Eye in the Sky review

Gavin Hood’s (X-Men Origins:Wolverine) new film is a tense thriller that explores the ethics and consequences of drone warfare.

The plot of the film follows several individuals who, although separated by vast distances, are closely connected in their efforts to bring down a deadly terrorist cell in Kenya. These include a British army colonel (Helen Mirren), a high-ranking general (Alan Rickman), an American drone pilot (Aaron Paul), and a Somali intelligence agent (Barkhad Abdi). As the film progresses, these people find their consciences challenged as a rapidly changing situation on the ground forces them to make some difficult decisions.

Eye in the Sky opts for a slow build but once it reels its audience in it doesn’t let them go. As well as being an effective thriller, the film also offers an interesting, and very relevant, examination of issues of accountability and collateral damage in modern warfare.

Backing this up is a solid script from British screenwriter Guy Hibbert and some strong performances from its cast, including the late Alan Rickman (to whom the film is dedicated.)

If you want to watch a thriller of the more thought provoking variety this weekend, Eye in the Sky is well worth the price of admission at your nearest multiplex.

Star Rating: 4/5

Midnight Special review

Midnight Special is the latest film from American writer-director Jeff Nichols (Mud, Take Shelter). Like his earlier films, Midnight Special explores themes of parenthood; in this case, the parental relationship that provides the film’s emotional centre is between father Roy (Michael Shannon) and his son, the supernaturally gifted Alton (Jaeden Lieberher).

Together with Roy’s friend Lucas (Joel Edgerton), they are forced to go on the run in order to protect Alton from the governmental and religious forces which wish to exploit his amazing abilities.

Midnight Special is in many ways a throwback to the character driven sci-fi films of the 70’s. Its focus is on mood and character more than flashy special effects and this makes for an emotionally involved viewing experience.

Anchoring the film are some solid performances from Michael Shannon and Joel Edgerton. It is Adam Driver, however, who is the real stand out as a deep thinking government agent.

Stylishly done and enjoyable on multiple levels, Midnight Special is a film well suited to those who like their sci-fi to be a little more grounded.

Star Rating: 4/5

The Witch review

Robert Egger’s directorial debut follows a 17^th century Puritan family after they are forced to leave their small New England community for an unspecified crime. 

‘We will conquer this wilderness; it will not consume us,’ says the family’s patriarch (Ralph Ineson) as he surveys the ancient woodland he and his family choose to make their new home near.

A few months pass and then a terrible event occurs when youngest child Samuel is abducted whilst under the care of his sister Thomasin (Anya-Taylor Joy). The uncertainty of his fate tests the faith of the family and begins to push them towards greater behavioural extremes.

Although The Witch can be classed as a horror, it is more interested in atmosphere and the psychology of its characters than it is jumpscares or overt blood and gore. This means the film takes its time to gets under your skin. 

Some excellent cinematography from Jarin Blaschke also lends the forest surrounding the family’s home real immensity and menace, to the extent where it almost becomes a character itself.

Also worth noting are the cast with Ralph Ineson effectively, and disturbingly, portraying a man whose convictions and control of his family are broken down by forces he doesn’t understand. Anya-Taylor Joy also gives a promising and multifaceted turn as the family’s eldest daughter Thomasine.

If there’s one thing that plays against the film, it's its lack of ambiguity. Any mystery as to whether there is or isn’t a real supernatural force in the woods is quickly dispelled in the first twenty minutes. Such explicitness only serves to weaken the film's more psychological aspects.

The ending, whilst interesting on a number of levels, is also not completely unexpected and fails to deliver the knockout punch essential to a masterful horror film.

Star Rating: 3/5

Hail, Caesar! review

The Coen Brothers latest film takes place in Hollywood during the 50’s at a time when big studios strictly controlled the lives of their actors. It follows Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), head of production at Capitol Pictures, as he tries to keep the scandalous behaviour of his stars out of the press whilst also trying to fend off job offers from the Lockheed Corporation.

When big star Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) is kidnapped during the production of the studio’s new prestige piece Hail, Caesar! A Tale of the Christ, Mannix enlists the help of Western actor Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich) to find him.

