The idea of magicians as master criminals is a wonderful conceit that powers the narrative of Louis Leterrier's Now You See Me. Combing a cast of superb, if unconventional characters actors it plays out a bit like a magic version of Ocean's 11. … [Read more...]
Review: The Railway Man (2013)
Based on a true story, The Railway Man follows Eric Lomax, a World War II veteran who was taken prisoner by the Japanese and forced to work on the Thai-Burma railway. After building a radio to listen to broadcasts from the outside world, he is found out by his captors and is mercilessly tortured. Years later, his old friend (Stellen Skarsgard) tells him his main torturer … [Read more...]
Review: August: Osage County (2013)
If you want an example of full-force acting, then look no further than August: Osage County. Based on the award-winning play written by Tracey Letts, it unites a stellar cast of a-list actors and up-and-comers in a single house over the course of a few days. While the plot is fairly thin on the ground, the performances are so strong that they threaten to bring down the whole … [Read more...]
Review: Last Vegas (2013)
Following the successes of The Hangover, the bromance has been on the rise. Combine this with the increase in popular older star films like The Expendables and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and you find yourself in a position to go and see Last Vegas, a comedy about A-List stars growing old disgracefully. … [Read more...]
Review: Her (2013)
Director Spike Jonze is never one to create with the confines of normality. His previous films Being John Malkovich, Adaptation. and Where the Wild Things are all took odd ideas and created wonderful environments to let the obscure narratives play out. His latest film Her, explores the interactions between humans and technology as well humans and themselves. … [Read more...]
Review: 12 Years a Slave (2013)
Around awards time at the beginning of every year a host of films vie for everyone's attention. There are a selection of film types that do so by tackling ˜worthy' subject matters, or hold historically importance. Some are artistic, some powerful, others move you, astound you with their beauty or overwhelm you with their raw emotionally charged nature. Then every once in a … [Read more...]
Review: The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Based on an autobiography of the same name The Wolf of Wall Street follows the rise and fall of stock exchange broker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) who rose to financial success in the 1980s and 90s. Directed by Martin Scorsese and boasting a huge and diverse cast as well as a 3 hour running time, the film is all about excess and the moral ambiguity of the US stock … [Read more...]
Review: Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)
A Mexican-American community in California is rocked by the murder of a reclusive old woman. Friends Hector (Jorge Diaz), Marisol (Gabrielle Walsh) and the recently graduated Jesse (Andrew Jacobs) begin investigating the dead woman's apartment before making a startling discovery that leads back to one of their childhoods and suggests at a dark future ahead. … [Read more...]
Review: Soccer Dog: European Cup (2004)
Soccer Dog: European Cup tells the story of Kimble, a genetically engineered super dog which escapes from a lab and joins a plucky but poor-quality Scottish football club. The Portersburgh Portsmen have won just two games in four years, and their captain Bryan MacGregor “ played by Nick Moran of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels fame “ is down on his luck. As well as leading … [Read more...]
Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
The second film in trilogies are always difficult to handle. The setup is done in the first film, while the conclusion is handled in the third, so the second film has to get stuck in straight away and normally end with a cliff-hanger ending, while still trying to have its own 3 act structure to avoid pacing issues. The Empire Strikes Back is the high benchmark of middle films, … [Read more...]