There are some pretty decent offerings this week, beginning with the taut, twisty spy thriller Black Bag. Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett lead a strong cast in this tale of subterfuge, loyalty, double-crossing, and gameplaying. It's a neat entry into my 'decent films lasting no more than 90 minutes' list, as George Woodhouse (Fassbender) is tasked with finding a mole within their spy circle. Unfortunately for him, one of the possible suspects is his wife Kathryn (Blanchett). Will he put his job before his marriage?
Pierce Brosnan's scenes are almost as fleeting as Liz Truss's time as Prime Minister, but Marisa Abela (Back to Black) is a highlight. Well scripted and effectively delivered, it doesn't outstay its welcome. It achieves more in 90 minutes than some series achieve in ten episodes, and the production values are incredibly high. Smoking like a spy's gun.
Opus is a knowingly strange affair, and it's clear John Malkovich is having a terrific time as reclusive pop star Alfred Moretti, who invites a group of special guests to hear a preview of his long-awaited new album. There are shades of Blink Twice and The Menu, and possibly Midsommar. Malkovich excels in playing unhinged characters, but it's all a bit of a strange mess. It feels like there are too many ideas being crammed into the story, without a clear sense of direction. The sharp commentary on the cult of celebrity is quite enjoyable, but the ending is daft, even by this film's standards. If you like your films quirky, it could be worth a go, but I was a smidge underwhelmed. Ayo Edebiri deserves praise for her role as Ariel, who works out something is 'off' a long while before her fellow guests wake up and smell the coffee.
Last Breath is the definition of edge-of-your-seat storytelling. Despite the best efforts of some audience members to ruin it by spending the whole film on their phones (why bother going to the cinema if you're not going to watch the film?), I loved it. The underwater cinematography is stunning, the true story is incredible, and I was rooting for things to work out for Chris (Finn Cole), who ends up trapped 100 feet under the surface in the unforgiving North Sea. I once went scuba diving in a swimming pool, and hated it, so I think I'll cross Deep Sea Diver off my list of alternatives, should my radio career sink without trace.
Finally, Novocaine is genuinely touching and funny, and I laughed out loud a number of times. Nate (Jack Quaid) chases the girl of his dreams after she's kidnapped by bank robbers dressed as Santa. He can't feel any pain, which has its advantages when being thrown around a kitchen full of hot pans, but is also quite inconvenient in other ways. Think John Wick, Home Alone and Die Hard rolled into one. Not intellectually demanding, but sometimes you just want to have fun at the movies, and this certainly delivers the goods.
Alex Cann's weekly film blog - 9th January