Hail, Caesar! contains everything you’d expect from a Coen Brothers film: colourful characters, references to classic films of yore, and dollops of tongue in cheek humour.

A sharp script is buoyed by perfectly judged performances from Brolin, Clooney, Eherenreich and a brassy but all too brief turn from Scarlet Johansson as an actress/synchronised swimmer.

If there’s one thing wrong with Hail, Caesar! it’s the persistent feeling that one is watching a sample from a bigger, more ambitious movie. The film’s amusingly outlandish plot seems stifled 

by the gilded trappings of the Hollywood movies it both lampoons and pays tribute to. Indeed, some of the daring shifts in tone seen in other films by the brothers, such as Fargo and Inside Llewyn Davis, would not have gone amiss.

Hail, Caesar! is a worthy addition to the Coen Brothers canon but it is far from their best.

Star Rating: 3/5

Brooklyn review

Based on a novel by Colm Toibin, Brooklyn charts the journey of a young Irish woman called Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) from her native Enniscorthy to the big streets of Brooklyn, New York. Once there, Eilis suffers from homesickness and struggles to adjust to the fast-paced Brooklynite lifestyle. Her happiness changes for the better, however, when she meets a charming Italian-American man called Tony (Emory Cohen) at a local dance. As their relationship blooms, though, Eilis receives tragic news from Ireland. This forces her to travel back to Enniscorthy and once there she finds her feelings tested by the advances of eligible bachelor Jim (Domhnall Gleeson).

Brooklyn works well on multiple levels. On one end it explores some interesting areas such as the nature of home and the experiences of young migrants coming to America. On the other it contains a touching and unforced love story.

All of this is anchored by some strong performances from its cast with Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen giving endearing turns as Eilis and Tony. Also worth mentioning is Julie Walters who appears in a scene-stealing role as Eilis’s landlady Madge Kehoe, a woman whose opinions cover everything from the sinful nature of giddiness to the complexions of her tenants. 

A solid script from Nick Hornby also keeps things ticking along and is complemented by some good directorial work from John Crowley.

Although it doesn't quite reach the heights of other period dramas such as Atonement, Brooklyn still manages to be both beautiful and moving. 

Star Rating: 4/5

Triple 9 review

Triple 9 is the latest film by Australian director John Hillcoat (Lawless, The Road). Set in America’s Deep South, it follows a group of corrupt cops who are employed by the Russian mafia to carry out a dangerous heist operation on a Homeland Security building.

On the other side of the coin are the ‘good’ cops trying to bring them down: these include Casey Affleck’s hard-nosed detective Chris Allen and his uncle, the frequently drug-addled Jeffrey Allen (Woody Harrelson).

Apart from the actors already mentioned, Triple 9 stars an impressive ensemble of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Aaron Paul, Norman Reedus and Kate Winslet (who plays the wife of a Russian mobster and who adopts exactly the same accent she affected in Steve Jobs.)

With its story of corrupt cops living a double life, Triple 9 brings to mind Martin Scorsese’s The Departed. Like that film, Triple 9 has a wonderfully gritty tone and a story that takes some nicely unexpected turns. It doesn’t, however, have the same narrative smarts as The Departed; nor does it – with the exception of Harrelson’s detective – have any well defined and interesting characters to match the ones in Scorsese’s thriller.

Triple 9 is a competently made film that doesn’t quite live up to its aspirations.

Star Rating: 3/5

Deadpool review

Since his first appearance in 1991, Deadpool has evolved into one of Marvel Comic’s most popular characters. The ‘merc with the mouth’ has become known for his sense of humour and his fourth wall breaking asides to the audience. 

In 2009, these traits were only hinted at when the character made an appearance – as his alter ego Wade Wilson – in the film X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Now what has been promoted as a more faithful interpretation of the character has been brought to the big screen in Deadpool. In the film, Ryan Reynolds plays Wade Wilson, a man diagnosed with late stage cancer. During a meeting with a mysterious man in a bar, Wilson is offered both a cure for his cancer and an opportunity to gain superhuman abilities. He takes up this offer and while the resulting procedures – which are closer to torture than therapy - do grant him amazing healing abilities they also leave him horribly disfigured.

