Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson is impressed that the Odyssey is so popular that it took almost the same in its second weekend as its first. He was initially infuriated by #13 Animal Farm, an animated version of Orwell's novella made by Andy Serkis. Although heavily updated for a modern audience, the spine of the story remains, the animation is top-notch and the chilling tale seems more relevant and prophetic than ever, even if it is unclear who it is aimed at. He was left cold and dispirited by The Dink, an Apple TV+ movie from Ben Stiller about pickleball. Every joke comes with a gag warning, with the music being annoyingly leading. Netflix's Elize: Shadow of a Woman, a true tale about a murderess was unengaging and played like yet another of the channel's sensational and lurid true-crime tales. It made James go out and see The Invite again to cleanse his movie palate.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says that #1 The Odyssey helped box office soar 86% despite hot weather and The World Cup. However, opinions are divided. Those who have seen it on IMAX (where it broke records) think it a masterpiece. Those who have viewed it on ordinary screens are less convinced. In his normal multiplex James found the music irritating, the dialogue sometimes unintelligible, the picture very dark and the many starry cameos distracting. Puzzled by a 15 certificate for such a mild and unbloody film, he often had no idea what was going on and believed none of it. He was far happier with Heartstopper Forever, the Netflix feature film based on its TV series which he really enjoyed and thought surprisingly touching. Not so Enola Holmes 3 with Milly Bobby Brown which, after two outings that he loved, feels like a mediocre TV episode.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says that cinemas are suffering from the heat, Wimbledon and the World Cup with box office down 31%. He wasn't keen on #1, the live action version of Moana which lacks magic and mostly feels like a cartoon. Although it's not for everyone, he was more interested in #23, Rosebush Pruning, a black comedy about a family with an abundance of problems on a country estate with the likes of Jamie Bell, Callum Turner and Elle Fanning. It's a curate's egg with no narrative thrust. As it is shocking and nasty in places, it's not one for gentle souls. His highlight of the week is the Blu-Ray release of Oh! What a Lovely War, Richard Attenborough's directorial debut. A musical satire of the First World War with an amazing star cast, it holds up remarkably well.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson reluctantly returns for more of those yellow mischief-makers in #2's 'Minions & Monsters', which provides kids with a quick snapshot of early film history and little else of value. He raves about the third film in the chart, Olivia Wilde's chamber drama 'The Invite', which he says is distinguished by Wilde's direction, terrific performances and an enormously witty screenplay from Will McCormack and Rashida Jones. James also covers StudioCanal's 4K UHD Blu-ray release of Russell Mulcahy's 1986 film 'Highlander', which arrived on the 29th June and celebrates the film's 40th anniversary.
Guests: Chad Kennerk,James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson thought he was in for a treat with #2 Supergirl, starring Milly Alcock. But it is disappointingly tedious, with lots of fighting and killing and a surprising 12A certificate, given that it deals with alcoholism and sex trafficking. #27 Blue Heron, a Canadian film about childhood trauma, is highly regarded by some. But James found it self-indulgent, abtruse and unfathomable. He was keener on Netflix's romcom Voicemails for Isabelle. It looks great, has a super soundtrack, winning performances and boasts dialogue so effervescent, he would happily watch it again for that alone. It's the sort of film that makes you happy to be alive. In the Hand of Dante, also on Netflix, stars Al Pacino, Martin Scorsese and more but is two films in one, with an intriguing modern thriller weighed down by a plodding medieval biopic. It's half a masterpiece, half a disaster.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says that, despite the heatwave, box office was up 72%, thanks to #1 Toy Story 5. Maintaining the franchise's fantastic quality, it is vastly amusing but also perhaps the most moving of the films. With a plot about the damage screens are doing to children, it has a joyful score, new characters and a stellar voice cast. At #12 is Virginia Woolf's Night & Day, with Haley Bennett an astronomer suffering the social mores of the day. It's a very loose adaptation, with plot, class and language all making it seem more modern. Although kinetic, it feels redundant, despite a great central performance. James wondered why it was made at all. He did, however, enjoy Netflix's Office Romance with Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein. Goldstein, famous from Ted Lasso, co-produced and co-wrote this romcom, which is silly and predictable but also an entertaining romp.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson was intrigued but not overly excited by #1 Disclosure Day, Steven Spielberg's first sci-fi film since Ready Player One. Emily Blunt plays a TV meteorologist dreaming of better things who shows signs of ESP and can suddenly speak foreign languages. A spiritual companion to Close Encounters, it gets ever weirder, taking in AI, religion, quantum physics and more, but is essentially a chase movie. At #12 is Tuner, which is the best and most entertaining that generic cinema can get. Leo Woodall stars as a piano tuner with incredible sensitivity to sound who finds he has another talent. Dustin Hoffman steals every scene he's in. You can see where it's all going, but it's a most engaging film. On Amazon Prime is the horror film Over Your Dead Body about a dysfunctional couple harbouring murderous intentions. It is an 18, deservedly so, but is also very funny.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson found #1, the horror spoof Scary Movie shouty and exhausting, emerging despairing for humanity. The brief trailer, however, is quite funny. #13 Savage House feels like a Jacobean tragedy but is an original, supposedly a satire on our own times. Starring Richard E. Grant and Claire Foy, it's supposedly a black comedy but the tone left James depressed. It is well made, with excellent production values, but while grotesque, it is not funny. However, he does recommend Remarkably Bright Creatures on Netflix. Starring Sally Fields, who is on excellent form in her 80th year, it is a funny, touching movie set in an aquarium, with Alfred Molina voicing a wise octopus. Set in a timeless backwater full of eccentrics it has real heart and is frequently very funny.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson is rather mystified by the success of #1 Backrooms, with Chewitel Ejiofor. A horror film based on a web series, it baffled James, unaware of its precedents but people are loving it. James was much more taken with #9 Power Ballad with Paul Rudd. Written and directed by John Carney, it's even better than his earlier films such as Once and Sing Street. Peopled with interesting characters and with witty dialogue and great music, it reduced James to tears. Ladies First, on Netflix, is an English-language version of their first French-language film. Starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Rosamund Pike, it's about a womanising liar who wakes up in a parallel universe which is a matriarchy. With echoes of Mel Gibson's What Women Want, it's witty and well acted but is more farcical fantasy than satire.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
After watching #1 Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, James Cameron-Wilson says he's exhausted by all these fantasy franchises. The effects are impressive but the plot seems redundant and he was extremely bored. Not so with #8 Finding Emily, the best romcom he has seen in quite some time. Produced by the team behind Love Actually and Bridget Jones, it's about a student trying to find a girl he clicked with, only for the search to go badly awry. Humming with great Curtis-esque lines, it has an engaging freshness and feels very real. After a brief mention of Hen, in which a hen observes Greek life, James discusses The Wizard of the Kremlin, starring Paul Dano and Alicia Vikander, about a filmmaker who becomes an adviser to Putin. On various platforms, it has an air of the Europudding.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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