Film Review: Their Finest

"They're Afraid They Won't Be Able To Put Us Back In The Box When This Is Over, And It Makes Them Belligerent..."

Directed by Lone Scherfig, the creative mind behind films such as The Riot Club and the Oscar nominated drama, An Education, Their Finest, based upon the 2009 novel, Their Finest Hour and a Half by British author Lissa Evans, seemingly begins a cycle of early 20th century war biopics which are set to be released this year, with highly anticipated releases such as Churchill and Christopher Nolan's unbelievably exciting take on Dunkirk coming to a theatre near you over the course of the next few months or so and whilst Scherfig's latest is arguably not in the same wide-spread level of appeal as the latest Nolan release or a film depicting one of Great Britain's most influential figures of recent history, with a cast which includes the bravura acting talents of Gemma Arterton, Eddie Marsan and Bill Nighy, the groundwork for excellence has somewhat already been established. The question remains therefore whether the finished picture matches the ability of its' leading stars and whilst Their Finest is indeed a charming low-key drama, one which is laced with a full swing of tea-swigging Britishness, the final flurry of its' second act doesn't hold the interest of the first and dwindles into a movie which is wholly admirable but ultimately inconsequential. 

 Perhaps the biggest criticism of Their Finest is it being a film which once again is a solid example of a movie which doesn't have enough actual meat on its' bones to run the course of its' two hour runtime, utilising narrative avenues which don't exactly work in the long run, such as the inclusion of Jack Huston as Arterton's underdeveloped partner, in order to enforce a dramatic subplot which although sets up the film's leading romantic element, could have been cut out entirely and averted the risk of the dreaded clock-watching from its' audience. On the contrary, the film does boast a overarching feel-good narrative which is bound to leave its' intended audience "weeping in the aisles" as stated by Bill Nighy's excellent portrayal of the fame-addicted presence of ageing actor Ambrose Hilliard, whilst Gemma Arterton continues the argument that whatever she is in she is always top of the class no matter if its' fighting zombies in The Girl With All The Gifts or battling the sexist and wholly misogynistic ways of 20th century Britain in her role as Welsh writer Catrin Cole. Ultimately, Their Finest is a enjoyable fluffy drama which tells a story and tells it admirably well aside from a few notable exceptions but with a cast as reliable as the one on its' books, it never really was going to fail.

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: The Girl With All The Gifts

"You Can Save Everybody..."

Looking back at recent cinematic history, Danny Boyle's 2002 horror/thriller 28 Days Later arguably sparked the flame for the re-emergence of the zombie franchise, and whilst Boyle's film didn't actually include the classic notion of the zombie, with the creatures actually being regarded as infected, 28 Days Later arguably is the pinnacle of modern horror when it comes to a depiction of the classic monster-based genre of cinema. With The Gil With All The Gifts, the latest from acclaimed television director Colm McCarthy, famous for directing episodes of Doctor Who, Sherlock and Peaky Blinders, follows closely in the footsteps of 28 Days Later by introducing a threat which although doesn't entirely fit the mould of the classic idea of a zombie, could arguably be regarded as such in a dystopian near future where humanity has been thwarted by a fungal-like disease which turns people into "hungries" in a fashion rather similar to the infected within The Last of Us. In fact, plot wise, The Girl With All The Gifts bears a wide range of similarities with the critically acclaimed video game, and whilst McCarthy's latest falters at times due to its' similarities to other works in the genre, its' subversive ending and acting talents result in a solid and effective horror. 

Where The Girl With All The Gifts truly works is in its' desire to focus on development of its' leading characters rather than defunct to the well-worn choice of becoming yet another ultra-violent splatter-fest, with Melanie, the titular girl with all the gifts, acting as a conduit for the audience to understand a world in which a new species has arisen and what they ultimately bring to the fate of the human race. Newcomer Sennia Nanua is electrifying in the lead role as the uncanny, infected child, uncertain of her own existence in a world eroding through the curse of the parasite taking over the population, whilst British mainstays Paddy Considine and Gemma Arterton give the film a slight B-Movie edge to it which harks back to the rough feel of a film like 28 Days Later. Surprisingly, the one thing that does seem rather out of place is the inclusion of Glenn Close who simply acts as the all-american basil exposition character who arguably becomes the least accessible character within the movie. The concluding act is terrifyingly subversive and saves the film from falling into a complete genre cliche whilst the sense of fear you would expect from a film within this particular genre is agonisingly nonexistent making The Girl With All The Gifts more of a delicate touch of drama rather than the full-on horror thrill ride I personally thought it might have been. 

Overall Score: 7/10