August saw plenty of 2021 releases watched, including the brilliant Free Guy and quite bizarre Army of the Dead. The Bondathon also continues while thanks to Amazon Prime I have also started, binged and caught up with Outlander.
1ST TIMERS
An Affair to Remember (1957) – A charming film but the leads – Grant and Kerr – lacked chemistry, especially when you consider that it is often quoted in Sleepless in Seattle, a film where the leads – Hanks and Ryan – are the perfect match. ★★★
Crimson Tide (1995) – An excellent, tense thriller expertly helmed by Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington. ★★★★
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997) – My first watch and I really enjoyed this. Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino clearly had a lot of fun in their roles and there is such a vibe to Nineties films. ★★★★
The Last Samurai (2003) – The Last Samurai is quite the sweeping epic: beautiful scenery, stunning costumes, moving soundtrack and a bankable lead ably supported by a great cast. ★★★★
Move Me (2003) – Pleasant but slow paced and predictable. ★★½
Zodiac (2007) – The leads – Gyllenhaal, Ruffalo and Downey Jr. – all give strong performances and the colour palette enhances the delivery. ★★★★
Breakout Brothers (2020) – The characters are all suitably likeable or unlikeable, and Louis Cheung in particular impresses as the charismatic Chan. What lets the film down is the lack of intensity. ★★★½ [Read my full review.]
Army of the Dead (2021) – There are some interesting concepts to this film but at 2h 28m it is a very long film and not your attention starts to wander. ★★
Jungle Cruise (2021) – This smacks heavily of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series and doesn’t offer anything new to the action-adventure genre, but it’s still a very enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. ★★★½
Cruella (2021) – There is a lot to enjoy about this film. It’s an original and very successful origin film and the costume design is completely stunning. ★★★★
Free Guy (2021) – What a fun ride! A very original film and the casting is all spot on. I can see myself rewatching this and taking the same amount of enjoyment – if not more, as I spot more things – each time. ★★★★
REWATCHES
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) – The plot isn’t seamless but it is a fun story with enjoyable characters. ★★★½
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) – The most enjoyable element of this film is the sharp wit and skill of Barbara Bach’s Anya Amasova: always a joy having a capable Bond girl! ★★★★
28 Days Later (2002) – Cillian Murphy delivered a strong, honest performance and there are several moments that are truly terrifying. ★★★★
28 Weeks Later (2007) – A worthy follow up to its predecessor, 28 Weeks Later continues the action and features more of the sordid, dishonourable actions that would naturally follow post-apocalypse. ★★★★
WALL-E (2008) – WALL-E is a delightful film that delivers many important messages, including the impact of loneliness and human overconsumption. ★★★★
The Decoy Bride (2011) – My third watching and still I enjoy it. It’s whimsical and funny, and as a British viewer it’s fun to see such a strong line up of British actors and actresses. ★★★½
Vacation (2015) – I had forgotten I had watched this dismal, predictable film. ★½
Total: 18
Since 01/01/21
1st timers: 107
Rewatches: 28
Total: 135
Cinematic Delights 
Lots of great movies of old and new, Claire! Hey, are you catching up w/ the older Bond movies? The Spy Who Loved Me was one of my faves, I grew up with Roger Moore’s Bond though I have a soft spot for Dalton who originated the gritty Bond before Craig came along (but he’s far better looking).
Wish I could agree about Cruella, I didn’t care for that movie at all, but FREE GUY is a lot of fun!