Simon Pegg stumbles once more without partner in crime Nick Frost by his side with Hector And The Search For Happiness, a wretched excuse for a British comedy. Hector (Pegg), a well-to-do psychiatrist, leaves his perfect life and perfect other half (Rosamund Pike) behind in a bid to discover the true meaning of happiness. Directed by Peter Chelsom, who helped to adapt François Lelord source material, the film is a mostly insufferable travelogue that bears no resemblance to reality. Continue reading “Review: Hector And The Search For Happiness (2014)”
Tag: Toni Collette
Review: Tammy (2014)
With a string of hits in the bag (Bridesmaids, The Identity Thief and The Heat), Melissa McCarthy makes her first serious misstep with Tammy, a directionless road trip comedy she co-wrote with her husband Ben Falcone (who also directs). McCarthy stars as Tammy, a hostile, loud-mouthed loser who runs away with her elderly, equally as vulgar grandmother, Pearl (Susan Sarandon), after being fired and learning of her husband’s infidelity. Continue reading “Review: Tammy (2014)”
Review: A Long Way Down (2014)
A Long Way Down, the unnecessary and inexcusably maudlin film adaptation of Nick Hornby’s best-selling novel, turns a darkly funny story about four downbeat individuals – Martin Sharp (Pierce Brosnan), a disgraced TV presenter; Maureen (Toni Collette), a worn out carer to her disabled son; JJ (Aaron Paul), a failed musician; and Jess (Imogen Poots), the compulsive daughter of a politician – who form a suicide pact into a hackneyed, tasteless excuse for a comedy Continue reading “Review: A Long Way Down (2014)”
Farewell Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967 – 2014)
Philip Seymour Hoffman – award-winning actor, producer and director – died today of a suspected overdose in his Manhattan apartment. Hoffman, who has been nominated for no less than four Academy Awards since his debut feature performance in Triple Bogey On A Five Par Hole opposite Robbie Coltrane, had appeared at the Sundance Film Festival only two weeks prior to his death, in support of two films: A Most Wanted Man and God’s Pocket. Continue reading “Farewell Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967 – 2014)”
Review: The Way Way Back (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)”
Review: Fright Night (2011)
Fright Night is a bold, bright and fresh remake of Tom Holland’s much loved, and classically supernatural horror. The film centers on Charley Bewley (Anton Yelchin): an awkward teenage boy who has it made with a hot-as-hell girlfriend (Imogen Poots), devoted mum (Toni Collette) and independent American lifestyle. When mysterious Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves next door, it’s up to Charley to protect his family and rid the Nevada dessert of a deadly vampire clan.
While Fright Night may be as unnecessary as remakes come, it benefits from its refreshingly honest level of self-awareness, as well as the numerous Continue reading “Review: Fright Night (2011)”
Empty Screens 