John Service

Category: Culture

  • Drive-Away Dolls review

    Drive-Away Dolls review

    It’s been six years since the Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan Coen) released The Ballad of Buster Scruggs in 2018. Since the release of the three-times Oscar nominated Netflix original, the duo have remained busy. The duo continue to be credited as executive producers for FX’s Fargo antholohy series. And in 2021, Joel Coen made his solo directorial debut with The Tragedy of Macbeth for the Apple TV+ streaming service. Now Ethan Coen makes his solo directorial debut with Drive-Away Dolls.

    Drive-Away Dolls is a raucous road trip comedy starring Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan. Viewers may recognise Margaret Qualley from her small role in Poor Things earlier this year, and she is reuniting with director Yorgos Lanthimos later this year in the crime film Kinds of Kindness. Geraldine Viswanathan meanwhile will be most recognisable to viewers from the comedy Blockers.

    I saw Drive-Away Dolls a couple of weeks back at my local multiplex. Here are my thoughts on the movie, and whether it is strong debut solo debut for director Ethan Coen.

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  • Dune: Part Two review

    Dune: Part Two review

    It’s been a few weeks since the global theatrical release of Dune: Part Two. Director Denis Villeneuve’s second entry in the Dune franchise arrives almost two and a half years after Part One. Dune: Part Two was originally due to be released on October 20, 2023. The SAG-AFTRA strike that ran through the summer of last year forced distributor Warner Bros Discovery to delay its release to March 1, 2024. This delay means Dune: Part Two has become an early contender for the 2025 Awards season. Having now seen the movie, here are my thoughts on Dune: Part Two.

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  • The Iron Claw review

    The Iron Claw review

    We’re almost at the mid-point of February, and film releases tied to 2024 Oscars season are now winding down. One of the films tipped as a potential dark horse for the 2024 Awards season was The Iron Claw. The latest effort from Canadian director Sean Durkan, The Iron Claw is a. biopic about the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers. The film premiered in Dallas in November 2023, on the same day that the SAG-AFTRA strike ended. The Iron Claw was released in theatres in the United States the following month on December 22, 2023. It is now finally airing in cinemas across the UK and Ireland from today (February 9, 2024).

    With The Iron Claw having received considerable buzz, there were hopes it could emulate Darren Arnofsky’s The Wrestler and earn several Oscar nominations. Unfortunately, The Iron Claw was one of several films alongside All of Us Strangers to be snubbed this awards season.

    I had the opportunity to see The Iron Claw ahead of its UK release a few days ago. I am happy to report it is an excellent film and a worthy spiritual successor to Darren Arnofsky’s The Wrestler.

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  • The Holdovers review

    The Holdovers review

    We’re less than a month into 2024, and the year is already off to a great start for cinematic releases. Last week I waxed lyrically about Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone’s new comedy Poor Things. This week I am pleased to discuss the festive comedy-drama The Holdovers.

    The Holdovers sees director Alexander Payne reunite with the wonderful Paul Giamatti. The pair previously worked together on 2004’s Oscar-nominated comedy-drama Sideways. That movie received multiple nominations including in the Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress categories. The Holdovers received its European premiere at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival. It has also received a tremendous amount of critical acclaim, having won three Golden Globes recently, as well as earning five Academy Award nominations.

    Despite being a Christmas movie, The Holdovers was released in the UK and Ireland on January 19, 2024. This baffling marketing decision by distributor Focus Features feels like a cynical move to capitalize on its status as an awards season favourite. Despite the bizarre timing of the film’s release, it is nonetheless a brilliant piece of cinema that deserves all the hype and praise it has received.

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  • Poor Things review

    Poor Things review

    Half a decade on from winning the Best Picture Oscar for The Favourite, director Yorgis Lanthimos has returned with Poor Things. Lanthimos’ eighth feature film reunites the Greek director with The Favourite actress Emma Stone. Poor Things premiered at Venice Film Festival in September, garnering significant critical claim ahead of the 2024 Awards season. Earlier this month, it won ‘Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy’ at the 81st Golden Globe Awards. Emma Stone also won ‘Best Actress – Musical or Comedy’ for her role in the film. Poor Things is also one of the frontrunners for a bevy of nominations at the 2024 Academy Awards. I had the opportunity to see the film on the closing night of the Belfast Film Festival in November. With Poor Things currently screening in cinemas across the UK/Ireland, I thought I would share my thoughts on the film.

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