Film Shapes

The second day of the double-header brought a slightly more satisfying film (though both were enjoyable). Baby Driver is the film Edgar Wright got stuck into after his Ant Man debacle. Apparently, he's been planning this film for a good while, even before he made the clip for 'Blue Song' by Mint Royale  in 2003 (starring Noel Fielding in the driver role, and Nick Frost, Julian Barrat and Michael Smiley as the bank robbers). It's bags of fun, as technically adept as you'd expect from Wright, full of visual flourishes - the steady-cam coffee run and the foot chase are notable sequences. The pictures almost take a back seat to the soundtrack here, which melds everything together. This is where the energy lies in the film. The titular Baby has tinnitus and needs to listen to his pod most of the time, especially when driving. I have to say, though the system worked well, I didn't like any of the music, aside from the brilliant Queen track, 'Brighton Rock'....

The first of a double header last weekend. This was fine, not outstanding, but better than the other Spider-man films. I reckon this is due to the fact that Marvel have been allowed to bring Peter Parker into their fiefdom though it's a bit of a double-edged sword. Tom Holland is pretty good as the new Spidey but the air is pregnant with the possible entrance of some Marvel icon. In fact, Tony Iron Stark bails out the hero a couple of times and there are one or two other neat cameos. I quite liked the story line of the working stiff - Michael Keaton - getting stiffed, as it were, by the 'higher-ups' and then plotting to get something back. Understandable and nice of Marvel to attempt this foray into critiquing 'disaster capitalism' but ultimately, we all love Stark. Rich white guy - Huzzah! Working class white guy who turns into giant metal bird - Booo! It was a nice touch, though, to surround Spidey by non-white characters, especially as the love interest, ...