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Elvis (2022)

Elvis is one of the big films to be released this year as it sees Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann make a return to the big screen since his 2013 adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Starring Austin Butler as the titular musician, Elvis Presley, the film chronicles his turbulent relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) and his attempts to balance an incredibly successful singing career and a family life with wife, Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge) and daughter, Lisa-Marie. It’s a dazzling film that is relentless in storytelling yet simultaneously tells a tragic story about a talented individual who is consistently taken advantage of, culminating in a sad end that sees him addicted to drugs and unable to break free from his manager’s clutches.

The film is directed by Baz Luhrmann who cowrote the script with Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner. As expected from a Luhrmann film, Elvis is a striking film that believes in a “more is more” philosophy, cramming in plenty of visual symbolism and cultural references to emphasise the setting of the film. Luhrmann knows how to craft a film that coincides with music and while the script may be hefty coming in at 160 minutes with odd pacing at time, it allows us to see a side to Elvis that the audience never got to see. There are certain elements that are looked over as it’s clear that Luhrmann wants to ensure that Elvis is portrayed in as positive a light as possible, while also ensuring that Parker is the clear villain of the film which is does.

Austin Butler beat out a ton of big names to portray the musician. His Elvis doesn’t feel like a cheap imitation in the way that many musician biopics do. Butler’s performance feels thoroughly researched and dedicated as there is a longing that Elvis has to better his career and a frustration as his attempts to try new things are stopped by Parker. The scenes in which Elvis confronts Parker about the latter’s behaviour is truly terrifying as all the tension and anger had bubbled to the surface. His singing performance is also excellent as it doesn’t feel as though he is trying to do a perfect match, but he does sound a lot like Elvis, making it difficult to separate which sounds and images are Butler and which are Elvis throughout.

Tom Hanks portrays Colonel Tom Parker in a role that sees him play against type. Hanks has been open in the past about not playing a villain, but it all changes when portraying Parker. An intriguing decision Luhrmann made was to shoot the film from Parker’s perspective, ultimately making him no different to an unreliable narrator. Parker is surprised by the accusations that have been thrown his way through the years and denies that he treated Elvis badly. Hanks’ performance is filled with deceit and deception as he manipulates Elvis into doing his business. While it may not seem obvious at first, his manipulation becomes more obvious and desperate as the film goes on. It will be surprising if Hanks is not brought into the Best Supporting Actor conversation come award season as it shows him tackling new range.

As with any Baz Luhrmann film, the cinemtography is a sight to behold. Collaborating with Luhrmann for a second time is Mandy Walker, who worked on his 2008 film, Australia. Walker conveys the delusion of show business and its ruthless nature. One moment we are at Elvis’ youth which is simplistic and more traditional in its style before diving into the bright, dizzying lights of Vegas and the swirling roulette tables that are always spinning as we see Elvis worked to the bone at the hands of his greedy manager.

One element that contributes to the striking aesthetic is the costume design by Catherine Martin. This is a film where the costumes become a character themselves as Elvis dons almost one hundred different costumes throughout the movie. What is impressive about Martin’s dedication to her craft is that she commissioned costumes that were made in exactly the same way that Elvis’ jumpsuits were made for the stage. This gives the costumes that authentic feeling without feeling silly or like a caricature. Even the elaborate stage costumes have a natural appearance about them as we have seen Elvis’ personal style develop over the course of the film’s 160 minute run.

The film is filled to the brim with Elvis classics, but what Luhrmann does that is always brilliant to see is tweak the music and incorporate a more modern film. In the same vein as Mounlin Rouge!, the soundtrack is filled with covers from current artists, showcasing the timelessness of Elvis’ music. What the sound department do brilliantly is combine the original Elvis vocals with the covers so it becomes one song, while the score and sound mixing is done brilliantly throughout the film so the audience are truly immersed in music, as though we were in Elvis’ mind.

Overall, Elvis may contain all the trademarks associated with Luhrmann’s filmography and it works beautifully with the film’s subject by showcasing the glitz and glamour of show business. With excellent leading performances from Butler and Hanks, it’s easy to imagine this film up for some nominations come awards season, even if there is a while to go.

