A Scottish fishing village. An American oil company. Bullied locals vs thoughtless big business. Local Hero looks as if it’s going to be a story about heavy-handed billionaires forcing idiosyncratic Northern villagers in chunky sweaters out of their birthright. Or it probably did in 1983, when it came out. Now the film has become part… Local Hero Read More
Robert The Bruce 3 stars
Angus Macfadyen, reprising his role as Robert the Bruce, is a lot older than when he portrayed the future Scottish king in Braveheart, though it fits this Robert; a man wiser, ground down, painfully aware of where his actions have led the country: “I truly believed that God had chosen me to be King. And then we… Robert The Bruce Read More
24 years after Braveheart, Angus Macfadyen is back as Robert the Bruce
*** Read my Robert The Bruce review now *** HISTORICAL EPIC: ✔️ BEARDS: ✔️ SWORDS: ✔️ SCOTLAND: ✔️ MUD: ✔️. EXCITEMENT RATING: ✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️/5 Angus Macfadyen is back as Robert the Bruce, nearly a quarter of a century after playing the Scottish hero in Braveheart – though this new film is set in 1306, just after the death… 24 years after Braveheart, Angus Macfadyen is back as Robert the Bruce Read More
The Isle 3.5 stars
*** Read my interview with Matthew (director/co-writer) and Tori (producer, co-writer and star) Butler-Hart *** I feel something of an affinity with sirens, as I too find that innocent men dash themselves on the nearest available jagged outcrop, their faces contorted in terror, whenever I start singing. The Isle, a supernatural Victorian thriller set on a… The Isle Read More
The Vanishing 4 stars
There’s a brutal scene half-way through The Vanishing, director Kristoffer Nyholm’s “what if?” take on the Flannan Isle mystery. It’s a fight between lighthouse keepers James Ducat (Gerard Butler) and Thomas Marshall (Peter Mullan), and two violent Scandinavian men who’ve appeared looking for their missing chest of gold. James, dark-haired and bearded, big and brawny, takes… The Vanishing 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
Gerard Butler’s “Keepers” Reappears As “The Vanishing” In New Trailer
*** Read my review of The Vanishing *** I’ve always liked the idea of living in an isolated lighthouse for some peace and quiet, plus I’m the only person I know who loves big lights. Now, though, I think I’d refuse to go without 300 Spartan soldiers to protect me – after watching this trailer,… Gerard Butler’s “Keepers” Reappears As “The Vanishing” In New Trailer 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
Black Sea 4 stars
*** Check out my submarine movies section *** Black Sea is a brutal watch, almost a horror film as the deaths mount, with fear itself a virus. And although not a straight East-West underwater battle, it still has Westerners fighting with Russians. At one point they each take over different ends of their submarine, with the Brits… Black Sea Read More
Etruscan Smile (Boston Film Festival) 3.5 stars
Most of the characters in The Etruscan Smile are stuck in their ways, though Emily (Thora Birch) – who could easily be the most caricatured of all, with her diarised mothering, “autonomous baby”, and cry-it-out sleep training – is actually the one most prepared to accept she might have made a mistake. Her husband Ian (JJ… Etruscan Smile (Boston Film Festival) Read More
T2: Trainspotting 4 stars
“Skanky nostalgia” is how my friend affectionately described the oddly-named T2: Trainspotting, after a screening filled with fellow 40-somethings. In fact when you see it, listen out when the lights go up for the collective “ooohhh” as we oldies stretch our stiffened limbs up out of our seats. Director Danny Boyle has, though, managed to stay just the right side of that nostalgia… T2: Trainspotting Read More