Wanting revenge, Wilson then takes on the alias of ‘deadpool’ and begins to track down Francis (Ed Skrein), the man responsible for his transformation. At the same time, he also tries to find a way to re-connect with his girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), who is unaware of the changes Wilson has undergone.

As a film, Deadpool offers a welcome change from the grimly serious tone of many recent superhero movies. Its irreverence is backed up by some good writing from Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese and some precisely targeted jokes, many of which naturally come at the expense of the X-Men and their most famous member Wolverine.

Solid performances from Ryan Reynolds and Morena Baccarin also hit the mark as do the action sequences which are thrilling but not overdone.

Big bad Francis does seem like an inadequate foe for Reynold's wisecracking antihero, however. While a bigger role for the amusingly sullen X-Men trainee Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hilderbrand) wouldn’t have gone amiss. These are minor criticisms, though, for what is ultimately a hilarious, smart, and immensely re-watchable contribution to the superhero genre.

Star Rating: 4/5

Trumbo review

During the 1940’s, Dalton Trumbo was one of Hollywood’s most respected and highest earning screenwriters. He was also a keen supporter of worker’s rights and was one of many Americans who joined the Communist Party during World War Two. 

After the end of the war, however, and amidst increasingly hostile relations between the US and the Soviet Union, members of the Communist Party, like Trumbo, were viewed with suspicion. A group called the House Un-American Activities Committee was even used to investigate those thought to have Communist sympathies.

In 1947, Trumbo was one of ten people who were charged with contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions posed by the committee. As a result of this, Trumbo served eleven months in prison and was blacklisted. This meant that he was effectively prohibited from working in the film industry. Trumbo circumvented this, however, by writing scripts under various pseudonyms and by getting friends to take credit for his work. During this period, two of Trumbo’s scripts – The Brave One and Roman Holiday – received Oscars, although he was unable to take credit for them.

Jay Roach’s film follows Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) through this dark period up until 1960 when he was welcomed back into the Hollywood fold after being publicly credited for his work on the hit film Spartacus.

To Trumbo’s credit, it manages to avoid the po-faced seriousness that might easily befall a film with such subject matter. Indeed, it is less concerned with making political points and more with illuminating the personality of Trumbo himself. 

Bryan Cranston imbues his character with a dry wit and quiet intelligence that makes him both likeable and fascinating to watch. There are also strong performances from a talented supporting cast that includes Michael Stuhlbarg and Louis C. K, although it is Helen Mirren who really gives a scene-stealing performance as a delightfully venomous gossip columnist.

Both funny and compelling, Trumbo offers an interesting and long overdue look into one of the darker periods of Hollywood history.

Star Rating: 4/5

Spotlight review

Tom McCarthy’s new film Spotlight tells the true story of the four investigative journalists from the Boston Globe, the ‘Spotlight’ team, who lifted the lid on the sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic priests in the Boston area.

A talented ensemble of Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and Brian d’Arcy James provide solid performances as the Spotlight team with Ruffalo being particularly noteworthy for his portrayal of workaholic journalist Mike Rezendes.

An excellent script from director McCarthy and Josh Singer also offers a look at the world of investigative journalism that is more in-depth and interesting that what has been seen in many factually based films before.

Spotlight doesn’t need to dress up the facts to make the story behind it both compelling and shocking. If you’re looking for a film of a more serious and challenging bent this weekend then this one is certainly worth your time.

Star Rating: 4/5

The Big Short review

Based on the bestselling non-fiction book by Michael Lewis, The Big Short follows the eccentric group of people who decided to bet against the US housing market in the lead-up to the financial crash of 2007 – 10. 

These people include the heavy metal loving and socially awkward hedge fund manager Michael Burry (Christian Bale), the outspoken Mark Baum (Steve Carell), and the young duo of Charlie Geller (John Magaro) and Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock.)

