The Last Command, 1928.Directed by Josef von Sternberg. Starring Emil Jannings, Evelyn Brent, William Powell and Jack Raymond.SYNOPSIS:A former imperial Russian general, and a cousin to the fallen Tsar, ekes out a living as a Hollywood extra, and lands a role in a movie that, unbeknownst to him, is being directed by a former revolutionary.Upon arriving […]
69th Cannes Film Festival Review – The BFG (2016)
The BFG. 2016Directed by Steven Spielberg Starring Ruby Barnhill, Mark Rylance, Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement, Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Hall and Rafe SpallSYNOPSIS:Sophie, a young orphan, encounters the Big Friendly Giant who takes her to his magical homeland. But as the duo bond, Sophie’s life – and the fate of other children – come under threat […]
69th Cannes Film Festival Review – Toni Erdmann (2016)
Toni Erdmann, 2016.Directed by Maren Ade. Starring Peter Simonischek, Sandra Hüller, Thomas Loibl, Trystan Puetter and Hadewych Minis.SYNOPSIS:A bittersweet German comedy about a prankster father who disguises himself as a man named ‘Toni Erdmann’ in a bid to get the attention of his serious, business executive daughter.Parents and adult children struggling to forge mature relationships with […]
Movie Review – Toni Erdmann (2016)
Toni Erdmann, 2016. Directed by Maren Ade Starring Sandra Hüller, Peter Simonischek, Michael Wittenborn and Ingrid Bisu SYNOPSIS: In order to reconnect with his business driven daughter, a father creates an alter ego pretending to be a high-flying life coach. Sometimes a story is so outlandish, so obscure that you think this has to be […]
Movie Review – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 2015.Directed by J.J. Abrams. Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Tim Rose, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Gwendoline Christie, Lupita Nyong’o, Ken Leung, Miltos Yerolemou, Max von Sydow, Jessica Henwick, Christina Chong, Simon Pegg, Billie Lourd, […]
Second Opinion – The Big Short (2015)
The Big Short, 2015.Directed by Adam McKay. Starring Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Brad Pitt, Finn Wittrock, Max Greenfield, Melissa Leo, Rafe Spall, Hamish Linklater, Tracy Letts, John Magaro, Jeremy Strong, Marissa Tomei, Karen Gillan, Stanley Wong, Byron Mann, Margot Robbie, and Selena Gomez. SYNOPSIS:Four denizens of the world of high-finance predict the credit and […]
Comic Book Review – Black Road #2
Zeb Larson reviews Black Road #2… The Viking North is an occupied war zone and Magnus the Black is the fixer for Papal Rome. Something about this issue of Black Road didn’t grab me. The first issue had a certain austere bleakness that was appropriate, but it also had the power of the tension between […]
Person of Interest Season 5 Episode 4 Review – ‘6,741’
Ricky Church reviews the fourth episode of Person of Interest season five… It was an event we were all waiting for: Sarah Shahi’s return as Sameen Shaw in Person of Interest finally happened. Shahi, who left last year due to pregnancy and maternity leave, filled a small void that had been left in her absence, […]
69th Cannes Film Festival Review – Mal de Pierres (2016)
Mal de Pierres (From the Land of the Moon), 2016.Directed by Nicole Garcia. Starring Marion Cotillard, Alex Brendemühl and Louis Garrel.SYNOPSIS:A spirited but delusional young woman in post-war France ends up in a marriage of convenience. When an illness takes her to a retreat in the Alps, she meets and falls in love with an […]
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2016 Review – Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Hunt for the Wilderpeople, 2016.Written and Directed by Taika Waititi. Starring Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House and Rhys Darby.SYNOPSIS:A national manhunt is ordered for a rebellious kid and his foster uncle who go missing in the wild New Zealand bush.There is a definite temptation to begin this review by writing (or […]
