bought a farm.

John is a director-cinematographer specialising in wildlife photography, and Molly a chef and food blogger interested in rediscovering traditional farming methods as opposed to the large-scale, pesticide-intensive agriculture that’s highly profitable but ravishes the land. With advice and guidance from biodynamic farming guru Alan York, they bring a large plot with mostly avocado and lemon trees on a dusty sod of exhausted soil back to life, farming a wide variety of fruits and flocks of chickens and ducks whose eggs go down a storm with foodies.

Over the nearly 10 years covered in the film they expand into sheep, cows, and an endearing sow who becomes best buddies with a greasy-looking rooster, all of which John films with great skill and empathy. But it’s to the film’s credit that it doesn’t just become a self-congratulatory, highly professional home movie; Chester responsibly explores the downside and many challenges inherent in their agrarian methods. The couple have to decide whether they should go to war with the coyotes when their fowl flocks are decimated; meanwhile, their pro-diversity approach duly stimulates the bird and mammal population but that also means damaged fruit crops. Then there’s the growing threat from wildfires.

Ultimately, the film opts to accentuate the positive to an almost annoying extent, with sappy backing music and TV-doc-style production values; and some might wonder how exactly, for instance, they managed to raise enough to move out of a Santa Monica apartment and then suddenly buy what looks like a sizeable chunk of real estate. But, like Isabella Tree’s inspiring memoir Wilding, about the rehabilitation of the West Sussex Knepp estate, this might just inspire some to go full on Tom and Barbara Good and get back to nature.

The Biggest Little Farm - Reviews and Info

1917 - Official Trailer [HD]

Two British soldiers embark on a dangerous mission to save 1,600 men from certain doom during World War I.

This film is rated MA15+. Strong war themes.

[For the full review (and others like this) go to Reeldialogue.com]

The combination of talents like director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) and cinematographer Roger Deakins (Blade Runner 2049) should make all fans of film sit up and take notice. A story that is based in the stories from Mendes grandfather and using the one-shot formatting of Deakins will draw fans to 1917. The expectation is high for this project and it manages to deliver on a scale that will leave audiences in awe as the credits roll. 

Even with names like Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth and Mark Strong in the title credits, this is a personal and immersive journey of two young British Corporals on 6 April, 1917. Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) are asked to go on an impossible mission across the Hindenburg Line to stop the Operation Alberich. An assault that is being undertaken to take advantage of an apparent German retreat. Corporal Blake is motivated to get this message through to the front line because his brother is amongst the soldiers slated for this catastrophic attack. 

The two men must cross the battlefield that is strewn with dead bodies, traps and unexpected obstacles. During their covert excursion into enemy territory they must trust one another with their lives and determine if they have the courage to see the assignment through to completion. The Germans give the impression that they have left all behind and are preparing for a final standoff. These forces leave behind destruction as they move across the French countryside. Land that is filled with despair and danger that await the two infantrymen as they must traverse the war-torn country to deliver their message of salvation for 1600 men. 

From the opening scene of the French landscape, the innovative filmmaking technique and storytelling will draw audiences into this compelling mission. A fictitious tale that is based on the stories told to Mendes by his grandfather could lead viewers to think this journey really occurred. The immersive nature of the filming provides an intimate element that will cause many to believe they are in the trenches with the soldiers. MacKay and Chapman deliver the performances of their careers. They provide an experience that shows the soldiers camaraderie and tenacity to make everyone sit on the edge of their seat yearning for them to accomplish their goal. 

Similar to Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, this is a film that will sweep the audience into the action in a grand panoramic fashion. The visual experience is mesmerising, but this does lead to slow and anaemic development of the characters. Though each step of the journey does provide glimpses into the hearts of these men. This investment in the soldiers takes time and may cause some to find it hard to care about their experiences. Both actors provide visceral and raw performances that offer empathy for their various plights. Still, it is not until the end of each of their journeys that we are allowed to really know their motivations and backstories. Not that this diminishes the value of the film. It is merely acknowledging that this film does contain a small chink in its armour. 

The Mendes / Deakins pairing is a brilliant combination of two artists whose works should have come together long ago. This is a film that should be experienced only in cinemas to truly be appreciated for what it has done to move the film into another realm. A film that will garner deserved award recognition in the coming months and is a celebration of two masters working well together to deliver a masterwork. 

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1917 - Reviews and Info

JOJO RABBIT | Official Trailer [HD] | FOX Searchlight

Jojo is a lonely German boy who discovers that his single mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Aided only by his imaginary friend - Adolf Hitler - Jojo must confront his blind nationalism as World War II continues to rage on.

If you're a parent looking for info about this film try the review in COMMON SENSE MEDIA.

[For the full review (and more reviews like this) head to Reeldialogue.com]

Reminiscent of the child-like viewpoint portrayed in The Book Thief and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, this comedic vision of Taika Waititi provides a glimpse into the confusing world of the children of the Third Reich. From the opening credits which use the Beatles music overlaying the crowds that celebrated Hitler’s rise to power, the director manages to depict the mindset of the German people and how they were swept up in the ‘stardom’ of their messianic leader. Then to provide this personal and often humorous journey into the soul of Jojo makes for a poignant story of a boy discovering the realities of life and how to navigate through this disconcerting world. 

Like most comedies, this method of storytelling is used to deliver a darker and harsher message of the human heart masked by lighthearted means. The New Zealand director manages to cut that fine line between humour and dramatic tension with a style that will make audiences laugh while considering the truth of this horrific time in human history. 

Johansson and Rockwell deliver amazing performances that capture the comedic and sobering elements of the final stages of the war. While Waititi provides some of the best one-liners of the film and proves to be the support his little star needs. It is his young cast that delivers the heart of this film and is allowed to grow-up on screen without becoming cliched in the process. Davis and McKenzie prove that they can carry this film through to the end and manage to capitalise on the stellar supporting cast that surrounds them. 

