Film Reviews

Emma review – lustrous but far from definitive

Demetrios Matheou Thursday, 13 February 2020

The decade is kicking off with the revisiting of old classics. That’s not a bad pursuit, with new audiences in mind, though these days there’s a reasonable expectation of a shot in the arm, a contemporary spin, a fresh perspective. Greta Gerwig certainly achieved that with Little Women, as did Armando Iannucci with The Personal History of David Copperfield.

Dolittle review - a star is bored

Nick Hasted Sunday, 09 February 2020

“I knew I shouldn’t have let monkeys read the contract,” Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr.) mutters. The star should have read the script of his first post-Marvel vehicle more closely, too, before taking on the role which previously sank Rex Harrison’s career.

Mr Jones review - a timely testament to journalism

Owen Richards Friday, 07 February 2020

While the horrors of Hitler’s rule are well documented, Joseph Stalin’s crimes are less renowned, so much so that in a recent poll in Russia he was voted their greatest ever leader. This chilling fact made acclaimed director Agnieszka Holland feel compelled to remedy such a legacy.

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Parasite review - a class war with grand designs

Demetrios Matheou Thursday, 06 February 2020

With the Oscars approaching, one film building momentum in the fight for best picture – and whose victory would delight all but the most blinkered – is the Korean Bong Joon Ho’s deliriously dark and entertaining black comedy, Parasite.

Birds of Prey review - the DCU is back on track

Joseph Walsh Thursday, 06 February 2020

Back in 2016, David Ayer’s infantile Suicide Squad burst upon us in a wash of lurid greens and purples. Ayer’s film had a myriad of problems, not least the hyper-sexualisation of Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie. While controversy abounded, Robbie’s performance remained a highlight. A manic mix of Betty Boop and Fatal Attraction’s Alex Forrest, she stole the film.

Plus One review - charm, yes, but irritation too

Matt Wolf Wednesday, 05 February 2020

The fast-rising young actor Jack Quaid comes naturally by the ease with which he takes to Plus One, a modern-day inheritor of the sorts of romcoms his mum, Meg Ryan, used to do alongside Tom Hanks.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood review - an emotionally honest biopic

Graham Fuller Saturday, 01 February 2020

The role of Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood was made for Tom Hanks – and he excels in it.

Richard Jewell review - a portrait of duty and dignity in this true-life tale

Joseph Walsh Saturday, 01 February 2020

Since Play Misty For Me in 1971, Clint Eastwood has been tearing up the American myth with a body of muscular, often melancholic work.

Show Me the Picture: The Story of Jim Marshall review - needles, guns and grass

Markie Robson-Scott Saturday, 01 February 2020

In photographer Jim Marshall’s heyday in the 60s and 70s, before the music business became corporate and restrictive, and before Marshall unravelled – he was partial to cars, cocaine and guns as well as cameras – musicians asked for him, they trusted him, and he never violated their trust because, he...

The Lighthouse review - shiver me timbers

Demetrios Matheou Thursday, 30 January 2020

A creepy lighthouse on a remote island, a blistering storm, a mermaid languishing on the shore and two fabulously bewhiskered actors chewing up the scenery like there’s no tomorrow. The Lighthouse feels like it’s been washed up in a bottle, a film from another time with a story sprung from ghost stories or nightmares.

Queen & Slim review - a stylish and raw tale of outlaws on the lam

Joseph Walsh Thursday, 30 January 2020

There’s a palpable rage to Melina Matsoukas’ first feature film Queen & Slim, starring Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya and newcomer Jodie Turner-Smith. Cast in the mould of Bonnie and Clyde, it’s a film that has you clinging to the arms of your seat from the first fifteen-minutes.

Talking About Trees review - friendships formed through film

Owen Richards Monday, 27 January 2020

What’s the appeal of cinema? It can transport us to fantasy lands, or open our eyes to new perspectives. But one aspect that’s less discussed is how it brings people together. Going to the cinema is a social stimulus, a shared experience that sparks discussions and forges friendships.

The Personal History of David Copperfield review – top-drawer Dickens

Demetrios Matheou Friday, 24 January 2020

Armando Iannucci’s move away from the contemporary political satires that made his name, first signalled by his bold, uproariously brilliant Death of Stalin, continues apace with a Dickens adaptation that feels quietly radical.

The Grudge review - non-stop shocks wear out their welcome

Adam Sweeting Thursday, 23 January 2020

The 18-year-old Japanese horror hit Ju-On (The Grudge) was remade once before, as – yes – The Grudge (2004), with Sarah Michelle Gellar.

A Hidden Life review - Nazism stoically refused

Nick Hasted Saturday, 18 January 2020

Terrence Malick returns to his former greatness following three features of unscripted, all-star poesy, with this sombre biopic of sainted Austrian conscientious objector Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl).

Waves review - pulsating, rapturous, devastating

Markie Robson-Scott Friday, 17 January 2020

Trey Edward Shults’s extraordinary, music-driven third feature, set in a sparkling south Florida, stars a wonderful Kelvin Harrison Jr as 17-year-old Tyler, an African American high-school wrestler with bleached blond hair.