Welcome to Cinema Club 2020 & what a way to start…

This has been a long time coming & waiting for me. From the moment i heard Taika Waititi was doing a Nazi movie i was hooked. How could he bring love into this & from that moment i have waited & waited & waited for at least 18months for this film, & its won awards & been nominated for them, & Taika & Roman have cried alot & there’s been special adverts for it & ive tried to steal a poster & ive tried to convert everyone into see this or appreciate Taika work… & now we are here. The day has arrived & it had better be good. My sister says if its not its the anticlimax of the decade… Come on Taika dont let me down.

6:15pm on a friday at screen 8 at the odeon. They are still cleaning up the last screening at 6:05 & theres now actually a cue to get into screen 8 blocking the stairs & not letting people get into costa & a man is checking tickets because, JoJo has sold out. & the next showing too. Odeon why put this on such a little screen. Im sorry youve got this wrong. I know i rabbit on about this film a lot, but obviously everyone else wants to see it too. Theyve heard the noise about it.

I did manage to get my seat in screen 8 by the way. I wasnt happy that the couple sitting next to me brought nachos in. Thats the worst food to have in a cinema seriously, why do that? I dont get it.

Trailers we had Queen & Slim, Just Mercy, Bombshell & 1917. All of which i will be going to see, but if im honest by the time we got to 1917, i was just sitting there going hurry up i want my film now.

& then the film started….

Perfection

Im biased i know, ive waited for this for a very long time, I love Taika, but i would have told you all the truth it didnt hit the mark. It hit all of them, every single one, constantly.

I welled up once & i cried 3 times. i hear other people crying too. I know its only a small cinema & your all close but literally id say half were crying at a certain point. I really just felt like i needed a hug & for someone to tell me it was all going to be okay.

I really wanted to punch Taika in the face. That is saying a lot. Yes he is dressed up as Hitler, but there were some points i was genuinely scared of him & wanted him to stop. But it was so powerful & enraging & dark that i was just sitting there despite being scared wanting more of this. I have not seen this side of him before, & i just wanted more.

But this is why Taika is Taika. The light, shade & dark. One moment you are laughing at buffoonish Hitler uncontrollably & then your crying & then your scared & then your laughing again. Its stunning directing acting & writing (if he did any, highlighter at the ready) & needs to be celebrate. No one can do that like him.

There were a lot of laughs & jokes to be had in this film & nod to certain things from his other work. Did anyone else notice that Bat in the drawing had a face like Vladislav? Nope just me. The references to certain relationships in the film too, which arent properly comentended on but prove a point are so not obvious that they are completely obvious.

As much as i wanted to punch Taika, Stephen Merchant was the person who scared me the most. The man i grew up watching his writing & directing from the age of 10, was making me feel really uncomfortable & not liking what i saw.

Scarlett & Sam were just mesmerising. You seriously could take your eyes off them both provided the emotional support & lack of emotional support throughout. The true rocks of this film which the heart & soul is built around. If they arent in this film, then it probably doesnt work. Both are providing your support blanket & then trying to sneak it away at the same time.

There is no deny though that Roman & Tomasin are the stars of this film. They are the glue & if you dont believe in that relationship & root for one or the other or both of them, then this film isnt for you. They both really understand there subject matter, & again provide both heartbreaking & joyful performances. You really do just want to take them both home & tell them its all going to be okay. Brilliant. The future of cinema is safe peoples.

Also I love that Archies Yorki always manages to turn up & be helpful at just the right time. He is adorable, & that paper (sorry paper lite) uniform bit really makes me giggle.

Lots of people have moaned about the tone shift & how it doesnt work & how its slow & then quick to much, but isnt that normal life. Your life isnt just missable is it? i know it feels it at times but it isnt one day or really quick the next is slow. You can have joy & pain within a few minutes of each other. & for it to be seen through a childs eyes like that, all the chaos in the world, that needs to be recognised. We moan our lives are all over the place imagine being a kid seeing all this. ITs fuckign scary. The tone shifts work so well.

How many Heil Hitlers can you get into two scenes? that must be a world record surely. The stupidness of it is mad, but it did happen like that.

Also that short run we see in the Trailers between Hitler & JoJo goes on for quite some time & now we no the context of it & what actually happens is perfect. Seriously stupidly funny.

Poor Barry The Unicorn, all of that for just a 5 second glance. I mean its really powerful, but Barry didnt need to die for that. I like that its mentioned earlier.

Epic Font. If you get that well done youre in on the joke.

There were lots of windows opening to the soul & looking down on things, or used for purpose, which were very creepy & now make a lot of sense.

I can never look at a Blue Butterfly or Shoe Laces being done up in the same way ever again. They will just make me cry uncontrollably.

Some of the visual long shots were stunning & the thought of being alone & the lack of support & what the world truly is amongst of that chaos being beautiful, is amazing. So well captured & really does set the tone.

The world does need this film right now. Everything thats going on with politics & the environment & wars. We do just need to stop & look at each other & go it is going to be okay, love will conquer all & we must celebrate it. I want to believe that at the other side of all the traumer is hope.

When the words a film by Taika Waititi came up the room applauded, all of us. That hasnt happened since the king’s speech.

So… thats it for Cinema Club 2020, there is no point in me watching another film until we get to July if im honest. It going to be something really special to beat this, & im thinking Nolan maybe the only man who can do it.

Seriously i know i’ve gone on about it, & i know this is a really long cinema club review, but even if you have an inkling that you may like to see this film, go & see it. It maynot be your cuppa tea or wines, but you will come out of it feeling a better person. Its moving, funny, scary & full of hope, optimism & love & if thats not for you then i dont know what is. If you need someone to go with you i am more than happy to come with you & see it again & again &…

People will be talking about this stunning film for a very very long time, expect to hear its name mentioned quite a lot during award season.

Taika Waititi… Thankyou for making me feel complete. It has been worth the wait. Its pure perfection, & oozing with love & character. It a film i will never forget & i havent seen anything that good for a long time.

A Masterpiece.