Dope has accrued tremendous buzz along the festival circuit, but it’s not quite the all-out, convention exploding master stroke many have it pegged as. Malcolm (Shameik Moore) has college in his sights, determined not to let his rough upbringing hold him back. But when a party leaves him in possession of drugs, he must think quick before his life is ruined. Continue reading “Review: Dope (2015)”
After their successful pairing in Adventureland, Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg reunite for a ropey stoner comedy that coasts on their individual wits and chemistry rather than its own thrills. Perpetual stoner Mike (Eisenberg) – who is in fact a sleeper operative – has plans to propose to his girlfriend Phoebe (Stewart). But when he’s targeted for elimination, his program is activated, leaving him battling for survival. Continue reading “Review: American Ultra (2015)”
The directorial debut of regular Ben Wheatley collaborator Steve Oram, Aaaaaaaah! takes a unique and screwy conceit and runs with it. Alpha male Smith (Oram) – with his sidekick Keith (Tom Meeten) in tow – emerges from a wooded area and sets upon the unnamed city’s suburbs, where he stakes his claim on a female (Lucy Honigman) and her tribe. Continue reading “Review: Aaaaaaaah! (2015)”
Absolutely Anything, dreamt up by the team behind Monty Python, is yet another poor excuse for a British comedy, set to do absolutely nothing for Simon Pegg’s career. Randomly selected by an alien council for an experiment to secure Earth’s survival, Neil (Pegg) is bestowed unique powers – powers that he quickly abuses. Continue reading “Review: Absolutely Anything (2015)”
Like fellow TV series The Inbetweeners before it, Bad Education receives the big screen treatment, resulting in an absurdly silly comedy that’s scattered with laughs. Hapless teacher Alfie Wickers (Jack Whitehall) is determined to take his class on an end of term blow out. But when his plans for Las Vegas are scrapped, they head to Cornwall instead, where things quickly take a turn for the chaotic. Continue reading “Review: The Bad Education Movie (2015)”
I reviewed Mistress America for CineVue.
It’s a fizzy, hilarious and forcefully upbeat cavalcade of incidents. Baumbach’s script, which he co-wrote with Gerwig, zings with effervescence, witticisms and sharp dialogue; the characters talking speedily at one another in a manner that’s equal parts exhilarating and exhausting. Gerwig is a whirlwind of exuberance as Brooke, a multi-hyphenate with an opinion on everything.
I reviewed Trainwreck for CineVue.
The debut of Schumer as both lead actor and writer, Trainwreck breezes in as Amy’s reckless way of life is documented in hysterically crude detail. Her behaviour is refreshingly brazen and subverts the typical opinion in comedies of woman as doting fools, their lives non-existent until they’re swept off their feet.
The loose concept is there but the execution is not in Pixels, the latest film to feature a phoned-in performance from Adam Sandler. Former arcade wizkid Sam (Sandler) hasn’t amounted to much, stuck in a rut as a divorced middle aged nerd. But when aliens misinterpret video feeds of 8-bit classics for a declaration of war, his unique talents are enlisted in an effort to save Earth. Continue reading “Review: Pixels (2015)”
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. – a suave reboot of the 1960s TV series – has style in the bucket loads, and is matched by intrigue and a host of breezy performances. In the height of the Cold War, CIA operative Solo (Henry Cavill) is paired up with former KGB enemy Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) to infiltrate and bring down an organisation harbouring nuclear ambitions. Continue reading “Review: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)”
The latest attempt to cinematise Marvel’s dysfunctional superhero family, Fantastic Four is a frustrating shambles, bogged down by a strained narrative and laughable, exposition-heavy dialogue. An inter-dimensional vault leaves four young upstarts – Reed (Miles Teller), Sue (Kate Mara), Johnny (Michael B. Jordan) and Ben (Jamie Bell) – reshaped with superhuman abilities. Their only hope of recovery is back the way they came from, putting them in direct contact with an old friend. Continue reading “Review: Fantastic Four (2015)”
Empty Screens 