What did you think of Elvis? Let me know in the comments below!

Elvis is available to view in cinemas now!

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Pixar Features: Final Ranking

Way back in June 2019, I began my reviews and rankings of the Pixar feature films. Over a year later and I have managed to finish this task. It was just one of those things were I kept forgetting to complete it and before you know it, two more films had been released!

Pixar is one of the strongest animation studios in the world and it’s not hard to see why. The feature films have collectively won 16 Academy Awards with 10 of them for Best Animated Film. From the brilliantly developed characters, stunning animation and star-studded casts, Pixar has been churning out blockbusters since they brought out their debut feature Toy Story in 1995 which won the studio a Special Achievement Oscar as the Best Animated Feature category was introduced in 2002.

You can catch up with the reviews here:

Films 1-5

Films 6-10

Films 11-15

Films 16-22


Here is my ranking from bottom to top:

22) Cars 3 (2017)

21) Cars 2 (2011)

20) Cars (2006)19) The Good Dinosaur (2015)

18) Monsters University (2013)

17) Brave (2012)

16) Finding Dory (2016)

15) The Incredibles 2 (2018)

14) A Bug’s Life (1998)

13) Toy Story (1995)

12) Toy Story 4 (2019)

11) Onward (2020)

10) The Incredibles (2004)9) Finding Nemo (2003)

8) Monsters, Inc (2001)

7) Toy Story 3 (2010)

6) Rataouille (2007)

5) Inside Out (2015)

4) Coco (2017)

3) Toy Story 2 (1999)

2) WALL-E (2008)

1) Up (2009)So that’s that. The next Pixar film due to be released is Soul however I am not sure if it has been delayed and if so then for how long.

What did you think of my reviews and rankings? Let me know what you think in the comments!

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Pixar Features Ranking: Films 16-22

It’s about time I added the final installment for this series of posts and get myself up to date. Admittedly I did not do this in time for Toy Story 4 or even Onward like I wanted but better late than never I suppose. Much like Disney, we’re well into the era of sequels, prequels and remakes and Pixar isn’t exempt to this although the enormous success of Inside Out has opened Pixar’s eyes to dedicating itself more to creating original content. Only three of the six films in this post are original but the fact that Pixar have planned several originals for the future and less franchise releases shows a step in the right direction. Pixar thrives off its originality and it is the imagination of these films that make them stand out.

If you need to catch up with the series, here are the links to the previous posts below:

Films 1-5

Films 6-10

Films 11-15

As I have mentioned before, the films in this post do follow the trend for nostalgia and rebooting franchises by bring back loved films from the Finding Nemo and The Incredibles universe as well as the long-awaited sequel to Toy Story 3. I am glad that Pixar have originals planned for the future because the prequel/sequel trend has worn thin now and the films aren’t bad but they don’t hold their ground against the originals.

Here are the reviews for Pixar films 16-22:

16) The Good Dinosaur (2015)

Set in a world where dinosaurs didn’t go extinct, The Good Dinosaur chronicles the friendship between a shy Apatosaurus named Arlo and a young boy called Spot. Featuring a starry cast including Frances McDormand and Jeffrey Wright, this film sadly became Pixar’s first box office bomb despite it’s positive reviews. It’s a rare Pixar original during the flurry of franchises and coming after the brilliant Inside Out, it didn’t really stand a chance. I felt really underwhelmed by this film overall. I loved the background design and nature backdrops but the animation of the film’s characters clashed in a way that made for a confusing viewing experience. The film feels as if it doesn’t quite give the emotional punch that it could have done as it explores the deep confusion and complexity of losing a parent at an early age. It’s a film that means well but sadly doesn’t fill its potential.

17) Finding Dory (2016)

Finding Dory follows everyone’s favourite forgetful fish who finds herself swimming across the ocean to locate her parents who she lost when she was younger. Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) is just as lovable as ever and it’s great seeing her get her own film. She ventures to the Marine Life Institute in California where she is captured and quarantined leaving Marlin and Nemo in a position to rescue her. Dory is one of the best loved characters in the Pixar universe and the film’s critical and commercial success (which saw the film break $1 billion at the box office) proves this. The film suffers from feeling unoriginal as the situation is identical but on the other side of the world with the characters swapped around. I understand that the title makes that clear and the search for her parents makes it different but I felt underwhelmed by the film as a whole.