For the most part, the film delivers on the comedic promise of its trailers while at the same time delivering hard facts about the lead-up to the financial crisis. It also boasts some strong performance from its ensemble cast, especially from Christian Bale as Burry.

The unfortunate thing is that what might work in book form appears sprawling and bloated on-screen. Also despite its didactic approach, the film doesn’t ultimately seem to have anything new or interesting to say about the financial crisis or its causes. Sure we’re given plenty of detail and lots of financial jargon – which the filmmakers, to their credit, chose not to dumb down – but we’re still not left anymore enlightened by the end of the film than we were at the beginning.

The Big Short tells an important story. How it tells it though is less than impressive.

Star Rating: 3/5

Room review

A woman (Brie Larson) and her five-year-old son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) live their lives within a single soundproofed room in which the woman – who the boy only knows as ma – was imprisoned seven years before. 

Since he has known nothing but it, Jack only recognises the reality of the room and everything within its walls: the sea can’t be real, he reasons, because it is too big. He thinks the same about trees although he recognises the existence of plants since there is a potted one actually in the room.

As the film progresses, Jack’s mother tries to convince him of the existence of the outside world whilst also trying to contrive a means of escape from the room and their captor ‘Old Nick’ (Sean Bridgers).

Lenny Abrahamson’s adaptation of the novel by Emma Donoghue (who also wrote the screenplay) is profoundly moving. Its examination of the effects of a child’s environment on their psychological development is also interesting and insightful.

Despite putting what might be the climax of a similar movie in the middle of the film, Room never loses its ability to interest. This is thanks to committed performances from young Jacob Tremblay and Brie Larson as well as Abrahamson’s direction, which does an excellent job of capturing a child’s silver lined view of the world.

It will be interesting to see how the film fares at the Academy Awards where it has, rather deservedly, been nominated in four categories – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress (for Larson).

Star Rating: 5/5

Krampus review

Michael Dougherty’s first feature film was the Halloween-themed anthology Trick r Treat. Despite being well received by critics and festival audiences, it was practically shelved by Warner Bros and released straight to DVD.

Dougherty’s second film Krampus is based around that most famous holiday of all, Christmas, and unlike his first it has been given a full theatrical release. 

Krampus is also more family orientated than Trick r Treat and as such hearkens back to films of the 80’s like Gremlins and The Lost Boys, films that were just dark enough to satisfy teenagers and adults yet were not so overwhelmingly scary as to be off limits to younger children.

As previously mentioned, Krampus is a Christmas movie and as such it begins with that quintessentially modern Christmas scene: the Black Friday supermarket riot. Images of shop clerks being bowled over by the rush of people, adults beating each other with skateboards, and security guards gleefully tasering errant shoppers, are set to Bing Crosby’s version of ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.’

In this opening sequence, we are also introduced to Max, one of the film’s key characters, as he fights another participant in a nativity play – a fight which the adults in the audience film on their mobiles.

The rest of the film follows Max as his immediate and extended family – his aunt, uncle, and cousins - celebrate Christmas together. Of course when so many different people with different personalities are forced into close proximity there is bound to be clashes, and the most heated of these occurs over dinner. This leads to a frustrated Max tearing up the letter he’d planned to send to Santa.

The next morning, Max and his family wake up to find that a blizzard has struck the town, pretty much cutting it off from the rest of the outside world. They soon discover that this blizzard is only the beginning of a terrifying series of events marking the arrival of Krampus, the shadow of Saint Nicholas who comes to punish rather than reward and take rather than give.

The balance between horror, comedy, and family drama is appropriately judged and none gets in the way of the other. The relationships between the characters are also well defined although there are some elements, such as the relationship between Max’s parents, which perhaps could have been better explored.

Krampus himself is a suitably menacing antagonist, and the designs of both him and his multiform minions have a satisfying nightmarish yet playful quality to them.

There is also a nice nod to Krampus’s Germanic origins with the addition of the family’s German grandmother Omi. Her backstory is particularly pertinent to the film and is depicted in a wonderfully stylised animated sequence.

Buried within all this, is a thoroughly Christmasy message about the importance of giving and some quite mature themes about how nostalgia affects our view of the world.

