Amon Warmann
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Film Review: The Last Tree
★★★★☆ British filmmaker Shola Amoo loses none of the authenticity in transitioning from documentary to narrative cinema with The Last Tree, an assured and moving sophomore effort. The coming-of-age tale – which is also semi-autobiographical – focuses on Femi (played as a child by Tai Golding, before morphing into Sam Adewunmi as a teen), a…
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Interview: Shola Amoo and Sam Adewunmi, The Last Tree
British filmmaker Shola Amoo returns to screens this week with his sophomore effort The Last Tree. The coming-of-age tale tells the story of Femi, a Nigerian boy fostered in Lincolnshire who struggles to reconnect with his culture after he moves in with his biological mother.
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DVD Review: ‘Sabotage’
★★☆☆☆ The last two films in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comeback tour have provided schlocky but enjoyable titillation, with The Last Stand edging out Escape Plan as the better of the two. Directed by David Ayer, Sabotage (2014) has loftier ambitions, but despite some solid work from its leading man the film is tripped up by its…
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DVD Review: ‘Transcendence’
★★☆☆☆ From former Christopher Nolan cinematographer Wally Pfister and packing an all-star cast, there were plenty of reasons to be excited about Transcendence (2014). Sadly, the end result is a disappointing mess of a movie which fails to deliver on its strong premise. Transcendence follows Will Caster (Johnny Depp), one of the leading minds in…
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Interview: ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ cast
Directed by filmmaking brothers Anthony and Joe Russo and newly released on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D here in the UK, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) is the latest Phase Two instalment in Marvel’s ever-expanding cinematic universe. Steve Rogers, aka Captain America (Chris Evans), is now found adjusting to life after being on ice…
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DVD Review: ‘Ride Along’
★★☆☆☆ It’s hard not to think of those classic Eddie Murphy cop films of the eighties and nineties when sitting through Ride Along (2014), the latest film to see Kevin Hart flex his comedic, box office-baiting, leading man muscles. There are many similarities between the two loquacious humorists, and while there is no denying Hart’s…
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Film Review: ‘Godzilla’
★★★★☆ It’s been sixty years since the release of Ishirō Honda’s monster movie classic Godzilla (1954), and the fearsome reptile has gone on to become an icon of pop culture spawning no fewer than 28 iterations, the last of which is widely regarded as a failure. Only the sophomore effort from Gareth Edwards, the Monsters…
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Film Review: ‘Bad Neighbours’
★★★★☆ Seth Rogen and Nicholas Stoller are responsible for some of the funniest comedies of the noughties, from 2007’s Superbad to The Five-Year Engagement (2012). Bad Neighbours (2014) marks the first time the Apatow alumni have teamed up, and on this evidence it’d be a shame if it was the last; frequently earning hearty audience…
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Film Review: ‘Pompeii’
★★☆☆☆ Fashioning compelling stories even when the ultimate outcomes are already known can be a tall order, but when done well, it can still pack a punch. In this regard, Pompeii (2014) fails miserably; directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, it’s a film which takes cues from many a film before it while failing to improve…
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Film Review: ‘Plastic’
★☆☆☆☆ Though crime capers often have their characters participating in dishonourable actions, there’s commonly a likable, redeeming quality to them that makes them easy to root for. This fundamental building block is nowhere to be found in Julian Gilbey’s Plastic (2014), which makes the entire film tedious to sit through. Wannabe entrepreneur Sam (Downton Abbey…