Bennett Miller’s follow-up to Moneyball is a meticulously crafted, errie, yet ultimately laborious and obscure drama. Forever living in his brother’s shadow, former Olympic winning wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) enters into an intense and destructive partnership with millionaire John Du Pont (Steve Carell). Continue reading “Review: Foxcatcher (2014)”
Genuinely entertaining live-action family films are hard to come by these days, which makes Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day a refreshing treat. Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) knows full well what it’s like to have a bad day, but his family don’t have a clue. That is, however, until they all suffer through a terrible, very bad day for themselves. Continue reading “Review: Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014)”
The inspired absurdity of Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy ensured that, even after its initial box office disappointment (its overall worldwide cume rang in at a paltry $90M), the film – co-created by comedy duo Adam McKay and Will Ferrell – went on to become a well-loved cult classic. Now, nearly a decade later, and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues has emerged from development hell as a worthy, if at times bloated and slapdash, sequel that’s more of a hit than it is a miss. Continue reading “Review: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)”
There’s nothing more re-done than a coming-of-age comedy. Yet The Way Way Back, like Little Miss Sunshine and Ruby Sparks before it, is one of the rare ones that, despite treading familiar territory (it can’t help but feel like a younger version of Adventureland, particularly in relation to its amusement park setting), boasts such a tender, acute script and well-rounded characters that it’s impossible not to succumb to its charms and harsh-but-true honesty. Continue reading “Review: The Way Way Back (2013)”
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)”
Middle-aged couple Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) have been married for thirty one years. Their relationship, however, is in a state of complete disarray, to the point where they’re sleeping in separate rooms and routine has become the only thing keeping them together. When Kay reaches breaking point, the couple embark upon an intense marriage counselling excursion that, despite Arnold’s initial opposition, may be the only hope they Continue reading “Review: Hope Springs (2012)”
In a year of disappointing and miscalculated comedies (Larry Crowne and Chalet Girl are two that immediately spring to mind), Crazy, Stupid, Love is a wonderful return to form. Co-directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s follow up to last year’s surprisingly sincere I Love You Phillip Morris is a suitably mature addition to the oft-contrived rom-com genre.
Happily married simpleton Cal’s (Steve Carell) life is thrown into turmoil when his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), suddenly demands a divorce. Now Cal, a man set in his ways, has to adjust to being single, with a little help from ladies man Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). Continue reading “Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)”
Director: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore and Emma Stone
Empty Screens 