Ludicrous remake that underuses Bryan Cranston. The whole thing starts off promisingly enough, but after 20 minutes or so you really just want it to stop. 2/10
Author: Jonathan Turton
Excellent atmosphere in this nicely paced film from Richard Ayoade based on Dostoyevsky’s novel of the same name. Jesse Eisenberg is great in the double roles, and Mia Wasikowska shows that Stoker was just an unfortunate blip! 9/10
It’s a Wes Anderson film. Again. Not my favourite of his – when the whimsy overtakes the storytelling, I start to struggle. 6/10
Good biopic. Idris Elba imbues Mandela with the muscular charisma he needs – especially for a generation who knew him only as an old man. 9/10
The second Hobbit film is all set pieces, and you start to feel Peter Jackson stretching out the story. It also departs fairly dramatically from the book as our old pal Legolas rocks up. The sequences inside Erebor with Smaug are by far the best and it has one of the best endings ever. A… Read More
Split the room, but even the silly ending doesn’t detract from the superb opening and the feel of the film. It’s as much about the filmmaking as the plot or the characters – and worth seeing in 3D Imax – but as it’s not that long (91 minutes) so it doesn’t matter. Whether Clooney needed… Read More
Exactly as entertaining as you’d expect. No more, no less. Steve Coogan may never escape his greatest creation, but at least he has the sense to evolve the character over time. The whole thing is fairly predictable but if you like Alan Partridge then you’ll enjoy this. 7/10
This rare insight into Saudi culture is eye-opening and enjoyable, though it’s hard to shake the feeling that you shouldn’t be enjoying as much as you do given the underlying themes. 9/10
Surprisingly good up until the end when it disintegrates into superhero nonsense. The Bullet Train sequence is something special, even more so in 3D. 8/10
Lightweight nonsense, but with a few great scenes. Might just take itself a bit too seriously, but as long as you don’t you’ll be fine. 6/10
Kevin Costner is the best thing about this film by far – and it’s not often you say that. Otherwise abysmal. The posters are the best thing about this reboot. 4/10
Too much style over substance in a slightly predictable outing from Danny Boyle. James McAvoy remains unconvincing as an action hero – his undoubted talents are better deployed elsewhere. 5/10
Dull dull dull. Nicole Kidman can’t save this dire outing from Park Chan-wook. It’s not scary, it’s not big and it’s definitely not clever. 3/10
Engaging and tense with the right degree of ambiguity. Jessica Chastain is excellent (and does well to avoid comparisons with Claire Danes’ Carrie Matheson). The film also gives some insight into the messiness of ops. Some definitely feel it’s too propagandist, and maybe have a point, but as a piece of film making it’s gripping.… Read More
Spielberg’s Shakesperean drama is wordy and theatrical and has a towering central performance from Daniel Day-Lewis. I loved it, but suspect it’s one for the American history buffs and fans of exposistion. 9/10
This Tarantino outing is more a “southern” than a “western”. It’s overlong (how many endings does one film need?) and Christoph Waltz carries the film while Foxx struggles. Di Caprio’s cameo is the best thing in the film, which is hugely entertaining, occasionally horrendously violent, but ultimately not quite interesting enough. 6/10
Stretched out, but still enjoyable. Lacks menace of the Lord of the Rings flms; but more rambunctious fun. 8/10
We all know the song, but how many of you have seen the film? Unsuprisingly it feels dated, and it lacks the refined charm of some other musicals of the era, but there are some great scenes and you have to just go with it. 7/10
Everyone knows this is the best Bond film. Because it is. After the disastrous Quantum of Solace, Daniel Craig reasserts his claim to be the number one double-o seven in this much more modern (dare one say “realistic” for a Bond film?) take on the genre. No wonder Barbara Broccoli wanted Sam Mendes back for… Read More
An astonishing other-worldly film that’s captivating and sad and uplifting. Tremendous (and much lauded) debut performances from the two principal cast members Quvenzhané Wallis and Dwight Henry. Well worth watching – it’s never quite what you expect. 9/10