Tag Archives: Drama
Review: Spotlight (2015)
For many, SPOTLIGHT was the surprise winner at last year’s Oscars. The true events the film is based on might be ripe for dramatic adaptation, but with its low-key performance and style, and actors that did not subject themselves to … Continue reading
Review: Hell or High Water (2016)
Where this this one come from? HELL OR HIGH WATER arrived with plenty of established talent involved, but very little fanfare. It turns out to be one of the best releases this year, and among the most enlightening and relevant. … Continue reading
Review: Deepwater Horizon (2016)
I can’t say I was expecting to like DEEPWATER HORIZON. Turning real-world disasters, especially ones where we’re still feeling the impact today, into spectacle can go either way. It couldn’t be too maudlin or grandstanding, it couldn’t be propaganda. What … Continue reading
Review: Captain Fantastic (2016)
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC practically screams “quirky”. I mean, just look at the still from the funeral scene above. But this isn’t quirk for the sake of it, but instead a heartfelt story promoting debate. Ben (Viggo Mortensen) lives in the woods … Continue reading
Review: Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
The run of great 2016 indie films continues. Light and shade are so key in telling compelling stories, and Taika Waititi’s impressively domestic and enjoyable latest offering is hard-hitting and hilarious. Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) arrives at the home of … Continue reading
Playing Catchup: The Masterpieces
It’s that time again: time for me to admit to some classic films I hadn’t until very recently seen, and how they have impacted me on my first watch. This time I thought I’d catch up on two that have … Continue reading
Review: The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)
I really want movies like this to do well. It’s great that Netflix is democratising filmmaking, allowing for talent and Adam Sandler to find an audience and bypass the Hollywood system. Of course not all of it can be gold, … Continue reading
Review: 13 Hours (2016)
13 HOURS is supposedly Michael Bay being serious, talking about a still-raw real-world event, namely the aftermath of The Arab Spring uprisings in Libya. Yet we still have a character saying of a neutralised weapons smuggler:”We gotta find his stash … Continue reading
Review: Radiator (2014/15)
I’d like to forewarn you that anyone with an ailing friend or relative, or who has witnessed someone with a duty of care not up to that task, will find that a lot of RADIATOR hits very close to home … Continue reading
Fargo Season 2: Tall Tale Made in Weirdness
The following piece contains spoilers for Season 2 of FARGO. The first season of the TV companion piece to the Coen Brothers’ classic movie had me completely and utterly hooked. I felt sure no-one could hope to measure up to … Continue reading
SSP Thinks Film 