Jeri Jacquin
Currently on 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and DVD and currently on Digital from director Edgar Wright, Focus Features and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment comes the mesmerizing story about the LAST NIGHT IN SOHO.
Ellie Turner (Thomasin McKenzie) wants to create fashion of the sixties and loves music of that era as well. Raised by her grandmother Margaret (Rita Tushingham) in Redruth, Cornwall, she has lived her life missing her mother who sometimes sees her mother in passing. Accepted to the London College of Fashion in, Ellie now has the opportunity to begin a less quiet life in the lights of a big city.
Starting off on bad footing, resident hall roommate Jocasta (Synnove Karlsen) is a party girl that does not seem a serious student as Ellie. Knowing she has no other choice to succeed, she finds a comfortable and quiet room at Ms. Collins (Diana Rigg) home. From the first night, she begins having dreams of being in the 1960s which is the era she loves.
At the Café de Paris, Ellie sees the beautiful Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy) saunter into a room as if she commanded every inch of it. She meets manager Jack (Matt Smith) who sees a star quality in the young woman. He gets Sandie an audition at the Soho club and comes back to the room the young girl recognizes. Ellie is so stunned by Sandie that she begins to design a dress for her.
Even more inspired, Ellie begins to make change in her appearance and the young John (Michael Ajao) takes notice. John invites Ellie to a Halloween party and they are not there long before Ellie starts to see things that send her into a tailspin. Now, memories and murder collide that force Ellie to involve the police who may decide she is not of sound mind.
John believes her and will do anything to help Ellie discover what is real, what is not, who is Sandie and what happened to her!
McKenzie as Ellie is an insecure young girl who comes from a family of sadness. Believing that following her dream (and Mom’s too) of creating amazing fashion, being accepted to the school in London means everything. Starting out a little hectic, Ellie finds solace and goes full steam into classes. That is until her mind takes her someplace unexpected and it begins to take its toll. McKenzie is given a role that she just takes to levels that kept me on my toes. Brilliantly done.
Taylor-Joy as Sandie is lovely, seductive and as big dreams just like Ellie. Trying to follow those dreams is where things begin to be dark and horrific. Ellie is seeing all of it and Taylor-Joy moves with grace and wears the clothing of the era like she was born to them. I have been a fan of Taylor-Joy for some time now and I think she excels in this role from the rise to the fall of Sandie.
Smith as Jack is the harbinger of corruption. He is charming, good-looking and knows how to treat a girl – especially one he intends to use in dreaded ways. Jaw dropping and riveting at the same time because this character is one of many. Ajao as John sees something in Ellie even before she makes all the mod changes in her life. He genuinely likes Ellie and wants to help when he begins to suspect there is something deeply wrong. Ajao is so sweet and charming, even when he is a little bad, as John and, most importantly, does not give up on Ellie.
Shout out to Ms. Rigg in her role as Ms. Collins. Following her career from the time I understood what television and movies were, Ms. Rigg has given it all. Imagine my thrill when she turned up on HBO’s Game of Thrones as Olenna Tyrell – and she did not disappoint. I am leaving the rest for the viewer to watch her stunning performance in LAST NIGHT IN SOHO because you will not be disappointed either.
Other cast include Sam Claflin as young Lindsey, Jessie Mei Li as Lara Chung, Elizabeth Berrington as Ms. Tobin, Pauline McLynn as Carol, Aimee Cassettari as Ellie’s Mom, Beth Singh as Cilla Black, Kassius Nelson as Cami, Rebecca Harrod as Ashley, and Terence Stamp as Lindsey.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.
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Bonus
Features include Making of Featurettes, Meet Eloise, Dreaming of Sandie,
Smoke and Mirrors, On the Streets of Soho, Deleted Scenes, Animatics, First
Dream, Shadow Men, Murder, Final Confrontation, Extras, Hair & Makeup
Tests, Lighting and VFX tests, Wide Angle Witness Cam, and Action Town
Hall SteadiCam Rehearsals.
Also includes is ‘Downtown’ Music Video, Trailers, Feature Commentary with Director/Co-Writer Edgar Wright, Editor Paul Machliss and Composer Steve Price, and Feature Commentary with Director/Co-Writer Edgar Wright and Co-Writer Kristy Wilson-Cairns.
LAST NIGHT IN SOHO is breathtaking, a visual treat for the eyes, a storyline that will take the viewer on a journey without a roadmap and that is everything. The set designs are riveting, and the costuming is absolutely everything.
The cast takes this twisted tale and allows us along with them on a ride going absolutely anywhere it wants to go and we have no say. Wright and co-writer Cairns never let on either and all I can do is picture the two of them giggling as they wrote this screenplay. Bringing it to the screen is the cherry on the cake.
In the end – glamour is not everything!
