Eloise's Thoughts and Fancies

I need to say a couple of things before I dive into the review proper. I’m far from a Marvel A/V Universe completist. I haven’t seen anything on Disney+, although I have an idea of broad plot outlines, and I haven’t seen all the movies either. From what I understand, and what I know of WandaVision that might make a huge difference to how you react to this film. I’ve also become increasingly disappointed with core MCU films (that formula is super restrictive in terms of the story structure, changing the character and retelling the same story doesn’t make it more interesting to me) and more and more a fan of those that hard core MCU fans dislike. Not necessarily uncritically, I thought Eternals needed to be a miniseries not a film for example, but overall I enjoyed it, where most MCU fans hated it. But I’m going to review based on my viewing experience. YMMV. I’m going to start by saying contradictory things. This film, at 126 minutes, felt too long, certainly longer than The Northma...

Tully is a tricky movie to review on two levels. First, all the way through I thought this film was a charming character-study lifted above the ordinary by some brilliant dialogue and some very sympathetic acting. It’s hard to review that because so much of it basically requires setting the whole scene. Second, and even harder to review this film ends with a twist and a fake out twist that threw both of us to think a different ending was coming. However, the twist that did arrive was signalled and did make sense too, so it didn’t feel like a cheat. Essentially the story follows Marlo mother of two and, as we start the film, very pregnant with her third. Although she is coping, it is close. Her second child has unspecified behavioural problems (they looked a lot like autistic spectrum disorder with ADHD and something else added to me). She gives birth shortly into the film and lack of sleep with a new-born adds to the stress. Her brother, who is wealthier and seems to have a perfect ho...