Reviews in a nutshell
Wonderful extremes too, from wildly absurd, laugh-out-loud moments to totally shocking brutality, often throwing you off course. The ending does let it down a bit as the effect of the brilliant set-up of this crazy dual existence seems to wane.
As a female and a mother, the most sobering part of this film is at the very end. A list of nations rolls with the dates women got the vote. Some dates will profoundly shock. Others will not. Some women are still waiting. It’s the grand finale needed to drive the message home in a …
The promise of Sandra Bullock and George Clooney battling to stay alive in Space, within a 2001: A Space Odyssey context is a great pull, as much as Gravity itself. The added buzz is the film is Children of Men director Alfonso Cuarón’s creation. All good so far. However, Space alone is mesmerising to watch …
Cinematic portrayals of the trials and tribulations of a more mature love saga usually go hand in hand with an obvious comedic sentiment that forgives any flaws or misdemeanours in the actions of the older protagonist. In 1989’s Shirley Valentine, say, the middle-aged heroine played by Pauline Collins was mocked for having a mid-life crisis, …
A fitting film to open this year’s BFI London Film Festival, Captain Phillips holds one of Tom Hanks’s finest and most raw performances to date. Coupled with Green Zone and United 93 director Paul Greengrass’s snappy direction and multitude of camera angles to capture every moment and reaction, the pace never eases and the intensity …
