A dying father seeks a new family for his young son. There are times when I want to have my heart broken at the movies and times when I most definitely don’t. I’m currently in a “definitely don’t” phase, and had been deliberately avoiding Nowhere Special, but the recent heatwave sent me to the local… Nowhere Special Read More
Relic (London Film Festival) 4 stars
A daughter, mother and grandmother are haunted by a manifestation of dementia that consumes their family’s home. There are post-it notes stuck all around Edna’s elegant and airy house, little reminders of basic living: turn off taps says one. As they get more frightening, warnings in an increasingly spidery hand, there’s one that says Don’t… Relic (London Film Festival) Read More
The Last Tree (Sundance London) 4 stars
Shola Amoo’s second feature is an accomplished and absorbing film, following the teenage Femi as he struggles to create his own identity and sense of place from disparate memories, experiences and expectations. Little confusions, which for teenagers can still loom large, are woven into far more serious choices. There’s a sweet scene when Femi, walking along… The Last Tree (Sundance London) Read More
Two For Joy 4 stars
For the widowed Aisha (Samantha Morton) grief itself has become the driving force, rather than the reaction; with her family caught in an enervating circle of misery where the sheer exhaustion of getting through the day prevents them from escaping. It needs a huge catalyst to kick them off the repetitive cycle onto a different… Two For Joy Read More
Puzzle 3.5 stars
It turns out there’s more than one way to complete a jigsaw, and my own tried and tested technique – corners then edges then screaming in frustration – won’t win you a Best Puzzler cup. Initially Agnes (Kelly Macdonald) just turns over the pieces and dives in. Her new and experienced champion puzzler partner Robert… Puzzle Read More
Christopher Robin 3 stars
This is a film that yearns for a golden bygone age. “You can’t just keep saying hello to people!” says Christopher Robin to Pooh as they rush past harried Londoners. Okay, not that. A time when bosses utilised our goodwill, demanding more and more, expecting us to work all hours so we never saw our… Christopher Robin Read More
Mobile Homes 3 stars
*** Read my interview with Mobile Homes director Vladimir De Fontenay *** It’s part of the mythology of America that everyone can move on, starting afresh somewhere new, the slate wiped clean. Everybody deserves a second, third of fourth chance, even if in practice it often doesn’t work out that way for the very people… Mobile Homes Read More
All Between Us 2 stars
This dinner-party-from-hell movie was made in 2010, but is only now, eight years later, getting a home entertainment release – presumably to cash in on co-star Tiffany Haddish’s phenomenal (and well-deserved) success. I’ll admit until I realised when the film was made I was rather mystified regarding Haddish’s involvement. It’s a story that has some… All Between Us Read More
Eaten By Lions 3.5 stars
*** Check out my video interviews with the cast and my written interview with director Jason Wingard *** In Eaten By Lions the mum and dad/stepdad of brothers Pete (Jack Carroll) and Omar (Antonio Aakeel) suffer exactly that fate, and I won’t deny it’s a relief not to have to labour over a movie title’s meaning. You could argue… Eaten By Lions Read More
A Bad Moms Christmas 2.5 stars
I adore Christmas, and had no qualms watching this on November 1st, while eating homemade mince pies. I used to manage a retail Christmas department, which meant wearing musical antlers blaring our “Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer” from September to February, and I still adored Christmas. I also make my own mincemeat, bake and ice… A Bad Moms Christmas Read More
Louder Than Bombs 3.5 stars
I’ve met a few men like Jonah. First telling his wife not to swear in front of their just-delivered baby daughter in case she hears, later sleeping with an ex he has accidentally left with the impression that his wife has cancer. Jonah doesn’t have a problem misdirecting people, accidentally or deliberately, to create a… Louder Than Bombs Read More
Meyerowitz Stories (New & Selected) (New York Film Festival 2017) 4.5 stars
“Maybe he’s undiscovered for a reason,” says Matt (Ben Stiller) about his sculptor father Harold. But for his half-brother Danny taking away the myth of their dad’s undiscovered greatness will destroy their excuses for Harold’s terrible parenting and four marriages: “if he isn’t a great artist that means he was just a prick.” This is a… Meyerowitz Stories (New & Selected) (New York Film Festival 2017) Read More