Pig review – Another unexpected Nicolas Cage triumph August 20, 2021 Where do you even begin with Nicolas Cage? Once a respected Oscar winning star, he’s now largely known for two things: his eccentricity, and his output. He makes an awful lot of films, most of which are low budget dross, but every now and again the intense actor makes a movie that succeeds in spite [...]
GI Joe adventure Snake Eyes comes up blanks – again August 20, 2021 Of all the big budget Hollywood franchises, GI Joe is up there as having the most peculiar history. 2009’s GI Joe – The Rise of Cobra was conceived as a competitor for the growing superhero movie craze. The film scarred the memories of those who made it – star Channing Tatum said “I fucking hate [...]
Marvel What If… Episode 2 – Chadwick Boseman’s final triumph August 18, 2021 Last week gave us a rousing opening to Marvel’s What If…?, a series that imagines parts of the Marvel Universe if certain decisions had been made differently. The introduction of Captain Carter was well received, and led speculation as to whether the character could be seen in future live action stories, given that The Multiverse [...]
People Just Do Nothing: Big In Japan is a fun misadventure August 18, 2021 Being a successful British comedy does not always guarantee film success. The Inbetweeners, Ab Fab, and Mr Bean all made millions at the box office; but for every triumph there’s a cautionary tale – Alan Patridge’s Alpha Papa and The Bad Education Movie had muted responses, while David Brent’s solo project lost millions. Hoping to be [...]
Free Guy review – finally a video game movie it’s ok to like August 18, 2021 Pre-Pandemic, Ryan Reynolds was on a hot streak. The Canadian star, once considered a likeable actor who never quite broke through, made the big time with R-Rated hero Deadpool. Suddenly, everything he touched turned to gold, making unexpected hits from The Hitman’s Bodyguard and Detective Pikachu, going viral with ads for his gin company featuring [...]
The Courier review – a tense Benedict Cumberbatch spy thriller August 17, 2021 One look at The Courier’s title might suggest that Benedict Cumberbatch has gone into action territory, although it’s certainly more appealing than the original name: Ironbark. The Oscar nominee is actually returning to a familiar genre – spy thriller – playing Greville Wynne, the real-life businessman who was recruit by British and US secret services [...]
Minamata film review – Johnny Depp shines in muddled drama August 17, 2021 The name Minamata may not be familiar to most, but the Johnny Depp-produced film is based on a shocking true story. In the early 70s, W. Eugene Smith (played here by Depp), an influential photojournalist for Life Magazine, is brought out of substance-addled seclusion by Japanese translator Aileen (Minami). She tells him about Minamata, a [...]
60 seconds with… Marquee TV founder Simon Walker August 16, 2021 Marquee TV has been streaming live art and culture for 3 years. We had a chat with founder Simon Walker about the business of streaming the arts and partnering with arts organisations to bring a global audience to their performances. You describe yourself as the ‘business guy’ in the team, developing the business model. Has [...]
Paradise at National Theatre: Kae Tempest play a partial success August 13, 2021 Everything old is new again. The National Theatre is back with its first full-capacity show since lockdown, and like the Young Vic it has decided to run with a modern reimagining of a work from antiquity. Directed by Ian Rickson, with a script by the Ted Hughes Award-winning and Mercury Prize-nominated spoken word artist Kae [...]
The Last Letter From Your Lover review is a waste of talent August 6, 2021 Two blockbuster heroes share top billing as Shailene Woodley (Divergent) and Felicity Jones (Star Wars: Rogue One) play two women in different times in literary adaptation The Last Letter From Your Lover. Jones plays Ellie, a journalist recovering from a break-up who views love with a degree of scepticism. This is shaken when she discovers [...]