18) Cars 3 (2017)

I did not go into this film with high hopes. Anyone who has been following my Pixar rankings will know that the Cars franchise is simply not my cup of tea. What baffled me the most about this sequel is that it feels really forced and added on. Like Cars 2, it feels as though protsgonist Lightning McQueen hasn’t actually learned any lessons from the previous installment and must take yet another whole film to his humility and learn the importance of friends and family. It’s not clear what the intention of Cars 3 is as McQueen struggles with the realisation that his racing days may be coming to an end. The character arc from the previous two installments should present a McQueen who is eager to pass on the mantel and train the next generation but what we are presented with is the McQueen from the beginning of the first two films who is arrogant and refuses to accept anything other than a first place win.

19) Coco (2017)

By far the best film in this list and a true testament to Pixar’s love of incorporating different cultures into their films, Coco is a Mexican based tale set on Dios de las Muertos and follows aspiring musician Miguel who longs to sing despite his family’s strict ban on music. It’s a tale that explores the importance of family and identity and is guaranteed to have you in tears at the climatic scene with his Grandma Coco. It also portrays dementia in an accurate way that is educational for children and emotionally relatable for adults. Coco isn’t afraid to delve in darker topics such as death as the majority of the film takes place in the afterlife where Miguel encounters his dead relatives. The soundtrack, written by duo Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez is even better than Frozen in my opinion. I think the songs really capture the heritage and tone of the film perfectly with songs such as the Oscar-winning “Remember Me” and “Proud Corazon” bringing the film to life.

20) The Incredibles 2 (2018)

One of the Pixar films that I did not imagine would ever get a sequel, The Incredibles 2 follows directly on from the first. As expected, the dialogue was punchy, Mrs. Incredible (voiced by Holly Hunter) is feminist as always and the score is somehow even better than the first. My only problem with this film is that it is pretty much a carbon copy of the first film but the roles are reversed with Mrs. Incredible taking on the challenge and Mr. Incredible staying at home. I also had a bit of an issue with the animation itself. With it being a superhero movie, I expect it to be fast-paced with a lot of colours and flashing lights but there was one particular scene that had so much strobe lighting that it was hard to concentrate and was (literally) painful to watch and gave me a headache. It was an uneasy sequence to watch and ruined the film a bit for me, particularly because it didn’t need to be in there.

21) Toy Story 4 (2019)

I wrote a full review when I went to see this which you can read here so I won’t spend too much time repeating myself. Featuring the star-studded cast lead by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, the fourth installment follows the toys in the care of Bonnie, the lovable little girl who Andy gifts the gang to. Woody finds it hard to belong under Bonnie’s care and what follows is an adventure of identity and family. It’s wasn’t a necessary film but it definitely was worth the wait. Not to mention that Forky is one of the best characters to come from the Toy Story franchise.

22) Onward (2020)

The first of two original Pixar films initially planned to be released this year (I’m not too sure if the release of Soul has been delayed or not), Onward is set in a mythical alternative universe populated by trolls, goblins and pixies among other creatures. Following young elf teenager, Ian Lightfoot (voiced by Tom Holland) and his older brother Barley (Chris Pratt) as they navigate being seen as outcasts by their peers. When Ian turns 16, their mum Laurel (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) gives the boys a wizard staff that belonged to their father before his passed. Ian finds out he possesses some powers and managers to resurrect his father’s legs and the boys are against the clock as they have to figure out how to resurrect the rest of him within 24 hours. Of course, in true Pixar fashion, the film explores the brothers’ relationship and their relationship with their mother and others. Despite the film’s fantasy setting, I found its depiction of parental loss and its affect on the children to be among the most accurate put to the film. The desperation to see their father again and the pain the brothers go through organic and real as they constantly bicker and argue like siblings but would do anything for each other. I think the film is hugely underrated and feel that it is among the better films Pixar has released in recent years.

