Venom

Generally received a mixed response from people when enquiring about this movie. Tom Hardy is liked as an actor and often takes on slightly different roles so it is always nice to see him being a normal, slightly attractive guy, with no insane muscles or masks. The general feeling was that the film was good but the special effects weren't great and I can see where people are coming from.

The thing about special effects is that in a world full of technology, directors and producers often forget about the plot and the development and spend too much time focusing on the special effects. A lot of movies recently have overdone it on the effects and the film has suffered for it. I personally didn't feel that Venom overdid it at all. There was nothing special about the effects but that was good because it meant that we as the viewer could focus more on the plot and the talent on display in front of us.

I've never really understood much about Venom. I didn't watch the third Spider-Man movie and I haven't read the comics so let's say that I am a complete novice. I enjoyed the movie. Venom is neither a good guy nor a bad guy. Venom is sort of a conflicted character who turns from good to bad but has no loyalty to the earth and actually has no loyalty to Eddie. They work well together and something about Eddie seems to work for Venom, hence why he stays but nothing is owed to Eddie and that means that Venom is free to behave as Venom sees fit which makes him neither good nor bad- a bit like Deadpool.

Tom Hardy was brilliant. I found him to be the perfect character; sticks up for what he believes in, doesn't realise what it will cost him until he loses it and then has to correct his mistakes by remembering what he believed in. There was no standout star in this movie. Michelle Williams was strong as Anne. She tried to fight, she even had Venom inside of her, albeit very briefly, and she wasn't the pathetic love interest who cannot do anything for herself. There is room for her to be developed in future movies. Riz Ahmed was a strong villain but he wasn't an obvious villain. The character of Drake was obviously going to be the bad guy. He was obviously doing something suspect with his science labs but then most top scientists are. There was always a sign of control and the calmness within him that enabled him to evoke fear within people without getting angry or saying anything more than asking how your family was. People like that are people that you should be afraid of as they are often more capable of unimaginable things than the overly aggressive, power crazy people.

Venom is a solid movie and they will probably make another one to help continue with the Spider-verse and the MCU. Venom can also be a stand alone set of movies and even though there were a few cut scenes linking to Spider-Man, like the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' movies, it can be done as a stand alone and then brought together as part of something bigger when it needs to.

I hope that there will be another movie.

A Star Is Born

This movie is a remake and I haven't watched the original. The other thing to say is that Lady Gaga is phenomenal in this movie. What a way to kick start an acting career.

What I will say about this movie (and yes, I watched it at the premier so I have been holding this post until now to publish in order to give you all a chance to see it without spoiling it) is that if you are suffering from musical block or a lack of song writing ideas this then film will help to open your mind a little. I found that it reminded of a different type of rock music and a different way to play the guitar which had been forgotten due to the influences of heavier rock music or heavy metal, which treat the guitar in a completely different way. There is more to writing a song than four chords and this movie actually emphasises the need to have something to say and the talent to pull it off and make people want to listen.

For me, Bradley Cooper was at his best in this movie. He spent time working on his voice, not just on singing but on lowering his voice so as to develop the character better and it really paid off. It clearly showed the life that we all know to be true of rock stars but it also showed the push from record labels when they take someone with talent and turn them in to something that aren't. They often overlook the needs for happiness on an emotional level and really play a massive part in the destruction of lives. This is just common knowledge now.
In this movie she had a great voice as a country singer, she could have toured with Jackson Maine and still been a star. She was a star before she was signed to a record label and even though he didn't help her much with the drugs and alcohol in his life, Jackson Maine found her, encouraged her and supported her. For him it was difficult when her life and her name became bigger than his and he didn't really like her style of music because he saw what we could all see, which was that she wasn't using her voice to her full potential, she wasn't writing songs that really made people listen, she had just become a singing and dancing act with a catchy beat and some good moves. His alcohol and drug addictions in the end ruined him but they may not have ruined her. When there is talent the world remembers and waits for it.

Music lovers or just fans of a good movie with a clear message, everyone should enjoy this movie and appreciate the work that went in to it. It is worth paying to watch over and over again. Go and watch it with a clear mind and let it speak to you. Music is everywhere and without you knowing, forms a huge part of your daily life and routine.