Directed by Michel Hazanavicius
Starring Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman & James Cromwell
A silent film, shot in the original screen ratio, about an actor at the advent of the ‘talkies’ was always going to be a curious outing. As it turns out, The Artist is a highly impressive piece of work and an absolute gem. Continue reading The Artist
Starring Simon Bird, Blake Harrison, James Buckley, Joe Thomas
Directed by Ben Palmer
So the boys from Rudge Park Comprehensive get their own movie. Historically, sun-based spin-offs of British sitcoms have proved very popular but although there have been some excellent comedies over the last two decades, there haven’t really been any naturally suited to gags about hotel mix-ups or dodgy beach wear. As a result, the whole concept must be nearing antique status. But then along came E4’s hilariously crude The Inbetweeners. Three series worth of watching the increasingly dysfunctional lives of Will, Simon, Neil and Jay now appears to have been the perfect set up for a reboot. Continue reading The Inbetweeners Movie
Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicolas Hoult
Directed by Mathew Vaughan
Attempting to tie-up a prequel to the original is always a tricky task and one with vastly varied results, but X- Men: First Class does pull it off. While it technically stands alone, not least due to its entirely new cast, it is clear that the film feels a responsibility to be faithful to the franchise we know. It does this mainly by revelling in various nods and winks and although at times a bit cheeky, it just about gets the balance right. Continue reading X-Men: First Class
Starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey
Directed by James Wan
Here is another example of the current rebirth of the haunted house horror, and one not too dissimilar to previous demonic dwelling sensation, Paranormal Activity. But Insidious eschews the suggestive approach for a tour de force of blood curdling delights. Continue reading Insidious
Starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Wynona Ryder
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
One of two Oscar nominated films causing the biggest brouhaha in anticipation of this year’s ceremony (the other being The King’s Speech), Black Swan must also be one of the most critically divisive in recent years. Continue reading Black Swan
Directed by Gareth Edwards
Starring Scoot MacNairy and Whitney Able
A curious film this; on the surface it’s a regular sci-fi creature flick and one that’s bound to draw comparisons with other recent examples, but it has a very different mode of operation to that of its contemporaries. Thus, it is one of those films that is hard to make an immediate judgment on and it fairs better in the mind when you have taken a little time to mull it over. Continue reading Monsters
At around the beginning of the final third of this film, there is a precise moment which, aside from probably ensuring its entry into future ‘biggest movie scares’ lists, signaled to me something that was very welcome indeed; the return of the American horror film. Continue reading Paranormal Activity 2
Starring Ricardo Darín, Soledad Villamil, Guillermo Francella, Pablo Rago, Javier Godino
Directed by Juan José Campanella
★★★★
This fine Argentinean film has been topical in various media recently for, aside from being a solid thriller, scooping this year’s Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The only reason being, that it was assumed to be a two horse race between A Prophet and The White Ribbon. Personally I think these periodical ‘shocks’ of that specific category are of no significance because so many potential entries have to vie for the one award slot. Furthermore, said disbelief only really seems to occur when the awarded film has not yet even been released in the disbeliever’s own territory. Continue reading The Secret in Their Eyes
Starring Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Sean Combs, Rose Byrne & Colm Meaney
Directed by Nicholas Stoller
★★★
John Cleese, Rowan Atkinson, Sacha Baron Coen, Ricky Gervais and now Russell Brand. The comic English man in Hollywood has proved bittersweet over the years, as the CV’s of some of the above would attest. Thankfully, Brand’s first lead outing proves to be on the sweeter side. Continue reading Get Him to the Greek
Starring Adrian Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Chanéac
Directed by Vincenzo Natali
★★★
Good grief, here’s an interesting one; ethical warnings, parental fears, the cost of opening Pandora’s Box and oedipal desires, all in the one film.
Splice, the latest shock horror from The Cube’s Vincenzo Natali, is an example of that great movie marketing that does the circuit from time to time, the kind that excites some and appals others in equal measure. Over the last while this film has been turning industry boffin’s heads and firmly making itself heard. How firmly? Why its director even had the audacity to dare describe it as our beloved ET, coupled with the kind of activities we’d all rather not imagine our lonely alien friend having anything to do with. Continue reading Splice
