Reviews for The Lighthouse and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

THE LIGHTHOUSE
A small island containing two men, a seagull, and a lighthouse. This simple set up is spun out into 110 minutes of filthy, horny and utterly gripping psychological torment for whoever it is Robert Pattinson is playing. He’s terrific, as is Willem Dafoe opposite him. Their characters are constantly in flux, as volatile as the sea swirling around them. Rage and guilt and sexual tension are twitchily repressed one minute and the next unleashed in a storm of violence and accented monologuing that brings to mind Daniel Plainview at his milkshake stealing best.
Director Robert Eggers continues to display an absolute command of his craft. Just like his near perfect debut ‘The Witch’, he’s making big bold choices with confidence and clarity, and everyone involved seems to be right on the same page. The camerawork manages to absorb you into each chaotic sequence, whilst presenting some intricately composed, boxy tableaux that could be slotted right into a maritime art gallery.
As original a film as you will see this year and not to be missed, especially for those who dig esoteric, old-timey dialect and seductive sea monsters.


A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD 
Rarely has there been a better match of actor to character as there is in this film, where Tom Hanks fills in the red sweater of Mr Fred Rodgers. An unknown in Britain, save for those who saw the excellent documentary “Won’t you be my Neighbour”, Mr Rogers is a former American children’s television personality who is such a beacon of goodness he has to be seen to be believed, and even then you find yourself wondering. Hanks does make you believe though, in one of the flat out best performances of the last 12 months. His ability to hint at underlying nuances in Rodgers’ personality without losing the iconic smile and tender mannerisms that define him is a real feat.      

The rest of the film is not quite as delicate, at least as a screenplay. The real life journalist Tom Junod and his article the film takes its inspiration from have been pumped up into a contrived, overly sentimental framework that’s not convincing or engaging enough when Hanks is out of the picture. You can’t help but feel the unbalance as one part of the film gets less interesting while the other, smaller part hints at intriguing hidden depths.  

It’s generally well made though, with director Marielle Heller showing some real flashes of brilliance in sequences that get a lot weirder than then rest of film would lead you to believe, and the final shot is an absolute killer. Whilst the film sometimes stumbles over clichés, in its final moments the director and star combine to soar above them.    

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