source: Animals

Drama, set in Dublin. Stars Laura and Tyler who are thirty-something best friends. Laura describes herself as an author although in the last 10 years she's hardly written a thing! They both enjoy partying, continuous heavy drinking, drug taking and casual sex. When in a bar one day Laura meets a classical pianist called Jim, he is the alternative, talented, hardworking, practices every day. They have an affair and fall in 'love'. Tyler sees Jim a threat to their long-term friendship, their relationship really feels the strain. Laura and Jim are in 'love' but not enough to stop either cheating. Strangely Laura seems more upset and they separate. I thought this would be right up my wife's street and that I might struggle, but how more wrong could I be! Useful to see this from a feminist's point of view - In her opinion there were lots of clichés with stereotypical characters and Laura's behaviour was not acceptable for someone in their 30's and she probably would have finished her book if only she could have stayed sober for more than a day!

Not a bad movie but films like this rely on the viewer caring about the main characters, I didn't. The first half with the pair of girls playing was fun but once the dull boys came into it the movie drags slowly into not very much.

This film meanders through its story but sadly never really takes off. There is a sort of point to the story but it's hard to find and frankly not much of a point when you find it. It is a watchable film but I, and it seemed most around me, were not disappointed when it eventually fizzled out and ended. I thought the acting was quite good and there were a couple of funny moments. I guess some may see this story on a different level and feel more empathy towards it but that wasn't me.

Went to see this after the trailers made it look pretty funny but i was disappointed. The movie was slow and dragged on with no surprises. It seems all the good bits were in the trailer. Unless you can connect with the characters this will be a drawn out movie you'll be happen what ends.

So I get the point of this movie ,, girl gotta be her own self .. If she wants to be someone she's trying to be she should not be depending on a husband or a friend or whatever ... I mean cool idea .. not original though ,, didn't read the book ,, but I watched an interview once for Emma Jane Unsworth (the writer of ANIMALS the book) and she kinda gave a clear idea that she wants an all girl movie just because girl power ... which is amazing, don't get me wrong.. but apparently the book itself isn't that strong for this ... The cast were okay though,, I like Alia Shawkat, she's like 30 now but she still has that funny quirky overstepping girl kinda vibes and she had a good back and forth with Holliday Grainger ,, anyway, the script, hence the book, didn't help but still the whole cast tried. Anyway, this is not a good choice for a family movie night ,, but If you feel like there's literally nothing to watch ,, try to find some old DVDs you have or something, and if you couldn't then Aaah what the heck, you can watch it , who know's you might not hate it.

Apart from dull but motivated Jim, all of the remaining lead characters were irritating, deluded, lazy, lacking any empathy and not as funny as they thought they were. I disliked them all uniformally. Filling the gap that Fleabag left? Should be up in court for fraud for that tagline alone. Avoid....

Two best friends, in a coming of age, finding their purpose within their own love story story. Helped and hindered with copious narcotics, alcohol and general partying. Based on the novel from 2014 of the same name by Emma Jane Unsworth. This film has some wonderful bits. If you appreciate some depth, and challenge, and at times a female Withnail and I / Fleabag'esk environment this will likely work for you. It is not without faults, meanders a little, but this does feel part of the story and not "wrong", but could be a little tighter. Holliday Grainger trying to look rough from intense partying is interesting as she looks annoying stunning mostly, but her performance and that of Alia Shawkat is really something, with some beautiful dialogue and heart squeezing performances. This is not an easy watch, although fun at times as it moves in a complex journey to the "coming of age". A worthy watch, and I suspect for the right person, a cracker. 7/10

The actress that played Taylor was so unbelievably irritating that it ruined any chance this movie had with me. If someone else were playing this role, you could maybe see both sides between the 2 main characters but because of how obnoxious she is, I only saw the one side. I would run screaming from someone that annoying! It would give me the absolute shock of my life if that actress was nothing at all like the character. Just overall her presence was cringy & I think the movie would have reeled me in a bit more without her.

'Animals (2019)' tells the unconventional coming-of-age of two party animals forced to face reality when one of them gets engaged. This strains their strong, ten-year-long friendship and causes both to question their lifestyles, in their own ways. The often-inebriated pair seem to sleepwalk through the day and come alive at night, taking copious amounts of drugs (both legal and not so legal), staying out all night and sleeping with strangers - all under the pretence of 'rallying against the system'. Grainger's writer's-block-ridden aspiring-novelist seems to purposefully seek a catalyst for change after realising a large portion of her life has passed her by, whereas Shawkat's no-aspirations barista seems to constantly lament the very concept. This push and pull forms the basis for film's dramatic underpinning, leading to a grounded and rather nuanced story of self-actualisation - or the struggle for it, at least. While it does conform to the conventions of its genre, it feels actually incredibly natural; in the moment, all sense of it being a movie falls away in favour of a far more realistic feel. This is, in large part, thanks to the imperfections of pretty much every core player. The two leads, especially, are presented not as 'likeable' but as 'honest', making them all the more empathetic. It all appears quite effortless but it's actually the result of a fantastic screenplay. Of course, this is brought to life by equally brilliant performances, assured direction and often-inspired cinematography. The movie starts off a little slow but it soon settles into its own pace and becomes extremely engaging. It weaves relatable themes into a plot peppered with situations of all differing sorts - whether they be funny, charming, saddening or frustrating - and a central relationship that's as compelling a pairing as we've seen all year. It's bold, vital and, most importantly, enjoyable. 7/10