FilmPhonic

A young immigrant domestic cleaner’s life on Earth is **** when she is discovered as the heir apparent to a dynasty of intergalactic landowners and planet harvesters, only to be pursued by the tyrannical head of the family whom she is determined to fight with the help **** engineered super-soldier. Writers/Directors The Wachowskis (The Matrix, Cloud Atlas) bring their action-packed “space-opera” to the big screen in a film that’s been described as a cross-between The Matrix and Star Wars, we could not think of a more unmerited comparison. Sure you can expect all the action and effects that $175million will buy and some impressive visuals as well, but even there some of the effects are decidedly sub-standard and a couple of the entirely-CG characters are borderline laughable. In the aspects that all films are ultimately judged on, story & characters, Jupiter Ascending leaves a lot to be desired, the plot is fantastical and original while somehow managing to be completely predictable and is ill-served by character performances that are at times reminiscent of a 1950s B-Movie. There may be a parable in there about capitalism and the exploitation of the common by the powerful but that will be lost in all the explosions and laser-fire, ultimately it’s a journey of characters that you don’t care about and you know what will happen to from the beginning. Clearly the The Wachowskis have not lost the ability to dream big but with every film since The Matrix there must be a question about their ability to deliver on the promise, we can’t help but think they would be perfectly suited to writing for the many young visionary directors currently out there. We realize how difficult it must be to make major motion-pictures and obviously no one sets out to make a bad one but we can’t think of many redeeming qualities in Jupiter Ascending, this is not one of those films so bad that they’re good, it’s just quite bad. We suspect Jupiter Ascending will be confined to the vault where films like Battlefield Earth reside, all action and no substance, this is one of those films you should probably only check-out on a flight.

Already racking up wins and nominations on the awards circuit this year, it’s safe to say that ‘The Revenant’ is one of the best films of the last 12 months, another cinematic triumph for Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s and his team. This visually stunning, uncompromising and often brutal revenge story and survival tale is based on the extraordinary experiences of early 19th century fur trapper and “mountain man” Hugh Glass, with plenty of dramatic license taken of course, but it also doubles as a compelling little history lesson with a clear subtext of ecological conservation. After all, the North American fur trade was a global industry which preceded the gold & oil rush, and which had a clear impact on its environment, an early example on the damaging effects of capitalism which would become much clearer with the imminent American industrial revolution. Beyond a tale of survival and revenge, this is an early 19th century narrative dealing with “First Nations” and the treatment of indigenous peoples by the colonizing Europeans, but rather refreshingly, ‘The Revenant’ doesn’t sugar-coat the existing complex relationships between the native peoples of North America and the brutality involved. Much will be made about breaking the so-called “snubbing” of Leonardo DiCaprio at the Oscars, but any acclaim directed his way is well deserved as he delivers a committed performance that’s intentionally often hard to watch but impossible to ignore. Not to mention a strong supporting cast, with Tom Hardy as the antagonist of the piece particularly catching the eye. Iñárritu and cinematographer extraordinaire Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki’s insistence on using only natural light and the film’s long production time, coupled with the logistical nightmare of location shooting in such a beautiful but unforgiving environment, all conspire to place ‘The Revenant’ pretty high on the list of most gruelling movie shoots. But that pain is up on the screen for all to see and is crucial to both the narrative and the very feel of the film, the result is visceral and striking, a real triumph of naturalistic filmmaking. Perfectly captured by constantly moving cameras, signature long tracking shots and low angle close-ups that give ‘The Revenant’ a real sense of urgency. In fact the film feels like Iñárritu co-opted the cast and crew to take some great voyage of discovery to understand the people they were portraying, men who lived on the edge of survival in inhospitable and barely discovered lands on the frontiers of North America nearly 200 years ago, and of whom very little is known much less written. The Bottom Line… Alejandro González Iñárritu’s fascinating evolution as a filmmaker continues with this remarkable tale of survival, revenge and redemption, ‘The Revenant’ is a visceral and engrossing cinematic experience that deserves all the praise it gets.

Up-and-coming writer/director Ryan Coogler reunites with his ‘Fruitvale Station’ star Jordan in trying to craft a new legacy from an iconic existing legacy, which portrays the central “Adonis Creed” character fighting for a new legacy, forged by but moving beyond his legendary dad’s legacy. Needless to say “Legacy” is a central theme of this part coming-of-age, and part relationship drama about never giving up the fight and finding your own place in the world, wherever you come from. Despite being based in a “Rocky Universe”, ‘Creed’ lacks the camp charm of the early Stallone films and is crafted as a gritty 21st century boxing drama with solid performances from Stallone & Jordan, coupled with a reasonably plausible if predictable narrative, much like the recent ‘Southpaw’. And like Jake Gyllenhaal in that film, Michael B. Jordan shows true commitment to the role through an impressive physical transformation and the developing of solid Boxing skills that contribute to a convincing portrayal of a modern Light-Heavyweight boxer, not to mention the well choreographed fight sequences featuring real pro boxers that hold up impressively, until the wheels come off for the final fight. So what builds as a reasonably captivating but restrained homage-paying Boxing drama, then turns into an all out throwback fest with an inevitable nostalgia-dripping final fight and ending. Director Ryan Coogler just can’t help himself as the legitimate drama and boxing technique are thrown out of the window and we’re left with a ludicrous “phone-booth fight” slugfest that’s completely out of place with the rest of the film, and which builds to a cheesy and disappointingly predictable conclusion. The Bottom Line… We might agree with some of the early reviews that praise ‘Creed’ for getting the balance right between paying homage and building a new legacy, had we not seen the rather ludicrous but expected conclusion. ‘Creed’ punches above its weight in the early rounds but ultimately throws in the towel, in other words it’s is an interesting and entertaining enough drama which leaves a slightly sour taste in the mouth. The simple fact that we have another film which can start a discussion about getting the balance right between the old and new, shows the current insatiable industry appetite for the Nostalgia dollar, and illuminates a drying-up of fresh ideas coupled with an aversion to risk-taking in Hollywood.

“Jack”, a five year-old boy, discovers the majesty of the world as he escapes the confines of a small room where he’s spent his entire life isolated from the world with his “Ma”, only to deal with reality and the emotional consequences of their extraordinary ordeal in this moving adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s award-winning novel. ‘Room’ is one of those films that’s difficult to review without spoiling some of the plot, but we’ll try to limit any narrative giveaways to what you can glean from the trailer. An Indie gem that’s already making splashes on the awards circuit, ‘Room’ is a faithful adaptation of a book that’s inspired by the notorious Josef Fritzl case in Austria, where a man imprisoned his own daughter for decades in the family home basement and with whom he forcefully fostered several children in captivity. Narrated and told from the point of view of young Jack, ‘Room’ retains a remarkable innocence and sense of wonderment in the face of darkness as Jack discovers the everyday things we take for granted and which he believed were an imaginary construct of “TV Land”, all brought to life brilliantly by an extraordinary performance from young actor Jacob Tremblay. The heart of the film is made whole through Brie Larson’s superbly nuanced performance as Jack’s “Ma”, a young lady who manages to somehow create a nurturing environment within a seemingly endless nightmare, only to be confronted the emotional battle that comes with adapting to a world of independence while being anchored by a boy who both depends on and nurtures her. Made all the more poignant by the fact that she has in Jack, both a reason to live, and a constant reminder of her harrowing ordeal. With evocative source material and a steady hand, director Lenny Abrahamson has crafted a simple but incredibly effective little movie that’s a perfect example of the best of what independent filmmaking has to offer. The Bottom Line… ‘Room’ is a small but perfectly formed little flick in a big wide world, a multilayered indie gem that’s remarkably touching and life-affirming but never over sentimental, from a director that’s fast becoming a worthy representative of the independent movie industry.

Coming not quite hot off the heels of his 2012 slavery revenge Western, this could almost be a companion piece to ‘Django Unchained’. Taking place in late 19th century Wyoming not long after the US civil war, ‘The Hateful Eight’ still carries the heavy burden of slavery and is almost as racially charged as “Django” was, featuring a not so subtle subtext of a recently united yet bitterly divided nation, sound familiar? So if you’re outraged by the “N-Word” in any context, or indeed you can’t stomach graphic violence with comedic overtones, or a general disregard for political correctness, then prepare to be offended, but then again, why would you watch a Quentin Tarantino movie? Indeed ‘The Hateful Eight’ has elements from much of Tarantino’s previous work, plenty of ‘Django Unchained’ combined with the character mystery and standoff element of ‘Reservoir Dogs’, plus a sprinkling of ‘Inglorious Basterds’ for good measure. There’s everything you might want and expect from a Tarantino production here, larger-than-life characters engaging in darkly comic and extremely graphic violence, sharp if slightly less memorable than usual dialogue, and of course a captivating non-conventional narrative that manages to blend in a mystery “who done it?” element. Aided as always by the script, the actors deliver in spades, producing gloriously overacted performances that fit their world, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Samuel L. Jackson are the heart of the piece but for us Walton Goggins steals the show. Much has been made of ‘The Hateful Eight’ being shot in glorious 70mm Panavision, and yes the panoramic visuals are stunning, but given that most people will never see this film in that format, it’s no more visually impressive than several films of the last 12 months. If anything it’s the sound that catches the attention through the excellent sound design and historic 1st use of an original score by Tarantino, an ominous and evocative blend of Jazz and Classical from no less than the godfather of the Western soundtrack, the great Ennio Morricone. So considering all the constituent components, why is ‘The Hateful Eight’ a less compelling and memorable piece of work than we’ve seen from Quentin Tarantino in the past? Firstly, aside from the score, those components don’t quite mesh together as well as his last few pictures and ultimately the narrative as a whole is just not as engrossing. But it really comes down to the runtime. ‘The Hateful Eight’ is way too long and everything from the narrative to the dialogue seems unnecessarily but unapologetically stretched out for dramatic effect but not quality, particularly when you approach and pass the 3 hour mark. The Bottom Line… Quentin Tarantino retains his position as king of genre filmmaking with an unapologetically violent but gruesomely funny Western that shocks and entertains on many levels, but the overstretched dialogue and a narrative that drags on beyond 180 minutes prevent ‘The Hateful Eight’ from being the instantly memorable classic we might have hoped for.

Jennifer Lawrence is reunited with director David O. Russell in a semi-biographical comedy/drama based on Joy Mangano and her journey from struggling New York single mom to entrepreneur, inventor, millionaire business owner and powerful family matriarch. Writer/director David O. Russell’s formula of stylizing real stories, featuring ensemble casts portraying humorously dysfunctional characters, against the backdrop of classic rock & pop soundtracks has served him well in recent years with films like ‘American Hustle’ and ‘The Fighter’. And by uniting Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper for the third time, O. Russell seeks to work his magic on this female empowerment and “American Dream” story. Despite many a seemingly mundane subject resulting in many an entertaining movie, you might think that a semi-biographical story about a rather typical middle-America single mom, who transforms into a rich shopping channel star, just wouldn’t be that compelling… and you would be right. Hollywood megastar and media darling Jennifer Lawrence stars as “Joy”, the only seemingly functional character in the story, who’s surrounded by quirky friends & family that rely on her while life and responsibility drags her down. Only for circumstance to conspire with her precocious nature to help her fulfil her potential in this true, and yet rather fanciful tale about never giving up in the pursuit of your “American Dream”. ‘Joy’ certainly does have its redeeming qualities with plenty of offbeat characters and deadpan humour to keep you entertained, for the first half at least. Robert De Niro’s turn as Joy’s self-styled father particularly steals the show, and Jennifer Lawrence central accomplished performance just about holds the movie together. But the tone of the film changes drastically towards the third act and the comedic charm is lost as it moves towards a rather flat emotional character drama. No amount of toe-tappin’ tunes will disguise the fact that this film is very uneven with most of the narrative focusing on Joy’s early entrepreneurial days, which then suddenly and conveniently wraps up in the final 10 minutes, with no lead-in, into her current status as a powerful family matriarch, and then that’s it, the film’s over. The Bottom Line… Director David O. Russell can’t seem to wrangle a strong ensemble cast, a delightful soundtrack and plenty of belly laughs into a compelling and cohesive rags-to-riches “American Dream” story. ‘Joy’ is a rather flat and underwhelming comedy/drama that loses steam, let’s see if O. Russell will now rework his winning formula or apply it to more yielding material.

