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: Dom Hemingway (2013)
Strolling through prison under a cascade of toilet paper, Dom Hemingway is the titular cockney geezer in Richard Shepard's latest film. Played with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer by Jude Law, the character is an amalgam of a number of 1970s British ex-prisoner archetypes. But in a World that has any number of cheeky chappies vying for our attention in low-budget British … [Read more...]
Review: Philomena (2013)
If ever proof were needed, which of course it isn't, of Dame Judi Dench's acting ability then Philomena will go down as a masterclass in poignancy and depth from one of the finest actors to have lived. Adapted from the book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, itself based on a true story, Philomena is deftly directed by Stephen Frears from a script co-written by star Steve Coogan. … [Read more...]
Review: Turbo (2013)
Turbo is the latest Dreamworks animation which follows the antics of Turbo the snail (Ryan Reynolds) whose love of motor racing has him daydreaming of being a famous racing driver, much to the annoyance of his brother and co-workers. … [Read more...]
Review: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2012)
The horror genre, possibly more than any other in cinema, has specific tropes and clichés that recur over and over again. The teens in peril sub-genre is so templated that the makers of the Final Destination franchise are able to make minor variations on the same film over and over again and still turn a profit “ a lot of their audience want to play at working out who'll be … [Read more...]
Review: Sunshine on Leith (2013)
Following on from the success of his directorial debut Wild Bill, Dexter Fletcher turns his attention to adapting a stage musical. Sunshine of Leith is a musical drama set in Edinburgh to a soundtrack composed entirely of songs by The Proclaimers. … [Read more...]
Review: The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Following the staggering success of Pixar and computer-generated feature films, Disney moved away from the more hand-drawn ˜traditional' style of animation for many years. They returned to it in 2009 with their own unique take on the classic children's story The Princess and the Frog. … [Read more...]
Review: Prince Avalanche (2013)
Slow shots of a beautiful yet ravaged landscape, long periods of ambient music and a melancholy thread running throughout. You'd be forgiven for thinking you were watching a Terrence Malick drama, but it's actually David Gordon Green, director of Your Highness and The Sitter returning to his independent film-making roots with the comedy film Prince Avalanche, a remake of an … [Read more...]
Review: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)
Set directly after the events of the original film, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 follows eccentric young scientist Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) who having saved his home of Swallow Falls from his own food-creating device, the FLDSMDFR begins looking to his future. However immediately after agreeing to setup a laboratory with his friends Manny (Benjamin Bratt) Earl (Terry … [Read more...]
Piranhaconda (2012) review by That Film Guy
Another week goes by and another best worst film is created and shown on the Syfy channel. We've had a Sharknado and a Birdemic, a Mega Piranha and Dragonwasps. But it wasn't until now that we had the wonder that is Piranhaconda. That's right, a genetic freak that is part equal parts piranha and anaconda, two of the favourite monster film creatures. Nonsensical to the extreme … [Read more...]