Here Before review: Andrea Riseborough shines in tense drama February 22, 2022 British star Andrea Riseborough has made thirty films in the sixteen years since her movie debut, fitting in a variety of projects. A fine supporting player in big names like Oblivion or Birdman, it’s smaller films such as horror-thriller Mandy or drama Luxor that allow her to really shine. The latest in that line is [...]
The Real Charlie Chaplin is an honest take on a cinematic genius February 21, 2022 Over a century on from his most famous film The Kid, Charlie Chaplin remains a singular figure in the history of cinema. In the film hub of Leicester Square, his statue has been standing since 1981, a short distance from London’s BFI IMAX, located on Charlie Chaplin Walk. Like Marilyn Monroe or James Dean, his [...]
Flee is a wonderful animated docudrama February 17, 2022 In the past few years, animation has been used as a tool to tell stories that are too difficult to realise in live action. Films like Persepolis or The Breadwinner bring to life compelling recreations of real-life conflicts, often seen through the eyes of children. Nominated for three Oscars this week, Flee continues that tradition [...]
Death On The Nile review – a sedate but slick whodunnit February 17, 2022 The sequel to 2017’s Murder On The Orient Express has a problem that its studio doesn’t want to address. One of its key players is Armie Hammer, who early last year was accused of abusing former partners. While Hammer denies the allegations, which range from emotional abuse to cannibalism fantasies, the victims’ statements were enough [...]
Uncharted movie review: Action blockbuster will make you smile February 16, 2022 Having become the champion of pandemic cinema with Spider-man: No Way Home, Tom Holland looks to make himself a new franchise in this live action adaptation of the Uncharted video game series. He plays Nathan Drake, a barman and small-time thief with an encyclopaedic knowledge of history thanks to his missing older brother Sam. He [...]
The Souvenir Part II review: Indie darling gets a well-deserved sequel February 9, 2022 The Souvenir, released in 2019, became an art house favourite, offering a coming-of-age drama that wasn’t afraid to take a different perspective. Independent films rarely get the chance for a sequel, but director Joanna Hogg’s searing look at artistry and toxic love demanded another chapter. Part II once again stars Honor Swinton Byrne as Julie, [...]
Parallel Mothers review: Another glorious Pedro Almodovar movie February 9, 2022 For reasons unrelated to cinema, it feels like an age since we last saw a new film by Pedro Almodovar. In reality, it’s only been a couple of years since his Oscar-nominated love letter to creativity Pain and Glory, which proved the Spanish filmmaking legend shows no signs of losing his edge. His new film, [...]
Jackass Forever is an affectionate tribute to 20 years of chaos February 8, 2022 “The world waited for what felt like forever” begins the narrator of Jackass Forever’s trailer. In truth, few could have predicted the return of the madcap crew for a fourth film (seventh if you include spin-offs). Financially, it makes sense – they’re cheap to produce, draw a crowd, and tug at early noughties nostalgia. However, [...]
One Shot film review: Single take movie is a violent action curio February 8, 2022 Scott Adkins, undisputed king of the On Demand action movie, saves the free world once again in ‘single take’ action thriller One Shot. He plays Jake Harris, a Navy SEAL leading an elite team to a prison island where terrorists are being held. His mission is to escort government analyst Zoe Anderson (Ashley Greene) and [...]
The Eyes of Tammy Faye: Jessica Chastain bats eyelashes at award judges February 7, 2022 Despite appearing in some of the best dramas of the 2010s, Jessica Chastain often gets overlooked by awards voters despite stellar work in films such as Molly’s Game and A Most Violent Year. Undeterred, she’s back in the awards race with this new biopic, based on a remarkable life. She plays Tammy Faye Bakker, the [...]