Academy award-winning director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) reunites with his ‘Les Misérables’ alumnus and most recent Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne, to bring us a heavily dramatized version of a real early 20th century story which couldn’t be more timely. Redmayne stars as turn-of-the-century Danish painter Einar Wegener whose long transition into Lily Elbe eventually culminated in one of the earliest examples of gender reassignment surgery, the core of the story is the unique love story between Wegener and his wife and fellow artist Gerda Gottlieb, played by Alicia Vikander, who remained remarkably loyal despite inevitably losing the man she married. ‘The Danish Girl’ benefits from an interesting and incredibly timely central theme which has become a major social talking point in 2015. Director Tom Hooper manages to effectively apply what is fast becoming his formula of stylish and emotional period-drama treatment which takes advantage of solid performances, impeccable production design and an evocative Alexandre Desplat musical score. While ‘The Danish Girl’ is certainly not the first film to deal with issues of transgenderism, it’s quite original in framing it as an issue of personality and gender identity rather than sexuality. While transgender people will view themselves as having been born in the wrong body, society may view it as a mental disorder (gender dysphoria), the point of a film like this is to build a bridge of acceptance between the way people view an issue that’s now part of the media landscape… and battle against judgment from both sides by having unsuppressed open discussion. ‘The Danish Girl’ is essentially a human story set in a time long ago, yet not that different from today, but it’s told with a narrative naivety which takes plenty of dramatic license and employs a bit too much artistic flair. Unsurprisingly when condensing a lifetime into two hours, the story deviates heavily from reality, but ‘The Danish Girl’ is ultimately let down by slick Hollywood sentimentality, despite being a European production, and the sanitizing of a far more painful and tragic story. The timing of the film may have been a fortunate coincidence, but the careful sculpting of a narrative that provides just a bit of shock but not enough to alienate the masses, and which pleases awards voters, is not. The Bottom Line… While benefiting from typically evocative sights and sounds which illuminate a historical and yet fascinatingly timely central theme, ‘The Danish Girl’ takes too much dramatic license while sanitizing a true story for public consumption, and only scratches the surface of a complex social issue.

By now, most cinemagoers should know what to expect from a Seth Rogen vehicle, lewd comedy with plenty of sexual references and **** jokes, pop-culture references, cringeworthy awkward situations, and drugs, lots and lots of drugs. So if you’re a fan of the more low-brow elements of Rogen-Goldberg comedy, and in this case director Jonathan Levine too, then you’ll enjoy all the madness involved around this sometimes surprisingly touching tale of evolving but eternal friendship, and the “spirit” of Christmas. But if you’re not a fan, or are easily shocked and offended, then there’s probably no need to read on and you should avoid ‘The Night Before’ like the plague. Seth Rogen and his ’50/50′ co-star Joseph Gordon-Levitt star alongside Anthony Mackie as three friends who are being pulled apart by careers and family lives, and who are brought closer together by drug-induced Christmas “miracles”, as well as several other theme-appropriate **** constructs like psychedelic mushroom visions of Christmases past. ‘The Night Before’ is every inch the unconventional Christmas comedy, complete with touching moments in a morality tale with a happy ending, but it’s also clearly an outrageous and silly irreverent comedy with a fully crammed narrative that’s all over the place. Let’s be honest here, ‘The Night Before’ is no comedy classic, it’s not even one of the better Rogen-Goldberg collaborations. But considering their controversial and hugely disappointing previous collaboration in ‘The Interview’, this is certainly not the worst and has more than enough genuine hard belly-laugh humour to be better than most Christmas comedies you’re likely to see anytime soon. The Bottom Line… Littered with irreverent lewd comedy and drug references, ‘The Night Before’ is unapologetic low-brow Christmas comedy that won’t be to everyone’s taste, but with an outrageous & creative capturing of **** literature and some legit side-splitting humour, it’s surprisingly enjoyable escapism and a good way to spend a couple of mindless holiday hours.

A young man’s mundane life in small-town Ireland is transformed when he joins a bizarre underground experimental pop band fronted by an enigmatic singer who never removes his oversized cartoon costume head, as success beckons, band dynamics and personality clashes come to a head in this unique comedy/drama from director Lenny Abrahamson. Eccentric is probably the most appropriate adjective to describe ‘Frank’ and everything that surrounds this film. The story and titular character are loosely based on “Frank Sidebottom”, the alter ego of 80/90’s British alternative comedian/musician Chris Sievey who wore suits and a large Max Fleischer cartoon-styled costume head whilst performing music, comedy and hosting a talk show, all in his surrealist pastiche style. This “Frank”, played by the irresistible and ever convincing Michael Fassbender, is a talented and enigmatic young man who suffers from mental illness and uses the head as a shield from society, around him is gathered his cult-like and equally eccentric band with their own psychological issues and together they wander around Britain & Ireland creating their unique brand of “avant-garde” underground psychedelic music. The story is told from the perspective of Domhnall Gleeson as “Jon”, the everyman who joins the band and goes from outsider to the driving force for popularity as he uses his promotional skills to reach a larger audience, and in the process disrupts the group dynamics which surfaces one of the main themes in ‘Frank’, the notion of artistic integrity vs. success. Even though the film is an ode to the outsider and artistic freedom, it does a great job at exposing the often pompous and pretentious nature of “experimental” artists. Indeed ‘Frank’ is a curious mix of themes and elements which include, belonging, isolation, mental illness and the question of trauma & suffering as an essential element for inspiration and “real” art. Frank himself is not only inspired by “Frank Sidebottom” but also some of the pioneers of “art-rock” and alternative music, such as Captain Beefheart, Daniel Johnston and Ian Dury. Although ‘Frank’ is very much a quirky comedy which sometimes descends into slapstick but is always surreal, the tone and pace changes drastically towards the end and becomes a drama that deals with mental illness. Although it does a commendable job of not treating the psychologically troubled as victims, there is no space to faithfully depict the intricacies of mental illness here and the conclusion of the film is rather sentimental and slightly out of place. The Bottom Line… Although quirky to a fault and despite only skimming the surface of some profound subject matter, ‘Frank’ is a wonderfully weird and cinematically unique blend of elements that makes for an artistry comedy/drama that you won’t soon forget.

Never has a film needed less build-up or background than the extremely long-awaited 7th cinematic installment of the ‘Star Wars’ saga, ‘The Force Awakens’. So after the unprecedented build-up and hype there’s only really one question to answer, does it live up to it?, and the answer is, for the most part yes. Despite considerable constraints and the daunting task of getting the balance right between paying tribute to the series legacy and catapulting it into the 21st century, ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ is a triumph of blockbuster event filmmaking and a prime example of what a major studio can achieve with a passionate filmmaker that’s given the adequate source material, space and time to get the formula right, not mention some major $$$. It’s clear that superfan and writer/director J.J. Abrams was constrained by new ‘Star Wars’ universe overlords Disney in how much he could deviate from a successful formula, the balance is indeed skewed towards recycling much of the narrative from the original trilogy and capturing the currently precious pop-culture nostalgia dollar. Which means that the story does often feel like a corporate box-ticking exercise. But at the same time ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ is the perfect 21st century representation of the magic that made the franchise so popular, and Disney have allowed J.J. Abrams the space to work his storytelling magic and deft hand at ensemble cast handling. Pretty much every main character in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, both the original “Legacy” players and the new generation, get the chance to shine within a story with a very healthy dose of humour and charm. Which in the end is what made the original series so popular and enduring when you get past visuals and special effects, which quickly become obsolete. So if you’re looking for a huge cinematic experience with laughs and thrills, featuring characters in a beloved and familiar universe, plus some new ones that intersect with what you already know, ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ will not disappoint. In fact the only really disappointing element, aside from a few dark side character choices and a slightly overly familiar narrative, comes way before the film’s release in the form of many trailers, TV spots, magazine spreads and the general ubiquitous spoiler culture that surrounded the latest story in a galaxy far far away… By the time you’ve seen ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, you’ll probably already know what virtually every major character looks like, sounds like, what vehicles and landscapes to expect and have figured out the crux of the narrative. It seems that audiences have gladly traded the wonderment of 1st time viewing exposition for a quick fix and the build up of anticipation, and studio marketing departments are only happy to oblige, but for us this had a negative impact on the enjoyment of the film. With series sequels and spinoffs now scheduled over the next 4 years at least, the question will now be if Disney can keep relying on tried formulas and nostalgia or whether the franchise can now stand on its new 21st century legs, and if the slew of new ‘Star Wars’ films will dilute the magic and appeal of the franchise, for general viewers at least. Only time will tell. But given the film’s already extraordinary, if expected box office success, coupled with potentially greater merchandising returns and the opening of ‘Star Wars’ themed lands at Disney parks in the near future, it seems that Disney’s massive 4 billion dollar acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012 might turn out to be the bargain of the century. The Bottom Line… Despite being slightly predictable and relying heavily on nostalgia, ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ is a thoroughly entertaining adventure of epic proportions that just about gets the balance right between the old and the new, reinvigorating and blasting a cultural phenomenon into a new era.

‘Victor Frankenstein’ kicks off with a narration by Daniel Radcliffe as “Igor” declaring to the audience that “you know this story”, implying that you’re in for something new, or perhaps lowering expectations, intentionally or not. What follows for the best part of 2 hours is a 21st century treatment of this 19th century story, originally set in the late 18th century. To say that ‘Victor Frankenstein’ shares a lot with Robert Downey Jr.’s recent Sherlock Holmes films would be an understatement, from setting a typically mostly central European late 18th century story in Victorian London, to the stylized dramatic action sequences and overall aesthetic, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re watching Guy Ritchie taking on Mary Shelley. James McAvoy stars in the titular role accompanied by Daniel Radcliffe through whose eyes the story is seen, both deliver adequate performances with McAvoy given the chance to flamboyantly overact to his heart’s content, giving the film a graphic novel if not comic book sensibility. The production design is impressive as you might expect, with the dirty streets of Victorian London coming alive, as do the props and of course the creatures, literally. The film is billed as a re-imagining of the “Frankenstein” story which brings something new, that’s certainly true in terms of veering away from the original novel, but in terms of the 80+ years of Hollywood treatment since, ‘Victor Frankenstein’ takes from virtually every version of this classic story making it disappointingly unimaginative for a “re-imagining”. Director Paul McGuigan’s film does manage to shine a dim light on the original “mad scientist’s” motivational inner demons and the dangers of scientific overreaching, but despite a good momentum and the entertainment value, ultimately ‘Victor Frankenstein’ is a fuel-injected version of a well-trodden theme. The Bottom Line… Silly and fun, uninspired and forgettable, ‘Victor Frankenstein’ is an entertaining but unmemorable romp that offers little that’s new to an established story, beyond its lavish interpretation.

