This entertaining animated comedy from the studio behind mega hit franchise Despicable Me powers along on the back of its talented voice cast and recognisable pop tunes. Buster (Matthew McConaughey), a theatre-owning Koala, is on the cusp of losing his business, so he decides to stage a singing contest that attracts a menagerie of talented animals (an under-appreciated mother, a stage shy elephant), big and small. Continue reading “Review: Sing (2017)”
The studio behind Coraline and ParaNorman return with the magnificent Kubo And The Two Strings, their most ambitious stop-motion feature yet. Set in a fantastical Japan, young Kubo (Art Parkinson), troubled by his father’s mysterious death and mother’s illness, embarks upon a quest to locate a sacred suit of armour and defeat the powerful Moon King (Ralph Fiennes), aided by his magical shamisen and some helpful companions. Continue reading “Review: Kubo And The Two Strings (2016)”
A sci-fi thriller that drags more than it soars, Interstellar finds director Christopher Nolan favouring spectacle over substance. Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former astronaut-turned-farmer, is struggling to survive on a ravaged Earth. When a last-ditch attempt to save mankind presents itself, Cooper leaves his family behind for the outer reaches of space.
Continue reading “Review: Interstellar (2014)”
Matthew McConaughey turns in a phenomenal, committed performance in the credible Dallas Buyers Club, further cementing his shift from rom-com doormat to serious, respectable actor. Based on the real-life story of Ron Woodroff, an AIDs victim-turned-activist during the deadly diseases mid-to-late 1980s peak, the film is somber and potent in its portrayal of Ron’s undying courage, yet ultimately hampered by an all too too hooey finale. Continue reading “Review: Dallas Buyers Club (2013)”
Marking the fifth collaboration between director Martin Scorsese and star Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf Of Wall Street is an exhilarating and derisive black comedy that’s miles away from their previous efforts The Gangs Of New York and The Aviator. Based on the memoirs of real-life stockbroker Jordan Belfort, played superbly by DiCaprio, there’s not much to the film in terms of depth. But as a piece of no-frills entertainment, with a touch of social commentary, it’s a blast. Continue reading “Review: The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)”
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”
Since making his debut as a writer and director in 2007 with the warmly received Shotgun Stories, and following it up with festival darling Take Shelter, Jeff Nichols has become a powerful voice within the independent film world. It’s with Mud though that Nichols has officially arrived, delivering an exceptional coming-of-age drama set against the backdrop of rural Arkansas. Continue reading “Review: Mud (2012)”
Set in the blistering, sweaty heat of 1960’s Florida, The Paperboy – Lee Daniels’ star-studded follow-up to the Academy Award winning Precious – is a pup-noir crime thriller wrapped in a web of intrigue that’s as trashy and provocative as it is alluring and enormously entertaining. Ward Jansen (Matthew McConaughey), a newspaper reporter, returns to his hometown with partner Yardley Acheman (David Oyelowo) to uncover a salacious story of murder. Continue reading “GFF 2013 Review: The Paperboy (2013)”
The Paperboy hasn’t exactly had the best life, yet it’s become all the more appealing because of it. Adapted from Pete Dexter’s 1995 novel of the same name by director Lee Daniels and Dexter himself, The Paperboy centres on Wade Jansen (Matthew McConaughey), a reporter who returns to his Florida hometown in order to investigate a murder case involving death row inmate, Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack). Continue reading “Why I Must See The Paperboy”
Mike (Channing Tatum) is a thirty-year-old entrepreneur, furniture designer and contractor who, at night, transformers into his stripping persona Magic Mike. When he sees potential in fellow construction worker Adam (Alex Pettyfer) he takes him under his wing and introduces him to a life he never thought possible – one fuelled by eroticised dance numbers, non-stop partying and female adoration. However, Mike’s had enough, but his attempts to move away from Continue reading “Review: Magic Mike (2012)”
Empty Screens 