So with all of the reviews completed, I am now faced with the task of ranking them. It wasn’t as difficult as previous posts (mainly the second installment) but it’s interesting to see where the likes of Coco and Toy Story 4 rank up against the legendary films. I do think that Coco is the film of this bunch that is likely to become the best known one and with good reason.

Here is the up-to-date ranking:

1) Up (2009)

2) WALL-E (2008)

3) Toy Story 2 (1999)

4) Coco (2017)

5) Inside Out (2015)

6) Ratatouille (2007)

7) Toy Story 3 (2010)

8) Monsters, Inc. (2001)

9) Finding Nemo (2003)

10) The Incredibles (2004)

11) Onward (2020)

12) Toy Story 4 (2019)

13) Toy Story (1995)

14) A Bug’s Life (1998)

15) The Incredibles 2 (2018)

16) Finding Dory (2016)

17) Brave (2012)

18) Monsters University (2013)

19) The Good Dinosaur (2015)

20) Cars (2006)

21) Cars 2 (2011)

22) Cars 3 (2017)

Looking at the final ranking, it seems such a shame that the calibre for Pixar films reaches a slump. They had such a flourishing first decade and dominated cinema but then crippled by Disney’s desire for sequels and prequels. This evidently lowered Pixar’s standards but hopefully they will continue to make the original films that audiences really love.

What do you think of my final ranking? Which Pixar film is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!

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Marielle Heller: Film Ranking

Marielle Heller is one of the most exciting filmmakers working in the industry. Although she is not a household name in the mainstream yet, she has proven her talent and range in the three feature films she has directed so far. All three are adaptations of different mediums which also shows Heller’s skill as a writer. Starting with The Diary of a Teenage Girl in 2015 thrust Heller as an emerging writer/director thanks to its controversial and unflinching portrayal of its subject matter of underage sex. Following this, Heller made a dramatic star out of comedienne Melissa McCarthy in biopic Can You Ever Forgive Me? in 2018 followed by 2019’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood which follows a journalist writing a piece on American icon, Mister Rogers. Her absence from major award nominations has been subject to controversy with stars such as fellow director Greta Gerwig and Natalie Portman using their platform to promote her work.

Here are my mini reviews and rankings for the films by Marielle Heller:

The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)

Heller’s debut is the perfect scene stealer opening up with 15 year old Minnie (Bel Powley) walking in the park with her confident voice over stating “I had sex today. Holy shit!” Heller’s script and direction follows Minnie from a distance allowing her life to play out with the complicated relationships she has with her mum, Charlotte (Kristen Wiig) and Charlotte’s boyfriend, Monroe (Alexander Skarsgård). Powley’s breakout performance is nothing short of perfection. She comes across as confident and all-knowing, even recording audio diaries. Based on a hybrid novel combining novel and graphic novel by Phoebe Gloeckner. Minnie winds up in a sexual relationship with Monroe and believes she is in love blind to the realities of the situation. As the affair goes on, Monroe is dismissive of Minnie’s satisfaction and is aware what he is doing is wrong. The film is a unique look into the sexual mistreatment of women and girls and how society expects them to act in order to satisfy the patriarchy. It is a film about personal and emotional growth with Minnie eventually learning to become independent and satisfied in herself and her talents as an artist. Despite her flaws and mistakes, she thrives above what society thinks of her and does what makes her happy.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

Heller’s follow-up Can You Ever Forgive Me? is based on the 2008 memoir of the same name by writer Lee Israel. Following Israel (Melissa McCarthy) as she forges letters written by famous writers and sells them off to earn extra money, Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a film about the writer and artist desperation. At the beginning of the film, Israel is experiencing a career slump, unable to secure an advance for her book and is forced to sell her possessions to pay her bills. What starts from selling a personal letter from Katharine Hepburn spirals into forging letters from celebrities with scandalous details. Enlisting the help of her friend, Jack (Richard E. Grant), the two begin stealing letters from libraries and archives as well as forging other letters. McCarthy and Grant bring career best performances and earned them Oscar nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Grant’s first and, to date, only Oscar nomination!).