It’s not difficult to see why some have dubbed ‘Grandma’ as the “feminist” ‘Nebraska’, both are charming and quirky Indie comedy/dramas that bridge the perspectives of different generations within dysfunctional families, and both star straight-talking elderly screen legends. But whereas ‘Grandma’ lacks some of the Oscar-nominated artistic flair of Alexander Payne’s ‘Nebraska’, it certainly doesn’t hesitate to flesh out a distinctly “pro-choice” narrative that although relatively rare, is becoming increasingly common. Lily Tomlin stars as a cantankerous ageing lesbian academic with a colourful but dramatic past which has left her estranged from her daughter and incapable of sustaining relationships since the death of her life partner. ‘Grandma’ sits somewhere between a road movie and a family drama and director Paul Weitz does a good job of balancing the comedy that comes from “Grandma’s” way of handling people and the pathos from the decisions that have shaped her life and the people around her. And that’s what ‘Grandma’ is ultimately about, yes it’s a “dramedy” from a lesbian perspective, but really it’s a film about the choices in life. From the “pro-choice” stance taken regarding the central abortion theme that drives the narrative, and which some audiences may take issue with. To the decisions that Tomlin’s character unapologetically takes which shape more than just her own existence, for better or worse. But despite a distinct 21st century story featuring a gay main character and central driving theme of abortion, ‘Grandma’ is both a familiar tale and character, which we’ve seen tackled from a variety of angles. We’re all familiar with the elderly scrooge-like character that goes on a journey which leads to self-discovery and redemption. Despite Lily Tomlin’s strong central performance, the rest of the cast don’t quite manage to reach her heights, with the main grandma-granddaughter relationship lacking in chemistry, all within a narrative that’s too familiar and which predictably wraps things up in a bow. The Bottom Line… ‘Grandma’ features a distinguished Lily Tomlin central performance within a funny and occasionally touching 21st Century story, but a rather familiar narrative and predictable characters, plus a lack of nuance make this an entertaining little “dramedy” rather than a modern Indie gem.

In an alternate pre-history where the Dinosaurs survived and live like early humans who consider savage cave-people to be primitive critters, a timid young Apatosaurus is separated from his family following a tragedy only to form an unlikely friendship with a savage dog-like human boy, together they embark on a great adventure to get back home in yet another captivating animation from the good folks at Disney-Pixar. Following the huge success of the outstanding ‘Inside Out’, the brilliant minds at Disney-Pixar close the year out with a less ambitious and more simplistic but nevertheless enjoyable coming-of-age story and morality tale in the form of ‘The Good Dinosaur’. A sort of reverse Flintstones hybrid where Dinosaurs talk, cultivate land and raise nuclear families while humans are feral critters that are good as pets… or food. ‘The Good Dinosaur’ ticks all the boxes of what we might expect from a meticulously produced modern animation. A story that engages both adults and children and which includes life lessons wrapped in an adventure fraught with peril, plenty of comedy tempered by pathos and touching moments, and stunning visuals. Although the cartoonish characters set in vivid ultra-realistically rendered landscapes takes some getting used to. As much it’s an animated dinosaur adventure, this is Pixar’s tribute to the Western, from the genre music to characters like Pterodactyl outlaws and T-Rex cowboys, plus the distinct vocal performances which include the epitome Hollywood “cowboy” voices Sam Elliot. ‘The Good Dinosaur’ shares as much with ‘City Slickers’ and ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ as it does with ‘The Land Before Time’. Indeed Pixar’s latest offering shares many of the core components of their other films as well as classic family films like ‘The Lion King’ and beyond, without tackling them in a particularly innovative way. Perhaps what keeps ‘The Good Dinosaur’ from being as compelling as many other Disney-Pixar collaborations, is a story that seems like a patchwork of ideas and life lessons brought together by the popular consensus of many writers involved in a troubled production, a lot of boxes were sure to be ticked. The Bottom Line… Given the trouble with making it, ‘The Good Dinosaur’ was probably never going to fare well against its immediate Pixar predecessor ‘Inside Out’, but despite a familiar narrative, this is still a fun and beautifully rendered animated family adventure with enough tenderness and humour to be worth your while… whatever your age.

It’s probably controversial in today’s political climate to say that a gay love story is unconventional, but given the 1950s social climate in which the story is set, ‘Carol’ is very much that, as was Patricia Highsmith’s source novel which was published at the time in question. There’s no doubt that the nature of a lesbian relationship in the 50s is a driving factor for the narrative in ‘Carol’, as Highsmith’s original book soft-cover claimed, this is “The novel of a love society forbids”. But the careful and considered treatment that’s given to the story, plus masterful craftsmanship by director Todd Haynes, means that you quickly move past a gay love story into a non-traditional yet familiar and tender relationship drama which most adult audiences will relate to. The irrepressible Cate Blanchett stars in the titular role as woman in repressed turmoil who struggles to balance her character with her family obligations and societal constraints, a distinguished and subtle performance that’s a perfect counterpoint to her Oscar-winning turn in ‘Blue Jasmine’. Rooney Mara also delivers a strong measured performance as an equally uncertain “Therese Belivet”, a girl struggling with youth-related inner turmoil, and who is the catalyst for “Carol’s” inner revolution. Much has been made of the visual stylishness of the film and indeed the achievements of the cinematographers and costume designers deserve the praise they’re receiving. By rejecting digital and choosing to shoot in 16mm film, Todd Haynes has achieved a vivid colour palette and texture that’s faithful to the cinematic aesthetic of the period in which it’s set. ‘Carol’ carefully walks the line between a tender romance and a melodrama, occasionally stepping over that line with convenient and unlikely story turns and characters that are mostly one-note, apart from the leads. Indeed the narrative is unbalanced with everything revolving around “Carol” while simultaneously portraying characters that no matter how understated, are all fundamentally self-centered. In that sense ‘Carol’ has distinct 21st century characteristics. Despite strong and subtle performances from the leads and a commendable attempt at a realist depiction of a period romance, regardless of sexuality, the central love story is beautiful but just not that compelling. The Bottom Line… Director Todd Haynes has managed to beautifully craft a subtle period-piece romance about “forbidden” love that backs away from melodrama and delivers a universally relatable narrative, despite some character flaws and a slightly underwhelming core courtship.

Previous Hanks/Spielberg collaborations have brought us both gripping dramas with strong historical context and human stories with charm & humour. With the help of co-witters the Coen Brothers, ‘Bridge of Spies’ is a mix of those elements, woven together by Spielberg’s mastery of storytelling and dramatic flair into a meticulously crafted true story, with no small measure of idealism. Despite its narrative, ‘Bridge of Spies’ is not what you may expect from a spy film, in fact it may be the most accurate depiction of cold war (or any era) espionage in recent cinema history, so if you’re expecting a tense thriller then prepared to be disappointed. This is a masterfully crafted, measured and often slow-build drama that is as much about the intricacies of geopolitics during a complicated period in our history as it is a human drama… and one which resonates today. Tom Hanks delivers yet another solid charismatic performance as a figure who was linked to several of the major events at the height of the cold war, while Mark Rylance has been rightly singled out for his deliberate chronically understated turn as Rudolf Abel, an unflappable soviet spy with unshakable integrity. As expected, the visual style is faultless with meticulous costume and production design vividly bringing the period to life, ‘Bridge of Spies’ boasts a beautiful aesthetic that’s typical of its cinematographer and long-time Spielberg collaborator Janusz Kaminski. There is nothing unusual about a Steven Spielberg film with an underlying sense of optimism, but ‘Bridge of Spies’ has an unapologetic streak of personal and collective idealism which borders on sentimentality, particularly when you consider the realities of cold war politics. Notwithstanding the espionage, the film is as much about how one extraordinary man and his principles helped to shape the course of recent history, albeit a glossy textbook drama version of that story. The Bottom Line… Despite a steady pace with limited tension and a fanciful idealism, ‘Bridge of Spies’ is a meticulously crafted and engaging cold war classic, with plenty of charm and human drama to keep you enthralled throughout a long runtime, another success from the Hollywood “firm” of Spielberg & Hanks.

‘Steve Jobs’ is thankfully not your typical biopic with its familiar and predictable cradle-to-grave structure and tiresome narrative highs & lows, Sorkin’s sharp and dynamic dialogue, coupled with familiar techniques like the ole’ walk n’ talk, makes the subject and the story far more engrossing than it should be, despite its historical significance. The story is structured very much like a play with a no cuts aesthetic ala ‘Birdman’ which fits perfectly around the Sorkinesque dialogue, and it revolves around the lead up to 3 major product launches for Jobs; the 1984 Apple Macintosh launch billed as revolutionary, the 1988 doomed launch of NeXT computers after Jobs was removed from Apple by the board, and the triumphant return of the prodigal son to Apple for the 1998 launch of the iMac. All the drama unfolds minutes before Jobs is scheduled to take the stage, which might be inaccurate but works to great dramatic effect. By not following Jobs’s real success which took place mainly in the 21st century, Boyle and Sorkin have chosen to focus on the early visionary days of success mixed with plenty of failure, which helped to form or magnify the man’s abrasive and driven character, and which makes ‘Steve Jobs’ a far more memorable experience than a typical full-life biopic. The irresistible Michael Fassbender stars as the late Apple co-founder in a truly phenomenal central performance which captures the complicated personality of a man who was more of a tyrannical control freak than most CEOs, and who had a confrontational perfectionist personality which was the stuff of legend within the industry and went well beyond the boardroom into his family life. ‘Steve Jobs’ is neither a fanboy pleasing ode to Jobs nor is it a detractor’s attack on Apple Inc., Sorkin’s writing style and the tone of the film will be divisive, not to mention the characters, and technophobes may take issue with a narrative that’s unfortunately necessary for this story. But this is a bold and refreshing attempt to flesh out the psyche of a towering figure of the 21st century and even goes into his difficult childhood, which depending on your perspective, provides either a reason or an excuse for his personality and actions. The film works well as an exploration of how we view “geniuses” and life-changing entrepreneurs, what we are prepared to overlook for what they give us, and what that says about our capitalist society. Ultimately ‘Steve Jobs’ casts a light, although a dim one, on what Jobs’s real genius was, not as a visionary inventor or designer, but as an expert on human psychology and a master manipulator, and no doubt one of the greatest marketers ever. After all, this is the man who created a techno-cult that has burgeoned into a pseudo religion which convinced the world to consistently buy sexy but limited closed technology they don’t need, at extortionate prices, and worship him for it. The Bottom Line… ‘Steve Jobs’ will be a divisive film thanks to an unorthodox narrative and frenetic dialogue, not to mention the unsympathetic nature of the titular character, but Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle’s bold storytelling coupled with Michael Fassbender’s remarkable performance results in a riveting triumph of biographical filmmaking, and a fascinating psychological exploration of the man who may well have defined the 21st century.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a film which is more timely and representative of 2015 western culture than ‘Tangerine’, an urban comedy/drama indie filmed entirely on Apple iPhones, featuring a cast of transsexuals and recent immigrants, and starring two transgender women as prostitutes in a series of misadventures on the streets of L.A. ‘Tangerine’ is an unconventional and slightly tragic screwball comedy/drama where the lives of pimps, prostitutes and their clientele are uncomfortably and hilariously thrown together. Produced by major indie players the Duplass Brothers and written/directed by indie darling Sean Baker, ‘Tangerine’ was filmed on location in a notorious Santa Monica area near Hollywood where pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers ply their trade. By using basic and accessible technology while casting leads with “experience” in the industry and area, Baker has achieved an ultra- realist view of L.A. that’s seldom seen, and has candidly depicted a subculture that has until now been largely ignored by media, all while crafting an outrageous comedy/drama that consistently walks the line between gritty and sleazy. Clearly inspired by guerrilla filmmaking and indie heavyweights like John Waters and Jim Jarmusch , director Sean Baker delivers a vibrant and often uncomfortable cinematic experience that’s neither judgemental or sympathetic. Despite a dysfunctional and unexpectedly touching relationship between the two central working girls, clearly reminiscent of ‘Midnight Cowboy’, none of the characters are particularly sympathetic while the men suffer a particularly savage depiction that’s a thinly veiled theme of the movie. Despite the critical acclaim so far, ‘Tangerine’ may be a divisive film for a larger general audience who may not be ready to deal with such a bold representation of the more marginalised people in modern western society. Although the film is sequential and easy to follow, there is a lot of filler. Expect the now ubiquitous dramatic indie synth-pop and electronic music sequences, in the form of endless overly stylistic purposeful walking scenes, which when removed, would probably make ‘Tangerine’ a 40min short. The Bottom Line… Outrageously funny and often uncomfortable to watch if somewhat flawed, ‘Tangerine’ is groundbreaking guerrilla indie filmmaking in both narrative and production, an unflinching look at the lives of the more marginalised in modern society.

