Writer and director Mike Mills (20th Century Women) makes superb, insightful films that tap into the human condition … and now here is another. C’mon C’mon is a remarkable, sensitive work about tapping into your feelings. Joaquin Phoenix plays Johnny, who – along with a few colleagues – is making a radio documentary. They are…
Based on a true story, Hive tells of the tragedy of the aftermath of the war in Kosovo in the late 1990s. Specifically it focuses on its impact on the village of Krusha e Madhe. The film follows one woman, Fahrije Hoti (Yllka Gashi). Her husband disappeared seven years earlier, leaving behind not only her,…
Although Cyrano de Bergerac was a real person, most of the works that bear his name stem from Edmond Rostan’s 1897 play. Film versions of the story date back to 1900, but recent efforts include Roxanne (1987) with Steve Martin, and Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) with Gerard Depardieu. But the latest has a more circuitous…
If you aren’t a fan of either the Foo Fighters or shlock horror, you can give Studio 666 a wide berth. The band gather around a boardroom table and their record label CEO Jeremy Shill (Jeff Garlin) enters with expletives flying. He tells them he’s in debt up to his eyeballs and the Foo Fighters…
The modern Indiana Jones clone Uncharted is a rollicking, fun-filled adventure. Nathan Drake was brought up in an orphanage with his older brother Sam, who was constantly getting into trouble. When Nathan was little, Sam took off but promised to stay in touch. He does that through the occasional postcard from an exotic place. Sam…
Ever since Taken (2008) reinvented Irish actor Liam Neeson as the premier action hero of cinema, he’s been churning out a succession of formulaic action films of varied quality for over a decade. And while they may have been lucrative and kept him in steady work, he has become pigeonholed and not given roles that…
They don’t make many movies about lesbian nuns these days. Thankfully provocative Dutch auteur Paul Verhoeven is here to fill in this cinematic void. Verhoeven’s films have often courted controversy – from the sexy police thriller Basic Instinct through to the lurid and trashy Showgirls. Verhoeven has always been something of a subversive and provocative…
From little things, big things grow. Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi transforms a short story by Haruki Murakami into a 3-hour paean to love, loss and healing with Drive My Car. The film is a transcendent exploration of almost unbearable pathos, but with a shining light at the end. Another Murakami short story provided the source material…
Elegant production design, a big name cast and twists aplenty characterise Death on the Nile, a new take on the Agatha Christie classic. After five killings, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) solves the crimes, but not before all stand accused. We’re introduced to Poirot’s extraordinary mind through his remarkable instincts on the battlefield during World War…
Marry Me is a slick but enjoyable rom-com starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson. Kat Valdez (JLo) and Bastian (Maluma) are superstars of song … and the hottest couple on the planet. Their social media presence is in the stratosphere and their megahit Marry Me is about to come true in front of 200 million…
