Couple in the last few days
"Galaxy Quest" - the has-been cast of a Star Trek type series eek out a living appearing at fan conventions, but get recruited by space aliens who think they are real heroic astronauts. Affectionately parodies Star Trek, with a superb cast including Sigourney Weaver, and Alan Rickman who is particularly wonderful as the jaded British actor bemoaning the depths to which he's sunk "I've played Richard III !" he laments at one point. Nice details like the minor actor roped in to the space aliens' scheme who's terrified he's going to be killed because his character doesn't even have a last name. Like many great comedies, it's played straight if that makes sense. I'd never watched it before as I'd wrongly dismissed it, but prompted by another favourable review on here, gave it a go.
Superbly done: easily 8/10 of pure entertainment,
We also watched "Their Finest" - a BBC-ish film about scriptwriting a propaganda film about the Dunkirk evacuation. Three excellent leads, Gemma Arterton, the central character, a secretary who becomes a scriptwriter; Sam Claflin, who also played Mosley in Peaky Blinders, superb as the cynical and sarcastic more established writer; and Bill Nighy on top form as a jaded ham actor past his best (standard Bill Nighy, but he's awfully good at it). Clever and witty, but never underplaying the seriously high stakes and desperation of the times, with tragedy and loss as well as joy. Particularly resonated that the interference of the "men from the ministry" though seeming silly, is actually of vital importance since how the film appears in America, and indeed the morale effect in the UK are matters of national survival
After having watched "Mank" about the writer of "Citizen Kane" only a week or so back it's funny have two excellent films about scriptwriting so close together. I enjoyed this a lot - another 8/10
