China

… a messy but heartfelt tribute to the legacies of family, country, and kung fu.

Leaving behind the oppressive greys of the battlefield in All Quiet on the Western Front and the red and white robed cardinals of Conclave, director Edward Berger breaks out in

“Oh shit!” Jim Jarmusch said, clearly stunned, as he received The Venice Film Festival’s top honour, The Golden Lion, for Father Mother Sister Brother, a triptych that features Cate Blanchett,

“No one should be denied salvation. Not gods. Not devils. Not mortals. We all deserve to live free from the yoke of oppression. We all deserve the truth.” While this

… an impressive view over extremely troubled waters.

… not only articulates the universal experience of the pandemic, but the specific chaos that erupted from China after the first cases in Wuhan came to light.

As raw action spectacle, it is fantastic, with a sense of size that highlights what the ‘Filmed for IMAX’ signifier should look like.

... a simple story about a man and his stray companion resonates.

… an exercise in balance … no matter which way you go with the film, you may end up wondering what could have been.

For those who have a higher tolerance for modern disaster cheese, this could be a decent pick for bad movie night.