The Danish Girl Movie Review
The cast of The Danish Girl also features the outstanding talent of Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) as Gerda Wegener. Gerda is Elbe’s wife, fellow painter and long suffering supporter. Her level of support, selflessness and compassion for her husband is at the heart of the film.
With all of the pieces in place for an emotional cinema going experience, why then does the film leave the viewer feeling so detached? It’s shot beautifully, maybe too beautifully and ...
In the Heart of the Sea Movie Review
Based on the novel of the same name (author Nathaniel Philbrick’s 2000 non-fiction book), this template in a lesser director’s hands could have lead to a very processional outing. Howard’s film suffers from none of that limitation. The movie is a rousing edge of your seat ride that has a look and feel that takes you right into the heart of the tale of that great white monster, Moby Dick.
Chris Hemsworth leaves the fantasy world behind this time and delivers a very powerful perfor...
The Program Movie Review
The film places a bit too much emphasis on the viewer having a working knowledge of the actual story as it introduces important characters with little or no explanation. For the uninitiated, this leads to a bit of confusion. For those familiar with the story, it’s effective film making that doesn’t slow down the pace with unneeded explanations or back-stories.
Ben Foster does a good job as Armstrong even though he doesn’t look that much like him (the archive race footage comprised ...
Suffragette Competition
Directed by Sarah Gavron, alongside a team of inspiring women filmmakers, Suffragette is a thrilling drama that tracks the story of the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement; women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State. Radicalised and turning to violence as the only route to change, they were willing to lose everything in their fight for equality - their jobs, their homes, their children and their lives. Maud ...
The Walk Movie Review
Enter Robert Zemeckis; director of numerous landmark films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Back To The Future, Forest Gump and Contact but has failed to match the quality and innovation of those films for nigh on twenty years. His last film, Flight, was a reasonable attempt at recapturing prior successes but it was no Contact. The time is right - nay overdue - for a return to form.
The Walk isn't quite that film. But it is a very good film. It is imbued with the same emotional fibre of ...
Bridge Of Spies Movie Review
Based in the murky waters of the shadowy world of espionage back in the late fifties, the film does an admirable job of keeping the audience in the know. There was such a litany of enemies (both real and perceived) of the American way of life presented back then that the story could have easily diffused into myopic rubbish. It steers mostly clear of easy slogans.
Hanks plays super hostage negotiator James B. Donovan as he tries to trade a Russia spy to secure the release of Gary Powers, ...
Legend Movie Review
No twin brothers could be more different than Reggie and Ronald Kray and Hardy plays them both so effectively with only small make up tricks and big acting chops. Browning plays Frances Shea a girl from around the neighbourhood who falls in love with and eventually marries brother Reggie.
The story told through her eyes gives the proceedings a more human tone and gives the tale a feel of authenticity that is tinged with great sadness. This approach helps raise the film above being a mere ...
Freeheld Competition
Julianne Moore and Ellen Page as a couple who, in their darkest hour, take on the biggest fight of their lives. When police detective Laurel Hester (Moore) meets Stacie Andree (Page), they instantly form a connection. The couple fall deeply and unexpectedly in love, and before long, are building a life together. But when tragedy strikes and Laurel is diagnosed with cancer, she faces discrimination as government officials refuse to allow her to leave her pension, earned over 23 years of ...
Black Mass Movie Review
Johnny Depp breaks step with all that pirate nonsense and delivers his best performance in years as Irish-American organised crime boss, James ‘Whitey’ Bulger. In 1975 as an informant, Bulger enjoyed the protection of the FBI whilst supplying information the Feds used to take down his Italian rivals and allowed him to replace them as a kingpin in Boston. It was a charmed deal for Bulger until the mid nineties when the media blew the lid off this corrupt arrangement.
A barely recogn...
Amy Movie Review
When Winehouse broke out in the early noughties, she really stood out. Here was a jazz singer that wrote incredibly personal lyrics, had great vocal chops and delivered them with a looseness that ran counter to a lot of jazz singer’s rigid professionalism. That she was a hot mess only added to the original appeal.
The film was made in the beginning with the family’s full approval but as the final cut came together their disapproval became pronounced and it’s easy to see why as her ...
