“Relate this tale of victory” says Leonidas, King of Sparta, to Dillios (David Wenham), a soldier in his army who is heading back to Sparta, as the king faces certain death against the Persians. Moving and inspiring you might think, but also a great bit of spin doctoring, considering they lost. Although to be fair… 300 Read More
Eddie the Eagle 4 stars
The last snowy film I saw was the misery-fest known as The Revenant so it was with some trepidation that I ventured out to watch Eddie the Eagle. Luckily Eddie is a gloriously feel good film in which no one gets abused by a bear, and which will make you proud to be a plucky… Eddie the Eagle Read More
Chasing Mavericks 3.5 stars
Man needs an opponent, and nature can often fill that void. Like volcanos, tornados and other freaks of nature and weather, giant waves seem to acquire a life of their own, a sort of anti-humanity on which we can hang our battles with them, that force us to be humble or punish our hubris. But… Chasing Mavericks Read More
Intern, The 3 stars
You can see why companies want retired interns – with their final salary pensions they’re the only people who can afford to work unpaid in New York. The Intern reminded me of those couples who have been married for decades even though one is a Guardian reader and the other devours the Daily Mail, in its constant attempts… Intern, The Read More
Chain Reaction 2.5 stars
This is a 1996 film with a plot that wifi has rendered rather obsolete, a bit Like Home Alone which would never have worked if we’d had mobile phones. It’s about two very attractive people running away hand in hand from ugly people in the snow, I mean a scientific team discovering how to produce clean energy… Chain Reaction Read More
John Wick 5 stars
John Wick quickly lures you into its strange and self-contained world of murders-for-money, justified with an ambiguous sheen of honour. Its violence is repetitive yet compelling, the gunshots and stabbings almost hypnotic, as retired hitman John Wick and his old gangland boss Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist) face and chase each other across New York with an… John Wick Read More
Reign of Fire 3.5 stars
This is a cautionary tale about being careful what you wish for – in this case, an extended London Underground, where digging disturbs a creature left down there for centuries. And I’m talking a giant dragon, not some poor 16th century commuter desperate to get back to his olde hovel in Southwark. Reign Of Fire… Reign of Fire Read More
Nim’s Island 3.5 stars
I will be eternally grateful to Nim’s Island as it meant an afternoon not watching my children’s current fave, “Home Alone 4”, a movie which does for family franchises what Hannibal Lector did for Chianti sales. Set on a remote South Pacific island, Gerard Butler plays Jack Rusoe (Ja… Crusoe, geddit? No? Oh well), a widowed… Nim’s Island Read More
Far From The Madding Crowd 4 stars
I went through a big Thomas Hardy phase back in my teens (when you want authors who truly understand misery piled on misery, with a bit of extra misery thrown in for good measure) though I haven’t read or watched any in a while. Hardy stories tend to start bad then spiral into despair and utter… Far From The Madding Crowd Read More
Bad Moms 3 stars
For my Bad Moms Christmas review – click here Bad Moms isn’t awful by any means – there are some good gags and the female leads are engaging and fun – but it could have been a whole lot more. Perhaps if it had been written by actual mums. Yes Bad Moms was written by… Bad Moms Read More
Swallows and Amazons 4 stars
In the UK in the 1970s you really had to make your own fun, so a source of particular joy for children was sniggering at bedtime while one’s mother read aloud the exploits of the brilliantly named children Titty and Roger in Arthur Ransome’s classic tale of Lake District derring do. Sadly, though Roger remains… Swallows and Amazons Read More
Black Sheep 4 stars
Part sheep revenge fantasy, part cautionary tale about the evils of capitalism and the naivety of some activism, this is a shear delight, as demonic zombie sheep-human monsters take revenge on their captors (and anyone else who gets in their way). Not scared yet? Ewe wool be. If you like hiking, never has it been… Black Sheep Read More