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Film Review: Walk with Me
★★★☆☆ Much like the serene community of Zen Buddhists who have committed to a life of tranquility and inner calm under the tutelage of mindfulness guru Thich Nhat Hanh, enjoyment of meditative documentary Walk with Me depends largely on whether or not a viewer is prepared to sign up to the program. In the verdant…
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Film Review: Hostiles
★★★☆☆ Venturing into its blood-soaked history and the atrocities which shaped American society, Scott Cooper’s Hostiles is an unflinching exploration of the unspeakable cruelty of which human kind is capable, and culpable. However, in contrast to the pessimism of a D. H. Lawrence quote which prefaces a truly galling opening sequence, there is the slightest…
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Film Review: All the Money in the World
★★☆☆☆ Dogged by controversy due to the recent allegations surrounding the once-attached Kevin Spacey – hastily replaced over seven weeks of intensive re-shoots by Christopher Plummer – Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World wins points for technical ingenuity but gradually reveals itself to be an otherwise pedestrian, by-the-numbers kidnap drama. Based on true…
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Our 20 most anticipated films of 2018
With our best of 2017 rundown now in the bag, here’s a look at a selection of films we’re most looking forward to in the next twelve months – should they emerge from the edit in time – including the return of esteemed independent directors Leos Carax, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Debra Granik and many, many…
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Film Review: Ava
★★★★☆ During the French summer holidays, 13-year-old Ava (Noée Abita) has just been diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition that is slowly blinding her. While her supportive mother, Maud (Laure Calamy) juggles attempting a sense of normalcy with her own personal life, Ava embarks on a journey of self discovery. Set in the same region…
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“Let the past die”: the politics of legacy in The Last Jedi
Spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi ahead Star Wars has always been about cycles – fathers and sons, apprentices and masters, redemption and renewal. When Obi-Wan Kenobi confronts Darth Vader in A New Hope, Vader tells him that “the circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner, now I…
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Film Review: Pitch Perfect 3
★★☆☆☆ The Barden Bellas return to the spotlight in their third outing, an uneven European tour that wraps a nice bow around the group’s acca-xploits, but lacks what made the original special. They never expected to get this far. They were only in it for their love of singing. They weren’t even supposed to have…
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Film Review: The Greatest Showman
★★★☆☆ Hugh Jackman returns to the musical after Australia and Les Miserables with The Greatest Showman, an uplifting if contrived film loosely based on the life of P.T. Barnum. It marks the directorial debut of Michael Gracey from a script written by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon. Jackman slots into the role of Barnum perfectly,…
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Film Review: Molly’s Game
★★★★☆ Starring Jessica Chastain as poker princess Molly Bloom, Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut Molly’s Game provides all the quick witted verve and punch you’d expect from the acclaimed screenwriter. The greatest successes of Aaron Sorkin’s screenwriting career – The Social Network and Moneyball – have something of a common thread: true tales of seemingly unremarkable…
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Film Review: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
★★★☆☆ The original Jumanji was released at the height of Robin Williams’ career in the 1990s and offered adventure and escapism for the whole family. The same can mostly be said for its sequel, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan. The stakes may be low and the…
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