The Kids Are All Right is a charming drama that is also funny that is about the adults involved more than the kids themselves. The reason why they might not be all right is because they have two mothers: their parents (uptight doctor Nic, played by Annette Benning, and relaxed…
I can't believe the cast list for this adaptation of a Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner comic book: Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, Morgan Freeman, Brian Cox, Richard Dreyfuss, Ernest Borgnine. And room for Julian McMahon. How on earth did this film attract such a…
I was already lined up to like this film: I love the writing of Aaron Sorkin, I love the directing of David Fincher, and the story is inherently interesting. The fact that the film is really, really good is just a bonus. Sorkin's electric dialogue works really well here because…
I am back and I have seen the first part of final Harry Potter film, so I'm going to ramble on about it in a completely biased fashion because I'm a fan of the whole Harry Potter thing (see my collection of Harry Potter-labelled posts for all my previous Harry…
The impressive thing about Buried is that it takes the idea of a 95-minute film about a man buried alive in a shallow coffin and stays true to that concept and makes a completely engaging movie out of it. There is no cutting away to the people outside the coffin…
Equilibrium, the 2002 film written and directed by Kurt Wimmer, is not a classic film or a great film but I enjoy its silliness so much, I don't care. It's a film that has gained a following via DVD – it even has a fansite, www.equilibriumfans.com – and it's one…
The Town is an emotional drama with three action-packed heist scenes; it stars and is directed by Ben Affleck; and it is very good. This is an unusual thing to be writing, but it is also true. I have always liked Affleck since Chasing Amy/Good Will Hunting, even through the…
I had hoped to see this film when it came out in the cinema, but timings and cinema availability were against me, so I was glad to finally catch up with it on DVD, which is where it is more at home than the big screen. David Baddiel, a comedian…
The improvisational approach to the films of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers) has produced some really funny stuff but the films themselves aren't are great as complete cinematic experiences. I think it's the trade-off between a narrative and finding the extra funny in nearly every…
A tentative step into the world of topical blogging: talking about a film I saw this week that isn't a geek-related blockbuster. I'm nervous, so be gentle with me ... Winter's Bone has been getting lots of good reviews lately, and I'm always interested in seeing good films but simultaneously…