Although it’s difficult to say whether Krampus will attain the cult status of the films it tries to ape – Gremlins has already been mentioned – it does make for some fun and creepy Christmas fare.

Star Rating: 3/5

Black Mass review

Black Mass tells the story of infamous Boston crime lord James ‘Whitey’ Bulger. During his rise to the top of Boston's underworld, Bulger became an FBI informant before appearing on the Most Wanted List for 12 years after going on the run.

The title Black Mass refers to the ‘unholy alliance’ formed between Bulger and the FBI: this alliance meant that for years Bulger was allowed to commit crimes such as murder, extortion, and racketeering with relative impunity as long as he provided useful information on his mafia rivals.

With its sombre tone and lack of stylisation, Black Mass is less Martin Scorsese flick and more true crime documentary. The film's grittiness is reflected in Johnny Depp's performance as the main character. With his pale skin and eyes, Depp’s Bulger looks positively vampiric as he stalks the streets of Boston’s south side brutally overseeing the deaths of anyone he suspects of crossing him.

His character’s viciousness extends not just to his enemies but also to those he supposedly loves. This is illustrated in a scene where he and his girlfriend discuss their son as he lies in a coma nearby. Although the boy is brain dead and his mother in favour of pulling the plug, Bulger is not content with this. He cruelly questions his girlfriend’s character and snarls the words ‘my boy, my boy’ as if speaking about a possession rather than a person. 

The other cast members, however, including Kevin Bacon and Benedict Cumberbatch, feel somewhat wasted as they’re given little to do but stand around and provide ‘ahhh look it’s him’ moments for the audience.

Flashforwards to police interviews with Bulger’s gang, after they’ve turned informant, also rob the film of momentum and could easily be dispensed with.

Despite the by the numbers approach to storytelling and a tone that might be too colourless for some, Black Mass is elevated by Depp’s strong central performance and an unremitting adherence to its story’s grim details.

Star Rating: 3/5

Spectre review

The twenty-fourth Bond film, and Sam Mendes’ second as director, sees James Bond (Daniel Craig) on a mission to uncover the secrets behind a powerful and mysterious organisation called Spectre. As this is happening, he and his colleagues must also deal with governmental figures intent on shutting down the OO section for good.

Spectre is a worthy follow-up to Skyfall.  Once again Sam Mendes’ direction is superb with highlights including a wonderfully gripping opening sequence in Mexico city. The story arc begun in Casino Royale is also once more brought into play and resolved in a way that is immensely satisfying.

Christoph Waltz is excellent as the villainous Franz Oberhauser. In his portrayal of a psychopath with a very personal grudge against Bond, he takes something from his role as Colonel Landa in Inglourious Basterds.

The Bond franchise has gone from strength to strength in recent years. With the bar now set so high, though, the question is where can Britain’s favourite secret agent go next?

Star Rating: 4/5

The Lobster review

In his English language debut, Greek director Yorgos Lathimos (Dogtooth) shows us a world where being single is taboo. ‘Loners,’ as they are called, are forced to stay in a hotel where they are given forty five days to find a partner. If they fail they will be turned into an animal of their choice.

One of the unlucky singletons starting his forty five days is David (Colin Farrell), a middle-aged Irishman who has recently separated from his wife. His choice of animal, should he fail to meet someone, is a lobster, reasoning that lobsters have long lifespans and are blue blooded, ‘like aristocrats.’

Farrell is refreshingly cast against type as the man trying to conform to society’s expectations. All of the cast, in fact, do an excellent job of capturing an awkwardness that doesn’t seem so much as brought about by the situation their characters are in as conditioned and bred into them.

Lathimos approaches the idea at the film’s centre with the right mixture of humour and horror

as he shows us human interactions stripped down to their most superficial aspects. In one scene, a man tries to form a bond with a woman by pretending to be a frequent victim of nosebleeds – she also has nosebleeds. While in another, David becomes obsessed with the short-sightedness he shares with another character. In the world of The Lobster it is these small similarities that are considered to be the basis of a successful relationship.

