Wonka Movie Review
Hollywood’s favourite man/boy Timothée Chalamet does fine in the lead role and even though he has no real vocal range, doesn’t embarrass himself by singing. The character's ability to create chocolate and magic out of thin air is a bit overused and this makes for a very unchallenging film experience. Its strength is in its charm.
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The technical elements of the film are stellar as the costumes and set design look fabulous as does the colour palette used. Olivia ...
Silent Night Movie Review
With John Woo’s name attached to Silent Night as director, things were looking good and other than the occasional overabundance of doves his sentimentality usually runs red. Not Santa Red either. With Joel Kinnaman (Suicide Squad and For All Mankind) named as lead actor, things also looked good in the action stakes.
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Kinnaman plays Godlock a man so tormented by horrendous events in his past that when he seeks revenge on the perpetrators, you know he is going to ...
The Old Oak Movie Review
He has consistently staked out his own territory in the industry. A space that often includes amateur or non-actor cast members and stories cut from the swatch of real life. This results in outstanding work that is socially relevant and emotionally satisfying but it’s a risky proposal.
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The Old Oak is topical and relevant but those risks outweigh the end results somewhat. The acting is underwhelming and counter to Loach’s usual emotional accuracy this ...
The Eight Mountains Movie Review
The father and sons dynamic of The Eight Mountains had so many parallels to my life it was uncanny. It’s a beautifully told story that doesn’t hold back on the triumphs and tragedies.
Pietro (played at various ages by Luca Marinelli, Lupo Barbiero and Andrea Palma) and Bruno (Alessandro Borghi, Cristiano Sassella and Francesco Palombelli) are childhood friends. Pietro comes from the city and Bruno the country and they both have a lot to learn from each other. Their personal fortunes ...
Napoleon Movie Review
Scott and writer David Scarpa have chosen to focus more on the relationship between Napoleon (Joaquin Phoenix) and his wife Josephine (Vanessa Kirby). Theirs was a dysfunctional union not helped in the least by the temper of the times and Napoleon’s odd nature and habits. Scott’s forcefulness with action sequences is also reduced and this seems an odd choice.
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One battle scene however is very effective and it is based on what is generally considered ...
Thanksgiving Movie Review
The story starts with an ugly example of consumer greed, both the retail store forcing its staff to work on that most gluttonous of holidays and the unruly crowd waiting anxiously to score a free waffle iron upon entry. The resultant riot is shown in all its run-red glory and the violence on display is the action that tips the first domino.
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Roth keeps the constantly dwindling cast in his sights and when they are dispatched it shows no lack of imagination. With ...
Saltburn Movie Review
Oliver is the odd man out. A student at Oxford that can claim neither money nor position. When he comes into contact with fellow student Felix Catto (Jacob Elordi) he sees him as possessing everything he fancies. Rich and from a family of privilege, he is great with the ladies and comfortable in his own skin. It is everything Oliver is not.
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When he is invited to vacation at the Catton residence, a huge estate called Saltburn, he gets a glimpse of a way ...
Watch the trailer for The Eight Mountains – coming to cinemas November 30!
Summer 1984, a secluded alpine village in the Aosta Valley. Holidaying with his mother (Elena Lietti) and father (Filippo Timi), 11-year-old Pietro befriends Bruno, the local son of a stonemason, and the two spend an idyllic vacation together. But when Pietro’s well-meaning but impetuous dad suggests that Bruno return to Turin with them so that he can receive a proper education, he inadvertently drives a wedge between the boys.
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In adulthood, their ...
British Film Festival – Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis Movie Review
They created one of the world’s most visible graphic designs with their album cover for Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Their story is a fascinating one and it parallels the history of some megalithic bands from back in the sixties and seventies.
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Fans of artists such as the above-mentioned Floyd, Peter Gabriel, The Nice, 10cc and Led Zeppelin will find much fascination with the views of various talking ...
The Marvels Movie Review
Incorporating moments of hand-drawn animation and teen angst alongside contemporary family dynamics sets the film firmly in the current day. Basing almost all the action around the three main female characters, Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan is also a welcome change from the usual testosterone-fueled fare.
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The story is not a particularly strong one but the interactions between the three ...
