Rust (2024) Review

 A 13-year-old boy, forced to care for his younger brother after their parents’ death, faces the noose for an accidental killing. His only hope — a hardened, estranged grandfather who spirits him away on a dangerous journey into new Mexico.

Director Joel Souza crafts tense, understated set pieces and character-driven exchanges, wisely letting his actors carry the film’s emotional heft on the back drop for real locations and great sets.

Cinematographers Bianca Cline and Halyna Hutchins deliver outstanding work here, giving the film a crisp, high-budget sheen with sweeping vistas and intimate character moments that ground the drama. Like it or not, the heavy grim colour timing adds to the mood as the leads encounter a variety of characters on the way.

Alec Baldwin leads as dangerous Harland Rust, the grizzled outlaw, while Patrick Scott McDermott portrays Lucas Hollister. The young McDermott impresses with a grounded, emotionally resonant performance. Travis Fimmel delivers a menacing turn as bounty hunter Fenton "Preacher" Lang, and Josh Hopkins is notable in as U.S. Marshal Wood Helm. Frances Fisher adds depth as Lucas’s grand-aunt, while Jake Busey also appears. Baldwin offers a solid performance as Rust, reminding viewers of his ability to inhabit morally grey characters with ease.

The acting across the board is first-rate, with the child actors particularly standing out for their naturalistic performances. Composers James Jackson and Lilie Bytheway-Hoy provide a restrained, evocative score that supports the film’s mood without overplaying it.

From the outset, there’s a clear emphasis on firearms, which feels a touch ironic given the tragic on-set death of Halyna Hutchins that shadowed this production. Yet, at its core, Rush is a Western — and guns, rifles, and frontier lawlessness remain intrinsic to the genre’s DNA, whether or not the Second Amendment feels relevant today.

Overall, Rush may not rewrite the Western rulebook, but it delivers a well-crafted, visually striking entry into the genre — one that feels both classic and modern in its execution. It’s a pity it landed straight to VOD. 

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025) Review

 

Ethan Hunt faces his most perilous mission yet as a powerful rogue AI threatens global security, forcing him and his IMF team into a race against time.

As expected, Tom Cruise leads with relentless energy and physicality, delivering white-knuckle set pieces that leave you breathless — notably a vertigo-inducing plane sequence and a nerve-shredding underwater scene with cinematography by Fraser Taggart.

There are familiar callbacks and nods to earlier entries, some welcome, others feeling thinly shoehorned. It hints at behind-the-scenes shifts, and writers Christopher McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen’s script feels like it’s been tweaked mid-flight.

That said, McQuarrie’s direction remains razor-sharp. The action is meticulously staged, and Cruise’s death-defying commitment keeps the franchise's pulse racing with a great score from Max Aruj and Alfie Godfrey.

Cruise is on fine form throughout. Hayley Atwell is a standout as Grace, injecting the film with charm and unpredictability, a much-needed spark alongside franchise regulars Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg. Esai Morales’ Gabriel, while performed with commanding presence, feels somewhat run-of-the-mill for a villain.

Pom Klementieff makes a notable appearance as Paris, a ruthless French assassin, while Henry Czerny returns as Eugene Kittridge — a welcome callback. Rolf Saxon also reprises his role as William Donloe from the first instalment to name a few. Both Angela Bassett and Hannah Waddingham are notable add further weight to the ensemble.

Overall, The Final Reckoning narrative clutches for the heights of its predecessors, and delivers where it counts — in sheer sweaty-palm spectacle and suspense.

Damaged (2024) — A Cautionary Case Study in IP Infringement and CRM

As both the original rights holder, creator, and writer of Shadows of Dismemberment, I’ve spent eight months consulting legal professionals with a background specifically in intellectual property (IP) and copyright law. It’s necessary I address the situation surrounding the 2024 feature film.

Following a detailed comparative analysis, it’s apparent the film constitutes an unauthorised derivative work, lifting substantial narrative elements, character composites, and thematic constructs from my novel. Notably, it replicates the story beats, sequences, and key events — following the same locations and in the same chronological order as originally presented in the source material. However, the adaptation is both partial and crude — roughly repurposing one half of the novel’s structure while abandoning its thematic integrity and narrative stakes in favour of sensationalist content.

After consultation with IP counsel, the complexities of pursuing injunctive relief, takedown actions, or damages became clear. Given its limited theatrical release window and subsequent transactional VOD (TVOD) and SVOD distribution, the potential ROI (return on investment) from litigation would be negligible. Furthermore, cross-jurisdictional IP enforcement — given the multi-territory release strategy and chain of title ambiguities — adds further barriers.

