27.3.24 It’s weird how this was my first time watching The Pledge, but feeling like I’ve seen it all before. Although Jack Nicholson delivers a haunting and committed performance in Sean Penn’s neo-noir thriller, the film suffers from an all too familiar setup with poor editing, making it a long film that stretches patience. As […]
2.3.24 Full Time isn’t a scathing critique of capitalist life in Paris, nor is it overtly critical of the strikes, but it’s still an impressive drama with an Uncut Gems-esque energy which illuminates the lives of women experiencing ‘the triple shift’. As Julie, Laure Calamy has a youthful vibrancy and delivers great bursts of energy
14.3.24 The nostalgia of youth; the crippling awkwardness of growing up. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret captures it all in a heartwarming and relatable way which impressed me greatly. It’s a coming-of-age tale that stands out amongst recent similar releases, thanks to its honest and non-condescending portrayal of the trials and tribulations of
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18.3.24 Years from now, when scholars and film enthusiasts discuss films that masterfully balance the mundanity and disturbingness of evil, The Zone of Interest will no doubt be mentioned as a seminal reference. Director Jonathan Glazer’s unique approach to shooting and crafting the film, coupled with a truly unsettling soundtrack, contextualises the pure evil and
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22.4.24 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare aims to recreate the vibes of a pulp comic book, like a ‘diet’ version of a Tarantino film, and it succeeds. With its direct action sequences and bravado-laden dialogue, it delivers gleeful enjoyment that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I have no shame in stating that its British charm
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25.3.24 It’s hard for most people to say anything remotely interesting about one of the most important films of the 1990s, but I’ll try anyway with two key points. As stupid as it sounds, Fight Club honestly got me into reading books properly. After seeing it at 15 years old, I remember telling my older
31.12.23 What a pleasure it was to watch my first official film of 2024, on the last day of 2023 with my family during the extended Christmas break. Ideally, The Holdovers really should have been released in the UK before the 25th, although due to the awards recognition it’s getting, it makes sense to delay
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21.3.24 Despite its ridiculous opening premise and satirical clumsiness despite a real-world issue of old people getting ripped off by telemarketing conmen, The Beekeeper really works as another Statham-led OTT action film. Feeling like John Wick meets The Saw franchise, in terms of a simple revenge tale patchworked up with some inventive deaths and a
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18.4.24 Spaceman is an interesting and ambitious sci-fi offering that deserves credit for tackling such an abstract, metaphysical premise. Director Johan Renck takes a big swing, and while it doesn’t deliver a fully convincing philosophical message, Adam Sandler’s committed lead performance keeps the film at an accessible level free of pretence. The high-concept setup follows
14.4.24 Scoop had the potential to be a gripping dramatisation of one of the most cringe-worthy interviews in TV history, but sadly it does little more than regurgitate the original car crash between Maitlis and Prince Andrew. Director of The Crown Philip Martin gives it the Netflix treatment, adding no new insights or depth, feeling