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Below you'll find our latest reviews of films out in cinemas and on DVD, as well as updates on festivals and short films. For a list of older reviews just click on the relevant section from the menu above.
Julie Delpy is proving as accomplished in her writing and directing as she is in her acting - bringing a cross-cultural humour that resonates with international audiences while defiantly drawing laughs from stereotypical situations. Hers is a rudimentary form of wit, the un-PC kind that still revels in pointing out our apparent differences that result in miscommunication and ultimately comic farce. Following on from the 2007 romantic comedy, 2 Days In Paris, a kind of wordy, intellectual dissection of a cross-cultural relationship between Marion (Delpy) and American boyfriend Jack (Adam Goldberg),...
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Not watched Seasons 1, 2 and 3? Where have you been? True Blood is one of those saucy, bloody, edge of the seat series that actually works - and has done for several years now. Having been absorbed in the euphoria of the fang filled invention of ‘Six Feet Under’ creator Alan Ball, fears that the latest instalment in the extraordinary lives of the residents of Bon Temps would start to fall away led to a nervous anticipation of how the series could maintain its appeal. As if it needed anything else, Season 4 introduces fairies and witches to the mix. The central theme and key to the on going...
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A short and relatively successful festival tour is all that precedes this Swedish story of the sexual awakening of a teenage equestrian gymnast. But the film is a surprisingly compelling drama. It all begins when teen Emma (Mathilda Paradeiser) is joins the local equestrian gymnastics club, where she encounters Cassandra (Linda Molin): one of those girls who oozes confidence, and deploys it in persistently surprisingly and exciting ways. They instantly connect, but unable to fully place what's happening between them, their relationship mutates into awkward competition and a drive to push each...
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Radu Mihaileanu, the Romanian director behind French orchestral farce 'The Concert', travels to North Africa for another dramedy: this one about a village where the women withhold sex in order to replace an obsolete well. Yes, you read that correctly. It all begins when yet another woman loses her unborn child while on the dangerous path to the village's water supply. Unwilling to ignore the perils in the name of 'tradition' any longer, Leila (Leïla Bekhti) begins a vocal campaign to get the increasingly lazy men of the community to pipe water direct to the village. But with elders who resent...
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Once upon a time, the Burton-Depp partnership seemed to have the monopoly on quirky Gothic tales; we fell in love with Edward Scissorhands and were enchanted by the Corpse Bride. So the chance to see the pair collaborate on a feature-film version of Dan Curtis’s much-loved TV show, Dark Shadows, seemed like ideal material. However, as has been the case since Alice in Wonderland, too much of a good thing seems to have made them complacent. Burton fans will find some satisfaction in Dark Shadows as Depp does his stiff upper-class English gent take once more, but they will be disappointed in the lack...
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A profound examination of love, faith, devotion and spiritualism, 'Café de Flore' is a deep journey into human relationships from Jean-Marc Vallée: acclaimed director of 'C.R.A.Z.Y.' and 'The Young Victoria'. The film begins in Montreal, where Antoine Godin (Kevin Parent) is growing tired of his jet-setting DJ lifestyle - mainly because he can't bear to be away from his stunning girlfriend in Rose (Evelyne Brochu). His absences are particularly painful because his ex-wife (and, he once believed, soulmate) Carole (Hélène Florent) and two young daughters aren't happy about his new relationship....
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Celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens, two movies have been released reflecting the genius of one of the most revered classical authors of all time. The Old Curiosity Shop (1934) charts the flight of debt ridden shopkeeper Trent (Ben Webster) and his grand daughter Little Nell (Elaine Benson) from their fantastically sinister landlord Mr. Quilp (Hay Petrie). Their attempts to evade their pursuer were originally written in weekly instalments by Dickens for publication in the magazine of which he was Editor. His portrayal of a male dominated London and England is brilliantly...
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There is nothing to recommend in this dull tale of erectile dysfunction and family strife. 'Calendar Girls' and 'Made In Dagenham' director Nigel Cole teams with the writer of 'East Is East' for this story of young lovers Atul (Reece Ritchie) and Vina (Amara Karan), and their surprising marital strife. We were expecting a light-hearted dramedy with amusing culture-clash moments, and it seemed to be the case as we opened with a far-from-salubrious wedding in a Bolton scout hut. The Atul's parents Lopa (Meera Syal) and Eeshwar (Harish Patel) also seemed prime for typical Anglo-Indian comedy, but as family...
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Elizabeth Olsen of Martha Marcy May Marlene fame is fast becoming the thriller poster girl with her dreamy, unreadable persona that portrays a mixture of innocence and hidden danger. In Chris Kentis and Laura Lau’s new spooky thriller Silent House Olsen keeps us guessing as to her true personality, as with her confused character in the acclaimed multi-M'd 2011 film, and delivers another self-assured performance with the subject matter she is dealt. The flaws of the film are certainly not in her portrayal, rather in the confused plot that raises a disturbing issue but just doesn’t quite execute...
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British bulldog Jason Statham always manages to beguile with his boundless choreographed energy and corny one-line growls that have become his reliable trademarks. Without such qualities of seasoned action veterans like Schwarzenegger and Stallone in their heyday, the Statham flick would be dead in the water, like an action flick of a bygone era. Paradoxically, there is also a very fresh and contemporary feel to this Statham film too. Its video-gaming context combines style and a breakneck editing pace that often defies reality. Writer-director Boaz Yakin’s energy is unleashed on the Big Apple,...
