★★★★★ It was almost inevitable that the cinematic debut from actor, writer and director Chris Morris would attract an inordinate amount of controversy and media attention. For those uninitiated in the work of British comedy’s enfant terrible, Morris kick-started his career on Armando Iannucci’s […]
There’s been a lot said about Cemetery Junction (2010), the first feature release co-written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, mostly (and to the film’s detriment) by Gervais himself. What is worth realizing before watching the film is that despite what so many […]
Imagine my horror (go on, do it) when I discovered that Owen Wilson was to provide the voice for talking dog Marmaduke in the new live action/CGI film of the same name, directed by Shanghai Noon (2000) director Tom Dey. I haven’t seen, nor will I […]
When you’re writer and director Sylvain Chomet, following up your universally adored and critically acclaimed first feature, whilst at the same time meeting the subsequent expectations that inherently come with such accolades, is understandably going to be an immensely difficult and somewhat daunting task.However, […]
Tom Cruise often comes across as a pint-sized, arrogant, pampered Hollywood cliché, and his notorious appearance on The Oprah Winfrey show could (and perhaps should) have been the final nail in his career’s 5ft solid gold coffin, yet Cruise somehow bounced back onto screens earlier […]
The title Repo Men (2010) brings Darren Lynn Bousman’s Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008) to mind and indeed the two films share some significant similarities. Both take place in a not too distant future, where organs are sold on credit and repossessed if the […]
★★★★☆ Yorgos Lanthimos’ Dogtooth (2009) is an unsettling examination of how easily the desire to control others can lead to tyranny. The film follows three teenagers confined with their parents in an isolated Greek country house. Surrounded by high fences on all sides and in possession of a carefully […]
A conspiracy-thriller in the mould of a Bourne movie, Largo Winch (2008) is a predominantly French production based on a comic book series by Belgian writer/artist team Philippe Francq and Jean Van Hamme. The big screen adaptation features an international cast and a variety […]
I’ve found that as I watch more and more films, I notice the increasing use of lazy cliche comments that act as a shorthand information provider for the viewer. You see, words come loaded with meanings, and through the arrangement and clever use of […]
★★★★☆ The intent behind The Expendables (2010) is now legendary; a chance to bring back the past action stars of yore, all heralded under heavyweight director/writer/star Sylvester Stallone’s banner. The Expendables introduces (or should that be re-introduces) us to a gang of mercenaries, hard […]
★★★★☆ Revered director Bong Joon-ho is one of a number of South Korean directors that have (rightly) garnered recognition for his cinematic work in the West. His latest film Mother (2009), is a wonderful achievement which deserves just as much praise as his monster hit The […]
According to many of the most successful film producers and studios worldwide, the future of cinema lies in the ‘game-changing’, ‘immersive’ quality of 3D film, satisfying a natural desire within cinema-going audiences to feel evermore part of the visual world portrayed on screen. However, […]
From long-haired alien teenager Tommy in the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun to this summer’s smash-hit blockbuster Inception (2010), Joseph Gordon-Levitt, at the age of 29, has become one of the darlings of Hollywood independent cinema. And for me, he is one of […]
★★★☆☆ In the aftermath of the announced abolition of the UK Film Council by the UK Coalition government, much has been made on how this will directly affect the country’s ability to firstly support its home ground talent, and secondly, the UK film industry’s […]
Bombastic titles aside, I think it’s time we addressed the issue of the cinematic ‘team up’. With The Expendables (2010) now on general release (it’s every beefcake action hero from the last 20 years…together…all sharing the same grunt space!) and The Avengers (2012) movie […]
Splice is a film with a lot to live up to. Firstly, it comes from Vicenzo Natali, the writer/director of Cube (1997): one of the best horror/sci-fi hybrids in recent memory. Secondly, Splice is Natali’s attempt to revive ‘body-horror’, a horror sub-genre that has […]
As darkness falls on a Montreal evening and stars begin to appear, two Inuit woman take their places on stage under a giant wigwam. They face each other, join arms and the haunting sound of traditional throat singing silences the crowd who have gathered […]
There’s something ultimately disappointing about the latest supernatural Spanish horror Hierro: it’s certainly stylishly shot and edited, its lead actress is impressive as a woman drained with grief and longing, and the plot is satisfyingly mysterious. However, as a film which has been boldly […]
