Movies
Fennell's latest is another interesting film, that shows a lot of promise, but kind of stumbles because of some very deliberate choices. I understand it has a lot to do with personal preference and I'm certainly not losing hope that Fennell may direct a true masterpiece in the future, but it does feel like wasted potential. Oliver is an outcast when he joins Oxford. He has no friends and the other kids make fun of him. Until one day, when he helps out Felix, the most popular guy in school. Felix introduces Oliver to his friends and it seems he's finally made inroads with the popular crowd. Felix even invites him to his estate for a holiday, but things don't quite pan out how he figured they would. The soundtrack is a little rotten and I have no clue why Fennell shot this film in 4:3 (it's a terrible screen ratio), but other than that it was a fun flick. Keoghan's performance is great, the debauchery is amusing and there are some memorable scenes. The ending is a bit standard, but it works, which is what matters most. Another good film from Fennell, if only she could get every detail right, she'd be capable of turning out true gems.Read all
Fennell's promising feature film debut is rightfully making some waves. There's quite a lot going on here, but Fennell juggles everything like a pro. It's one of those films that retains its mystery until the very end, though it lacks that little extra grit that could've turned it into a real masterpiece. Cassie still lives with her parents and works a boring day job in a local coffee shop. She was well on her way to become a doctor, but she dropped out of school and lost all will to make something of her life. At night, she frequents bars and pretends to be drunk, trapping unsuspecting predatory men and giving them a good scare. Promising Young Woman has everything to be a cynical, gutsy and relevant revenge thriller, but it feels like Fennell keeps pulling punches. There isn't really one identifiable thing that goes wrong, it's more like a series of missed opportunities that make it feel like the film didn't live up to its full potential. Still, some fine performances, strong cinematography and cheeky twists (not a big fan of the massacred pop songs though) make this a very worth debut.Read all