Suffragette 2015 Director: Sarah Gavron Cast: Carey Mulligan - Helena Bonham Carter - Anne Marie Duff - Ben Wishaw - Brendan Gleeson - Meryl Streep What appears at first glance to be worthy historic period drama, turns out to be an exceptional film with real pace, real drama, and a real message. The film is set 1912 and tells story of the suffragette … [Read more...]
Review: Magic Mike XXL (2015)
The first Magic Mike, it's fair to say, was far more successful than anyone could really have predicted it would be. Grossing more than $160 million from a $7 million budget and generally considered to be the beginning of the McConaissance, a sequel was inevitable, and now Mike Lane and the Kings of Tampa have returned for Magic Mike XXL. … [Read more...]
Review: Entourage (2015)
I'm going to lay my hand on the table straight away here: 1. I have never seen Entourage TV show and 2. This is not going to be a rant. Believe me, I was fully expecting to come back from the cinema and rip Entourage to shreds, but I won't be doing that. Instead, this is going to be a defence of the film from all the vitriolic (and I feel undeserved) criticism it has received. … [Read more...]
The Salvation (2014)
The Western as a genre has been pretty played out. Whether it's the cheesy John Wayne westerns, or the gunslinging Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns, the genre has very few things left to do with originality anymore. Django Unchained came close, mostly taking the standard Western formula and transplanting it into the setting of late-19th century American slavery. Even that, … [Read more...]
Review: Fast & Furious 7 (2015)
Following the sudden and tragic death of co-star Paul Walker, the team behind Fast & Furious 7 went back for a series of reshoots in order to pay homage to their friend. The results are surprisingly tasteful and this level of meta-knowledge helps fuel Walker's 'last ride' for the franchise. … [Read more...]
Review: Insurgent (2015)
Insurgent, sequel to the 2014 YA flick Divergent, is based around Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James), who are both on the run from Jeanine (Kate Winslet), who is hunting them down. This is due to the fact that Tris is a Divergent, a person who fits into several factions (segregated communities based on human virtues). Jeanine needs Tris to open a box that she … [Read more...]
Review: Selma (2014)
It's a little hard to believe that this is the first proper biopic of Martin Luther King, Jr., but at least it was worth the wait. Instead of trying to track his whole life and all of his efforts as part of the Civil Rights Movement, Selma wisely narrows its focus to a single episode of his campaigns, documenting the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. … [Read more...]
Review: The Gambler (2015)
When modernising a 1970s film starring James Caan about an intelligent professor whose melancholy outlook leads him into a merry-go-round of gambling addiction and self-destruction, you might not expect Mark Wahlberg to be your go-to leading man. But it's exactly what the director of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Rupert Wyatt has done in The Gambler. … [Read more...]
Review: Foxcatcher (2014)
A big hit at Cannes and likely to be one of this year's awards season heavyweights, Foxcatcher is the true story of reclusive billionaire John du Pont (Steve Carell), who established a wrestling gym at his estate to train the United States team. He invited Olympic gold medallists Mark (Channing Tatum) and Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) to coach the team. … [Read more...]
Review: Birdman (2014)
To attempt to summarise the visual and dramatic flair of Alejandro Gozalez Inarritu's latest film Birdman, would probably result in a breakdown similar to the main character experience's throughout this weaving, trippy nightmarish comedy. … [Read more...]