If you watched John Favreau’s delightful 2014 comedy/drama ‘Chef’ you’ll know that the beauty and love of food and its preparation is transferable to the big screen, given, pardon the pun, the right ingredients. With ‘Burnt’, director John Wells attempts to rework a winning formula for the world of “Gourmet” cuisine. Cooper’s central character “Adam Jones” is the familiar tortured but driven soul, stumbling over obstacles on the path to redemption. Anyone who’s a fan of celebrity “superchefs” like Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White will recognize the many abrasive character traits of a culinary “Enfant terrible”, forged in the heat of the kitchen and pressure of the industry, but with Jones you can add an excessive rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. But despite being billed a comedy and boasting a charming trailer, ‘Burnt’ is not particularly comedic and indeed lacks all the charm and heart that made ‘Chef’ so effective. Despite solid performances from Bradley Cooper and co-star Sienna Miller, ‘Burnt’ features often clichéd characters and a predictable narrative that lacks punch and lumbers along for what seems much longer than its 101 minute run time. As expected ‘Burnt’ is beautifully shot and the food preparation sequences are essentially stylishly cinematic food porn, but given the aspirational nature of Haute cuisine, even these visuals are not as appetizing as they should be and have a sterile unattainable quality. There isn’t much to surprise or grip an audience here, the most honest moment in the film is where Adam Jones nearly bursts the pompous bubble of high culinary art and its lucrative but pretentious nature. But ultimately ‘Burnt’ takes itself way too seriously just like the industry it depicts, and as Bradley Cooper’s character states, does so because it can. The Bottom Line… While disciples of Haute cuisine may enjoy something at time akin to food porn and despite solid lead performances, ‘Burnt’s’ predictable narrative and lack of charm result in an underwhelming experience that lacks in depth, arguably a fitting tribute to the subjective and detached industry it depicts.

Director Davis Guggenheim’s chronicle of the life, so far, of Nobel Prize-winning Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, from being shot by the Taliban for suggesting girls should be educated to moving to Britain and becoming a global ambassador for children’s education and gender equality. If you’ve watched television over the last 3 years surely you’ve heard of Malala Yousafzai and her extraordinary story, ‘He Named Me Malala’ is an account of the teenager’s brief but eventful life so far, crafted for full dramatic effect. But the heart of this movie is the confluence between director Davis Guggenheim’s convictions about the power of education, as seen in his recent work, and those of Malala and her father. The result is a central ethos for which our heroine risked her life, which essentially makes ‘He Named Me Malala’ a piece of advocacy filmmaking which straddles the line of positive propaganda. The film is a mix of interviews and “candid” footage with Malala’s family about her uniquely independent upbringing in Pakistan’s Swat valley, the ominous arrival of the Taliban and all the events that followed. This is mixed with a lot of hand drawn animation that illustrates some key events and Yousafzai philosophical musings, all of which help to give ‘He Named Me Malala’ a rather mythical quality, and whether intentionally or not, depict Malala in a position of near sainthood. The problem with making a documentary about the life of a teenager, despite her extraordinary circumstances, is that when you get past the well-established events into the actual person, it’s just not that interesting. There are cursory heart-warming attempts at digging beneath the persona but to no real avail, and despite the trauma this is a normal girl whose character is not yet fully formed and without a lifetime of experiences to merit a 90 minute documentary portrait. There’s also no attempt to dig into the mythological aspect of her now iconic status and what that says about society, indeed the near prophetic origins of her name and the liberal use of animation here only make it more pronounced. So what we’re left with is what ‘He Named Me Malala’ is really about, not so much a rounded documentary but a promotional tool for Malala’s commendable global activism efforts. Which is great for, rather fittingly, educational and motivational purposes for youngsters, but unless you’re completely ignorant of her story, there’s not much else aside from a recent historical recap and a feel-good story. The Bottom Line… Although not a rounded or compelling documentary, ‘He Named Me Malala’ is an uplifting piece of advocacy filmmaking that’s fitting as an educational and motivational tool for a Malala Yousafzai inspired generation, cementing her as the patron saint of global education.

When you consider the lavish Royal premiere in London, the logistically impressive opening scene and the elaborate title sequence, it’s no surprise that the ‘Spectre’ budget snowballed to around $350 million, but luckily for the audience it’s all up there on the screen. With the daunting task of following ‘Skyfall’, a genre redefining Bond and the most successful British movie ever, producers have meticulously crafted a spy romp that ticks all the 007 boxes. From stunning locations in 5 different countries to spectacular action sequences, classic villains to tongue-in-cheek humour and sexy but substantial Bond ladies, ‘Spectre’ has everything you might expect from an James Bond film within a 21st century context. ‘Spectre’ also expands on the themes of cyberterrorism and the dangers of ubiquitous government surveillance established by its predecessor, while stretching out a fanciful mysterious storyline that weaves together the principal players in Daniel Craig’s Bond legacy so far. So all the pieces you might expect or want from 007 are in place, and that’s the major problem with ‘Spectre’. If you constantly look for the same elements in every Bond film plus constant nods to the entire legacy, then you’ll love this film, as you should. If however your expectations have been slightly warped by the bold and Bond-redefining ‘Skyfall’ then you might be disappointed here, it’s all a matter of perspective. For any modern Bond film there must be a balance between nostalgia and moving the character forward, ‘Skyfall’ struck that balance well and perhaps because of its success and the production issues with ‘Spectre’, producers have leaned heavily towards legacy here. The film builds nicely but the final third descends heavily into archetype with story and characters you can see from a mile away, building up to a spectacular but predictable conclusion that’s ultimately underwhelming. Perhaps the most frustrating element of ‘Spectre’ is the criminal misuse of Christoph Waltz’s talents as a one-dimensional villain who’s familiar on way too many levels. The Bottom Line… While not the genre re-defining film that ‘Skyfall’ was and despite some disappointingly predictable elements, ‘Spectre’ has everything you might want from a 21st century Bond, grandiose while stylish, entertaining throughout and for us, it cements Daniel Craig as the greatest 007 thus far.

When media streaming giants Netfilx chooses a brutal and powerful African child soldier drama as their 1st original movie and entry into the movie distribution business, you know they’re willing to take risks. With a small budget that can’t compete with the major film studios, they’ve opted for creativity and daring to break into a major part of the movie industry they may well revolutionize. This is not the first film we’ve seen about African child soldiers, but it’s the first that will be seen by a large western audience and manages to capture the raw realism of ‘Johnny Mad Dog’ and ‘Ezra’ while combining it with the focused energy and compelling narrative of favela drama ‘City of God’, all while learning the lessons about the madness of war from the classics of the last 40 years. ‘Beasts of No Nation’ is an incredibly brutal and violent but powerful drama that focuses an unflinching look at the plight of child soldiers in Africa. By not setting the story in a specific country it represents the horrors inflicted upon children in countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone over the last few decades, and indeed it could apply to child soldiers in South America and the more recent horrifying corruption of children by “Islamic State”. All of which raises uncomfortable questions about the West’s selective moral outrage and lack of action when it come to global injustice. As the lead “Agu” in his acting debut and “Best Young Actor” award winner at the Venice Film Festival, Ghanaian schoolboy Abraham Attah, 13 years old at the time of filming, delivers an incredibly nuanced performance that’s as good as any child acting display we’ve seen. Idris Elba also shines as the charismatic and domineering rebel commandant, while Cary Joji **** direction is assured and his adaptation of Uzo Iweala’s novel is effective, as is the striking cinematography that captures the vivid greens and yellows of the Ghanian landscape where this was filmed. There are some who have criticised ‘Beasts of No Nation’ for its narrow focus on the plight of child soldiers within the larger context of African civil wars. This shows a fear of any truth can be vividly illuminated by drama and which differs from their world view, from those more comfortable looking at the mirror in the bliss of their own ignorance. The Bottom Line… Harrowingly brutal, powerful and often hard to watch, ‘Beasts of No Nation’ is war drama at its most uncompromising and tragic, made worse by the fact that it will probably remain timely for generations to come.

A gambling addict, fallen on hard times, joins a charismatic free-spirited younger player as they travel the American south along the mighty Mississippi river, pushing their luck along the way and trying to regain what’s been lost with some measure of redemption in this road trip drama from directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Although it’s not acknowledged as a remake, ‘Mississippi Grind’ shares too much with Robert Altman’s ‘California Split’ to not have been at the very least heavily influenced by the 1974 gambling classic. Ryan Reynolds delivers his customary charming and charismatic if slightly clichéd performance as “Curtis”, the younger enigmatic gambler with a guardian angel complex and a penchant for seemingly lost causes. But it’s Ben Mendelsohn who shines with another fine performance as the heart of the piece “Gerry”, a middle-aged degenerate gambler heavily in debt, broken down by life and that most dangerous of breeds, a man unable to walk away or hedge his bets and always blaming circumstances for not being able to “catch a break”. Despite the narrative, ‘Mississippi Grind’ is not a gambling/gambler film that takes an immersive look at the nature of the activity the way that ‘Rounders’ or ‘California Split’ does. Indeed the gambling seems to function only as the affliction that drives the characters and the catalyst that delivers the few moments of genuine tension in the film. This is much more of a classic American road trip drama that centres around flawed characters searching for something, as a result we get a combination of intoxicating sights and sounds from the American south and the audience is treated to a hearty soundtrack of jazz, soul and blues as they head towards New Orleans. Much like the films that influenced it, ‘Mississippi Grind’ focuses on characters and emotional journeys, leaving enough space for audiences to make their own judgements. Ironically though this leaves a narrative that sends mixed messages about gambling addiction and the “nobility” of those who pathologically risk everything, ultimately this sluggish and slightly predicable character drama relies heavily on Ben Mendelsohn’s lead performance to engage the audience. The Bottom Line… Despite a faltering slow-burn narrative and confusing moral core, ‘Mississippi Grind’ injects a welcome and measured character focus into the gambling-drama subgenre, and stays afloat on the mighty Mississippi thanks largely to yet another accomplished Ben Mendelsohn performance.