Unlike major publishing houses or authors with institutional backing, I’ve independently financed my career at every stage. There’s no litigation funder, E&O (errors and omissions) policy coverage, or contingency-based legal team behind me. The likelihood of securing pro bono representation for a matter like this — particularly where financial recovery would equate to a percentage of the film’s modest production budget — is statistically slim.

Sometimes, protecting your work isn’t enough. It’s not just about registering it — it’s about having the resources to defend it. In this case, that’s not an option. Without the necessary financial backing or institutional support, pursuing legal action becomes an impractical and unlikely course.

Ordinarily, one would expect a reasonable resolution in these circumstances: monetary compensation, an agreed-upon payment for the unauthorised use of the novel, a fair percentage of the film’s profits, royalties or backend points on future revenues, and clear, prominent on-screen credit such as “Based on the novel Shadows of Dismemberment by A. M. Esmonde.” Further, assurances that no sequels, spin-offs, or derivative works proceed without prior written consent and agreed terms would also be standard. While these outline an industry-standard framework, the fragmented and opaque nature of how this particular film was produced — with loosely connected international partners, a narrow theatrical footprint, and minimal creative transparency — makes the likelihood of any retroactive agreement or enforcement challenging. In practical terms, implementation of these remedies is improbable without full cooperation from multiple rights holders and parties, which, to date, has not been forthcoming. While it’s clear that the two headline actors involved (including other cast & crew) in the film were likely unaware of the situation surrounding the unauthorised use of my work, it’s important to note that this is in no way a reflection on their talent or professionalism.

As such, I’ve elected to take the gentleman’s route: to raise this as a professional advisory and cautionary tale. Not for the sake of personal grievance, but to highlight the enduring gaps in IP protection for original content creators in an industry where chain of rights, clearance procedures, and story optioning practices are too often neglected. Maybe, in time, those responsible will do the right thing. It costs little to acknowledge where a work originated — and pay appropriate, even standard, compensation for its use.

While I’ve chosen not to publicly name the producers, writers, or distribution partners involved — their identities are a matter of public record and easily verifiable via standard industry databases and trade reports — the broader message remains clear.

To fellow creatives: register your work. Maintain a documented paper trail. Understand the limitations of moral rights protections in certain jurisdictions. And remember — not every infringement merits direct legal confrontation, but every case deserves to be recognised and learned from.

A. M. Esmonde

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) Review

 

A Missouri farmer Josey Wales, turns outlaw after his family is brutally murdered by pro-Union militants. Pursued by bounty hunters and soldiers alike, Josey gathers a makeshift family of outcasts and survivors on his journey south.

Clint Eastwood's The Outlaw Josey Wales remains one of the finest examples of the revisionist Western - a gritty, mournful tale of revenge, redemption, and reluctant companionship. Set against the ravaged backdrop of post-Civil War America. Eastwood not only delivers one of his most nuanced performances as the grizzled, quietly tormented Wales but also directs with assured, unhurried pacing, allowing both the action and human moments to breathe. Arguably better and more rounded that than The High Plains Drifter and Pale Rider. With Bruce Surtees' cinematography the film's naturalistic landscapes and practical period detail enrich the melancholic, elegiac tone throughout complimented by Jerry Fielding's score.

Among an excellent cast, Chief Dan George is outstanding as Lone Watie, providing both humour and heartfelt wisdom in a role that avoids stereotype. Will Sampson offers strong support as Ten Bears, whose dignity and commanding presence lend gravity to one of the film's pivotal scenes. John Vernon makes for a complex figure as Fletcher, Josey's former friend turned unwilling antagonist, bringing moral conflict and depth to their fractured relationship.

Sam Bottoms gives an affecting turn as Jamie, the young Confederate soldier who's taken in by Wales. His eventual demise is handled with genuine poignancy, a moment that underscores the film's meditation on loss and loyalty. Notable too is John Davis Chandler as one of the grim bounty hunters, his sinewy menace fitting neatly into Eastwood's rugged frontier world.

The film's blend of visceral shootouts, thoughtful dialogue, and unvarnished violence holds up as one of Eastwood's finest directorial achievements. If, pre-Unforgiven, the aforementioned were considered Eastwood's directing Western trilogy, The Outlaw Josey Wales would debatably be the strongest.

Written by Phil Kaufman and Sonia Chernus, with its sombre atmosphere, memorable characters, and striking set pieces, The Outlaw Josey Wales stands as both a classic Western and a quietly subversive commentary on the futility of vengeance and the search for belonging.

High Plains Drifter (1973) Review

 

A mysterious gunman arrives in the isolated town of Lago, where the uneasy townsfolk, desperate for protection from a band of returning outlaws, hire him as their reluctant saviour. What unfolds is a grim tale of guilt, violence, and spectral revenge.