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)

One of my favourite films from last year, this underrated gem stars Tom Hanks as American treasure, Mister Rogers and features Matthew Rhys as a skeptical reporter who is asigned to write on Rogers. I have written a longer review for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood here which you can read. Bringing Tom Hanks his first Oscar nomination in years, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood utilises wonderful puppetry in a film that is heartwarming with a deep message. Among a film landscape that is full of fear and dread, it’s nice to see a film about kindness and love being made.

Each film has its strengths and they are all so different which makes it difficult to rank them even though there are only three. Here is my ranking for Heller’s films:

1) The Diary of a Teenage Girl

2) A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

3) Can You Ever Forgive Me?

I really recommend giving each of these films a viewing at least once. Heller has a knack for drawing out brilliant and unexpected performances in films thay serve as flawless examinations of its characters.

Have you seen any Marielle Heller films? Which ones are your favourites? Let me know in the comments below!

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A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)

Marielle Heller’s third feature A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a poignant glance into the morals of Fred Rogers, known as Mister Rogers, an icon of American children’s television. The film follows Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys), journalist who holds onto the darkness of his past which shapes his pessimistic outlook on life. When tasked with interviewing Mister Rogers (Tom Hanks) for a profile in Esquire magazine. A sharp contrast to her previous films The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015) and Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018), A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a wonderful film that allows Heller to incorporate her realist storytelling with hints of art and quirkiness through the use of puppetry. The film marks Tom Hanks first Oscar nomination in 19 years (he was last nominated for Cast Away in the Best Leading Actor category) and features a welcome lead performance from Welsh actor Matthew Rhys who is more known for his TV work. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a quieter film than its award season competitors but its message on love and forgiveness speaks volumes. What Heller manages to do is bring the softness of Mister Rogers’ personality and apply this to Vogel’s life, creating a friction and discomfort to Vogel’s character. 

During an award season that has seen female filmmakers snubbed in the directing categories, it seems that Heller has yet again been overlooked. When comparing Heller’s vision to some of the contenders in the Best Director category, I do think she is more deserving. Her film seems simultaneously grounded and innovative at the same time bringing an effortless flair. What Heller does so well is drawing out the best from both her lead and supporting actors (see Bel Powley and Kristen Wiig in The Diary of a Teenage Girl and Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant in Can You Ever Forgive Me? as prime examples). I think that Heller has really come into her own and on her third feature, has managed to show us how varied her talent is and her fearlessness in tackling various genres and topics. Despite being overlooked, I think that Heller will continue to wow in her future projects and she’ll only receive more attention and acclaim.Matthew Rhys (Finalized)Performance-wise, the cast is really strong, particularly from Rhys and Hanks. Rhys brings out the protagonist’s inner conflict where the hurt that he feels is overshadowed by the anger. In fact, it seems that Vogel is more of an antagonist in the first act but as he lowers his guard, we begin to understand why he is how he is. It is ultimately a film about forgiveness and acceptance and no revelation is more important than the moment when Vogel accepts himself and his situation. The moment when he confronts his mum is heartbreaking and provides a bittersweet release for him as he allows himself to move forward with his life and enjoy the life that he has. I think that Rhys provides a side of his acting that we have not seen before and although Hanks is undoubtedly the highlight of the film, I think that Rhys will only get better from now on and has managed to successfully break into mainstream films.

In the supporting role, Hanks excels as Mister Rogers and was the big draw for critics and audiences alike and with good reason. From the moment he enters the screen, he is charismatic and gentle and truly becomes Mister Rogers. Admittedly after watching this, Hanks became my favourite for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, although I completely appreciate that Brad Pitt was nothing short of phenomenal in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. There was something about Hanks’ performance that harked back to the 90s when he was King of the Silver Screen that is a stark reminder that he is capable of truly captivating performances. I love Hanks in everything he does (I even compiled a top 10 which you can read here) and will admit that I find the Dan Brown adaptations entertaining but A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is among his best. 

