Reviews 1033 results

Retro Movie Review – Snowpiercer

In 1982 a French graphic novel (that’s the adult term for a comic) postulated a world thrown into an ice age where the remnants of humanity are trapped on a train that never stops. Thirty years later we have an international film (Korean director Bong Joon Ho and ensemble cast) to take us on that ride. If you thought peak hour trains were bad, wait until you see Snowpiercer. At the back of the train (1001 cars long according to the comic) are the underclass, given barely enough food to ...

The Jesus Rolls Movie Review

For fans of The Dude, this has to be one of the biggest disappointments ever as The Jesus Rolls fails on so many levels. It’s stilted, uncool and worst of all, just not funny. It flaunts a very uncomfortable anti-feminist approach and completely wastes the considerable charms of its female lead, Audrey Tautou, she of Amélie and The Da Vinci Code.   //   In the film, Jesus gets out of jail and embarks on a road trip that goes nowhere with his old running buddy, Petey ...

The Current War Movie Review

Originally falling into a release limbo caused by the disintegration of the Weinstein group following Harvey’s deserved fall from grace, The Current War finally sees the light of day on our big screens. Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon also reasserted some control after discovering a final cut privilege clause in Executive Producer Martin Scorsese’s contract and trimmed down the film before its theatrical release.   //   The film covers the early period of trying to ...

The Wolf’s Call Movie Review

The tale begins when a sub called the Titan needs to pick up a group of French solders from a Syrian coastline and evade detection from both an Iranian frigate sharing the waters and Syrian ground troops. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the extremes the crew have to go through to avoid detection and how tightly knit the crew have to be. It also provides some funny moments as insight into the crews behaviour to remain sane is provided.   //   As a new player comes onto ...

Bloodshot Movie Review

Casting Vin Diesel in the lead role pretty much sums up the approach to the dialogue and having Wilson, with his long history with visual effects on both film and video games gives a clear indication of the intent with visuals. The science of the film is so dodgy, it need not be mentioned again.   //   The story as it is, is very minimal and revolves around Diesel’s Ray Garrison / Bloodshot character being a recycled killer. His programming is supplied by Dr. Emil ...

Honey Boy Movie Review

LaBeouf plays the father figure in the film and his son is played by two different actors, as the young boy by Noah Jupe (Ford V Ferrari and A Quiet Place) and the young adult by Lucas Hedges (Boy Erased and Lady Bird), both do a wonderful job. Jupe is especially expressive and delivers some very heartbreaking lines. LaBeouf’s father figure is a tormented man and bears the scars of a life without the compass that a compassionate upbringing can provide. This is a case study on how ...

Military Wives Movie Review

This ensemble grows and becomes much more than just a singing group and it increases in importance as its participants deal with the pressures and tragedies that can accompany life in the army. The large cast provides different view points from the various rungs of the military ladder.   //   Kristin Scott Thomas delivers one of her text book perfect performances as a repressed English lady with too much privilege and seemingly not enough humanity. There is more to her ...

Queen & Slim Movie Review

She starts the film with an awkward date between two people, Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith) and Slim (Daniel Kaluuya), a couple that have very little in common. Queen is a sharply opinionated attorney and Slim is well, really just a dude. On the drive home they are pulled over by an overly aggressive police officer and after the stop escalates into violence, they feel forced to go on the run together.   //   The events of the confrontation become public knowledge via the ...

Honeyland Movie Review

Hatidze Muratova is a beekeeper who lives in a remote mountainous village in North Macedonia. She is very poor and shares a domicile with her sickly mother. She tends to her bees with love, respect and in harmonious balance with the laws of the land. She has very simple needs and is very careful to not deplete the natural resources that her bee colonies represent.   //   When a large family moves into her tiny village, their expanded needs and disregard for Hatidze’s ...

The Way Back Movie Review

Ben Affleck, who has had his own issues with substance abuse, plays Jack Cunningham, a man hiding in a bottle to avoid dealing with a huge personal loss. The establishing scenes make if very clear that there is a deep seated problem with alcohol and as things develop you are given more details on the cause.   //   Affleck, never known for his dynamic range as an actor is well cast as a man that feels only pain and his monosyllabic delivery suits the character. The film ...