Jojo Rabbit sits in a fascinating place in the cinematic world. The story is a bittersweet expression of the human journey. A mixture of humour, fantasy, realism and relationships that is rarely captured in such a manner in film. Like The Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Thor: Ragnarok, Taika Waititi has managed to make his unique mark on this film and the world. Proving that it is possible to laugh and cry while wrestling with the messiness of this world. 

For great films from MOVIES CHANGE PEOPLE head to movieschangepeople.com

Jojo Rabbit - Reviews and Info

JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL - Official Trailer (HD)

In Jumanji: The Next Level, the gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, they discover that nothing is as they expect. The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored, from the arid deserts to the snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game.

If you're a parent looking for info, try the review in COMMON SENSE MEDIA.

[For the full review (and more reviews like this) head to Reeldialogue.com]

Kasden (director) and the team continue to show why we love this team of adventurers. A group of people that the world can relate to and who we look forward to joining on a new adventure. This next chapter provides the right number of new characters to keep the franchise fresh while maintaining the elements that made the magic in the original. Things take some time to get started as they need to develop the backgrounds of the new players and show what has come of our heroes over the past few years. Yet, once they enter the game, things move into high gear until the closing credits. 

The challenge for the central characters within the game is that they must take on new personas from the original film. At different points Dwayne Jonson must take on the demeanour of Devito and Kevin Hart must represent Glover to make for a new level of hilarity that adds some spice to the hijinks.

Karen Gillan gets to remain as Ruby Roundhouse for most of the film. She is allowed to develop her role into more of a leadership position. While Jack Black’s Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon must contend with being inhabited by Fridge’s personality which he manages to take on with delight. All of these make for great challenges for the cast, and they all manage to meet the expectations. The highlight of the new characters has to be Awkwafina who mixes into the team seamlessly and adds a whole new level of personality to the franchise. 

Despite the slow start, this is an excellent addition to this franchise and one that the whole family can enjoy. The magic remains for this next chapter and the audience will need to buckle up because it is going to be a fast-paced and bumpy ride to the finish. 

If you need a brush-up on the previous installments/iterations of Jumanji, check this out: 

Watch This Before You Go See Jumanji: The Next Level

For more great films head to movieschangepeople.com

Jumanji: The Next Level - Reviews and Info

Little Women Offical Trailer #1 | In Cinemas Sept 5 | Starring Lea Thompson

This article was originally published by Laura Bennett on 21/8/19 for Hope 103.2.

We may be stuck in a cycle of regurgitated entertainment, but in so many ways Little Women’s modern adaptation is worth it.

Looking back on the 1994 flick, it was quintessential 90s: Winona Ryder led the cast, Clare Danes and Kirsten Dunst were baby-faced sisters, and a young Christian Bale had the middle-part of a Backstreet Boy. The March sisters taught us about the passage from childhood to womanhood, and how to cope with the challenges of love, family and responsibility that followed. Although they were doing it post-Civil War America, Little Women was our adolescent guidebook.

Now, to mark the 25th anniversary of the movie, its story is being brought back to screens. First with this Heritage Films retelling, and then in December with Emma Watson and Meryl Streep’s straight remake.

In bringing Little Women in to the 21st Century, the March sisters still feel the effects of war, with their father serving out of country in the military. Jo is a college graduate trying to get published, and Amy is still her hyper-involved little sister. Meg and Beth are there, but you already know Meg’s kind of an outcast, and Beth is busy playing piano.

Personally I was also pleased to see Ian Bohen (Yellowstone, Teen Wolf) playing Jo’s English professor Freddy. I always found Gabriel Byrne a bit creepy, but Ian is perfectly charming and aloof, while also interested and respectful. I think I have a crush.

“Lucas Grabeel (High School Musical) as Laurie probably helps. He’s not all about the show tunes ya’know.”

That a book written 151 years ago still resonates with audiences today, says a lot about author Louise May Alcott’s perceptive insight into family dynamics and the bond between sisters. She captures the love siblings have for each other, but also the need for space and independence as they grow up.

In a word, Heritage Films' Little Women is delightful. Even though their life is messy and sad at times, you want to sit on the couch with the March sisters and join in on their attic adventures. They remind us that valuing family is important, and you feel like everything will be okay, even when they make you angry.

Lucas Grabeel (High School Musical) as Laurie probably helps, throwing in a little Disney and – surprisingly – some endearing credibility. He’s not all about the show tunes ya’know.

For all you’ll love about Little Women though, it’s worth noting its non-linear approach to the timeline is confusing. The movie switches between the past, present and future continuously. Even with some visual ‘swooshes’ to cut between scenes, I did think the past was the present for a good third of the movie. Suddenly it all made sense when I worked that out.

Also – Jo’s (Sarah Davenport) emotional arc is a little puzzling. Early on she’s painted as the confident family-loving sister. She orchestrates cubbyhouse building and reciting plays, and leads the girls in making pacts to follow their dreams and champion each other on. As she gets older, we know Jo’s writing struggles and her love life gets complicated, but she suddenly gets flighty and aggressive and really mean. Our likeable lead quickly becomes unlikable for no apparent reason—other than stress. Which I guess can do that to a person.

Little Women is great for a girl’s night, and the perfect remedy for rekindling your love for family. If they happen to be *uncharacteristically* annoying right now.

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Just Mercy - Reviews and Info

The Biggest Little Farm - Reviews and Info

1917 - Reviews and Info

Jojo Rabbit - Reviews and Info

Jumanji: The Next Level - Reviews and Info

Little Women - Hope 103.2 Review

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