Another aspect of this film that I adored is the costume design. Simply and quintessentially American, Indian costume designer Arjun Bhasin does a brilliant job at encapsulating the late 90s style and mixing it with a nostalgic 70s feel when it comes to Mister Rogers. Particularly, the standout for the costume department is the iconic Mister Rogers cardigan. As an avid knitter, I was interested in reading about the conception and process of the knitting process for this film. Yasemin Esmek spent nine weeks making each cardigan and the results are amazing. The craftsmanship is so good and the details are beautiful. The costume designs overall are simple but it was important that they get the cardigan correct due to its association with Mister Rogers. I think that the costume team deserved award recognition for their work but it wasn’t to be and hopefully this only continues the interest in handmade knitted costumes in film. Much like the puppetry used for scene transitions, I love the craftsmanship and passion that was brought to the costumes and production design and feel that it is a shame that this wasn’t praised as much as other films were that were less creative. rogers3.0I wasn’t expecting to love A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood as much as I did as I thought it was going to be run-off-the-mill Oscar bait but I left the cinema feeling a mix of emotions. It was funny, dramatic, heartbreaking and hopeful all rolled into one. Despite being set in the 90s and reminiscent and nostalgic for the 70s, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood feels fresh and seems to be a new kind of family film. It isn’t afraid of delving into dark topics while remaining appropriate and light at the same time. It stayed with me long after the credits rolled and is among my favourites of awards season. It is a shame that the film didn’t garner more than its single Oscar nomination because Heller’s direction and Nate Heller’s score are brilliant and deserved the recognition. 

What did you think of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood? Let me know in comments below!

 

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Top 10 Tom Hanks Performances

It’s no secret that I am a huge Tom Hanks fan. He has been one of my favourite actors for as long as I can remember and there is a reason why he is so loved by everyone. An extremely talented actor and nice personality, Tom Hanks has built a reputation for being one of the most respected actors in history and it’s easy to see why. It was so difficult for me to pick a top 5 so I’ve gone ahead and done a top 10 instead. This list is only the tip of the iceberg for this man’s career and shows his range. We see him evolve from a kid adult to a prison officer working on Death Row to portraying Walt Disney himself.

Hanks is an actor who encapsulates his roles and is a constant draw for the box office. He’s worked with some of the best directors and actors around particularly Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Cast Away and The Polar Express) and Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, The Terminal, Catch Me If You Can and Bridge of Spies). There’s no performance that he has done that I don’t love. Admittedly, the Dan Brown films are one of my guilty pleasures even though they are absolutely ridiculous but Tom Hanks brings such an enthusiastic performance that I find them so much fun to watch, especially Angels and Demons.

Here are my top 10 in chronological order:

Big (1989)

Big is one of those films that I could watch time and time again and never get bored. Following Josh Baskin, a young boy who wishes to grow up and then does overnight. This film is made even better when he grows up into Tom Hanks. Hanks has so much fun as adult Josh in this role as he fills his apartment with everything a cool kid had in the 80s. He is the perfect mix of charming and hilarious. I mean, who doesn’t love the scene with the piano?

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

It wouldn’t be a true Tom Hanks list without featuring a classic Nora Ephron romcom with Hanks and costar Meg Ryan. My favourite of the bunch is Sleepless in Seattle which makes my heart melt every time I watch it. Hanks plays Sam, a grieving architect whose son calls into a radio show to tell their story. In true Ephron form this film is the true epitome of the romcom genre and is a delight to watch. The climactic scene on the observation deck of the Empire State building has me screaming at the TV every time.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Possibly the most famous Tom Hanks role, Forrest Gump sees Hanks play the iconic titular character who sees the world in a different way. Bringing Hanks the Best Leading Actor Oscar for the second year in a row after the previous year’s Philadelphia, Forrest Gump propelled Hanks into a global phonenom and landed him at the top of every director’s list. His performance is not condescending nor over the top as he places a heavy focus on Forrest’s naivity rather than his disabilities.

