Tanning Tatum’s abs return for Magic Mike’s Last Dance February 9, 2023 Magic Mike has been the most surprising global franchise of the past decade. What started as a gritty, semi-autobiographical journey through Channing Tatum’s early days as an exotic dancer has spawned sequels, a worldwide stage show, and a forthcoming TV series. Now, hot off the success of 2022 hit The Lost City, Tatum is back [...]
Women Talking review: Sumptuous cast make this remarkable drama sing February 9, 2023 Independent cinema fans will rejoice at the return of Sarah Polley to the big screen, a decade on from the filmmaker’s success with Take This Waltz and Stories We Tell. She brings a mouth-watering cast to this adaptation of the 2018 Miriam Teows novel Women Talking, set in a remote religious commune that eschews technology. [...]
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish review: Paw of the same good stuff February 2, 2023 Nineteen years after his first appearance in Shrek 2, and ten after his first spin-off movie, Antonio Banderas swings back into action as Puss In Boots. The animated film’s financial success has sparked speculation about a fifth Shrek movie, but is there really anything more to be squeezed from this long-running series? We reunite with [...]
Brendan Fraser is imperious in flawed masterpiece The Whale February 2, 2023 One of the biggest stories of Oscar season 2023 has been the comeback of Brendan Fraser. In the Hollywood wilderness for years, the Mummy star returns this month in The Whale, where he plays a morbidly obese man mourning the death of his partner. The film has polarised critics, but now fans can make their [...]
Gerard Butler new film Plane is a big dumb action movie January 26, 2023 Amidst all the complicated emotions of Oscar season, it’s a nice change of pace to see something as straightforward as Plane, starring Gerard Butler, on the release slate. The all-action Scot plays Brodie Torrance, a pilot in charge of a routine flight that’s forced to crash land on an island near the Philippines. While Plane [...]
The Fabelmans is Steven Spielberg’s brilliant love letter to cinema January 26, 2023 A Best Picture Oscar nomination this week will be a welcome relief for The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg’s new family drama. When it debuted in the US last year, it became the Hollywood legend’s worst performing film, and an undeserved flop as audiences stayed away from prestige movies. Will the Oscar bump see a happier ending [...]
Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light lacks a compelling story January 25, 2023 Empire of Light review and star rating: ★★☆☆☆ Empire of Light is one part of a broader artistic response to the peril cinemas found themselves in during the pandemic. Steven Spielberg’s love of the big screen will soon be explored in The Fabelmans, and Babylon was another of 2023’s odes to cinema. Olivia Colman stars [...]
Till film review: America’s shameful history retold elegantly from perspective of Black victims January 25, 2023 Till star rating: ★★★★☆ Nearly seventy years on, the murder of Emmett Till stands as one of the most shocking and shameful moments in American history. In 1955, 14-year-old Till was abducted while visiting family in Mississippi and lynched for a perceived offence to a white woman. His horrifyingly disfigured remains were found, and the [...]
Why Tom Hanks’ grumpy old man role in A Man Called Otto doesn’t work January 24, 2023 A Man Called Otto Star rating: ★★☆☆☆ When you think of movie stars that seem nice, Tom Hanks has to be at the top of the list. You don’t play Mr Rogers, Walt Disney, Woody, and Santa Claus without people feeling affection toward you. That’s why the two-time Oscar winner seems such an odd choice [...]
Shotgun Wedding film review: Jennifer Lopez comedy is a tonal mess January 23, 2023 ★★☆☆☆ Jenny From The Block plays Darcy in Shotgun Wedding. Soon to be marrying her fiancée Tom (Josh Duhamel) at a destination island wedding. Family tension, attractive exes and cold feet are in the mix, but then the wedding party is taken hostage. The couple must put their new marriage to the test if they [...]