The Prestige (2006): Like most people, I remember enjoying Nolan’s magic feud between two ambitious young talents, played by young Christian Bale and young Hugh Jackman. It was a good time to be young, twenty years ago. Rewatching it now, it’s hard to not be overcome by the convoluted plot and its macabre implications, all offered on a tasty illusory plate to the viewer. Problem is, you have to ignore all these to enjoy it – which you can definitely still do. That’s part of the trick. And there are interesting themes here, even very interesting ones, but they are drowned by the need for spectacle. Come for the high production value entertainment, stay for the existential horror, is my take right now. 7
Armageddon Time (2022): I am a fan of James Gray and particularly enjoyed The Lost City of Z (2016) and Ad Astra (2019). His most recent is a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story, starring the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway or Jeremy Strong, with youngsters Banks Repeta and Jaylin Webb leading the story. It’s a perfectly watchable slice of life, set against a time of political change in the United States, latent racism and the origins of our modern tiered society. For anyone who has had a close relationship with their grandfathers growing up, it’s a treat to see Hopkins in the role of a doting figure and moral beacon. The small tales running through Armageddon Time are relatable, even as the movie never really treads new ground or manages to forge the strength of presence of something like The Holdovers (2023). But I still liked it. 7
I Really Love My Husband (2025): Well, this is a different angle on fault lines in marriages compared to last week’s Is This Thing On? (2025). This debut feature from GG Hawkins follows Teresa (Madison Lanesey) and Drew (Travis Quentin Young) in their Panamanian honeymoon, a year post-wedding. Teresa is itching for something else and silently resentful of Drew’s chirpy, supportive and positive embrace of the world. A neat diversion appears in the form of Paz (Arta Gee), their non-binary host, to whom Teresa is instantly smitten. It might sound spicy on paper, but Arta Gee is a bland, one-note presence, which doesn’t help the movie’s cause. But I think that overall there is enough texture here to warrant a quick visit (79 minutes worth), with unusual dynamics between the characters and anchoring performances from Lanesey and Young. A bit hard for me to understand the thrashing it got on IMDb. 6
Jay Kelly (2025): Even though George Clooney’s Jay Kelly is perfectly easy to sit through and even enjoy at times, I never felt the movie come together. The idea is that Jay, a famous Hollywood actor, decides his priorities in life have been messed up and tries to reconnect with family and friends on the way to accepting an honorary prize in Italy. Things don’t go as planned and it turns out reconnecting isn’t a one weekend job. But all the things that happen to Jay Kelly and his manager, played by an uninspired Adam Sandler, feel hollow. When you expect a punchline, it falls flat. The movie is stuck in second gear and goes through motions that make sense on paper, but never properly work. So as I’ve said, easy to consume, leaves you empty afterwards. 6
The Wrecking Crew (2025): Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa play brothers in this buddy dramedy, who are brought together to investigate the death of their (distant) father. It’s pretty much your routine set-up with Oriental splashes, as Hawaii proves to be a much more dangerous place than I imagined. The movie doesn’t find its tone easily, mostly playing like a lackluster action flick, but our leading duo bring their own brand of levity to liven it all up. It’s just one of those genre things, which surprisingly sticks the landing. 6
tributary stu 
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