For those willing to suspend their disbelief for two hours, The Lobster is a witty and intriguing allegory on millennial attitudes to love and dating.

Star Rating: 4/5

Sicario review

The opening text of Sicario reveals that the word refers to ancient Jewish zealots and is also the Spanish for ‘assassin.’ Why this is relevant is only made painfully clear towards the film’s end.

The plot of director Denis Villeneuve’s fifth feature sees FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) drafted into a special task force to help take down a Mexican drug cartel. This task force is headed up by the shady pairing of defence adviser Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro). As the campaign against the cartel intensifies, Macer finds her ideals challenged by the brutal and unorthodox methods of those around her.

Sicario works as both a thriller and a commentary on the drug war consuming Mexico. In its depiction of the actions of the cartels and of the law enforcement agencies trying to combat them, the film pulls no punches. In one scene, Kate is driven past a bridge from which the dismembered bodies of the cartel’s victims hang. Although she is shocked, the agent with her can only speak admiringly of the cartel’s terror tactics and call them ‘brilliant.’

The idea that Kate is entering a different world with a very different set of rules to those she is used to is continually emphasised with Alejandro telling her: ‘This is the land of wolves now.’

Villeneuve also makes use of an interesting device by presenting us with a separate storyline running in parallel to the main one. In this, we see a Mexican police officer called Silvio as he recovers from his night shifts and interacts with his family. The true significance of this storyline is not clear until the film’s end yet it adds a different and very human perspective to the central narrative.

Another thing that makes Sicario effective is the strength of its performances: Emily Blunt is convincing and likeable as the protagonist, Josh Brolin is appropriately aloof and obnoxious, and Benicio Del Toro weaves a portrait of a restrained but rage-filled man whose true motivations remain a mystery until the film’s dénouement. Indeed, it is Del Toro who stands out the most and in his performance as Alejandro we certainly have a worthy contender for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars.

Thought provoking, unrelenting, and brutal: Sicario may just be one of the most interesting films released this year.

Star Rating: 5/5

The Martian review

When a mission to Mars is disrupted by a large storm, one of its crew members Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is left stranded. With the next manned mission not expected for another four years, Watney is forced to use all his skills and ingenuity as a botanist and engineer in order to survive.

Great, you probably think, a film where a human being is pushed to their physiological and psychological limits while stranded on another planet. This could be a brilliant exploration of the strength of the human spirit. Indeed, The Martian could be this, but it isn’t.

The problems with the film are multifarious. For starters, its constant planet-hopping from Mars to Earth to Mars to Earth again kills any suspense or sense of peril. Is Watney ever going to return to Earth? Is he going to survive long enough to be rescued? Yes we know he is because we keep seeing all the head honchos at NASA plus their huge team of technicians working out how they’re going to bring him back. The conclusion of the film is never in doubt.

Then there is also the character of Watney. For a man who has death staring him in the face, he never seems to be short of a smile or something to joke about. This, of course, is supposed to make him endearing and likeable yet it also makes him seem more like a cardboard cut-out than a real human being. Among all the good humour he displays, shouldn’t there be at least a few moments of despair? A few moments when it looks like the dreadful realities of his situation might actually ‘break him?

That Watney doesn’t have any of these moments means for the majority of the film he looks about as inconvenienced as a man who’s broken down on the M25.

It’s not just Watney, though, but also the whole film that seems to be off in terms of tone. Even the film’s soundtrack is questionable, with ABBA's 'Waterloo' seeming an overly flippant song choice for one critical sequence. If Ridley Scott was directing a feature film version of the Great British Bake Off, the inclusion of such a song during the climax might be appropriate, but just before a man might lose his life? I’m not so sure.

If you’re looking for some light-hearted thrills, you might find The Martian to your liking. If you’re looking for something deeper and more interesting in the vein of Scott’s Blade Runner, however, expect to be disappointed.

Star Rating: 2/5

Life review

In 1955, photographer Dennis Stock was assigned by Life magazine to take photos of a little-known actor before his first major appearance in a film called East of Eden. That actor was James Dean.

