Talking Movies: The Good Nurse, The Lost City and I Used to Be Famous
Spling reviews The Good Nurse, The Lost City and I Used to Be Famous as broadcast on Talking Movies, Fine Music Radio. Listen to podcast.
TRANSCRIPT
Good morning – welcome to Talking Movies, I’m Spling…
This week, we’re talking about a medical drama thriller, an action-adventure romance comedy and a coming-of-age music drama.
Starting off with a film now on Netflix…
A caregiver is implicated in the deaths of hundreds of hospital patients.
Director: Tobias Lindholm
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Jessica Chastain and Nnamdi Asomugha
– Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain seem familiar, both talented rising stars with a similar temperament, making them a somewhat unsettling combination as co-leads in The Good Nurse.
– Based on a shocking true story about Charlie Cullen, a nurse linked to the deaths of hundreds of hospital patients, this slow-burning character portrait drama unpacks the story from a close friend’s perspective.
– Struggling with her own health and role as a single parent, the diligent nurse finds herself stretched to breaking point with rising living and medical costs, finding comfort in the kindness of a stranger.
– Just as the new night nurse with excellent references settles in, a series of inexplicable and sudden deaths trigger an internal and subsequent police investigation as the hospital mitigate potential financial damage to the frustration of detectives just wanting to do their job.
– The Good Nurse is an artful and gritty medical drama turned thriller, taking its time to swathe us in the quiet desperation of a nurse before compounding her troubles as one hospital administration fails to take action after another.
– An acting masterclass thanks to the intensity of Redmayne and Chastain’s performances, The Good Nurse also serves a timely exploration and broader socio-political commentary on accountability and integrity within the medical industry.
– Choosing nuance and slow-creeping dramatic tension over big swings, this film is compelling thanks to its haunting quality, dealing with an almost invisible serial killer whose true motives remain a mystery.
– The Good Nurse’s clinical approach keeps it aloof and constantly leaning towards drama over suspense but based on the quality of its craft and ingredients, remains impactful and thoughtful.
A solid 7 on the splingometer!
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Moving on to a film now on Showmax…
A reclusive romance novelist on a book tour with her cover model gets swept up in a cutthroat jungle adventure.
Directors: The Nee Brothers
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum and Daniel Radcliffe
– It’s funny to see Romancing the Stone, a clone of Raiders of the Lost Ark, getting its own clone with The Lost City starring Sandra Bullock.
– To be fair, the Romancing the Stone influence is evident but not overpowering, aiming for the high-spirited fun but adding a few absurd comedic tweaks and some cheeky humour.
– This fun movie goes for pure popcorn entertainment, leveraging star power over dramatic heft.
– Originally intended for Ryan Reynolds to follow on from The Proposal, it’s Channing Tatum who completes the unconventional pairing with a breezy rapport as a Fabio type.
– It’s always fun to watch the see-sawing romance blossom between the odd couple as Tatum’s sub-hero comedy simultaneously spoofs his can-do career and classic masculine conventions.
– Adding Daniel Radcliffe as an evil collector, Brad Pitt as a former special operative and Oscar Nuñez as an eccentric pilot helps stretch the bounds of comedy with wink-wink supporting roles.
– Their presence is enough to elevate this action-adventure romantic comedy from the quicksand and it’s funny enough to avoid comparisons with the bland-to-oblivion, Red Notice.
– The Lost City is a feel-good throwaway movie that features a solid cast, a modern spin on a nostalgic classic and a tonally complex spectrum of comedy.
– Happy to aim for the middle, this romcom hot jungle pursuit does enough to serve as a lightweight distraction.
– It’s the kind of silly summer popcorn fun that will amuse in the moment, giving you a giddy feeling but evaporating just as quickly.
A satisfactory 6 on the splingometer!
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And finally a film now on Netflix…
A desperate former popstar attempts a comeback with the help of an autistic young drummer.
Director: Eddie Sternberg
Stars: Ed Skrein, Eleanor Matsuura and Leo Long
– Ed Skrein could play Billy Idol in a biopic, using his gaunt features to play a former boy band member in I Used to Be Famous.
– Trying to rekindle his glory days, now busking with a keyboard, the one-man music act struggles to land a gig.
– When a video of him playing an impromptu song with a young drummer joining in goes viral, the two angle to take their act to the next level.
– Skrein is completely invested in his never-say-die character, living through the highs and lows with a gentle optimism and opportunism.
– Giving the drama added depth and warmth are the talented Long as his surprise accompaniment and doting Matsuura as the boy’s concerned yet supportive mum.
– While autism awareness is a constant, it’s the story that comes first, allowing the characters to embrace the coming-of-age music drama journey with flashbacks to layer meaning and sentimentality.
– Pursuing dreams, changing lives for the better and hopefully growing wiser, I Used to Be Famous is an easy-going, uplifting and feel-good tale, filled with heart and courage.
– The cinematography aims for invisibility in order to underline the ordinary and enrich the story’s call-it-like-it-is realism.
– While some pretty bland electronic and dreary rock music interject, these brief interludes melt away as contemporary sounds from the unlikely duo power home.
– The comeback trail story may be familiar, but Skrein’s conviction and the film’s heart and community spirit blend quite beautifully.
It did just enough to get…
A solid 7 on the splingometer!
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So just to wrap up…
THE GOOD NURSE… fine co-lead performances, timely themes and a powerful true story compel this slow-burning medical drama thriller… A solid 7!
THE LOST CITY… good co-lead chemistry, a game cast and fun jungle action-adventure drive this over-the-top romcom… A satisfactory 6!
I USED TO BE FAMOUS… a solid lead, a nostalgic mood and uplifting story elevate this familiar yet feel-good coming-of-age music drama… A solid 7!
For more movie reviews and features visit splingmovies.com.
And remember, Don’t WING it, SPL!NG it!
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