The second instalment of the Joker series is, in part, a musical. Who would have thought that, notwithstanding the starring role for Lady Gaga? But it’s hardly mainstream entertainment. Rather, it has the feel of a dark independent film, which I appreciated for the layers within. Like he did so brilliantly in Joker, Joaquin Phoenix…
Martin McDonagh reunites with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, and returns to form, with the biting satire, The Banshees of Inisherin. Although many liked his last film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, I personally didn’t. I think the cultural disconnect between America and Europe let it down. But now, back in familiar territory, he brings…
A man who lived the kind of life he wanted inspires the feel-good Hampstead. The setting for the film is breathtaking. Hampstead in London is famous for its beautiful and much-loved heath – a piece of quiet countryside in a vast metropolis. Living on the edge of the heath is American widow Emily Walters (Diane Keaton). Since her…
An intriguing story and strong performances by the three principals are distinguishing features of this World War II drama. Based on the international best seller by Hans Fallada (Every Man Dies Alone), Alone In Berlin shines a light on two ordinary Germans with extraordinary impact. The location is Berlin and the year 1940. Working class…
The Cutlers are a crime family that live a gypsy-like lifestyle and live in a makeshift caravan park in the countryside of Gloucestershire. They rob stately homes through a series of daring smash and grab raids. And the local police seem unable to pin anything on them, although they have their suspicions. Colby (Brendan Gleeson)…
As a director Ben Affleck so far has a perfect strike rate with his three previous efforts behind the camera. First up was the tough Boston noir Gone Baby Gone, which was adapted from the novel written by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River), and starred younger brother Casey. Next up was The Town, a tough crime…
It is the winter of 1820 and the New England whaling ship Essex is assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. But that told only half the story. In the Heart of…
The early-20th Century struggle for women’s suffrage in Britain is given earnest, if somewhat pedestrian, treatment by director Sarah Gavron (Brick Lane) in Suffragette. The film ticks a lot of boxes, but never quite elevates itself beyond many other solid British period dramas. The film’s release hasn’t been particularly well-timed. With the aftermath of the…
