Whip It is a funny and entertaining movie – a promising start to Drew Barrymore’s directing career. “Be Your Own Hero”, the publicity for the picture asserts; a message the director certainly seems to have taken to heart. Whip It focuses on misfit teen Bliss and her attempt to escape small-town drudgery by joining a roller derby league. In the […]
Read moreKick-Ass is a very enjoyable movie, combining entertaining action sequences, a good dose of humour and a fitting soundtrack. Nonetheless, that does not mean to say there aren’t flaws in Matthew Vaughn’s film. Kick-Ass tells the story of Dave, a geeky teenage boy who decides to become a superhero after becoming disenchanted with the passive reactions of people to crime. […]
Read moreSandra Bullock won an Oscar for her performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side. After watching this film, the other nominees must have felt they had been robbed. Whilst there is nothing deficient in Bullock’s performance, there is nothing remarkable either. The Blind Side is based on the real life story of the Tuohys, a white, middle class, […]
Read moreThe most striking thing about Phillip Morris is, as the opening titles emphasise, that the events in the film really happened. For many of these events are audacious to say the least, and make for entertaining viewing. Philip Morris tells the story of scam artist Steven Russell and the lengths he goes to in order to be reunited with the […]
Read moreIn The Bounty Hunter, Jennifer Aniston plays a career-obsessed journalist determined to get the scoop on the latest story. It’s a pity in real life Aniston does not pay as much attention to her career, otherwise she may not have opted for such a dud. Though a regular fixture in the rom-com genre over the last decade, surely the actress receives […]
Read moreOften, Martin Scorsese makes it all better. Every now and again, tired of the incessant remakes, sequels and sub-par star vehicles, one longs for a bit of quality in mainstream Hollywood cinema. It seems that Mr Scorsese has heard our cries, as Shutter Island is a thoroughly enjoyable film, reinstating a degree of quality missing from many other recent films. Granted, […]
Read moreWhen a film actually feels long, it’s never a good sign. The problem with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is that it takes far too long to build momentum. It is only in the second third of the film that pace is generated; prior to this there is exposition and little else. The film centres around the mystery of a missing young […]
Read moreA number of reviews have highlighted Green Zone‘s similarities to the Bourne film series. It is not hard to see why – with Greengrass at the helm (director of two of the Bourne films) and Matt Damon taking centre stage, Green Zone could be ‘Bourne in Iraq’. Taking cues from Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s Imperial Life in the Emerald City, the film […]
Read moreTim Burton’s live action-CGI extravaganza is an entertaining escapade well worth the watch in 3D. A sequel to the Alice stories rather than a remake, it bares little resemblance to earlier cinematic adaptations. In this version, Alice is a nineteen year old who falls down the rabbit hole after running away from an undesired marriage proposal. Burton’s film features a […]
Read moreJeff Bridges gives an exceptional performance as the washed up country singer attempting to revive his career in Scott Cooper’s Crazy Heart. Behind the singer, who is lamented by both his dwindling fan base and his fellow musicians, is a man struggling with an alcohol problem, amongst other demons. Crazy Heart features a wonderful and fitting soundtrack, including the Oscar-winning […]
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