The Lost Daughter: Maggie Gyllenhaal shows she can direct, too December 18, 2021 Twenty years on from her breakthrough role in Secretary, star Maggie Gyllenhaal directs and writes her first feature. It seems like a natural progression for the actor, who has largely stuck with independent dramas and interesting blockbusters (The Dark Knight, World Trade Center). The Lost Daughter stars Olivia Colman as Leda, an academic in her [...]
Lamb film review: Another unsettling horror from A24 December 11, 2021 The term Sheeple is given a whole new context in Lamb, the directorial debut from Valdimar Jóhannsson, co-written with Björk collaborator Sjón. Maria and Ingvar (Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snær Guðnason) are the owners of a farm in Iceland, whose quiet existence is disturbed when one of their sheep give birth to a human child [...]
Being the Ricardos review: Aaron Sorkin’s I Love Lucy biopic is too tame December 10, 2021 Most people reading this won’t have been born when US sitcom I Love Lucy went off air in 1957. How- ever, it’s an evergreen institution to Americans, entertaining generations (as recently as 2011, 40m people worldwide watched re-runs). A movie about the show, or a biopic of star Lucille Ball, has been rumoured for some [...]
Cumberbatch shines in Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog December 6, 2021 It’s always interesting to see what Marvel stars do in-between saving the world. Tom Holland showed his dark side in Cherry; Brie Larson made legal drama Just mercy; and Chris Hemsworth mixed more action with ads for the Dubai Expo. Before he sends us to The Multiverse as Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch appears to be [...]
The Hand of God review: Childhood memories and Maradona obsessions December 3, 2021 Awards season can often be a time when great directors get reflective. Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma became an Oscar contender two years ago, while Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird and Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari have both won acclaim in recent years as films based partly on the filmmaker’s experiences. It’s a tricky path to take, however, sometimes [...]
Encanto review – magical Disney family fun for Christmas November 29, 2021 The landscape of family movies has shifted slightly during the pandemic, as studios found more success with at-home streaming rather than the cinematic experience. Still, some things never change – namely, a number of big screen family blockbusters heading our way in the run up to Christmas. Disney’s offering is Encanto, the 60th Walt Disney [...]
Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci is a stylish soap opera November 28, 2021 Out of all the modern pop divas, Lady Gaga has made the most seamless transition into acting. The artist formerly known as Stefani Germanotta boasts a Golden Globe for her performance in TV’s American Horror Story: Hotel; and an Oscar for A Star Is Born, albeit for Best Original Song. Three years on from that [...]
King Richard review: Will Smith swings for an Oscar in Williams sisters biopic November 19, 2021 Will Smith dominated the 90s box office, creating a public persona that still commands the loyalty of millions. Bad Boys For Life was the last pre-pandemic smash hit, coming 17 years after the last instalment. One thing he hasn’t been able to manifest, however, is an Oscar. Every few years, the one time nominee releases [...]
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a hit of nostalgia with a modern twist November 19, 2021 Like so many things in 2016, Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters drew people into unedifying online wars. The all-female reboot was far from spectacular, but neither was it the childhood-ruining disaster others claimed. The debate became toxic, the film tanked, but that didn’t stop a franchise-hungry studio from forging ahead. This week sees the release of Ghostbusters: [...]
Arsene Wenger: Invincible review – a portrait of a thoughtful legend November 11, 2021 In October 1996, Arsene Wenger officially became the manager of Arsenal FC. What he would over the next two decades would redefine both the club and English football, introducing new methods and ideas that are now commonplace across the country. A quarter of a century on from that appointment, having stepped down from the role [...]