★★★☆☆ You’d perhaps be forgiven for thinking that John Butler’s The Stag (2013), co-written and starring Peter McDonald, might be in the vein of Bridesmaids (2011) or Bachelorette (2012) before it. What we actually get is a surprisingly tender Irish comedy, which traverses the depths of modern masculine identity, whilst Continue Reading
★★★☆☆ Magical realism helps bring to life one child’s search for a new home in the eminently likeable The Rocket (2013), the latest narrative feature from Australian director Kim Mordaunt. Shot entirely on location in Laos, Mordaunt’s heartwarming tale of redemption displays a solid – if somewhat basic – understanding Continue Reading
★★★★☆ On 5 December 2013, former ANC leader, past South African president and the world’s most famous political prisoner, Nelson Mandela, died following a long period of sustained ill health. His life was justly celebrated not only for the part it played in the dismantling of apartheid but even more Continue Reading
★★☆☆☆ Once again, that potentially lucrative and creative synergy between the gaming world and action cinema falls considerably short with the release of Scott Waugh’s Need for Speed (2014), a particularly lunkheaded adaptation of the phenomenally popular EA racer series. Gravity-defying motor porn exploits take pole position over plot and Continue Reading
★★★★☆ There is little that can prepare an audience for the stomach-churning realities presented in Kirby Dick’s exposé, The Invisible War (2012). A searing investigation into rape within the various branches of the US military, it’s both brutal and urgent; akin to an endurance test, but one that’s absolutely vital Continue Reading
