Downton Abbey: A New Era  ★★★ THERE are two stars of the Downton Abbey television/film franchise. One is obvious – the veteran actress Dame Maggie Smith who again dominates the latest cinema instalment Downton Abbey: A New Era. The other is creator and writer Julian Fellowes who continues to do […]

New era of familiar faces

The Northman  ★★★★ THAT’S three out of three for Robert Eggers. Rarely does a director give us three excellent films in a row; but better than that, Eggers has only made three films. The Witch was a beautifully shot, lyrical horror film, The Lighthouse was a tour de force of […]

Eggers makes it 3 from 3

Everything, Everywhere, All At Once  ★★★ RARELY has a film been so hyped as Everything, Everywhere All at Once. At a time when cinema relies too much on remakes, reboots, franchises and comic book heroes, this American sci-fi action comedy stands out like a beacon. But there are a couple […]

Maybe not all at once

The Lost City  ★★★  IF YOU’RE looking for an old-style Hollywood adventure The Lost City should fit the bill. Starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, it is unashamedly similar to films we don’t often see these days, like Romancing the Stone and The Mummy and, further back to the original […]

Bullock and Tatum find chemistry

Munich: The Edge of War ★★★½   MORE than 50 actors have played Adolf Hitler on screen, including such luminaries as Anthony Hopkins, Ian McKellen, Alec Guinness and Liam Neeson. The best performance I have seen, and widely acknowledged as perhaps the best, is by the late German actor Bruno Ganz […]

Thriller takes audience to edge

Shivers  ★★★ IF YOU want to see how film trailers should be made check out the one for Crimes of the Future. This is Canadian director David Cronenberg’s first film in eight years and, based on the minimalist and impactful trailer, I will be sitting in a theatre on the […]

Birth of an horror auteur

The Tax Collector ★★½ THROUGHOUT The Tax Collector I kept asking myself the same question…why is Shia LaBeouf in this film? While he was born in California, I’m pretty certain he isn’t from Hispanic heritage so why is he part of the cast of this action thriller. LaBeouf doesn’t give […]

LaBeouf an odd casting choice

The Eyes of Tammy Faye ★★★ FIFTEEN minutes into The Eyes of Tammy Faye I was ready to shut it down. This 2021 biographical drama tells the story of American television evangelist couple Jim and Tammy Bakker, from their rural upbringing to meeting at college, their marriage and rise to […]

Thank the Lord for Chastain

Black Crab  ★★★ IN CONTRAST to its uninspiring title, Black Crab is a decent action thriller from Sweden. The always busy and versatile Noomi Rapace plays the central character, Caroline Edh, whom we are introduced to in the opening scene trying to flee a conflict with her young daughter. Without […]

Rapace back in action mode

Ambulance  ★★★½ DO YOU remember the 1994 action thriller Speed? Michael Bay does and his latest, Ambulance, could safely be described as ‘Speed on speed’, such is the non-stop, propulsive and chaotic formula employed. Bay has been much-maligned by many critics over his career, sometimes for legitimate reasons, but there […]

Bay mixes Speed with speed

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore  ★★★ STILL yearning for a regular fix of Harry Potter? Unfortunately it’s not to be, with the original cast all grown up and that lightning firmly stuck in its bottle. Fans must contend with the side project, set decades earlier than the first Harry […]

Dumbledore – the early years

CODA  ★★★★ CODA is a wonderfully entertaining and interesting film, but I’m not sure it warranted the title of Best Film at this year’s Oscars. On film-making technique alone, at least half of the other nominees were far better. But, when it comes to heart and audience reaction, only Belfast […]

CODA holds hearts in hands