The Anomaly (2014)
Reviewed for Radio Times: This admirably ambitious sci-fi thriller from British writer-director-actor Noel Clarke combines elements of Total Recall, The Bourne Identity and The Matrix. The fight...
View ArticleBegin Again (2014)
Reviewed for Radio Times: Two damaged souls attempt to heal themselves through music in this uplifting crowd-pleaser from Once writer/director John Carney. The first is Dan (Mark Ruffalo), a washed-up...
View ArticleDawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (2014)
The Planet Of The Apes franchise was successfully resurrected three years ago by Rupert Wyatt’s Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, a smart and enjoyable summer tentpole that played out as a prison break...
View ArticleRoboCop (2014)
The original RoboCop is a stone-cold classic, and as a result this contemporary remake can’t help but suffer by comparison. At the same time, however, the problem isn’t just the considerable shadow of...
View ArticleThe Nut Job (2014)
Reviewed for Radio Times: A promising set-up and a decent voice cast aren’t enough to elevate this child-friendly animated caper. Expanded from a ten-minute short, the film revolves around Surly the...
View ArticleGuardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
Guardians Of The Galaxy is a cosmic space adventure that features a talking raccoon and a humanoid tree. Littered with weird names and a ton of largely unexplained sci-fi jargon, it is Marvel Studio’s...
View ArticleWorld War Z (2013)
World War Z endured one of the most notoriously troubled productions in recent memory. The budget spiralled out of control, the release date was pushed back six months, the script required additional...
View ArticleWelcome To New York (2014)
Reviewed for Radio Times: Gérard Depardieu is simultaneously compelling and repulsive in this slow-burning orgy of sex, money and power from veteran American filmmaker Abel Ferrara. Depardieu plays...
View ArticleGood Will Hunting (1997)
Good Will Hunting was Gus Van Sant’s first foray into mainstream filmmaking, and it remains his most successful and satisfying work to date. Far less sentimental that you might expect, the film is...
View ArticleBlood Ties (2014)
Reviewed for Radio Times: This ‘70s-set crime thriller is a tale of two brothers on opposite sides of the law. Set in Brooklyn, it hinges on the fateful return of Chris (Clive Owen), a career criminal...
View ArticleMillion Dollar Arm (2014)
Like most of the sports movies that Disney has produced over the years, Million Dollar Arm is based on a remarkable true story. Mad Men‘s Jon Hamm stars as J.B. Bernstein, an American sports agent who...
View ArticleGood Morning, Vietnam (1987)
Good Morning, Vietnam is a solid war movie in its own right, but above all it remains notable as the perfect showcase for Robin Williams and his peerless comic talent. The beloved funnyman stars as...
View ArticleSin City (2005)
Sin City isn’t so much an adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel as it is a slavish recreation. In fact, as far as comic book movies go, it’s as close to a panel-by-panel reconstruction as you’re...
View ArticleSin City: A Dame To Kill For (2014)
The first Sin City was an incredible visual accomplishment, but at the same time it felt slightly one-note and repetitive. Arriving nine years later, this belated sequel is largely more of the same,...
View ArticleBad Neighbours (2014)
Reviewed for The Skinny: What do you do if the neighbours won’t keep the noise down? New parents Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Rose Byrne) are faced with this problem in Nicholas Stoller’s...
View ArticleA Dangerous Game (2014)
Reviewed for The Skinny: In Anthony Baxter’s 2011 documentary You’ve Been Trumped, the residents of Aberdeenshire opposed Donald Trump and his attempts to transform a stretch of coastline into a...
View ArticleNight Moves (2014)
Reviewed as part of the Glasgow Film Festival 2014: Night Moves is perhaps best described as a low-key arthouse thriller. It contains very little dialogue and no conventional action whatsoever,...
View ArticleStarred Up (2014)
Reviewed as part of the Glasgow Film Festival 2014: At the centre of this brutal prison drama is a star-making performance from young British actor Jack O’Connell. The film has numerous qualities and...
View Article300: Rise Of An Empire (2014)
Reviewed for The Skinny: Part prequel, part sidequel (parallelquel?) and part sequel, this belated follow-up to 300 takes place before, during and after the events of Zack Snyder’s 2007 epic. It...
View ArticleGhost In The Shell (1995)
Reviewed for The Skinny: It’s no exaggeration to say that Ghost In The Shell is one of the most influential sci-fi films of the last two decades. Set in a futuristic cyberpunk world, Mamoru Oshii’s...
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