Tag Archives: Rom-com

Review in Brief: Rye Lane (2023)

Posted on June 17, 2023 by Sam S-P

Rom-coms have an established grammar and beats everyone expects you to hit, but RYE LANE follows its own rules. A chance meeting in a club bathroom sees two lost souls find each other following all-time bad breakups. Dom (David Jonsson) … Continue reading →

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Review in Brief: Palm Springs (2020)

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Sam S-P

PALM SPRINGS is a GROUNDHOG DAY-alike that actually manages to surpass Harold Raimis’ classic in many ways. It’s raucously hilarious with some incredibly dark passages but what really makes it special is its unexpected philosophical profoundness and completely earnest sweetness. … Continue reading →

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Review in Brief: Benjamin (2018/19)

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Sam S-P

You don’t really get gay romcoms. Why don’t you really get gay romcoms? You get gay characters in rom-coms, plenty of hard-hitting gay dramas and romances but not many films focussing on gay relationships in a comedic context. Simon Amstell … Continue reading →

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Review in Brief: Isn’t It Romantic (2019)

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Sam S-P

Put ISN’T IT ROMANTIC down as a good idea badly executed. It’s the classic “bump your head and wake up in another world” story, with the differences between our world (in the loosest possible terms) and the world of the … Continue reading →

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Valentine’s Day Review: Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Sam S-P

Spoilers ahead for HELLBOY II. HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY is one of my absolute favourites: a beautiful, unique and kick-ass fantasy superhero movie that builds and expands on the solid foundation of its predecessor and ends up, in style … Continue reading →

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Review: Aloha (2015)

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Sam S-P

Hey they used the old film studio logos and fanfares – that probably means something, right? A lot in ALOHA probably means something, but I’ll be damned if I can puzzle out what Cameron Crowe wanted his movie to say, … Continue reading →

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Review: Obvious Child (2014)

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Sam S-P

As well as being both unabashedly filthy and a proud and dignified representation of real humanity, OBVIOUS CHILD boasts the simple (but criminally rare in storytelling) pleasure of seeing a strong female protagonist making a difficult decision and being allowed … Continue reading →

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A Few Thoughts More: Her (2013)

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Sam S-P

Spike Jonze’s HER was the cinematic high-point of 2013 for me, though I didn’t actually get to see it until the beginning of this year. I still stand by what I said in my original review, which you can find … Continue reading →

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Review: About Time (2013)

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Sam S-P

I know it’s not a cool thing to admit, but I really like Richard Curtis. I love BLACKADDER, THE VICAR OF DIBLEY, FOUR WEDDINGS & A FUNERAL and even LOVE ACTUALLY. Not so keen on NOTTING HILL because it’s too … Continue reading →

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Review: Her (2013)

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Sam S-P

There is no filmmaker working today quite like Spike Jonze. He’s the master of thoughtful, playfully reality-bending cinema with punchy messages. HER tells the story of Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a writer who’s life is persistently haunted by a disastrous breakup … Continue reading →

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