“Russell Crowe is Unhinged” went the marketing copy, and I would not be surprised to discover that was the premise that sold Solstice Studios on this mercifully brief and vaguely unpleasant road rage thriller. The cast – including Crowe – do … Continue reading REVIEW: Unhinged (2020)
In recent decades Japan has seemed the last bastion of traditional animation, continuing to release hand-drawn anime features while the USA and other countries have transitioned almost entirely to computer-generated images. Even that is now shifting, however, with a growing … Continue reading REVIEW: Poupelle of Chimney Town (2020)
Don’t think. That’s pretty much the core requirement to enjoy Angels & Demons, Ron Howard’s 2009 adaptation of the popular Dan Brown novel. Okay, so that is probably not the best advice. Rather: the film will rush along from one set … Continue reading REVIEW: Angels & Demons (2009)
What an astonishing difference a week makes. The first episode of The Book of Boba Fett felt dull, narratively redundant, and visually underwhelming. The second, written by Jon Favreau and directed by Steph Green, not only picks up the pace … Continue reading TV REVIEW: The Book of Boba Fett 1.2
Before hitting the big time with his Monkey King trilogy, Soi Cheang was the director of a number of excellent Hong Kong thrillers. Motorway (2012) was one; before that he helmed Accident (2009), a remarkable exercise in style, tension, and growing paranoia. The … Continue reading REVIEW: Accident (2009)
Director Steve McQueen achieved a remarkable feat in 2020, directing not one but five feature films about West Indian immigrants in the United Kingdom. The series was titled Small Axe, and was funded by the BBC. It is a remarkable achievement, not simply … Continue reading REVIEW: Mangrove (2020)
Fritz Lang is renowned as one of the great directors of early German cinema, making 17 features from 1919 to 1933. Some of these films are the most famous of their time, including the likes of Metropolis (1927), Woman in the Moon (1929), M (1931), … Continue reading REVIEW: Western Union (1941)
Adapting plays into films is always a difficult business. Since the 19th century at least the typical stage drama tends to be confined to as few locations as possible – ideally just the one if that can be achieved – … Continue reading REVIEW: The People Upstairs (2020)
Brazilian comedy Lulli is an amiable addition to Netflix’s range of international features, but its creative team are low-balling it. This is bland, commercial fluff: easy to enjoy in a breezy sort of way, but you will have forgotten half of it … Continue reading REVIEW: Lulli (2021)
One of the great mysteries of popular cinema is how cult movies form. The only real requirement for cult status is having a long-term, obsessive fan base. More often a cult film will be a commercial or critical failure, but … Continue reading REVIEW: Your Highness (2011)
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