'The Mitchells vs the Machines' (PG)

Director: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe

Cast: (voices) Abbie Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda

Where can I watch?: The Mitchells vs the Machines is streaming on Netflix

Rating: 5/5

Review: Sometimes, you come across a film that leaves you with aching cheeks from smiling so much at the screen. It's a rare occasion, and one that should be sought out, which is why I wholly recommend that you seek out The Mitchells vs the Machines. 'But, it's a kid's film,' I hear you cry, but I care not - sometimes the movies rated 'U' and 'PG' are more sensitive, more creative, more intelligent than anything daubed with a bright red '18' certificate.

The story of a dysfunctional family, their unidentifiable dog and a worldwide machine takeover, The Mitchells vs the Machines marries painfully accurate family interactions with clever animation and... wait, is that a Furby? It's brilliantly bonkers stuff, but the heart of the film is all about the reconnection between the nuclear family: filmmaker Katie (Abbie Jacobson) and her father, Rick (Danny McBride), have become estranged over the years; mum Linda (Maya Rudolph) is obsessed with their Instagram-perfect neighbours; and little brother Aaron (unfortunately voiced by a gruff-sounding Mike Rianda, who also directs) has concerns about when his big sister leaves for college. It's hard not to draw parallels between this virtual family and your own - didn't we all feel misunderstood by our parents as a teenager? - and that's where the real joy of the film comes from. And then there are the eponymous machines. There are a couple of knowing digs at the Tech Giants and our attachment to their addictive products, but there's no anti-tech flag-waving here, rather a realisation that all our gadgets and gizmos have both pros and cons. After all, Katie wouldn't have been able to make her movies without her creative involvement with tech and, on a more meta level, neither would this film either! There are so many joyous moments peppered throughout the film that I can't help but grin again while writing about it. In fact, I just can't do it justice - just watch it!

A Must-Watch?: The Mitchells vs the Machines is a real joy. It's bright, beautifully animated and full of brilliant, life-affirming comedy - few films that describe themselves as 'comedies' ever get it as right as this little gem does. Yes, it's a bit soppy and cheesy in places, but there's so much to love here that you can forgive the writers for going a bit weak at the knees when it comes to the importance of families. Great stuff.

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

Eleanor Reviews

Search This Blog