Allelujah has a vital message, but the film’s plot gets tangled NEW FILMS New British comedy-drama Allelujah is based on the 2018 play by Alan Bennett. Its focus on health care is interesting, given the amount that has changed since it debuted on stage. However, the subject is still pertinent. The film centres around the geriatric unit of a Yorkshire hospital. Overseen by a caring doctor (Bally Gill) [...]
Winners is a charming celebration of childhood enthusiasm NEW FILMS In a wonderful bit of programming, Iranian comedy-drama Winners comes out in the afterglow of the Oscars. While set many miles from Los Angeles, this charming independent movie captures the mystique and awe so many of us witness when looking up at the big screen. Winners is about the Oscars, or more specifically an Oscar. [...]
Shazam: Fury of the Gods is another DC superhero dud The long in-development Shazam sequel (four years is an age for superhero films) arrives at a strange time. Audiences seem to be burned out on Marvel and DC, with many recent releases either bombing or being the subject of fan ire. With a new strategy planned for the DC Universe, can Zachary Levi’s superkid convince [...]
Luther The Fallen Son, review: Idris Elba proves he doesn’t need James Bond March 12, 2023 TV Shows that get movie spin offs are often faced with a conundrum: how to make this new format offer more than a long televised episode? BBC detective show Luther always seemed to have cinematic aspirations, but after five seasons, can Idris Elba’s world-weary cop find anything new to say? Following the events of the [...]
Meet Me In The Bathroom review: Low on insight March 12, 2023 Spanning a ten-year period between the turn of the millennium and the early 2010s, Meet Me In The Bathroom looks at the rise of the New York indie rock scene. Charting the arrival of bands including The Strokes, Interpol, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, it also introduces the venues, fledgling companies, and fans that made [...]
The Oscars 2023: Who’s going to win? (And who should win?) March 10, 2023 A quick quiz for you: off the top of your head, how many winners from last year’s Oscars can you name? 2022’s ceremony will be remembered for Will Smith slapping host Chris Rock, an event that overshadowed the actual awards, not leat his crowning moment when he was awarded Best Actor later in the night. [...]
Why Michael B Jordan’s Creed is the coolest franchise in Hollywood March 2, 2023 The Creed movies are an outlier in modern Hollywood. Their modest success at the box office might undersell the fact that they’ve done what few franchises have achieved convincingly: passed the torch. Yes, they aren’t the cultural landmarks that the Rocky films were, but the character has established himself enough to make this third chapter [...]
The Independent film 2023 review: All-star cast fail to ignite this political thriller February 27, 2023 Political movies used to be a specialist subject, but whatever side of the aisle you sit it’s safe to say everyone is better versed in his world than they were a few years ago. Sky’s new original movie, The Independent, seeks to look into our polarised world. Jodie Smith-Turner plays Eli, an ambitious young reporter who [...]
Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda is back with the brilliant Broker February 24, 2023 Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda is back after almost four years, taking his talents to Korea for a drama with echoes of his Palm D’Or winning 2018 film Shoplifters. Broker is based around a heart-breaking reality. In many countries, overwhelmed mothers bring new-born children to Baby Boxes – drop off points at churches that guarantee the [...]
Why Cocaine Bear is exactly as good as it sounds February 24, 2023 You know the kind of movie Cocaine Bear is. It’s what made films like Snakes On A Plane, Sharknado, and last years The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent headline news. Director Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect 2, Charlie’s Angels) has the task of making it more than a one line joke. Based loosely on real events [...]
