We’re calling out for a hero: Michael Bay. But is his Ambulance good? March 25, 2022 As painful as it might be to admit, it’s the perfect time for Michael Bay to make a comeback. Cinemas need big, bold crowd-pleasers, and there’s no-one bigger or bolder than the man behind the Bad Boys and Transformers franchises. His new film is called Ambulance, but those thinking this will be a sensitive ode [...]
Clybourne Park review: Satire on race lacks emotional depth March 25, 2022 Bruce Norris’ clever play about the way racism lurks in the suburbs was a knock-out when it premiered twelve years ago. It bagged Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Play, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. So it should have: its script points out the systemic prejudices that are in many ways as pervasive today [...]
Fresh review – a delightfully disturbing thriller March 22, 2022 Loveable Marvel star Sebastian Stan has been trying some darker roles recently, playing shady characters in The Devil All The Time and The 355, as well as raucous rocker Tommy Lee in Disney+ series Pam & Tommy. However, nothing the actor has done so far will touch the grizzly insanity of his new role, horror-thriller [...]
Deep Water review is this Sad Affleck’s disasterpiece? March 22, 2022 Poor Ben Affleck. Last year he was laughed out of cinemas for his part in The Last Duel, and his solid performance in The Tender Bar was largely ignored by awards voters. This year saw The Batman, a film he was originally meant to direct and star in, become a huge success with someone else [...]
The Phantom of the Open sees Mark Rylance on fine comic form March 22, 2022 British cinema loves a quirky amateur. Whether it’s steel workers doing The Full Monty, W.I. members becoming Calendar Girls, or a largely fictional biopic of Eddie The Eagle, comedies about giving it a go have become a regular at the box office. The latest in that line is this golf-themed comedy, loosely based on the [...]
Hard to Believe: Music giant which worked with Slayer and Björk will keep operating in Russia, and advises artists how to get around ban March 15, 2022 A French music giant has vowed to continue its operations in Russia, and even advised its partners how to work around sanctions. The ‘Believe’ group, which has worked with acts including Björk and Slayer, also has a UK arm, reportedly sent a newsletter last week to its partners in Russia, according to The Guardian, which [...]
Good BAFTA, Bad BAFTA: Whose Oscar Race Is Heating Up? March 14, 2022 Last night’s BAFTA handed out their film awards in the first in-person ceremony in two years. Australian star Rebel Wilson hosted the awards, with winners that were surprisingly competitive. Dune led the pack with five wins in technical categories, while fellow front runners CODA, The Power of The Dog and West Side Story came away [...]
Red Rocket review: Majestic career high for former porn star who partied with Paris Hilton March 11, 2022 Red Rocket isn’t the first cinematic reminder we’ve had this year that penises make for hilarious viewing. Jackass Forever, the year’s most unlikely hit, was basically middle-aged men getting laughs from their appendages. This indie is going in for a slice of the same pie, although the silly jokes sit alongside a serious message about [...]
Turning Red review: Another straight-to-streaming Pixar hit March 11, 2022 It hasn’t been a great pandemic for Pixar. Turning Red is the third film to miss cinemas entirely, heading to Disney+ in the wake of the Omicron variant. Like Soul, it seems unfortunate that a film breaking a lot of barriers should miss the big screen, being the first Pixar film to be solely directed [...]
Small Island review at the NT: A fabulous play about racial injustice March 11, 2022 The small island is Jamaica but then again it is also Britain: this brilliant play explores the injustices faced by the people who arrived on our shores in the 1940s in search of a better life, only to be met with violence and hostility. One of the play’s great strengths is how it makes audiences [...]