Alex B Cann film column - 16/04/26 Drama, detonation and delusion

How well do you really know someone? The Drama is best seen without spoilers, so I will avoid telling you too much, as I sadly discovered the big twist before I watched it. Robert Pattinson and Zendaya play a newly engaged couple whose relationship is put to the ultimate test during a game of “what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” One of them reveals something that shocks the other to the core and makes them question everything. Carefully crafted wedding speeches are deleted, friendships are rocked, and secrets threaten to spill out all over the shop.

I loved the dark humour and stylish editing in this film, and look out for one moment that made me laugh out loud involving the DJ and some dodgy cables (not the ones he ordered, apparently… it will make sense when you watch the film, I promise!). Both lead actors are at the top of their game, and it’s the sort of movie you’ll be thinking about for a while after the credits have rolled. The soundtrack is terrific too.

Fuze starts off promisingly, as an area of London is evacuated following the discovery of a huge unexploded World War II bomb on a building site. As police clear the area, a group of thieves get to work robbing a bank vault in a highly planned operation to case the joint while the coast is clear. The tension evaporates about halfway through the film when the bomb goes off and seems to blow apart a simple but clever premise. There are too many plot threads, double-crossing characters you don’t care much about, and dubious accents for my liking. It felt a little like a “straight-to-VHS” movie you might have picked up in the bargain bin at Blockbuster, only to get home and find it needed rewinding. Not terrible, but definitely not essential viewing.

California Schemin’ is based on a true lie of two lads from Dundee who hoodwinked the music industry into thinking they actually hailed from an obscure part of Los Angeles. Set in the early 00s and directed by James McAvoy, who also plays the Simon Cowell-esque record company mogul, this is an enjoyable story of chasing fame and the strains it puts on long-established friendships and relationships.

How far will “Silibil n’ Brains” take their lie in order to enjoy the trappings of fame, including a huge penthouse, a gig at Barrowland in Glasgow, and adulation from fans? And will their friendship survive? You find yourself rooting for the lads, dismissed as the “rapping Proclaimers” in their first audition, and this film is a good advert for Scottish talent. Aside from the jokey elements, there is clearly a lot of prejudice in the industry that this film adeptly highlights, nd it’s a confident directorial debut for McAvoy. I really enjoyed it.

Next week, my verdict on The North, Undertone and Glenrothan. The week after, it will be the controversial new Jacko film, Michael, hitting cinemas in late April. Happy film watching!