COVID-19 Special: 'Dark Waters' (15)

Director: Todd Haynes

Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins

Where can I watch?: Dark Waters is streaming on Prime Video

Rating: 4/5

Review: It's common knowledge that these huge, multi-national, multi-billion dollar companies are essentially holding us to ransom, but it's nonetheless incredibly shocking to discover the extent of their power, and the lengths they're willing to go to conceal any wrongdoing. Exposing a decades-long health scandal caused by chemical firm DuPont, Todd Haynes' film Dark Waters tackles the true story of a corporate defence lawyer, Rob Bilott (Mark Ruffalo), efforts to bring a celebrated company to justice. Shot in the dark hues of blue and icy grey, it's clear from the beginning that this film isn't going to be a cheery one, and it's only right that it be so solemn, with Haynes paying homage to the innocent civilians who lost lives and livelihoods due to the systemic corruption of the firm on their very doorstep. Ruffalo is excellently cast as Bilott - quiet, unassuming and apparently unremarkable, he portrays the shock and horror of the findings with understated expressions and idiosyncracies, looking on with a mix of defeat and resolute determination as his wife, Sarah (Anne Hathaway), asks that he give his family the same level of attention as the case. For all its strengths - a strong cast, a good script and an unfailing sense of unease and dread - the film does suffer from being slightly too long in places, with some scenes slowing the overall pace and impact of the narrative. It's unnerving stuff, though - especially as the timeline gets closer and closer to present date, but more so because you're left wondering how many other instances like this have happened, and how many are still occurring today?

A COVID-19 Must-Watch?: Dark Waters isn't exactly light-hearted, but what exactly is at the moment? Predominantly rather depressing, take some joy from the fact that there are incredibly determined, committed people out there striving to make the world a better place.

Comments

'Mary Queen of Scots' (15)

**** Arriving on the shores of Scotland, Mary Stuart moves to reclaim her title and her position as Queen. A Catholic and with a claim to the throne of England, she immediately poses a threat to Queen Elizabeth, a Protestant and the last of the House of Tudor. The relationship between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth Tudor is one that has fascinated historians and artists alike for centuries. In a history that's dominated by male sovereigns, Mary and Elizabeth ruled alongside each other until Elizabeth had her cousin executed - surely that means that the two hated each other? In his play which premiered in 1800, Friedrich Schiller portrays Mary's last days, and the fraught relationship between the two women - one that is far from the 'black and white' dynamic that you might expect. Since then, numerous historians have revisited this momentous moment and dissected the connection between the two. One such biography is John Guy's Queen of Scots: The True Life

'Riders of Justice' (15)

Director: Anders Thomas Jensen Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Andrea Heick Gadeberg, Lars Brygmann, Nicholas Bro Where can I watch?: Riders of Justice is in cinemas now Rating: 4/5 Review: There are some films that defy categorisation. For example, from watching the trailer for Riders of Justice, you might assume it to be some form of action comedy with a healthy dose of violence thrown in for good measure. However, Riders of Justice is actually far more complex than that, tackling themes of masculinity, mental health and even the existential alongside the occasional shoot out and grisly murder. At first, it appears to be about revenge - Mads Mikkelsen (looking particularly brutish) returns from a tour following the death of his wife in rail accident that could well be connected with a violent gang. Or was it all merely coincidence? Uncommunicative and unrelenting in his refusal to undertake therapy, Mikkelsen's Markus represents the archetypal army man - silent,

'Jojo Rabbit' (12A)

***** Stuck at home after injuring himself at a Hitler Youth weekend, Jojo discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their house. The words 'comedy' and 'Nazis' are hardly bedfellows, and yet director/screenwriter Taika Waititi has somehow created a film that features both. Without doubt, it's a highly controversial movie, with Joker levels of division already popping up across the internet - even I have to admit that laughing at the opening montage in which a young boy practises his 'Heil, Hitler' felt quite uncomfortable - but I'd argue that this charming little oddity is probably the film we all need right now. Cards on the table - the film never laughs at the atrocities the Nazis committed. In fact, we see the world through Jojo's (delightful newcomer Roman Griffin Davis) eyes - a crazy, confusing place that's made all the more bizarre by the presence of his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). Dubbed

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