If ‘The Last Witch Hunter’ seems familiar to you it’s because we’ve seen it all before in any number of modern vampire narratives, just replace vampires with witches and vampire slayer with witch hunter. Think ‘The Lord of the Rings’ meets ‘Blade’ but without the narrative and visionary brilliance of the former, or the originality and cool factor of the latter. Director Breck Eisner attempts to craft a dark but family friendly contemporary all-action fantasy by combining a well-trodden narrative and mild horror with plenty of CGI and spectacular magic imagery, plus convenient religious iconography and a dash of ineffectively mixed humour & drama. The result, although entertaining enough, is a mess that fails to impress or engage despite the efforts of its star, who’s now exhausted “Fast & Furious” charms don’t add layers to the stereotypically badass but shallow character “Kaulder”, and no amount strategically placed dead family flashbacks will convince you otherwise. Diesel’s co-stars Rose Leslie and Elijah Wood do their best with pedestrian modernist fantasy dialogue, but even Michael Caine in his now customary mentor/confidant role can’t save the characters in ‘The Last Witch Hunter’ from drowning in the frenzied action and convoluted narrative. With impressive action set pieces and striking visuals and with a duration of just shy of 2 hours, ‘The Last Witch Hunter’ is not entirely without merit as fantastical escapist entertainment. No doubt its producers will be hoping they’ve found a Vin Diesel vehicle off which they can build a franchise, and with many of the mass appeal modern components for success there we won’t be surprised if this is the first of many “Kaulder” films. The Bottom Line… Fun, flashy but forgettable, ‘The Last Witch Hunter’ walks a very familiar cinematic path without offering anything much to remember it by, a reasonably entertaining way to burn a couple of hours which you’ll forget as soon as you leave the cinema… that is until the inevitable sequels.

We’ve come to expect a certain level of creativity and high production value from a Guillermo del Toro film over the years and ‘Crimson Peak’ exceeds these expectations with a stroke of artistic flamboyance that makes it a masterful portrait of moving images. It’s no surprise that this film is a feast for the eyes and ears, a triumphant combination of spectacular production and costume design with stunning cinematography and a powerful soundscape, no doubt ‘Crimson Peak’ will be tough to beat across a number of technical categories at next year’s Oscars. Tom Hiddleston’s performance as the conflicted “Sir Thomas” is accomplished but the centrepiece of the film, aside from the house, is the foreboding relationship between Mia Wasikowska’s “Edith” and “Lady Lucille”, brilliantly played by Jessica Chastain, who despite the supernatural terrors is the true dark heart of ‘Crimson Peak’. However the narrative and the very nature of the film are both its strength and weakness depending on your point of view. ‘Crimson Peak’ is simultaneously a gothic romance, period costume drama, murder mystery and a stylish horror picture that harks back the “Golden Age” of Hollywood, albeit with Del Toro’s modern artistic strokes and 55 million dollar budget. But straddling several genres without committing strongly to a single one leaves 2 ways of taking in the film. If you’re cinematically open-minded you might take positives from each of the elements whether you’re a fan of those types of films or not. Alternatively though ‘Crimson Peak’ might be too melodramatic and not horrific enough for horror fans, or too horrific and not romantic enough for costume drama fans, and is held back by faithful but often tedious Gothic drama dialogue. The Bottom Line… Although it spreads itself a little thin in terms of narrative, ‘Crimson Peak’ is more than satisfying enough to keep audiences engaged throughout, and weaves a stunningly vivid cinematic tapestry that reintroduces dark Gothic beauty to modern cinema.

Johnny Depp stars as notorious Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger, whose position as an FBI informant and brother of a Massachusetts state senator gave him virtual carte blanche to commit shocking crimes on the way to becoming a Boston crime Kingpin in the 70’s & 80’s, director Scott Cooper’s (Crazy Heart) take on the shocking true story of one of the most infamous criminals in American history. Depp’s penchant for personal transformation is taken to a new level with one of his most accomplished performances ever, and certainly his most chilling, as Irish/American crime boss and borderline sociopath “Whitey” Bulger. His physical transformation is striking enough but primarily serves to convincingly put Depp into the disturbing mindspace of a character that might seem exaggerated or one dimensional, until you learn about the real man himself. Since its September US release, ‘Black Mass’ has garnered mixed reviews in part at least to people’s expectations of a “gangster” drama and the fact that this film doesn’t exactly toe that line. The pace is often slow and deliberate with scenes of character drama and near-forensic storytelling broken up by graphic violence and the odd darkly comic moments. A major factor is also the fact that ‘Black Mass’ is not a gangster drama from the Martin Scorsese school of filmmaking, i.e. violently flamboyant and often comedic which builds to an ultimate payoff where loose ends are tied up, which has resulted in some of the greatest films ever made including ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘The Departed’, itself loosely based on the “Whitey” Bulger story. Instead this film is more a more nuanced study of character and society and a faithful representation of a real & recent story based on the book by Boston Globe reporters **** Lehr and Gerard O’Neill. For us the result is not a lesser Gangster film but simply a different kind of “Mob” drama and more of a real-life Crime tragedy that’s no less engrossing. Black Mass is a fascinating and dark exploration of corruption and loyalty, a frank look at the tribal ties that often extend from local criminals to law enforcement and beyond, and a different angle on the timeless concept of “Honour Among Thieves”. The Bottom Line… Boasting a standout performance from Johnny Depp and flawless supporting cast led by Joel Edgerton, ‘Black Mass’ is a more measured Gangster drama than you might expect but no less enthralling, a fascinating depiction of one of the dark corners of recent American history.

This isn’t the first time you may have encountered Philippe Petit and his death-defying career, 2008’s Oscar-winning documentary ‘Man on Wire’ did a sterling job of illuminating this extraordinary event with the people actually involved and real footage. So, if you want to make this well know story explode out of the screen even further, you’ll need a visionary filmmaker, cinematic technician and accomplished storyteller. Enter Mr. Robert “Bob” Zemeckis in only his 2nd non-animated film in 15 years. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Petit and so we address the 1st major stumbling block, his “French” accent. Impressive when he actually speaks French but unintentionally comical throughout the majority of the film when he’s speaking English, we’re talking “Inspector Clouseau” level farcical. If you can get past that then ‘The Walk’ is a mix of stylistically sentimental biography and a carefully planned caper with a generous sprinkling of performance art, all orchestrated with Zemeckis’ years of technical storytelling expertise . It’s also an attempt to eulogize the artistry of those who defy death, and a not-so-subtle tribute to the memory of the “Twin Towers” and New York City. Needless to say ‘The Walk’ is a considerable visual achievement and an enthralling cinematic experience, challenging if you suffer from vertigo, or have a perfectly rational fear of extreme heights. The final scene is basically a stunning piece of cinematic performance art, but that alone does not make a great film. The narrative plays out with a flamboyant and almost magical quality that’s rather misplaced and ultimately takes away from any real tension and jeopardy in a film where you know the endgame from the start. Despite the glorious final scene, the story and performances don’t delve deep enough into the unique psyche of a person who would attempt such a thing, ultimately ‘The Walk’ is an entertaining adventure that doesn’t do justice to the actual man and his feat the way that ‘Man on Wire’ does. The Bottom Line… ‘The Walk’ goes heavy on style and visual presentation but light on substance and character, a stunning piece of performance art that’s never quite matched by the narrative or performances, and a good example of reality proving more compelling than Hollywood drama.

Jesse Eisenberg is reunited with his ‘Adventureland’ co-star Kristen Stewart as a pair of dysfunctional star-crossed lovers in a genre mash-up film that flirts with being a parody of a super-agent action/thriller, but ‘American Ultra’ isn’t consistently funny enough to be a parody, or a comedy for that matter. In only his second film director Nima Nourizadeh tries to bring together several disparate elements into a bizarre comedic stoner love story mixed with a graphically violent spy action thriller, clearly inspired by much of Matthew Vaughan’s recent work and 2008’s ‘Pineapple Express’, but the result is an uncompelling mess. The basic storyline is lifted directly from the ‘Bourne’ trilogy and infused with an absurd love story that cringingly attempts to be sincere and touching while a ludicrous amount of ultra-violence occurs around it, aside from a couple of moments ‘American Ultra’ is devoid of any real humour despite being a comedy and the absurd nature of the narrative gets old quickly. The pace of the film is all over the place with action scenes broken up by misguided attempts at romance and tenderness, and when all else fails the action comes to the rescue right? Wrong, aside from a few creative ways of murdering people and the odd explosion, we can’t figure out how a $30 million budget for an independent film can deliver so little. Jesse Eisenberg does his level best at essentially playing a young Woody Allen starring in a comedy remake of the ‘Bourne Identity’, Kristen Stewart does her best to stay out of the way but ultimately ‘American Ultra’ is less than the sum of its parts. A half-baked (pardon the pun) idea that only ever threatens to break out into a coherent and entertaining film. The Bottom Line… ‘American Ultra’ is an ineffective mix of genre films which fails to capture the balance of elements that make them enjoyable, a derivative mess that’s marginally entertaining, occasionally funny and just barely watchable.

In the latest addition to a genre he helped to revolutionize, Ridley Scott seems to have been influenced by recent Sci-fi fare in crafting a surprisingly lightly toned adventure/drama with distinctly dry humour, ‘The Martian’ might be Scott’s most enjoyable film in years without being weighed down by anything too profound. Thanks to a combination of striking cinematography and stunning Jordanian locations, plus 1st rate production design of everything from costumes and technology to the vehicles and interiors, ‘The Martian’ has a flawless aesthetic in no small part driven by Ridley Scott’s meticulous attention to detail. The narrative is kept simple and effective but the adaptation from Andy Weir’s novel loses some of the tension and thriller element while retaining its other defining qualities, Matt Damon delivers a compelling but not too dramatic lead performance supported by a strong ensemble cast, with Michael Peña stealing the comedic limelight for his second blockbuster of the year. Perhaps the most defining element of the film’s success it the abundant humour and self-assured moments of levity in situations which are often stale in traditional sci-fi drama, thanks to a generous sprinkling of comedic moments and a retro soundtrack worked into the narrative, we often felt like we were watching a less flashy ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. Indeed the tone of ‘The Martian’ is somewhat of a departure for Ridley Scott which might be welcome by those who’ve been critical of his recent work but may be an issue for diehard fans, there’s no great tension or sense of real jeopardy, the film always feels optimistic and ultimately ‘The Martian’ is a mildly sentimental but thoroughly engaging tribute to scientific endeavour and an ode to the human spirit of exploration. The Bottom Line… A welcome change of pace from Ridley Scott results in a visually stunning and highly enjoyable Sci-fi survival drama with a distinctly comedic edge, perhaps a little lacking in emotional depth and originality, but with a well-executed light tone and solid performances ‘The Martian’ is an engaging space adventure with wide appeal.

Director Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners) teams up with cinematographer extraordinaire Roger Deakins (The Shawshank Redemption, Fargo) in an ultra-realist tense and bleak crime thriller, set in the backdrop of the current version of the USA’s so-called “war on drugs” centered around Mexico, and within the wider context of an evolving decades-old crisis. ‘Sicario’ is a striking and well-crafted tense action thriller with an ominous feel throughout in keeping with Villeneuve’s recent work. There’s also a clear tactical-militaristic style that’s reminiscent of Kathryn Bigelow’s work in ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ and ‘The Hurt Locker’ , which itself should be an eye-opener as it’s depicting what happens on a regular basis just south of the most powerful and advanced nation on earth, seemingly uncontrollably, often bleeding across the border. Emily Blunt delivers a strong central performance, through which the audience discovers this insane world, as a female FBI agent in a distinctly male environment but ‘Sicario’ doesn’t dwell on it or get **** into sexual politics. Josh Brolin is also solid while Benicio Del Toro steals the show with his second superb performance in a drug-war drama. Which incidentally reminds us that given the escalation in drug-cartel activities over the last 15 years, perhaps it’s time for a sequel to Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Traffic’ which would greatly expand on what we see in ‘Sicario’. And that’s perhaps the only major negative aspect of this film, Villeneuve’s decision to make the narrative an uncompromising mission-like thriller means it only skims the surface of the current drug-war, leaving us tantalized but unsatisfied by what might have been. The result is certainly compelling, but we would have liked to see an expansion of the context which has seen American authorities, namely the CIA, simultaneously fight against and benefit from drug trafficking while losing control of a crisis in the Americas that has existed for decades, but which is rapidly evolving into something increasingly ominous. The Bottom Line.. A stark and meticulously crafted crime thriller, ‘Sicario’ does a cursory job illuminating the current state of the US “war on drugs”, but will keep you engaged and on the edge of your seat throughout, makes us more excited to see how Denis Villeneuve and Roger Deakins tackle the upcoming ‘Blade Runner’ sequel.

