Monthly Archives: January 2019

Wonder Wheel

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On Coney Island in the 1950s, former actress Ginny (Kate Winslet) works as a waitress at Ruby’s Clam Shack whilst her alcoholic husband Humpty (Jim Belushi) operates the carousel at the fairground and her young son Richie (Jack Gore) enjoys setting fires. Ginny begins an illicit affair with Mickey (Justin Timberlake), a lifeguard with literary aspirations, but when Carolina (Juno Temple), Humpty’s daughter from a previous marriage, arrives on the run from her gangster husband and also catches Mickey’s eye, things get a little complicated. Continue reading →

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

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A wanted sharp-shooter arrives at a busy saloon. A cowboy attempts to rob a small bank. A young limbless orator travels with his ageing, opportunistic handler. An old prospector searches for a hidden gold pocket. A betrothed woman finds herself travelling alone in a wagon train. Five strangers take a carriage ride together. These six stories make up the latest offering from the Coen brothers, a straight-to-Netflix western anthology of mostly consistent quality and impeccable casting.
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Life Vs Film in 2019

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It’s fair to say 2018 wasn’t a banner year for Life Vs Film, but that’s OK. This time last year I said I was skipping the whole New Year’s Resolutions thing, in the hope of it resulting in a more relaxed year and, to a point, that was true. It also allowed me to do more things with the LAMB site and podcast, which I’m continuing to enjoy and have further plans for this year. So whilst 2018 was more relaxed than the previous year (not having a wedding to plan may have had something to do with it), I’m disappointed with how little happened on this site. In total I only reviewed 11 films, which is exactly how many were added to the 1001 list last year, so I made no ground whatsoever. As such I’m reinstating some resolutions this year, but I’m not going to beat myself up over them.
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2018 Review of the Year

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Well, that’s another year over, so it’s time for my traditional ranking of all the new releases I saw in the past twelve months. I find that the only way I can ever actually finish these lists is if I just post the list, with pictures, and no explanations why. If there’s a particular placing that’s puzzles you, ask in the comments, and remember, I’m in the UK, so not all these films may be considered 2018 releases for you, but they are for me. As such, Paddington 2 isn’t on here, but it’d be pretty darn close to #1. Here’s my list:
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