Reviews 1094 results

Winchester Movie Review

The story involving the guilt felt by the surviving widow of the creator of the huge Winchester Arms company is a solid one. The way this guilt manifests itself as the story evolves opens quite a few doors for exploration of the world of the living and the dead but it can’t sustain such a poor script.   //   Even the mighty Helen Mirren, try as she might, can’t do much with the wooden marbles she has to spit out. As the cliches pile up, the film relies more and more ...

Game Night Movie Review

It throws so many jokes your way, that even when some fall a bit flat, you know more successful ones are just around the corner. The cast is well chosen and the fresh faced Rachel McAdams and the ever sardonic Jason Bateman have good chemistry together and the always weird and wonderful Jesse Plemons plays the creepy cop next door neighbour perfectly.   //   You can’t tell too much of the story without giving away some of the delicious surprises in store, so the best ...

Black Panther Movie Review

Chadwick Boseman (Get On Top and 42) puts in a stellar performance with a regal delivery and stately manner befitting of the role’s royal origins. He gets strong support from Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years The Slave and Star Wars) as his love interest who is also committed to social justice and Danai Gurira (The Visit and All Eyes On Me) who is riveting as a real badass who puts her country above all.   //   All the main characters have values systems that are very strong ...

Lady Bird Movie Review

The performances are outstanding throughout, especially Ronan and Laurie Metcalf who as the mother is heart breaking in her ability to love and inability to adequately convey those feeling to her troublesome daughter. The film is very adapt at showing those ungainly teen scenarios without reducing them to cringe cinema.   //   One of the film’s most remarkable traits is in how convincing and engaging its examination of even the simplest of teen moments are for the ...

Phantom Thread Movie Review

Daniel Day-Lewis in his reportedly last ever role, goes out in fine style with an incredibly nuanced performance that also floods you with different emotions. One minute you see this dressmaker’s genius, then the next all his flaws come flooding out. Those that live in this rarified world of money and fashion (even in the fifties) have a aura of unreality that suits this story well. Daniel Day-Lewis’ character Reynolds Woodcock is so far removed from the lives of the average man that ...

Molly’s Game Movie Review

Molly was once a Olympic caliber athlete who rose to infamy after being arrested by the FBI for running illegal high-stakes poker games. The movie jumps from flash back views of Molly’s earlier life to present day scenes of the goings on between lawyers, their clients (in this case Molly) and government prosecutors.   //   The story is told with enough salient details that even those with no previous knowledge of the actual case can easily get ensnared in the infecti...

The Shape Of Water Movie Review

The film is set in the early sixties during the days of the Cold War and the look and feel of the sets and costume design envelopes the viewer in a not so distant past that now feels ages ago. The casting is exemplary and Michael Shannon as the creepy government man and Sally Hawkins as the heroine of the piece give very affecting performances. Hawkins sets a high water mark in a rich career as Elisa Esposito, a cleaning lady that has been left mute by a childhood trauma. Her ability to say ...

The Post Movie Review

Tom Hanks has never been better and his visually advancing age and gruff vocal delivery helps one to see him as less of a nice guy and more as a down and dirty fighter. There are great performances everywhere, though. Even the sadly under-utilised Sarah Paulson has a short but very impactful monologue that gives the film even more purpose to the slowly awakening world of women’s rightful place in society. It also highlights Spielberg’s not so hidden agenda.   //   If ...

Darkest Hour Movie Review

Churchill is also one of the most discussed and over examined people of the twentieth century. Many of his idiosyncrasies have also become as famous as him, so the fact that Gary Oldman is so riveting and cliche free as the British Bulldog is testament to the amazing level of craft and acting skill he brings to the role. Ben Mendelsohn is also fantastic as King George VI   //   The film focuses on the period when he was first selected as PM and one of his first tasks was ...

All the Money in the World Movie Review

The kidnapping of the grandson of the at the time richest man in the world made headlines for all the wrong reasons. The crime of course but also the refusal of said rich man to even consider paying the ransom, it was an insight to a new level of greed and indifference to human suffering that set a new low human standard. One of the films most surprising elements is how many scenes replacement actor Christopher Plummer is actually in and how well he captures the prickly character of  J. ...