The ultimate odd-couple come to life in this charming tale of how celebrated playwright Alan Bennett (The History Boys) became the ‘guardian’, caregiver and friend to eccentric homeless women, Ms Shepard (Dame Maggie Smith). If praise is to be lauded over The Lady in the Van then it must be given to Dame Maggie Smith, […]
Movie Reviews
‘The Hateful Eight’ – Review
Master filmmaker Quentin Tarantino returns to the harsh landscape of the western frontier for this brutally gripping film that places eight of the nastiest villains, anti-heroes and rogues together in one place, and lets them battle it out in a fierce game of wits. Set 8, 10 or 12 years after the Civil War, The […]
Five reasons to watch ‘The Good Dinosaur’
The geniuses at Disney-Pixar have done it again with The Good Dinosaur – a film that examines how the power of friendship can help us overcome anything. The Good Dinosaur takes place in an alternate timeline where Earth was never hit by an asteroid and dinosaurs never become extinct. At the heart of the story is a young […]
Five reasons to watch ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ – SPOILER FREE
The power and passion of Star Wars: The Force Awakens explodes onto cinema screens with magic, adventure and wonder, firming establishing the highly anticipated film as 2015’s crowning cinematic achievement. Here’s the synopsis: Set thirty years after the events of Return of the Jedi, the last remnants of The Empire have morphed into the dreaded First Order, while […]
Five reasons to watch ‘The Revenant’
In The Revenant, director Alejandro González Iñárritu takes audiences into the darkest depths of the savagery, telling the story of one man’s rollercoaster ride of survival and his quest for revenge. In an 1823 expedition of the uncharted American wilderness, explorer and fur trapper Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is mauled by a bear and left for dead by […]
Five reasons to watch ‘In the Heart of the Sea’
Ron Howard takes audiences into the deepest, darkest depths of the deep in this heart racing historical thriller that charts the doomed journey of the men who tried to challenge Mother Nature. Adapted from terrifying true events, In the Heart of the Sea takes place in 1820 when the crew of the whaling ship Essex, […]
Five reasons to watch ‘Trumbo’
In a brilliant collaboration, superstar actor Bryan Cranston and director Jay Roach examine the turbulent life and career of Hollywood legend Dalton Trumbo. Here’s the synopsis: Set during the height of the Cold War, noted Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Cranston) finds his life and livelihood shattered when he is placed on the blacklist and barred from working in […]
Five reasons to watch ‘Creed’
“A great fighter once said it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward.” This statement made by rising contender Adonis ‘Hollywood’ Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) is the driving force behind director Ryan Coogler’s Creed, and will move audiences to cheer loudly as this young fighter makes […]
Five reasons to watch ‘5 to 7’
The notion of love and relationships is magnificently explored in director Victor Levin’s delightful romance film 5 to 7. Here’s the synopsis: When aspiring novelist Brian Bloome (Anton Yelchin) meets delicate beauty Arielle Pierpont (Bérénice Marlohe), he soon finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of emotions and love. But it all becomes complicated when Arielle […]
Review: ‘The Secret in Their Eyes’
Research has shown that we can recognise emotions in others simply by looking at expressions produced by the eyes. In the case of the characters in this film, all-consuming horror and fear are the winners. Akin to a Hitchcockian psychological thriller, The Secret in Their Eyes depicts the haunting story of a relentless detective chasing after the […]