Displaying items by tag: Bryan Cranston\

THE SHEEP DETECTIVES

UK/Ireland, 2026, 109 minutes, Colour.

Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Emma Thompson, Hong Chau, Conleth Hill, Nicolas Braun, voices of: Brett Goldstein, Patrick Stewart, Regina Hall, Bella Ramsey, Chris O'Dowd, Rhys Darby, Bryan Cranston, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tommy Birchall.

Directed by Kyle Balda.

No, not inquiries about sheep difficulties. The sheep themselves are the detectives. And, very enjoyably so.

Shepherd George, living in a caravan outside a typical Miss Marple English village, reads detective stories to his sheep. Leader, Lily, usually solves the mystery while others always think it is the maid! They are an interesting flock, a range of different characters, some woolly eyes, some awkward, the aristocratic ram, two rams who like to butt themselves and vehicles, and an aloof leader, Sebastian, whom George has rescued from being the target of dogfights in a carnival. They speak, a range of star voices, varied personalities, some frisky young lambs, enjoying life, devoted to George.

George is genial – he is played by Hugh Jackman. And, then he is murdered.

The local policeman is a bit dimwitted, Nicolas Braun from Succession, but an eager young visitor, journalist, Nicholas Galitzine, ever-ready to help him. And there is the imperious lawyer who comes to read the will, Emma Thompson. Then George’s daughter from the US also turns up, Molly Gordon.

Of course, the sheep are determined to find out who killed George.

The enjoyment of the screenplay relies on the murder mystery, Agatha Christie-style scenario, the listing of suspects, presence, opportunity, profit from the murder. Lily takes charge, clues are found, and she finds all kinds of ways of trying to communicate with the policeman while unable to speak to him.

It is all very entertaining, the suspects, the local butcher, another Shepherd, hotel keeper, local vicar, all with motivations. But, eventually Lily works it out, find ways of communicating with the policeman, mystery solved! There are enough clues for audiences to work out who the murderer is – but probably a good enough mystery not to work out the actual identity of the murderer!

The sheep realise that they are often considered woolly-headed. This is a film to vindicate the sheep and their abilities, and a nice underlying moral, that the sheep reject winter sheep because normally they are all born in spring and summer. A little winter lamb is active in Lily’s manoeuvres – and, of course, welcomed finally into the flock.

Who would have thought that the sheep could have been so entertaining?

1. An entertaining murder mystery? Scenario, clues, based on popular novels, the victim, suspects, investigation? And the contribution of the sheep and the detective work?
2. The English village, the fields, the sheep, the caravan, shops, church, butcher’s, the hotel? The countryside? The musical score?
3. The humour, the MGM lion bleating, the sheep and their various characters, the butting twins, the conversations, jokes, the shepherd who read detective stories to the sheep, Lily’s solving them, the sheep and the murder investigation, fear at crossing the road, the chicken crossing the road, always present, Mopple and his accidents, collaboration with him?
4. George, Hugh Jackman and his charm, reading the detective stories, his invention to help the sheep, his naming all the sheep, Lily after his wife, Sebastian, their characteristics, encouraging them? His death? His reappearances, his ghost for Lily, for Rebecca?
5. The situation, Ham as the greedy butcher, Caleb the shepherd, plans to work with Ham, Beth, the hotel, stealing the letter, the Reverend and George’s donation of the money? The Reverend trying to track down George’s children?
6. The arrival of Elliott, young, enthusiastic, reporter, camera, all the photographs, the crash, returning, collaboration with Tim, and helpful, with the sheep, with the lawyer, ousted from the reading of the will? The sheep and the clues, the chemical on his hands, the hair for the DNA, the revelation, the son from South Africa, the phone call to the lawyer, his visiting his father, the murder? His trying to escape?
7. Rebecca, the daughter, the correspondence, arriving, at the hotel, the visit to her father, losing the hoop, the sheep finding it, leading Tim to find it in the field? Her lies, the visit to her father, the reading of the will, the alibi, her arrest? the winter lamb and the blue and the red on the hooves, Lily helping, the line floor?
8. Tim, the only policeman, slow, ambitious, dignity, procedures, searching, the return, with the sheep? Gradually improving? The collaboration with Elliot? Interrogation of Rebecca? Led by the sheep, working with the sheep, realisations, the arrest?
9. The sheep, the voices, the characters, colours, Lily, leader, solving the mysteries, the clues, prejudice against winter lambs, her judgements, providing the final clues? Sebastian, the Carnival, the brutal fight with the dogs, a winter lamb, alone, saved by George? His stern comments? Saving Lily and Mopple from the dogs, his death? (And the issues of death, forgetting deaths, thinking sheep became clouds, facing the reality of death?)
10. The range of sheep, their characters, the superior knight, the woolly sheep, the young sheep, the playful sheep, the comments and questions, wanting to forget? The little winter lamb and rejection, participating in the case, Lily welcoming him into the flock?
11. The film working well as a murder mystery, characters and suspects, presence, gains, opportunity? And the animation – and the rehabilitation of sheep as stupid animals!

ARGYLLE

UK/US, 2024, 140 minutes, Colour.

Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, Arianna DeBose, Dua Lipa, Richard E.Grant, John Cena, Samuel L.Jackson, Sofia Boutella, Louis Partridge, Ben Daniels.

Directed by Matthew Vaughn.

Has there been any research done about film fans who decide that they are against a film before they see it, still determinedly actually pay for their ticket, then spend a great deal of their time lamenting about the time wasted in watching the film and devoting more time and energies to badmouthing it, especially on social media, and on movie blogging sites? The immediate response to Argylle would be a good case in point. A great deal of social media time and space devoted to lambasting it.

