A small section of the public have already lined up to slam The Lorax, adapted from the slim Dr. Seuss morality tale of the same name, and released in UK cinemas this weekend, for being some sort of anti-capitalist brainwashing tool. Those people would be fairly smug should any of them wonder into a screening, as they’re quite right, as were those who kicked up a fuss back when the… Read More »
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Review: Detachment
Detachment, the new film from American History X director Tony Kaye, is about despair and all its synonyms. To say it’s a downer is a vast understatement, but it also has a valid and interesting point to make, and isn’t afraid to stand up on its soapbox and shout it at you. The film sees Adrien Brody’s sensitive yet troubled substitute teacher arrive at Queens High, where both the students… Read More »
Review: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
A romantic comedy for people who don’t like rom-coms? That’s how Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is being pitched to the masses, and I’ll tell you, that’s exactly what it isn’t. This is a disaster movie for people who would rather curl up with The Devil Wears Prada than Armageddon; it’s a sweet and wistful look at what might happen if the human race was collectively… Read More »
Review: The Five-Year Engagement
We all know how instrumental Judd Apatow has been to the flurry of noughties R-rated comedy, but Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller have graduated from his school of gross-out humour and schmaltzy bromance with honours. The cast of Freaks and Geeks (in which Segel starred) seem to have bled into every corner of Hollywood comedy, but Five-Year Engagement marks a slightly evolved example of that influence. Apatow is still involved… Read More »
Review: Rock of Ages
If you’re a die-hard fan of rock music, I can almost guarantee that Rock of Ages, the latest musical adaptation from Hairspray director Adam Shankman, hasn’t been made with you in mind. This film, despite the title and rocking playlist, is as cheesy and uplifting as any West End musical out there, and has been targeted at the Glee crowd just as enthusiastically as the hopeful fans of its musical… Read More »
Review: The Pact
Based on a Sundance-approved short film from Nicholas McCarthy, The Pact does a valiant effort of extending its admittedly familiar premise to fill almost 90 minutes. Some of it works wonderfully, with finger-chewing levels of suspense achieved at various points and a capable leading lady in Caity Lotz (Mad Men, Death Valley), but it becomes abundantly clear around the half-way mark that there isn’t enough story to fill the time,… Read More »
Review: Red Tails
Underdog pilots defying the odds in exciting aerial dogfights against an evil empire? That sounds like a George Lucas project, with his long-awaited movie about WWII Tuskegee airmen finally reaching UK cinemas this week. It’s been an inordinate delay, with the film released in the US around six months ago, but I guess that someone behind the scenes doubted how far a war film about a little-known area of history… Read More »
Review: What to Expect When You’re Expecting
Following the inexplicable success of ensemble rom-coms like Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve, Hollywood has diverged from the holiday-themed hijinks for a look into the world of pregnancy. As suspected, the film stars absolutely everyone (and Cheryl Cole) at various stages of pregnancy and relationships, all trying to navigate the bodily functions and bickering that are apparently the main driving force of procreating. If you’re thinking about having a… Read More »
Could The Amazing Spider-Man ever steal the summer?
Everyone who cares will already be painfully aware of the uphill struggle Marc Webb’s Amazing Spider-Man reboot will be facing in a couple of weeks. While the rest of the summer blockbuster season is littered with reboots, remakes and sequels, this particular release has been plagued with fan ill-will and indifference ever since it was announced. What makes Spidey different? Well Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 was only released five years… Read More »
Starring in a Nicholas Sparks film might actually be good for your career
Films based on Nicholas Sparks novel get a great deal of flack. Let’s face it, most of the criticisms are deserved, and the cheesy romance and contrived love stories they deal in makes as many people heave as they do make people sob. The latest instalment, in what can only be described as a genre in itself, is The Lucky One, out this weekend in the US, and starring former… Read More »
