Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to drink a latte! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the time travelling farce “Nirvanna: The Band The Show The Movie,” the drama “Sirāt” and the coming-of-age story “Pillion.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: In “Pillion,” a new queer romantic dark comedy starring Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård, and now playing in theatres, timid gay man Colin becomes the submissive partner of Ray, a handsome and dominant biker. “I have an aptitude for devotion,” says Colin.
CAST: Harry Melling, Alexander Skarsgård, Douglas Hodge, Lesley Sharp, Jake Shears. Directed by Harry Lighton.
REVIEW: A study of blossoming sexual awareness and acceptance, “Pillion” traces Colin’s journey into submissiveness with frankness, wry humor and tenderness.
The action in “Pillion” begins on a quiet London suburban Christmas Eve. The mousy Colin (Harry Melling) is performing in a chirpy barbershop quartet at a pub when he meets charismatic biker Ray (Alexander Skarsgård). A relationship quickly blooms, as Colin becomes a submissive partner to the dominant Ray. “Next to you I am nothing,” says Colin, “but I’m yours all the same.”
Over the next year Ray leads Colin into the world of BDSM and dominant-submissive relationship within the gay biker subculture, establishing power dynamics—Colin cooks, cleans, and obeys a strict set of rules while riding pillion, passenger seat on a motorcycle—and the boundaries of the pair’s desires.
Though submissive to Ray, Colin embraces the new relationship through all its challenges and thrills.
Based on Adam Mars-Jones’ novel “Box Hill,” “Pillion” is a straightforward and nonjudgemental rom com about desire and growth.
Melling, best known for playing Harry Potter’s spoiled cousin Dudley Dursley, hands in a wonderful performance as Colin, whose transformation from vulnerable and insecure to someone in control of his life and sexuality is handled with gentleness and authenticity.
Though for the most part emotionally cut off, Ray benefits from Skarsgård’s stoicism, but the actor brings the character to life by allowing hints of vulnerability to shine through his distant facade.
“Pillion” succeeds because of strong performances, but also because it accepts Colin, just as he learns to accept himself.
SYNOPSIS: In “G20,” a new action thriller starring Oscar and Emmy winner Viola Davis, and now streaming on Prime Video, terrorists take over the G20 Summit in Cape Town, South Africa. American President Danielle Sutton evades capture and uses her military training to defend the captured world leaders and her family. “If you want to survive,” she says, “you’ll follow me.”
CAST: Viola Davis, Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, Ramón Rodríguez, Antony Starr, Douglas Hodge, Elizabeth Marvel, Sabrina Impacciatore, and Clark Gregg. Directed by Patricia Riggen.
REVIEW: It comes as no surprise that Artificial Intelligence is the weapon of choice for the “G20” baddies. Their evil plan to use AI to create Deep Fake videos of world leaders plays on Hollywood’s fear of the disruptive technology, which is odd because the movie, with its clichés and throwbacks to movies like “Air Force One,” feels like it could have been written by AI. It wasn’t, there are four “screenplay by” credits (Caitlin Parrish, Erica Weiss, Noah Miller and Logan Miller), but it certainly feels like the script originated with a prompt on ChatGPT.
Take the snarling bad guys for instance.
Little more than a list of modern grievances come to “life” they are bonded by a belief in a litany of fringe conspiracy theories and tote high caliber guns which they don’t know how to use (more on that later). Led by Rutledge (Antony Starr), they’re standard issue new world order villains straight out of central casting who use violence and AI to stage a global coup and spout meme-worthy sayings about “rebelling against world leaders who strip away the rights of their citizens.”
As President Danielle Sutton, Viola Davis delivers a standard issue action movie heroine. She can throw fists and, like so many action stars before her, is able to run through a hail of bullets unharmed. For some reason, the evildoers in movies like this shoot like their gun barrels are bent at a ninety-degree angle while her aim is true. Her character is all pluck, equally comfortable using her wits as she is pressing a hulking bad guy’s face on a hot grill.
Amid the chaos are her precocious teen kids, Serena and Demetrius (Marsai Martin and Christopher Farrar) who watch their mom kill the bad guys and joke, “Did you know she could do that all the time? Lucky we only got grounded.”
“G20” is a parade of cliches that leads up at an unlikely twist and a logic defying climax that only plays out in the way that it does to provide another opportunity for some showy action theatrics. By the time the end credits roll it’s clear that AI isn’t the only threat facing Hollywood. Unoriginality is.
