-
Fantasy Island (2020) Review
Fantasy Island (2020) Director: Jeff Wadlow Screenwriters: Jillian Jacobs, Christopher Roach, Jeff Wadlow Starring: Lucy Hale, Michael Peña, Maggie Q, Austin Stowell, Ryan Hansen, Jimmy O. Yang If you are a big Lucy Hale fan from being slightly (very) obsessed with ‘Pretty Little Liars’ (like me), you will probably enjoy this film. If you are…
-
My Neighbours the Yamadas (1999) Review
My Neighbours the Yamadas (1999) Director: Isao Takahata Screenwriter: Isao Takahata Starring: Toru Masuoka, Yukiji Asaoka, Hayato Isohata, Naomi Uno, Masako Araki If you watch the Studio Ghibli documentary The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (and you really should), you’ll be introduced to the three fathers of Ghibli – directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata,…
-
True History of the Kelly Gang (2019) Review
True History of the Kelly Gang (2019)Director: Justin KurzelScreenwriter: Shaun GrantStarring: George MacKay, Essie Davis, Nicholas Hoult, Russell Crowe, Thomasin McKenzie, Charlie Hunnam, Earl Cave, Sean Keenan, Orlando Schwerdt Justin Kurzel’s films don’t tend to give viewers an easy ride. In fact, they’re usually a bit of an ordeal for your very soul. Macbeth was…
-
Dark Waters (2020) Review
Dark Waters (2020) Director: Todd Haynes Screenwriter: Mario Correa, Matthew Micheal Carnahan Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Camp, Victor Garber, Mare Winningham, Bill Pullman Mark Ruffalo is no stranger to the ‘They Knew’ thriller genre having previously starred in the 2015 Best Picture Oscar winner Spotlight. And, much like that earlier critical…
-
Arrietty (2010) Review
Arrietty (2010) Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi Screenwriters: Hayao Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa Starring: Mirai Shida, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Shinobu Otake, Tomokazu Miura, Kirin Kiki, Keiko Takeshita Studio Ghibli’s Arrietty (The Secret World of Arrietty in the USA) is a joy to behold. Simultaneously an affectionate and faithful adaptation of Mary Norton’s classic children’s novel “The Borrowers”, and a highly…
-
The Truth (2019) Review
The Truth (2019)Director: Hirokazu KoreedaScreenwriter: Hirokazu KoreedaStarring: Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, Ethan Hawke, Clémentine Grenier, Alain Libolt, Manon Clavel, Christian Crahay, Roger Van Hool For his first film outside of Japan and not in his first language, acclaimed director Hirokazu Koreeda (Shoplifters) comes to France with The Truth, a mother-daughter film industry relationship drama that…
-
Bloodshot (2020) Review
Bloodshot (2020) Director: David S.F. Wilson Screenwriters: Eric Heisserer, Jeff Wadlow Starring: Vin Diesel, Eiza González, Sam Heughan, Toby Kebbell, Talulah Riley, Guy Pearce, Lamorne Morris If this is the beginning of streaming new Hollywood movies from home, we couldn’t have asked for a worse start. No one should have to pay $20 to watch…
-
Porco Rosso (1992) Review
Porco Rosso (1992) Director: Hayao Miyazaki Screenwriter: Hayao Miyazaki Starring: Shūichirō Moriyama, Akio Ōtsuka, Tokiko Kato, Tsunehiko Kamijō, Sanshi Katsura, Akemi Okamura Porco Rosso is a really strange beast, but even so it is rather wonderful. Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki asks; what if the inter-war Mediterranean was dominated by pirates, privateers and mercenaries all…
-
Our Ladies (2020) GFF Review
Our Ladies (2020) Director: Michael Caton-Jones Screenwriter: Michael Caton-Jones Starring: Abigail Lawrie, Tallulah Greive, Sally Messham, Rona Morrison, Marli Siu, Eve Austin, Kate Dickie When it comes to high school movies about teenage girls, you might feel like you’ve seen it all before. Bickering between cliques, the race towards their first significant sexual experience, getting dolled…
-
Onward (2020) Review
Onward (2020) Director: Dan Scanlan Screenwriters: Dan Scanlan, Jason Headley Starring: Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Octavia Spencer, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Lena Waithe “Long ago, the world was full of wonder. It was adventurous. There was magic. But it wasn’t easy to master. So the world found a simpler way to get by. But I hope there’s a…