Martin Scorsese’s latest film Hugo is a weird mix of tween romance, gadget film, Oliver style orphan drama, slapstick comedy, cinema nostalgia and of course (being a Scorsese film) a redemption story. This incongruous mix could have been a huge mess (some parts certainly fail to fire) but with Scorsese’s sure hand it holds together and offers something for kids
Read moreThe Descendants is the latest film for writer/director Alexander Payne who brought us the excellent Sideways back in 2004. Like Sideways, The Descendants combines painful self-reflection, male mid-life crisis and quirky comedy for a slightly odd but engrossing view of middle class angst. With The Descendants, Payne also adds potent family drama and a moving story of loss. Despite a
Read moreTinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy which is directed by Let the Right One In’s Thomas Alfredson is the second adaptation of the famed John Le Carre spy thriller; it was previously turned into a TV mini-series in 1979. This film certainly has impressive credentials: it’s adapted from an acclaimed novel and features a stellar cast including Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and
Read moreStephen Spielberg’s old fashioned WW1 epic War Horse is at times thrilling and moving but too often falls victim to Spielberg’s cheesy filmmaking style. Initially set in a John Ford approved scenic English valley, the film sees young Albert (Jeremy Irvine) the son of a turnip farmer dedicating himself to raising a thoroughbred horse named Joey. When the farm falters
Read moreIt’s classic album time on Built for Speed and for January we look back at the stunning 1970 collaboration between Eric Clapton and Duane Allman on the Derek and the Dominoes album Layla. There’s also a ton of movies out in the cinemas and this week we review Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy; War Horse and Tower Heist. Don’t forget our regular round up of
Read moreIs Guy Ritchie capable of making a coherent film? On the strength of his last few films, including his latest Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, the answer is…no! With its mangled plot, obtuse dialogue, weird comedy and implausible action, this film had me constantly asking “what the hell is going on?”. What we can make out is that Holmes
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