Adam Brannon

By Adam Brannon abrannon

I don’t think anyone will have any qualms in me saying that the LGBT community is one of the most vastly underrepresented parts of society when it comes to mainstream Hollywood movies.

Sure, we’ve had indie hits like Call Me by Your Name and Moonlight that have also performed well at the Oscars, but the closest we’ve ever gotten to a mass-market crowd pleaser has been Ang Lee’s 2005 flick Brokeback Mountain and if we’re being honest, that wasn’t marketed in a way that made it particularly mainstream.

Aiming to change all that is Love, Simon. Based on the novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, Love, Simon is the first truly mainstream rom-com that features a lead gay character. But is the film a beacon of hope for a massively underrepresented LGBT community or a movie that daren’t go too far?

Everyone deserves a great love story, but for 17-year-old Simon Spier (Nick Robinson), it’s a little more complicated. He hasn’t told his family or friends that he’s gay, and he doesn’t know the identity of the anonymous classmate that he’s fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing.

Love, Simon is one of the most important films in a generation. Aiming to please both everyday movie-goers and be sensitive to the issues that gay people face on a daily basis, it needs to tread a very careful line, and I’m pleased to say, it does so beautifully. From the exceptional performances of the entire cast, to the warming attempts at humour, it succeeds on almost every level.

Jurassic World’s Nick Robinson is outstanding as Simon. A 17-year-old who consistently struggles to accept who he truly is would be an incredibly difficult role for even the most seasoned actors to take on, but he really is wonderful to watch. As we journey across his troubled story, the audience feels fully immersed in his actions, even those that are, shall we say, questionable.

The supporting cast too, is excellent. Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel are a great, if slightly underused presence, as Simon’s parents and along with his sister Nora (played by Talitha Bateman), they make an entirely believable family unit and it’s lovely to see them rallying around him when the inevitable ‘outing’ occurs. One touching scene in particular featuring Garner speaking to her son is sure to turn on the waterworks for many.

Director Greg Berlanti is a relative newcomer to the world of romantic comedy, but he leads with a confidence that makes him appear seasoned at this game. Touching scenes of emotion are nicely interspersed with sequences of genuinely funny comedy – the sign of a great rom-com. Special mention must go to Natasha Rothwell as drama teacher Ms. Albright, who manages to garner most of the laughs throughout. All of this culminates in a sweet finale that ties together everything that’s happened over the previous 110 minutes very well indeed.

If we’re to look at some of the flaws then it’s fair to say that the story outside of it featuring a gay lead is completely unoriginal. It’s been done before, but that’s kind of its charm. Flipping the classic rom-com story on its head by allowing audiences across the world to see that being gay really isn’t easy is a really nice thing to see.

In a nutshell, Love, Simon is a film with a massive heart anchored by a beautifully raw performance by Nick Robinson. It’ll make you laugh and it’ll make you cry, but this is a touching romantic comedy that will absolutely go down in the history books of film. Like Brokeback Mountain did for the older gay man, Love, Simon can be a shining light for young men who are struggling to accept who they truly are.

Love, Simon rating: 9/10

An avid lover of all things film, Adam Brannon has grown up with a huge passion for cinema that can be traced right back to his favourite childhood movie, Steven Spielberg's smash hit, Jurassic Park. After graduating from the University of Lincoln with a degree in journalism, he now writes film reviews for his own website, Movie Metropolis and for the Press Association.

By Adam Brannon abrannon

Steven Spielberg is undoubtedly the king of blockbuster cinema. In fact, some cinema aficionados have suggested that he was the mastermind behind the big summer tent-pole movie with his 1975 classic, Jaws. 

Of course, his career is now legend and with films like Jurassic Park, E.T., Schindler’s List and Indiana Jones on his CV, it’s easy to see why. That makes it even more strange that his box-office pulling power seems to have been in doubt more recently.

True, he’s stayed away from big blockbusters for the last few years, the closest he has really got is The BFG, but many longed for the return of his earlier work, the crowd-pleasing films that have really defined his time in Hollywood over the last four decades. Well, their prayers may have been answered with Ready Player One, but is this Spielberg at his very best?

Set in 2045, the world is on the brink of chaos and collapse. But the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive VR universe created by the eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance). When Halliday dies, he leaves his fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the world. When an unlikely hero named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery and danger.

Just from reading about the plot, you can tell the film would have Spielberg written all over it. Ready Player One, based on Ernest Cline’s novel of the same name, is a love letter to pop culture in the 80s and the director helped define quite a lot of it. The film is brimming with colour and is one of the most visually dazzling movies of recent memory. It’s best to watch this on the biggest screen possible and is definitely worth paying the extra for a 3D viewing.

The cast are all pretty much spot on. Tye Sheridan is much better here than his Cyclops persona in the X-Men universe and Ben Mendelsohn’s Nolan Sorrento is a menacing villain. After this and Rogue One, he’s certainly carving a path for himself on the darker side of film. Elsewhere, Olivia Cooke is a pleasure to watch as Tye Sheridan’s love interest throughout.

Finally, special mention must go to the ever-wonderful Mark Rylance. As eccentric as Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka, Rylance really is a master at creating fascinating characters just from simply reading the novels. He may not be in Ready Player One very much, but his presence is felt across the running time.

As with many Spielberg films, the detail and excitement come at the cost of character development outside of our lead hero. Sheridan gets a pleasingly fleshed out backstory but his friends and fellow avatars in the OASIS lack depth, though the script does help alleviate this somewhat. In the hands of a lesser film-maker, Ready Player One could have come across as hollow; thankfully it doesn’t.

To look at, there really is nothing else like it out there. Aside from Avatar, no film of the last decade or so comes close to looking this expensive. Both the real world and the OASIS itself are absolutely crammed full of stunning special effects, whether that be practical or CGI. Of course, CGI is used in abundance, but it’s beautifully done.

Then there are the pop culture references. From King Kong to Jurassic Park (not everything is from the 80s) there really is something for everyone. One sequence involving a rather iconic horror film from the decade is unquestionably astounding. I’ll be very surprised if it doesn’t rank among my favourite scenes of the year when December rolls around.

Alas, it’s not all good news. At 2 hours and 20 minutes, Ready Player One is a long film, and it needs to be. Ernest Cline’s novel is so jam-packed with its own Easter eggs that it would be impossible to create a movie any shorter and still do the source material justice. Unfortunately, while Spielberg does his best, there are moments where things feel a little rushed.

Nevertheless, Ready Player One is an absolute thrill-ride from start to finish and is pure Spielberg in the very best way. Like he did way back in 1993 with Jurassic Park and even further back still in 1982 with E.T., he somehow manages to create a world that is truly magical, but entirely believable. No director working today has the ability to change his craft to suit the genre, but Spielberg manages it time and time again and Ready Player One is his best film in years.

Ready Player One rating: 8/10

An avid lover of all things film, Adam Brannon has grown up with a huge passion for cinema that can be traced right back to his favourite childhood movie, Steven Spielberg's smash hit, Jurassic Park. After graduating from the University of Lincoln with a degree in journalism, he now writes film reviews for his own website, Movie Metropolis and for the Press Association.