Toy Story Franchise (1995-present)

It would have been a crime not to include these but I couldn’t pick just one. Tom Hanks’ Voicework as Woody the toy cowboy is nothing short of extraordinary and really brings the toys to life. For over 20 years, Pixar have charmed us with the story about a group of toys who watch their owner grow up. Hanks’ performance is worked up and super stressed as Woody struggles to keep his control. He’s a brilliantly flawed character who constantly makes mistakes doing what he thinks is right. The fourth installment that was released this year was revolutionary for Woody as he finally embarks on a life that he wants.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Hanks’ first collaboration with Spielberg is probably the most dramatic and to that point, “blockbustery” of his career. Playing Captain John H. Miller who leads a small group of soldiers to find and rescue the missing Private James Ryan (Matt Damon), Hanks made his mark as the big leading man in cinema. It’s the film that should have swept the Oscars but was beaten by Shakespeare in Love in a huge misjustice for the Best Picture gong (don’t get me started). What separates this film from other war films is that Hanks between the heart of the film and shows the emotion behind the fighting.

The Green Mile (1999)

The Green Mile is one of those films that brings me to tears every time I watch it. Following Hanks as head prison officer, Paul Edgecomb, working in the Death Row block. When a 6 foot black man, John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), is jailed on the block, mysterious events begin to happen that cause Paul to challenge his morals and his faith. It’s a brilliant film that I don’t think receives the praise that it deserves, mainly due to it being the second prison based Stephen King adaptation after The Shawshank Redemption in 1994. Hanks is fantastic as Edgecomb. He is sharp, observant and has a strong moral compass. The scenes with him and Duncan make for some heart wrenching cinema as the truth behind Coffey’s imprisonment come to light.

Cast Away (2000)

If I had to pick one Tom Hanks performance to put at the top of my list, this would be the one. It’s iconic, it’s fantastic and it should have earned Hanks his third Oscar. Hanks plays Fedex driver, Chuck Noland, who survives a plane crash and becomes stranded on a desert island for year. The premise is simple but the film is anything but. Hanks goes all out to deliver a career best performance that sees Chuck removing teeth with an ice-skate blade, catching fish with a spear and finding companionship with a volleyball called Wilson. What makes this film truly standout is Hanks’ ability to keep the audience’s attention by himself for the film’s 143 minutes.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

This fun flick sees Hanks reunite with Steven Spielberg for the chase of a century as Hanks plays FBI agent, Carl Hanratty on the hunt for Frank Abagnale Jr (Leonardo DiCaprio), a young conman across the globe. It’s a brilliantly entertaining film to watch as Hanks fails time and time again to capture Abagnale. Hanks and DiCaprio are an odd pairing for leads but it works really well and you can tell that both are having a good time.

Captain Phillips (2013)

This gem of a film is a stellar thriller that showcases Hanks’ timelessness as an actor. Playing the titular character whose cargo ship is overrun by Somali pirates, Hanks works brilliant alongside Barkhad Abdi who plays Somali pirate, Abduwali Muse. Most of the cast in this film are fairly unknown and it’s nice to see that although Hanks is the lead, that others are given the chance to shine, particularly Abdi, who won a BAFTA for his performance. Hanks isn’t an actor who has to hog the spotlight every time he is onscreen.

Saving Mr Banks (2013)

Tom Hanks as Walt Disney. Do I even need to say more? It’s one icon playing another and it is perfect casting. I absolutely adore this film and am always watching it when it is on the TV. Following author P L Travers (Emma Thompson) as she is pursued relentlessly by Disney who wants to adapt her famous Mary Poppins books into a film, we see Travers enter a world she has no interest in. Hanks is truly magical as the big man himself and lights up the screen everytime he appears.

So there you have it! We have journeye through the highlights of this legend’s career. With a deserved life achievement Cecil B Demille award on its way from the 2020 Golden Globes, Hanks’ career is far from over. I am excited to see his upcoming films.

Which Tom Hanks performances are your favourites? Let me knows in the comments below!