Right off the bat ‘Everest’ is visually impressive with a mix of sound stage work and real location shooting in the Italian Alps and parts of Everest itself, the combination provides impressive and foreboding panoramas plus tense and perilous sequences. The decision to make ‘Everest’ a faithful representation of the tragically real and relatively recent events of the 1996 expedition puts the film in a difficult position which is reflected by some of its reviews. Baltasar Kormákur is damned for not injecting more cinematic jeopardy and making this more of an action thriller, almost as much as he would have been slated for desecrating the memory of those who perished had he sexed-up the narrative to make a more “Hollywood” production. If you’re expecting an action/adventure thriller ala Stallone’s ‘Cliffhanger’ you will be disappointed by ‘Everest’, think more along the lines of the 1993 real-life survival drama ‘Alive’ and you’ll understand the narrative tone of this film. Kormákur and the writers do a commendable job of painting a realistic portrait on the reality of climbing Everest, from the weeks of acclimatization before the climb to the several camps along the way and the physical consequences of climbing at extreme altitudes. Led by Jason Clarke, the all-star cast does a good job of fleshing out the characters and getting the audience to connect to them enough to make the tragic drama that develops all the more effective, particularly when you consider that these are real events being depicted, perhaps the performances are good enough to make us more overly sympathetic. The Bottom Line.. Although constrained by its faithful adaptation of a real story in terms of narrative and action, ‘Everest’ is executed well enough to make it a striking and potent thriller and a different kind of disaster drama, a refreshingly realistic view of the most unattainable of human endeavours.

The career trajectory of writer/director M. Night Shyamalan has been a major topic of discussion in the years since the promise of ‘The Sixth Sense’ and ‘Unbreakable’ and his novel methods of scaring and mystifying audiences have given way to increasingly disappointing projects. With ‘The Visit’, Shyamalan seeks to regain some glory by going back to the basics of frightening an audience while using popular modern techniques, with very limited success. It’s disappointing that the temptation of using the inexplicably popular horror style of “found footage” (or pseudo documentary) was too much to resist for someone as creative as Shyamalan, not only is it lazy and unoriginal but justifying it within the narrative by having the young girl making a “documentary” about her grandparents is annoyingly convenient and makes way for a slew of tedious in-jokes and filmmaking references. This however is nowhere near as annoying at the cringeworthy attempts at comedy and having to watch a 10 year old rapping about his “game” with the ladies, indeed the tone of ‘The Visit’ is more of a mystery than the actual storyline, a weird hybrid attempt at a comedy/horror/thriller/mystery that doesn’t work on almost any level. Perhaps the most disappointing thing about the film is its distinct lack of tension and jeopardy, despite the use of all too familiar sudden visual and audial jump-scare techniques, ‘The Visit’ just ain’t that scary, and without much mystery or a sense of risk-taking it makes us hark back to the days when Shyamalan overreached, even when it meant mixed results. The only saving graces for ‘The Visit’ are the two ultra creepy performances by the grandparents, particularly Deanna Dunagan as Nana… and the customary M. Night Shyamalan final twist that changes the perspective of what comes before without quite rescuing it. The Bottom Line.. Despite some genuinely creepy moments and the customary M. Night Shyamalan final twist, ‘The Visit’ is disappointingly derivative and tedious while never being scary enough, a blow to the resurrection of its once lauded writer/director.

Writer/ director Rick Famuyiwa attempts to weave together the comedic stylings of ‘Superbad’ and context of ‘Boyz n the Hood’ with the sensibilities of a teenage “outsider” comedy/drama into what is essentially a “triumph of the geeks” proposition with a distinctly adult tone. As a reflection of his own cultural preferences, Rick Famuyiwa chooses to make the 3 lead “geeks” uniquely “ghetto Hipsters” with the customary cultural appropriation that comes with it, in ‘Dope’ it features an obsession with 1990’s hip-hop culture which adds to the sense of being outsiders, the result of which is a delightful use of classic 90’s hip-hop within a strong soundtrack the way that ‘Superbad’ used classic soul & funk. Indeed there’s much shared between ‘Dope’ and a number of coming-of-age outsider comedies like ‘Superbad’, from the risqué irreverent humour to the escalating outrageous situations, so when the novelty of the inner city setting wears-off, ‘Dope’ becomes very much your typical modern comedy which could easily have been named ‘Ghetto Geeks: A True Underdog Story’, albeit a contemporary version that makes good use of modern technology and social media. Perhaps its biggest shortcoming is that for all the crazy goings on, ‘Dope’ is never really that funny, apart from a couple of scenes, and never gets close to the comedic levels of the films it clearly draws inspiration from. Despite this the unique nature of the setting does provide some rarely seen comedic fodder as well as scope for social satire, in fact the film builds towards an attempt at highlighting issues of systematic social discrimination in the US, with limited success it must be said. The Bottom Line… A moderately funny and mildly entertaining morality piece about staying true to oneself, ‘Dope’ is just about an original enough take on the teenage underdog comedy to be worth the watch, for Shameik Moore’s lead performance if nothing else, without leaving a particularly lasting impression.

Adapted from the award-winning TV mini-series and based on a real but disputed story, ‘Carlos The Jackal’ is the extraordinary tale of how a Venezuelan Marxist-Leninist aligned himself with global revolutionary anti-capitalist organizations and made alliances with several Islamic nations, on the way to becoming one of the world’s most wanted men and perhaps the most infamous terrorist of the 20th century. Édgar Ramírez delivers a tour-de-force performance as an almost mythical figure of the 20th century who’s actions and motivations helped to shape the world we now live in for better or worse, mostly worse. “The Jackal” has always been an enigmatic figure in popular culture, after all this is a Venezuelan revolutionary who managed to become a driving force for middle-eastern centered global terrorism while being a major figure in an “anti-capitalist” movement that made him a cult hero figure for some. But in ‘Carlos The Jackal’ we are presented with a fascinating portrayal of the man behind the enigma that so gravely impacted the late 20th century, he’s presented as much as a self-aggrandizing narcissist as he is a brutal and motivated revolutionary. As an adaptation of a much longer TV miniseries we are deprived here of some of the character and story elements that frankly make the TV version more engrossing, plus the movie looks like a TV film… and if you’re expecting your typical action/thriller you’ll probably be disappointed, but with a lack of budget ‘Carlos The Jackal’ is forced to strip away stylistic elements which results rather refreshingly in a purer focus on an extraordinary story and the man behind it. Aside from a genuine attempt at humanizing a myth, the greatest triumph of ‘Carlos The Jackal’ is to remind us all that modern so-called global “Islamic Terrorism” has far reaching roots and has been an issue for many decades, albeit at a smaller scale with less of the religious fanaticism of today and of a more political/revolutionary angle. The Bottom Line… An effective adaptation of the award-winning TV mini-series which makes up for what it lacks in spectacle with a fascinating character study of the man behind the notorious enigma, a fascinating little lesson in recent Geo-political history with wide reaching implications for the troubled world we live in today.

It may be hard to believe but “hardcore” Rap wasn’t always all about all the Bling-Bling or the size of your girl’s rear-end. When NWA broke into the scene unapologetically spitting rhymes about the brutality of the streets they lived on, “Gangsta Rap” was effectively born, which then gave birth to a string of early 90s gritty “ghetto” dramas like ‘Boyz n the Hood’ and ‘Menace II Society,‘ with their unglamorized depictions of young black Americans growing up in the most deprived areas in the USA. With ‘Straight Outta Compton’, director F. Gary Gray (Friday, Law Abiding Citizen) manages to effectively combine the harsh nature of these early 90s “Hood” dramas with the core elements of a dramatized contemporary-culture biopic, to build what is essentially a modern “American Dream” human drama, after all NWA members Ice Cube and Dr. Dre went from struggling poor teenagers in gang-dominated South Central L.A. to global music superstars and eventually multi-millionaire media-moguls. The story in ‘Straight Outta Compton’ is more extraordinary than fiction despite being “dramatized”, but the performances are the stars of the show, particular praise must be given to Ice Cube’s own son O’Shea Jackson Jr. who very convincingly plays his old man and Jason Mitchell for effectively capturing the essence of the late Eazy-E. Despite the novelty of being a Rap and urban-drama real story, ‘Straight Outta Compton’ walks a very similar and well-trodden path that most music Biopics seem to follow, complete with strategically placed moments of pathos and grief, perhaps the most disappointing element is the depiction of the group members as heroes of the piece taking little responsibility for their actions and those of the “villains” around them, not surprising since the movie is produced and effectively helmed by Ice Cube and Dr. Dre themselves. For its shortcomings, ‘Straight Outta Compton’ is a compelling watch and as good as any recent music biopic, albeit in a sub-genre that is often disappointing, the most striking theme of the film is that of police brutality and the systemic oppression of ethnic minorities in the USA… and although it should not be an excuse for callous and subversive behaviour, it does highlight an issue which remains as prevalent today as in the early days of NWA. The Bottom Line… While it’s confined by the predictable limitations of the music biopic genre, ‘Straight Outta Compton’ is an effectively crafted “ghetto” drama based on a true-story more extraordinary than fiction which manages to retain its social relevance.

Documentary recounting the remarkable story of the Angulo brothers, a large group of teenage siblings who use their obsession with movies to connect to the outside world after being confined to a small New York apartment for their entire childhood by a bizarre isolationist father. In her directorial debut, jack of many cinematic trades Crystal Moselle manages to capture a unique microcosm of modern day New York which manages to work as bizarre coming of age story and ode to the redemptive power of film, wrapped in a true story of fear of the modern world which results in an oppressive family unit, part isolationist cult and part hippie commune thanks to the oddball family patriarch. ‘The Wolpack’ begins with the Angulos as teenagers having already begun to rebel against their imprisonment along with their mother by tentatively venturing into the streets of New York, accompanied by director Moselle they experience things we might take for granted like going to the beach for the first time or seeing their first film in a cinema, Moselle spent years interviewing the family and combines all this footage with home video shot by the Angulos, including remarkably faithful recreations of the many thousands of films they have grown up with. The result is a bizarrely captivating story that provokes thought and raises questions about the father and the oppressive family dynamic, we’ve all heard of isolationist American cults, but how could something like this happen smack in the middle of one of the most overpopulated cities in the world? ‘The Wolpack’ is certainly not without its faults, perhaps expectedly for a debut film, it’s very rough around the edges and the theme starts to wear thin as the novelty wears off, there is no real arc for the characters as they’ve already achieved emancipation and Moselle only really delves skin-deep into the emotional turmoil within the family. Perhaps the most off-putting element is the feeling that not all is what it seems, maybe it’s just us but we get the sense that dramatic “liberties” may have been taken with the story and something just doesn’t seem right, nevertheless if you take what you see at face value and despite its limitations, ‘The Wolpack’ is strange enough to hold your attention throughout. The Bottom Line… Despite its faults ‘The Wolpack’ is a uniquely captivating little debut documentary, thanks largely to the extraordinary true story of isolation, fear, oppression, emancipation and redemption, on a journey fuelled by the liberating power of cinema.

