An elderly man takes his wife’s ashes from Scotland to Cornwall, by bus. Tom Harper, the old man at the centre of The Last Bus, is one of those people who says little while conveying a lot. Part-way through his long journey from John O’Groats to Land’s End he’s staying overnight in a scruffy hotel,… The Last Bus Read More
Social media Cyrano comedy Summerland gets a trailer
The sun-kissed and never-been-kissed indie coming-of-age comedy follows three friends all trying desperately to find themselves, while trying not to drive off the road in the process. Filmed on the road across America, Summerland is modern-day social media Cyrano comedy about finding yourself and where you belong. The poor cast and crew though – they’re… Social media Cyrano comedy Summerland gets a trailer Read More
I Love My Mum 3 stars
Bickering – so easy to do in real life – is a vastly underrated acting skill. I Love my Mum, the new comedy from writer-director Alberto Sciamma, is soundtracked to the constant hum of tiny aggressions and endless reproaches, a stuck record that needs a kick in order to jump forward. Olga (Kierston Wareing) and… I Love My Mum Read More
Burning Men 3 stars
There’s a great gag at the end of Burning Men that made me wonder if the writer thought it up then worked backwards creating a story leading up to it. And that’s partly what the film itself does, when what seems like a British horror movie turns out to be more a psychological foray into… Burning Men Read More
Burning Men trailer mashes a musical road trip with folk horror
When two down-on-their-luck musicians are evicted from their London squat, they decide to head to Memphis to fulfil their musical destiny. Selling their vinyl collection to raise the necessary cash, they end up stealing a very rare black metal record from a London record fair, then head north to sell it. Can a record unleash forces… Burning Men trailer mashes a musical road trip with folk horror Read More
An Actor Prepares 4 stars
“If I do croak I want you to have my nuts… I know they’re big but they can probably make them fit.” Three-times Oscar winner Atticus Smith can’t resist sexual oneupmanship against his own adult son, even as he finally faces up to his own terrible parenting and possible death. Following a heart attack, Atticus… An Actor Prepares Read More
Last Flag Flying (New York Film Festival 2017) 3.5 stars
Thirty years after they served together in Vietnam, a former Navy Corpsman Larry “Doc” Shepherd re-unites with his old buddies, former Marines Sal Nealon and Reverend Richard Mueller, to bury his son, a young Marine killed in the Iraq War. Doc Shepherd’s son has died, shot in the head in Baghdad. He can be buried… Last Flag Flying (New York Film Festival 2017) Read More
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul 2.5 stars
It’s only fair that I point out that while I wasn’t particularly impressed with this film, my 7 year old – surely the movie’s core market – adored it and insists it deserves five stars. And for me one of the most enjoyable aspects was watching him collapsing into hysterics at every fart joke, toilet scene… Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul Read More