The first Magic Mike, it's fair to say, was far more successful than anyone could really have predicted it would be. Grossing more than $160 million from a $7 million budget and generally considered to be the beginning of the McConaissance, a sequel was inevitable, and now Mike Lane and the Kings of Tampa have returned for Magic Mike XXL. … [Read more...]
Review: Terminator Genisys (2015)
Not unlike X-Men: Days of Future Past or J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, the big idea for this latest attempt at restarting the Terminator franchise is to use time travel to reboot the universe in-story, by changing the fictional past. It's ambitious, more so than any Terminator film since the second one, but it's unfortunately a bit of a convoluted mess as well. … [Read more...]
Review: The Voices (2014)
Of all the things that the director of Persepolis could have gone on to make, no one could have predicted that it would be The Voices. A pitch-black horror comedy about a mentally unstable serial killer who talks to his pets, it is, if nothing else, a sure sign of Marjane Satrapi's versatility. … [Read more...]
Review: Appropriate Behaviour (2015)
It's always good to find a fresh voice in cinema, and when that voice is as unique as Desiree Akhavan's, it's even better. Appropriate Behaviour, her feature debut as writer, director and star, may not be entirely original, owing something of a debt to Lena Dunham's Girls among others, but it is a remarkably confident, assured start to what should be an extremely promising … [Read more...]
Review: Selma (2014)
It's a little hard to believe that this is the first proper biopic of Martin Luther King, Jr., but at least it was worth the wait. Instead of trying to track his whole life and all of his efforts as part of the Civil Rights Movement, Selma wisely narrows its focus to a single episode of his campaigns, documenting the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. … [Read more...]
Review: Foxcatcher (2014)
A big hit at Cannes and likely to be one of this year's awards season heavyweights, Foxcatcher is the true story of reclusive billionaire John du Pont (Steve Carell), who established a wrestling gym at his estate to train the United States team. He invited Olympic gold medallists Mark (Channing Tatum) and Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) to coach the team. … [Read more...]
Review: Whiplash (2014)
There have been a lot of films which focus on a teacher/student dynamic, with the brilliant, inspiring teacher doing everything they can to help bring out the hidden potential in their young proteges. Movies like Dead Poets Society and The History Boys tend to focus on unconventional, eccentric teachers who don't stick to the established curriculum and inspire affection and … [Read more...]
Review: Get On Up (2014)
We've all seen plenty of music biopics, so we know how this sort of thing usually goes. There's the rags-to-riches story, the success, fame and riches, inevitably followed by substance abuse and clashing egos driving wedges between the members of the band. Get On Up is, fortunately, just as aware of these cliches as we are, and works very hard to present them in a way we … [Read more...]
Review: Monsters: Dark Continent (2014)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B004JMZH3K][/pullquote] Gareth Edwards' original Monsters, made on a budget that makes shoestrings look pricey, was a highlight of 2010 and something of a sleeper hit. It made enough of an impact that its director immediately graduated to the big leagues with a shot … [Read more...]
Review: Obvious Child (2014)
The rom-com is one of those genres which seems to have been pretty much beaten to death, and it's increasingly difficult to find ones which aren't sentimental, simplistic stories we've already seen dozens of times before. Perhaps the word to best describe the genre as a whole at this point is "safe", since risk-taking isn't generally something that one finds in romantic … [Read more...]