The tongue-in-cheek nature and iconic style of the early “Bond” films is a clear inspiration for Guy Ritchie’s ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’… and the key word here is “style”, the film drips with it and it often overpowers any substance and everything else. From the clothes, cars and gadgets, to the cinematographic contrast between a dreary divided Cold War Berlin and the vibrant sun-kissed panoramas of southern coastal Italy, great effort has been taken to bring to the screen a sense of style that’s rare in modern Spy films and can only be achieved with a movie that’s heavily anchored in genre and period. We’ve come to expect a certain level of style from a Guy Ritchie film but without a tour-de-force central performance as in ‘Sherlock Holmes’, or an inventive and engrossing storyline like ‘Snatch’ , the result is an uneven film that although entertaining, offers little to an oversubscribed genre. Aside from the obligatory opening action sequence, ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”features a slow-build first half that tries to infuse the characters and story with a comic tone which harks back to early “Bond”, with limited success, when the story and action picks-up, the film then changes tone to your typical modern Spy action film and any charm evaporates as the tension and action set-pieces ramp up. Despite the lack of an engaging storyline or real chemistry between the two leads, not to mention the adequate if unmemorable performances from the rest of the cast, ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ has more than mere stylistic merits, managing to re-introduce a period in history which cemented the very notion of a Spy into the popular consciousness and that established the entire “Spy” sub-genre… and it looks good while doing so. The Bottom Line… Meticulously stylish, faithfully nostalgic and moderately entertaining, ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ takes the Spy sub-genre full-circle back to its roots while offering nothing particularly new, Warner Bros. will surely be hoping that Guy Ritchie has ignited a franchise to trouble the “Bond’s” and “Bourne’s” of this world.

Hollywood’s hunger for the nostalgia dollar remains ravenous as ever and with ‘Pixels’ Sony leverage their longstanding relationship with Adam Sandler to deliver an epic sci-fi tribute to the 1980’s, so expect endless video game, music and general pop-culture references and if you were a teenager in the early 80’s there’s probably a lot here aimed at you. If however you’re a Sandler hater… and there seems to be a lot of them out there, then this will be a difficult watch for you, expect the carefully choreographed clever comebacks and generally lame humour of Sandler’s recent career and although there are a few genuinely funny moments, Pixels seem to be devoid of any real belly-laughs or anything you might remember 10 minutes after walking out of the cinema. So what are we left with then?, a ludicrous and predictable story yes but you can hardly expect ‘Citizen Kane’, certainly action-packed with impressive and unique visuals, we’re now very familiar with the concept of death by Pixelation… and a collection of mediocre performances with the exception of Peter Dinklage, all-in-all an ineffective mix of ‘Independence Day’ and ‘Wreck it Ralph’ with none of the charm. From its critical reception and the vitriol directed at Adam Sandler you might be forgiven for thinking that ‘Pixels’ was one of the worst films ever made but it’s no such thing, it’s not even the worst film of 2015 or most unwatchable Sandler production, but ultimately this is a film that relies on nostalgia to make a bunch of hit & miss jokes and forgettable performances effective within a ludicrous and flashy story… and in the end it just doesn’t work. The Bottom Line… Despite an interesting premise and impressive visuals, ‘Pixels’ is a mildly entertaining and moderately comical Sci-fi spectacular that relies heavily on nostalgia and pop-culture references to the point of tedium, an easy and forgettable way to burn a couple of hours.

Director/producer Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up) brings his brash and irreverent comic sensibilities to the traditional romantic comedy through the female perspective of writer and star Amy Schumer, America’s current black-sheep darling who proves that the girls can get just as lewd and outrageous as the boys. ‘Trainwreck’ is the brainchild of current superstar comedienne and US media darling Amy Schumer, who brings her brutally honest comic sensibilities and semi-autobiographical experiences to what is essentially a traditional romantic comedy, featuring a girl with commitment issues and traumatic life experiences who gets a chance at real love only to ruin it before ultimate redemption. This film is to some extent a social satire that takes pop-shots at relationship dramas and our vacuous celebrity-obsessed society, only to then undermine itself by relying heavily on often cringeworthy celebrity cameos, but Schumer is the star of the show here with her comedic stylings just about shining through and with a surprisingly convincing dramatic performance in the few moments where pathos tempers the comedy. Despite several legitimately hilarious moments and the rarity of having a feminine perspective on the lewd outrageous adult comedy, ‘Trainwreck’ is still your run-of-the-mill Rom-Com with a traditional and predictable 3-act structure, essentially; quirky girl set in her ways meets good guy who turns her world upside down, she can’t handle it and her love and life falls apart, only for her to see the light achieve redemption where everything turns out great. The Bottom Line… Director Judd Apatow manages to transfer some of Amy Schumer’s TV & stand-up comedic talents to the big screen in an often side-splitting irreverent comedy from a rare female perspective, but ultimately ‘Trainwreck’ it too familiar to stand out in the comedy movie crowd and loses too much steam to be memorable on its way to a predictable and unsatisfying conclusion.

Versatile Aussie actor Joel Edgerton (Warrior, Exodus: Gods & Kings) writes, directs and stars as the weird high-school kid all grown-up and taking a creepy interest in an old school acquaintance and his wife as they move back to their home state. ‘The Gift’ sets up and builds like a traditional “stalker” thriller using the bearing of gifts as a mechanism for the creepy character to build mystery and tension while developing the narrative, but Edgerton refreshingly subverts the sub-genre by blurring the line between the perpetrator and the victim as the story develops and we start to learn about the character’s motivations. Aside from a couple of tense choreographed moments that will make you squirm in your chair, ‘The Gift’ is not your typical thriller featuring a slow build-up and tone that may not be for everyone as the most gripping element of the film becomes the truth itself, but as the true nature of the all the characters becomes clearer you are held by what will happen to them and how the main couple’s relationship will end up. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of ‘The Gift’ and what separates it from many a modern thriller is a moral grounding that refuses to bow to a black & white social conscience, the line between the “antagonist” and “protagonist” is blurred enough to let the audience decide if what eventually happens is justified or not, the film is a subtle but engaging critique of ruthless corporate America and indeed the winner-takes-all society that leaves a trail of destruction and where the winners often bear the hallmarks of a psychopath while the losers are left broken people. The Bottom Line… A “Reap what you sow” psychological stalker revenge-thriller, ‘The Gift’ subverts the genre and blurs the line between the “perpetrator” and the “victim” while delivering a good little socially conscious indie thriller, an accomplished directorial debut from the rising triple-threat talent that is Joel Edgerton.

In a subtle and sometimes quirky character study on loneliness and regret, Al Pacino stars as a man in his later years unable to move on from the one true love that got away many years before, a man who’s spent years stewing in his own anger and resentment after leaving a wife he never loved and becoming estranged from a son he never connected with. Continuing a recent trend of leading roles in smaller and often hit & miss films, Pacino cannot be blamed for any of ‘Manglehorn’s’ shortcomings as he delivers a subdued and nuanced but emotive performance… and we feel that criticism of Mr. Pacino’s recent roles is unwarranted and fails to recognize the limited choices for a 75 year-old leading man in the modern film industry, not to mention how an actor and indeed a person fundamentally changes over time. Despite the fact that Pacino and Holly Hunter’s accomplished performances make it hard to overlook the film entirely,’ Manglehorn’ is nevertheless an uneven film with a sparse narrative plugged with poetic and stylistic filler and featuring quasi-surreal sequences that seem out of place within the story. Perhaps the biggest shortcoming with ‘Manglehorn’ however is the fact that for all its quirks, it’s still a rather traditional redemption drama within a predictable structure, and for all the angst and melancholic character journeys, the conclusion is rather familiar and sentimental, even going so far as to suggest that positivity and hope can create magic. The Bottom Line… Impressive and nuanced performances from Al Pacino and Holly Hunter can’t mask the unsubstantial story and lack of originality, despite its periodic quirkiness and admirable attempt at a study of loneliness and resentment, ‘Manglehorn’ is too underwhelming to leave a lasting memory.

When we first learned of a reboot for Marvel’s original super team the “Fantastic Four” our expectations were not high, after all the 2005 version and its 2007 sequel ‘Rise of the Silver Surfer’ were among the weakest comic-book adaptations of the 21st century, and like Sony with ‘Spider-Man’, 20th Century Fox’s deal to retain the rights from Marvel means they have to keep making these films within a certain timeframe, regardless of the quality. So when about half way into the film things were moving along nicely if predictably, our hopes arose, this seemed like a more considered origin tale for the characters who were presented in this version as super-kid geniuses, Miles Teller as “Reed Richards” was leading the performances admirably and things were building up to something that would surely be “Fantastic”. But Fantastic is hardly the word we’d use for what follows in the second half of this ‘Fantastic Four’, after the group gains their powers following a disaster in the discovery of inter-dimensional travel, a discovery which is in itself more interesting than the powers it creates and the rest of the story, the tone of the film changes and the story becomes uneven. The drama of the inner struggles of the team becomes tedious and we barely get to see them in action, then abruptly their now nemesis “Dr. Doom” re-enters the fray, they have a brief and utterly underwhelming inter-dimensional battle on a distant planet with unimpressive visuals, depriving the audience of a momentous action finale… and that’s it, the film is over. Any jeopardy and promise built up by the origin story is obliterated by potentially the most disappointing pay-off in comic-book movie history, an utterly underwhelming conclusion that justifies our fear that this would be another pointless and disappointing superhero reboot, perhaps the inevitable sequel set for 2017 will expand the story and visuals to where they should be. The Bottom Line… All build-up with no payoff, any initial promise is spectacularly squandered through a faltering narrative and majorly disappointing conclusion with very little drama or action to speak of, perhaps they’re saving any thrills for the sequel but the result is just another pointless superhero reboot.

2015 could easily be dubbed the “Year of the Spy” with the subversive and entertaining ‘Kingsman’, hit Melissa McCarthy comedy ‘Spy’, the upcoming Guy Ritchie 60’s romp ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ and the 24th “Bond” ‘Spectre’ later in the year, but with the 5th ‘Mission Impossible’ installment ‘Rogue Nation’ Tom Cruise reminds us he’s still in the fight. By now we all know what to expect from a Mission Impossible movie and ‘Rogue Nation’ ticks all the boxes, a simple plot featuring an appropriately menacing villain, gadgets, double-agents and superbly executed action set-pieces throughout. But aside from the impressive stunts performed largely by Mr. Cruise himself as we’re often reminded, it’s the comic sensibility and sense of adventure that makes ‘Rogue Nation’ entertaining, taking the audience to far-flung locales from Belarus to Washington DC, Vienna to Morocco and focusing much of the narrative in London. Despite its entertainment value however ‘Rogue Nation‘s’ appeal is limited by the same factors that limit other ‘Mission Impossible’ films and spy sequels in general, after a strong start the story loses steam and starts to look like a blueprint for threading huge action set-pieces together. There are only so many impressive stunts you can take and still maintain a high level of engagement and the predictably menacing villain with an unconvincing motivation doesn’t help, still despite its limitations ‘Rogue Nation’ is entertaining enough to hold your attention for over 2 hours and after 5 films in the franchise, star and producer Tom Cruise & Co. have fine-tuned the formula. The Bottom Line… Action-packed, adventurous and entertaining, ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ can’t quite break the limitations of the genre but it’s a worthy summer blockbuster if you know what to expect when going in… and by now we all should.