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It's either a beautiful allegory for the media kicking Mel Gibson's been getting of late, or a flailing attempt to revive the wise-cracking cool he once had in his 'Lethal Weapon' years (it seems people weren't too fond of an introspective puppet master). Regardless of which it is, you can rest assured that 'How I Spent My Summer Vacation', aka 'Get The Gringo', is a heap of fun. The film begins with an unnamed crook (Gibson), dressed as a clown, fleeing the cops at top speed in his getaway car while a bloodied accomplice coughs his dying, blood-stained breaths all over his stolen booty. As they...
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Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike is as prolific as he is exciting, and whatever his latest project might be - it always has something to offer. This 3D remake of a classic period drama is no different. The story, set in Japan during the Edo period, begins with destitute samurai Hanshiro Tsugumo (Ebizô Ichikawa) arriving at the House of Li to make a request of the Lord. He has grown tired of struggling through civilian life after the fall of his own Lord, and wishes to commit seppuku - colloquially known as hara-kiri - in their courtyard. Head counselor Kageyu Saito (Kôji Yakusho), the man in charge...
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A second serving of the zesty 'American Pie' was too much for some, but if you're still coming back after several straight-to-DVD offerings you must be enjoying it. And we can confirm that this is one of the tastiest slices of sickly junk food we've had for a while. Putting aside the food metaphors, 'American Pie: Reunion' is the nostalgia comedy many have been waiting for. It's been more than 12 years since the gang of high-schoolers first graced the big screen, times have changed and so have they... sort of. As they gear up for their reunion, it's time for everyone to take stock. Jim (Jason...
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Whit Stillman is a director whose rare forays into cinema are followed by a fanatical few, and with good reason. If you've never sampled the strange delights of his work before, this might be the perfect opportunity to start. Lily (Analeigh Tipton) is a new arrival at Seven Oaks College, a school of learning that has its idiosyncrasies - to put it mildly. The roost seems to be ruled by a gaggle of interfering Prom Queens led by Violet (Greta Gerwig). Aided by Heather (Carrie MacLemore) and Rose (Megalyn Echikunwoke), Violet seeks to save the College from suicide, stupidity and the absence of dance...
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This Disney doc about two groups of cats struggling on the savannahs of Africa could be a real life 'Lion King', or just another piece of formulaic family entertainment. A nature documentary with a weirdly human tale overlaid by narrator Patrick Stewart (who replaces a reportedly startlingly paternal Samuel L. Jackson for the UK release), this story follows a group of lions and cheetahs on the Maasai Mara nature reserve of Kenya. Sita the cheetah is a single mum. That's normal for cheetahs, but for the purpose of this family-friendly doc, you have to really get behind her 'pluck' and 'courage'....
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Director Gerald Thomas and a host of the stars of this gentle comedy are renowned for the ‘Carry On’ films but Thomas would occasionally depart from the hit series and take many of his usual cast members with him. Based on the play ‘Ring for Catty’ this is not the usual innuendo riddled ‘fnarr’ fest as we would expect of the people involved, but has a depth certainly not evident in ‘Carry on Nurse’ and the other capers. Like some latter day ‘Only When I Laugh’, the plot revolves around a hospital ward and its inhabitants. The patients all suffer from tuberculosis, rife at the time...
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It's been talked about, tweeted about and hyped about for several months now, and finally The Raid is here. It's an action movie without many equals, but is it the game-changer its been promoted as? Deep in the heart of one of Jakarta’s most deprived slums stands an impenetrable high-rise apartment block. To most it is 30 floors of Hell to be avoided at all cost but for many of the city’s most dangerous killers and gangsters, including the area’s most notorious crime lord, it is a fortress-like safe house protecting them from the law. Even for the bravest and most experienced police officers...
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An indie vibe pulses throughout this movie which boasts a great performance from the underrated Olivia Thirlby. Martine (Olivia Thirlby), a 23-year-old artist from New York, arrives in Los Angeles to stay in the pool house of a family living in the hip and hilly community of Silver Lake. Peter (John Krasinski), the father, has agreed to help Martine complete sound design on her art film as a favour to his wife (Rosemary DeWitt). Martine innocently enters the seemingly idyllic life of this open-minded family with two kids and a relaxed Southern California vibe. Like a bolt of lightning, her arrival...
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There have been many attempts to dissect the enigmatic identity of musical master Bob Marley, but a truly 'seminal' documentary has yet to emerge. With the blessing of the Marley family, and plenty of important figures from Marley's life on board, could Kevin Macdonald's ('The Last King of Scotland', 'Life In A Day') film be the one to finally deliver the goods? This isn't a film that sets out to capture the poetic essence of Bob Marley, his music does that perfectly well. Instead Macdonald focuses on telling the story of this man's life in a detailed, informative and engaging way. Dealing with...
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Samuel L. Jackson stars in a thriller that's struggled to reach UK shores. His character is the usual slick criminal with more moral undertones. This incarnation, Foley, might have just been released from a 20-year prison stint for murder - but it's complicated. He killed his best mate when a heist (or 'grift' as they're calling it here) went a little wrong. Now he's out, the lad's son Ethan (Luke Kirby) rocks up and demands that Foley go back to his old ways - partly to get Ethan some cash, partly to make amends for killing his dad and maybe, just maybe, for another reason altogether. Any guesses...
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