Bria Lou Reviews

  In 1943, lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) spends an evening self-reflecting after his former collaborator Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) opens a hit musical without him. The only reason this was on my radar, other than being a huge Andrew Scott fan, is that Ethan Hawke has been brought up in award conversation multiple times, and has now received an Oscar nomination. This film was okay - the performances were the best thing about it. Hawke completely embodies this character. We really get a true sense of who Hart is, and even when the performance becomes more outlandish, it never feels inauthentic. Though it's a shame that Hawke is the only one being spoken about - all of the cast are amazing in their roles and they all deserve their flowers. Hart is an odd character. Putting us in the bar with him lets us get to know him, but his insufferable nature has the effect of making the film feel like a slog to get through. And this was a note I made at 22 minutes in so you can guess h...

  I had only heard of this movie in passing, but never really looked into what it was about, so I was looking forward to checking it out. I absolutely loved this film! One of the first things I noticed about the film was that it uses, and doesn't use, dialogue in a really effective way. For instance, the art gallery scene is incredible, and I can't remember if there was more than a couple of lines of dialogue spoken by anyone. It highlights how amazing the score is and also forces you to really focus on what's happening. Speaking of the score, it just got better and better. The music used was picked perfectly and really worked well to create the tone of whatever scene it was used in. The characters speak only when they have to, and this is really the mark of great direction that the audience is hanging on to the character's every word even when no words are spoken. The story is really engaging - I found myself way too invested in these characters and what would happen t...

  A woman (Sydney Sweeney) looking for a fresh start becomes a housemaid for a wealthy couple. I'm not going to lie, I was sceptical about this film. I hadn't heard the best things about the author's books (though I've never read any), and I hadn't heard good things about the acting. But I liked the plot so I tried to go in with an open mind. This is a weird one - it was undeniably stupid, and most of the bad things said about it are completely true, but I still had a good time! It was really entertaining! Even when things got really stupid and unrealistic, it never lost my attention for a second. But it did get unrealistic. There were so many plot holes that the whole first act of the film doesn't really make any sense. There are way too many questions to ask about all of the characters at this point, because none of their actions make sense. The comments on the acting are accurate, Seyfried definitely carried the film. But as much as things are said about Swee...

  After receiving a call late at night, a couple (Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys) race to the scene of an accident to help their daughter (Megan McDonnell). I’d seen the premise of this film pop up again and again and I’d always registered that it looked interesting, but for whatever reason there were other films to watch. So I’m glad I finally watched it! I really liked this film. It’s always great when a little 90-minute thriller can surprise you! The first thing I noted was how good the tension is. It’s created from almost the first moment of the film and it holds onto you for the entire runtime. You’re as stressed as they are the whole way through. The story is really simple, but it’s told in such an engaging way. Despite being entirely dialogue, this is a full story with well written three-dimensional characters that we really get to know through their interactions with each other. A situation like this strips the characters of their airs and graces, and we get to know who the...

  This film follows the life of John Davidson (Robert Aramayo), a man who grew up with Tourette's syndrome in 1980s Scotland. I saw the trailer for this film at some point last year, and that in itself looked so powerful that I couldn't wait to finally see the full product. So it's no surprise that I loved the film. One of the best things about the film is the performances. Aramayo was brilliant in the role, but Scott Ellis Watson, who plays a younger Davidson, was equally fantastic and deserves just as much praise. The story is really powerful, as shown in the trailer, particularly because this isn't a story that we hear often, if at all, so everything we learn is really impactful. It doesn't gloss over everything or make light of the hardships Davidson goes through. And while doing that, it's also really informative about the condition. Part of this is due to how well written is it. The characters feel so real and authentic, and there's never a moment when...

  After being thrown out of their family home for coming out as non-binary, Ben (Corey Fogelmanis) moves in with their estranged sister (Alexandra Daddario) and her husband (Cole Sprouse). I saw the trailer for this film randomly and immediately knew I wanted to watch it, so I was eagerly awaiting its release! I liked this film. Ben is such a great character to follow. They’re really sweet, and it’s easy to sympathise with them. All of the characters are great, and the actors do a really good job portraying them. Although the film moves slowly, it takes a long time before your interest starts to wane. For me I only started to lose interest towards the end, and by then I was invested enough in the lives of the characters that it didn’t matter. There were a few plot points that didn’t quite make sense to me, mostly around Ben’s parents, that took me out of the story. I couldn’t quite work out those characters and what their true thoughts and feelings were. At the beginning they were ...