And where the US goes, the UK follows.

Juliette Binoche isn’t given quite the space to convince as Penelope, and both she and some of the peripheral cast struggle with clunky dialogue that Fiennes lends power to. (3/3)

It was always going to be a hard sell to someone who’s been obsessed with Odysseus since watching The Greatest Hero of Them All at age 8 (or so), and not all of the choices and changes work (some do!); (2/3)

The film’s charm comes from the growing rapport between the two women, and it’s nicely played, even if the plot isn’t entirely convincing. (2/2)

(I belatedly realised that the reason Torrini’s name - and voice - is familiar to me is that she sang the beautifully eerie Gollum’s Song from the credit sequence of The Two Towers)

…she leverages his skill to knock some misogynist heads together, and has some nice moments offering Gen-Z self care advice to cynical hitmen. (2/2)

(You know the situation is bad when Crispin Glover, the weird actor’s weird actor, is the voice of sanity in any Kafkaeque scenario…)

…a hazy, neon-tinged and increasingly surreal journey through the boondocks that takes a little adjusting to, but there’s a tenderness to the friendships and romance between the young men that holds both them and the film together. (2/2) #GFF25

(I don’t like to admit when I struggle to follow regional accents, but the thickness of the Dublin accents here are definitely a point in its favour)

It never quite shakes the sensation of leading you by the nose into each emotional beat, and there’s a glossiness to some of the imagery that undermines the period detail, but it’s charming enough to keep you following willingly. (2/2)