Michael Douglas stars alongside talented young British actor Jeremy Irvine in what is a well shot part survival thriller part chase film, but the desert cinematography that captures the gruelling majesty of the American South-West is about the only memorable element in ‘Beyond the Reach’. In his first English language film, director Jean-Baptiste Léonetti stretches a wafer-thin premise over an hour and a half in a film that goes from real-world scenario to a frustratingly predictable story at the flip of a switch, the motivation for the main characters is questionable to say the least and the executive hunter becomes a one-note cartoon villain with almost no lead-up. If you’re going to make a “serious” thriller with a clichéd and implausible plot, the least you could do is inject some humour or provide enough character development for the audience to engage with the protagonists when things get tense, but the effort to provide either in ‘Beyond the Reach’ is paltry and the result is a thriller with very little jeopardy or suspense that fails to engage at almost every turn. The biggest failure in ‘Beyond the Reach’ however is the utterly unsatisfying ending which is so implausible and downright laughable that it would have ruined the entire film even if it happened to be an engrossing thriller. The Bottom Line… Despite the presence of a powerhouse actor/producer and stunning cinematography, ‘Beyond the Reach’ is a forgettable survivalist chase thriller that completely wastes the on & off-camera talents of Michael Douglas, which for us is simple Beyond comprehension.

We’ve come to expect a certain level of intensity from a Jake Gyllenhaal film in recent years and ‘Southpaw’ is no exception, the dramatic performance out of the ring is strong but the dedication shown to becoming utterly convincing as a pro boxer is extraordinary, even from him. With the help of former pro-boxer and trainer-to-the-stars Terry Claybon, Gyllenhaal had only 8 months to not only physically transform into a peak-conditioned boxer without looking like a bodybuilder, but also had to learn to box from scratch by living full-time as a fighter. The result is a brutally honest and convincing portrayal of a prize-fighter, although to the trained eye he might not look like the undefeated light-heavyweight world champ “Billy Hope” is supposed to be, it’s about as close as an actor with no boxing background is likely to get. It’s really a great shame then that for all his efforts, Gyllenhaal ‘s monumental performance only just manages to carry along a story that’s painfully predicable and recycles multiple clichés in fight and sport film history, not to mention every riches-to-rags and redemption story too. ‘Southpaw’ was originally set to star rapper Eminem in a boxing drama mirroring his own life, but although the star and director changed, the story remained a gritty but unoriginal and melodramatic narrative which ultimately feels like a missed opportunity. The Bottom Line… Jake Gyllenhaal’s extraordinary transformation and utterly convincing performance make an all too familiar and uninspired story watchable enough, ultimately though ‘Southpaw’ could have been so much more but Gyllenhaal’s reputation as a top actor of his generation remains untarnished.

Wenders begins the film explaining the Greek origins of the word photography as “drawing with light” and establishing that people are “the salt of the earth”, photojournalist Sebastião Salgado is therefore the artist who draws the light of humanity, sometimes from the darkest places imaginable… and illuminates the majesty of the planet we’ve made our own, for better or worse. It’s hard to believe that what is essentially a 2 hour narrated slideshow cut with limited modern video could be so compelling, but like all great documentarians, Wenders knows when to stay out of the way and let the subject and in this case the pictures tell the story, and believe us they are worth considerably more than a thousand words. ‘The Salt of the Earth’ spans Salgado’s intertwined personal & professional life following his 40 years of witnessing some of the most harrowing and monumental events around the world, from living with the indigenous people of the Andes to capturing the horrors of the Ethiopian famine in the mid 1980’s, capturing the extinguishing of the blazing Kuwaiti oil fields at the end of the 1st Gulf war to bearing witness to the Rwandan genocide of the mid 1990’s. It’s quite remarkable how black & white photos set to a solid score can often be more evocative than moving pictures, many of the images of death in the film are hard to take as they linger to great effect, but like the great Akira Kurosawa once said “being an artist means not having to avert one’s eyes” and Salgado certainly doesn’t, his interviews and narration give the images a political and emotional context which also enhances the experience as a whole. Like he did for music with ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ and dance with ‘Pina’, Wenders produces a tribute to the artistry of photography and shines a light on the remarkable life on one artist in particular, Salgado comes off like a man who sees what’s in front of his lens as more than a subject and takes a piece of everything he captures with him, although there is some light at the end of this tunnel Salgado does not offer a solution to the darkest parts of the human condition, but then again who can? The Bottom Line… Painfully compelling and impossible to forget, ‘The Salt of the Earth’ is often hard to watch but you can’t quite avert your eyes, as you shouldn’t, one of the more powerful documentaries in recent memory and perhaps the most vivid lesson in modern history you’re likely to have.

From the great minds at Disney/Pixar comes an animated comedy about all of our humble minds and the little voices in our heads, when 11 year-old Riley’s life takes a dramatic turn, the little creatures that control emotions do their best to help while embarking on perilous adventure through the fantasyland that is the human psyche. After the recent disappointments of the repetitive and one dimensional ‘Minions‘ and ‘Home‘, Disney & Pixar have once again set the standard for modern animation with a film that works on multiple levels and across generations, only this time the result is a delightfully written tale particularly effective for mature audiences, as individuals or families. The extensive writing team plus directors Pete Docter & Ronaldo Del Carmen manage to weave together a wonderfully inventive story that’s simultaneously a family comedy/drama, coming-of-age story and a fantastical adventure featuring creatures that personify human emotion within a fantastical world, which very cleverly makes tangible the complex notion of the human mind and how, quite literally, the “inside” fundamentally affects the “out”. ‘Inside Out’ does a commendable job of using complex psychological concepts like the subconscious and the intricacies of memory within an engaging narrative about the power and changeable nature of human emotion, all by framing them within characters that you’re rooting for from start to finish (both inside and out) and using humour with pathos while cleverly & hilariously implementing emotional references that everyone will relate to. No doubt this movie makes liberal and “creative” use of psychological concepts, even creating some of their own and it’s simplistic when it comes to the notion of emotional balance… and yes the film has an inherently sunny disposition and sentimentality that may not be for some, but it’s never over-the-top and always creatively handled with the result being surprisingly touching, ‘Inside Out’ may yet turn out to be a great way of teaching children (and adults) about their emotions as they grow the same way that Dr. Seuss’ book taught kids life-lessons while providing a moral compass. The Bottom Line… Clever, creative and engaging on many levels, ‘Inside Out’ is a wonderfully inventive adventure of the human psyche and surely another instant animated classic to add to the growing list from Disney & Pixar.

A companion piece for Oppenheimer's powerful 2012 documentary 'The Act of Killing', 'The Look of Silence' takes a more introspective view of the events where a failed military coup was blamed on "communists" and prompted the military government to foster a general hatred leading to an anti-communist "purge" that brutally claimed the lives of at least half a million people, made all the worse by the negligence and often complicity of Western governments that were utterly consumed with the cold war and fighting communism, a stance which led to atrocities across the globe with Central & South America and other parts of South-East Asia getting more attention than Indonesia. Oppenheimer gives the narrative a more personal touch by focusing on a single family and the effect of losing their brother in such a senseless and brutal manner, the legacy of the killings you might expect would have the same harrowing effect on hundreds of thousands of families and the country as a whole, hence the title whereby families continue to suffer in silence with many of the perpetrators still in power and apparently untouchable. With a lack of almost any archival footage or photographic evidence 'The Look of Silence' relies on the testimonies of victims and their families and the disturbingly candid & borderline **** descriptions from the perpetrators for dramatic content, depending on your point of view this might make it a more or less powerful film but given that there is no way to independently confirm what happened between 1965-66 it might make the whole documentary somewhat controversial. The Bottom Line... A powerful and personalized account of one of the more overlooked genocides in recent history, 'The Look of Silence' is a stark warning against stoking the fires of political & religious hatred and most effective when accompanying Oppneheimer's 2012 documentary 'The Act of Killing'.

You might worry about the notion of a Jonah Hill & James Franco film that’s not a comedy, despite the fact that both have proven dramatic chops, but the performances from the 2 leads are nuanced enough to prevent them from being the main issue with ‘True Story’. In many cases the real story a movie is based on ends up being more interesting than the film itself, this is not the case here, if you thought most of what we know about the Longo murder case is already out there you would be right, so with ‘True Story’ director Rupert Goold focuses attention on the man whose memoirs inspired it, journalist Mike Finkel. The result however is the loss of any mystery element, everything is pretty much as it seems throughout, there is no real character development outside of Finkel’s own self-indulgent journey of reflection and ultimately you’re left with nothing to latch on to other than a few details about a murder case you’re probably unfamiliar with. Rather than a pseudo-psychological character drama, ‘True Story’ is essentially a slightly tedious morality piece about journalistic integrity which paints the journalist as the sympathetic character and near victim, without the context of Finkel’s memoirs or knowledge of his motivations it simply doesn’t translate into an engrossing cinematic experience. A little bit of courtroom drama, a pinch of murder-mystery, a slight detective story and a smidge of a journalistic tale, all of which add up to nothing much at all. The Bottom Line… ‘True Story’ is a valiant effort at a journalistic drama, but with an uncompelling narrative and scant character development, it proves that just because a story is true doesn’t make it interesting enough for a feature-length film.

Bringing a character not well known outside of comic-book fandom into the Marvel Cinematic universe is a risk particularly considering the unique powers that ‘Ant-Man’ brings to the table scale-wise, but what it lacks in grandiose spectacular set-pieces this movie makes up for with its very grounded comedic tone. In part ‘Ant-man’ feels rather fittingly like a typical Paul Rudd comedy which happens to involve a heist and people dressing like superheroes which is where it’s at its most effective, but parallel to this runs a formulaic Marvel origin story that ticks all the necessary boxes without offering anything particularly memorable. It seems like Marvel’s careful planning to ensure a family-friendly tone and narrative that adequately bleeds into the rest of the Marvel universe has resulted in a film that doesn’t take many risks, perhaps this is the cause and consequence of ‘Ant-man’s’ many production problems involving replacing directors and constantly changing scripts. When risks are taken you get unique action sequences based on the comedic value of shrinking characters along with the heart of the film in Paul Rudd’s lead performance, backed up hilariously by his “Three Stooges-like” companions. The Bottom Line… Safe and sometimes clichéd, ‘Ant-man’ lacks the punch of some other Marvel outings but what it lacks in scale it makes up for in humour and charm, given all its production issues it seems like Marvel have done a commendable job in introducing a character that can quite literally slot into any space in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Let’s preface this review by saying that if you’re not a fan of Seth MacFarlane’s irreverent and sometimes puerile comedy then please stay away from this film, it’s unapologetic nature may be repetitive and offensive for those with a sensitive disposition and it’s just not for you. In this somewhat rare instance we’re happy to defy the critical consensus and declare that ‘Ted 2′ is equal if not superior to the original and a couple of hours of outrageous fun, particularly if like us you’re prone to thinking in Film and pop-culture references. Sure the novelty of a potty-mouthed, working-class talking Boston teddy bear is lost in a sequel… and yes the plot is a bit fanciful, plus the tone of the film fluctuates constantly with slower scenes that are brief attempts at emotional content. But the bubble of pomposity and sentimentality is quickly burst by a combination of physical comedy, Movie references and outrageous sociocultural humour, plus a lot of swearing of course and if you’re uncomfortable with Ted’s plight being likened to America’s history of slavery and civil rights struggles, that’s the point! MacFarlane’s voice and comic sensibilities are of course the star of the show but Mark Wahlberg holds his own and Amanda Seyfried slots into the dynamic seamlessly while seeming to revel in it. The Bottom Line… While no comedy classic and lacking in real depth, ‘Ted 2′ is an undeniably funny film and does a good job of capturing Seth MacFarlane’s brand of hilariously inappropriate and culturally perceptive comedy, prepare to be offended but don’t worry, it’s an offence that shouldn’t cut deep.