Tag Archives: Drama
Review in Brief: The Founder (2016)
THE FOUNDER could have easily been a shrine for brand worship, and this story of the birth of McDonald’s must have been signed off by the fast food franchise. The filmmakers largely avoid this by making a very clear (romanticised … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Lion (2016)
LION, the meaning of which is not revealed until the film’s closing moments is sometimes remarkable. There’s no denying this true story is remarkable. The script is punchy and well-judged, with very strong work from Dev Patel, and especially newcomer … Continue reading
Review: A Ghost Story (2017)
A GHOST STORY is completely and utterly its own thing. Films have explored these themes before, but rarely have we had an extended narrative from a spirit’s perspective that didn’t use that fact as a twist. M (Rooney Mara) loses … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Fences (2016)
While FENCES loses a few points for taking a shortcut in the portrayal of a disabled character, for the most part it is powerful stuff. A well-mounted stage-to-screen adaptation with the cast of the Broadway revival from a few years … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Elle (2016)
ELLE is like the darkest soap opera you’ve ever seen. You get all the extra-marital affairs and mummy and daddy issues you might expect from nightly soft drama telly of the like of EAST ENDERS, but it also subjects us … Continue reading
Review: Boy (2010)
Handled delicately, grief makes for a great film. Boiling Taika Waititi’s films down to their core themes, if EAGLE VS. SHARK was about battling depression and HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE was about finding a place to truly belong, then BOY … Continue reading
Review in Brief: A United Kingdom (2016)
There’s not a whole lot wrong with A UNITED KINGDOM, but at the same time there’s also very little to set the world on fire. You can imagine it becoming a firm favourite for cosy Sunday afternoon viewing in years … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Jackie (2016)
Natalie Portman is pretty near perfect as Jackie Kennedy. There’s nowhere to hide with her forever centre-frame and sometimes uncomfortably close up when she is at her most vulnerable. I would have preferred more scenes with the priest (sadly not … Continue reading
Review: The Levelling (2016/17)
THE LEVELLING is very much like farming soap opera THE ARCHERS, only bleaker, with better acting and real animals. If you’re American, or not middle-class enough know about The Archers, don’t worry about it. Taking a forced sabbatical from her … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Eye in the Sky (2016)
It might be about as subtle as an airstrike, but drone warfare thriller EYE IN THE SKY fields an interesting debate. Just how far can you push “For the greater good”? In the moment, if you could save more lives, … Continue reading
SSP Thinks Film 