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Reviews
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Black Gold
What are you supposed to do when you and your brother have been living with the Emir of Hobeika (Antonio Banderas) for the last 15 years as a peace-keeping measure, and he starts a war with your real dad, The Sultan of Salmaah (Mark Strong) in early 20th century Arabia? This is the problem faced by young, bookish Auda (Tahar Rahim), as the … read more»
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Extremely Loud Incredibly Close
There was understandably some surprise when Stephen Daldry’s latest film, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, was nominated for Best Picture at this year’s forthcoming Oscars, but given Daldry’s previous nomination success with The Reader and Billy Elliot, it’s not completely shocking either. Indeed, the Academy likes an inspirational … read more»
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The Muppets
Co-writer and star Jason Segel and director James Bobin courageously embraced the arduous task of recapturing the magic of The Muppets for a new generation, safe in the knowledge that the adult ‘kids’ out there who remember the show first time around would only need a few bars of Sam Pottle and Jim Henson’s iconic theme tune to secure a … read more»
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Marcy Martha May Marlene
Not to be confused as one of the cutesy tween stars, the Olsen Twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley, little sister Elizabeth has cut her fledgling feature film teeth with far more sinister material in debut writer-director Sean Durkin’s psychological thriller, Martha Marcy May Marlene. Olsen’s performance can only be described as a groundbreaking … read more»
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The Grey
Liam Neeson has carved a rather comfortable nook for himself of late, as Hollywood’s brooding badass from across the shore. But there’s more behind that uncompromising gravelly voice and quietly threatening steely glare, as Joe Carnahan (Narc) proves in his adaptation of Ian MacKenzie Jeffers’ short ‘Ghost Walker‘, taking Neeson’s … read more»
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Coriolanus
Another Shakespearian text receives the contemporary treatment (albeit via one of his lesser-known plays) with Bard veteran Ralph Fiennes making his directorial debut alongside ably filling the central role of proud and defiant general, Gaius Marcius Coriolanus. The ruler of Rome (portrayed here as a faceless English city), Coriolanus is a … read more»
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Rampart
Directed by Oren Moverman, Rampart is a corrupt-cop drama, starring Woody Harrelson as Dave Brown, a man whose violent policing methods on the streets of L.A are a generation out-of-date. He is having to face the realisation that he is unable to do as he pleases without fear of reprisal. The first thing to note about Dave Brown is his cop … read more»
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Goon
Surprisingly violent and often very funny, Goon is an underdog sporting tale with a difference, and featuring a career best performance from Seann William Scott, it’s well worth getting your skates on and heading out to see it on the big screen. The man who is still chiefly known as Stifler, the shirt-chasing horndog from the ‘Pie’ … read more»
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The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
So striking and unique was Swedish actress Noomi Rapace’s portrayal of 21st century anti-heroine Lisbeth Salander in the original 2009 film that director David Fincher and screenwriter Steven Zaillian already had their work cut out adapting author Stieg Larsson’s complex first book of his Millennium trilogy as an English-language … read more»
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Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol
For the first 75 minutes or so, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol thumps along, rushing from set piece to set piece so quickly it barely gives the audience time to think. As we crash from a prison escape to a catastrophe at the Kremlin to a vertigo-inspiring sequence in Dubai, there’s little time to think, and the huge leaps in logic that … read more»
