Category Archives: Film Review

Review: The Guest (2014)

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Sam S-P

Adam Wingard is a filmmaker to watch. He clearly adores lowbrow genre flicks, and his career aim seems to be to be to produce some very polished examples of his own. His films are recognisable, but always with a little … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Adam Wingard, Brendan Meyer, Dan Stevens, Film, Horror, Leland Orser, Maika Monroe, Movies, Sheila Kelley, Simon Barrett, The Guest, Thriller, You're Next | 3 Comments

Review: Big Hero 6 (2014)

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Sam S-P

The latest from Disney is a colourful and undemanding superhero romp. Much like the film’s main draw Baymax, BIG HERO 6 is bouncy, endearing and funny, but perhaps doesn’t offer much extra once its fairly limited aims have been satisfied. … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged 30 Rock, Animation, Asimov, Big Hero 6, Damon Wayans Jr, Daniel Henney, Disney, DreamWorks, Film, Frankenstein, How to Train Your Dragon 2, I Robot, Movies, Oscars, Pixar, Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Superhero Movie, The Boxtrolls, The Iron Giant | 4 Comments

Oscar Review: Boyhood (2014)

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Sam S-P

BOYHOOD is not a masterpiece. And yet it’s probably still worthy of an Oscar in 2014, a pretty patchy year in film overall. Judging by the pattern awards shows so far seem to be following it’s all-but a shoe-in for … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Birdman, Boyhood, Drama, Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Film, Foxcatcher, Lorelei Linklater, Movies, Oscars, Outnumbered, Patricia Arquette, Richard Linklater, The Theory of Everything | Leave a comment

Review: Gone Girl (2014)

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Sam S-P

GONE GIRL is a solid mystery, a satisfying examination on the ins and outs (mostly outs) of relationships, but it’s a truly great film about the power of the media image and its complete and utter dominance in contemporary society. … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Ben Affleck, Black Comedy, Carrie Coon, David Fincher, Drama, Fight Club, Film, Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl, Kim Dickens, Movies, Mystery, Neil Patrick Harris, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry | Leave a comment

Review: Into the Woods (2014)

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Sam S-P

Musicals, like comedy films, are very difficult to review. Musical taste, just like what makes you laugh, is such a subjective thing. Generally you’re either a Stephen Sondheim fan or you’re not. For me, INTO THE WOODS isn’t a great … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Anna Kendrick, Brothers Grimm, Christine Baranski, Cinderella, Daniel Huttlestone, Disney, Emily Blunt, Film, Into the Woods, James Corden, Johnny Depp, Lilla Crawford, Lucy Punch, Mackenzie Mauzy, Maleficent, Meryl Streep, Movies, Musical, Rob Marshall, Stephen Sondheim, Tammy Blanchard, Tangled, The Lone Ranger | Leave a comment

Review: Lucy (2014)

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Sam S-P

Well, I guess I should be grateful that it was all in focus and the film itself was mercifully short. Aside from that, LUCY, Luc Besson’s latest attempt to return to his 1990s form fails in spectacular fashion. Lucy (Scarlett … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Action, Choi Min-Sik, Dredd, Film, From Paris with Love, Luc Besson, Lucy, Morgan Freeman, Movies, Scarlett Johansson, Sci-fi, Taken, Taken 2, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Family | Leave a comment

Review: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014/15)

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Sam S-P

Matthew Vaughn has delivered another very enjoyable action-comedy that never quite reconciles certain tonal dissonances, but makes up for it with energy, style and confidence in abundance. Eggsy (Taron Egerton) has a tough life. His dad died when he was … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Action, Al Gore, Bourne, Colin Firth, Comedy, Film, Geoff Bell, Harry Palmer, James Bond, Kick-Ass, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Mark Strong, Matthew Vaughn, Movies, Roger Moore, Samantha Womack, Samuel L. Jackson, Sofia Boutella, Sophie Cookson, Spy Film, The Avengers, The Ipcress File, Tyron Egerton, X-Men: First Class | 3 Comments

Review: Maleficent (2014)

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Sam S-P

MALEFICENT’s opening narration: “Let us tell an old story anew and see how well you really know it” might as well be the House of Mouse’s filmmaking mantra at this point in time, and basically gives them license to do … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Alice in Wonderland, Angelina Jolie, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Disney, Elle Fanning, Fantasy, Film, Imelda Staunton, Jaws, Juno Temple, Kenneth Cranham, Linda Woolverton, Maleficent, Movies, Robert Stromberg, Sharlto Copley, Sleeping Beauty, The Sorcerer's Apprentice | 3 Comments

Review: Foxcatcher (2014)

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Sam S-P

Director Bennett Miller’s movies tend to take a sideways view on real life. Everything about his filmmaking style is restrained, but the stories he chooses to tell (or re-tell) are so odd and remarkable you really couldn’t make them up. … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Bennett Miller, Biopic, Channing Tatum, Dave Schultz, Drama, Film, Foxcatcher, John du Pont, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Schultz, Movies, Sport, Steve Carell, The Silence of the Lambs, Vanessa Redgrave | 1 Comment

Review: Birdman: or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Sam S-P

Often the films that are not entirely successful end up being the most interesting, especially when they are attempting something new. BIRDMAN is one such creature, an ambitious and sometimes jarring exploration of the id and the ego filmed as … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Alexander Dinelaris, Amy Ryan, Andrea Riseborough, Armando Bo, Batman, Birdman, Comedy, Darren Aronofsky, Drama, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Emmanuel Lubezki, Film, Gravity, Michael Keaton, Movies, Naomi Watts, Nicolás Giacobone, Robert Downey Jr, Spike Jonze, Zach Galifianakis | 2 Comments

Category Archives: Film Review

Review: The Guest (2014)

Review: Big Hero 6 (2014)

Oscar Review: Boyhood (2014)

Review: Gone Girl (2014)

Review: Into the Woods (2014)

Review: Lucy (2014)

Review: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014/15)

Review: Maleficent (2014)

Review: Foxcatcher (2014)

Review: Birdman: or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

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