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...
Carol Competition
Winner Best Actor - Rooney Mara - Cannes Film Festival 2015. Based on Patricia Highsmith’s novella The Price of Salt.
Set in 1950s New York, two women from very different backgrounds find themselves in the throes of love in Carol. As conventional norms of the time challenge their undeniable attraction, an honest story emerges to reveal the resilience of the heart in the face of change.
A young woman in her 20s, Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), is a clerk working in a Manhattan ...
The Night Before Movie Review
We have a tradition around these parts in putting a concentrated effort into scaring off our guests with warped movie playlists, eggnog with only booze and no nog and a black and yellow Christmas tree (a left over cinema display from Seinfeld’s grand folly, Bee Movie). Every year we add to the Kringle cruel collection but it’s been years since a movie this f&$%ed up has joined the mad menagerie.
The Night Before has just about everything to guaranty holiday good cheer, drugs, ...
Youth Competition
Fred (Michael Caine) and Mick (Harvey Keitel), two old friends, are on vacation in an elegant hotel at the foot of the Alps. Fred, a composer and conductor, is now retired. Mick, a film director, is still working. They look with curiosity and tenderness on their children’s confused lives, Micks enthusiastic young writers, and the other hotel guests. While Mick scrambles to finish the screenplay for what he imagines will be his last important film, Fred has no intention of resuming his ...
Creed Movie Review
It first must be said that the film features some extremely graphic faux boxing footage and is not for the weak of stomach. Secondly it dips quite often into populist sentimentality. Within those constraints however, it is a very enjoyable film and mumble as he might, Stallone holds his end up quite admirably.
Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station) as Adonis Johnson is Balboa’s protégé and he really sells the role with his gym sculptured bod and obvious ring training. He isn’t your ...
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 ...
Love the Coopers Competition
The holiday season comes but once a year – and that’s more than enough for the Cooper family. In this hilarious and heartwarming comedy, the family brace themselves for their annual Christmas Eve celebration. With her marriage on the rocks, Charlotte Cooper (Diane Keaton) has just one wish – to bring the whole family together for one last perfect Christmas. But with grand plans to rekindle the spark in their relationship, Charlotte’s husband Sam (John Goodman) is determined to use ...
Secret In Their Eyes Movie Review
The acting this time around features A-list actors and includes Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Chiwetel Ejiofor (whose name I can now both remember and pronounce!). They work very hard at selling the emotion and sorrow of what was a very tragic event and it’s hard not to be drawn into the pathos.
The trouble occurs as it so often does when the film reaches its crescendo in the last reel. The events in question cannot be mentioned here due to spoiler alerts but suffice to say the ...
The Last Witch Hunter Movie Review
If you can get past Diesel's quietly hilarious Norse beard, The Last Witch Hunter is a reasonably fun fantasy action thriller. It’s Middle Ages sections hark to the sword 'n' sorcery cheapies of the early eighties (The Sword and the Sorcerer, Beastmaster, Krull et al) while it's present day sections are solid Ghostbusters/Men In Black type fare with a dash of Underworld thrown in for good measure.
It's all harmless fun, though the final showdown between the good guy and the bad girl is ...
The Dressmaker Movie Review
The story revolves around country life in a very small town and the often times negative effects of power and privilege filtered through gossip and innuendo. Kate Winslet is fantastic as Myrtle 'Tilly' Dunnage who returns to the town to address some long held secrets. Liam Hemsworth (brother of Thor) is also very effective as the love interest.
The film is unafraid to throw the audience and the characters themselves under the bus and as such there are some very genuine moments of ...
