CineVue
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Film Review: ‘300: Rise of an Empire’
★★☆☆☆ Despite being an orgy of blood and testosterone, there was something refreshing in the depiction of ancient Greece in Zack Snyder’s 300 (2006). Cinema has a propensity for curbing the outlandish elements of Hellenic mythology – by doing away with it altogether, a la Troy (2004), or invoking grittiness as with Clash of the Titans…
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DVD Review: ‘The Patience Stone’
★★★☆☆ It takes a brave director to tackle a film set mainly in one room, the type of set-up usually far better suited to theatre than cinema. It makes more sense upon learning that director Atiq Rahimi is also the author of the novel The Patience Stone (2012) was adapted from. Perhaps then, the kudos…
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DVD Review: ‘Gravity’
★★★☆☆ Gravity (2013) plays on that classic dramatic conflict – man versus the elements – exploited by Alfonso Cuarón in his Oscar-winning and visually arresting film about two astronauts lost in space. Sandra Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a medical engineer on her first NASA mission, accompanied by veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney). When…
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DVD Review: ‘For Those in Peril’
★★★★☆ An hypnotic fable of guilt and redemption, Paul Wright’s ethereal Scottish drama For Those in Peril (2013) tells the story of Aaron (George MacKay), a troubled young man who’s the sole survivor of a fishing accident that claimed the lives of his brother and five other crew members. Unable to recall the incident and convinced…
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Oscars 2014: ‘Gravity’ pulls in seven, ’12 Years’ Best Picture
This year’s accolade season finally drew to a close last night/this morning with the star-studded 86th Academy Awards ceremony. As predicted, Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity was the big winner of the night with seven awards including Best Director, Achievement in Cinematography and Best Original Score. However, it was British director Steve McQueen’s hotly tipped 12 Years a Slave…
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Oscars 2014: The latest odds
Awards season is gradually winding to a close with most of the backslapping for 2013’s best in film behind us. However, the big night is still to come, and that means that speculative Oscar predictions are now in full flow. Every year, there are a handful of major awards for which it’s fairly clear which…
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Oscars 2014: Our predictions
This Sunday evening (2 March), the 86th Academy Awards ceremony will take place at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre, with Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity almost a dead cert to bag the most Oscar wins (it’s nominated for ten). Also on ten nominations is David O’ Russell’s ensemble crime caper American Hustle, an increase of two…
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Oscars 2014: Best Original Score contenders
The annual 86th Academy Awards ceremony rolls into LA this Sunday for a night of cinematic celebration, and whilst the winner of the coveted Best Picture Oscar hangs on everyone’s lips (will it be slave drama 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle or space thriller Gravity?), the nominees for Best Original Score must wait patiently…
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Oscars 2014: ‘American Hustle’ & ‘Gravity’ on top
Following hot on the heels of last week’s Bafta nominations in London as well as the weekend’s telling Golden Globe results, at 1.30pm GMT today the list of nominees for this year’s 86th Academy Awards were broadcast across the globe. Presented by Rush and Thor star Chris Hemsworth, it was Steve McQueen’s harrowing period drama…
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Film Review: ‘We Are What We Are’
★★★★☆ Jim Mickle’s We Are What We Are (2013) – his follow-up to blood-soaked vampire drama Stake Land (2010) – is so convincing that it almost makes the case for the horror remake as a viable, rich art form in and of itself. Not only is it a much better film than Jorge Michel Grau’s…