Black Swan, 2010. Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey and Winona Ryder. SYNOPSIS: A sophisticated psychological thriller set in the milieu of the New York Ballet. Darren Aronofsky has carved out a career as an inventive and interesting director making films such as Pi, Requiem for a Dream, […]

The King’s Speech, 2010. Directed by Tom Hooper. Starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Jennifer Ehle, Michael Gambon, Derek Jacobi, Guy Pearce and Timothy Spall. SYNOPSIS: The story of the relationship between King George VI and an unconventional Australian speech therapist. The first thing I’d like to say about The King’s Speech is […]

West is West, 2010. Directed by Andy DeEmmony. Starring Aqib Khan, Om Puri, Linda Bassett, Robert Pugh, Emil Marwa and Jimi Mistry. SYNOPSIS: The dysfunctional Khan family continues to struggle for survival in the North of England during the 1970s. Under heavy assault from his father’s tyrannical insistence on Pakistani tradition, 15-year-old Sajid is packed […]

The Girl Who Played with Fire (Swedish: Flickan som lekte med elden), 2009. Directed by Daniel Alfredson. Starring Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist. SYNOPSIS: When hacker Lisbeth Sanders (Noomi Rapace) goes on the run after being accused of three murders, journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) sets out to track her down and uncover the truth. […]

Let Me In, 2010. Directed by Matt Reeves. Starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloë Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas and Cara Buono. SYNOPSIS: A lonely twelve-year old boy befriends his new neighbour and soon has to confront the reality that the seemingly innocent young girl is actually a savage vampire responsible for a string of murders in […]

Another Year, 2010. Directed by Mike Leigh. Starring Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Peter Wright, Oliver Maltman and Imelda Staunton. SYNOPSIS: An intimate portrait of a year in the lives of an aging but happily-married couple and their dysfunctional friends. Another Year is Mike Leigh’s eleventh feature film, an interesting multi character drama doused […]

It’s Kind of a Funny Story, 2010. Directed by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck. Starring Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis & Emma Roberts. SYNOPSIS: Sixteen year-old Craig (Keir Gilchrist), after dreaming of one too many suicide attempts, checks himself into hospital for depression. However, the child wing is being renovated so he finds himself in the […]

Amy Flinders profiles Scottish director Lynne Ramsay in the first of a two-part feature… Despite only having two features and a handful of short films to her name, Lynne Ramsay has managed to captivate audiences and critics alike and is well respected as a prolific and innovative director. It is perhaps the inspired combination of […]

Nazi Dawn, a.k.a. Black Ops, a.k.a. Deadwater, 2008. Directed by Roel Reiné. Starring Lance Henriksen, Gary Stretch, James Russo and Katherine Randolph. SYNOPSIS: A dark and ghostly wartime secret is about to be uncovered when a battle between good and evil breaks out aboard a WWII-era battleship. Nazis are without doubt the greatest baddies to […]

Gary Collinson presents Five Essential Christopher Lee Villains… Enjoying an incredible career spanning over sixty years and with more than 250 credits to his name, British actor Sir Christopher Lee has earned his place as a true legend of the screen. After serving in the Royal Air Force and intelligence services during World War II, […]