Most franchises don't make it to a fifth installment for fear of outstaying their welcome and exhausting the goodwill of its fans. Sylvester Stallone saw no such problem with the incredibly successful Rocky Balboa character and happily churned out Rocky V. … [Read more...]
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) review by That Film Guy
Following the staggering critical success of Rushmore, director Wes Anderson was given a bigger budget and slightly more creative freedom. He chose to use it to create his own take on a family drama in The Royal Tenenbaums. Focusing on a family from New York City, New York The Royal Tenenbaums begins patriarch Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) as he separates from his estranged … [Read more...]
A Late Quartet (2012) review by That Film Guy
Israeli director Yaron Zilberman turns his eye toward a musically-themed drama in A Late Quartet. As his quartet reaches its 25th anniversary, cellist Peter Mitchell (Christopher Walken) is diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's disease. Declaring his intention to make their next performance his last, fellow members second violinist Robert (Philip Seymour Hoffman), his wife … [Read more...]
Rushmore (1998) review by That Film Guy
Following from the success generated from his debut film Bottle Rocket, director Wes Anderson created a film that would give him a more globally recognised level of success from which his entire early career would be built. Rushmore really heightened his notoriety and helped to establish him as the unique film-maker he is today. It also represented the first film of future … [Read more...]
Bottle Rocket (1996) review by That Film Guy
Wes Anderson's first foray into feature films came with Bottle Rocket. Based on a short film produced by Anderson, he brought fellow University of Texas alumni Owen Wilson and brother Luke on board, and then found partial funding from Texas-based screenwriter L.K. Carson and rolled the momentum on to becoming a success at the Sundance Film Festival. … [Read more...]
Side Effects (2013) review by That Art House Guy
There are many rumours circulating that director Steven Soderbergh is retiring from the movie making business. And there are a lot of people hoping that this isn't the case, since he's a director who, while guilty of the odd mis-step, is someone who is always willing to experiment, switch genres and come up with something interesting, something that audiences might not have … [Read more...]
Good Vibrations (2012) review by That Film Dude
Good Vibrations is the story of Terri Hooley, a Northern Irish DJ who founded the shop and record label of that name in the early 1970s, which was instrumental in introducing Irish punk groups to mainstream UK attention. Set against the backdrop of Ireland's Troubles, the film charts Terri's successes and failures at managing his shop and his life, and does so to a fantastic … [Read more...]
Margin Call (2011) review by That Film Guy
Investigating a fateful 24 hours in 2008 when the financial bubble burst, Margin Call is a Wall Street thriller focused on a particular floor of a prestigious financial institution. As the truth behind years of financial gambling came to light, over 80% of a risk analysis floor are let go from their jobs, most notable of the unfortunate few is Eric Dale (Stanley Tucci) a man … [Read more...]
Red Dawn (1984) review by That Film Guy
After the height of the Cold War, Hollywood showcased a group of young talent in the invasion, war drama Red Dawn. Supposing that a collection of communist states have joined together. The film charts the birth of a resistance force formed from a high school American football team called the Wolverines. Based on the novel Ten Soldiers and co-written by John Milius, Red Dawn was … [Read more...]
Robot and Frank (2012) review by That Film Guy
Directed by Jake Shreier, Robot and Frank is an independently spirited drama comedy set in the near future. It follows eponymous Frank (Frank Langella) a retired cat burgular, whose deteriprating memory is cause for concern for his son Hunter (James Marsden) who brings him a robot (Peter Sarsgaard) to help around the house. Initially sceptical of the machine, he soon finds that … [Read more...]