Review: Le Week-End (2013)

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Le Week-End

Le Week-End marks somewhat of a return to smarts for director Roger Michell. After helming two disappointments in a row (the mildly entertaining Morning Glory and the dreary Hyde Park On Hudson), Michell reteams with regular screenwriter and friend Hanif Kureishi for their third feature collaboration and an altogether richer affair. Together, they’ve carved a resonant, heartfelt and adult drama that’s exponentially superior to Michell’s aforementioned missteps. Continue reading “Review: Le Week-End (2013)” →

Review: Not Another Happy Ending (2013)

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Not Another Happy Ending

John McKay’s Not Another Happy Ending is a breezy and harmless if ultimately forgettable romantic comedy set in and around the city of Glasgow. Jane (former Doctor Who star Karen Gillan), a struggling novelist, finds herself thrust into the limelight when her first novel, a memoir about the trails of her own family, becomes an overnight success. With her newfound status, her life sees improvement. Not only does she fall in love with screenwriter Willie (Henry Ian Cusick), but she also starts to reconnect with her estranged father. Continue reading “Review: Not Another Happy Ending (2013)” →

Review: Filth (2013)

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Filth

The fourth Irvine Welsh novel to be adapted for the big screen, Jon S. Baird’s Filth thankfully bears more similarities to drug-fuelled classic Trainspotting than the lesser successful translations. On the cusp of promotion, intensely misanthropic Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson (James McAvoy) is given the task of solving a brutal murder. Seeing this as an opportunity to prove himself and win back his estranged wife and daughter, Bruce concocts a series of malevolent schemes to turn his colleagues against one another. Continue reading “Review: Filth (2013)” →

Review: Sunshine On Leith (2013)

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Sunshine On Leith

Inspired by the back-catalogue of Scottish band The Proclaimers, and based on Stephen Greenhorn’s successful stage hit, Dexter Fletcher’s Sunshine on Leith is a convivial and well shot musical that forms a narrative and articulates the variable emotions of its characters through upbeat, crowd-pleasing pop songs to varying degrees of success. Fresh from a tour in Afghanistan, Davy (George MacKay) and Ally (Kevin Guthrie) return home to Edinburgh. Continue reading “Review: Sunshine On Leith (2013)” →

Review: Rush (2013)

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Rush

Keen to capitalise on the overwhelming success of Asif Kapadia’s sensational documentary Senna, director Ron Howard, whose responsible for some of Hollywood’s biggest commercial successes, reteams with Frost/Nixon screenwriter Peter Morgan for Rush. What could have been a compelling character expose set in and around the high-octane world of Formula One is, in the end, disappointingly bloated and mild on dramatic thrills. Continue reading “Review: Rush (2013)” →

Review: Diana (2013)

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Diana

Diana, Princess of Wales was an icon, adored by the public and renowned for her high-profile charity work. Yet there was a darker, more manipulative side to her that constantly threatened to burst that innocent, bighearted bubble. It’s a shame, then, that Diana, acclaimed director Olivier Hirschbiegel’s biopic, abandons those intriguing suggestions altogether, instead producing a miscalculated, cringe-inducing and ultimately banal film that’s far too buttoned up for its own good. Continue reading “Review: Diana (2013)” →

Review: Austenland (2013)

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Austenland

Austenland, a well-intended 19th century-style romantic comedy that’s been adapted from Shannon Hale’s novel of the same name, marks the directorial debut of screenwriter Jerusha Hess. While it’s handsomely filmed, making good use of the stunning British countryside and landscapes, and features some gorgeous costumes, there’s little else, substance or otherwise, to entice audiences, let alone to truly reward those who do choose to invest their time and attention. Continue reading “Review: Austenland (2013)” →

Review: Blue Jasmine (2013)

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Blue Jasmine

Woody Allen’s career over the past two decades has been a mixed bag at best. For every Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Midnight In Paris (both of which earned Academy Award recognition), there’s been an Anything Else or a Scoop. It would seem though, that with Blue Jasmine, Allen has crafted a sharp, perceptive and deeply honest drama with a realistic sprinkling of humour that represents the ageing filmmaker at his most inspired. Continue reading “Review: Blue Jasmine (2013)” →

Review: White House Down (2013)

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White House Down

After briefly sidestepping into more artsy territory with the widely panned Anonymous, Roland Emmerich comes back full force with White House Down, an over-the-top explosion-fest that flopped spectacularly upon its release in America. It’s dumb and predictable, sure, but unlike Olympus Has Fallen, this year’s other White House-set Die Hard parody, White House Down embraces its ridiculousness – a feat that mostly works in its favour. Continue reading “Review: White House Down (2013)” →

Review: Cold Comes The Night (2013)

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Cold Comes The Night

There’s nothing worse than a dull film – one free of distinguishable factors that’s neither terrible nor outstanding, but merely sufficient. And that, regrettably, is the perfect way to describe crime-thriller Cold Comes The Night. The second feature from Chicago-born screenwriter and director Tze Chun may capture a decently dark and eerie mood through its motel backdrop, but is too lacking in both an upholding narrative and worthwhile payoff to fully engage audiences. Continue reading “Review: Cold Comes The Night (2013)” →