The photos Stock took of Dean, first in New York and then around Dean’s family home in Indiana, would become iconic images of the young actor, who died only seven months after they appeared in print.

As director Anton Corbijn has stated, however, it was Stock who interested him more than Dean, and this interest is clear from the outset as the very first scene is of Stock (Robert Pattinson) in his darkroom.

Although he would later become world-renowned as a photographer, Stock was struggling to make a name for himself during the period in which the film is set. This is continually emphasised with Stock's editor John G. Morris (Joel Edgerton) telling him to ‘build a portfolio.’

Stock’s frustrations and his excitement at finding an interesting subject in Dean are effectively conveyed by Pattinson. The script doesn’t shy away though from depicting the less savoury parts of his personality, such as his egotism and his inability to connect to others. In one particularly telling scene, he cuts short a trip to the park with his son – who he rarely sees – to attend a business meeting.

Dane DeHaan also provides a solid performance as James Dean. He does a good job of capturing the quiet intensity that made Dean an epitome of ‘cool.’ Yet he also finds a troubled side to him and manages to show the anxiety that comes from having so much expectation on your shoulders.

Life provides an interesting exploration of the lives of its two main characters, both artists at key points in their careers. It also offers a sometimes painful look at the nature of celebrity.

There’s not a lot of showbiz glitz here, but there is a great deal of honesty. And that’s no bad thing.

 Star Rating: 4/5

Irrational Man review

The plot of Woody Allen’s latest film Irrational Man sounds compelling enough. Philosophy professor Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix) decides to kill a corrupt judge in the hope of giving his life meaning. As this is going on, he has to juggle relationships with both student Jill (Emma Stone) and colleague Rita (Parker Posey).

There is a problem though with its execution. What could be a fascinating and philosophical drama ends up seeming more like a slightly surreal soap opera. Like a soap opera, there is no real energy and depth and, as a result, the whole thing becomes interesting only on the most superficial level.

The script is the weakest point. Aside from the college movie clichés – the troubled, alcoholic professor, the inappropriate relationship with a student – and the banal dialogue, it is also peppered with a series of annoying voiceovers that tell us little we couldn’t already grasp from the action on-screen.

Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone do their best, but they can’t bring to life what is already stillborn.

If you’re a die-hard Woody Allen fan you might get something out of this, otherwise it is best avoided.

Star Rating: 2/5

The Visit review

M. Night Shyamalan’s The Visit sees two teenagers, siblings Rebecca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould), going on a week long stay with their grandparents. 

Rebecca is an amateur filmmaker and is eager to document her and her brother’s visit for the benefit of their mother – who hasn’t seen her parents since she eloped with the kid’s father 15 years before.

When the siblings arrive, their grandparents are warm and welcoming. As the week progresses, however, their behaviour gradually grows weirder and more disturbing.  

After a string of failed attempts at making Hollywood blockbusters (The Last Airbender, After Earth), I was looking forward to seeing M. Night Shyamalan’s return to horror/suspense thriller. The idea of a movie in the vein of his earlier works, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs had me genuinely excited. What a shame then that The Visit is so mediocre.

There are plus points: the film’s snowbound, rural location is suitably creepy and a perfect setting for any horror film. Its found-footage style also gives it a very intimate, home video feel that suits its familial themes.

Then there is the tension and atmosphere which Shyamalan effectively creates by consistently ratcheting up the weirdness factor. What’s disappointing is that the only thing Shyamalan builds towards is some not very jumpy jump scares and a few gross-out moments.

The film’s biggest flaw though is its messy juxtaposition of comedy, horror, and family drama. It shifts uncomfortably between scenes of each in a way that is quite jarring.

Perhaps the best (worst?) examples of these tonal shifts occur towards the film’s end in which scenes of domestic horror are followed by preachy moralising and then by a very cringe worthy attempt at humour. It gives you the feeling that since Shyamalan couldn’t decide how he wanted to end the thing he decided to go with three endings for good measure.

Although not as disastrous or ill-conceived as some of his previous films, The Visit is still another misfire from a director whose catalogue is slowly becoming full of them.

Star Rating: 3/5