Clint Eastwood's High Plains Drifter (1973) - his second directorial feature - remains his most eerie and unsettling Western. Written by Ernest Tidyman (The French Connection), the film leans heavily into gothic frontier mythology, blending the Western's dusty conventions with elements of the supernatural.

Bruce Surtees' cinematography captures the desolate, sun-baked landscapes of Mono Lake and the makeshift town, steeped in unease. Dee Barton's sparse, unnerving score deepens the tension, perfectly matching the film's sinister mood.

Eastwood is in commanding form as the nameless Stranger - cold, relentless, and ambiguous in motive. Verna Bloom brings brittle defiance to Sarah Belding, while Geoffrey Lewis impresses as the vicious Stacey Bridges. Marianna Hill adds an edge to her role as the manipulative Callie Travers.

The film's oppressive atmosphere builds to a surreal, violent showdown, as Lago becomes a hellish trap for both the townsfolk and their would-be tormentors. Pre The Unforgiven, Eastwood's directed Western trilogy, while it lacks the emotional heft of The Outlaw Josey Wales or the solemn elegance of Pale Rider, High Plains Drifter offers a raw, unsettling vision of frontier justice.

Overall, audacious, visually striking, and narratively sharp, it stands as Eastwood's most haunting Western - a grim, darkly memorable morality play about cowardice, consequence, and revenge.

Pale Rider (1985) Review

 

A mysterious cowboy rides into a struggling 19th-century mining town, where a ruthless land baron terrorises a community of prospectors. Known only as The Preacher, he becomes both protector and avenger.

Clint Eastwood's Pale Rider (1985) is one of his strongest Westerns, a spiritual cousin to High Plains Drifter but with a more grounded, reflective tone. Where Drifter leaned into eerie, almost supernatural revenge, and The Outlaw Josey Wales blended gritty action with found-family warmth, Pale Rider entertainingly moves with quiet inevitability toward its violent finale. If, pre-Unforgiven, the aforementioned were considered Eastwood's directing Western trilogy, Pale Rider would debatably be the second strongest, after The Outlaw Josey Wales.

Eastwood directs with restraint, favouring atmosphere and gradual tension. Bruce Surtees' cinematography beautifully captures the rugged and picturesque landscapes, while Lennie Niehaus' sparse, mournful score enhances the film's sombre mood.

Eastwood gives a typically stoic, imposing turn as The Preacher. Michael Moriarty shines as Hull Barret, with Carrie Snodgress adding grit as Sarah Wheeler, and young Sydney Penny offering sincerity without sentiment. Richard Kiel makes a strong impression as Club, and John Russell radiates cold menace as Stockburn. Notably the later Billy Drago,Chris Penn and Charles Hallahan also appear.

Written by Michael Butler and Dennis Shryack the final shootout is a tense, expertly paced payoff, delivering brutal satisfaction after the slow build.

Overall, with its moody visuals, measured storytelling, and mythic undertones, Pale Rider stands as one of Eastwood's most atmospheric and powerful Westerns.

Andor (2022-2025) Review

 Tony Gilroy's Andor stands apart as the most grounded and character-driven entry in the Star Wars universe since Rogue One. While the first season focused heavily on world-building - establishing the political decay, simmering rebellion, and personal toll of Imperial rule - season two sharpens its focus, delivering a slow-burn thriller that, while painfully predictable to anyone with even a passing knowledge of history or where Rogue One ultimately leads, remains utterly compulsive viewing.

The production values are, as expected, exceptional. From its practical, weather-beaten sets and sprawling galactic cityscapes to the grim industrial colonies and stark Imperial interiors, Andor feels lived-in and authentic in a way that much of the franchise's recent output has struggled to capture. Adriano Goldman's cinematography brings a moody, cinematic quality to each episode, favouring naturalistic lighting and composed framing over digital spectacle, while Nicholas Britell's minimalist, haunting score subtly underpins the tension.

Diego Luna continues to impress in the lead, offering a weary, driven performance as Cassian Andor. The ensemble cast around him deepens across the second season, with Genevieve O'Reilly's Mon Mothma and Denise Gough's icy Dedra Meero both delivering standouts. The writing smartly expands these characters, making the inevitability of their choices feel both tragic and human.

Though season two was reportedly planned as the conclusion to Andor's arc before Rogue One, it leaves enough breathing room and narrative threads to credibly stretch into a potential third season, should Disney and Lucasfilm decide to capitalise on its critical momentum. There's still space in the timeline for further moral compromises, betrayals, and sacrifices to be explored without feeling redundant.

If the first season was the spark, the second is the slow-building fire - a thoughtful, politically charged espionage drama wearing Star Wars skin. And while seasoned viewers might predict the broad strokes, the pleasure comes in the detail, the performances, and the immersive, high-stakes atmosphere. Andor remains the franchise's most mature, artfully constructed chapter in years.