Film Diary: February 2018

What a month. Not only did I, Tonya prove The Skeleton Twins’ Craig Gillespie to be more than a one hit wonder, but Black Panther delivered – and then went on to make a billion for Disney and set tongues wagging about a potential Best Picture nomination come February next year. But first, let’s rewind to the start.

The fourth entry in the Insidious franchise, The Last Key, rested solely on Lin Shaye’s shoulders, while attempting to tie the backstory of her life with the sinister events that impacted the Lambert family from the first two films. I love Shaye and her role as parapsychologist Elise, but this series has run its course by a long mile. Continue reading “Film Diary: February 2018”

Review: Beauty And The Beast (2017)

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This live-action reimagining of the classic fairytale – directed by Bill Condon – sticks closely to the original story and animated version, bar some extra padding to increase its running time well beyond the two hour mark. Emma Watson delights as Belle, the strong-willed bookworm who falls for the Beast (Dan Stevens), turned so by a witches spell to teach him a lesson. Continue reading “Review: Beauty And The Beast (2017)”

Review: The Jungle Book (2016)

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Jon Favreau’s enthralling live-action spin on Rudyard Kipling’s beloved novel is the latest in the line of Disney reinterpretations after recent hits Maleficent and Cinderella. Priding itself on heart-pumping dramatics and masterful visuals that recreate all on display, excluding Neel Sethi’s man-cub Mowgli, it manages to honour the old (both Kipling’s source material and the animated classic) while celebrating the cutting-edge in equal measure. Continue reading “Review: The Jungle Book (2016)”

Review: Tomorrowland (2015)

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Tomorrowland in part rekindles Disney’s family-aimed fare, only to tumble when a clunky, talkative narrative stops the peppy fun in its tracks. Bright-eyed teen Casey (Britt Robertson) discovers a pin amongst her possessions that, when touched, transports her to a futuristic utopia. Her intrigue leads her to the doorstep of the curmudgeonly Frank (George Clooney), who reluctantly consents to take her there in person. Continue reading “Review: Tomorrowland (2015)”

Review: Cinderella (2015)

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Part of Disney’s money-making formula to make live-action versions of its animated classics, Cinderella repeats the classic story virtually word for word, not always to its benefit. Ella (Lily James) leads a happy life in company of her mother and father. But when her parents die one after the other, Ella is left in the care of her stepmother (Cate Blanchett), a wicked woman who treats her terribly. Her luck changes for better, however, when she happens upon a stranger (Richard Madden) in the woods. Continue reading “Review: Cinderella (2015)”

2013 In Review: Top Ten Films

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2013 was a fantastic year for film. It’s as simple as that. Technological boundaries were broken, Disney made a triumphant comeback with not one but two wonderful animated releases, Noah Baumbach proved what could happen when you make a film on a shoestring budget and in black-and-white, and Steven Soderbergh bid a fond farewell to the cinematic world with the fantastic one-two punch of pharmaceutical drama Side Effects and outlandish Liberace biopic Behind The Candelabra. Continue reading “2013 In Review: Top Ten Films”

Review: Frozen (2013)

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For a studio that, in its heyday, brought to the screens some of the most beloved animation films of our time, Disney have been struggling in recent years to emerge from the shadow Pixar, their powerhouse sibling, cast upon them. Their recent efforts, however, have displayed a huge amount of promise, with Tangled in particular worth honourable mention. But it’s their latest, the enchanting and extremely entertaining Frozen, that proves Disney’s classic formula can be adjusted to incorporate contemporary values. Continue reading “Review: Frozen (2013)”

Review: The Lone Ranger (2013)

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Conceived for a radio show in the early 1930s, the characters of John Reid – soon to become the Lone Ranger – and his trusted sidekick Tonto soon transitioned to television, where they became American cultural staples. Since the series ended in the late 1950s, there’s been various attempts to bring the tenacious crime-fighting duo to the big screen, none more bizarre and erratic, yet somewhat thrilling than The Lone Ranger. Continue reading “Review: The Lone Ranger (2013)”

Review: Brave (2012)

Merida (Kelly Macdonald), a versed archer and princess to King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), lives a stable, yet somewhat imprisoned life within her family’s kingdom of DunBroch. When she becomes older and more free-spirited, she inadvertently defies an ancient custom her mother forces upon her. Finding herself banished due to her erratic behaviour, she visits a calamitous witch (Julie Walters) in a moment of sheer stupidity. Continue reading “Review: Brave (2012)”