“Every night I cut out my heart. But in the morning it was full again.”
~ The English Patient, 1996

We interrupt your scheduled programming…

This week, Elizabeth Banks’s latest film, Call Jane, was intended to be the feature review for this issue of Salty Popcorn. However, it wasn’t until after the last edition was published that we realised Causeway, starring Jennifer Lawrence, was being released on the same day on Apple TV+.

As we’ve mentioned before, keeping on top of all upcoming films isn’t easy. There’s not one all-inclusive list of every release and the problem is magnified by the number of streaming platforms making their own productions.

SP is committed to bringing you honest reviews of the latest and greatest films we have access to, so while Call Jane looked good, Causeway looked better. Was Causeway as good as we hoped? You’ll have to read the review to find out.

Now for the headlines:

This morning, Pakistan reversed the ban on its own Oscar contender, Joyland, following widespread criticism. Read more.
Mixed reviews are surfacing following the early screenings of writer-director Damien Chazelle’s (La La Land, Whiplash) latest film Babylon, starring Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt and Tobey Maquire. Read more.
While rumours have been popping up for years, it looks like Disney is now seriously considering making a third The Princess Diaries film. Read more.
Brendan Fraser has said he won’t be attending the Golden Globes next year even if he’s nominated, because of his relationship with Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Read more.
And finally, Quentin Tarantino has announced plans to shoot an eight-episode TV series next year. Read more.

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Upcoming Releases

The Whale

UK: 03 February // USA: 09 December

Brendan Fraser’s highly anticipated return to the silver screen sees him play an obese and reclusive English teacher who tries to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter (Sadie Sink) for one last chance at redemption.

Joyland

UK: 24 February // USA: TBC

As the happily patriarchal Rana family craves the birth of a baby boy, the youngest of the Rana men secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and finds himself falling for a fiercely ambitious trans starlet.

Fact of the week

Did you know Daniel Craig played one of Indiana Jones’ earliest adversaries? That’s right, Craig played German Officer Schiller in the spin-off series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

Although you wouldn’t know he’s German from the accent, Schiller and Indy have a good old-fashioned punch-up in an almost laughable scene that lasts close to three minutes!

It’s not easy to see Craig up close, so here’s a photo of him in costume.

Review: Causeway

Star rating:

3.5 (out of 5)

Where to watch:

USA: Apple TV+

UK: Apple TV+

Runtime:

1hr 32m

Director:

Lila Neugebauer

Blurb:

Lynsey (Jennifer Lawrence), a US soldier, struggles to adapt to life as a civilian following the traumatic brain injury that forced her to return home from Afghanistan.

The review (NO spoilers):

In this sombre slow-burning drama, Jennifer Lawrence plays a traumatised soldier with a brain injury that finds hope, help and friendship in an unlikely companion (Brian Tyree Henry).

Lawrence and Henry have great chemistry on screen and it’s their shared scenes that mark the highlights of this film. This is more a testament to their performances and ability to work together than it is to the script. Penned by award-winning author Ottessa Moshfegh, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the screenplay, but there is something missing.

The film’s entire mood can be quickly described as solemn and I can’t help but think it was meant to have a greater emotional impact. There were a few moments, one in particular, where I thought: “I should be feeling something here. My eyes should be welling up,” but I wasn’t and they weren’t.

It’s a delicate production full of subtlety, which for me shares a closer resemblance to a poetic novel than an A24 drama. It took this LA Times review by Katie Walsh for me to realise that Lynsey’s army assignment as an engineer working on a dam is a metaphor for her fighting to hold back the emotion of her trauma.

I’ve never been that good at recognising and interpreting metaphors, which might be what I’m missing in this film. Still, I’d have liked to dive deeper into the thoughts and emotions of the characters, rather than skimming across the surface.

Scroll down to see what’s in the next issue.

If you liked Causeway…

Joy

2015 | UK: Disney+ / Amazon Prime (£3.49) // USA: Amazon Prime ($3.99)

While I’m not the biggest fan of her most recent films, there’s no denying that Jennifer Lawrence is a fantastic actress, which is why this week I’d like to highlight what I think is one of her best films, one that doesn’t get half the attention it deserves.

With Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper starring in supporting roles, Joy tells the story of Joy Mangano, a real-life inventor and entrepreneur.

In the next issue:

Bones and All

UK: 23 November // USA: 23 November | Watch the Trailer

Salty Popcorn

🍿53: Causeway