Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader returns with Master Gardener May 26, 2023 Paul Schrader, the writer of Martin Scorsese classics Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, has had a spotty history as a director. For every American Gigolo or Affliction there have been several The Canyons or Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcists. This seemed to be behind him following the success of 2017’s nail-biting First Reformed and 2021’s [...]
Sisu is a Finnish take on Rambo and it’s bloody brilliant May 25, 2023 A big success on its premiere at last year’s Toronto Film Festival, indie war movie Sisu arrives in cinemas with a lot of hype. Set in Finnish Lapland (with dialogue in English), the film is set towards the end of World War 2. A company of retreating Nazi soldiers cross paths with an unassuming old [...]
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret is just as good as the brilliant book – film review May 22, 2023 The poster for this new coming-of-age drama boasts that it is “based on the book loved by millions.” For once, film publicity isn’t exaggerating. Judy Blume’s 1970 novel Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret became a popular choice for American adolescents in the era, and its adaptation comes with the seal of approval from [...]
Beau is Afraid is self-indulgent but visually stunning – review May 22, 2023 Ari Aster, the man behind the nightmarish horror films Hereditary and Midsommar, is back for his difficult third film. Some of his genre contemporaries have already experienced divisive third outings. Opinions were mixed about Jordan Peele’s Nope, while Robert Eggers had trouble with a bigger budget in The Northman. Can Aster succeed with Beau is [...]
Book Club: The Next Chapter is good fun, even if there’s no plot – review May 13, 2023 Once a reliable staple of the box office, older audiences have been the last demographic to head back to the cinema post-Covid. Hoping to draw back silver-haired cinephiles is the star-studded sequel to 2018 comedy Book Club. Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen return as the group of friends who decided to [...]
Love Again film review: Really, really bad. Why is Celine Dion in this? May 12, 2023 There have been a few romantic comedies in recent years that have moulded themselves around famous singers. 2019’s Yesterday was anchored around the music of The Beatles, while Last Christmas used George Michael as a soundtrack for festive love. At one point titled It’s All Coming Back To Me Now, this week’s release Love Again [...]
Still: A Michael J Fox Movie is a wonderful celebration of the great man – review May 11, 2023 Still, A Michael J Fox movie review and star rating: ★★★★★ For viewers of a certain generation, watching Michael J Fox in Still will inevitably bring sadness. The man who became an icon of Hollywood cinema as Marty McFly in Back To The Future has been living with Parkinson’s Disease since 1991, publicly disclosing his [...]
Ip Man: The Awakening: Kung Fu film about Bruce Lee’s mentor misfires May 6, 2023 This historical origin story is the latest to dramatize the life of Wing Chun master Ip Man. Over the years, the man who mentored Bruce Lee has been portrayed many times, most notably in Donnie Yen’s hit Ip Man franchise (2008-2019) and Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmaster. This seems unlikely to be as well regarded, as [...]
The Laureate film review: If you miss Downton Abbey, try this May 5, 2023 The Laureate film review and star rating: ★★★ The lives of writers don’t always make interesting viewing, but the private side of our favourite authors always seem to find their way to the screen. The Laureate centres on poet Robert Graves (Tom Hughes), famous for his writing about his experiences during World War I. The [...]
Guardians of The Galaxy Volume 3 review: Effective but over-stuffed finale May 3, 2023 Guardians of The Galaxy Volume 3 review and star rating: ★★★★ 2014’s Guardians of The Galaxy was seen as a massive gamble for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It made some risky decisions, namely focussing more on lesser known characters, and bringing in a more unknown director, but the decisions paid off, as three movies and [...]