Saturday 30 April 2016

Captain America: Civil War [IMAX 3D]


Takes its lead from Winter Soldier by prioritising story from the start, then when the action does kick off it's both eyeball shredding and flecked with character driven humour and at the end nothing large falls out of the sky as the script wisely chooses to drop emotional bombshells instead.
As you leave the cinema you're left to grapple with the twin mystery of how Marvel's finest entry yet is both fronted by their dullest hero and directed by the people behind You, Me and Dupree. A success against all odds.

Wednesday 27 April 2016

Green Room


Typical backwoods survival horror elevated to something very special indeed by wry flashes of humour, superb realistic performances and several moments of utter brutality that appear without warning and slap you sharply around the face. I can't remember the last time I heard gasps of shock and disgust belch out at such volume in the rural multiplex.

Saturday 23 April 2016

Death Walks On High Heels [La morte cammina con i tacchi alti]


A lurid thriller with an excellent script that convolutedly twists its way through smut, death and a bunch of different mystery sub-genres all let down by flat direction.

Wednesday 13 April 2016

Hardcore Henry [Hardcore]


A found footage action movie. Or Jason Statham's Crank filmed entirely in the first person. Or an overlong gimmick that succeeds at being cool but fails at being a movie. Or like being forced to watch somebody else play tediously loud video games. Or tries really hard, still shit.
Take your pick.

Sunday 10 April 2016

Midnight Special


Quite pleased with myself that I successfully convinced the teenager to go see this, avoiding having to sit through Grumpy Voice vs Wooden Alien a second time. On the up side I got to take her to the cinema to see a film of intelligence that allows you to fill the gaps as the superb imagery and performances unfold before you. On the down side I had the film's carefuly consructed atmosphere of wonder and mystery repeatedly punctured by zingers such as 'I'm confused, who are the good guys and who are the bad guys?' and 'Why does he never smile?' whilst pointing at Michael Shannon.
You win some, you lose some.