Frankenstein

According to Google there have been approximately 419 feature films made about Frankenstein, so what’s new about this one?

Director Guillermo del Toro is the master of blending horror and fairy tales together as he has done with Pan’s Labyrinth and Shape of Water previously.

The story hasn’t changed from when it was first written by Mary Shelley in the early 1800’s, but it’s been given the full del Toro workover in this version.

The opening scene is a ripper. A Norwegian explorer ship searching for The North Pole with full crew, is stuck in ice and in the middle of a snow storm.

Way in the distance is a fire and when some crew arrive there is a semi-conscious man, Dr Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) nearby.

In the midst of rescuing him, suddenly appears the monster and they make a run for it back to the ship. The monster (Jacob Elordi) is more Peter Garrett than Fred Gwynne’s Herman.

Thus the story gets told retrospectively from that point. It’s dark, gothic and magnificent to look at. Exactly what you would expect from del Toro’s films.

I found the film to be half an hour too long but that’s just me. The dialogue was almost true to the book, and I felt it laboured a bit in the middle. That’s not the film’s fault, just my capacity to pay attention in old age!

I understand Oscar Isaac is a big star but I would have preferred someone more dangerous and psychotic to play the role of the good doctor. Elordi is pretty good as the monster.

The big winner as in any of del Toro’s films is his imagination. The sets, the CGI, the freaky mechanical devices and special effects, all makes for a stunning visual experience on the big screen. 7.5/10

Roofman

A former US army Special Forces man struggling to adapt to life outside after a couple of tours to Afghanistan, decides to start robbing scores of McDonalds stores in order to keep food on the table for his wife and three kids. Inevitably he suddenly ends up homeless and living inside a Toys R Us store for six months undetected whilst on the run from the cops.

It’s a fascinating story of skill, determination and ingenuity. Channing Tatum plays Jeffrey Manchester in what is a true story that turns out to be an entertaining game of cat and mouse with the authorities.

Before moving into Toys R Us, Jeffrey is arrested and does time for the McDonalds robberies but escapes ‘De Niro in Cape Fear-style’ from gaol using all his military guile.

In the process of surviving in Toys R Us and setting up his little hovel, Jeffrey equips himself with cameras and spots a worker Leigh one day played by the always reliable Kirsten Dunst.

After manipulating his way into the path of Leigh via her Christian faith, he slowly falls for the charm and honesty of the divorcee and her two children. A surprise at this point is the appearance of Ben Mendelsohn as the preacher who does a good job as well as the cast who play his parishioners.

Obviously it’s all too good to be true and Jeffrey’s world starts to unravel and ends in a fairly predictable climax.

Tatum has probably been stereotyped into the hunky, not particularly bright roles in the past but I thought he was brilliant in Foxcatcher along with Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo.

Foxcatcher was another film based on a true story and Roofman finishes with a short look at the real characters from the film being interviewed over the closing titles which is always interesting.

The chemistry between Tatum and Dunst was also very believable and nicely acted. All up, pretty good and an ideal date film.

My two colleagues only gave this a 6/10 and a 6.5/10 but I’m giving it a 7/10.