By far the best film I saw at Sundance this year was “Boyhood”, the second consecutive masterpiece from writer-director Richard Linklater (“Before Midnight”). Shot in 3-4 day periods over twelve years, it captures the growth of Mason (Ellar Coltrane), from boy to teenager to young adult, in real time. Although the title suggests this is […]
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If I picked the Oscar nominees…
Best picture Before Midnight Inside Llewyn Davis Enough Said Stories We Tell Frances Ha Best Director Richard Linklater – “Before Midnight” Joel and Ethan Coen – “Inside Llewyn Davis” Alfonso Cuarón – “Gravity” Sarah Polley – “Stories We Tell” Pablo Sorrentino – “The Great Beauty” Best Actor Oscar Isaac – “Inside Llewyn Davis” Joaquin Phoenix […]
Review of Lone Survivor: In the thick of war, honour and brotherhood reign
You didn’t need to like football to fall in love with Friday Night Lights, and you don’t have to like patriotic showcases or agree with the War in Afghanistan to be moved by Lone Survivor.
The Top 10 Films of 2013
Last year was an anomalously fantastic year for film, comprising several masterpieces (Before Midnight, Stories We Tell, Inside Llewyn Davis), thought-provoking films (Museum Hours, No), and a wealth of other great movies – or at least movies with truly great elements (the acting in Blue is the Warmest Color) which there was not room for […]
Inside Llewyn Davis: Not the nicest man to get to know inside
Inside Llewyn Davis opens on a closeup of Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) singing and strumming “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me”, surrounded by darkness. It’s a mesmerizing and evocative shot, which immediately renders Llewyn iconic, performing this haunting, bare bones ballad. Slowly, the camera pulls back to reveal Llewyn on stage, and then the stage in the […]
Review: Philomena — On the road with Steve Coogan and Judi Dench
When Philomena (Judi Dench) returns to the Irish convent in Roscrea, she almost winces at the sight of it, as she pulls into the driveway with the reporter Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan). It was here that her parents abandoned her, where she gave birth to her son as a teenager, and then spent several unhappy […]