Film Reviews

Richard Jewell review - a portrait of duty and dignity in this true-life tale

Joseph Walsh Saturday, 01 February 2020

Since Play Misty For Me in 1971, Clint Eastwood has been tearing up the American myth with a body of muscular, often melancholic work.

Show Me the Picture: The Story of Jim Marshall review - needles, guns and grass

Markie Robson-Scott Saturday, 01 February 2020

In photographer Jim Marshall’s heyday in the 60s and 70s, before the music business became corporate and restrictive, and before Marshall unravelled – he was partial to cars, cocaine and guns as well as cameras – musicians asked for him, they trusted him, and he never violated their trust because, he...

The Lighthouse review - shiver me timbers

Demetrios Matheou Thursday, 30 January 2020

A creepy lighthouse on a remote island, a blistering storm, a mermaid languishing on the shore and two fabulously bewhiskered actors chewing up the scenery like there’s no tomorrow. The Lighthouse feels like it’s been washed up in a bottle, a film from another time with a story sprung from ghost stories or nightmares.

Queen & Slim review - a stylish and raw tale of outlaws on the lam

Joseph Walsh Thursday, 30 January 2020

There’s a palpable rage to Melina Matsoukas’ first feature film Queen & Slim, starring Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya and newcomer Jodie Turner-Smith. Cast in the mould of Bonnie and Clyde, it’s a film that has you clinging to the arms of your seat from the first fifteen-minutes.

Talking About Trees review - friendships formed through film

Owen Richards Monday, 27 January 2020

What’s the appeal of cinema? It can transport us to fantasy lands, or open our eyes to new perspectives. But one aspect that’s less discussed is how it brings people together. Going to the cinema is a social stimulus, a shared experience that sparks discussions and forges friendships.

The Personal History of David Copperfield review – top-drawer Dickens

Demetrios Matheou Friday, 24 January 2020

Armando Iannucci’s move away from the contemporary political satires that made his name, first signalled by his bold, uproariously brilliant Death of Stalin, continues apace with a Dickens adaptation that feels quietly radical.

The Grudge review - non-stop shocks wear out their welcome

Adam Sweeting Thursday, 23 January 2020

The 18-year-old Japanese horror hit Ju-On (The Grudge) was remade once before, as – yes – The Grudge (2004), with Sarah Michelle Gellar.

A Hidden Life review - Nazism stoically refused

Nick Hasted Saturday, 18 January 2020

Terrence Malick returns to his former greatness following three features of unscripted, all-star poesy, with this sombre biopic of sainted Austrian conscientious objector Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl).

Waves review - pulsating, rapturous, devastating

Markie Robson-Scott Friday, 17 January 2020

Trey Edward Shults’s extraordinary, music-driven third feature, set in a sparkling south Florida, stars a wonderful Kelvin Harrison Jr as 17-year-old Tyler, an African American high-school wrestler with bleached blond hair.

Bombshell review – powerful, to a point

Demetrios Matheou Thursday, 16 January 2020

With Harvey Weinstein about to go on trial, the timing is particularly apt for a film that outlines the fall from grace of another media giant who used his powerful position to sexually victimise women.

Uncut Gems review - relentless tale of gambling and the diamond trade

Saskia Baron Friday, 10 January 2020

The Safdie brothers, Josh and Benny, once programmed a season of films entitled Emotional Sloppy Manic Cinema, and if sloppy is subtracted from that description, it’s a pretty accurate summation of their work here in Uncut Gems. This is edge-of-the-seat filmmaking, with vertiginous camerawork by Darius Khondji and a relentless, immersive soundscape of electronica and layered dialogue.

Seberg review - lightweight script, heavyweight performance

Joseph Walsh Friday, 10 January 2020

It’s 1968, and Seberg leaves her husband, Romain Gary (Yvan Attal) and son, Alexandre (Gabriel Sky) for an audition in Hollywood. She seems happy to be going. Touching down in LAX she joins a group of black activists, led by Hakim Jamal (Anthony Mackie), and offers up a black power salute. Her intentions are unclear.

1917 review – immersive, exemplary war film

Demetrios Matheou Thursday, 09 January 2020

The greatest war films are those which capture the terrifying physical and psychological ordeal that soldiers face, along with the sheer folly and waste of it all – Paths of Glory, Come and See, Apocalypse Now, Saving Private Ryan, most recently Dunkirk.

The Runaways review - a road trip worth taking

Owen Richards Thursday, 09 January 2020

Oh how British indies love a road trip. Trekking across the rugged landscape, meeting a colourful cast of characters, realising it’s not the destination but the journey.

In the Line of Duty review - brazen absurdity

Nick Hasted Friday, 03 January 2020

The dinosaur credentials of disgraced cop Frank Penny (Aaron Eckhart) litter his flat, from his battered old TV to his binning of his daily newspaper, bar the sports section.

The Gentlemen review - it ain't woke but don't fix it

Adam Sweeting Thursday, 02 January 2020

Guy Ritchie enjoyed his greatest commercial success with 2019’s live-action fantasy Aladdin, the most atypical project of his career, but The Gentlemen finds him back on his best-known turf as a purveyor of mouthy, ultra-violent geezerism.