Tag: AnyaTaylorJoy

The Gorge

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Levi (Miles Teller) and Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy) are two highly trained operatives who are enlisted to guard an ominous gorge. Despite the rules telling them they are not allowed to communicate, a special bond still forms between them. When they discover the truth about what lies beneath, they must work together to stop the secrets from coming out.

I will watch anything that Taylor-Joy is in. Drasa was a sad character and you wanted to root for her from the beginning. The same could be said about Teller’s Levi. Having nobody close to him was the main reason why he was chosen for this mission. At first I wasn’t sure how this pair up would work, but I was pleasantly surprised. Though their relationship developed quickly, it really was the highlight for me.

Where the film sort of lost me along the way was with its many genres. Part sci-fi and part romance with some drama and even a little bit of comedy, at times it seemed like it didn’t really know what it wanted to be. As a result, I do think the second act suffered especially when our two heroes find themselves in the gorge. While I was impressed with the special effects and felt they looked very realistic, it did get a bit too convoluted for its own good. I’m all for layers, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it really added anything to the story and instead left me confused.

The Gorge an enjoyable enough flick perfect for a Sunday afternoon. With great performances by Teller and Taylor-Joy that illustrates a quite charming love story and an interesting enough premise, I was kept entertained throughout. If you’re a fan of Stranger Things, then this is right up your alley.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

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From director George Miller comes the long awaited new installment of the Mad Max films. This time the focus is on Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) where we learn about her origin story. After being kidnapped as a child (Alyla Browne) and held captive by the evil Dementus (Chris Hemworth), she vows to one day return home. Through the next fifteen years we see her grow into a fearsome warrior who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

This was my first foray into the Mad Max films. I wanted to at least watch Fury Road before checking this one out, but time ran away from me. I was worried that this would hinder my overall enjoyment of the film. Luckily that wasn’t the case. I’m guessing as it was a prequel, it helped set the tone right from the get go and I found it quite easy to follow.

The first thing that struck me was the cinematography. The vast landscapes of the Wasteland were stunning and I really felt as if I had been transported into another time and place. Learning about the different areas from the Great Place of Many Mothers and Citadel was interesting too.

Taylor-Joy is one of the best actors around right now. The way in which she embodies Furiosa, taking on the role from Charlize Theron in the 2015 version, was absolute perfection. Though she doesn’t have a lot of dialogue, she conveys everything she needed to with her looks and mannerisms. Hemsworth, on the other hand, donned an entirely different character than I’ve seen him play before. He was a strong villain and he was so completely out there which worked effortlessly. Browne did a fine job as a young Furiosa and I loved the additions of Tom Burke as Praetorian Jack and Lachy Hulme as Immortan Joe.

Another area in which the film excelled in was its action sequences. They were visually impressive with lots of cool stunts and special effects. Those complete with the sweeping score really added an extra element to the overall experience I had while watching.

I’ll admit that I was initially on the fence about watching Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. I didn’t think it would be my type of film or that it would go way over my head. I’m glad that I gave it a a chance anyway and was proven wrong.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

The Menu

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Welcome to Hawthorne.

The most exclusive restaurant around, only a select few are chosen to come and dine. On this particular occasion are couple Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) as well as food critic Lilian (Janet McTeer) and her editor Ted (Paul Adelstein), wealthy couple Richard (Reed Birney) and Anne (Judith Light), movie star George (John Leguizamo) and his assistant Felicity (Aimee Carrero) and business partners Soren (Arturo Castro), Dave (Mark St. Cyr) and Bryce (Rob Yang). What starts off as an evening of excitement soon takes a dramatic turn. It will be a night none of them will ever forget.

Where do I even begin with The Menu?

My expectations for this were sky high. At this point in time, it’s safe to say that I will gobble up everything and anything that Anya Taylor-Joy touches. She always chooses roles that are not what you’d expect and I love that about her. In such a large ensemble, she held her own and was mesmerizing the whole time. But the real stand out was, unsurprisingly, Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). His performance was unlike anything I had ever seen before. At some moments he was terrifying while others charming and I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to hate him or love him. All I knew was that I was completely enthralled with everything he said or did. Another stand out was Elsa (Hong Chau). I’d never seen her before, but she was such a great addition.

I liked how the movie started off as one thing and became something else entirely as it went on. The way in which it was broken down into various sections – the amuse bouche, first course, second course etc – was absolutely genius. Neither parts were too short nor too long and each was integral to the progression of the story. Naturally as it continued, it only grew more and more insane.

Although I’d gone into the cinema having just eaten dinner, my stomach grumbled as each meal was presented to the guests. Some items I had never seen or heard of before and they looked amazing. One of my hobbies is to visit new restaurants and try exotic foods, so this was right up my alley. Just don’t be comparing me to Tyler please.

With all this said, The Menu has become one of my favorites of the year. The comedy, insanity and mouth watering dishes was something I never knew I needed in my life. The way in which it perfectly encapsulated our society and the way we obsess over things was spot on. I will be thinking about and singing this movie’s praises for a very long time.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Last Night in Soho

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From acclaimed director Edgar Wright comes a new psychological thriller that follows timid Eloise, call her Ellie, (Thomasin McKenzie) as she moves to the big city to embark on her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Struggling to find her place among her new classmates, Ellie is relieved when she finds an ad for a room to rent by Ms. Collins (Diana Rigg). In this room, Ellie is mysteriously able to enter London in the 1960s where she comes across Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy). Sandie is beautiful, talented and everything that Ellie is not. Each night, Ellie looks forward to falling asleep to learn more about this woman, but she soon realizes that the glitz and the glamor is not at all what it appears to be.

Last Night in Soho was up there with one of my most anticipated films of the year and it was all because of Anya Taylor-Joy. Her rise to fame has been nothing short of impressive and while her roles have all differed, she is nonetheless phenomenal each and every time. I’ll admit I was nervous going into this, especially because horror is not a genre I’m comfortable in. I really wanted to see it on the big screen though. So, I sucked it up and I am so glad that I did because it really was worth the ride.

Anya Taylor-Joy really did shine as Sandie – she was radiant in every one of her scenes. I was also very pleased with Thomasin McKenzie’s performance. This was my first time seeing her and she matched the rest of the talent flawlessly. Matt Smith, who played Sandie’s friend Jack, was charming and also kind of scary. Other well knowns Terence Stamp, Rita Tushingham and the late Diana Rigg rounded off a great cast.

The soundtrack was brilliant and really helped set the tone of the film. The costumes were to die for and the cinematography was stunning. All the neon and flashing lights used really added that extra element.

Overall, what I enjoyed the most about Last Night in Soho was the journey it took me on. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was proven to be totally and completely wrong. Twenty four hours later and I’m still reeling from it. It really blurred the lines between reality and perception and I loved that I was left scratching my head. I also appreciated how the topic of mental health was touched upon. This psychological thriller kept me on the edge of my seat and while not everything was tied up in a perfect bow, I was satisfied overall.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