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Toy Story 4 (2019)

I won’t give away too much of the specific plot away in my review but the basic storyline is new owner Bonnie creates a toy out of trash, Forky, who becomes her favourite toy but he longs to be back with the trash. When the family take a road trip, Forky jumps out the window to become trash meaning Woody has to go collect him and bring him back to Bonnie. The film is then set in a quaint little town that has a travelling carnival visiting and Pixar makes use of this inclusion with aplomb. Pixar studio always said that they would only go ahead with Toy Story 4 if the story was necessary. When they announced that the film was in production (and despite the high quality of each Toy Story film), I couldn’t help doubting whether a fourth installment really was necessary since the third one rounded the franchise off nicely. I am glad to say that there was no need to be in doubt at all. I think that the UK marketing team for Pixar did a brilliant job of not actually giving away too much of the plot which made the film all the more enjoyable to watch and also surprising.

It goes without saying that Tom Hanks and Tim Allen do a fantastic job in their iconic roles as Woody and Buzz, respectively but there are also a great array of new characters that are brought into the fold. My favourite character is the aforementioned Forky. Everything about this little guy is hilarious from how he looks to his physicality to the way he talks and socialises with other toys. He is a fantastic little addition to the Toy Story family and honestly it’s been hilarious seeing how many toys Disney have made of him for extortinate prices despite the fact that his character was literally made from items from a bin. Other characters introduced in this film include Bunny and Ducky, voiced by comedy duo Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key who are also great additions. They are adorable plush teddies who have been waiting three years to be won at the carnival fair. The last toy inclusion to mention is Duke Kaboom, a Canadian action figure voiced by Keanu Reeves. He is a hilarious and sensitive character who speaks passionately about his past owner, Rijon, who got rid of him. We also see the reintroduction of an old toy in this film. Bringing back Bo Peep who has been given a makeover into a strong heroine is a long cry away from her shy, lovestruck self in the first two Toy Story films and has been the cause of complaint to some but rest assured it is done fantastically and subtly to the point where it makes sense with her own storyline. It’s also great for Pixar to show the contextual progression where female characters don’t have to be passive love interests. Bo Peep does a lot of the rescuing in this film and it’s treated no differently to when male characters take action.

It’s easy to imagine that with the addition of so many characters that they don’t have their chance for character growth but the writers have done a great job with balancing this out. Forky and Bo Peep are given the most space for character growth since their stories are central to the plot whereas Ducky, Bunny and Duke are used as comic relief so only their backstories are given. Knowing the importance of the toys in the specific film means that the audience isn’t crammed with too many plotlines that they can’t keep up with. With their being so many new and different characters, it does mean that all of Bonnie’s toys (with the exception of Woody, Buzz and arguably Jessie) may as well have not been brought on the road trip. When Bonnie loses Forky, she doesn’t care that she has numerous other (non-trash made) toys in the RV. They’re just there in the background for the whole film. They didn’t even need to bring in a replacement for Mr. Potatohead as they recycled old lines said by Don Rickles in previous films. This isn’t a bad thing necessarily but it does mean that their importance has been faded out in this (supposedly) final installment. There were many scenes that I enjoyed in this film but if I had to pick one, I would say when Woody and Forky are having their heart to heart after Forky jumps out the RV. Woody tries to make Forky understand the importance of his role as a toy which means Forky has the realisation that he is “Bonnie’s trash”. It’s one of those heart-warming scenes injected with humour which have become synonymous with the Toy Story franchise. Also, any scene with Duke Kaboom in because he is absolutely hilarious and his backstory was heartbreaking to watch.

Another thing to talk about is how amazing the animation is, in particular Bo Peep. The shine and reflective effect of her porcelein is an incredible development from the first film. It makes her look eerie at times but more delicate as well (she is porcelein after all!). When you look back to how she appeared in the first film, the animation doesn’t compare. I’m not dissing the first film because it achieved so much at the time of its release in regards to animation, but celebrating the achievements made since then and seeing that transformation in the span of 24 years is incredible. Also the textures of the plushes and ventriloquist dummies that appear in this film are equally fantastic.

I think that Toy Story 4 was well worth the wait and seemed like the true ending for the franchise. I think it will go on to win the Best Animated Feature at the Oscars next year (to be honest, it’s rare that a Disney film doesn’t win this) and I think it will date well as a film. I think what makes it work so well is that even though it follows on from the trilogy and the franchise, there is a different feel to it altogether because they’re not Andy’s toys anymore. With a new owner comes new changes and this opened up a door for new storylines and motives.