Thor: The Dark World
dir. Alan Taylor (2013)
The humour is well-pitched. The acting can’t be faulted. The score, however, is an unremitting attempt to push epicness upon the viewer, while the CGI makes everything too easy. There’s value to be had envisaging Natalie Portman and Tom Hiddleston swapping roles.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
dir. George Lucas (1999)
This has the makings of a good film. Neeson is excellent. Portman and McGregor bring class (even if underused). But Palpatine’s machinations contribute nothing immediate, Lucas draws a grating correlation between accent and intelligence, and Darth Maul dies an unforgivably insipid death.
Annihilation
dir. Alex Garland (2018)
Like Stalker (1979) but more purposeful. Annihilation’s earthbound SF premise is both creepy and visually arresting, though of course the plot paints itself into a corner (and why not take the coastal route initially?). The all-female main cast easily carries the action/drama.
Léon
dir. Luc Besson (1994)
A moving friendship tale that stops just short of Lolita-ism and owes its impact more to the acting talents of Jean Reno, Natalie Portman (on debut) and Gary Oldman than to writer-director Luc Besson’s attempts to bring French sensibilities to American film-making.