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Lucy Buglass (45 KP) rated Lynn + Lucy (2019) in Movies

Oct 14, 2019

The titular characters in Lynn + Lucy are lifelong best friends, and even live opposite each other on the same street. But the film explores tragic circumstances where a bond this strong can swiftly be broken.

Lynn (Roxanne Scrimshaw) is a married stay-at-home mum turned hairdressing assistant, who is delighted when her best friend Lucy (Nichola Burley) gives birth to her first child. But she is clearly struggling with a new baby and her volatile relationship.

The two friends differ in a lot of ways, as Lynn seems more grounded and content with being a mother, whereas Lucy is a party animal, impulsive and misses life before motherhood. Yet their friendship works and has stood the test of time – until one awful day where everything changes.

Lynn + Lucy plays like an elevated soap opera, that’s reminiscent of kitchen sink realism. The film is fuelled by honest depictions of everyday domestic life, and as a result you won’t see any beautiful cinematography from this.

It’s bleak, it’s raw, and it even feels intrusive at times. It’s likely you’ll feel uncomfortable watching this as a result. Director and writer Fyzal Boulifa forces you to join this community even if you don’t want to be there.

As we’re given insight into what happens behind closed doors, we’re able to see exactly why Lynn and Lucy’s friendship rapidly falls apart. It’s not long before others start gossiping about the tragedy that unfolds for the two friends and the community they live in.

Lynn is forced to get a job as her husband is injured and she’s never been employed before, so she goes to a hairdressers owned by a former classmate. There is certainly a hierarchy there, Lynn sweeps the floors and makes teas and coffees, whilst being reminded that it’s typically a job for a school leaver.

But with no formal qualifications on her CV, it’s all she’s got. And salon owner Janelle (Jennifer Lee Moon) makes sure Lynn knows that, making her life hell and talking about her behind her back. However, Lynn grows close to hairdresser Caroline (Kacey Ainsworth) once her friendship with Lucy is tested.

The salon feels like a high school clique, and is a sad reminder of history repeating itself. I really enjoyed the performances here as it reflected the bleak, realistic nature of the overall story, and how horrible people can still be even when several years have passed.

Lynn + Lucy is a tragic, sometimes amusing, look at working class families and close knit communities, as well as the devastating effects of a personal tragedy.

Expect very difficult themes, lingering camera shots, and a sinking feeling in your stomach at the end. Bring tissues.

Kudos

Darren (1599 KP) rated Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992) in Movies

Oct 14, 2019

Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)

1992 | Comedy, Sci-Fi, Romance

5.8

(6 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Characters – Nick Halloway is a fast-talking businessman that has been getting away with slacking through his job for years now, after another session on the drinks, he looks to skive off, only to get caught in the middle of an experiment which turns him invisible, Nick must figure out who he can trust to help him after the CIA look to hunt him down to use him for their own benefit. He isn’t the most interesting character, he doesn’t come off as funny as it seems he should be either. Alice is the new woman that comes into Nick’s life, she is the one he turns to for help as she is prepared to listen to his story over most other people. David Jenkins is the man hunting down Nick, he is a CIA agent that will do whatever it takes to add to the security of the country, seeing Nick as the next generation of secret agent.

Performances – Chevy Chase does feel slightly mis-cast in this role, he doesn’t seem to handle the comedy on the level it is meant to be coming from his character. Daryl Hannah does all she needs to as the love interest, she doesn’t need to do much either. Sam Neill is highlight of the performances with just how he handles the evil agent.

Story – The story follows a man that gets turn invisible in a mysterious event, seeing him being chased down by the government while he tries to figure out how to get out of his situation. This is an interesting spin on the invisible man story, it does try to make the story a comedy which is where the story falls short, because it is an unlikable character that gets turn invisible rather than somebody whose experiment going wrong. Nick doesn’t just anything to help himself, which disappoints, it does feel kind of cheesy and by the end you will feel like not everything is answered.

Comedy/Sci-Fi – The comedy misses more often than hitting, it just doesn’t seem smooth. The sci-fi elements don’t get bought to the front with incident happening and that being it.

Settings – The film is set in San Francisco which does always make for a solid back drop for any movie.

Special Effects – The effects in the film do feel great for the time with certain moments, the make-up shot is the highlight because of camera angle.

Scene of the Movie – Let’s try make up.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The comedy.

Final Thoughts – This is a comedy that does miss a lot of the jokes and ends up feeling flatter than it should have been.

Overall: Disappointing comedy.