EIFF 2013 Review: Stories We Tell (2012)

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Stories We Tell

Actress-turned-director Sarah Polley turns her attention away from death and adultery as surveyed through her previous two narrative features Away From Her and Take This Waltz and onto her family history with unconventional documentary Stories We Tell. Using her talent as both a filmmaker and as a storyteller to tell her family’s story may seem self-indulgent and unnecessary to be aired in public, yet the warmth in which Polley infuses into the film ensures it carries with it a more deeper, universal value. Continue reading “EIFF 2013 Review: Stories We Tell (2012)” →

EIFF 2013 Review: For Those In Peril (2013)

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For Those In Peril

The Edinburgh International Film Festival has forever prided itself as a festival of discovery, a platform for new filmmaking talent to present their works to audiences, critics and fellow filmmakers alike in the hope of receiving recognition. If there’s one person who deserves credit this year, then it’s Paul Wright, whose feature debut For Those In Peril is a bold and innovative poetic fable that, through a rich textual narrative, astounds in its emotional resonance. Continue reading “EIFF 2013 Review: For Those In Peril (2013)” →

EIFF 2013 Review: Breathe In (2013)

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Breathe In

The 67th Edinburgh International Film Festival opened softly last night with relationship drama Breathe In. Reuniting blossoming British actress Felicity Jones with writer and director Drake Doremus, whose last feature Like Crazy deservedly scooped the Grand Jury Prize at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, Breathe In may feel and look like a more adult effort, yet is ultimately depreciated by clichéd character stereotypes and a lack of believability. Continue reading “EIFF 2013 Review: Breathe In (2013)” →

EIFF 2013 Review: Frances Ha (2012)

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Frances Ha

Noah Baumbach and rising indie star Greta Gerwig combine their talented forces once more after the well-received Greenberg for Frances Ha, a thoughtful, witty and nostalgic portrait of twenty-something discontent. Filmed in black and white at the directors discretion and blending the old with the new, Frances Ha emerges as a true winner and Baumbach’s best in years. Continue reading “EIFF 2013 Review: Frances Ha (2012)” →

Review: Despicable Me 2 (2013)

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Despicable Me 2

Despicable Me emerged in the Summer of 2010 to surprising success, depicting the transformation of an evil super-villain to the adoptive father of three high-spirited children, Agnes (Elsie Fisher), Margo (Miranda Cosgrove) and Edith (Dana Gaier). It’s no surprise, then, that this month sees the release of Despicable Me 2, uniting the cast under Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud’s direction. Continue reading “Review: Despicable Me 2 (2013)” →

Review: Behind The Candelabra (2013)

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Behind The Candelabra

Fresh from Cannes where it competed for the prestigious Palme d’Or and its subsequent airing on American cable network HBO, Behind The Candelabra is presented as Steven Soderbergh’s final feature film. It’s undoubtedly a triumphant note for the director to end on, and will surely be celebrated – alongside Magic Mike and Side Effects – for its boldness as much as its authenticity and the emotional resonance it provokes. Continue reading “Review: Behind The Candelabra (2013)” →

Review: The Big Wedding (2013)

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The Big Wedding

An all-star cast fall victim to a shallow, tasteless script in The Big Wedding, the latest in the line of lacklustre comedies to hit cinema screens this year. This one though, which was adapted from the well-received French romantic comedy Mon Frère Se Marie, heralds a new low with its arrival – one that proves that no matter how much money or A-list stars you throw into the mix, if the material isn’t up to scratch, then there’s no point in even bothering. Continue reading “Review: The Big Wedding (2013)” →

Review: The Hangover Part III

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The Hangover Part 3

With every third part in a successful trilogy comes the different question: Do you stay with the same winning structure that has proved so lucrative with the previous instalments, or do you shake things up in a bid to present the audience with something fresh? Director Todd Phillips and screenwriter Craig Mazin have opted for the latter with The Hangover Part III, though it’s not executed in a particularly memorable or laudable fashion. Continue reading “Review: The Hangover Part III” →

Anticipating The 67th Edinburgh International Film Festival Line-Up Announcement

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With the full line-up announcement only a day away, it’s hard not to speculate what films are likely to unspool at the 67th Edinburgh International Film Festival next month. In previous years, we’ve been way off mark, choosing bigger films over the usual smaller ones Edinburgh likes to promote. However, with the welcome regeneration the festival experienced last year, it’s only natural to feel optimistic about what might be on offer this year, and the revelations so far have only propelled this. Continue reading “Anticipating The 67th Edinburgh International Film Festival Line-Up Announcement” →

Review: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

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Star Trek Into Darkness

With Star Trek, JJ Abrams not only revived the tired sci-fi space franchise from limbo, but also delivered a revelatory blockbuster, packed with humour, dazzling visuals and non-stop action. Sadly, however, lightning hasn’t struck twice for the multihyphenate, and Star Trek Into Darkness fails to recapture that magic, often becoming weighed down by a tired, lumbering narrative. Continue reading “Review: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)” →