The accompanying question for discernment would be: why not look at the cast and the director, discern that it would be an action show, espionage, probably a lot of spoof, and, with the history of the director, lots of colour and over the top action: give it a try. There would be quite a number of things to enjoy. And, that is probably the point, Argylle was made for enjoyment rather than for minute critical analysis.

Matthew Vaughn has had an interesting career, from the gangster Layer Cake, X Men, Kick Ass, the Kingsman series. And, this time he has had a $200 million budget. A lot of it up there on the screen in colour, special effects, spectacular action sequences.

The basic idea is enjoyable, Bryce Dallas Howard is Elly Conway, a rather mousy writer of spy thrillers. After a signing she is actually whether like Frederick Forsyth, John Le Carre, she is a spy herself!  But, soon she does get herself into spy situations, a scruffy fan on a train, Aidan (Sam Rockwell enjoying himself all the way through) revealed through as many fight variations you can have on a moving train, to be a spy, reader of all Elly’s novels, out to protect her.

We have already seen part of one of her novels in action, with Henry Cavill as her muscular hero (despite that awkward Mohawk hair style), in action in Greece, with his tough associate, John Cena, an agent killed, and an unsatisfactory to Elly’s novel. And, Argylle will reappear throughout the film, in Elly’s eyes alternating between Argylle and Aidan.

While Elly’s mother, Catherine O’Hara, is keen to help her daughter with her writing and plot development, we discover the malevolent influence of the renegade Directory the, Bryan Cranston. Plenty of star power in this film, including Oscar-winner Arianna DeBose as an IT expert spy, Samuel L.Jackson as the retired head of the CIA, Sofia Boutella as an exotic mastermind.

Maybe by about a third of the way through or more, there is the temptation to think that this is perhaps a bit more routine than hoped for. But, then the twists start. And then twist on twists! And, the spending of the budget on big action sequences, the audience thinking that one that involves all kinds of smoke and technicolour clouds isn’t bad, but then there is the ice-skating on an armaments floor covered in gasoline, a number of the spectacular leaps and action shots during the skating, some tension in the revelation of who is spying on whom, and a desperate fight interrupting the sending of an important file, a surprise rescue and a final explosion.

This is rather a different role for Sam Rockwell and he seems to relish it. And, a bit more admiration for Bryce Dallas Howard by the end – and, as she grows older, she will enjoy sitting down with her grandchildren to watch it again!

1. The films of Matthew Vaughn? Heroes and superheroes? Reality and fantasy? Action? Colour? Effects, action?
2. The big budget, the strong cast, the action sequences, choreographed, the special effects, extravagant? The overall effect? “Mindless entertainment”?
3. The introduction, the episode in Greece, Henry cavill as Argylle, in action, in the club, the dancer, seductive, explosions, the revelation about controls and the Directory, the glimpse of the Director, the death of the agent in the car, and the dancer scooped by John Cena as he drank his coffee?
4. And the revelation that Argylle was a character, Elly Conway as the author, the series of books over five years, bestsellers, the book signing, the fans, asking whether she was a spy like Frederick Forsyth and John Le Carre? Her being quiet and demure, mousy?
5. Her relationship with her mother, the phone calls, the discussions of the plot, the mother’s contributions, wanting to come to see her to discuss the developments?
6. The train sequence, Aidan sitting in the seat, hair, suspicious, reading Argylle, the discussions, his being a spy, the consequent mayhem, the fights all through the train, rescuing Elly?
7. The revelation of the Directory, Rogue agency, Ritter as director, his manner, treatment of his underlings, his rifle, shooting? His wanting to get Elly? The revelation about Elly, the stories paralleling reality?
8. The narrative of the plot, comic book, images of Argylle mixing with Aidan during the fights? Argylle and his advice to Elly?
9. The importance of Alfie the cat, his appearance, bond with Ellie, her carrying him everywhere, his being in danger, Aidan’s allergy? His part in the heroic action? The discovery of the actual Alfie, in France, Samuel L.Jackson, the visit, the explanation of Pinot Noir, yet his complete set up in France, in the past with the CIA? His determination to unmask and capture Ritter?
10. The twists? Dramatically effective? Tantalising? A further twist and revelations? Aidan telling Elly that she was a top agent, her disbelief? Gradual returning of memories? Her mother’s arrival and the truth about her mother, psychologist, the capture of Elly, transforming her character? Her father, Barry – and his threatening Elly, Ritter and his control?
11. Ritter and his staff, interrogations of the Elly, discovering where Alfie was? Elly rediscovering her past skills?
12. Aidan, his roles in the past, his love for Elly, overhearing him, sense of betrayal? Issues of trust?
13. The visit to the Keeper of Secrets, the background of Bakunin, his code, Ritter wanting it, the killing of Bakunin, the interaction with the Keeper of Secrets, her court, socials, Aidan and Elly dancing, not drinking, having possession of the code?
14. The buildup to the confrontation, Ritter and his forces, Elly, in the dress, her wig, transformed? Going into action, the gasoline on the floor, the troops, the memories of her skating, the accident, but her skills, getting the knives escapes, the choreographed skating, the aerial manoeuvres? The buildup with the smoke, the variety of colours, a technicolour extravaganza?
15. The irony about the psychologist, Aidan shooting her, the bullet proof vest, her reappearing, Aidan and Ellie trying to transmit the code to Alfie, his watching the sports, the interrupted transmission, the fight, the psychologist and her control, Ellie trying to defeat Aidan? The arrival of the agent (in the background story of the experiments, trajectory of bullets, life saved)? Her getting rid of the psychologist? The successful transmission?
16. Argylle and his reappearance? In the novels? His being a James Bond style character? The atmosphere of this kind of international espionage throughout? The irony of the transformation of the mousy author into the super agent? And the romance? And the books?