Henry V’s Chief Justice, William Gascoigne (Sean Harris), puts the realities of kingship best to the young English monarch: “Promise must be fulfilled. Promise must never be an end in itself.” He’s not showing much promise when we first see Prince Hal; his father Henry IV is still on the throne, and Hal is a… The King Read More
The Witches 4 stars
Its nearly three decades since this film came out. Watching it now – and yes I know that viewing old films through modern eyes can be as problematic as the “issues” that have, in the intervening years, become so glaringly obvious we can’t believe we missed them – it does seem to have it in… The Witches Read More
The Witches (kids’ review!) 5 stars
I don’t believe in witches and I don’t believe in ghosts. The Tooth Fairy is real though. People say she uses the children’s teeth to build a castle of teeth but I don’t think that. The witches in this film have horrible toes so they have to wear horrible shoes and they are bald with… The Witches (kids’ review!) Read More
Fisherman’s Friends 2.5 stars
“Emotions have no place in business” says hotshot London music executive Danny (Daniel Mays) and there’s your Britflick red flag right there. Fisherman’s Friends ticks so many boxes it makes me wonder if there’s a secret list of British film industry definites and nice-to-haves, with any funding dependent on a 75% hit rate. Based on… Fisherman’s Friends Read More
Mary Queen Of Scots 3.5 stars
To shore up their throne a monarch will lean heavily on symbolism, as does director Josie Rourke; so much so that the constant allusions to the symmetry and asymmetry in the two queens’ lives sometimes threaten to overwhelm the whole movie. My advice is simply to lie back and enjoy it, as otherwise your frustrations will… Mary Queen Of Scots Read More
OutLaw King 3.5 stars
This is a traditional account of Robert Bruce’s fightback against the English as the Scottish nobleman claims his country’s crown, taking on Edward I and his son Edward, Prince Of Wales (later Edward II). There are no gimmicks, and watching it on Netflix, it did feel as if TV is a good home for it;… OutLaw King Read More